Lornographic Material

Vicki Pettersson is the love child of Dean Koontz and Gillian Flynn. Okay, she isn't, but she writes like she is.

Swerve piqued my interest because I'm a sucker for scavenger-hunts-to-stay-alive books in the vain of Laymon's In the Dark. I also love anything having to do with road trips and/or crazy stalkers. This seemed to have all three boxes checked, so I requested it from NetGalley. And guess what...

We have a winner, folks.

Swerve explodes out of the gate, leaving the reader breathless and confused, not unlike our main character. Kristine is a physician's assistant, and she and her surgeon fiance, Daniel, have just stopped at a rest area so that Kristine can use the facilities. And then BAM! , we're off to the races. I had big fun getting chased right alongside Kristine, and if the reveal in the middle of the book hadn't been so obvious, this little pleasant surprise of a book would have gotten all the stars. Sadly, that reveal spoiled my fun for a hefty chunk of back nine. Luckily, the final stretch of the book is just as amazeballs as the beginning.

I did not expect such brutality from this novel, but that's a plus in my eyes. Swerve is definitely not for the weak of stomach. There's this scene in a hotel room involving a dog and... Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. No worries, the dog lives. No animal cruelty trigger warnings needed.

If I have my research right, Pettersson is an urban fantasy author who is branching out into thriller-chiller territory. Kudos to her. Flexing your literary muscle is never a bad thing, and she has the chops for it. I almost want to pick up her UF books, but urban fantasy has never been my thing. I do, however, hope that she writes another thriller, because this one was aces.

Side note: Count how many times Pettersson uses the word "serve" in this book. It's not annoyingly repetitive, but you can tell she intended the usage as a wink and a nod to the reader. I for one thought it was well done and her usage witty.

In summation: I'll be bumping this review when the book comes out on July 17th because I want you to buy this and support Vicki Pettersson. I received a free ARC in return for my honest opinion, which you've just read, but I will be buying the hardcover when it comes out. I suggest you do the same.

Final Judgment: Swerves off course for a second, but finds its way home with ease.