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Friday, March 15, 2019

#ATBR2019 REVIEW: Save Me From Dangerous Men by S.A. Lelchuk @flatironbooks #SALelchuk

Save Me From Dangerous Men 
by S.A. Lelchuk

Thank you to Flatiron Books for this fantastic debut AND first in a series book!


Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publish Date: March 19, 2019
Hardcover
336 Pages
Series: Nikki Griffin #1
Genre: Thriller

Nikki Griffin isn't your typical private investigator. In her office above her bookstore's shelves and stacks, where she luxuriates in books and the comfort they provide, she also tracks certain men. Dangerous men. Men who have hurt the women they claim to love. And Nikki likes to teach those men a lesson, to teach them what it feels like to be hurt and helpless, so she can be sure that their victims are safe from them forever.


When a regular PI job tailing Karen, a tech company's disgruntled employee who might be selling secrets, turns ugly and Karen's life is threatened, Nikki has to break cover and intervene. Karen tells Nikki that there are people after her. Dangerous men. She says she'll tell Nikki what's really going on. But then something goes wrong, and suddenly Nikki is no longer just solving a case--she's trying hard to stay alive.

My Review:


Opening chapter has Nikki being a pool shark and I was loving EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT. As a woman who has competed in pool and has gone through that gambit of men being dicks until they realize you can play... well, let's just say that this scene was very realistic and I loved seeing it come to life on these pages.

I was captured from the very beginning and this was quite the ride.  Nikki is damaged and has a pretty terrible past that led her to help women who are being abused and to be a somewhat amateur detective.  Her skill set is outstanding and this woman can FIGHT.  I actually was grinning at some of the things that she did to those who deserved it.  Then she gets pulled into a case that basically explodes and she has to try and find a way out, but on her own terms. It's action upon action and the short chapters keep this book moving at a fairly fast pace.

The author does a good job of not only keeping us in the present but then giving us Nikki's past so we get an understanding of why she is the person that she is.  Her relationship with her brother is a bit torrid but underneath her steely exterior is a soft heart and anyone who crosses those she cares about - well, you don't want to be on the bad side of this woman. She deals with her demons but she wants to be loved just like everyone else in the world. Ethan is more understanding than any man I've ever met and I really liked him for Nikki.

Look, I love books with strong female leads.  I'm that girl who will order the lumberjack breakfast so it's nice to see that side in a read.  While some things were a bit too good to be true and questionable, I did not care.  The ending was a bit too tied in a pretty bow for my taste but that did not take away at all from my enjoyment of this book.  I will absolutely be continuing the series as I think that this debut novel is just a hint as to what Lelchuk will be giving us and I can only see it getting better moving forward.

★★★★

Jessica's Review:



The beginnings of a new crime fiction series! I'm always excited to dive into these, especially when it's a new author (either to me or as a debut). SAVE ME FROM DANGEROUS MEN introduces us to Nikki Griffin, a part time Private Investigator and part time bookseller.

Nikki isn't the kind of PI you're used to - she operates her bookstore during the day and by night she enjoys teaching dangerous men lessons. The kind of cases she typically gets are tailing certain types of men, those who cheat, those who hurt women, and she relishes in the moments when she can show them what it's like to be hurt like their victims were. Nikki is approached by Gregg Gun, he is a CEO of a company that is about to make it big and he is concerned one of his employees may be selling company secrets. Karen is Nikki's new target to follow, but this case takes a crazy turn when she needs to intervene. She is quickly sucked into a dangerous mystery and needs to find a way to make it out alive.

I think that Lelchuk does a fantastic job creating a strong female lead for us. I really like how unconventional she is when it comes to her capacity of being a Private Investigator. She has a style all her own and makes sure her clients will never be abused again. I liked how the author wove in her backstory as the events progressed, so we got a glimpse into what made her who she is today without too much back and forth in a time jump. The short chapters kept the pacing quick and there was plenty of suspense and action to keep you pulled in. The ending was pulled together a little too perfectly, but that's most likely just me! I'm looking forward to the next installment in the Nikki Griffin series.

4/5 stars

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