Tag Archives: Mystery

The Disappearance of Emily by Elizabeth Pantley- a Review

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The Disappearance of Emily by Elizabeth Pantley- a Review

 

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Description:
Hayden fell through a mirror and was thrust into an alternate, magical place. Destiny Falls is home to a family she never knew she had. The town is enchanted and charming, but something is amiss. Then someone turns up dead, and there are too many other suspicious episodes to call them coincidences. All signs point to the mysterious disappearance of her mother – way back when Hayden was just two days old. Can she identify and eliminate the threat before another person in her life is stolen away?

 

 

Review:

The Disappearance of Emily by Elizabeth Pantley is the 2nd book in her Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic series. Refresher: Hayden, who lives with her grandmother, great grandmother and works at home with her best friend, Lulu, and her cat, Sassy. One day while outside with her cat, a man pushes her through a portal.  When Hayden woke up, she sees the brother she never knew, and learns all about the alternate and magical world of Destiny Falls.  Hayden gets to meet her father, brother and the Caldwell family that welcomed her into their world; the caveat- she can never leave the realm of Destiny Falls

Hayden is happy in Destiny Falls, and has become closer to her new siblings, though she misses her Nana, grandmother and best friend, Lulu.  She also adores the magical community that seems to take a life of its own, based on the needs or wishes of each person.  At the local café, Hayden meets the person who runs the ferry, and receives a warning.  But before she can meet this person, there is a murder and the person in question is dead.  Hayden begins her own investigation about another town, across Destiny Falls, that is dangerous and she finds clues about her long lost mother. 

While this is going on, Hayden is asked to reopen the Newspaper office, and become its editor in charge.  Things reach become dangerous when her sister is kidnapped, and the family joins hands with the local police to find the villains, who were also suspected of killing the ferry boss.  This was an exciting part, and leads the way to solving the murder, but also leaves things open for Hayden to try and find the truth about the other realm and her mother.  Hayden’s first monthly newsletter is a success, with all the information about the murder.

The Disappearance of Emily is a lighthearted mystery, in a magical and charming enchanted realm.  It was a fun story, and I continue to adore Latifa, who was talks telepathically with Hayden; the other two cats are adorable too, as these parts were delightful. I love the magical world of Destiny Falls, and wish I could live there.  Another fun book by Elizabeth Pantley.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

 

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Mainely Money (Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery)by Matt Cost-a review

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Mainely Money (Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery 3) by Matt Cost-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 10, 2021

Langdon is a laid back, slacker detective, happy with his work, friends, and way of life in the town of Brunswick, Maine. To complement his income in Brunswick’s scarce private detective market, Langdon also owns and operates a mystery bookstore.

“I’m being blackmailed with intimate pictures of myself with someone who is not my husband,” Senator Mercer said to his back.
Then he is hired to investigate the blackmail of a US Senator.

“You heard the OPK struck again in Portland last night?”
Then he is hired to prove the innocence of an immigrant from Burundi framed for murder.

Langdon gulped and stepped back. He felt as if he was cheating on his wife, but his eyes wouldn’t mind their own business.
Then he is hired by the beautiful Delilah Friday to find her missing sister.

Russian gangsters. Spooks. Serial Killers. Powerful interest groups. Blackmailers. Langdon, with the help of his friends and family must piece together these disparate items and solve the case that is threatening his way of life. And then they take his daughter.

It is not just another day in Brunswick, Maine. Langdon has entered a world where money rules.

••••••

REVIEW:MAINELY MONEY is the third instalment in Matt Cost’s contemporary, adult GOFF LANGDON, MAINELY MYSTERY suspense series focusing on part time private investigator and book store owner Goff Langdon. MAINELY MONEY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. MAINELY MONEY advances the series approximately twenty years.

