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Operation Nightfall:

The Web of Spies

by

Karl Wegener

 

An exciting espionage thriller set in post-WWII Poland.

 

Operation Nightfall: The Web of Spies is the second of Karl Wegener’s riveting post-WWII spy thrillers featuring Major Casper Lehman and Luba Haas. In this adventure, the focus is on Poland and the underdog national resistance fighting the Soviet takeover in the aftermath of the war. When the British intelligence service wireless monitors pick up a transmission from a dormant undercover operative they’d long thought as lost, it opens doors for Lehman and Haas to assist the Polish Home Army, who are hiding in the forests and hills fighting a clandestine, guerilla war against their brutal Soviet oppressors. Meanwhile, a skilled Soviet military investigator is on the trail of the resurrected in-country operative, and it is a race to see which side will get to them first. 

This story hits the ground running with a surprise ambush of a Soviet military convoy, and it never lets up. The plot is tense as Ada Bialik, the embedded operative, comes out of obscurity to bolster the efforts of the hidden Home Army insurgents. To cover her intentions, she takes a position as the new kindergarten teacher in the small town of Puck, and, naturally, she is under constant scrutiny. With only her instincts to guide her on who she can trust, she successfully connects with the leader of the local cell of resistance and contacts her handlers on the outside. Back in Bremen,  Casper Lehman and Luda Haas scramble to authenticate Bialik’s identity as she was one of Luda’s assets recruited during the war. 

What a satisfying and surprising story! I was immersed in the tale from the very start, courtesy of the author’s absolutely cinematic descriptions and suspenseful action sequences. The danger felt ever-present and was hammered home with graphic but believably realistic scenes of warfare carnage and personal violence. The details of the spycraft involved were mesmerizing and gave the entire story a robust realism and weight. The characters are well-drawn, and I quickly became engaged in their situations and invested in the successful completion of their missions. I am sadly ignorant of Poland’s history, so this story was an emotional surprise and covered new ground for me. 

As mentioned, this is the second book about some of these characters, but readers should be able to easily read and enjoy this book on its own as I did. I look forward to reading the previous novel and more of this author’s work. 

I recommend OPERATION NIGHTFALL: THE WEB OF SPIES to readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in stories about the aftermath of World War II and Poland. 

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

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You Will Be Peter

by

Jerry Lathan

with Steven Manchester

 

Finely woven historical biographical novel of the first leader of the Christian church.

 

You Will Be Peter is a new historical biographical novel by Jerry Lathan with Steven Manchester about the life and legacy of Simon bar Jonas, the man who history and the world would come to know as St. Peter. The authors breathe life into renowned historical figures, the descriptions of life at that time, the fabled settings and events of Jesus's earthly ministry, and the immediate aftermath, creating a vibrant and rich tale that had me engaged and emotionally connected from start to finish. Readers who are well familiar with the events will be just as mesmerized by the story as those who are not. 

The authors begin by establishing Simon's humble background, including providing a much-needed picture of the young wife he will leave behind over and over again in order to follow the Messiah. The story unfolds from multiple points of view, and readers will gain an understanding of Simon's hopes and dreams as a happy young man, making a living as a fisherman from the Sea of Galilee alongside his brother Andrew and best friends, John and James, and later, as he becomes a disciple of Christ and a confidante. 

I appreciated how well the events he witnessed and that were recorded in source documents, such as the Bible, are presented in an understandable, chronological order so that their spatial relationships made much better sense. Also, the authors do a great job distinguishing the major figures who had similar soundings or identical names at times. The ins and outs of daily life were interesting, and the disciples' faithful reliance on Jesus to provide for their needs, and did, was told in such a matter-of-fact and easy-to-see manner. The miracles happen throughout the story, both before and after Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, and as Peter begins his own ministry. There is suspense and heartbreak along the way, and it evokes a lot of emotion in the reading. 

I recommend YOU WILL BE PETER to readers of biblical fiction, historical fiction, or historical biographical novels, especially those interested in the lives of Christ, Peter, and the disciples and the founding of Christianity. 

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

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Face of Greed

Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #1

by

James L’Etoile

 

Authentic feeling police procedural with a strong investigative team.

 

When a wealthy businessman is killed and his wife injured in a home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are tasked with the investigation. The mayor and chief of police, both acquainted with the couple, put undue pressure on the team to close the high-profile case as quickly as possible while also serving as roadblocks to finding the answers they need. What initially looks like a crime of opportunity, a simple home invasion gone desperately wrong, may be something much more sinister. 

Face of Greed is the first book in author James L’Etoile’s Detective Emily Hunter Mystery series, and it quickly establishes the main character as a strong, talented, and capable female protagonist. Emily’s story not only hits the ground running with a murder investigation but may also hit close to home with the many readers who are struggling with caring for an aging parent. 

Besides Emily’s considerable strengths, she is joined by a compatible partner in Detective Javier Medina. The rapport between these two was comfortable, and I felt like a deep-held trust multiplied their effectiveness as a team. Their dialogue was snappy, and their ability to communicate with each other had already progressed to certain “looks” even though they’d only been paired a mere six months. 

The author did a great job laying out an authentic feeling police procedural without getting readers bogged down in the minutia. Emily and Javier make all the right moves, and some subtle commentary is sprinkled in as internal dialogue explaining why certain things were done the way they were. Having both the mayor and the chief of police majorly involved in the conduct of the investigation created a constant overhanging shadow, adding extra edginess to the situation. The disconnect between the police administration and boots on the ground compounded the tension. I greatly enjoyed the story, made more complex with additional subplots, and was completely absorbed in trying to solve the case along with the characters. I also enjoyed the Sacramento, California, setting, which was a nice change from the usual locations of LA, San Francisco, or some fictional small town. 

I recommend FACE OF GREED to mystery readers who like police procedurals, strong female protagonists, or an off-the-beaten-path but a genuine California setting. 

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

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After the Darkness

by

Justin Richman

 

An action-packed post-apocalyptic tale where danger comes from every direction!

 

After the Darkness is a riveting new post-apocalyptic tale featuring terrifying, seemingly indestructible aliens and the desperate human survivors of a city. Society quickly collapsed with the coming of The Drifters, aliens that feasted on the human inhabitants of the planet. The handfuls of survivors huddled together in small groups to maximize their resources while they scrounged the remnants of their broken city for critical leftovers from the past and avoid detection by the predatory invaders. Izzy and her dog Shadow work together as a team, locating and retrieving useful and necessary supplies for their camp situated on the town’s outskirts. But when a roving band of lawless scavengers arrives, making the abandoned local prison their base of operations and claiming the entirety of the city as their territory, Izzy discovers the real threat to their survival may not be The Drifters but her fellow human beings. 

Wow! This story is one exciting sequence of events after another from start to finish. The action kicks off on page one with Izzy’s capture by the evil leader of The Reavers, followed by an attack from the alien Drifters, and things never let up from there. The plot is tense as one threat after another presents itself, and Izzy, Shadow, her friend Matt, and a surprise benefactor work to overcome insurmountable odds. The author makes their successes believable and their losses shocking and heartbreaking. A horrifying twist is that victims of The Drifters can be infected, resurrected, and used to lead the aliens back to their former compatriots’ hiding places, where they help exterminate all those they encounter. 

Izzy, the heroine of the story, is initially relegated to less vital roles in her hidden community when the head of their camp dismisses her skills and potential value. Still, she perseveres and proves herself more than capable over and over. As if the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth existence of the camp isn’t dire enough, the kidnapping of one of their members sparks a chain of events that pits them against the evil Reavers entrenched behind sturdy prison walls. Not only does this amp up the suspense, but it forces Izzy to face all the fears Hawk embodies. 

This author’s writing just keeps getting better and better. The plot is well-paced, and the storylines are tight and focused. The settings are vivid and easy to visualize, putting the readers right in the scene with the characters. I highly recommend AFTER THE DARKNESS to readers who enjoy thrilling post-apocalyptic tales of action, adventure, and suspense. 

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

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Deathwish

Superhero, #2

by

Justin Richman

 

Fast-paced and exciting, Adam's a regular guy with superhuman ability, and his story may be better than the debut of the super series.

