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Desecration (Brooke and Daniel Book 1) Kindle Edition
Someone out there is murdering the living… and desecrating the dead.
Detective Jamie Brooke is a woman in the depths of despair. Her career is on the ropes. Her daughter is dying — there are only hours left before the end, and decisions have to be made.
Museum curator Blake Daniel is a man on the edge of destruction. Cursed with the ability to “read” objects — to see where they’ve come from, and the bloody histories they experience — Blake splits his time between working as a researcher at the British Museum… and binge-drinking to forget his nightmare visions.
Together, these two broken souls are all that stand between London and a brutal killer. A young woman has been murdered, her uterus and unborn child removed during a gala event at a college of surgeons, any of whom could have committed the crime. The only clue is a small ivory Anatomical Venus, dating to the seventeenth century.
Body modification, grave robbery, Nazi eugenics, a laboratory that specializes in extreme genetic experiments. All come together to create a mystery unlike any Jamie has experienced, and a danger greater than any Blake has ever seen in his visions.
It will take all Jamie’s detective skills, and all Blake’s psychic abilities, to find the killer. To end the murders. To stop something that wants to destroy all that is good… and leave behind only DESECRATION.
Desecration is the first book in a thrilling series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn: a blend of crime, psychological thriller — and the supernatural. Click “buy now” and find out what’s behind the world you think you know…
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateDecember 18, 2013
- Reading age15 - 18 years
- File size1070 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine Art and author of over 40 novels
"A riveting exploration of the dark side of the human heart"
New York Times Bestselling Author CJ Lyons
"In a book which takes the reader on a journey to hell and back, J.F. Penn demonstrates her huge talent for conveying the depths of human depravity."
Amazon #1 Bestseller, Rachel Abbott
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B00GKR1PII
- Publisher : Curl Up Press (December 18, 2013)
- Publication date : December 18, 2013
- Language : English
- File size : 1070 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 266 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,159,568 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,367 in Psychic Thrillers
- #2,417 in Psychic Mysteries
- #3,448 in Conspiracy Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
J.F. Penn is the Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ARKANE action adventure thrillers, Mapwalker fantasy adventures, and the Brooke & Daniel psychological thrillers as well as other stories.
Her books weave together ancient artifacts, relics of power, international locations and adventure with an edge of the supernatural.
Jo lives in Bath, England and enjoys a nice G&T.
Find out more at www.JFPenn.com
If you enjoy books set in international locations, check out Jo's Books and Travel Podcast: www.BooksAndTravel.page
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the plot interesting and engaging. They describe the book as a captivating read that keeps them hooked until the end. The emotional content is described as visceral, thought-provoking, and heartfelt. The characters are well-developed with good imagery that depicts their personalities and flaws. The research quality is described as descriptive and well-researched. Readers praise the writing style as well-written, authoritative, and easy to read. The pacing provides a perfect balance between getting to know and love the characters.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the plot interesting and engaging. They describe it as a thrilling story with medical gore, suspense, and intense psychological elements. The fast-paced plot and convincing characters keep readers hooked until the end. Readers praise the well-written story that uses mature and educated prose.
"...Instead the intrigue comes thick and fast, as a fascinating murder is untangled by a compelling protagonist fighting her own, gutting inner battle...." Read more
"...It's worth reading if you want to kill some time. It will hold your interest, which is what you want in a fun read." Read more
"...the early parts of the book is well done and believable, setting the stage for a surprising and strong middle – no sagging here – and an ending that..." Read more
"Well written. Very good characters and prose. I was delighted to read an indie thriller that uses more mature and educated prose and style...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and captivating. They appreciate the believable early parts and the well-developed storyline. The idea of being able to read objects is also interesting. Overall, readers describe the book as well-written and well-played out.
"...Thematically this book is equally compelling with a moving study of genuine parental love that contrasts with other characters who don’t prioritise..." Read more
"...It's tired and stale. Anyway, the book isn't bad. It's worth reading if you want to kill some time...." Read more
"...The setup in the early parts of the book is well done and believable, setting the stage for a surprising and strong middle – no sagging here – and..." Read more
"...She should have. This is a very captivating book that will take the reader into dark places...." Read more
Customers find the book emotionally engaging with its thought-provoking story and gut-wrenching thrills. They find the heroine sympathetic and the story compelling, with a moving study of genuine parental love. The book draws readers in with its thrilling murder mystery and unexpected twist.
