Audiobook Review: Unbalanced by Jason Parent

Unbalanced
Author: Jason Parent

Narrator: Joe Hempel
Published: April 4, 2022
Audiobook

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 6-12, 2022
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars

Book Description:

By-the-book Detective Asante Royo can only clean up Fall River’s filth for so long without getting dirty. When he’s called to an apparent suicide at an apartment complex notorious for its prostitution and drug trade, he doesn’t shed a tear for the life wasted. Yet something about the scene haunts him, and when his investigation gets swept under the rug, he has a hard time living with the stain.

Jaden Sanders is an unstable loner who lives across the hall from the crime scene. When three men break into his apartment, Jaden is ready for a fight. He kills two of his attackers in self-defense then stalks and stabs the third in the back. Jaden is soon arrested for murder.

With no clear motives for the home invasion or Jaden’s violent response, Royo must uncover the true story before more people get hurt. His only leads are derived from the version of events extracted from a truly unbalanced mind. Is Jaden a victim being steamrolled by cold justice or a murderer capable of killing again?

Jessica’s Review:

We have murders, an apparent suicide, and more in this police procedural/ thriller from Jason Parent. The novel starts fast and doesn’t ever really drop. First, we have a suicide and then months later in the apartment across the hall a home invasion where the victim killed his attackers. Or did they actually end up being victims themselves? We have Detective Royo who responded to both calls.  We also have Jaden Sanders who lives in the apartment and defended himself… Or did he? 

What seems as separate cases may actually not be and then we have a case of an unreliable narrator.  Once I realized that was the case I got nervous, since those types of books are hit or miss for me. Fortunately, this one was not a miss! I was intrigued the whole time and looked forward to what was going to happen next.    I was intrigued with Jaden and did he defend himself, is it some kind of mental illness or was he actually a killer? I had differing opinions throughout the read.  The courtroom scenes were great!  I also liked Royo and would enjoy another book with him in it.

If you like thrillers, police procedurals, court cases, then you might want to check out Unbalanced!

I was sent an audiobook copy to listen to and review from the author.  Many thanks for the chance to introduce yourself to a new reader/listener!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK