Review – Unpretty

Jonathan Shelby heard the sharp crack behind his left knee seconds before he felt the explosive blow that brought him face-to-face with the slimy dumpster in the bookstore alley. Another blow to the back of his skull temporarily blinded him. Dazed and disoriented, he only felt waves of pain and the sticky warmth of blood that oozed from his forehead. Then he heard someone say to check his pockets, find out who he was and why he was following them.

When they weren’t alarmed by the detective’s badge they pulled from his pocket, but only said, “He’ll do,” Shelby knew he was in real trouble. But that was his last coherent thought before the needles sharp prick filled his compliant vein with noxious drugs that placed him in the hands of the sadistic Michalengelus cult, known to kidnap and torture victims for artistic purposes.

The next morning, Hummingbird Collins, aspiring artist and shop owner wondered why the tall man who asked for directions to the Michelangelo art exhibit was wrapped in a heavy jacket. He was noticeably sweating even though the weather was unseasonably cold when he entered the shop. She couldn’t know of his special interest in her, or of his plans for the Conklin Gallery down the street. Just as she couldn’t know she would soon become another victim of the Michalengelus cult, and the only living witness to the stranger’s deadly intent.

Kinseth, a mentally challenged teen from an accident that left him with facial scars and fragmented personalities named Kenny, Seth and Robby, always seemed to be in the wrong place at the right time for trouble. But it depended on which one of Kinseth was in charge. Although mentally challenged, Kinseth had his own part to play in the unfolding mystery of the Michalengelus cult hidden in Kinseth’s secret place.

Add Michelangelo’s Scripture based painting, the Last Judgment, an insane artist, and Ready Robinson, called the Urban Monk, who is also a link to the police. Other characters known only by numbers, such as 61 and 26, a mad bomber, and Rogers has delivered another fast-paced thriller. Readers will enjoy the unique characters and plot twists that keep the reader guessing until the last page is turned. I thought the character of the Urban Monk fascinating. He could easily become part of a new series, similar to what Roger’s did with her debut suspense Sinner. Just as in Sinner, spiritual values are foundational and interlaced throughout the story. A reader’s guide with questions for group discussion completes the book.