"...Thematically this book is equally compelling with a moving study of genuine parental love that contrasts with other characters who don’t prioritise..." Read more
"...The setup in the early parts of the book is well done and believable, setting the stage for a surprising and strong middle – no sagging here – and..." Read more
"...and turns as well as great connection with main character - deep emotional connections. Left me wanting to read the follow up books." Read more
"...The heartrending story of Jamie Brooks, a London Detective Superintendent who is trying her best to serve the people and be there for her..." Read more
Customers find the characters well-developed with good imagery that describes their personalities and flaws. The author makes readers feel for the main character through her struggles. They appreciate the subtle clues to their personalities, which make them seem human and relatable.
"...The supporting cast are deftly drawn, while the clues to their personalities are often subtle and delightful...." Read more
"...Plenty of story twists and turns as well as great connection with main character - deep emotional connections...." Read more
"This is the perfectly written thriller. It has multi-dimensional characters and a plot that pulls you in and doesn’t let go...." Read more
"...The characters were an array of intriguing personalities. Definitely a must add to your tbr list. Recommended." Read more
Customers find the book's research thorough and informative. They appreciate the detailed descriptions of specimens and bodies, which keep them engaged. The historical and current information about medical research on dead bodies is fascinating. Readers find the book thought-provoking and interesting, bringing up many questions about medical research.
"...This is a meticulously researched and emotionally gripping story created by an author at the height of her powers...." Read more
"...The first chapter and part of the book were very well paced and developed...." Read more
"...Very thought provoking...." Read more
"Desecration is a mixture of medical history, oddities, art, gore and evil...." Read more
Customers find the book's writing style engaging and easy to read. They appreciate the author's authoritative writing style and good print quality.
"...The writing style offers plenty of satisfaction and is very professional...." Read more
"Well written and the action flows together very well...." Read more
"...delighted to read an indie thriller that uses more mature and educated prose and style. However, the story got weak from the middle onwards...." Read more
"...Penn’s writing is authoritative and I found myself wondering how much of the subject she wrote about is true (pretty horrifying if so)...." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing fast and engaging. They say it provides a good balance between character development and keeping them turning the pages quickly.
"...It start slow enough for you to really get into the head of the Protagonist, and then the throttle is opened for a no holds barred thrill ride..." Read more
"...The pacing provides a perfect balance between getting to know and love the characters, and moving the story forward with plenty of suspense...." Read more
"This book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. There is blood gore and some hedonistic rituals. It freaked me out and I loved it!..." Read more
"This is my kind of beach material - a fast paced, easy read that kept my attention. Don't think too hard, don't get caught up on realism, just enjoy...." Read more
Customers dislike the gory content. They find it gruesome but not as bad as reading the news.
"This book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. There is blood gore and some hedonistic rituals. It freaked me out and I loved it!..." Read more
"...I plan to look this up when I have more time. The gore was a bit excessive for my personal taste (I’m squeamish), especially towards the..." Read more
"...Desecration is an apt name for this book, and layers the levels of conflict many fold – no simple baddie who needs to get a comeuppance here...." Read more
"This was the kind of book that keeps you reading. Yes, it’s gruesome but no worse than reading the news sometimes, just more graphic...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2015Desecration is focussed on a surgically precise murder, which is perfectly appropriate, because this story eviscerates its readers. It had me hunched over the screen in horror and sitting back in tears, within the first two chapters. By the end of the book I was a mess, but what a ride!
This is a meticulously researched and emotionally gripping story created by an author at the height of her powers. It does need to come with a warning label though. This is a brutal read that will transport you into Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke’s life so vividly that you might have to skip over some descriptions just to survive. This is not a novel for the faint hearted.
Instead the intrigue comes thick and fast, as a fascinating murder is untangled by a compelling protagonist fighting her own, gutting inner battle. She is ably supported by a sympathetic psychic, who is just as richly drawn as the lead character and also has hidden demons.
The supporting cast are deftly drawn, while the clues to their personalities are often subtle and delightful. A parent states “I’m keen to help find my daughter’s killer, but I’m sure you understand I’m… busy….” We understand all right.
Thematically this book is equally compelling with a moving study of genuine parental love that contrasts with other characters who don’t prioritise their children. Above this sits a study of death, which is of course the perfect theme for a murder mystery. Desecration dares to look at an issue which society increasingly tries to ignore. This story draws back the veil of modern ignorance to confront the experience of losing someone we love. It does so unflinchingly. This is a very special book.
Not content to rest on its laurels, Desecration also takes a satisfying swipe at corruption and attempts by the powerful to avoid accountability. This is more usual fare, but is done very well.
The language isn’t always perfect, but flows well and the occasional awkward touch is amply countered by some beautiful and evocative sentences. The writing style offers plenty of satisfaction and is very professional.
