Week Forty-Two - October 15th - October 21st

Title: Bear Trap

Author: girldirt

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Number of Chapters: 13

Completed? No

Link (Added as an in-line comment):

Blurb:

"It's all about money, Clay. It's only ever about money."

Clay Signy is a man frozen in time, forced to replay the moment his older brother died in his arms. He's never been able to shake the smell of that night. He hasn't forgotten the Mustang that Brock was pushed out of either, nor the sticker pasted against the bumper: a bear trap with its jaws spread wide.

Now he lives on autopilot, working in his father's car shop, mixing alcohol with pills to keep the memories at bay. But when a familiar car is delivered to the shop to be serviced by a mysterious young woman, Clay's world is turned upside down.

Clay has no stomach for violence but thankfully, Kinga does. When their paths collide, their mutual goal is complicated by their conflicting ideas on revenge. Kinga is hellbent on death but Clay sees a different path to destruction. Will they overcome their differences? Or will their obsession with revenge turn them both blind?

Goose's Thoughts:

Welcome to another week and we are diving into a story with two main characters hell-bent on revenge. 

The descriptions throughout this story are honestly incredible. In just a few short words, Elle, is able to capture the atmosphere of each location and paint an accurate and occasionally haunting image. They have such an amazing way with words that each descriptions leaps of the page and it's almost like watching a movie. I love the contrast they're able to create between each setting and the juxtaposition between each location we travel to. There is something so spectacular in the way they are able to bring these settings to life.

Not only that, but Elle does a fantastic job of heightening the tension throughout the story. There are so many moments in reading that had me on the edge of my seat and waiting for what was going to happen to Clay. I don't think I've ever been so nervous reading a story as I have with this one and following our main character through the trials and tribulations on his quest for revenge.

Clay makes for such an interesting, well-throughout character. There are so many complexities to him and little details that Elle releases throughout the story that will leave you heart-broken for him, and worried about will become of him. He has such a rich an interesting backstory that leaves him open for the twisting route into revenge that Kinga takes him down. I loved how there is enough backstory to justify his desire for revenge, but enough characterisation for him to doubt his own actions.

Alongside Clay, we have the mysterious addition of Kinga who is introduced early on and is the one who ultimately takes Clay into this world of revenge. Kinga is such an opposite character to Clay and I love seeing the juxtaposition between the two of them in each of their scenes and watching interact. Elle really manages to make Kinga a mysterious character due to the non-answers she provides and the manor in which she conducts herself. She's such a contrast to Clay that makes for an interesting dynamic between the two of them.

If you're looking for a story of revenge with a main character who might just need a hug, then this is the story for you. Elle's incredible description really elevates the story to that next level that helps to set the tone for the story and increase that tension throughout. This story is just incredible on all fronts.

Thank you for writing such an amazing story, Elle!

-Goose