The Throwback

West Coast Mystery, #2

by

C.S. Cowan

Complex and compelling, a riveting mystery of murder, betrayal, and revenge.

The Throwback is the second book by author C.S. Cowan in her riveting West Coast Mystery series, a series tied together by its Canadian Sunshine Coast setting rather than recurring characters, so it works perfectly as a standalone. This entry features a mystery writer, Skylar "Skye" Whelan, who returns to her small coastal hometown of Sechelt after her financial advisor husband is revealed as a conman who's bilked his senior citizen clients out of their retirement funds. Skye plans to focus on her next novel and keep a low profile, but finds herself drawn into a decade-old disappearance that someone doesn't want her meddling in. 

Skye Whelan is a wounded soul after her husband betrays his clients, and the victims and the public find it hard to believe she wasn't in on his scheme. She dropped her married name and returned to Sechelt, hoping to fade from the limelight and the public's memory. Still, her notoriety keeps following her. The discovery of bones at a local construction site brings her to the attention of the new RCMP supervising detective, Staff Sergeant Noah Rimes, who replaced her father in that position on his retirement from the service. There is an immediate connection between her and Noah, but her unfortunate past colors their budding relationship. 

Noah has a complicated and tragic past as well. His career move from Vancouver to this small coastal outpost is an attempt at a second chance at life. He's settling in but is concerned about whether he will fit into the slower pace of his new jurisdiction. However, he is soon facing a baffling rash of petty break-ins and incidents of vandalism, when he really needs to focus on the newly uncovered murder. 

Along with strong characters, the story is complex, featuring twists and turns everywhere and some seemingly unconnected subplots. There is a storyline involving two inept young criminals that is particularly absorbing, and their unexpected relevance to the bigger picture really had me fooled. However, while the narrative included understandable, easy-to-follow flashbacks, a couple of scenes in the present-day timeline seemed out of order. While these instances made me question what I had previously read, they didn't affect the plot's trajectory. For example, an injured pet is rushed to the vet, only to reappear next, frolicking on the beach with a neighbor's dog, with no mention of the medical emergency. A chapter or so later, the emergency incident comes back up, and the dog is recuperating, not yet up to any frolicking. Still, the story returned to page-turner status, keeping me reading and engaged until the final reveal. 

I recommend THE THROWBACK to readers of mystery, suspense, and thrillers, especially those craving an intriguing West Coast Canadian setting. 

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

Puerto Rico Payback

Ray Ramage, #2

by

Jack Heape

Riveting geopolitical thriller pitting the US against Chinese incursions into the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico Payback is the second book in veteran author Jack Heape's thrilling Ray Ramage series, and this time, the "retired" naval intelligence officer's unique instincts and special skills are needed in Puerto Rico. Ray is tasked with uncovering suspected wrongdoing in San Juan's busy seaport, which could have far-reaching impacts on the balance of power in the strategically critical Caribbean. Ray has been recuperating on his yacht, moored in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, since his experiences in the Virgin Islands months earlier, and he's almost relieved when he gets the call from now-Director of Homeland Security Cynthia Clarkson that he is needed for an off-the-books mission in Puerto Rico. He allowed himself to be talked back into action to 'return a favor,' but his life in luxury was getting a bit stale. However, once in San Juan and embedded in his cover story role, he soon realizes that the problem he's there to investigate is just the tip of a much bigger scheme, one that may have ties to his previous operation in the Virgin Islands. 

Ray Ramage is a likable and accomplished operator who gives off plenty of the classic men's action series vibes of characters like Matt Helm, but with the modern-day sensibilities and knight-errantry of a Jack Reacher. Monied and living on a yacht with a private captain and crew, including a chef, and a personal assistant holding down the fort in Charleston, Ray is mobile and ready to move at a moment's notice. His situational awareness makes for exciting on-the-fly action that occasionally incurs collateral damage, which Ray carries in his head and heart, repeatedly rethinking his actions and riddled with guilt. However, Ray and his hand-picked veteran support team plan their operations to the nth degree, accounting for a variety of alternate scenarios. Still, they can't cover every possibility, and the plot's twists and turns provided big surprises. 

The San Juan setting provides a unique and colorful backdrop for the fast-paced action. With the author's vibrant descriptions, the wonderfully sun-drenched location comes alive with vivid sights, the sounds of salsa music, and the scents of the local cuisine. Sprinkled throughout the narrative are the names of actual places that those familiar with the city will recognize and that those who are not will hope to experience for themselves one day. 

The action is nonstop as Ray and his local contact, Ruth Ramos, infiltrate operations at Zoros Integrated Shipping Services, ground zero and pivot point in the suspected Chinese takeover. Their adversaries are heavy hitters working both inside and outside the company, including Rita Acosta, the firm's own security director; Miguel Rojas, an evil assassin Acosta's brought in as an enforcer for her local misdeeds; and a behind-the-scenes Chinese mastermind and Acosta's play caller. While the Chinese link remains hidden, Acosta must deal with Ray's daily presence on-site in his role as a 'security consultant' and is immediately suspicious of his probing questions. Rojas also operates from the shadows, but vignettes from his past reveal his motivations for his life choices. His skills and planning acumen make him a perfect nemesis. I enjoyed the fun subplot of what was going on back home on the yacht between Jay, the captain of the Two Deuces, and an unusually territorial and aggressive seagull that had launched its own takeover. 