Told from third person perspective MAINELY MONEY picks up approximately twenty-two years after the events of book one MAINELY POWER, and an old adversary has returned. As a part time investigator, the now fifty-something Goff Langdon is often called upon to find the ‘dirt on cheating spouses’ but a request from US Senator Margaret Mercer’s husband Max to locate a possible blackmailer finds Goff running in circles. From a search for a serial rapist and murderer, a femme fatale’s missing sister to the Russian mob, and discrimination and accusations against a newcomer to America, Goff has his hands full until everything begins to spiral out of control. When Goff gets too close to the truth, a couple of rogue and former military spooks threaten everyone he loves, forcing Goff and his intrepid gang of wanna-be heroes to take matters into their own hands.

MAINELY MONEY is an intriguing story of mystery and suspense. The world building is colorful and richly detailed. The political ramifications of Goff’s investigation begin to take on a life of their own.

The return of several friends adds familiarity and cohesion to the current timeline: Bart the cop, Attorney 4 by Four, Jewell and Richam Jones, Goff’s daughter Missouri, his twin brothers Nick and Lord, and Goff’s new wife Chabal (whom we met in the previous story lines but she had yet to become Goff’s wife.)

Matt Cost pulls the readers into a story of power and control; secrets, lies and manipulation; blackmail, rogue assassins, the powerful and political elite. The premise is investigative, intricate and detailed; the characters are energetic, lively and passionate. MAINELY MONEY is another welcome and captivating addition the Matt Cost’s GOFF LANGDON MAINELY MYSTERY series.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Mainely Power
Mainely Fear

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

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Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh – Dual Review

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Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh – Dual Review

 

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Description:
My mother vanished ten years ago.
So did a quarter of a million dollars in cash.
Thief. Bitch. Criminal.
Now, she’s back.
Her bones clothed in scarlet silk.

When socialite Nina Rai disappeared without a trace, everyone wrote it off as another trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband.

But now her bones have turned up in the shadowed green of the forest that surrounds her elite neighborhood, a haven of privilege and secrets that’s housed the same influential families for decades.

The rich live here, along with those whose job it is to make their lives easier. And somebody knows what happened to Nina one rainy night ten years ago.

Her son Aarav heard a chilling scream that night, and he’s determined to uncover the ugly truth that lives beneath the moneyed elegance…but no one is ready for the murderous secrets about to crawl out of the dark.

Even the dead aren’t allowed to break the rules in this cul-de-sac.

 

 

Barb’s Review:
Quiet in her Bones by Nalini Singh is a standalone mystery thriller. Aarav Rai, our hero, is a well-known famous author who writes thrillers.  10 years ago, his mother disappeared, as well as a quarter of million in cash; and he has never gotten over his mother leaving him.   Aarav, who was 16 years old at the time of her disappearance, continues to have nightmares of that night; he goes to two doctors for his multiple issues with a broken foot, as well as a brain injury that causes him confusion. To his shock, a body was discovered in the nearby forest area of the elite area for the rich where he lives.  Turns out the body (totally in bones) was his mother, wearing the same clothes from that night; which means she never left the family, but was murdered.

The story revolves around Aarav, as he is determined to find the truth of what really happened.  Even though he is the hero in this story, he is very much fragmented, with his physical and mental issues (memory loss, delusions, forgetfulness, etc), causing confusion as to what is real.  Aarav loved his mother, though despite her love for him, she was a passionate, but hard women who drank and cheated; which is not surprise as the father was the worst of them, equally hated by wife, son, and all the cul de sac neighbors.  Who killed Nina and why, especially with many people being suspects?

Aarav becomes obsessed with solving the crime, questioning everything he remembered from that night years ago, and questioning all the neighbors who were possible suspects. There were so many twists and turns along the way, that at times was riveting and holding our breaths; but also confusing with all the mind games.  I will say for the most part, I did not care for most of the characters, as they were difficult, with only a select few being nice.  I did like Shanti, Par, Lily and Diana; the detectives on the case were good.  Aarav was a good hero, but his issues were really wacked out, making me question what was a dream or real.

What follows is an exciting, challenging mystery that was changing the game quite often.  I can’t say too much more, as it would be spoilers and that would ruin it for you.  Nalini Singh created a mindboggling mystery that held our attention throughout.  If you like mystery thrillers, I suggest you read, Quiet in her Bones.

