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Lexie Rogers #1
Sinister Intent
For eight years Lexie Rogers has been a uniform cop in Sydney’s red light district, Kings Cross. Having survived a violent knife attack, she’s witnessed far more than most cops her age. Now she’s back at work as the newest member of the Bondi Junction detectives� office and ready to start again.
One of her first jobs is to execute a search warrant at a bikie clubhouse, one of the two local gangs in the eastern suburbs. What she uncovers begins a chilling investigation into a vicious world where loyalty is deadly and unwavering and can’t be bought . . . Or can it?
Lexie forms an unlikely alliance with one of the bikies, who’s realised his family’s in danger. But what neither of them knows is that Lexie is the one who’s in too deep. She knows too much.
And as the stakes get personal, it seems the secret bond she has with a big bad bikie could be the one thing that’ll save her life. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com.au/...
One of her first jobs is to execute a search warrant at a bikie clubhouse, one of the two local gangs in the eastern suburbs. What she uncovers begins a chilling investigation into a vicious world where loyalty is deadly and unwavering and can’t be bought . . . Or can it?
Lexie forms an unlikely alliance with one of the bikies, who’s realised his family’s in danger. But what neither of them knows is that Lexie is the one who’s in too deep. She knows too much.
And as the stakes get personal, it seems the secret bond she has with a big bad bikie could be the one thing that’ll save her life. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com.au/...
439 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Karen M. Davis
4Ìýbooks44ÌýfollowersKaren Davis was a New South Wales police officer for twenty years. Starting her career on the streets of Newtown, she then moved on to work as a detective and undercover operative in a variety of sections, all of which specialised in the investigation of organised crime.
When Karen left the force nine years ago her mother (author of twelve novels, the late Lynne Wilding) encouraged her to draw inspiration from her true life experiences as a cop to write crime fiction.
Karen's first fictional crime novel SINISTER INTENT was released in 2013. Her second novel DEADLY OBSESSION followed in 2014 and her third in the "Lexie Rogers series,' FATAL MISTAKE, will be released 1 July 2017.
Karen currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and daughters.
When Karen left the force nine years ago her mother (author of twelve novels, the late Lynne Wilding) encouraged her to draw inspiration from her true life experiences as a cop to write crime fiction.
Karen's first fictional crime novel SINISTER INTENT was released in 2013. Her second novel DEADLY OBSESSION followed in 2014 and her third in the "Lexie Rogers series,' FATAL MISTAKE, will be released 1 July 2017.
Karen currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 6, 2019
What a great book!
This is my first read by . This is a wonderful audio version and I recommend it over the written format unless you are fluent in Australian. Let me explain. If you're not accustomed to Aussie speak and accent, like me, you're missing out on the difference and experience of enjoying an author from another part of the world. To me, that's what makes reading so great. I love the ability to experience the world through books. This is especially true when the narrator is fantastic as she is in this book. (see below)
I'm really hoping that she'll be writing, and I'll be reading/listening, to many more in future! I love the cover as well!
The plot was exciting and fast paced, full of mystery, suspense, and has lots of twist and turns! I didn't know how this was going to end and I had to wait until the very last to find out how the pieces fit together. And they do so nicely but it's a surprise.
Great characters I could relate to and I could feel their emotions throughout the book. I enjoyed getting to know Lexie and the rest and can't wait to see what they'll be up against next!
I truly loved the narrator, , who's brilliant skill creates an obvious difference in the characters, and her natural Aussie accent matches perfectly with the written words of this Australian author. A perfect fit between author and narrator.
I'll definitely be listening to the next in this series, , immediately!
I'll also be finding more ways to listen to audio books other than when driving since I'm not able to listen nearly often enough! Who said that grownups can't listen to a bedtime story?? I can see snuggling up in my nest early each night!
This is my first read by . This is a wonderful audio version and I recommend it over the written format unless you are fluent in Australian. Let me explain. If you're not accustomed to Aussie speak and accent, like me, you're missing out on the difference and experience of enjoying an author from another part of the world. To me, that's what makes reading so great. I love the ability to experience the world through books. This is especially true when the narrator is fantastic as she is in this book. (see below)
I'm really hoping that she'll be writing, and I'll be reading/listening, to many more in future! I love the cover as well!
The plot was exciting and fast paced, full of mystery, suspense, and has lots of twist and turns! I didn't know how this was going to end and I had to wait until the very last to find out how the pieces fit together. And they do so nicely but it's a surprise.
Great characters I could relate to and I could feel their emotions throughout the book. I enjoyed getting to know Lexie and the rest and can't wait to see what they'll be up against next!
I truly loved the narrator, , who's brilliant skill creates an obvious difference in the characters, and her natural Aussie accent matches perfectly with the written words of this Australian author. A perfect fit between author and narrator.
I'll definitely be listening to the next in this series, , immediately!
I'll also be finding more ways to listen to audio books other than when driving since I'm not able to listen nearly often enough! Who said that grownups can't listen to a bedtime story?? I can see snuggling up in my nest early each night!
October 8, 2023
In the last year Detective Constable Lexie Rogers has been divorced, confronted by the death of her brother who was killed in the line of duty and stabbed by a bike leader. She’s clearly still traumatised by the stabbing and is frequently frozen by the sound of loud voices and the sight of any bike gang member. The obvious question is whether she’s really fit for duty.
She has recently returned to work after the injury she sustained from the knife wound and has just started Bondi Junction in the CIB (Criminal Investigation Branch). With a new partner and among a new set of colleagues, she’s very much still trying to prove herself.
As luck would have it, the case that she and her partner catch brings her in contact with a local bikie gang. It seems there’s a bikie war brewing between two of the local gangs. Straight off the bat her fears are sorely tested when she forms part of the team serving a search warrant at the clubhouse of the Devil’s Guardians. To say things didn’t go well would be understating it. We get a demonstration of exactly the level of trauma she is dealing with on a daily basis.
Things have barely started to return to normal following the clubhouse search when a member of the Devil’s Guardians is shot. Once again Lexie attends the scene and, as the bikie approaches death, makes a dying declaration to her. He essentially names the person who shot him, not by name but by nickname.
Now it’s time for the one big frustration I experienced in the early parts of the book and, maybe I’ve read too many crime novels (nah, not possible) but the moment I heard the killer’s nickname, I figured out who it was. I made the connection just like that (note: I just clicked my fingers when I said that last bit). It was very frustrating that a team of supposedly on-the-ball detectives couldn’t work it out.
Fortunately there were a few other bombshell twists in store that were well hidden and ensured plenty of big moments of surprise in the run up to the hectic finale.
Sinister Intent is an entertaining police procedural that focuses on a murder case, but in the background is the hint of police corruption along with the burgeoning bikie warfare danger. Through all of this, the trauma of PTSD raises its head as Lexie fights to overcome the nightmares caused by memories of a knife attack she suffered in a Kings Cross alley. It’s amazing that she is also able to fit in a whirlwind romance amid the quickly evolving murder investigation and the constant flashbacks that serve to knock her off balance.
It’s clear that author Karen Davis draws on her extensive experience as a long serving inner city Sydney police officer. The police jargon and procedure lands as particularly authentic, as is the banter within the police ranks and the insolent criminal attitude during interviews and door knocks.
The story is briskly paced, often tinged with the feeling that the clock is ticking as the noose slowly tightens around the killer’s neck. This is when the unpredictability begins and all hell breaks loose in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
She has recently returned to work after the injury she sustained from the knife wound and has just started Bondi Junction in the CIB (Criminal Investigation Branch). With a new partner and among a new set of colleagues, she’s very much still trying to prove herself.
As luck would have it, the case that she and her partner catch brings her in contact with a local bikie gang. It seems there’s a bikie war brewing between two of the local gangs. Straight off the bat her fears are sorely tested when she forms part of the team serving a search warrant at the clubhouse of the Devil’s Guardians. To say things didn’t go well would be understating it. We get a demonstration of exactly the level of trauma she is dealing with on a daily basis.
Things have barely started to return to normal following the clubhouse search when a member of the Devil’s Guardians is shot. Once again Lexie attends the scene and, as the bikie approaches death, makes a dying declaration to her. He essentially names the person who shot him, not by name but by nickname.
Now it’s time for the one big frustration I experienced in the early parts of the book and, maybe I’ve read too many crime novels (nah, not possible) but the moment I heard the killer’s nickname, I figured out who it was. I made the connection just like that (note: I just clicked my fingers when I said that last bit). It was very frustrating that a team of supposedly on-the-ball detectives couldn’t work it out.
Fortunately there were a few other bombshell twists in store that were well hidden and ensured plenty of big moments of surprise in the run up to the hectic finale.
