BoatGirl’s #CBR4 Review #47: Heller’s Revenge by JD Nixon
Heller’s Revenge is the second book in the Heller series by JD Nixon and it is the book where I really started to dislike the character of Heller. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the books, but Heller is a major dick. For basic info on the first book, see my review BoatGirl’s #CBR4 Review #46: Heller by JD Nixon
In the second book, the protagonist Tilly Chalmers is continuing in her new career working for a high end security service run by Heller. Per Heller’s requirements, she lives in a flat in the company building, drives a company car with a license plate that says ‘Heller’s,’ and isn’t supposed to leave the building except for work, for any reason whatsoever without checking it with Heller first. She has a new boyfriend, but can’t bring him to her flat, and Heller won’t let her stay overnight with him. Controlling much?
He’s a pretty crappy boss, too. When things go awry during a job, he blames Tilly, even though a. the client is happy, b. Tilly did nothing wrong and c. if the other security men had been acting professionally, it wouldn’t have happened. And this is typical. He gets angry even though he is the one that has put her in the situation against her protests. If Tilly was a friend or relative of mine, I’d be telling her to get the hell away from the controlling, psycho who kills people, no matter how sexy he is or how much he says he cares about you. He crazy, girl, and he ain’t going to get better.
For instance, a major event in the book is that Tilly is hired to “bear witness” for an environmentalist who knows that some big businesses are trying to kill him and doesn’t want to die alone. Tilly falls for the environmentalist, they wind up sleeping together, he dies (as expected) and Tilly is injured. Heller asks who instigated the relationship, and when Tilly says the environmentalist, Heller’s response is that it’s a good thing the guy is dead, because he would kill him otherwise!
That may be why I find these books so fascinating. We all wonder why people in abusive relationships don’t just leave. These books are about a strong, smart woman, who doesn’t realize what a terribly screwed up situation she is in, who keeps rationalizing why she needs to stay and that Heller really does care for her. No matter what he does to her, she forgives him and jumps back in the rooftop hottub with him.
Cannonball Read IV 