Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

A Chip and a Chair is the last book in the Seven of Spades series and cannot be read as a standalone. This review will absolutely NOT reveal spoilers for the book or the series, but may reference plot points along the way.

Levi and Dominic are back together, but the serial killer, known as the Seven of Spades, is still out there. With crime escalating in Las Vegas, there are a lot of cases that need Levi’s attention and with no new leads on the serial killer, Levi’s attention has to be reluctantly drawn elsewhere. That is until a burial site is uncovered in the desert with the remains of the serial killer’s earliest victims, and Levi feels the identity of the killer may be within reach.

But once again Levi’s attention is diverted as a Neo-Nazi group unleashes an act of terror that forever shakes the foundation of Las Vegas. With Levi and Dominic racing to save the city, they meet violence and danger at every turn and no one can be trusted. Levi is not safe anywhere he goes and when he finally comes face to face with the Seven of Spades, Levi’s survival might rest with the same killer that has been tormenting him all this time.

If you have been following this series, it would be difficult to not be aware by this point that this book has been released. This is it! The book that reveals who the Seven of Spades is and brings the series to a close. Going into this book, I had one thought as to who the serial killer could be and while I was correct, it did not lessen the blow to watch Levi see it play out. And, all credit goes to the author’s skill for leaving a few clues to trace, but ultimately leaving the reader off balance until the final showdown.

There is so much that makes this a great series. The relationship between Levi and Dominic is amazing as two strong guys find their soulmates. Their relationship has not been easy from the start, but the men are willing to actively work at it and they are better together and the intimate scenes hit hard and hot as they reveal layers to their bond. The author also incorporates a great sense of place as the city of Las Vegas is kept front and center.

In each book in the series, there is another case running parallel to the crimes of the Seven of Spades and this book keeps the same pattern. Tension is at all time high as terrorism comes to Vegas and Levi and Dominic are, of course, in the center, as well as leading the charge. The Seven of Spades, once again, almost faded to the background for a time as the men have a lot to handle. Even though the case ultimately feeds into the Seven of Spades, for this being the last book, I would have preferred more direct focus on the killer. While the pace was excellent at times and the intensity was escalating, the book was longer and the pace fell off for me at other times with regards to page time for the hate group versus the Seven of Spades. We then wait for the killer to be revealed and Levi is then forced to do something he never thought would be possible as the Seven of Spades may be the one to redirect his fate.

I would also have liked a little more at the end regarding logistics as some of the reveals regarding the serial killer were unraveled. And, as we catch up with Stanton, I still find it hard to believe that he is as well adjusted as he is written after what happened to him during the series. In addition, the editing on this book needed a more thorough pass. There were dozens of hyphens used incorrectly throughout the entire book in the middle of sentences that were incredibly distracting and worked to break the flow of the intense narrative as some sentences simply made less sense.

That’s about all I will be willing to divulge on the plot with this one. While not every area of every book worked for me, it takes incredible skill to keep the action high and escalating throughout this entire series as the relationship between the men gets stronger and the secret of who the killer is remains intriguing from book to book. For action, suspense, a solid serial killer mystery, a worthy reveal, and a hard-hitting intense love story, The Seven of Spades is a highly recommended series.