New Release Review | Deranged by T.R. Ragan

Deranged by T.R. Ragan
Jessie Cole #3
Thriller
Thomas & Mercer | October 30, 2018

About the Book: Family man or deranged killer? It’s for fearless PI Jessie Cole to find out. At any cost.

Ever since a car accident left reporter Ben Morrison with amnesia, he’s been trying to rebuild a future as he puts together the pieces of his past. With the help of PI Jessie Cole, he’s getting closer. But few who remember Ben’s troubled childhood want to talk. And those who do—including his father, imprisoned for a shocking crime—are stirring disturbing memories given up for dead.

Then Jessie is sidetracked by a surveillance request from a suspicious husband. An ordinary case, until the cheating wife and lover are found murdered. They bear the trademark wounds of an elusive serial killer who’s now leading Jessie down a chilling path—one that’s about to put a dangerous twist in the search for Ben’s identity.

To discover the truth, Jessie must put more at risk than she ever feared. Because there are more secrets to Ben’s past, than she—or even Ben—ever imagined.

I’ve never considered myself a seasonal reader. When asked what I’m reading for autumn, I usually don’t have an answer. The books I choose aren’t ‘Fall Reads’. I think maybe that’s changing though. A couple years ago I started craving holiday reads around Christmas. I hunt for them. Now, this year for the first time I was craving a thriller to binge, and I can only assume it was because I was in the Halloween spirit. It worked out well for myself. Though I may have rated other books higher recently, I honestly think the Jessie Cole series has been my favorite part of October.

I knew I was a fan when I read the first book. I immediately felt a connection to the characters, and that connection has only grown since then. I like all of the characters a lot but, like I said in my first review, I really love Ben. In fact, I feel a lot like Jessie. We both worry about Ben’s past, and who he was before. We both really want to believe, despite all the clues to the contrary, that Ben is a good man.

Fuck it, she thought. She was done inwardly tormenting herself as to whether Ben was good or bad. It was her decision to make, and her cross to bear. Team Ben all the way!

Jessie stole the words out of my mouth! Team Ben all the way!

As much as I’m hoping we’re all relieved in the end with Ben’s real non-homicidal past, I’m still loving how the author is slowly revealing Ben’s sordid past a little bit at a time. When I finish each installment, especially Deranged, I’m so invested in the story I find it hard to sleep. I can’t stop thinking about how wonderful Ben is, and trying to figure out how each damning piece of information could possibly be inaccurate. I’m also curious to see if everything will tie together in the end. Will we find out why Ben was with Jessie’s sister before she died? I really hope so. I want to know everything. I want to know why it’s all not freaking true! TEAM BEN!

I’m still a little lukewarm about Jessie and Colin’s relationship. We’re three books in and I’m waiting for a little something deeper. It feels like they’re never together. Even when Jessie or Olivia need Colin’s support it seems he still runs off. I get it, he’s a detective. His job is important to him. It’s just, you’d think when one of the girls is nearly killed he’d find a couple hours to just sit and hold them. Honestly, there’s only one book left to convince me, and I have a feeling the series will end with that one pretty large flaw. Makes me a little sad. It’s very nearly perfect.