Blog Tour/Review: Killing Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries

Killing Ruby Rose, by Jessie Humphries
2014, 306p, YA, Suspense, Mystery
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy for an honest review



In sunny southern California, Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died six months ago, she’s also got a few killer secrets.

To cope with her father’s death, Ruby has been trying to stay focused on school (the top spot in her class is on the line) and spending time with friends (her Jimmy Choos and Mahnolo Blahniks are nothing if not loyal), but after months of therapy and more than a few months of pathetic parenting by her mom, District Attorney Jane Rose, Ruby decides to pick up where her dad left off and starts going after the bad guys herself.

But when Ruby ends up killing a murderer in defense of another, she discovers that she’s gone from being the huntress to the hunted. There’s a sick mastermind at play, and he has Ruby in his sights. Ruby must discover who’s using her to implement twisted justice before she ends up changing Valentino red for prison orange.

With a gun named Smith, a talent for martial arts, and a boyfriend with eyes to die for, Ruby is ready to face the worst. And if a girl’s forced to kill, won’t the guilt sit more easily in a pair of Prada peep-toe pumps?

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with what I didn't like. I didn't like the adults. They were all secretive and had their own agendas and nobody communicated with each other. I know that makes it more mysterious but Ruby is dealing with a lot and her family situation is strange. I didn't like that she and her mother had practically no relationship. Her mother was keeping some big secrets and I was hoping at some point, she would stop and talk to Ruby.I also didn't like that she's a teenage girl stalking predators alone and being forced to kill them (or be killed herself). It adds to the action but also feels wrong.

What I did like was the fast pace throughout most of the book. That definitely kept me turning the pages. There are some twists which kept it interesting. I also like Ruby. She is 17 years old and going through a rough time. To cope with her father's death, she's taken to stalking criminals her father had wanted to catch (she calls them the Filthy Five). She's interesting, intelligent, and obsessed with shoes. She starts a relationship with Liam and he's likable, too. He's someone she's noticed but he's been elusive so she has a hard time believing he likes her at first. Their relationship slowed the action down somewhat.

I enjoyed Jessie Humphries' writing and want to see where Ruby Rose goes from here, and where Ms. Humphries goes as an author. There are some big revelations made at the end and the action was intense. I thought this book started off strong, tapered off some in the middle and ended strong so I decided to rate it 4 stars. Due to some of the content, I wouldn't recommend it to younger YA readers. Based on where the story left off, I am interested to see the direction the story will take in book 2!

Content: Swearing, violence

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Jessie Humphries was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She received a BA from San Diego State University, where she cultivated her love of the beach, then lived in France, where she cultivated her weakness for shoes, and finally earned a law degree from UNLV, where she cultivated her interest in justice. After practicing law for several years she began writing, and, appropriately, her debut novel Killing Ruby Rose is a thriller about vigilante justice set in sunny southern California with a shoe-obsessed protagonist. Jessie currently writes and practices law in Las Vegas, where she lives with her husband and children.

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