Present Day

Necie Bramhall joined the DEA for only one reason: revenge. Revenge against the drug lord father who abandoned her. Necie has devoted her life to bringing down Barnes, and now that she has, Necie feels that she can finally move on with her life. But there's someone else out there seeking revenge, and this time it's against Necie. Maria Barnes, Necie's half-sister, is as beautiful as she is ruthless, and she loathes Necie with a passion. And now that Necie has arrested their father, Maria's hatred burns brighter than ever. Necie will have to use all of her resources if she and her family hope to survive. Even if that means turning to the father she helped put behind bars.

Written in the first person, it is crucial that readers connect with Necie as she is the only character whose point of view is revealed. Unfortunately, that connection is missing in Michelle Perry's PAINT IT BLACK. Because of a lack of depth or sincerity, Necie's actions are more mechanical than driven, and her inner dialogue is wooden. Also, there were several times during the beginning of the book when it felt like I had missed something. The author made it seem as though I should already know Necie and the secondary characters, who each play a pivotal role in PAINT IT BLACK.

Fans of Michelle Perry may be a little disappointed with her latest endeavor, and I urge newcomers to the author to check out one of her earlier titles to get a feel for her strong writing.

Courtney Michelle