Whether this is normally your genre or not, Desecration should be on your reading list. Its characters are fascinating, while the crime and its setting lift ‘bizarre’ to a new level. It is also a story of loss and love that involves the reader so intensely it can be harrowing, but is ultimately uplifting.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021Well written and the action flows together very well. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because I would have liked to see more character development. But I don't usually read fast-paced mystery novels, so my taste might be different from others. There were some tropes used in the novel that I thought could have been avoided. The Nazi connection was a little too much. Whenever people write about the evil inside people, so many writers want to bring up Nazis. It's tired and stale.
Anyway, the book isn't bad. It's worth reading if you want to kill some time. It will hold your interest, which is what you want in a fun read.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2015By the end of the second chapter, you know you’ve got something special in your hands with Desecration. It start slow enough for you to really get into the head of the Protagonist, and then the throttle is opened for a no holds barred thrill ride through the wet streets of London.
I bought the Kindle edition with the audio book attached. This meant that I could continue the story even though I was driving and/or pretending to be present at a seminar.
The setup in the early parts of the book is well done and believable, setting the stage for a surprising and strong middle – no sagging here – and an ending that was obscured until the very end. I was tempted numerous times to check the blurbs of the other books in the series to see who survived! (Don’t do this, I was weak. Treat this book as if it’s the only book in the world, until you get to the next one.)
Joanna Penn is a Londoner at heart, and her love for the city shines through in the loving care that she takes to bring each set piece to life for the reader. I’ve personally seen some of the landmarks described, and Joanna manages to coax out details from them that I’d forgotten were there. Nicely done.
Thematically, Joanna shows her true strength as a writer. Desecration is an apt name for this book, and layers the levels of conflict many fold – no simple baddie who needs to get a comeuppance here. The internal conflict of the protagonist with regards to the thematic subject matter at hand is a good parallel for us, the readers’, exploration of the terrain. This book will challenge you as a reader, almost as much as it challenges the protagonist. It gets dark in here, and I like it.
With most books, I like to think what I would have done if I was the protagonist. With this book, I hope that no-one ever ends up in this situation ever again, not even in fiction. If I was in that situation, I would probably just go mad. It would be the only way to cope.
I do have one complaint, though, and that is that there is not enough Blake in the book! Luckily, there are two more books in the series.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2015Well written. Very good characters and prose. I was delighted to read an indie thriller that uses more mature and educated prose and style. However, the story got weak from the middle onwards. For some reason the way Joanna built her storyline structure made it feel abridged. The first chapter and part of the book were very well paced and developed. Then it crumbled a bit making the reader feel as if it was rushed or trying to meet the word count for a novella. I say to Joanna to let this series develop as a length it wants to be.
Looking forward to the next one.
Top reviews from other countries
- Sabine R. CrackleReviewed in Canada on March 31, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Desecration
A well thought out and written story. Towards the end the book goes into satanism. So it gets gory....Not necessarily what I normally read.
- Peter DareReviewed in Spain on March 20, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars Body Art?
The main story line of the book is interesting but very bisturbing. It centre's around using people's corpses as the basis for artistic and scientific statements after changing their appearance. Well described and the characters although unpleasant in many ways are acceptable. I did think that the ending was predictable and could have been better.
- Andrea LisiReviewed in Italy on May 29, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
As a teenager I was much into extreme metal and bands like Carcass, Cannibal Corpse and Dissection who used lots of anatomy elements, as well as examples from the most depraved killers in human history in their lyrics.
So first of all, I would suggest this book to any metalhead out there. And also to people who are into gothic, or Marylin Manson.
Of course, the story can be appreciated by many more people. Anyone who loves mystery and crime.
I love how Joanna approaches delicate themes, and how she's able to stir emotions.
I especially enjoyed the climax, except for one dialogue during a key confrontation, which felt not plausible.
Btw, I chose to read this book after having read Stone of fire because Desecration is truly a great title.
- Marilyn LindqvistReviewed in Australia on December 7, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable .....or is it?
Totally kept my interest. I wondered whether this was all imagination or did it have some form of experience and/or knowledge. For people who can open and stretch their minds.
- Kay SmillieReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Not For Those Of A Delicate Constitution!
I enjoyed this book very much. I love books that combine gore and the dark past, murder and detective work from a REAL, and emotional, person. Add an element of the supernatural... and that's me in my element for a few hours!
This is extremely well written and you can tell the amazing amount of research that has gone into this book. The reader is overwhelmed with raw emotion as Jamie struggles to keep her work and personal life apart, and to keep her emotions in check for the sake of her dying daughter, Polly.
It is absolutely heartbreaking and SO real. If you've ever had to watch a relative dying, your brain, wrongfully but very persistently, still carries a little bit of hope that they will survive against all odds. The words used were perfect and the situation harrowing.
The descriptions of the macabre museum werre absolutely fascinating... but I've told you too much. Excellent dark thriller with graphic content. Definitely not for readers with weak stomachs!