REVIEW: Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd

In Dead Girl Running (Cape Charade #1) by Christina Dodd, surviving a gun shot wound to her head has rendered Kellen Adams unable to remember the past year of her life. But now, she’s working as an assistant resort manager, which is something Kellen is more than capable of doing, but when she uncovers a dead body, she’s determined to discover what is going on at the resort. Yet, not knowing who she can trust, she pushes forward with her investigation. But when things become more dangerous and it seems her past is catching up with her, will Kellen come out on top against those determined to hurt her or will she lose her happy ever after with the man that means so much to her?

 I have three confessions to make:
1. I’ve got the scar of gunshot on my forehead.
2. I don’t remember an entire year of my life.
3. My name is Kellen Adams…and that’s half a lie.

This story took me a while to fully get into, especially since the woman known as Kellen is really someone else and until I could fully comprehend who she was and why she’s assumed Kellen’s identity then I just found her point-of-view a tad confusing. However, in saying that, the way this story started had me wanting to know more about the secondary characters and who was involved in what’s happening at the resort that could put lives in danger. Is the dead body someone Kellen knows? Yet, it was from the moment I learnt more about the heroine and her back story that had me liking this story. Will the heroine ever remember anything about the last year of her life? Will she escape her past to have a future with the hero?

As for the dialogue, the descriptions of the characters felt like I was reading a character profile instead of getting a feel for what the characters looked like from a vivid description; and the heroine’s back story had me wondering whether her past would be enough to keep her safe against the bad guys. However, in saying that, I absolutely loved the moment the hero entered this story because there’s something very intriguing about him and the chemistry he shares with the heroine. Will he be able to help the heroine remember the past year of her life? Will he be able to keep her safe from her past?

With the heroine, she’s a character I took a little while to warm up to, but once I learnt what she’s been through, it’s palpable that her past is going to catch up with her because her late husband and his family were a bunch of monsters that she needed to get away from. However, she’s strong and brave and I liked how she handled everything that’s thrown at her because of her past and what’s going on at the resort. Since it’s not easy to recognize who she can trust and who she can’t, even though some of the secondary characters should be loyal to her because of all they’ve been through together.

She took the stairs. “Leo and Annie filled you in on all the details?”
“What there are of them. I suspect we’re looking at the tip of the iceberg.”
“I hate being on the Titanic,” she muttered.
“Full speed ahead,” he said, proving he had good hearing. “And no way to make a sharp turn away from the peril. You don’t mind if I play the Kate Winslet role, do you? I don’t even like to walk in the rain.”
She couldn’t help it. She turned and laughed at him. “You’re our new security man!”

Overall, Ms. Dodd has delivered a story that I did end up enjoying once I learnt more about the heroine’s back story and once she and the heroine were introduced to each other. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat due to the danger the heroine faced because of her past and the troubles at the resort, yet I liked how things worked out for the best between the hero and the heroine. Since there was a huge reveal at the end that brought more joy into the heroine’s life; joy that she thoroughly deserves after all that she’s been through. I would recommend Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd, if you enjoy psychological thrillers or books by authors Fiona Barton, Lisa Jewell, Laura Marshall and JP Delaney.

Book Info:

Publication: April 28th, 2018 | Harlequin | Cape Charade #1

I have three confessions to make:
1. I’ve got the scar of gunshot on my forehead.
2. I don’t remember an entire year of my life.
3. My name is Kellen Adams…and that’s half a lie.

Girl running…from a year she can’t remember, from a husband she prays is dead, from homelessness and fear. Tough, capable Kellen Adams takes a job as assistant manager of a remote vacation resort on the North Pacific Coast. There amid the towering storms and the lashing waves, she hopes to find sanctuary. But when she discovers a woman’s dead and mutilated body, she’s soon trying to keep her own secrets while investigating first one murder…then another.

Now every guest and employee is a suspect. Every friendly face a mask. Every kind word a lie. Kellen’s driven to defend her job, her friends and the place she’s come to call home. Yet she wonders–with the scar of a gunshot on her forehead and amnesia that leaves her unsure of her own past–could the killer be staring her in the face?