Sinister Intent is an entertaining police procedural that focuses on a murder case, but in the background is the hint of police corruption along with the burgeoning bikie warfare danger. Through all of this, the trauma of PTSD raises its head as Lexie fights to overcome the nightmares caused by memories of a knife attack she suffered in a Kings Cross alley. It’s amazing that she is also able to fit in a whirlwind romance amid the quickly evolving murder investigation and the constant flashbacks that serve to knock her off balance.
It’s clear that author Karen Davis draws on her extensive experience as a long serving inner city Sydney police officer. The police jargon and procedure lands as particularly authentic, as is the banter within the police ranks and the insolent criminal attitude during interviews and door knocks.
The story is briskly paced, often tinged with the feeling that the clock is ticking as the noose slowly tightens around the killer’s neck. This is when the unpredictability begins and all hell breaks loose in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
May 12, 2014
Working for eight years in Sydney's Kings Cross district as a uniformed officer, Lexie Rogers had seen it all from drunken brawls to drug overdoses. She is now returning to work after being brutally attacked and stabbed by a bikie gang member. Although her physical scars may have healed it's the psychological scarring that still haunts her. Returning as a detective and the the newest member in Bondi Junction could be more of a challenge than she thought it would be.
Lexie's is partnered with detective sergeant Brad Sommers and one of their first jobs is to execute a search warrant on a bikie clubhouse known as the Devil's Guardians. Rex Donaldson is the boss of the clubhouse and instantly, Lexie becomes intimidated by him which brings back memories from the previous months. Finding drugs on the premises Rex starts to get quite angry as he claims to know nothing about the drugs and he believes he's being set up.
After having an accident at home Brad Sommers will be out action for a short while, so now Lexie is temporarily partnered with Josh Harrison. Getting a call out to a shooting at a residential address, Josh and Lexie soon quickly realise the victim is a member of the Devil's Guardian. Lexie hears the victims last dying words which is the nickname of the person who shot him. Finding out who did this will be harder than they think as bikie members don't give out information easily. It seems that bikie gangs have a "code of silence" and nothing and no one will break it. Speaking with different gang members they soon realise if they don't find the shooter soon they could have a bikie war on their hands. After receiving a few nasty text messages Lexie feels her life could also be in danger.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a very easy and yet quite an entertaining and engrossing read. Well written with twists and turns that will keeping you guessing. Looking forward to seeing what Aussie author, Karen M. Davis comes up with next. I do hope it's a sequel to this one. HIGHLY recommended.
Lexie's is partnered with detective sergeant Brad Sommers and one of their first jobs is to execute a search warrant on a bikie clubhouse known as the Devil's Guardians. Rex Donaldson is the boss of the clubhouse and instantly, Lexie becomes intimidated by him which brings back memories from the previous months. Finding drugs on the premises Rex starts to get quite angry as he claims to know nothing about the drugs and he believes he's being set up.
After having an accident at home Brad Sommers will be out action for a short while, so now Lexie is temporarily partnered with Josh Harrison. Getting a call out to a shooting at a residential address, Josh and Lexie soon quickly realise the victim is a member of the Devil's Guardian. Lexie hears the victims last dying words which is the nickname of the person who shot him. Finding out who did this will be harder than they think as bikie members don't give out information easily. It seems that bikie gangs have a "code of silence" and nothing and no one will break it. Speaking with different gang members they soon realise if they don't find the shooter soon they could have a bikie war on their hands. After receiving a few nasty text messages Lexie feels her life could also be in danger.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a very easy and yet quite an entertaining and engrossing read. Well written with twists and turns that will keeping you guessing. Looking forward to seeing what Aussie author, Karen M. Davis comes up with next. I do hope it's a sequel to this one. HIGHLY recommended.
January 22, 2014
When Detective Lexie Rogers began work in the Bondi Junction detectives� office, she was back from her recuperation of a violent stabbing by a bikie currently being held in jail. Lexie had just escaped with her life, and her terror had faded somewhat � but the nightmares were still there. She was hoping her return to work in a different office with different work mates would help her troubled state of mind. She was determined to put it behind her, as best she could � she would be a witness at the upcoming trial but hoped getting into the adrenalin rush of the job would ease her mind.
But accompanying other detectives while they executed a search warrant on the Devil’s Guardians clubhouse was not her idea of easing back into work. The bikie boss, Rex Donaldson, was a big, intimidating man � very like her attacker of a few months before. And when he went ballistic after drugs were found on the premises, and Lexie was injured in the melee, her conviction that bikies were thugs she needed to stay away from became terrifyingly clear.
When suddenly one of the bikies was murdered, with Lexie hearing the man’s dying words, the rival bikie gang, the Assassins, was well in the spotlight for the murder. Josh Harrison, Lexie’s immediate superior and also temporary partner was finding the bikie “code of silence� was working extremely well � but not for the police. With tensions escalating, the dangers were also mounting � Rex’s trashy, foul mouthed and angry girlfriend, Kate, was very pregnant � another of Rex’s mates couldn’t locate his girlfriend � she had gone missing as well. Would Rex take matters into his own hands before someone else was killed? Did he know who the murderer was? And was Lexie’s life in danger too because she knew too much?
This debut novel by Aussie author Karen M. Davis was a thoroughly entertaining read. My only criticism is that Lexie was annoying at times � she dwelt for too long on her inner turmoil. Which of course she would have, given the trauma she had been through. But other than that, it was a gripping and suspenseful read, a great thriller. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel to all lovers of this genre.
But accompanying other detectives while they executed a search warrant on the Devil’s Guardians clubhouse was not her idea of easing back into work. The bikie boss, Rex Donaldson, was a big, intimidating man � very like her attacker of a few months before. And when he went ballistic after drugs were found on the premises, and Lexie was injured in the melee, her conviction that bikies were thugs she needed to stay away from became terrifyingly clear.
When suddenly one of the bikies was murdered, with Lexie hearing the man’s dying words, the rival bikie gang, the Assassins, was well in the spotlight for the murder. Josh Harrison, Lexie’s immediate superior and also temporary partner was finding the bikie “code of silence� was working extremely well � but not for the police. With tensions escalating, the dangers were also mounting � Rex’s trashy, foul mouthed and angry girlfriend, Kate, was very pregnant � another of Rex’s mates couldn’t locate his girlfriend � she had gone missing as well. Would Rex take matters into his own hands before someone else was killed? Did he know who the murderer was? And was Lexie’s life in danger too because she knew too much?
This debut novel by Aussie author Karen M. Davis was a thoroughly entertaining read. My only criticism is that Lexie was annoying at times � she dwelt for too long on her inner turmoil. Which of course she would have, given the trauma she had been through. But other than that, it was a gripping and suspenseful read, a great thriller. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel to all lovers of this genre.
August 17, 2013
When I picked up Sinister Intent, authored by an Australian ex-cop, I knew I’d be in for a great crime fiction read. But as a reader, I got a whole lot more than I expected! In fact, I feel this story fits quite nicely into the romantic suspense genre too, because of the strong romance plot weaved throughout the crime investigation.
Lexie Rogers makes a new start as a detective at Bondi Junction, ready to leave behind the fear and trauma she experienced as a uniform cop for eight years that resulted in a serious assault by a bikie. So when she is put on the case to execute a search warrant with her team at one of the two local bikie gangs (The Devil’s Guardians and The Assassins), her resolve is severely tested. Still experiencing symptoms of PTSD- nightmares, panic attacks, hyper vigilance- Lexie has to work hard to put on a brave front and convince her new colleagues that she is up to the job.
It’s not a great start when she is injured and hospitalised. Soon after, her partner is off work for a month with an injury and so she is teamed up with Detective Sergeant Josh Harrison. There’s an instant attraction, one that both Lexie and Josh try to fight. Lexie, because she doesn’t trust men and Josh because he has a strict rule about not getting involved with colleagues. The murder of a bikie at the clubhouse they searched, puts them all on alert and in the stressful hours of hardwork that follows, Lexie and Josh find themselves unable to keep their attraction at bay. Josh is also quite a well developed character in the story. There’s no time to analyse their feelings when Josh suspects corruption in the police force and Lexie is receiving threatening text messages. The stakes are raised when someone clearly wants Lexie out of the way.
From the big bad bikie with a soft side, to his foul-mouthed pregnant girlfriend, to the teenage druggie and the team of police officers, this story is not short of intriguing and believable characters. In fact there was not one moment when I was bored; the pace was consistent, the romance plot completely sucked me in (great chemistry!) and the twist at the end involving the bikie caught me by surprise (just!) and left me wanting more. A great romantic crime debut by Australian author Karen M. Davis, an author I’ll definitely have on my radar for new releases.
Lexie Rogers makes a new start as a detective at Bondi Junction, ready to leave behind the fear and trauma she experienced as a uniform cop for eight years that resulted in a serious assault by a bikie. So when she is put on the case to execute a search warrant with her team at one of the two local bikie gangs (The Devil’s Guardians and The Assassins), her resolve is severely tested. Still experiencing symptoms of PTSD- nightmares, panic attacks, hyper vigilance- Lexie has to work hard to put on a brave front and convince her new colleagues that she is up to the job.