 

Adam's body has the unexplainable ability to heal itself almost instantaneously, and he's been supplementing his income from his retail position by fighting for money in the alley behind his best friend's bar. But one night, after an encounter in Decker City with the vigilante crimefighter known as The Gray Hood, he begins to consider the possibility that he, too, could put his special ability to better use. After he loses his day job, he goes on a ride-along with a police friend, Lt. Shane Cranston, and Adam's smitten: he wants to fight crime. 

At this time, Decker City is a hotbed of violence and criminal activity, but Adam's hometown, nearby Mapleton, is fairly quiet until Adam and Shane get involved in some of Decker City's investigations. Suddenly, both their lives are on the line, and Adam is finding out firsthand how much damage his body can take and still come back. 

Deathwish is the second novel in author Justin Richman's great new Superhero series, and I believe it is even better than his debut outing. It's a fast-paced, exciting, and entertaining story about a regular guy with a superhuman ability to heal even his most grievous wounds instantly. Adam was dealt a tough hand when the ability was discovered and has really been on his own his whole life. I really liked the clever and snarky guy, even his (at times) "Dad joke" dialogue. He's an extrovert and ready to take action, shake things up, and make things work. I loved that he jumped into action even as bullets were flying, knowing absolutely nothing about what he was doing or heading into. I laughed out loud quite a bit and would have read this book cover to cover in one sitting if I hadn't had to deal with real life. 

As in Richman's first Superhero book, there are some great secondary and supporting characters. Shane Cranston, Adam's friendly connection in the Mapleton PD, is a nice guy who is good at this job and genuinely tries to help the wayward Adam find his way. The same can be said for Adam's best friend, Chuck, who is the only other person who knows Adam's secret. I liked Adam's flirtation with Kate Phillips and would love to see that go somewhere for Adam. However, there is a particularly interesting lock-picking officer, Liz McKenzie, who would be fun to get to know better. 

I also enjoyed the crossover between this and book one, The Silver Hood. Usually, a series will maintain the same setting throughout, but in the second Superhero book, we're actually in a nearby city. It was interesting to see the towns all used the same radio dispatcher until Decker City got so busy and crime-riddled that they had to set up a separate system. It was reasonably true to life regarding the lack of cooperation and exchange of information that can arise between agencies. I appreciated that the author didn't let Shane and Adam "poach" on Decker City's jurisdiction without the DC PD initially asking for assistance and, later, the two rightfully anticipating repercussions for overstepping. 

The action in the story is steady, with exciting, almost frantic moments regularly kicking the pace up a notch (to "Eleven"). A major plot twist made me exclaim aloud; I was that surprised. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending, and there are still some shadowy things and people lurking in the background that predict this author has much more planned! There is also an intriguing explanation for how Adam acquired his unique healing ability.

 With its entertaining premise and non-stop excitement and action, I recommend DEATHWISH to readers who enjoy fantastic superhero tales. (This book has some death and destruction and drinking, but no drugs or "kissing scenes," if that is a consideration for sharing with a younger audience.) 

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

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Lethal Impulse

by

Steve Rush

 

Engaging characters and a compelling mystery of murder, revenge, and obsession.

 

Lethal Impulse by Steve Rush is a compelling thriller and whydunit mystery featuring a serial killer targeting sweet high school girls in a small Georgia town. With its engaging main characters and race-against-the-clock pace, I was completely immersed in the suspenseful search for the killer, so much so that I was annoyed by any interruptions to my reading. 

Main character Neil Caldera, the disgraced former NYPD detective, has a genuine and dedicated servant’s heart. His law enforcement career was sidelined, and he was left emotionally affected by the death of an innocent bystander by one of his bullets during his righteous shooting of a serial killer in self-defense. Pursuing a new life as a man of the cloth, Neil accepts a ministerial position at a church in the small town of Madison, Georgia. Welcomed into the community, he keeps his former life as a detective to himself. However, the local police chief, also a deacon at his church, is aware of his academic degree related to crime and law enforcement, as is the chief’s wife, who had developed an uncomfortable and open sexual interest in Neil that she just won’t let go. 

The story unfolds from multiple points of view, including Neil’s, crime scene Sergeant Sloane Azevedo’s, and several supporting characters. Neil is drawn into the murder of a popular local high school student at the behest of the police chief, who wants to use his expert insight into the gruesome murder to gain an advantage in solving the case before he must call in the state officials. Neil and Sloane share a mutual attraction from the start, and their increased proximity and the story’s suspense soon ignites their formerly slow-burn romance into a wonderfully passionate love story.

