I think Opening Moves might be one of Steven James’ most chilling and creepy Patrick Bowers book yet (although all of them are creepy in their own way).
I found Opening Moves very interesting and I loved getting to see Patrick Bowers in the way that we do and finding out more about this case (which was mentioned in other Patrick Bowers books).
The story was super suspenseful and (at times) very gruesome – even I had trouble reading it at times and I don’t get creeped out by many books – so I’d only recommend this to people who like scary books and can take gruesome scenes. There were a few things I personally didn’t like, including when someone said “oh my ***” and a few other edgy things. That said, I did love the story very much and am still giving it five stars because it was so great!
One thing I definitely have taken away from reading the Patrick Bowers series (and especially this book) is a reminder of how depraved humanity is and how we are all born sinners and in need of salvation which can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ. While Opening Moves does contain evil, it doesn’t glamorize it or show it in a positive light.
Some of the crimes talked about in Opening Moves actually occurred in real life which made this book all the more chilling and (at times) hard to read. This book made me think, held my attention throughout, and there were a lot of twists I didn’t see coming! A great read that, as long as you enjoy thrillers and don’t mind some gruesome/violent scenes, I completely recommend! You don’t need to have read the other books in the Patrick Bowers series first because this is considered a prequel.
I’m an avid reader who loves books that keep me glued to the page, anticipating what is going to happen next, and suspense books definitely give me that!