It’s not a great start when she is injured and hospitalised. Soon after, her partner is off work for a month with an injury and so she is teamed up with Detective Sergeant Josh Harrison. There’s an instant attraction, one that both Lexie and Josh try to fight. Lexie, because she doesn’t trust men and Josh because he has a strict rule about not getting involved with colleagues. The murder of a bikie at the clubhouse they searched, puts them all on alert and in the stressful hours of hardwork that follows, Lexie and Josh find themselves unable to keep their attraction at bay. Josh is also quite a well developed character in the story. There’s no time to analyse their feelings when Josh suspects corruption in the police force and Lexie is receiving threatening text messages. The stakes are raised when someone clearly wants Lexie out of the way.
From the big bad bikie with a soft side, to his foul-mouthed pregnant girlfriend, to the teenage druggie and the team of police officers, this story is not short of intriguing and believable characters. In fact there was not one moment when I was bored; the pace was consistent, the romance plot completely sucked me in (great chemistry!) and the twist at the end involving the bikie caught me by surprise (just!) and left me wanting more. A great romantic crime debut by Australian author Karen M. Davis, an author I’ll definitely have on my radar for new releases.
September 24, 2014
Initial Reaction:
Holy hell. I totally picked who the bad guy was but fuck I did not see the ending coming. Jesus fucking Christ.
Synopsis:
Sinister Intent is about a Detective Lexie Rogers. She's recently back on the job at Bondi Junction after a workplace accident involving a bikie by the name of Amitt Vincent. Let's just say that bikies and Lexie are not a good combo and soon she's swept up in a murder investigation involving, you guessed it, bikies.
My Thoughts:
Lexie is the most badass woman ever. If I had to go through what she went through I'd be a mess. But not her. She's strong and she takes everything on the chin. She doesn't take anyone's bullshit.
The book is set in Australia! I'm in Australia! The bikie gangs mentioned in the book exist in real life and it feels good to read a book set in your home country instead of in the US as per usual. Aaaand the author is an ex-cop who used to deal with stuff like this for her job. This book felt so legit it was crazy.
Now I don't know about anyone else who read this book, it might be just me and my crazy brain but I felt like the male protagonist/love interest was practically Dean Winchester. It might just be my unnatural obession with Supernatural. I'll give you a brief description of Josh Harrison.
Tan skin, (to quote the book) "gorgeous green eyes", short dark hair, tall, dimples, eats a crap tonne of junk food all the time and magically doesn't get fat, lean and lightly muscled, daddy issues, emotionally constipated, claims to be bad with words, a drinking problem but claims to not have a drinking problem, keeps everyone at a distance because he doesn't want to disappoint them and doesn't really do relationships because he loves with everything he's got and doesn't want to be hurt again. I'm just sayin' but he sounds a lot like Dean Winchester.
The only thing that irked me about this book is the number of exclamation marks! I swear every damn page has one! It killed me! Stop with the exclamation marks! Please!
Also, it was different reading a book where the characters are Australian. It's interesting. The spelling of various words are different, one example: areshole. Right now as I'm writing this 'areshole' has a red line under it and spell check is offering 'armhole' as an alternative.
This book is soooo good! Rex Donaldson is amazing. He's this big bad bikie but really he's so sweet and he's only trying to protect his girlfriend and unborn baby. I'm a little bit in love with the big fella.
Seriously, everyone needs to read this book right now. Even if you don't like crime fiction. Read it!
Holy hell. I totally picked who the bad guy was but fuck I did not see the ending coming. Jesus fucking Christ.
Synopsis:
Sinister Intent is about a Detective Lexie Rogers. She's recently back on the job at Bondi Junction after a workplace accident involving a bikie by the name of Amitt Vincent. Let's just say that bikies and Lexie are not a good combo and soon she's swept up in a murder investigation involving, you guessed it, bikies.
My Thoughts:
Lexie is the most badass woman ever. If I had to go through what she went through I'd be a mess. But not her. She's strong and she takes everything on the chin. She doesn't take anyone's bullshit.
The book is set in Australia! I'm in Australia! The bikie gangs mentioned in the book exist in real life and it feels good to read a book set in your home country instead of in the US as per usual. Aaaand the author is an ex-cop who used to deal with stuff like this for her job. This book felt so legit it was crazy.
Now I don't know about anyone else who read this book, it might be just me and my crazy brain but I felt like the male protagonist/love interest was practically Dean Winchester. It might just be my unnatural obession with Supernatural. I'll give you a brief description of Josh Harrison.
Tan skin, (to quote the book) "gorgeous green eyes", short dark hair, tall, dimples, eats a crap tonne of junk food all the time and magically doesn't get fat, lean and lightly muscled, daddy issues, emotionally constipated, claims to be bad with words, a drinking problem but claims to not have a drinking problem, keeps everyone at a distance because he doesn't want to disappoint them and doesn't really do relationships because he loves with everything he's got and doesn't want to be hurt again. I'm just sayin' but he sounds a lot like Dean Winchester.
The only thing that irked me about this book is the number of exclamation marks! I swear every damn page has one! It killed me! Stop with the exclamation marks! Please!
Also, it was different reading a book where the characters are Australian. It's interesting. The spelling of various words are different, one example: areshole. Right now as I'm writing this 'areshole' has a red line under it and spell check is offering 'armhole' as an alternative.
This book is soooo good! Rex Donaldson is amazing. He's this big bad bikie but really he's so sweet and he's only trying to protect his girlfriend and unborn baby. I'm a little bit in love with the big fella.
Seriously, everyone needs to read this book right now. Even if you don't like crime fiction. Read it!
September 2, 2016
Lexie Rogers has just returned to work as a Police Detective following a brutal stabbing by a member of a bikie gang. She has been transferred to a new Police Station in the Eastern suburbs and hopes that a fresh start will help her get back on her feet and put the stabbing behind her.
Unfortunately, a bikie war between two rival gangs in the Eastern suburbs is hotting up and Lexie's first case involves the shooting of a bikie. Lexie and her partner arrive at the scene of the shooting before the man is taken to hospital and he manages to tell her the nickname of the person who shot him. Although gutsy, Lexie struggles to cope with interviewing hostile bikies and suffers from dreadful nightmares. The police quickly become frustrated with trying to get any information on the murderer and are puzzled that they seem to be protecting him.
This is a very good debut novel. The author was herself a police officer for many years and it's evident in her stories of crime and bikie gangs in particular. The story is told at a good pace, with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Lexie's growing attraction to her partner Josh is an additional storyline that simmers slowly throughout the novel. The suspense and tension also build up to boiling point towards the end of the novel when it becomes clear that Lexie's life is in danger.
Unfortunately, a bikie war between two rival gangs in the Eastern suburbs is hotting up and Lexie's first case involves the shooting of a bikie. Lexie and her partner arrive at the scene of the shooting before the man is taken to hospital and he manages to tell her the nickname of the person who shot him. Although gutsy, Lexie struggles to cope with interviewing hostile bikies and suffers from dreadful nightmares. The police quickly become frustrated with trying to get any information on the murderer and are puzzled that they seem to be protecting him.
This is a very good debut novel. The author was herself a police officer for many years and it's evident in her stories of crime and bikie gangs in particular. The story is told at a good pace, with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Lexie's growing attraction to her partner Josh is an additional storyline that simmers slowly throughout the novel. The suspense and tension also build up to boiling point towards the end of the novel when it becomes clear that Lexie's life is in danger.
January 19, 2014
Lexie Rogers is an newly transferred detective to Bondi Junction. She is back at work after recovering from injuries that have left scars; both physical and psychological. Straight away she is thrown into a situation that takes her back to that harrowing time. Settling I is made more difficult by her strong attraction to her new partner.
the author, Karen M. Davies is a former police detective married to a serving detective so the characters and procedures ring true. Sinister Intent is her first novel and not a bad one but it isn't without flaws. First off (and perhaps this is just me)I could have happily lived without the romance thread. It left me wondering how this would be dealt with in future books. And there were a few plot developments which I saw coming. I also guessed who the baddies were well before it was revealed. These flaws notwithstanding, I did enjoy Sinister Intent and will certainly read her second. Over.
One more thing. The setting for the book was in Sydney but I didn't get much sense of the city. It could have been anywhere really.
the author, Karen M. Davies is a former police detective married to a serving detective so the characters and procedures ring true. Sinister Intent is her first novel and not a bad one but it isn't without flaws. First off (and perhaps this is just me)I could have happily lived without the romance thread. It left me wondering how this would be dealt with in future books. And there were a few plot developments which I saw coming. I also guessed who the baddies were well before it was revealed. These flaws notwithstanding, I did enjoy Sinister Intent and will certainly read her second. Over.