The action moves quickly as the pair follows up on clues while the case’s lead detective does his official investigation, working in concert and sharing information. The author creates a horrifically ritualistic-style murder and an evocatively terrifying crime scene, including some unique and bloody clues left behind as a taunt. Realistic details of what is seen, heard, and even smelled bring the crime scene and the subsequent investigation to life. When the murderer is uncovered, the plot shifts to finding concrete evidence to arrest them and answering the ultimate question of why. 

While the story was mesmerizing, and I really didn’t want to put it down; I did have some quibbles with the execution of the story, such as continuity issues; some stilted, unnatural feeling or cryptic dialogue; overly descriptive passages of random physical movements by characters that were not critical to the plot; small plot holes; and questions left unanswered by close of the book. None kept me from wanting to dive back into the story. 

I recommend LETHAL IMPULSE to readers of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers who are not sensitive to graphic scenes of murder. 

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

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Dragon of Denmark

Valiant Vikings, #1

by

Jennifer Ivy Walker

 

Exciting and enthralling start to this new historical romance series.

 

Dragon of Denmark is the first book in author Jennifer Ivy Walker’s new Valiant Vikings historical romance series and what a fabulous beginning it is! Engaging, sympathetic characters, a history-rich plot with a wonderful romance, and paranormal mythical elements combine for a fantastic story that I didn’t want to end! 

The main characters, Ylsa Rikardsdðttir and Skårde Haraldsson, come from different worlds but have much in common. Both the illegitimate children of 10th-century political heavy hitters, they are forced together to forge an alliance between their people. She’s a Druidic priestess and Celtic healer, the daughter of a Breton healer and Viking conqueror Richard the Fearless. When Richard abandoned Ylsa and her mother for a more advantageous Christian marriage, they became village outcasts, the symbol to their former neighbors of their Viking subjugation. Reading of her younger days was heartwrenching as she and her mother were both blamed for a situation, not of their making. I loved the descriptions of her preparations of herbal remedies and potions, learning magical spells and skills from Úlvhild, and her devotion to Divona and the visions she experienced. 

Skårde is the son of Harald Bluetooth, the King of Denmark, and a captured concubine. Although reared to lead his people, the heir to his father’s throne, when the king marries, and the union produces another son, Skårde is set aside in favor of the now legitimate heir. Skårde, though, decides to excel in the service of his father and his people as their greatest warrior. But when he’s promised to wed to seal a political alliance in far-off Normandy, he’s deeply hurt, outraged, knowing he’s being sent to the far reaches of his father’s influence to neutralize his potential as a threat to much younger half-brother’s future. Skårde is an accomplished warrior and leader of men who has never been interested in colonizing or farming, let alone matrimony, and feels dishonored and trapped. However, he, once again, steps up to the plate. I loved his studied acceptance of this and Ylsa’s shared fate, his kindness and gentle, surprising gestures of understanding of her fears, and the scorching kisses they share early on as he and his bride begin to learn about each other. I especially enjoyed how Skårde’s grandmother, Gyda, and her people did so much to ease Ylsa’s feelings throughout this arranged and unwanted marriage, taking her under their wings as if she were one of their own. 

Besides romance, the plot is filled with intrigue, suspenseful political machinations, myth, and magic, putting everyone in danger. The expansive cast of characters includes fictional and historical figures, and the descriptions of life at that time and in those places of the story were vivid and immersive. I didn’t want anything to interrupt me while I was reading, first because of all the interesting, detailed world-building and then because I was so caught up in what was going to happen with these characters that I’d become so invested. 

I recommend DRAGON OF DENMARK to readers of historical fiction who enjoy mythical, magical, and paranormal elements, as well as those who enjoyed the recent Viking series on television. 

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

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Measured Deception

Nick Blaine Mystery, #1

by

Richard E. Kalk & T.A. Pryor

 

Good, traditional-style police procedural to kick off this new mystery series.

