REVIEW: STALKING SAPPHIRE BY MIA THOMPSON

Despite the illusion Sapphire Dubois presents to the rest of the world, she is not just your stereotypical 22-year old Beverly Hills heiress; she hunts serial killers. While her fellow heirs spend their nights with trending celebs and drugs at the hottest club, Sapphire secretly spends hers luring, capturing, and anonymously handing over So-Cal’s most wanted killers to the police — just your average Tuesday night. 

What Sapphire doesn’t know is that one of her adversaries is watching her every move, aware of both her true identity and her unconventional hobby. Needless to say, he doesn’t approve. Used to being the one who redefines the definition of predator and prey, Sapphire’s world abruptly shatters when a gruesome ‘gift’ arrives for her at the Beverly Hills Country Club. With her involuntary crush, handsome Detective Aston Ridder, close on her tail, Sapphire now has to rethink her routine strategy and figure out how to capture a killer who already knows she’s coming.

Published April 2nd 2013 by Diversion Books

egalley provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Where to find the book: 

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Where to find the Author: 

Goodreads

Our Review:

I suppose that you could characterize this novel as a romantic thriller and both of those aspects are definitely present, but I'd also say that there is a lot of sarcasm-laced humor that is threaded throughout as well. I think the sarcasm and humor are what sold me on this book. I loved how Sapphire and Aston are constantly making or thinking snarky things about the affluent spoiled brats they are surrounded by. She's a Beverly Hills princess by day and super secret serial killer stalker by night; he's a disgruntled Detective by day and by night. They find themselves gravitating toward each other at a charity event and, later, because of the killer stalking Sapphire.

I really enjoyed this book, a lot...but now that I'm thinking about it...it's probably a little bit twisted on my part that I said after how hilarious it was when there was a girl being tortured by a serial killer in it....not sure what that says about me, but I think it is a pretty awesome thing on Mia Thompson's part to make likeable funny characters in the light of a dark and evil subject matter.

As Sapphire tries to piece together all of the clues to finding the serial killer we get not only her present day activities (tagging along with her annoyingly shallow friend Chrissy), we also get a little bit of her back story, and the POV's of Aston, the serial killer, and her amazingly dumb ex boyfriend. Through all of this we learn that Sapphire strives to project a 'normal' existence around her friends and family and yet they all see that she's different from all of them. She's not as shallow or dumb, or materialistic as any of them. This could be because she was practically raised by her housekeeper Julia and ignored by her mother...or maybe because she has chosen to be different. At any rate, she's obviously not the Beverly Hills princess her appearance and zip code would suggest.

Nope. She is an enigma...one that Aston definitely can't, won't, doesn't want to and desperately wants to figure out all at the same time. While her undercover lifestyle is a little bit far fetched...it's sometimes these larger than life stories that turn out amazing. I don't know if it's them doing the things we can't or won't..but I really liked Sapphire's character. There was a lot of growth to be seen on her part from beginning to end, so that was also just as thrilling as the suspenseful parts for me. I loved each character good or bad, because of how clear each of their voices were and there wasn't a doubt at any time which character was speaking. I LOVED that. 

This novel is definitely one I'd suggest for a beach read; it's quick to read, not bogged down in details, and you have a case solved by the end. There are still some things left unresolved at the end, which leads me to believe that there will be a second novel involving Sapphire and Aston...but the ending was satisfactory and not cliffhangery at all.

Oh my, I blew through this book so fast. It kept me engaged and loving it the entire time, and I hhmmpph'ed at the end when I didn't get to find out how things ended between them. I haven't been able to find any details of another book so far, but I really, really, really want one! 

Shelley: 3 1/2 Stars
Courtney: 4 Stars