Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 by C. R. Hiatt Review and Giveaway

Synopsis:

Sydney Marie McSwain and her pal, Cody Beck, team up to take on a secret club called The Devil's Door where members are branded with the tattoo of a devil and call themselves The Privileged Ones.   Sydney Marie McSwain - a tomboy who yearned for a father.  Cody Beck - a wannabe filmmaker, wisenheimer and flirt.  Jaden White - the star who led the high school hockey team to two championships, and was now on the A-list for NHL scouts.  Sydney Marie McSwain loves her mom, Anna - a private investigator in the coastal city where they live - but they had a major issue between them. Anna refused to give Sydney the identity of her father. On the day of her high school graduation, they were battling it out, once again. An hour later, Sydney, Cody and Jaden were at the local café, and watched as Anna was gunned down, and it was broadcasted on live TV.  Faced with immediate responsibility, Sydney and Cody agreed to take over the agency, only they changed the name to McSwain & Beck. At the same time, Sydney convinced Sutter Beach Detective, Ace Carter, to help her track down her father. Out of the blue, a model walked in and hired them to follow her step-brother. While Cody was busy editing a trailer to solicit new clients, Sydney settled into her lemon-yellow pickup to do surveillance, and wound up staking out a secret club called The Devil’s Door whose suspicious members wore the tattoo of a devil.That same night, Sydney received a call from one of her mom’s former clients, only the client was gunned down at the location where they agreed to meet. The mysterious discovery of a DVD revealed the possibility that teenagers were being abducted, only nobody reported them missing. On the hunt for the victims, McSwain & Beck were chased by men in ski masks, nearly gunned down by members of a cartel called the outlaws, Sydney’s precious pickup was broken into; then the step-brother they were hired to follow, was found dead and Sydney was the number one suspect. If things weren’t bad enough already, they had to figure out how to crash a red-carpet Mardi Gras bash being held on a private cruise ship, before it sailed off into the sunset, where they just might meet the devil, himself.  Now, the clock was ticking…And time was running out…How was she ever going to find her father, now?

“Their lives were in the hands of two 18 year-olds…”

Review:  Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 by CR Hiatt is an action packed thriller in the same vein as James Patterson, but written for young adults.  The story was action-packed, edge-of-your seat entertainment.  The story is about 18 year old Sydney and her friends Cody and Jaden.  Sydney’s mom, a PI that has been working with the police to uncover a dirty cop, is murdered.  Sydney witnesses it live on TV.  She decides to take over the family business, as she and Cody have been working there anyway.

Sydney and Cody get their first case, along with a mysterious phone call from one of her mom’s previous clients.  The two are somehow connected and lead Sydney on a wild journey, constantly putting her in peril – much to the chagrin of the cop who has been a mentor and father figure.  In the end are Sydney and Cody in over their heads or can they save the day?

I really liked the main character, Sydney.  She is witty and easy to like.  She is fearless, curious and wants to do the right thing despite the hardships she’s faced with the recent death of her mom.  Her friend and partner Cody is a good secondary character.  He is caring and seems like fun – even though he constantly has a camera to his eye trying to film crazy shots.

CR Hiatt's writing style is perfectly paced and easy to read.  She really kept me guessing.  I will definately be reading more by CR Hiatt and I will be recommending the book to many.  I am dying for the next book in the series – I really want to know who Sydney’s father is!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising* 

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