The author's writing style is compelling yet easy to read. At times, there was a tendency to repeat facts unnecessarily, which seemed to occur in consecutive chapters. One quibble I had with the plot was that Ruth Ramos, a major character involved in Ray's infiltration of Voros, drops out of the action for noticeable blocks of time, only to reappear later without comment. As she is part of Ray's cover story, she is also long overlooked by his adversaries. 

Although this book is the second in the series and can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel, there's not much backstory or introduction provided for many recurring characters. Readers may have to figure out relationships from context clues alone. For the best enjoyment of the series, I suggest reading the books in order. 

I recommend PUERTO RICO PAYBACK to readers of action-adventure and geopolitical thrillers.

For these and other reviews, visit my blog at Boys' Mom Reads!

In Her Own Backyard

by

Ashley Hanna-Morgan

A new mom suffering severe postpartum depression searches for clues to a local woman’s disappearance.

In Her Own Backyard by Ashley Hanna-Morgan is a riveting tale of a mother’s struggle with severe postpartum depression after the birth of her second child and her discovery that a young woman who lived in their home before they bought it had disappeared without anyone raising an alarm. Social worker Marlowe Moore is deep in the grasp of depression, anxiety, and trouble nursing her new daughter. Baby Valorie demands to eat, sleep for an hour, and eat again, and completely refuses bottle-feeding. Her three-year-old daughter, Violet, is also experiencing big feelings as she transitions from ‘only child’ to ‘big sister.’ But when a neighbor casually mentions that a young woman who had rented a room from the previous owners of Moore’s new home had disappeared one day, Marlowe and her circle of women friends and moms get concerned when they realize Aria Middleton had never even been reported missing. 

Marlowe’s pregnancy and postpartum experiences are so realistic and relatable; every mother will see something of themselves in her childbearing and childrearing story. Her depression was overwhelming and gut-wrenching to read about; I ached for this young woman. However, her focus on finding out what happened to Aria provided a challenge external to her mental health struggles and helped her regain her stability. Her spouse, Aaron, is sweet and wonderful, but he is still unable to fully relate to what Marlow is experiencing, no matter how much he wants to or how hard he tries. 

The plot is well-paced, and I had a hard time finding a good place in my reading to take a break. I enjoyed how the women all came together to support Marlowe (and each other) and to collaborate on finding Aria. They use clever methods to find answers and gather clues, and I loved how they reached out to people with whom they had the remotest contact for help in their search. My only quibble was that a noticeable amount of the dialogue, especially between Marlowe and her husband and Marlowe and her daughter, Violet, sounded like clinical examples of appropriate responses to certain situations; it didn’t sound natural or organic. On the other hand, this same style of language was fascinating when Marlowe described what she was going through and the impacts on her daily life. I loved the story’s eerie, brooding atmosphere and rising tension, and was delighted with the many surprises and plot twists. The final confrontation was absolutely gripping. 

I recommend IN HER OWN BACKYARD to thriller readers, especially those with an interest in motherhood and the processes and impacts of childbearing. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

Words for Patty Jo

by

Jill Arlene Culiner

Young love interrupted, but will life offer a second chance?

Words for Patty Jo by Jill Arline Culiner is an enthralling story of young love interrupted and of lives taking vastly different paths before converging once again. David Buckley, Jr., the high school scholar and scion of local wealth, is intrigued by the beautiful, painfully shy Patty Jo Lovelace, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Both see the other as different from those typical of the other’s social circle, and a secret summer romance flourishes until David heads off to further his studies in Switzerland in the fall. Patty Jo’s homelife is abominable; an adopted child, she is abused and treated like a servant, her only escapes are the books she and David had shared that summer and her part-time job as a waitress at Peeties Diner. After years of abuse, Patty Jo’s self-worth is nil, and, with David out of the picture, she marries a generous customer she met at the diner, salesman Don Ried. However, Don turns out to be even more physically violent and emotionally abusive than Pa, Ma, and her stepsister, Lizzie. Patty Jo, with two small sons who are quickly picking up their father’s attitude toward their mom, feels completely and utterly trapped, until she realizes that if things don’t change, her only way out may be on a gurney. 

Patty Jo is such a tragic figure: beautiful and curious, with the same hopes and dreams as others, slowly being beaten out of her by the very people who should be building her up and supporting her. The transference of Don’s attitudes and behaviors to her sons was gut-wrenching. Her solution is desperate and draws condemnation from so many. Homeless and broke in Toronto, Patty Jo uses her beauty and sex to find safety, security, and some measure of control over her circumstances. She shakes off the zombie-like demeanor she had been reduced to while married to Don, and takes on the personas of people she’s known or read about in a play who fit her current situation. I was glad to see she eventually regains her self-identity and drive, the one she’d had to hide away from Ma, Pa, and Lizzie. 

David is a young man of privilege with a life all mapped out for him by his ambitious parents. It is not the life he wants for himself, but he goes along, not ready to break out of their expectations. He has no real understanding of what Patty Jo has been dealing with and the hopelessness in which she is quickly sinking. While the story focuses more on Patty Jo’s trajectory, David’s life takes interesting paths as well, and he gradually follows the path laid out while maintaining thoughts and beliefs that run counter to those life choices. 

I enjoyed the dual point of view in telling the story, getting both Patty Jo’s and David’s impressions of shared experiences, and especially their thoughts and feelings about each other over the passing decades and as they reunited. The story is compelling, and I was drawn into the lives of both main characters, wanting to know how things would work out for them. There are sweet moments and shocking ones, and for those who appreciate a heads-up, there are a few graphic adult scenes as well. This story is going to stay with me for some time to come. 

I recommend WORDS FOR PATTY JO to readers of women’s or domestic fiction. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

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.