Marked by Alex Hughes

Title: Marked
Author: Alex Hughes
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Mindspace Investigation #3

Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Publication: April 1, 2014 by Roc

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|Book Depo|

FORESEE NO EVIL.

Freelancing for the Atlanta PD isn’t exactly a secure career; my job’s been on the line almost as much as my life. But it’s a paycheck, and it keeps me from falling back into the drug habit. Plus, things are looking up with my sometimes-partner, Cherabino, even if she is still simmering over the telepathic Link I created by accident.

When my ex, Kara, shows up begging for my help, I find myself heading to the last place I ever expected to set foot in again—Guild headquarters—to investigate the death of her uncle. Joining that group was a bad idea the first time. Going back when I’m unwanted is downright dangerous.

Luckily, the Guild needs me more than they’re willing to admit. Kara’s uncle was acting strange before he died—crazy strange. In fact, his madness seems to be slowly spreading through the Guild. And when an army of powerful telepaths loses their marbles, suddenly it’s a game of life or death.…

Marked, the third installment in the Mindspace Investigation series was another great addition to the series! Like the first two books, Adam a level eight telepath helps with some interviews for the Atlanta PD and on occasions assist with Detective Cherabino on her homicides cases. Adam was kicked out of the Guild (Organization for people with special abilities) a long time ago for drug addiction but no matter how much he tries to distance himself, his job and the Guild always end up crossing paths.

I remember writing in my previous reviews for book 1 & 2 that I had hope to learn more about Mindspace, and how it worked overall but again readers don’t learn much more about the make-up of the world. That was somewhat disappointing. I mean I guess I understand the basics but I can’t help but wonder at the back of my mind more about Mindspace. However, Hughes did not leave readers completely hanging. In Marked, we get a more in depth look at the Guild and the people that run the organization. I thought that was interesting. What’s more shocking was that the Guild wasn’t as perfect as it made itself out to be; because behind all their laws and abilities, they are as corrupt and messed up as everyone else. Readers also saw more of the illegal tech and how it came into play with the cases and its ties to the Guild’s organization, and the Normal’s government. That was cool of course, but I felt like readers were just shown fancy expensive gadget. It didn’t really help or hinder the world-building. I again, rather learn more about Mindspace which I hope will be remedied in book four (there better be a book 4)!  It can come in any form, I don’t really mind as long as we get something…either from a flashback or Adam teaching Jacob about Guild history…now that he is required to have weekly lessons on controlling his teleportation.

I’ve always liked Adam’s character since I read Clean. A man who was at the lowest point in his life; being stripped of his Guild title, addicted to drugs that almost killed him and literally had nothing…yet instead of giving up he got clean and better. I admired his strength and determination. There may have been couple of times that he was tempted to do drugs but every single time he was about to fall off the wagon…he seek help and guidance from his sponsor Schwartz. There wasn’t much character development since the last book, but Adam is still trying to live on the straight and narrow…and for the most part he succeeded in this book. He never let anyone bully him into doing anything he didn’t want. Everything he did, he did because it was the right thing to do. He put his colleagues and the people he cared about above himself. What did change for Adam in Marked was his relationship with Detective Isabella Cherabino. Adam has always had a thing for his occasional partner (helped with her cases for years) but was too scared to act on his feelings. With a little push from his sponsor Schwatz, Adam ended up asking Cherabino on a date! I won’t go into any details but it was the cutest-sweetest thing I read. I liked that there was a little romance this time around. It was a nice balance to everything else that was going on in Adam’s life. He definitely deserved a happy moment, however brief it may be.

Marked was another well executed novel. I truly enjoyed the overall story and the wonderful characters that makeup the Mindspace Investigation world. I read the first two books about a year ago and found myself jumping back into Hughes’s World without any difficulty. I highly recommend this series to Scifi fans and even UF fans…I think Adam’s character will appeal to most people. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Adam, now that his relationship with both sides are better than where it was when we first met him in Clean.