One more thing. The setting for the book was in Sydney but I didn't get much sense of the city. It could have been anywhere really.
July 30, 2024
Bikies and betrayal are a dangerous mix
Based in eastern Sydney and written by a detective with 20 years of experience, this story is about as authentic as they come. The character development is excellent, and who doesn’t enjoy a good bikie story!
It’s action-packed and includes several ‘I didn’t see that happening� moments.
A great read - recommended.
Based in eastern Sydney and written by a detective with 20 years of experience, this story is about as authentic as they come. The character development is excellent, and who doesn’t enjoy a good bikie story!
It’s action-packed and includes several ‘I didn’t see that happening� moments.
A great read - recommended.
October 8, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. The characters were believable and the storyline was forever making me NOT wanting to put it down. I am looking forward to reading of yet another fantastic Aussie Female crime Writer. I highly recommend this novel to all who love a crime book you can really sick your teeth into. I enjoy the way Karen writes and when I read that her Mum was Lynne Wilding, I understood why, I have read most of Lynne's novels and loved every single one.
October 11, 2013
Is this a bikie war ... or something far more sinister!
The bright lights and big city of Sydney can always be relied upon to serve the perfect backdrop for an Australian crime novel and this debut by former policewoman turned writer, Karen M Davis, doesn't disappoint, with an action-packed story perfectly blended with murder, blackmail, police corruption and misplaced loyalties.
We meet Lexie Rogers a few months after an almost fatal attack with a member of a bikie gang in Sydney's Kings Cross area. Having been left for dead, Lexie is still trying to overcome the horror of her near fatal encounter and anxiety has become a part of her life. To make matters worse, the second week in her new job as a detective in Bondi Junction sees her having to accompany her partner, Brad Sommers, to execute a search warrant at one of the local Bikie Clubs after an anonymous tip-off comes through. As thing would have it, when she has a personal encounter with Rex Donaldson, sergeant-at-arms for the Devil's Guardians, their search turns into a fray and her fear gets the better of her. Not wanting to be the laughing stock of the office, her inner strength and determination soon have her back up on her feet and, by the end of the second week, when her partner injures himself unexpectedly, she's placed with Detective Josh Harrison to carry out an undercover assignment after yet another tip-off relating to the motorcycle clubs.
Josh Harrison has been on the force for twelve years and has plenty of demons of his own, not to mention his favourite vice - the bottle - which is about the only thing that's come close to dulling his sense of horror with the cases he's had to deal with. Aloof, yet friendly and polite, he has an instinctive mistrust of everyone, preferring to keep them at arms-length, but at the same time, he's got an easy-going manner towards his subordinates and it shows through his ability to demonstrate authority without being egotistical and reprimand without causing embarrassment. He has a firm stance on office protocol and that's to "never mix business with pleasure" and, while he's exchanged superficial pleasantries with "the new girl", keeping it professional and not displaying more than a passing interest in Lexie, he finds himself starting to think about her more and more. He can sense her unease, but he's unsure of whether it's him or something else. But why does he care? And why does she look so familiar?
As they're about to wrap up their undercover assignment, they find themselves responding to a radio call announcing that there’s been a shooting at a residential address. From here, the narrative begins to gather momentum when it is discovered that the victim of the shooting is a member of the Devil's Guardians bikie club and suddenly Lexie is thrown headlong into an investigation in which she has, unwittingly, become the only witness to a dying man’s declaration. As her and Josh go through the procedures and protocols of a murder investigation, the sexual tension between them heightening to self-combustible levels, unbeknownst to Josh, she starts to receive threatening text messages from an unknown source. When doubts begin to emerge as to the competence and integrity of certain members of their unit and Rex Donaldson's fears for his family's safety come to the fore, a seemingly unspoken alliance is formed between him and Lexie. When she finds herself in the clutches of a killer, the clock begins to tick!
It's been a while since I read a crime novel and this one in particular kept me engrossed right from the first word of the Prologue. I also felt it was rather timely, given the fact that the Queensland Police have recently declared a crackdown on outlaw motorcycle clubs after an incident outside a bar on the Gold Coast thrust some of their festering hostilities into the spotlight and resulted in the arrest of numerous people.
I am of the opinion that � portrayal of the essence of bikie gangs, along with the trouble they can cause, the organised crime, as well as life as a detective (and a bikie) are credible and a reflection on her many years' experience as a detective and undercover operative in Australia.
While a police procedural is generally characterised with a strong focus on the “nuts and bolts� of law enforcement, without too much emphasis on the personal lives of the characters, in penning this novel Ms Davis has shown us the other side of the coin. Her protagonists are engaging and three-dimensional and, although cast from the stereo-typical "damaged cop" and "bikie" mould, they are neither jaded nor dysfunctional - Lexie fights nightmares and flashbacks from her previous horrific encounter and is still trying to come to terms with a broken marriage and the fact that she lost her brother, Lincoln, in the line of duty two years before; Josh likes to see the bottom of a bottle, believing that he is in control and can stop at any time. While we don’t get to meet his parents and sister, we get the gist of his upbringing with a father who seems to have created an “emotional wasteland� in him. And Rex Donaldson? He’s the big, bad, mean, hard bikie, but I'd go so far as to say that there's far more to him than meets the eye!
Overall, Ms Davis' relaxed and easy writing style pulled me in immediately with the narrative giving me the necessary insight into the characters� thoughts, fears and motivations. The suspense is well maintained with a good blend of several plotlines (and a twist that I didn’t see coming), all of which she has deftly tied up, with the resolution quite possibly being the set-up for her next book. This being said, I feel that this debut proves she is proficient at creating a multi-layered crime novel and I will definitely be keeping her on my radar.
The bright lights and big city of Sydney can always be relied upon to serve the perfect backdrop for an Australian crime novel and this debut by former policewoman turned writer, Karen M Davis, doesn't disappoint, with an action-packed story perfectly blended with murder, blackmail, police corruption and misplaced loyalties.
We meet Lexie Rogers a few months after an almost fatal attack with a member of a bikie gang in Sydney's Kings Cross area. Having been left for dead, Lexie is still trying to overcome the horror of her near fatal encounter and anxiety has become a part of her life. To make matters worse, the second week in her new job as a detective in Bondi Junction sees her having to accompany her partner, Brad Sommers, to execute a search warrant at one of the local Bikie Clubs after an anonymous tip-off comes through. As thing would have it, when she has a personal encounter with Rex Donaldson, sergeant-at-arms for the Devil's Guardians, their search turns into a fray and her fear gets the better of her. Not wanting to be the laughing stock of the office, her inner strength and determination soon have her back up on her feet and, by the end of the second week, when her partner injures himself unexpectedly, she's placed with Detective Josh Harrison to carry out an undercover assignment after yet another tip-off relating to the motorcycle clubs.
Josh Harrison has been on the force for twelve years and has plenty of demons of his own, not to mention his favourite vice - the bottle - which is about the only thing that's come close to dulling his sense of horror with the cases he's had to deal with. Aloof, yet friendly and polite, he has an instinctive mistrust of everyone, preferring to keep them at arms-length, but at the same time, he's got an easy-going manner towards his subordinates and it shows through his ability to demonstrate authority without being egotistical and reprimand without causing embarrassment. He has a firm stance on office protocol and that's to "never mix business with pleasure" and, while he's exchanged superficial pleasantries with "the new girl", keeping it professional and not displaying more than a passing interest in Lexie, he finds himself starting to think about her more and more. He can sense her unease, but he's unsure of whether it's him or something else. But why does he care? And why does she look so familiar?
As they're about to wrap up their undercover assignment, they find themselves responding to a radio call announcing that there’s been a shooting at a residential address. From here, the narrative begins to gather momentum when it is discovered that the victim of the shooting is a member of the Devil's Guardians bikie club and suddenly Lexie is thrown headlong into an investigation in which she has, unwittingly, become the only witness to a dying man’s declaration. As her and Josh go through the procedures and protocols of a murder investigation, the sexual tension between them heightening to self-combustible levels, unbeknownst to Josh, she starts to receive threatening text messages from an unknown source. When doubts begin to emerge as to the competence and integrity of certain members of their unit and Rex Donaldson's fears for his family's safety come to the fore, a seemingly unspoken alliance is formed between him and Lexie. When she finds herself in the clutches of a killer, the clock begins to tick!
It's been a while since I read a crime novel and this one in particular kept me engrossed right from the first word of the Prologue. I also felt it was rather timely, given the fact that the Queensland Police have recently declared a crackdown on outlaw motorcycle clubs after an incident outside a bar on the Gold Coast thrust some of their festering hostilities into the spotlight and resulted in the arrest of numerous people.
I am of the opinion that � portrayal of the essence of bikie gangs, along with the trouble they can cause, the organised crime, as well as life as a detective (and a bikie) are credible and a reflection on her many years' experience as a detective and undercover operative in Australia.
