Call In For Murder

Neon Desert, #1

by

Tammy Barker

Intriguing start to this Las Vegas-set cozy mystery series.

Call In For Murder is the first book in Tammy Barker’s new Neon Desert cozy mystery series featuring radio talk show host Ashley Compton, Miss LARE (love and relationship expert) to her listeners, who offers blunt, straightforward opinions on their relationship and personal communication matters. When one of her listeners is murdered soon after calling in for advice about her cheating spouse, Ashley is overcome with worry and guilt that her advice to the woman may have gotten her killed. She ignores her usually practical inclinations and decides to investigate on her own. 

Main character Ashley Compton, while a strong and opinionated voice of reason on the air, is an emotionally fragile but healing soul in real life. The advice she offers call-in listeners dealing with an unfaithful partner is informed by her own personal experience. She relocated from LA to Las Vegas to leave the source of her own betrayal behind and met her new best friend, Nathan Reader, an older gay man whose connections at the local radio station helped land her the new job and alias as Ms. LARE. Nathan is a fun sidekick but a steadfast voice of reason as he tries to be supportive and keep Ashley out of major trouble. 

The plot moves quickly, with the death occurring early in the book and Ashley’s cheating former fiancé unexpectedly tracking her down, with reconciliation in mind. The adversarial detective in charge of the murder investigation is as stubborn and relentless as she is, but hunky and perfect for a future love interest. I enjoyed the Las Vegas setting, with all of the mentions of landmarks and history. While the dialogue was predictable at times, there were some good misdirection and red herrings to keep readers guessing all the way to the final reveal, which established the foundation for a long-term conflict that can continue into future books in the series. 

I recommend CALL IN FOR MURDER to cozy mystery fans, especially those who enjoy a Las Vegas setting and engaging characters. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

That Other Family

by

Lis Angus

I happily stayed up late, needing to know what would happen next!

From page one, That Other Family grabbed my attention and ran! So many surprises, I stayed up way late, riveted to the pages and wondering when the next shoe would drop and what it would be. 

Librarian and mother Julie Walker is approached at her job by a stranger, a woman who claims that Julie’s father, who died when she was only eight, had also been her father and had kept two separate families: Julie’s in Ottawa, Canada, and hers in New Jersey. It seems the woman, Frances Boyle, found some letters from her father to her mother when she was clearing out her recently deceased mother’s home, and they seemed to tell a very bizarre story. A private investigator had followed up on clues to the identity of the Canadian family, and here Frances was in Ottawa to speak with Julie’s mother, Sharon, the only parent still living who could answer the big question: “Why?” 

What an amazing, compelling, unputdownable tale! Julie Walker and her family are such nice, normal people, a nice family, with a daughter ready for her first year at college and two rambunctious teenage twin sons. Even Julie’s mother, Sharon, the woman with the answers, makes what happened all those years ago sound normal. But nothing could be further from the truth, especially where the Boyle family is concerned. 

The plot is so well-paced, with scenes of normality interlaced with moments of suspense and terror. The story unfolds from multiple points of view, so readers are privy to several perspectives. From the shocking, initial pronouncement to its twisty conclusion, I was glued to the book, needing to know how this would all fall out. 

I highly recommend THAT OTHER FAMILY to readers of thrillers and suspense.

For this and other book reviews, visit my blog, Guatemala Paula Loves to Read.

Last to Fall

Gossamer Falls, #3

by

Lynn H. Blackburn

A wonderfully satisfying tale of romance, suspense, forgiveness, and second chances.

Last to Fall, the final book in author Lynn H. Blackburn's excellent Christian romantic suspense trilogy, Gossamer Falls, is a well-done and satisfying story of abiding friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. This is Bronwyn Pierce's and Montgomery "Mo" Quinn's story and the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. 

The Haven's CEO, Bronwyn Pierce, knows something isn't right in the company's financial reports, but whatever it is, it's so subtly hidden that she's unable to pinpoint it on her own. With only family members and in-laws on the Board of Directors and in management, though, chances are the culprit, if there is one, is going to be a relative, so she turns to the only people she can trust: her childhood friends Cal, Meredith, and Mo Quinn. Unfortunately, a mistake in her past has caused a years-long rift between her and Mo, a forensic accountant and the one person she knows who can figure this all out. But the longer she puts off asking for help, the worse the atmosphere on the Board is getting. Although she's brought their company to new heights of success, some members are looking for any excuse to oust her in favor of someone more malleable, and it's starting to look like someone may be taking more sinister and permanent measures to get rid of her. 

I loved this story from the very beginning! The two rival families, the Pierces and the Quinns, are mending their differences, at least among the younger members. But Mo and Bronwyn's troubles go deep, with a load of hurt and trust issues to overcome before they can begin to heal. 

The author creates a brooding, expectant, atmospheric feeling early; the perfect setting for what's to come. So much happens during the wee hours of the morning, when everyone is sleep-deprived and less alert, with their defenses down. However, Bronwyn, Mo, and their group rise to the challenge, which is proven early on during a suspicious power outage at the resort. 

