Name: Kelsey Holtaway's review of A Deadly Influence by Mike Omer
Item: A Deadly Influence
Rating: 5
Author: Kelsey Holtaway

Mike Omer

From bestselling author Mike Omer comes the first in a new series full of the psychological twists and police procedural turns that his fans have come to know and love. Lieutenant Abby Mullen is no stranger to crisis. As the hostage negotiation instructor for the NYPD, she deals with worst-case scenarios every day. Nothing fazes her anymore. That all changes when she gets a call from Eden Fletcher, a fellow survivor of the infamous Wilcox cult. The two haven't spoken since the night of a tragic, fiery massacre, when their paths diverged. But now Eden needs Abby's help: someone has kidnapped her son and is demanding a $5 million ransom. As Abby throws herself into the case, she can't help but wonder why the kidnapper has targeted Eden. But Eden refuses to talk. She's silent about the relics of their shared past hanging on her walls. About the kidnapper's possible motives. About what's happened in the years since she and Abby parted ways. As the truth closes in, Abby realizes that her past may not be as far behind as she thought...and it's come home to collect.

A Deadly Influence

Dave Konopka

Kelsey Holtaway

Thank you to Thomas+Mercer for an advanced reader copy of A DEADLY INFLUENCE in exchange for an honest review. 

Mike Omer books are insta-reads for me. He writes, in my opinion, my perfect thriller, and I recommend his books to everyone I know. I was so bummed when the Zoe Bentley series wrapped, but I'm so pleased with the start of this new series with Abby at the helm. 

In A DEADLY INFLUENCE, we follow Abby Mullen, a negotiator for the NYPD, and survivor of a cult massacre. She receives a phone call from a fellow ex-cult member whose child has been kidnapped. Abby is sent down a twisty path of new cults, influencers, and her own past in order to save the kidnapped child. 

Like the rest of Omer's books that I read, A DEADLY INFLUENCE is my favorite type of thriller. Heavily researched, twisty, fast, and a puzzle that's delightful to work through. I try to read Omer's books as slow as possible but I typically fail. 

I really enjoyed this cast of characters, and Omer is one of only a few men writers who can write a woman lead in a smart, vulnerable, fully human way, and I found myself relating to Abby's character even though we could not be more different. I craved to hear more of her backstory, and was so delighted with the involvement of a cult in the present mystery, and not just in Abby's past. 

Also we end on one doozy of a cliffhanger and I'm DYING to read the next book in this series.

Dave Konopka &
A Deadly Influence by Mike Omer

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Dave Konopka &A Deadly Influence by Mike Omer

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Dave Konopka &
A Deadly Influence by Mike Omer