I really, really want more stuff from Terrible's p.o.v. One is not enough. ( )

I love Terrible! He is so damaged and complex. ( )

I love Trouble. Like, seriousy, love Trouble.

That said:
If you hate down-speech: 1st - Why are you reading this? 2nd - This is not for you. If however you are somewhat fluent in down-speech and find it lyrical and entertaining as I do then you are in for fun. Terrible is a true anti-hero - probably the best example in anything I've read. He kills, her harms and he protects a drug magnate. And yet I love him. The entire story is told essentially from his POV. While there is very little Chess in here, the look into Trouble's life is amazing and very eye opening. This is a must read for Chess Putnam and Trouble fans. ( )

I love Terrible! He is so damaged and complex. ( )

The tale told through Terrible's head turned out to be enjoyable. I wouldn't have thought otherwise, since Terrible is the best character in the Downside Ghost series. This extra dished out from the author is no mere short story - but instead this in-between book is over 200 pages, filled with Terrible trying to solve a mystery crime on his own while worshiping Chess in his head.

I knew he loved her, but seeing her through his eyes even made me see her a little differently, and I'd been in her head for five books and two re-reads. His perceptiveness of her, how he could tell she was having a bad day, to see when there were issues in her eyes he tried to avoid raising by dropping subjects...and hearing his views on what happened between them that night at the bar, heartbreak. We readers know that wasn't what was going on in her mind, but like Chess, Terrible has low self-esteem and just assumes the worst conclusion to be the true one.

Bump is never a likeable sort (although sometimes he's funny...) but I enjoyed the thrown in interactions Terrible had with him, highlighting the respect the two hold for one another. A little is told about his loyalty to Bump, although it doesn't go into graphic memory detail, but enough for the reader to clearly get a proper picture. I was especially interested in Bump's warning to Terrible to stay away from Chess romantically, saying from experience that you can't trust a junkie.

We learn a little more about Terrible in this book, although the majority of it was already learned in the series. Being in his head was an experience worth reading about.

Why then, three stars? I get why Terrible is who he is, and why Chess is who SHE is, but the book covered a lot of how Terrible worked - with his fists. I find it disturbing and not terribly interesting in terms of interrogation. The best parts of the story was when he was with Chess, thinking about her, talking to Bump, or doing something other than violence. He's a good guy, this doesn't make me think less of him - actually I think a wee bit more of him now because his intentions towards Chess are so extremely pure - but I can't rate reading about all the fighting higher. Just not my thing and it couldn't hold my interest enough during those scenes.

Overall still worth reading if you're a Downside fan. ( )