While a police procedural is generally characterised with a strong focus on the “nuts and bolts� of law enforcement, without too much emphasis on the personal lives of the characters, in penning this novel Ms Davis has shown us the other side of the coin. Her protagonists are engaging and three-dimensional and, although cast from the stereo-typical "damaged cop" and "bikie" mould, they are neither jaded nor dysfunctional - Lexie fights nightmares and flashbacks from her previous horrific encounter and is still trying to come to terms with a broken marriage and the fact that she lost her brother, Lincoln, in the line of duty two years before; Josh likes to see the bottom of a bottle, believing that he is in control and can stop at any time. While we don’t get to meet his parents and sister, we get the gist of his upbringing with a father who seems to have created an “emotional wasteland� in him. And Rex Donaldson? He’s the big, bad, mean, hard bikie, but I'd go so far as to say that there's far more to him than meets the eye!
Overall, Ms Davis' relaxed and easy writing style pulled me in immediately with the narrative giving me the necessary insight into the characters� thoughts, fears and motivations. The suspense is well maintained with a good blend of several plotlines (and a twist that I didn’t see coming), all of which she has deftly tied up, with the resolution quite possibly being the set-up for her next book. This being said, I feel that this debut proves she is proficient at creating a multi-layered crime novel and I will definitely be keeping her on my radar.
August 7, 2013
Lexie Rogers worked as a uniformed police officer in Sydney’s Kings Cross for eight years before an attack by a bikie nearly took her life. Having recovered, she’s now been posted to Bondi Junction as a detective and her first case throws her headlong into a simmering feud between two rival bikie clubs in Sydney’s more glamorous eastern suburbs. The Assassins and the Devils Outlaws have a long and chequered history and it seems that the tense ceasefire might be about to go up in smoke.
Lexie forms part of a detective team that executes a search on the clubhouse of one of the bikie clubs, the Devils Outlaws, uncovering a small stash of drugs. The sergeant-at-arms for the club, Rex Donaldson is adamant he’s been set up by the opposing club after delivering a beating to one of their members for touching Rex’s pregnant girlfriend inappropriately. Not long after, Lexie and her temporary partner Josh Harrison return to the clubhouse after reports of a shooting. One of the members of the Devils is bleeding out on the floor and before the ambulance arrives, he manages to whisper something to Lexie � a “dying declaration� giving her his shooter’s identity. The trouble is she doesn’t know what it means and all the searches they do of the bikie world turns up nothing.
Despite her fear for the biker type after the vicious attack she suffered, Lexie realises that she doesn’t need to fear Rex Donaldson. She knows that he knows a lot more than she’s letting on and she’s trying to get the identification of the shooter out of him before he goes off and does something stupid, like some form of personal retaliation. However it is Rex that recognises that by having heard the dying declaration, Lexie is in great danger. From having her life almost taken by one, Lexie might have to rely on an outlaw to save it.
I really love crime novels that are set in Australia and this is a fantastic new release that delves deep into the seedy side of the local bikie groups that populate various parts of the country. I live in Melbourne and every other day it seems like some clubhouse of some bikie chapter is being raided for some reason or other so it’s clearly an area that has plenty of fodder for a good story. And Karen M Davis is a former police officer who has a lot of knowledge of procedure and the dynamics of a police station to work with.
Lexie is a new detective who still has to prove herself one of the team at her new station in Bondi Junction and it’s unfortunate that their first big case involves two feuding bike groups, given her vicious assault at the hands of one only several months earlier. Add to that Lexie is still grieving over the death of her brother, also a police officer who was shot and killed on the job and also the breakdown of her marriage. To make matters worse, Bondi Junction is where her brother’s former partner works as well. Although an inquest cleared him of any wrongdoing in her brother’s death, Lexie still really has her suspicions.
I found myself really enjoying the characters in this novel, particularly the damaged Lexie and the fellow detective she is partnered up with, Josh. He has his own issues, not least a predilection for alcohol which is growing into quite the dependency. He and Lexie are fighting an attraction to the other from the beginning but Lexie is wary of becoming involved with someone she works with (as is Josh, who is also ranked above her). She doesn’t want to become the locker room joke because she’s had others attempt to hit on her with various shades of seriousness. But she and Josh do have more than just a physical attraction, there’s something deeper underneath. To get there though they have to give in to the sexual attraction first.
The other character that I found really interesting was Rex Donaldson, the sergeant-at-arms for the Devils. He’s a big bloke, very big and angry when his chapter house is raided. His pregnant girlfriend Kate is just as angry and with each interaction the police had with Rex, he interested me more. I began to slowly piece him together in my head (had a few guesses about him, turned out to be right in the end on some!) and found myself really wanting to know far more about him than this book let on. He obviously had led a very interesting life to be where he was so effortlessly � I think I could’ve read a whole book that revolved around him. He was a multi-layered character with enough information to put things together but so much more was left a mystery.
If there was one thing I thought could’ve been a little bit more mysterious, it was how easy it was to figure out who the killer was. I’m notorious for not being able to get “whodunnits� until the big reveal but I do have to say that I found this one incredibly easy to crack. It didn’t really take away from the action and pace of the story though or my enjoyment. I think I would’ve liked to have been more surprised by who it was, instead of making it seem very obvious simply by the character attributed to the killer.
I’m not sure if this is stand alone or if it’s going to be part of a series � it could go either way. This case is resolved but I’d love to read more about the Bondi detectives in the future.
Lexie forms part of a detective team that executes a search on the clubhouse of one of the bikie clubs, the Devils Outlaws, uncovering a small stash of drugs. The sergeant-at-arms for the club, Rex Donaldson is adamant he’s been set up by the opposing club after delivering a beating to one of their members for touching Rex’s pregnant girlfriend inappropriately. Not long after, Lexie and her temporary partner Josh Harrison return to the clubhouse after reports of a shooting. One of the members of the Devils is bleeding out on the floor and before the ambulance arrives, he manages to whisper something to Lexie � a “dying declaration� giving her his shooter’s identity. The trouble is she doesn’t know what it means and all the searches they do of the bikie world turns up nothing.
Despite her fear for the biker type after the vicious attack she suffered, Lexie realises that she doesn’t need to fear Rex Donaldson. She knows that he knows a lot more than she’s letting on and she’s trying to get the identification of the shooter out of him before he goes off and does something stupid, like some form of personal retaliation. However it is Rex that recognises that by having heard the dying declaration, Lexie is in great danger. From having her life almost taken by one, Lexie might have to rely on an outlaw to save it.
I really love crime novels that are set in Australia and this is a fantastic new release that delves deep into the seedy side of the local bikie groups that populate various parts of the country. I live in Melbourne and every other day it seems like some clubhouse of some bikie chapter is being raided for some reason or other so it’s clearly an area that has plenty of fodder for a good story. And Karen M Davis is a former police officer who has a lot of knowledge of procedure and the dynamics of a police station to work with.
Lexie is a new detective who still has to prove herself one of the team at her new station in Bondi Junction and it’s unfortunate that their first big case involves two feuding bike groups, given her vicious assault at the hands of one only several months earlier. Add to that Lexie is still grieving over the death of her brother, also a police officer who was shot and killed on the job and also the breakdown of her marriage. To make matters worse, Bondi Junction is where her brother’s former partner works as well. Although an inquest cleared him of any wrongdoing in her brother’s death, Lexie still really has her suspicions.
I found myself really enjoying the characters in this novel, particularly the damaged Lexie and the fellow detective she is partnered up with, Josh. He has his own issues, not least a predilection for alcohol which is growing into quite the dependency. He and Lexie are fighting an attraction to the other from the beginning but Lexie is wary of becoming involved with someone she works with (as is Josh, who is also ranked above her). She doesn’t want to become the locker room joke because she’s had others attempt to hit on her with various shades of seriousness. But she and Josh do have more than just a physical attraction, there’s something deeper underneath. To get there though they have to give in to the sexual attraction first.
The other character that I found really interesting was Rex Donaldson, the sergeant-at-arms for the Devils. He’s a big bloke, very big and angry when his chapter house is raided. His pregnant girlfriend Kate is just as angry and with each interaction the police had with Rex, he interested me more. I began to slowly piece him together in my head (had a few guesses about him, turned out to be right in the end on some!) and found myself really wanting to know far more about him than this book let on. He obviously had led a very interesting life to be where he was so effortlessly � I think I could’ve read a whole book that revolved around him. He was a multi-layered character with enough information to put things together but so much more was left a mystery.
If there was one thing I thought could’ve been a little bit more mysterious, it was how easy it was to figure out who the killer was. I’m notorious for not being able to get “whodunnits� until the big reveal but I do have to say that I found this one incredibly easy to crack. It didn’t really take away from the action and pace of the story though or my enjoyment. I think I would’ve liked to have been more surprised by who it was, instead of making it seem very obvious simply by the character attributed to the killer.
