Book Reviews

Book Blurb

An act of violence destroys his family and ends the life he knows. To escape his haunted past, he joins the military, where, as a sniper, he is trained to kill with precision and detachment. When a covert organization offers him a new purpose, he becomes Haven, an operative devoted to protecting the innocent when he can and avenging them when he cannot.

After ten years of battling the evil in the world, the life no longer holds the attraction or meaning it once had, and he’s ready to walk away. Then he meets Samuel, a young man forced from the age of twelve to work as a sex slave. If ever a man had a need for Haven, it is this one.

Yet nothing about this growing relationship is one-sided. Sammy gives Haven a stability he’s never known, and Haven becomes the rock upon which Sammy knows he can depend.

When Sammy reveals something about the enemy Haven has been hunting for months, Sammy fears it will destroy what they’ve built and he’ll lose his home in Haven’s heart.

Book Review

"I was not a good man. Hell, there were many times I wasn’t even sure I was a man anymore. I killed people for a living and made damn good money at it. I didn’t do random chaos, though. That stuff was for amateurs. What I did was for a cause. The greater good, you might say. I was sure there were plenty who’d argue that fact, but they hadn’t seen the things I had."

I was given the honor of reading maybe two paragraphs of 'Haven's Creed' while Parker was writing it. I guarantee you I started salivating right then. See, I know how talented this author is, and I was thrilled that he was stepping away from his norm, so to speak, to write a darker, very conflicted killer with all of the issues that come along. I knew Parker could nail this, and I was right.

When Haven was fifteen, he picked up his mother's boyfriend's gun and shot him between the eyes. This was after the guy had bashed in his little sister's skull, whaled on his mom again, and years of physical and verbal abuse along with sexual for his sister. At eighteen Haven joined the Army and proceeded to impress the hell out of them with his sniper skills. Two years in, he's recruited by a secret, unnamed part of the government (that doesn't exist) to come and protect children from drug dealers, pedophiles, killers - any and all whose business hurts children. So Haven's life begins.

“It’s a good dream, but I’m not sure if it’s attainable. Our lives are finding a happily ever after for other people. It’s not likely we’ll ever have our own.”

It's while Haven is on his biggest job to date, chipping away at a massive organization’s power players in order to get to Valerie at the top, that he rescues Samuel, or Sammy as Haven calls him. Sammy has been a prostitute in a sex slavery operation for twelve years, since he was eleven, and maybe the worst part is when Haven discovers Valerie is Sammy's mom, and she put him in this business - just left him with a colleague and walked away. Sammy is immediately drawn to the safety and security of Haven, but he's also drawn to the man. Even though Haven is convinced Sammy can't be in his life, Sammy is determined to be the calm refuge at home waiting for Haven. Of course the fact that Sammy is terrified to be out and around other people might have a bit of a play in this.

It comes as a surprise to Haven to realize how much he needs Sammy. Sammy takes charge and makes the choices that Haven's had to make for so long. It's liberating to know that Sammy will take care of him, even though Haven would deny he needed to be cared for to anyone. It doesn't take long before both Sammy and Haven want a forever with each other. However, Haven still has to take out Valerie, and when Sammy begs him not to be the one to do it - and, believe me, it has nothing to do with her being his mom - Sammy has to inform Haven of the startling resemblance he and his mother share. Sammy is terrified that Haven killing Valerie will destroy their love.

I'm completely amazed and blown away by the intensity of this book. I always knew the author was capable of this depth and now I can say "I told you so". An incredible story with characters I'll remember for a lifetime, and a permanent spot in my favorites collection. I can't recommend this enough.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 256 pages/94000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	14-December-2015
Price	$4.99 ebook, $11.99 paperback
Buy Link	http://www.amazon.com/Havens-Creed-Parker-Williams-ebook/dp/B0190XCAX2