Category Archives: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Elliot Lisbon is still striving to get her PI License while being busy running the Ballantyne Foundation. The Irish Spring festival is gearing up when tragedy (in the form of a murder) occurs. Elliot is pressed into figuring out whodunnit even though someone has already confessed. Some old friends from earlier books make appearances and Elliot’s relationship with Detective Nick Ransom continues to progress.

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“Protocol” is the debut mystery novel by Kathleen Valenti. The plot line wanders around quite a bit but which comes back and ends well. The book could have used considerably more editing to tighten it up. For me, the ending brought my original rating of 2 up to a 3 star overall.

In addition, the main character does everything wrong. It seems if you want Maggie to do something right, you need to tell her to do the opposite. While that is okay once in a while, Maggie does it consistently and consistently ends up in hot water because of it. This is true both in her professional and personal life.

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I’ve read and enjoyed the two earlier books in this trilogy and from the author’s comments at the beginning of this book, it appears that this is the last book in this series.

The other books have been murder mysteries with a distinct whodunnit vibe. That is not the case with this book. There is a slight mystery which is actually fairly easily solved but on the whole, the book is a commentary about Freedom of Speech, sex trafficking (with an emphasis on underage girls) and white supremacist hate speech and ideology.

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“Skydive” is the third book in this cozy mystery series. It takes on a series of serious subjects with sex trafficking with teenagers as well as drug dealing and even a good look at the foster program for children.

Nicky Valentine is approached to do a bit of pro bono work and find the daughter of a convict. When she and her new partner (and neighbor and best friend), Kenna, take the job on, little do they know what they will have to endure to get to the truth.

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Cherry Tucker is an artist who is drawn into murder investigations more times than is healthy for her. In this story, Cherry is hanging out at Halo House – a home for the elderly. This is not just any seniors home, it is one that costs a lot to rent/buy your own apartment. Cherry has a part time job teaching art to the seniors who make their home there.

Cherry is pulled into another case when she is asked to be a witness to the signing of a will. Since no one knows what the will contains, it becomes the basis for everything that follows.

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This is the first book I have read by Wendy Walker but it will certainly not be the last. In “Emma in the Night”, Ms. Walker has created a layered thriller mystery that turns the reader inside out and upside down.

It is the story of two sisters who go missing on the same night. The search for the two teenagers comes to a dead end and three years later, the younger sister, Cass returns home with a story that is mind-boggling. She is insistent that the FBI has to look for and find her older sister Emma.

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“Cat About Town” is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. Maddie James, owner of a successful juice bar business in San Francisco, returns home temporarily for her beloved Grandmother’s funeral and is quickly caught up in investigating the murder of one of the town’s less liked individuals. Maddie is also very concerned about the health of her grandfather and, in addition, acquires a cat. One could more rightly say that the cat, a stray she names JJ, actually acquires Maddie.

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I’ve read several of this series and really enjoy the main character, Maeve Kerrigan. I must have missed the last book in the series because quite a bit has happened since that time. While I think this book can easily be read stand-alone, I know that I will go back and read the last book so I can understand how Maeve has ended up where she is – especially in her personal life.

The book starts with a scene of carnage but the body is nowhere to be found. Maeve and crew are called in to try to make sense of what is going on and find that there are a multitude of evil-doings going on. Maeve, who is now a D.S. is once again working with D.I. Josh Derwent. She is also involved with training new D.C. Georgina Shaw. Derwent is regular irascible self and Shaw is a go-getter and a potential back-stabber as she seeks to claw her way up the ladder.

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This is the fourth book in this series and the second one I read (“Badlands” being the other one.) I didn’t realize until reading this book that there were two books published before but I will certainly be picking those both up. While this book can be read stand-alone, I suggest reading the series in order so you can understand the history and the characters.

The book focuses on Cassie Dewell. Cassie is the Chief Investigator for the Bakken County Sheriff’s Department in North Dakota. She was hired during the oil boom when the department went from 4 to more than 40 personnel. Things have changed at work but one thing has not changed. Cassie is determined to find The Lizard King, a serial murderer who picks up prostitutes at truck stops and kills them and hides their remains. Cassie is one of the only people who has seen and spoken the long-haul trucker so she is the perfect person to be able to lure him into a trap.

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This is the fourth book in the Carol Childs series. I have read and enjoyed all of them but this book seems a little off compared to the others. It didn’t offer enough by way of mystery and instead seemed focused on providing a vigilante type of justice system for some.

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