4 Stars

Publisher: Mason Alley Publishing

Date of publication: September 25th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 355

POV: 1st person

Series: Jake Travis

The Second Letter – Book 1

Cooler Than Blood – Book 2

The Cardinal’s Sin – Book 3

The Gail Force – Book 4

Naked We Came – Book 5

Where you can find Naked We Came: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Jake Travis searches for the man who abducted and killed his sister and only sibling over 30 years ago, while on a family vacation in Florida. She went to their motel room to get the book “Matilda.” She was never seen again.

Now, the man suspected of killing her has washed up on a beach near Jake’s house. He penned a confession just days before his mysterious death. Jake believes that the confession was forced and that DNA was tainted.

His vengeful quest tangles him in a web of murky and powerful figures. As Jake forges ahead, seeking both justice for his sister and personal closure, he questions if he will ever spring free of his past, or whether the past will forever shackle him in its chains.

Foreword Clarion Reviews calls, “Naked We Came” “An emotionally austere and endlessly surprising thriller. Jake remains a character who shines among other genre leads. His dialogue is snappy, his appetites are insatiable. A thriller with heart.”

Trigger Warning: None

My review:

Naked We Came haunted me. Every time I opened my NetGalley homepage, it would be on my recommended books. By the time I got the email from NetGalley that said it was a read now book, I decided that I would download it. I felt that it stalked me to the point where I had to read it. I read the blurb and felt that Naked We Came was a book that I would like. I am glad that I decided to download it because I did enjoy reading it.

Now, this is the 5th book in the Jake Travis series. I was a little leery about reading this book because it was a book 5. I know that I have mentioned in other reviews that I do not like picking books up mid-series. Nope, not at all. Because when I do that, I find that there are references to the other books that I do not understand. Now, with Naked We Came, there were instances where I wished I had read the other books. But other than that, Naked We Came can be read as a stand-alone book.

The book starts off with a body washing up on a beach by Jake’s house. This wasn’t an ordinary body. It was the body of the man who was suspected of kidnapping and killing Jake’s older sister. The only reason he wasn’t arrested was that her body wasn’t found. Jake thinks that he might have been set up. Actually, he was certain about it. So he opens his sister’s cold case with the determination to find her killer. Instead, he is lead into a mystery that involves the CIA, the State Department, and Russia. The more he digs into her disappearance, the more things don’t add up. And what he finds at the end of this quest might be the biggest shock of them all.

I actually felt bad for Jake. He carried the burden of his sister’s disappearance for years. He blamed himself for her disappearing and unfortunately, his parents somewhat did too. I did think that Jake was perfect for investigating Brittany’s disappearance. He had a bulldog mentality about the case and it got him further than the police did. I also liked that his BS meter was almost always right on. The only time I saw that he was wrong was with David. But even I didn’t see that coming.

I also liked that Jake was human. He had his issues but he refused to let them control him. His drinking was a big one, as was his love for the ladies. He was also one of the toughest fictional characters that I have read to date. I mean, he was able to take a beating and keep on going. It impressed me. I was actually comparing him to Jason Stratham in my mind.

The end of the book threw me for a loop. I loved twists and oh boy, was this a huge one. I actually put down my Kindle, shook my head, rubbed my eyes, went “No effing way” and picked the book back up. To say that I was not ready for the ending is an understatement. I am actually pretty excited to see where the book goes from there. I also excited to see how this ending will affect any forthcoming books in the series.

Naked We Came was a gripping action thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not put my Kindle down, that is how engrossed in the book I got. From the explosive beginning to the explosive ending, I was not disappointed. The characters were well written and the plot was fantastic.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, violence, and sex.

I would like to thank Robert Lane, Mason Alley Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Naked We Came.

All opinions stated in this review of Naked We Came are mine

I received no compensation for this review

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**