 

 

Sandy’s Review:QUIET IN HER BONES by Nalini Singh is a stand alone, contemporary, adult thriller focusing on the potential murder of socialite Nina Rai.

Told from first person perspective Aarav Rai (Nina’s son) using present day and memories from the past, QUIET IN HER BONES follows ten years after the disappearance of Aarav’s mother, a disappearance under mysterious circumstances in the wake of his parents’ numerous affairs. Aarav was only sixteen years old when his mother went missing from their family home. A late night fight between his parents saw Aarav’s beloved mother leave, never to return until, ten year later, a search crew found her remains, along with her car, buried deep within a ravine now covered in branches and leaves. A now famous mystery author whose only book became a number one best seller turned movie, Aarav begins an investigation of his own only to realize that everyone was suspect including his father and himself.

Aarav Rai’s life is spiralling out of control. An accident that left our hero recovering at the family home finds Aarav suspicious of everyone and everything, bordering of paranoia, psychosis, heart break and pain but as Aarav’s search for the truth begins to reveal a disturbing possibility, there may have been more to his mother’s disappearance than anyone could have ever imagined.

QUIET IN HER BONES is a slow building, intricate and complex story line of mystery and suspense. The Rai family live in a well-to-do Cul-de-Sac where infidelity is rampant, and secret and lies are the order of the day. Similar in feel to Peyton Place, and former American prime time television series Knot’s Landing, and Desperate Housewives, QUIET IN HER BONES reveals the soap-operaesque lifestyle of the rich and famous whose scandalous lives are fodder for gossip and lies.

The back and forth between present day and memories is a little difficult to navigate at times as there is no delineation between the present and the past, often addressed within the context of the same paragraph. The slow build reveals a mosaic of possible suspects, their lives, their loves, their secrets and sins.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

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Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

 

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Description:
The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wineglasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don’t add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body–but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?

As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within–and soon they’re getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.

 

 

 

Review:

Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb is the 52nd book in her wonderful In Death (Eve Dallas) series. I am a huge fan of this series, having read every single book, as well as all the novellas; not to mention how much I love Eve and Roarke, the best literary couple ever. I noted in the last In Death Book (Shadows in Death) that J.D. Robb created a masterpiece. Well, I am happy to say that Faithless in Death was different, but equally as great, as this is another masterpiece. I marvel at how Robb can continue to give us fascinating stories 52 books later. Bravo to J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts.

Eve is called to the scene of a murder of a woman, who was bashed on the head, in what looked like a possible crime of passion.  Eve and Peabody visit the person who discovered the victim and called 911. Immediately both Eve and Peabody question the woman, who not only found the victim murdered, but ran away and called the police a few hours later; she claims she had to get control of herself due to the trauma.  However, they know the woman is lying or trying to protect someone.

Upon further investigation, with Peabody and Roarke, they discover that the woman, Gwen belongs to a huge powerful fanatical cult, involving terrible criminal acts, such as kidnapping, possible murder, political and other contacts that do their bidding, prejudice against gays, and separation of races; not to mention all the money they gather along the way.  After interviewing members of the cult, as well as some victims, Eve knows this is not just a murder anymore, as it is becoming an all-out war to stop this horrific cult; she starts calling in the FBI and other agencies/departments.

What follows is an amazing, intense, exciting, non-stop, action-filled race to find the murderer, as well as stop and destroy the cult, especially with women and children all being held almost like slaves.    What I loved was how all the members of Eve’s police team, were determined to help bring down this cult.   Over time, Eve has built such a fantastic team and their loyalty was awesome. 

In between all the tense excitement, I loved certain parts that lighten things, such as Mavis, Leonardo and Bella showed off their new home (which needs a lot of work), and will also have an apartment addition being offered to Peabody and McNab.  I loved how all of these secondary characters we have come to love, are so close and loyal to Eve and to each other.  We also got some quality time with Nadine, and I loved that too.  This series started with Eve all alone (she did have Feeney), coming from a tragic childhood, meeting Roarke, and now years later (or shall I say 52 books later), she has an abundance of friends who play a large part of her life. Even her police team are great, and totally loyal to their queen. This is another plus that we get to see all these wonderful recurring characters.

