Hypocrisy

I  got Hypocrisy by D.M. Annechino to review and it pulled me straight out of a reading rut!  I think this may be the first 2014 book that I read in less than 24 hours!

Description: Dr. Lauren Crawford is a brilliant research scientist who discovers a revolutionary treatment for cancer that not only extends life, but much improves the quality of life for terminal cancer patients. The treatment, in some instances, can even cure certain cancers. On the evening before Dr. Crawford holds a press conference to announce that the FDA has given preliminary approval of her new cancer treatment, somebody follows her to her car and puts three bullets in her head. Was it a planned murder with a motive, a mugging gone badly, or merely a random act of violence? Two New York City homicide detectives, Amaris Dupree and T.J. Brown, are assigned to the investigation. The detectives evaluate the circumstances surrounding Dr. Crawford's death, and follow a trail of clues that exposes a sequence of startling facts. One by one, the detectives carefully examine each suspect and piece together a puzzle with unimaginable implications. As the investigation gets more intense, and the detectives get closer to solving the murder mystery, someone threatens Dupree's life. The detectives now realize that Dr. Crawford's murder was much more than a homicide. And if they don't arrest the murderer soon, Dupree might be the next victim.

I was immediately hooked into the plot.  The book opens with the murder and the detectives get right on the case.  I read a lot of this genre so sometimes I get a little more critical about how some of them are written.  I noticed that I wasn't rolling my eyes at typical thriller writing crap so that made me happy! I enjoyed the characters of Dupree and TJ and felt drawn to them and wanted to know more.  I thought the premise of the book - murdering a scientist about ready to cure cancer - was awesome.  I mean, how can there NOT be a cure for cancer? It's a great topic to delve into and brings up interesting questions.

In the back of the book the author posed some questions and I thought that I would answer them here on my blog..

Did you find the book engaging--did it make you want to turn pages?
Absolutely! I opened it during nap time on a Saturday, read through the night, woke up early on Sunday and finished it while the child watched cartoons on Sunday morning.

Were Dupree and TJ fully developed?
I think so, but there were points that were just a tad unrealistic.  The whole let's get drunk and release our life stories to each other were a bit much.  I also didn't like that it seemed that Dupree was super smart and the boss and TJ was painted dumb at times that would really make me question how he could be a detective.  But, I think they grew and you did get to know more about them as the story progressed. 

Who was your favorite character?
Brenda or Leona! ;) Brenda is the superwoman behind the desk at the police station and Leona is Dr. Crawford's mother.

What do you think of the plot? Was the story plausible, original?
I enjoyed it and I believe so.  However, the amount of dirty hands involved in the process and the lack of talking about it seemed a bit far fetched.  Maybe too many characters.

Did any plot twists surprise you?
Not really.  I think everything that happened was at least hinted too that nothing was a shocker.

If you are interested in thrillers/detective books this is for you!

What was the last book you read in 24 hours or less?


I was given this book by iRead Book Tours for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.