REVIEWS

-- Morgan Chilson, Fresh Fiction

In this explosive tale of madness, secrets, and violence, Haus deftly combines one woman's struggle to stay alive against all odds, a nasty villain of the highest order, and some deadly secrets and betrayals together in one hell of a battle between good and evil. And while some might find her graphically detailed look at the acts of a vicious killer to be a bit off the charts, making this one at times a bit hard to handle, those who make it through these rough spots will find it ultimately a compelling and gripping read that's worth it.

-- New Mystery Reader

The third novel in this gripping series starring Detective Kay Delaney is a thriller that keeps the action moving. There's never a pause, and the situations that Kay and company are put in are terrifying. The violence is very graphic, and, at times, can be over the top. But the satisfying ending will make readers breathe easier. 4 stars

-- Romantic Times Magazine

Blue Justice is a taut psychological thriller ... this riveting third installment in the Detective Kay Delaney series ... had me in its grip from the word go! I haven't read such a gritty and fast-paced thriller in a long time, and the praises this author has won for her previous Delaney novels are well-deserved. This book literally grabs you by the back of the neck and keeps you up all night until you finish every last page. Without a doubt, the most tense and grimly fascinating work I have read in a long time.

Ms. Haus' characters crawl up in to your mind and take root there, keeping your mind on them for days after the conclusion of the story. She writes the perspective of the antagonist, Daryl Eugene Wardell, with chilly accuracy and pulls no punches with her description of the violence he perpetrates. This book may frighten, and at points disturb, but the brutality is not sympathetic, but merely another layer to add to the building tension.

The pacing keeps the reader immobolized with apprehension and excitement. The love story of Finn and Delaney is one that you ache for, pray for, and really come to know and understand. They are terrifically drawn, realistic characters that are easy to identify as heroes. The secondary characters were very well done also, adding more and more depth to this captivating plot.

Ms. Haus does an excellent job of giving the reader a feel for the places described in her book ... Above all, the tension is layered so well that the reader is swept away, tossed higher and higher until finally breaking on the climactic final scene. I would definitely recommend this book to all readers of the suspense and mystery genres. Blue Justice does not disappoint. 4.5/5

-- Romance Junkies Reviews

The third Kay Delaney "blue" police procedural is a pulse pounding tale that keeps readers on edge as the action never decelerates while the clock is running out. Ignoring their awkward dysfunctional personal relationship, Finn and Kay make a great police team as they work towards one common goal, rescuing Micky; but in spite of their superior combined efforts to save a peer, the odds of success page by page shrink dramatically. Although Daryl is the typical psychopathic deranged serial killer even with his pig deodorant, Blue Justice will appeal to fans of Nancy Taylor Rosenberg and Patricia Cornwell, Illona Haus provides a strong suspense filled thriller.

-- Harriet Klausner
 

“Blue Valor is a serial-killer novel, but it’s better than most and has several twists. The first is the setting: Baltimore, MD ... Haus is an Ontarian, but knows Baltimore well and has connections with its police force. That gives her plot plenty of realistic detail.
Serial killers may be a cliché, but Haus works her psycho for all he’s worth, and Delaney and Finnerty are a terrific pair.”

- - Margaret Cannon, The Globe & Mail

“[Haus] weaves through her ambitious plot like a skilled navigator, avoiding the shoals of cliché and easy resolutions ... Sharp dialogue, believable characters, and a taut, suspense-filled plot (not to mention one hell of a twist at the end)...”

- - Round Table Reviews

“The shocker ending will truly take you by surprise.
Don’t miss this intense, gritty, fast-paced thriller.”

- - Rendezvous Magazine

“Fans of police thrillers will want to read the tense Blue Valor. The story line shows the tormented, internal soul of police officers—especially how their struggles with a nasty case involving youngsters impacts their emotions and subsequently their personal lives.
Haus is a talented author who provides man twists to the homicide investigation that will keep her audience wondering what will happen next. However, it is the humanizing of the author’s heroine and her partner that makes this a very worthy read.” 5 stars

- - Harriet Klausner,
chosen the #1 reader in the USA by BOOK Magazine

“ ... fast-paced gritty thriller ... A heart-thumping and satisfying read!”

- - Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine

“Quick, economical, and fast-paced. ... an involving story ... you will be caught up in it without feeling guilty about it.”

- - CD Syndicated, B.C.

