The Risk by S.T. Abby Summary

The Risk by S.T. Abby follows Lana Myers, a trauma survivor living a double life as a vigilante serial killer who hunts down the men who assaulted her as a teenager. By day, she runs an online business; by night, she executes brutal revenge against her abusers. The story intensifies when she begins dating Logan Bennett, a brilliant FBI agent actively profiling a serial killer—unaware he's pursuing the woman he's falling for. This dark psychological thriller blends forbidden romance with themes of trauma, justice, and moral ambiguity.

The Risk is ideal for readers who enjoy dark romance, psychological thrillers, and morally complex characters. This book appeals to those comfortable with graphic violence, explicit content, and anti-hero protagonists who blur the lines between victim and villain. Fans of intense cat-and-mouse dynamics, dual POV narratives, and stories exploring trauma's long-term psychological effects will find this compelling. However, it's not suitable for readers seeking lighthearted romance or those sensitive to detailed depictions of torture and revenge.

The Risk is worth reading for its intense psychological depth, complex character dynamics, and masterful tension between Lana and Logan. S.T. Abby delivers a fast-paced narrative with compelling cliffhangers, raw emotional honesty, and an unflinching exploration of trauma's aftermath. The dual perspective offers intimate access to both protagonist's minds, creating a ticking-time-bomb romance that keeps readers engaged. However, the graphic violence and morally ambiguous vigilante justice may not appeal to all readers, making it a polarizing but undeniably gripping psychological thriller.

S.T. Abby was the pen name of Christie Owens (born March 8, 1984), a USA Today bestselling author who also wrote as C.M. Owens and Kristy Cunning. She became known for the dark romance Mindf*ck series, starting with The Risk in 2016. Born into a musical family in the American South, she worked in a plumbing warehouse before publishing her first Kindle book in January 2014. Tragically, S.T. Abby passed away on July 24, 2021, at age 37, leaving behind a devoted fanbase.

Lana Myers and Logan Bennett share an explosive, forbidden romance built on deception and psychological tension. Logan, an FBI profiler, unknowingly dates the serial killer he's hunting, while Lana struggles between her vengeful identity and genuine feelings for him. Their relationship represents a push-pull dynamic between two highly intelligent individuals expert at reading others but vulnerable emotionally. Key turning points include Logan making Lana genuinely smile for the first time and her not experiencing panic attacks during intimate moments—signaling profound healing despite the dangerous foundation of lies.

The Risk provides an unflinching examination of how severe childhood trauma transforms victims into avengers. Lana's journey from "horrified, terrified, sobbing little girl" to a calculated serial killer illustrates trauma's power to reshape identity and drive extreme actions. S.T. Abby dedicates the book "for the ones who lost their voice," signaling themes of reclaiming agency through violence. The narrative debates whether Lana's brutal revenge constitutes justice when the legal system failed her, forcing readers to confront uncomfortable questions about vigilantism, morality, and the cycle of violence perpetuated by unresolved trauma.

Lana Myers challenges traditional protagonist morality through her graphic torture methods, including extracting "three pounds of flesh" from victims and using children's songs during dismemberment. While she's self-aware about her "psychotic" tendencies, stating "I wasn't born this way. They turned me into this," her rationalization of sadistic acts as justice divides readers. The controversy centers on whether her trauma justifies becoming as monstrous as her abusers. Her ability to compartmentalize brutal murders from developing genuine feelings for Logan creates a disturbing psychological complexity that blurs hero-villain boundaries.

The Risk ends with a major cliffhanger as Hadley Grace, Logan's FBI colleague, confronts Lana at her home, revealing she knows Lana stole a dead girl's identity. This exposure means Lana's true identity as Victoria Evans, presumed dead, is about to be discovered. The ending signals the imminent collision of Lana's two worlds—her vigilante life and relationship with Logan—setting up an unavoidable confrontation with the FBI. This conclusion leaves readers with high stakes: Logan must choose between his duty and the woman he loves, while Lana faces exposure of her revenge mission.

S.T. Abby employs dual first-person perspective, alternating between Lana and Logan to provide intimate access to both characters' thoughts and motivations. The narrative maintains relentless pacing through short chapters, rapid scene transitions, and strategic cliffhangers that compel continuous reading. Abby incorporates subtle symbolism, including Einstein quotes framing each chapter that offer philosophical commentary ironically contrasting with brutal events. Particularly disturbing is her use of children's songs like "Hush Little Baby" during torture scenes, creating jarring juxtapositions that symbolize corrupted innocence and childhood trauma's lasting impact.

Critics debate whether Lana's graphic torture methods cross from justified revenge into pure sadism, questioning if she becomes as monstrous as her abusers. Logan's repeated sharing of classified FBI information with Lana raises concerns about unrealistic character behavior and professional ethics breaches that compromise the plot's credibility. Some readers find the extreme violence gratuitous rather than necessary for exploring trauma. The central moral question—whether personal retribution justifies brutality when traditional justice fails—polarizes audiences, with some viewing the revenge as empowerment fantasy while others see it perpetuating destructive violence cycles.

The Risk is the first novel in S.T. Abby's five-book Mindf*ck series, all published in 2016. The series continues with Sidetracked, Scarlet Angel, All the Lies, and concludes with Paint It All Red. The cliffhanger ending of The Risk, where Hadley discovers Lana's stolen identity, directly sets up the subsequent books' conflicts. The series follows Lana and Logan's complete story arc as their relationship confronts the collision between her vigilante justice and his FBI career. Reading the entire series provides full closure to their complex, morally ambiguous romance and revenge narrative.

The Risk distinguishes itself by centering a female serial killer protagonist rather than romanticizing a dangerous male lead. Unlike typical dark romance where danger comes from the love interest, Lana is the primary threat while Logan represents safety and normalcy she never expected to experience. S.T. Abby inverts traditional power dynamics by making the woman the predator and the FBI agent the unknowing prey. The psychological depth exploring trauma's transformation into calculated violence, combined with the high-stakes cat-and-mouse game where both characters are hunters in different contexts, creates a uniquely compelling and morally complex narrative that challenges romance genre conventions.