Prepare to deep dive into Dealer’s Child, a page-turner of a novel that will pull you in as you work alongside the characters to decipher a range of secrets from the past. With each turn of the page, more drama and danger will unfold as Jade and her sister find themselves in the crosshairs of someone out for revenge—for a grudge that goes back decades.

Dealer’s Child, a Jade and Sage Thriller by Joanna Vander Vlugt, is the second book in this series. While this book can be read as a standalone novel, it helps to have read the previous book since there are several references to the previous storyline. In Dealer’s Child, Jade goes through a series of events that rock her life. First, her boyfriend is acting strange, which begs the question—why? Next, her father is found dead. An apparent suicide. Or was it? And finally, a surprise visit from a phantom of her past drops a package with thumb drives on her desk. What’s on the drives? Who is harassing her and her sister? Tons of questions will keep you riveted to the pages as the author takes you from the present to the past and back again.

Vlugt weaves an engaging story that will pull you to the edge of your seat with each page turn. Jade, the main character, is plagued with strange dreams that haunt her waking hours. As you move through the first chapter, her boyfriend will shock you. One minute you’ll think, “Oh, he seems sweet,” then come morning, he’ll turn into a whole different animal altogether. Seriously!

Who gets upset about an obituary announcing someone’s death? Dude is weird. But, hold that thought—because there is more than meets the eye with that guy, so pay close attention to him.

At the book’s start, Jade will come off as a flighty character. She doesn’t seem all the way pulled together, but when you meet one of her clients… you’ll change your mind. Trust me on this one. I mean, who beans someone with a turnip? Jade is the type to take on the “strange” types, but she likes her job, so no judgment there.

Overall, Jades leads a normal, everyday life, but with the death of a particular “drug lord,” her life is about to get really chaotic and dangerous.

The deeper you go into this story, the more you find yourself identifying with not just Jade but her sister, Sage, as well. Sage almost steals the show a few times with her own behavior. She has to face quite a bit of bigotry from not just the man she called father, but those around him as well. Brace yourself. In one particular scene, you will want to stand shoulder to shoulder with Sage when a particular individual has some snide remarks to say. She really shows her moxie throughout this book, and you’ll want to applaud Sage for being such a strong female character. She truly stands out in this book, but Walter the rabbit threatens to steal the scene a few times when he’s in the picture. LOL!

In the chapters where the author takes you back in time, you are immersed in Jade’s mother’s life and memories. You’ll get a firsthand look at her life then and the things she got up to. You’ll learn secrets that have been hidden away, some that are verified by another’s confessions, and see how Jade’s mother, Genie, came to be associated with a dangerous drug dealer. And you’ll also learn secrets that impact Jade directly, that answer one particular question—why is someone targeting her?

There are some interesting paranormal aspects in this story. Jade is being “haunted” by her mother, who has her own agenda. But that’s not the only paranormal element. One aspect really sends a shiver up not just her spine, but the spine of another character in this book. It’s quite thrilling and exciting, especially when a typewriter starts typing by itself.

As the author guides you through this book, you’re going to find yourself speculating as to who the “shadow person” is that is harassing Jade and Sage. Why? Who could it be?

Theories will lead you in one direction, but is the truth in another altogether? Hard to tell. Red herrings abound, and they make the story even harder to put down. Unfortunately, the danger is coming at Jade from more than one direction. Betrayal is a hard thing to stomach when it comes from someone close to you.

When the truth is revealed, it will be a race to the end to see if these characters can stay a step ahead of those who are out for revenge. This book is absolutely thrilling. The paranormal element is well done, and the author gives you just the right amount of it too. Jade and Sage are relatable, and the supporting characters do a good job of keeping the story balanced and realistic.

So, if you’re looking for a thriller novel with some paranormal elements, look no further than this novel.

Lesson of the book: Secrets from the past can come back to haunt you with deadly consequences.

Cons:

• Rocky beginning

Pros:

• Packed with drama
• Page-turner
• Well detailed
• Realistic
• Suspenseful

Cover Score: 8.8

Overall Book Score: 8.7

Get your copy on Amazon US//CA || Goodreads

This review was made Bunny

This post was edited by Deon Ashleigh . Her services available here.

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