“Disturbing on a number of levels, Blue Valor will keep you in suspense until the final pages... an excellent police procedural.”

- - New Mystery Reader

“Haus is already working on her third book, and if she can maintain this pace, we may well have a new V.I. Warshawski, butths one is on the force, not private.”

- - Bookbitch

“... a tense police procedural ... on the mystery/suspense level, Ms. Haus is not to be faulted ... enough to entertain the most demanding of mystery readers.”

- - Freshfiction.com

“ ... a great book with a clever plot that manages to blend two separate cases together into an extremely enjoyable story. Haus’ flair for characterization makes the story come alive. ...a great suspense story.”

- - IloveaMysteryNewsletter.com
 

"…a chilling first novel, a psychological thriller…The author’s impressive ability to get inside the heads of multiple characters (particularly the killer’s) without betraying plot twists, and her refusal to shy away from morbid detail, will keep readers enthralled."

--Publishers Weekly

 

"A taut, tense thriller, Illona Haus is an impressive new voice in crime fiction. A riveting debut!"

 --Ed McBain,
New York Times bestselling author

It may seem curious that a Canadian writer has adopted Baltimore as her fictional home, but Haus makes it work. She shows a veteran's skill in crafting a well-paced police procedural that mixes standard tropes with an extra dollop of melancholy. A year earlier, homicide detective Kay Delaney lost her partner after a shootout with a serial killer now in jail for the crime. But when a witness to an earlier killing is herself found dead - with similar signature wounds - Delaney realizes something is horribly amiss. As she sifts through unreliable memories and fights off vestigial attraction to her current partner and former lover, Delaney uncovers a trail leading back in time to older crimes, funeral homes and loyalties so unbreakable, only additional killings can pry them apart. Haus keeps the focus on plot and mounting suspense, but Delaney's armor of alienation is believable and portends well for a series character. Blue Mercy succeeds as a solid mystery (with obvious debts to Homicide and The Wire) but future installments would benefit from further exploration of Baltimore's idiosyncrasies and Kay Delaney's outsider status.

-- Sarah Weinman,
Baltimore Sun

 

"A wickedly well-done page turner from a compelling new talent... Here’s to seeing more Kay Delaney tales in the future!”

 --Jeffery Deaver,
New York Times bestselling author

Ms. Haus doesn’t give readers time to catch their breath...
In Blue Mercy, the scenes in the autopsy room or at various murder scenes are quite graphic. Let the reader beware. But they are not gratuitous descriptions. No, the novel ranks as one of the best police procedurals of the past year. Ms. Haus has finely tuned her craft and gives the reader a few evenings of enjoyment. In the tradition of Michael Connelly and others, Illona Haus has given us an excellent story and another voice to listen for in this genre.

--Tom Mayes,
I Love a Mystery
Website

 

"Illona Haus shows no mercy in this taut tale of one cop's quest for justice."

--Lisa Gardner,
New York Times bestselling author

Baltimore Detective Kay Delaney has spent the past year trying to put her partner's death and her own close escape behind her when the case that thrust the two into the spotlight once again rears its malevolent head. Though the man who caused her partner's death, along with those of several prostitutes, is in jail awaiting trial, things start to unravel when the prime witness against him is killed in the same manner as those he is alleged to have killed previously, thus bringing his guilt into question. So Kay rejoins the case, along with her ex-lover Finn, in order to find the truth. And when even more bodies begin to turn up, the two are led down a very tortuous and dangerous path that just may culminate in their own deadly demise.

Newcomer Haus puts forth a compelling tale that fans of suspense will easily embrace. But those readers who prefer a gentler, cozier type read will most likely feel uncomfortably disconcerted by this often times gory and violent read. With its many detailed scenes of murderous destruction, this is not for the faint of heart and one can't help but wish that a little bit more was left to the imagination. However, Kay and Finn are likable characters and their blossoming relationship provides a fair amount of an often needed gentle distraction, enough anyway to ease through to the ending that some may see coming, but still shocking nonetheless. All in all, a good first outing and we look forward to the next.

-- Stephanie Padilla,
The New Mystery Reader

“... good twists and turns, good characterization, and good police believability. Good, good, and good add up to very good sometimes, and Blue Mercy is case in point.”

- - Baryon Online

“... chock full of suspense. Kay Delaney is a haunting character who fights the demons inside her to ensure that justice is served ... a gripping police procedural.”

- - Round Table Reviews
 

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