The last 1/2 of the book was wild, intense, and mindboggling, with the entire team, Roarke, Reo, Mira, including the Commissioner, and the FBI and other agencies work together to bring down the Natural Order group.  Faithless in Death was so very well written by Robb, and to tell too much more would ruin things, and this is one book you do not want to miss a thing.  This was very exciting, tense, intriguing, nonstop action from start to finish, with never a dull moment.  J.D. Robb once again gives us another masterpiece to this wonderful series, which I hope keeps on rolling for many years to come.  I thought that Faithless in Death was another great book, which certifies that J.D. Robb will continue to give us many more Eve and Roarke books.    

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Undercover Kitty by Sofie Ryan – a Review

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Undercover Kitty by Sofie Ryan – a Review

 

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Description:
Sarah and Elvis can always be found at a charming secondhand shop in the village of North Harbor, Maine. Despite the small-town setting, the daring duo often find themselves wrapped up in murder, but luckily they have help–a quirky group of senior citizens runs an amateur detective agency called Charlotte’s Angels out of the store.

The Angels are hired to look into who is sabotaging cat shows in the state, and they decide the best way to do that is to send Elvis the cat undercover as a contestant. But then one of the cat show volunteers is murdered just before the latest competition, and Sarah and the Angels have to catch a killer in two shakes of a cat’s tail!

 

 

Review:

Undercover Kitty by Sofia Ryan is the 8th book in her Second Chance Cat Mystery series. This is my first time reading this series, and I have to say I really enjoyed Undercover Kitty, as it was a fun, cute mystery.

Sarah Grayson runs a resale/repurpose store called Second Chance, and she has a smart adorable black cat named Elvis; together they are for the most part our heroes in this series.  Also, part of this series is a detective agency called Charlotte’s Angels, which have a wonderful group of senior citizens (Rose, Liz, Charlotte and the one man, Mr. P), who reside in Sarah’s shop and investigate cases they are hired for. 

Sarah learns that Rose and Mr. P want to use Elvis to be their undercover cat at a cat show, since they have been hired by cat show organizers to investigate some vandalism and sabotages over the last few shows. Of course, Sarah, allows Elvis to be part of it, and makes sure to check out the venue to insure everything is ok, and along the way meets some new people, as well as enjoying the overall cat show vibe.  I have to admit, I totally fell in love with Elvis, especially his cute side bending glances at people, and his total understanding of what people maybe saying or doing.  I really need to go back to the first book of this series, to learn more about Elvis and Sarah.

What follows is an exciting, fun, cute mystery whodunit, with wonderful recurring characters, which kept my attention from start to finish.  When one of the ladies Sarah meets ends up dead, the investigation escalates with Sarah, Angels, and two other local men helping with security, to find the killer. There were a number of twists and surprises that kept changing the game, and Sarah finds herself doing her own investigations.

I really loved the friendly banter and relationship with Sarah, and The Angels, as they were all smart and savvy, with no fear among them.  There is also a slow built romance between Sarah and Mac, which I’m sure will move forward in future books.  I got a kick out of the banners at the show, with all kinds of cat sayings. 

Undercover Kitty was a delightful, humorous and charming story, with a fantastic group of recurring characters, as well as our wonderful Elvis, all of whom have a wonderful bond together.  If you enjoy a lighthearted mystery, a smart cute cat, and wonderful heroine, then I suggest you read this series, so very well written by Sofia Ryan. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

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The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

 

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Description:
Detective Amanda Steele stops just inside the doorway, recognizing the victim’s face instantly. He seems so vulnerable in death; soft, human, even harmless. But she can never forget the evil he has inflicted. Her heart is hammering as she remembers her precious daughter, with her red curls and infectious laugh, and how she was lowered into that little grave…

It’s been five years since Detective Amanda Steele’s life was derailed in the path of an oncoming drunk driver. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on from the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, but Amanda cannot. When the driver who killed her family is found murdered in a motel room, she can’t keep away from the case.

Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work an investigation with such a personal connection to her, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes. And when Amanda finds the link between a silver bracelet in his possession and the brutal unsolved murder of a young exotic dancer, she realizes she’s caught up in something darker than she ever imagined and suspects that more girls could be in danger.

But as Amanda edges toward the truth, she gets closer to a secret as personal as it is deadly. Amanda has stumbled upon a dangerous killer, and she must face some terrible truths in order to catch this killer – and save his next victim as she couldn’t save her own daughter…

 

 

Review:

The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold is the 1st book in her new Detective Amanda Steele series. I have been a big fan of Arnold, having read most of her series.  After completing The Little Grave, I am thrilled to say this series could be the best one yet.  I loved this book and its wonderful heroine, Amanda Steele.

Amanda Steele, our heroine, is a homicide detective in Dumfries, Virginia Police Department. Amanda tragically lost her daughter and husband to a horrific car accident over 5 years ago, and to this day, she cannot get past the nightmares and deep grief that still haunts her. Amanda is very good at her job, and hides the fact that she needs to get illegal Xanax pills to help get her through each day; she also is distanced from her family, unable to see them.

Amanda is called to the scene of a possible suicide, only to discover the dead man is the drunk driver who killed her family. Though she is told not to be on this case, which is personal, Amanda discovers some clues that make it look more like murder.  Amanda pleads with her boss to be part of this investigation, even accepting a rookie detective, who becomes her partner. Her boss does require her to have an alibi for the time period of the victim’s death, which means Amanda needs to find the one night stand she had the night before, something she has being doing for a while to block out her grief.

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, pulse pounding mystery that had so many twists and turns, keeping me glued to my kindle.  Amanda begins to discover different clues, especially of a cold case that the victim may have been part of.  She finds a hidden clue as part of a bracelet worn by the victim, bringing in different departments to investigate a pedophile ring, which has been going on for years.  To say too much more would be spoilers, and this was a great story that needs to be read from start to finish.

The Little Grave was an excellent crime thriller that was suspenseful, intense, and kept us guessing to the end. The cold case brings out the people involved in the ring, but who killed the victim.   I really liked Amanda, as she made a great heroine, and also liked her new partner.  The Little Grave was so very well written by Carolyn Arnold, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in future books of the The Detective Amanda Steele series.  If you like mystery thrillers, police procedural, then you need to be reading this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

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Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner -a Review

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Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner -a Review

 

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Description:
Frankie Elkin is an average middle-aged woman, a recovering alcoholic with more regrets than belongings. But she spends her life doing what no one else will–searching for missing people the world has stopped looking for. When the police have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never paid attention, Frankie starts looking.

A new case brings her to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier. Resistance from the Boston PD and the victim’s wary family tells Frankie she’s on her own–and she soon learns she’s asking questions someone doesn’t want answered. But Frankie will stop at nothing to discover the truth, even if it means the next person to go missing could be her.

 

 

 

Review:

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner is her first standalone novel in about 20 years.  I have read and loved a few of Gardner’s series, as she is a master at creating wonderful thriller series.  In Before She Disappeared, Frankie Elkin is our heroine, and a different kind of lead character, that actually turned into a fantastic one.

Frankie is a recovering alcoholic, who is a loner, having suffered some tragedies in the past; now she devotes all of her time to finding missing people that are no longer being looked for. Frankie moves around a lot, picking her cases, never staying anywhere for a long period; as over the years, Frankie has found 14 missing people, but none of them found alive.  After finishing up a case, she decides to go to Boston, as another missing case intrigued her. 