Bronwyn and Mo are such a vulnerable pair, and their refusal to even speak directly to each other prevents them from reconnecting and overcoming their past hurts. I liked how the author used quick flashbacks to tell their shared backstory and explain why things were the way they were between them in the present. 

I recommend LAST TO FALL to readers of romantic suspense, especially those who enjoy faith-based stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

The ZigZag Girl

by

Ruth Knafo Setton

Atmospheric noir crime fiction with paranormal elements.

The ZigZag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton is a wonderfully moody and atmospheric crime novel with unique paranormal elements, and the engaging young narrator, Lucy Moon, drew me in and under the book’s spell from the start. When the third member of their magic act, Vanessa Kim, fails to show up for a performance, Lucy Moon and Stormy Weather are worried that the mysterious new man in Van’s life is responsible, but despite their unease, the show must go on. However, when her naked body is revealed inside the prop saw box during the highlight of the show, Lucy recognizes a clue the killer left behind as one meant solely for her. 

Lucy is a unique and engaging heroine, and I was invested in her story from the beginning. She’s smart but vulnerable with a past shrouded in secrets and mystery. While her public announcement that she is going to track down her friend’s murderer was an impetuous, emotional outcry, it was the truth, and she never wavered from her mission, even as the stakes got higher and more deadly. 

The author weaves a compelling tale in the eerily moody, atmospheric setting of the Atlantic City Boardwalk and the dark, mysterious Midnight Hotel, and brings in a variety of suspicious characters to keep things interesting and muddy the waters. The storytelling was vivid, placing me in the scene alongside the narrators as if I were experiencing the action firsthand. This is a gripping modern rendition of noir crime fiction with unusual and unique magic and paranormal elements: a true page-turner! 

I recommend THE ZIGZAG GIRL to readers of mysteries and thrillers who enjoy elements of magic and the paranormal in their tales. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

The Murders at Saint Charles Seminary

A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister, #3

by

Janet A. Brown

Mystery and murder at a Catholic seminary!

Terror and suspicion grip Saint Charles Seminary as a murderer stalks its dark and hallowed halls!

The Murders at Saint Charles Seminary is the third book in author Janet A. Brown's cozy A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister mystery series featuring Father Brendan O'Clery, his homicide detective niece, Maureen, and his close friends in the clergy, Rabbi Ezra Lieberman and Pastor Langdon Boothe, who use their unique expertise and insights to solve murders. The story hits close to home for Father Brendan when a murderer kills a young seminarian, with a vow of more death to come at the Saint Charles Seminary, where his young nephew, Aiden, is also enrolled. Since his niece, Detective Maureen McNeely, is supposed to be on vacation, the case is assigned to her untested coworker, Deputy Caleb Martinez. Maureen sticks around, off the books, to help guide Caleb through his first homicide investigation and avoid the confusion and wrath of their vindictive supervisor that she experienced during her first case. Still, as Aidan was the one who found the body of the murder victim, Caleb's suspicion naturally falls on him as the possible killer, raising the stakes for the O'Clery clan. 

Told from multiple points of view, readers have a front row seat to what's not being told the police as they question the residents of Saint Charles, as well as the terror the young men there are experiencing as the killer strikes again. Aiden O'Clery is only three months into his studies and is a kind and gentle soul, and friends with most of the others in his year, one of whom may very well be the murderer. As this is the same seminary Father Brendan attended, he is able to come and go at will and enlists Aiden to be his eyes and ears on site. 

Father Brendan's two close friends, Ezra and Langdon, are only on the fringes of the case; Brendan uses them as sounding boards for his theories and as backup observers when they visit the seminary. They are so peripheral to the story that if they'd been omitted completely, they wouldn't have been missed. Even though I love this trio of clerical sleuths, Father Brendan has always been my favorite, and the series is really his. Also, the banter between Ezra and Langdon regarding Ezra's purported diminutive size and Langdon's prodigious appetite quickly palled. 

The charm of the book lies in the O'Clery family relationships. Family matriarch Eabhe O'Clery has been moved to assisted living, and, as expected, is not happy about it. She is lovable but sly, crabby, and manipulative, and knows exactly what buttons to push or cards to play to get exactly what she wants. Her scenes are delightful as she pointedly proclaims whatever is on her mind or wants to know. Her favorite son and golden boy, Archbishop Malachy O'Clery, stirs the pot as the older brother he is. 

The resolution of the case was exciting, and I didn't catch on to who the killer was until it was revealed, much like most of the characters of the book, although there was a big old hint right in front of our eyes that no one considered. The plot delves into Father Brendan's continued struggles with PTSD from his Gulf War and Afghanistan service and his worrisome reliance on his prescription medications to survive, but there may be light at the end of this tunnel for him, too. 

I recommend THE MURDERS AT SAINT CHARLES SEMINARY to readers of mysteries and thrillers, especially those who enjoy amateur sleuths with a religious vocation. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.