I’m not sure if this is stand alone or if it’s going to be part of a series � it could go either way. This case is resolved but I’d love to read more about the Bondi detectives in the future.
August 6, 2013
A retired Australian police officer, Karen M. Davis draws on her years of career experience in Sinister Intent, her impressive debut crime fiction novel.
After surviving a violent attack from a crazed Bikie in a Kings Cross laneway, Lexie Rogers is disconcerted when her first big case as a new detective with the Bondi Junction office involves the increasing rivalry of two local Bikie gangs known as the Devil's Guardians and the Assassins. It's rumoured the animosity between the outlaw clubs began over a woman but Lexie is about to discover this latest quarrel has been carefully orchestrated and she is at risk of becoming the next casualty of war.
Well paced with a balanced dose of action, psychological suspense and romance, Sinister Intent is an enjoyable novel. The plot holds a few surprises circling around the outlaw Bikie gangs, police corruption, a missing daughter and a police officer's death.
Sinister Intent is in part a police procedural as Lexie and Bondi Junction detectives chase leads and gather evidence trying to identify the man, presumed a Bikie, known only as 'The Grub' responsible for the hit on the Devil's Guardians member. Stymied by the Bikie's code of silence it's a difficult investigation and the pieces don't all fall into place until it is almost too late.
I thought the characters were portrayed authentically from the cops who drink a little more than they should do, to the casual chauvinism of a predominately male workplace, to the Bikie's who have little respect for the law and believe in loyalty to each other above all. I probably would have rated Sinister Intent slightly higher if Lexie had been a little stronger, both emotionally and physically. Though she has good reasons to be paranoid and vulnerable given her recent brush with death, and the murder of her brother, I thought Lexie was a little too often at the mercy of her post traumatic distress.
The only other niggle with this novel for me was the fairly frequent use of exclamation marks - it's a petty thing to point out, but they distracted me every time and mostly seemed unnecessary.
I really enjoyed Sinister Intent, I read it almost straight through and was reluctant to put it down. I am glad to welcome another great woman writer to the Australian crime fiction genre and I hope we see more from Karen M Davis soon.
December 3, 2013
According to her bio author Karen M Davis was a New South Wales police officer for twenty years. Starting her career on the streets of Newtown, she went on to work as a detective and undercover operative in a variety of sections, all of which specialised in the investigation of organised crime. You can tell when you're reading SINISTER INTENT that the author knows what she's writing about very well. She also knows how to tell a yarn.
In amongst the obvious parallels between the author's career and that of the central character, Lexie Rogers, there's also a sneaking suspicion that there could be elements of this plot that are not completely fictional. If they are, then it's very believably done. Given it's also a first novel from this author, there's good execution of the plot elements, combined with a bit of fast and furious action, some romance, some psychological suspense and a lot of tension.
All the characterisations are strong, in what is basically a police procedural format with enough twists and variances to give it a refreshing feeling of difference. The strength of many of the characterisations is that overt clichés are avoided - the bikie's are not all lurking muscle-men, all brawn and no humanity. The supporting cast of cops aren't all brain dead chauvinists, although they are also real with a tendency towards hard drinking and hard working.
Interestingly, the character who is probably least sympathetically portrayed is Rogers herself. Dealing with a near death experience in the recent past and the murder of her brother, she's obviously suffering PTSD. Which seems undiagnosed, or at least unmanaged. She's not coping well with it. One is left to ponder why an author would be so hard on her. And, obviously, there's romantic tension between Rogers and her new partner which was predictable although reasonably well handled.
SINISTER INTENT is no "write what you know" novel though. It's a story about a world that the author must know very well, but there is real storytelling skill here. Which has generated a strong debut novel showing enormous potential for an ongoing series.
In amongst the obvious parallels between the author's career and that of the central character, Lexie Rogers, there's also a sneaking suspicion that there could be elements of this plot that are not completely fictional. If they are, then it's very believably done. Given it's also a first novel from this author, there's good execution of the plot elements, combined with a bit of fast and furious action, some romance, some psychological suspense and a lot of tension.
All the characterisations are strong, in what is basically a police procedural format with enough twists and variances to give it a refreshing feeling of difference. The strength of many of the characterisations is that overt clichés are avoided - the bikie's are not all lurking muscle-men, all brawn and no humanity. The supporting cast of cops aren't all brain dead chauvinists, although they are also real with a tendency towards hard drinking and hard working.
Interestingly, the character who is probably least sympathetically portrayed is Rogers herself. Dealing with a near death experience in the recent past and the murder of her brother, she's obviously suffering PTSD. Which seems undiagnosed, or at least unmanaged. She's not coping well with it. One is left to ponder why an author would be so hard on her. And, obviously, there's romantic tension between Rogers and her new partner which was predictable although reasonably well handled.
SINISTER INTENT is no "write what you know" novel though. It's a story about a world that the author must know very well, but there is real storytelling skill here. Which has generated a strong debut novel showing enormous potential for an ongoing series.
March 25, 2020
I love the fact that this novel is set in the suburbs around my home, in places I know. The 'gritty police drama' plot is good, however the book is marred by terrible romance writing that would be at home in any teenage novel, even down to that most romantic of scenes: a kiss in the locker room. There is little so tawdry or banal as an office romance between a young woman and her immediate male superior, even without the immaturity apparent here. I only got through this book by jumping forward on the audiobook every time the characters started agonising over relationships, kisses or looks, or mentioning feelings.
But what bugged me most about the book was the love interest, Josh with the piercing green eyes and dimples, presented as the prize women compete over, a man with red flags all over him. His approach to women leaves a lot to be desired and reflects the poor presentation of women that informs the novel as a whole, with the exception of the paragon Lexie. Josh:
Is an alcoholic in denial
Writes off his sister as a 'mental case' and his mother as a 'doormat'
Uses a woman for regular sex and rejects her when she starts to expect some affection from him (Lexie degrades this woman to the status of a 'blow-up doll')
Denies that a regular sexual relationship is a relationship at all or is relevant to his relationship with any other woman
Lusts over the stunning new girl at work, who happens to be under his direct supervision
Uses his position to obtain her home address and turns up at her door at night, unexpected and uninvited, and invites himself in to talk about his feelings
Once inside, seeing she has had several drinks and is in a highly distressed emotional state, this work superior proceeds to initiate sex with her.
Within a day of sleeping with her, is justifying going through her handbag and phone.
Apart from Lexie, her best friend and her boss, the women are either weak losers, scraggy bitches, vulnerable drug addicts, or evil.
But what bugged me most about the book was the love interest, Josh with the piercing green eyes and dimples, presented as the prize women compete over, a man with red flags all over him. His approach to women leaves a lot to be desired and reflects the poor presentation of women that informs the novel as a whole, with the exception of the paragon Lexie. Josh:
Is an alcoholic in denial
Writes off his sister as a 'mental case' and his mother as a 'doormat'
Uses a woman for regular sex and rejects her when she starts to expect some affection from him (Lexie degrades this woman to the status of a 'blow-up doll')
Denies that a regular sexual relationship is a relationship at all or is relevant to his relationship with any other woman
Lusts over the stunning new girl at work, who happens to be under his direct supervision
Uses his position to obtain her home address and turns up at her door at night, unexpected and uninvited, and invites himself in to talk about his feelings
Once inside, seeing she has had several drinks and is in a highly distressed emotional state, this work superior proceeds to initiate sex with her.
Within a day of sleeping with her, is justifying going through her handbag and phone.
Apart from Lexie, her best friend and her boss, the women are either weak losers, scraggy bitches, vulnerable drug addicts, or evil.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2014
3.5 stars
The first half of the book I really enjoyed, but the second half I found myself skimming. I think it's because I'd worked out who the killer was and although there was a little surprise at the end, it didn't quite redeem the book for me.
I love this genre, so I'm not sure exactly why it didn't work for me. I've read other books with a female cop protagonist in an Australian cop setting and preferred those; and my all-time favourites are the John Sandford cop/crime thrillers set in Minneapolis with Lucas Davenport. Sandford is amazing.
I think at the end of the day, I like my villains nastier, creepier. I like to get a better sense of why they are the twisted/warped people they are. So I might have liked a little more time spent inside the creep's head, before I'd worked out who said creep was.
But it's well written, and I did enjoy the side story of the attraction and relationship between Lexie & Josh.
The first half of the book I really enjoyed, but the second half I found myself skimming. I think it's because I'd worked out who the killer was and although there was a little surprise at the end, it didn't quite redeem the book for me.
I love this genre, so I'm not sure exactly why it didn't work for me. I've read other books with a female cop protagonist in an Australian cop setting and preferred those; and my all-time favourites are the John Sandford cop/crime thrillers set in Minneapolis with Lucas Davenport. Sandford is amazing.
