Notorious: A Novel (Max Revere Novels, 1) Mass Market Paperback – December 30, 2014

Maxine Revere came from a lot of money attached to secrets, lies, and unanswered questions. Max was raised by her grandparents after her mother dropped her off never to be heard from again, with no indication of the man that could be Max’s father. It was a life that led Max to become a high profile newscaster who stands up for those that had their voice taken away from them by a heinous criminal act.When Max goes home for the funeral of a friend she finds herself drawn back into all the family drama she so despises as well as two cold cases from a time in her life when she was a little carefree. During her senior year of high school Max’s best friend was murdered and Kevin, their mutual friend was accused but acquitted of her murder. Now Kevin has committed suicide and all the hornets are being poked at and flying all around ready to sting Max and blame her for the messes she won’t let go of. With no intention of getting involved in any cases Max finds herself solving yet another murder on the campus of her old high school where another set of secrets are buried that no one wants to uncover but the grieving family.Max is relentless and the police are road blocks she has every intention of passing by without hesitation. Yet someone else is following her and is as equally determined to keep her from unearthing the truth which raises the question are you the killer or the person covering up for the killer. When the rich make a mistake there is always someone to be paid to fix the problem and have it go away. But Max will not go away and as each piece of the puzzle fits together she realizes there are connections to three murders who overlap and fall down upon each other. How they fit together is what Max will figure out and when she does regardless of who is going to jail the truth will be revealed.

I have to admit that I stalled beginning this book. I'm a huge fan of Allison Brennan, having read all her trilogies, Lucy Kincaid series, stand-alones and short stories. So I'm not totally sure why I was worried I wouldn't like this series; maybe I'm just not good with change. But I'm so glad I got over it because I loved the book and now I have another Allison Brennan series to love.Max is a very different character than many of Ms. Brennan's others and I can see why some people may not take to her at first. The character has a hard shell around her to protect her but underneath she is caring and vulnerable. It's a credit to the author that she wrote this character to reveal both sides of her. Max has a lot of issues from her past, a lot of pain and she spends her time fighting for truth - for others and for herself. Even the character acknowledges that she is often abrasive but doesn't mean to be and regrets that she flies to a defensive stance so quickly.The story plots are smart, suspenseful and classic Allison Brennan. I am proud to say I figured out who the killer was in this book but not because it was written to be obvious or predictable. All the characters are well-written, well-developed and even if you don't like them, they are drawn out with complexity. I am especially happy with the Nick Santini character and hope he is in future novels. Ms. Brennan certainly knows how to write male characters. :)I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes smart mysteries, complex characters and a hard-to-put-down book.

I'm so glad that Allison Brennan has introduced a new character, Maxine (Max) Revere. I actually think that this was one of Brennan's best books to date.This book follows Max, an investigative reporter, as she returns to her hometown to attend the funeral of a former high school friend. Max's life has been turned upside down many times: 1. Her mother abandoned her as a child. 2. Her best friend was murdered while the girls were still in high school. 3. Her college roommate was abducted and is presumed dead, though the body has never been found. Max's wealthy family, including the grandmother who raised her, would like nothing more than to have their lives kept out of the press and for Max to let sleeping dogs lie. However, Max wants to uncover the truth, no matter the cost to her family's reputation.I have enjoyed Brennan's Lucy Kincaid books, but they are becoming increasingly difficult to swallow. I like that Max's character is, as she puts it, not restricted by having to adhere to the law in the way that law enforcement does when investigating a case. Max doesn't have to worry about the chain of custody for evidence, etc. She is able to go places the cops can't.I look forward to future books about Max Revere.Highly recommend.© Angela Risner 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Amazon or Angela Risner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Angela Risner with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Maxine Revere is an investigative reporter. When a former friend commits suicide, she is asked to attend the funeral by the man's sister. Back when they were in high school, Kevin was accused of killing her best friend. Max never believed he was guilty and defended him to everyone else, costing her several friendships and earning the scorn of the lead detective. It also caused problems with her family. She returns home and is immediately caught up in the case in spite of her efforts to stay out of it. I found this story very entertaining. While it started out a bit slow, once it got going it quickly built up speed. Although Max had a strong personality and often came across as arrogant or harsh, you learn early on that she was abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother, a woman who would go to great lengths to preserve the family name and was rather starchy and set in her ways. As a result, Max never felt like she fit in, certainly never felt wanted. I thought this was a good start to the series and hope the character softens a bit along the way. I really liked Detective Nick Santini and the romantic interest he showed in Max. Hope he's around for the next book. All in all, a good way to spend a few hours reading.

A really good book with lots of twists in

Allison Brennan has produced a challenging murder mystery plot featuring her new prodigy, Max (Maxine) Revere, an investigative free lance reporter based in new York. The story starts off with Max returning to her family home in northern California to attend the funeral of a childhood friend who committed suicide. On the trip, she meets an elderly couple who plead with her to investigate the death of their grandson who was murdered on a construction site in her home neighborhood six months previously. Max also has concerns about the unsolved murder of her teen age friend, Lindy, who had been murdered 13 years ago very close to the site of the latest murder.The mystery is challenging for readers without a photographic memory, which I personally do not have. There are roughly 40 named characters in the story, some of them superficially based in New York and Florida. The names, often the first name only, pop up throughout the story. Fortunately, the names and background have been supplied by the publishers to the database of the Kindle version which can be quickly accessed by the X-Ray feature which I have, otherwise I would have floundered.There is a lot of conjecture by Max in the last half of the story as she surmises various scenarios of the complicated mystery.I compared the two characters, Lucy from the author's Lucy Kinkaid series, and Max at he beginning of this new series. Both are intelligent aggressive and tenacious investigators. Both have an unusual childhood and teenage upbringing. Both enjoyed a rather affluent lifestyle during their formative years, more so for Max. Lucy tends to plan her moves whereas Max is often impulsive and has to control her quick temper. Lucy is affectionate and enjoys long term relationships. Max does not want long term relationships, and enjoys quick flings.- her business comes first. Lucy is altruistic; Max is often vain.

This was a great story with a lot of exciting twists and turns and potential villains. There was a lot of background information given in the story, perhaps to set up the first book of a new series and lot of emphasis on how difficult it was and still is for Max to be part of such a family. I think more action and less talk would have made this faster paced. Overall, I will read more in this series as Brennan has always been a must-read author for me.

Omg this is a good book. At first it took me a bit to get into it,but once I did I was very happy that I finished it. I pegged the killer quite a few chapters ago . Someone that obsessed with a person , I had no doubt what so ever

Revere keeps you guessing and trying to figure out who done it with her right to the very end. Be prepared, once you start you can’t put it down. I’ve read three of her detective novels and each has been just as good as the last.