Hell Will Rise by Skyla Murphy

Hell Will Rise is Book 1 of the Bloodthirst Mafia Series written by Skyla Murphy.

It is not something he wants for himself, but Hunter is forced to join the Mafia in order to get custody of and protect his little sister Tessa, after their parents are killed. Not only does Hunter have a photographic memory, but he also has an uncanny ability with numbers making him a very valuable asset of the Mafia.

Smart as he is, Hunter knows right away that their ruthless and soulless leader has a special reason for putting a feisty blonde beside him, and when he finds out the truth, he is torn between his burning desire for revenge and an insane and illogical pull to protect her from everything and everyone including himself.

This is an exciting and romantic story of love, hate, revenge and redemption. The author keeps the book interesting and suspenseful by revealing the plot to the readers early on but at the same time keeping her main character ignorant of the truth. The readers are kept anticipating and, in my case, second-guessing Hunter’s reaction to each layer of revelation.

The author successfully creates endearing characters in both the male and female protagonists. Hunter is the perfect hero emboldened by his gift and haunted by his guilt but willing to do anything and everything for the people he loves while Shayla is the damsel in distress, beaten but not broken, who sees through Hunter’s façade and finds an affectionate and caring person.

However, in addition to a few noticeable errors, I didn’t like the ending much, though I believe it is a strategy to entice the readers to wait for the second book in the series. Still, I find this book very enjoyable.

Congratulations to Skyla Murphy (@skyla_murphy) on such a great book! To learn more about the author, click HERE.