The missing girl, Angelique Badeau, a high school student, disappeared 11 months ago, and Frankie gets a job in a local bar, in the Haitian neighborhood of Mattapan.  She convinces the bar owner, that even though she is white, in this rough area, she will work 5 days a week, in exchange for renting the upstairs apartment. The fun part of her renting the room, is the other resident, who shares it; Piper the wild crazy cat. LOL In her off hours, she meets with resistance from the detective who was in charge of the case, as well the missing girl’s family, and others she meets along the way.  But in a short time, Frankie gains the respect from many of the local Haitian people; of course, there are dangerous people who do not want her to continue to investigate.

Frankie manages to convince Angelique’s aunt and brother to let her look around, and ask questions; which in time, the brother will be helpful.  She starts finding questionable clues that need answers, and Detective Lotham begins to trust her, and they made a great team. The chemistry between them became hot, though there was no future.   I really liked the bar owner, Stoney, the cook, Viv and some other people who befriended her; the brother was also a very good character. We also get to learn more about a tragedy from Frankie’s past, that gives her nightmares.

What follows is an exciting & intense mystery, where Frankie finds herself in some dangerous situations, with someone following her, even on occasion hearing gun shots. Another disappearance of a young student, changes the game, with Frankie and Lotham exploring why these girls have been kidnapped.  Will Frankie find Angelique?  Will she break the trend and find her alive?

Before She Disappeared was an amazing exciting, action-packed thriller, with many twists and turns that kept me unable to put the book down.  Once again, Lisa Gardner gives us a fabulous story, which though it is supposedly a standalone novel, can very well become a new series.  I suggest you read Before She Disappeared, which was so very well written by Lisa Gardner. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Aftershock by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell -a Review

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Aftershock by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell -a Review

 

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Description:
There’s a body crushed under a load of pipes on a San Francisco construction site, and medical examiner Dr. Jessie Teska is on call. So it’s her job to figure out who it is—and her headache when the autopsy reveals that the death is a homicide staged as an accident.

Jessie is hot on the murderer’s trail, then an earthquake sends her and her whole city reeling. When the dust clears, her case has fallen apart and an innocent man is being framed. Jessie knows she’s the only one who can prove it, and she races to piece together the truth—before it gets buried and brings her down in the rubble.

With Melinek and Mitchell’s trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting and mordant humor, this rollicking new installment in the Jessie Teska Mystery series will shake you up and leave you rattled.

 

 

Review:

Aftershock by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell is the 2nd book in their Jessie Teska series.  I did not read the first book in this series, but it did read well as a standalone.  Aftershock begins with Medical Examiner Jessie Teska, our heroine, called in the middle of the night to investigate a dead body at a construction site. The body lies under pipes that had dropped from a collapsed beam. Everyone assumes it was an accident, but Jessie notices signs of the body having been dragged, no blood on site, and other small things which dictated that this was staged. The police give her a hard time, as they prefer this being an accident, but Jessie is determined to prove this was murder.

There is also a romantic element to the story, as Jessie is in a relationship with someone, who resents all the time she spends trying to solve every case.  I really didn’t care too much for her boyfriend, especially since he refused her to meet his family.  This is part of the overall story, but in the background to the true storyline.

When an earthquake, hits Jessie suffers a head injury, but she pushes to get released, as she needs to examine the victim, as well as the other normal deaths that come in during the earthquake.  Jessie is a workaholic and when the detectives arrest one of men at the construction site, Jessie keeps investigating, as she feels this person is being framed.  Along the way, she does alienate some people, as per her discoveries that causes the police to be negative, as well as her boyfriend walking out.   But Jessie proves herself to be a great medical examiner, as well as her own detective work. 

What follows is an exciting story, though I will note that I thought Jessie’s continual determination to prove who was the real culprit put her life in danger a few times, especially with her injuries.  It did not feel realistic.  The ending was a wild climax, holding my breath if Jessie would survive. It was sort of a surprise as to who, how and why?

Aftershock was a good mystery, and Jessie Teska was very good as the heroine, though I thought some things she continued to do border lined on believability. The story had covered a lot of areas, earthquake, murder, dysfunctional family, police/DA issues and intense situations.  Overall, Aftershock was well written by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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