I think at the end of the day, I like my villains nastier, creepier. I like to get a better sense of why they are the twisted/warped people they are. So I might have liked a little more time spent inside the creep's head, before I'd worked out who said creep was.
But it's well written, and I did enjoy the side story of the attraction and relationship between Lexie & Josh.
November 6, 2013
Lexie, Lexie, Lexie - "so simple" and yet it took you so long to work it out!. I had "The Grub" sussed halfway through, but of course had to keep reading to make sure I was right.
I loved all the characters - Lexie, Josh, Rex and even Kate :P The storyline had enough intrigue to keep me reading and wandering what was going to happen next. Plenty of twists and turns (most of which I didn't see coming) and a nice even pace which didn't allow me to be bored at any time.
A great crime novel and I look forward to more by this debut author.
I loved all the characters - Lexie, Josh, Rex and even Kate :P The storyline had enough intrigue to keep me reading and wandering what was going to happen next. Plenty of twists and turns (most of which I didn't see coming) and a nice even pace which didn't allow me to be bored at any time.
A great crime novel and I look forward to more by this debut author.
July 9, 2013
A great read with a gutsy female detective. Lexie certainly has her share of problems and I was along for the ride. I enjoy crime novels and pride myself on being able to pick the bad guy but this story is far from predictable.
December 31, 2014
Great first book, it gets even better with the second. looking forward to reading more from Karen M. Davis
March 6, 2015
This could have been a really good story except for the ridiculous romantic element of the two main characters, drove me crazy and found it hard to finish the book.
September 10, 2023
Karen M. Davis is a new to me author and Sinister Intent is the first book in the Lexie Rogers trilogy.
I effing love Australian crime fiction, and especially those that are set in Sydney! In this novel we move around Bondi Junction with Detective Lexie Rogers, Detective Sergeant Brad Sommers, Lexie’s temporary partner Josh Harrison, a group of cops, bikie gangs and big bad bikie man, Rex Harrison, tough on the outside and sweet as chocolate on the inside, or am I dreaming? Read this book to find out, go on you won’t be disappointed.
Oh my gosh, Kate…seriously, she made laugh and cringe at the same time. I don’t think I would have noticed her foul-mouth as much if I had of read the book, however Kate Hosking’s narration of Kate was brilliant, a job well done!
Having visited Bondi Junction recently I’m no stranger to the streets of this Eastern Suburb of Sydney. Vibrant and exciting and as luck would have it no bikie gangs or high-speed pursuits were looming 😂
I think it’s bloody fantastic when a former detective and undercover agent writes a crime book/s because what you get is an incredibly realistic story.
A terrifically entertaining read with twists and turns aplenty.
I’m still deciding whether to listen to book 2 or pick up my print copy off my TBR pile. Hmm.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Narrated by Kate Hosking
Duration: 12 hrs, 53 min. 1.50x Speed
I effing love Australian crime fiction, and especially those that are set in Sydney! In this novel we move around Bondi Junction with Detective Lexie Rogers, Detective Sergeant Brad Sommers, Lexie’s temporary partner Josh Harrison, a group of cops, bikie gangs and big bad bikie man, Rex Harrison, tough on the outside and sweet as chocolate on the inside, or am I dreaming? Read this book to find out, go on you won’t be disappointed.
Oh my gosh, Kate…seriously, she made laugh and cringe at the same time. I don’t think I would have noticed her foul-mouth as much if I had of read the book, however Kate Hosking’s narration of Kate was brilliant, a job well done!
Having visited Bondi Junction recently I’m no stranger to the streets of this Eastern Suburb of Sydney. Vibrant and exciting and as luck would have it no bikie gangs or high-speed pursuits were looming 😂
I think it’s bloody fantastic when a former detective and undercover agent writes a crime book/s because what you get is an incredibly realistic story.
A terrifically entertaining read with twists and turns aplenty.
I’m still deciding whether to listen to book 2 or pick up my print copy off my TBR pile. Hmm.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Narrated by Kate Hosking
Duration: 12 hrs, 53 min. 1.50x Speed
April 26, 2019
I am frequently drawn to books set in Australia and particularly enjoy them in the audio format. The narrator here was very good and dry easy to listen to. Good story and a decent set of characters and I’ve already downloaded books 2.
September 9, 2017
Review to follow. :)
October 20, 2020
I enjoyed this one. Fast paced and a tangle to work out.
August 22, 2014
This is a great début crime/police novel by former detective Karen M Davis which kept my attention from beginning to end. The story is set in Sydney where bikie (motor-cycle) gangs are at the centre of organised crime.
After six years as a uniformed cop, Lexie Rogers has reached her career objective - to be a detective. Getting there has not been easy and she has been exposed to the worst things that can happen while policing the dregs of society. A few months ago she was stabbed and left for dead by a member of a bikie gang in the red-light Kings Cross area of Sydney. While she has recovered physically she still relives the horror of the attack, especially at night. On top of all of this she has been through a divorce and lost her brother, also a policeman, who was killed when he was on duty.
Her new long-time detective partner accidentally broke his leg and her temporary partner is DS Josh Harrington, handsome, single and unattached. Josh takes the lead role in a big murder hunt for a drive-by killer of a 'Bluey' a member of the Devil's Guardians motor cycle gang. The investigations focuses on the animosity between the Guardians and the Assassins bikie gangs recently elevated by a pub brawl over a girl-friend. Both tough guy leaders of the gangs, Rex Donaldson and Max Croft, and their leading members are checked out and interviewed by the police, a difficult task given the intense distrust of the police by both gangs. Their is also a long-term intense personal hatred between Donaldson and Croft.
Davis uses her actual experience of policing of bikie gangs to give us a realistic insight into the organisation of the gangs, the kind of people who are members and the range of outlandish nicknames - Bluey, Rowdy, Keg and Maggot. What is especially fascinating is that while most of them are from the dregs of society, Davis is never judgmental about the gangs or their members, and much of the story focuses on the personal feelings, psychologicial outlook and relationships between the members.
Davis also uses her actual experience of working for many years with the police force to describe the dynamic of the force and the different types of officers - the young, the aggressive, the old and weary, the predators etc. - who have to work together on a difficult case. They also have their range of unusual nicknames - Batman, Lurch Grumpy and Sleazeman. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the force that only someone who worked there could write.
This is a story that looks into the hearts, minds and politics of the bikie gangs and the police who try to keep them under control. There are twists and turns in the plot, a love story, intense personal feelings between the major bikie gang characters and great and sometimes emotional twists towards the end. We meet a number of unforgettable characters who I am sure will feature in future books in this series.
This is crime fiction at its best written by someone who has had a close personal relationship with the police force. In her author postscript Karen Davis tells us about her 20 year career with the force ending with PTSD after years of witnessing distressing events and dealing with the seedier side of life. To her surprise she found that writing about it was psychologically beneficial as it helped to release some suppressed emotions. With this excellent début novel she has established herself as a talented novelist and I hope that she continues to share her real-life experiences in further novels.
I started reading and enjoying the next book in the series, DEADLY OBSESSION first and quickly realised that, although it can be read as a standalone, there were some personal dynamics from the first book that I would miss. So I put it aside and read this book first. I'm glad I did and I really look forward to going back to reading DEADLY OBSESSION very soon.
After six years as a uniformed cop, Lexie Rogers has reached her career objective - to be a detective. Getting there has not been easy and she has been exposed to the worst things that can happen while policing the dregs of society. A few months ago she was stabbed and left for dead by a member of a bikie gang in the red-light Kings Cross area of Sydney. While she has recovered physically she still relives the horror of the attack, especially at night. On top of all of this she has been through a divorce and lost her brother, also a policeman, who was killed when he was on duty.
Her new long-time detective partner accidentally broke his leg and her temporary partner is DS Josh Harrington, handsome, single and unattached. Josh takes the lead role in a big murder hunt for a drive-by killer of a 'Bluey' a member of the Devil's Guardians motor cycle gang. The investigations focuses on the animosity between the Guardians and the Assassins bikie gangs recently elevated by a pub brawl over a girl-friend. Both tough guy leaders of the gangs, Rex Donaldson and Max Croft, and their leading members are checked out and interviewed by the police, a difficult task given the intense distrust of the police by both gangs. Their is also a long-term intense personal hatred between Donaldson and Croft.
Davis uses her actual experience of policing of bikie gangs to give us a realistic insight into the organisation of the gangs, the kind of people who are members and the range of outlandish nicknames - Bluey, Rowdy, Keg and Maggot. What is especially fascinating is that while most of them are from the dregs of society, Davis is never judgmental about the gangs or their members, and much of the story focuses on the personal feelings, psychologicial outlook and relationships between the members.
Davis also uses her actual experience of working for many years with the police force to describe the dynamic of the force and the different types of officers - the young, the aggressive, the old and weary, the predators etc. - who have to work together on a difficult case. They also have their range of unusual nicknames - Batman, Lurch Grumpy and Sleazeman. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the force that only someone who worked there could write.
