Blood Victory (Burning Girl #3)

BLOOD VICTORY [2020] By Christopher Rice
My Review 3.6 Stars Rounded To 4 Stars

I pre-ordered this final installment of Rice’s trilogy (THE BURNING GIRL BOOK 3) and just finished reading it a few nights ago. I was absolutely blown away with the introductory novel [BONE MUSIC 2018], and it was my opinion that the second book [BLOOD ECHO 2019] was also outstanding, although I took exception to Rice’s obvious politicization of the plot line.

BLOOD VICTORY is not in the same league as the first two BURNING GIRL BOOKS. Let’s just get that said right out of the gate. The primary protagonist of this series IS the “Burning Girl” notably Charlotte Rowe A.K.A. “Charley”. She is barely mentioned in approximately the first one-third of the book. It is true that by this point in the narrative Charley had made the necessary connection with the serial killer (“Cyrus Mattingly”) in order for him to nab her in accordance with the first stage of the plan to bring him down. We also “meet” a victim named Zoey in this first third of the book. That said, most of the author’s prose is spent illuminating the back story while focusing mostly on the Consortium, its technology, and the complicated relationship between Cole, the CEO of Grayson Chemicals and his former lover/partner Noah AKA Dylan. There may be a reference or two to the enigmatic Scott Durham, Cole’s “right hand man” for security, Charley’s boyfriend Luke (now a part of the entourage after intensive physical combat, weapon’s training, and being equipped with the latest “toys”).

The author devotes a lot of time (literally) in character development of the main villain (and what amounts to more of a criminal enterprise involving several moving parts as opposed to a lone wolf serial killer). This is accomplished by alternating timelines between past and present to illustrate the evolution of this book’s psycho.
It was fascinating that the author incorporated the massive tornado that struck Lubbock, Texas, on May 11, 1970, an event that changed meteorology forever, to flesh out the back story of his sadistic puppet master in this thriller.

The action finally escalates when Charley is inadvertently “triggered” during her time as a restrained, isolated, and tormented passenger on the “torture truck” headed to an unknown destination in Amarillo, Texas. Her kidnapper leaves the cab and prepares to enter the compartment area when he discovers one of the snakes torn in two.

“Torn. The word keeps pulsing in his brain, bringing with it a cold wash of fear in the pit of his stomach and tension all along his shoulders. There is something in here that can tear a snake in half. Suddenly afraid to push the divider back any farther, Cyrus raises the Taser at the narrow sliver of pale-blue light before him. What happens next happens so quickly he can barely give it a chronology…”

But the focus is shifted back to Cole and Noah (AKA Dylan) when this reader wanted more of the story line to focus squarely on Charley and Luke. The pair are on their own by this time and rushing headlong into an unknown, potentially dangerous confrontation with Heaven knows WHO or WHAT. They are quickly closing in on a mystery destination that is known only to their restrained, banged up, and terrified serial killer Cyrus Mattingly.

It was apparent by this time that at the heart of this third installment of the trilogy is a love story between Cole and the previously ostracized Noah. It’s not that I am opposed to a romantic tale between two gay guys against a colorful backdrop of sci-fi and dangerous international intrigue. However, it isn’t why I bought BONE MUSIC and BLOOD ECHO, and certainly not why I pre-ordered BLOOD VICTORY.

The novel is at approximately the 75% mark when Charley and Luke are closing the gap between the highway and their unknown destination. The duo must use their past experience, intelligence and pretty much all the tools at their disposal to “crack” the code that will make their unwilling remorseless murderer reveal what they need to know. Charley’s exploits during the climax of the chase into Texas to find the farm where more victims await rescue is truly great stuff. I loved it and the author’s creative imagination really shined in these action-packed pages which chronicle Charley’s fight at the end of her journey. She finds herself, a powerful and lethal “Angel” for good, in an isolated, shrouded stronghold, and facing a demented manipulator of men’s bodies and minds that has made them carry out an agenda of pure evil.

I’ve tried to avoid any SPOILERS in this review since BLOOD VICTORY was just released this month. There is actually a lot of GOOD in this novel, namely the opportunity to learn more about Charley, and what’s in her heart and mind. In this last book, she takes on more than she bargained for with the sociopathic Cyrus Mattingly emerging as only one man in a destructive pact of crazies that are responsible for horrific killings that had been claiming young lives unimpeded and in total anonymity for a decade. Second, I would also award Kudos to Rice for his truly original serial killer(s) in this one. His creative imagination was in overdrive for this one!!! Readers may never hear Simon & Garfunkel’s Sound Of Silence and react the same way! Thirdly, without saying too much, I really liked the outcome that resulted for the female victim (“Zoey”) that the reader was introduced to in the book and made privy to her fate in the hands of the psychotics before and after her arrival in the Texas killing grounds.

The only caveat is the author’s well written and tastefully portrayed love affair between the tortured Cole and the brilliant, aloof scientific genius Dr. Dylan Turlington (“Noah”). In my opinion it loomed too large and overshadowed the narrative of Charley and her last mission in this final book of the trilogy.

Ive been a super-fan of Christopher Rice since his very first novel. I was so eager to read each book he produced over the years. When he turned his interests a bit and created his super-hero sci-fi character Charlotte Rowe in the first of the series that includes the latest installment Blood Victory, I was still with him all the way. I remarked to friends that that first book in the series, Bone Music, was entirely believable, even though it involved some very unusual plot points. I loved the second in the series, as well. But Blood Victory has gone too far for my tastes. Rice still writes with grace, spins a tale with gusto, and creates fascinating characters. But here, in this novel, he seems to ramp everything up so much that the crime description was much, too much for me. I kept reading for I did want to know how Charlotte, or Charley, as she prefers, would resolve it all. Despite the disgusting crime, those passages are compelling to read. The sub-plot of intrigue involving Charleys handlers investors slowed the action down far too much for me. I just wanted to get back to the plot and not have to wade through these machinations. I do like, however, the character of the victim, Zoey. She is remarkable. I suppose I will succumb if another book in the series is released. But let it be known I am disappointed in one of my favorite authors.

As we meet up again with Cole, Noah, Charlie, and Luke, the Consortium is obviously dangerous to their health. With untold evil-based wealth coming in the direction of the Consortium, there may be no more need for a living Charlie, triggered or not, or a Charlie strapped to a table in a lab being milked for her chemical essence. And, serial killers are abroad, trained by Mother.

The serial killers are after strong women, the bold and self assertive. Charlie and Luke are on the tail of one, while some or all of the Consortium are launching their own campaign. Cole needs to figure it out, and violates his oath to Charlie by allowing Noah to have access to their situation room and information. Bailey, too, is actively involved.

This book contains horrifying incidents of torture and should be read with that in mind. The twists in the plot excite and surprise as Rice continues to spin his web.

This is book #3 in the A Burning Girl series where Charlotte is hunting serial killers,
with intriguing plots and characters, a mix of thriller, horror and supernatural elements,
and some very unpleasant miscreants getting what they deserve.
If youre able to stomach the gore and the disturbing scenes
this series provides great detail.
.
This was an experimental read for me because I never read thrillers with sci-fi elements.

Such a Great book. Enjoyed every minute of reading it. Christopher Rice is a brilliant Author. Just like his Mum. I highly recommend you read this series. Just Brilliant.

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