Unbalanced

 

By-the-book Detective Asante Royo can only clean up Fall River’s filth for so long without getting dirty. When he’s called to an apparent suicide at an apartment complex notorious for its prostitution and drug trade, he doesn’t shed a tear for the life wasted. Yet something about the scene haunts him, and when his investigation gets swept under the rug, he has a hard time living with the stain.

Jaden Sanders is an unstable loner who lives across the hall from the crime scene. When three men break into his apartment, Jaden is ready for a fight. He kills two of his attackers in self-defense then stalks and stabs the third in the back. Jaden is soon arrested for murder.

With no clear motives for the home invasion or Jaden’s violent response, Royo must uncover the true story before more people get hurt. His only leads are derived from the version of events extracted from a truly unbalanced mind. Is Jaden a victim being steamrolled by cold justice or a murderer capable of killing again?

Book source ~ Won in Goodreads giveaway

Unbalanced

Jason Parent

Mystery

4 April 2022

264 Pages

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble

Something weird and dangerous is going on in the apartment building where Jaden Sanders lives. When the woman across the hall from him commits suicide Detective Royo is assigned the case with a rookie police officer. The scene doesn’t look right, but they can’t place their finger on what’s wrong. So the coroner rules it a suicide and they all move on with their lives. Until three guys break into Jaden’s apartment forcing him to defend himself. Jaden’s mental health, always precarious, takes a horrible turn for the worse and now he’s being tried for murder. Royo doesn’t believe Jaden did anything wrong defending himself, but he feels as if something else is going on. It bugs him. So he starts digging. And what he uncovers surprises him.

Wow. This is one hell of a book. Poor Jaden. This is a guy who just can’t catch a break. Just when he’s getting a handle on his mental health something comes along to derail him. His struggles seem very real. I was beginning to doubt what was going on. It’s like dropping down a rabbit hole. I really like the characters, especially Detective Royo and his rookie officer, Megan Costa, who don’t take the easy road when it’s offered to them. This whole book upset me, especially the ending. WTF?! It’s disturbing and horrifying and a totally awesome read. I highly recommend it.