This is a story that looks into the hearts, minds and politics of the bikie gangs and the police who try to keep them under control. There are twists and turns in the plot, a love story, intense personal feelings between the major bikie gang characters and great and sometimes emotional twists towards the end. We meet a number of unforgettable characters who I am sure will feature in future books in this series.
This is crime fiction at its best written by someone who has had a close personal relationship with the police force. In her author postscript Karen Davis tells us about her 20 year career with the force ending with PTSD after years of witnessing distressing events and dealing with the seedier side of life. To her surprise she found that writing about it was psychologically beneficial as it helped to release some suppressed emotions. With this excellent début novel she has established herself as a talented novelist and I hope that she continues to share her real-life experiences in further novels.
I started reading and enjoying the next book in the series, DEADLY OBSESSION first and quickly realised that, although it can be read as a standalone, there were some personal dynamics from the first book that I would miss. So I put it aside and read this book first. I'm glad I did and I really look forward to going back to reading DEADLY OBSESSION very soon.
February 13, 2018
Sinister Intent is the first of the Lexie Rogers series, of which there are three…to date. However, it was the third of the series which I read.
I have stated that Books 2 & 3 can be read as standalone novels and to some extent I will stick buy that statement. In books 2 & 3 there are references to Lexie’s past which can be looked upon as simply a bit of background information in those books. However, Book 1, Sinister Intent, explains those references in more detail and for that reason I was, initially, thinking that this book was not as good as later offerings by Karen M. Davis. Still, I must confess to eventually enjoying Sinister Intent as much as Deadly Obsession and Fatal Mistake.
Sinister Intent sees Lexie as a new Detective at Sydney’s Bondi Junction after working King’s Cross, in uniform, for many years. She soon becomes involved, as a Detective, with local bikie gangs, drug deals, murders and murderers. There are enough twists in the plot to keep this fast paced story moving along as well as its two sequels. Overall, Sinister Intent was a thoroughly enjoyable story from Ms Davis, and may have gained that elusive extra star had I not previously read books two and three.
My only grumble is that Fatal Mistake, the third Karen M. Davis has published so far, was published in 2017 so I may have to wait a while before Lexie flexes her muscle among the Sydney bikie gangs again.
Almost forgot to mention the narrator, Kate Hosking. Kate is fast becoming my favourite female narrator alongside Sean Mangan my favourite male narrator. Whenever I see they have narrated an audio book I will listen to it simply based on their names alone.
Definitely a four star read.
I have stated that Books 2 & 3 can be read as standalone novels and to some extent I will stick buy that statement. In books 2 & 3 there are references to Lexie’s past which can be looked upon as simply a bit of background information in those books. However, Book 1, Sinister Intent, explains those references in more detail and for that reason I was, initially, thinking that this book was not as good as later offerings by Karen M. Davis. Still, I must confess to eventually enjoying Sinister Intent as much as Deadly Obsession and Fatal Mistake.
Sinister Intent sees Lexie as a new Detective at Sydney’s Bondi Junction after working King’s Cross, in uniform, for many years. She soon becomes involved, as a Detective, with local bikie gangs, drug deals, murders and murderers. There are enough twists in the plot to keep this fast paced story moving along as well as its two sequels. Overall, Sinister Intent was a thoroughly enjoyable story from Ms Davis, and may have gained that elusive extra star had I not previously read books two and three.
My only grumble is that Fatal Mistake, the third Karen M. Davis has published so far, was published in 2017 so I may have to wait a while before Lexie flexes her muscle among the Sydney bikie gangs again.
Almost forgot to mention the narrator, Kate Hosking. Kate is fast becoming my favourite female narrator alongside Sean Mangan my favourite male narrator. Whenever I see they have narrated an audio book I will listen to it simply based on their names alone.
Definitely a four star read.
August 15, 2013
Intriguing, engrossing, unpredictable and a fantastic read. I can't wait to see what's next ...
Sinister Intent is the debut novel of Karen M. Davis, a former police officer and detective with twenty years experience. This experience certainly shines through with her insightful and believable portrayal of the officers in Sinister Intent.
I’m not sure whether this is a stand alone or the beginning of a series but my personal wish is for the beginning of a series. I found myself quite attached to some of these characters and would love to hear more from them, I’m sure there are more stories in their arsenals.
Lexie Rogers worked in Sydney’s Kings Cross for eight years as a uniformed officer before a serious run in with a bikie and his knife saw her take some time off before moving to Bondi Junction as a detective. She starts back determined to prove herself, determined to show that she’s strong enough for the job and completely recovered from her injuries. Physically she may be healed but the damage went much deeper than that and she is still facing some struggles. Her new boss has instructed the detectives not to question her but the police grapevine means they have some information, though all are very good at keeping their curiosity to themselves when it comes to filling in the gaps.
To read the complete review:
Sinister Intent is the debut novel of Karen M. Davis, a former police officer and detective with twenty years experience. This experience certainly shines through with her insightful and believable portrayal of the officers in Sinister Intent.
I’m not sure whether this is a stand alone or the beginning of a series but my personal wish is for the beginning of a series. I found myself quite attached to some of these characters and would love to hear more from them, I’m sure there are more stories in their arsenals.
Lexie Rogers worked in Sydney’s Kings Cross for eight years as a uniformed officer before a serious run in with a bikie and his knife saw her take some time off before moving to Bondi Junction as a detective. She starts back determined to prove herself, determined to show that she’s strong enough for the job and completely recovered from her injuries. Physically she may be healed but the damage went much deeper than that and she is still facing some struggles. Her new boss has instructed the detectives not to question her but the police grapevine means they have some information, though all are very good at keeping their curiosity to themselves when it comes to filling in the gaps.
To read the complete review:
November 27, 2013
I bought this book when I attended¬ Karen Davis’s book launch a few months ago. It took me a couple of months to get to, but when I finally read it I loved it! How refreshing to read a novel set in Sydney, even better parts of Sydney that I know. How easy it was to relate to her great characters and understand their reactions and responses to the situations they found themselves in. Read a novel set in my home city was a bit like coming home.
Karen’s experience as a Sydney police officer lends the story a realism that is lost in many crime novels. The story is fast paced, drama balanced well with action, enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and believable characters and situations. The people in this story are not caricatures of real bikies and their families nor are the police stereotypical � there’s the bad, good, and somewhere in between in both communities.
I recommend Sinister Intent as a good read and look forward to Karen M Davis’s next novel whether it’s a sequel to this one (what a great idea!) or something completely new.
Karen’s experience as a Sydney police officer lends the story a realism that is lost in many crime novels. The story is fast paced, drama balanced well with action, enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and believable characters and situations. The people in this story are not caricatures of real bikies and their families nor are the police stereotypical � there’s the bad, good, and somewhere in between in both communities.
I recommend Sinister Intent as a good read and look forward to Karen M Davis’s next novel whether it’s a sequel to this one (what a great idea!) or something completely new.
September 8, 2013
For the lovers of the police procedural.
An outstanding debut novel and a wonderful police procedural with enduring and empathetic characters, what more could you ask for? Karen M Davis has managed to capture the essence of a great crime read; a great narrative, a surprising ending, plenty of drama and suspense, an authentic voice and settings that are realistic. I really enjoyed this read and liked the main characters; the camaraderie and rapport between the police officers at the station felt natural, the good guys had their flaws but this just added to their credibility and the bad guys were where you least hoped to find them, hidden in plain sight.
A most enjoyable read that I hope if the first of many from this author. I look forward to Ms Davis’s next offering with anticipation.
An outstanding debut novel and a wonderful police procedural with enduring and empathetic characters, what more could you ask for? Karen M Davis has managed to capture the essence of a great crime read; a great narrative, a surprising ending, plenty of drama and suspense, an authentic voice and settings that are realistic. I really enjoyed this read and liked the main characters; the camaraderie and rapport between the police officers at the station felt natural, the good guys had their flaws but this just added to their credibility and the bad guys were where you least hoped to find them, hidden in plain sight.
A most enjoyable read that I hope if the first of many from this author. I look forward to Ms Davis’s next offering with anticipation.
July 5, 2014
A terrific romantic suspense, written by ex-cop Karen Davis, so it has a ring of authenticity. Lexie Rogers starts working as detective at Bondi Junction, and is thrown head-first into escalating tensions between two bikie gangs. A terrible scenario that we've sadly seen on the news time after time. The story goes at a breathtaking pace - and actually makes me very glad I'm not a policewoman, working those insane hours to get the job done! A huge thanks to the police force; this brings home how much they do protect and defend the public. There's also a nice romantic interest to balance the drama. I sort of guessed the villain, but Davis takes it much further than that; there are still a few more scary surprises along the way. Well done, Karen Davis; I couldn't put the book down. Looking forward to your next offering!
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