 

Measured Deception is the first book in the Nick Blaine Mystery series by the writing team of Richard E. Kalk and T.A. Pryor, and it is a very good new police procedural-style murder mystery investigation set in 1984 Los Angeles. Sergeant Detective Nice Blaine and his partner, Detective John Phillips, investigate the shooting death of Ainsley Brown, a young gay man, which occurred as he and his roommate parked their car in front of their apartment building. While there were several people on the scene, no one, including the surviving roommate, could give the detectives definitive details of what happened or where or how the murderer fled. However, many of the young man’s friends and family members implicated Ainsley’s self-proclaimed godfather, Rodney Williams, the man who was paying Ainsley’s way through beauty school, as his killer. The accusations and conflicting reports of Rodney’s relationship with Ainsley and the discovery that he is the beneficiary of multiple life insurance policies taken out on the young man’s life raise the detectives’ suspicions, as does his long history of contacts with local law enforcement. But without a shred of concrete evidence that Rodney is behind the murder, all they can do is continue to search for clues. 

Sergeant Detective Nick Blaine is an interesting character who is totally focused on his cases but willing to discuss his illustrious career with a reporter who needs a human-interest story. Having lost his wife and only child in a traffic accident a couple of years earlier, he’s at the age where he should be winding down. However, his gut is telling him something is off with this case, and he’s not ready to hang up his shield. 

Detective John Phillips is Blaine’s able and capable partner with his own family drama. Estranged from his much-loved and looked-up-to older brother, Stephen, the investigation into the Ainsley Brown murder exposes his parents’ struggles with their eldest son’s sexual orientation and lifestyle choices. 

The plot follows the traditional path of an old-school police procedural, with the detectives working every angle in person out in the community. It was an interesting realization that while 1984 doesn’t seem that long ago, it’s actually 40 years, and a lot of technological advances in everyday life have been made, let alone law enforcement, that we take for granted today: no cellphones, no personal computers even. If you wanted to talk to a suspect, you had to catch them at their house or workplace, even for a phone call. Answering machines weren’t even that common. However, dogged persistence and attention to every clue finally pay off for the two detectives, but the resolution doesn’t happen before additional tragedy strikes. 

With an interesting and intrepid pair of detectives, reminiscent of Sergeant Joe Friday and Detective Bill Gannon of Dragnet fame, and an engaging style of storytelling, I recommend MEASURED DECEPTION to mystery readers, especially those who enjoy the police procedural sub-genre. 

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

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A Box of Frogs

Highclere Inn & Carriage House Mystery, #1

by

Josh Hellyer

 

When their patriarch dies under suspicious circumstances, long-held secrets threaten a family's inheritance and their lives.

 

A Box of Frogs by Josh Hellyer is a thrillingly complex domestic mystery about the aftermath of the suspicious death of former Senator Miles "The Tank" Valentine and the impact on his surviving family members. When the children from his first marriage are completely and unexpectedly cut out of his will, including bequests left to them by their long-deceased mother and supposedly held in trust by their father, it falls to grandson Mason Valentine and his cousin, investigative reporter Cordelia "Cici" Bradshaw to dig up the truth. 

Mason and Cici are such likable and engaging characters; it was easy to be drawn into their investigation and family drama, rooting for them all the way. They were genuinely kind people, not begrudging their father's widow's inheritance and only questioning those issues related to their grandmother's assets, at least until they discovered how little of their grandfather's fortune remained for her. The two worked well together while independently pursuing different leads regarding the estate. Their clever and witty dialogue was a definite highlight of the book. I enjoyed this large, extended family and their circle of elderly friends who had spent so much time staying at the family's resort over numerous decades. 

The setting for the story is the Highclere Inn & Carriage House Resort, the Valentine family's 150-year-old resort on the shores of fictional Lake Belvedere in the Muskoka region of Central Ontario, Canada. The descriptions of the property, the cottages and outbuildings, and the family burial plot were vivid and beautifully evocative of all four seasons of the year timeframe of the story. I could clearly visualize where the action was occurring, the casual family holidays, the somber (and surreal) memorial service for the former Senator, and the thrilling and exhilarating final reveal, as if I were seeing things firsthand. 

The plot is intriguing and deceptively simple, gradually revealing its actual complexity layer by eye-opening layer. Several characters are offered up as possible suspects throughout, and it was mesmerizing watching Mason and Cici separate the red herrings from who was really pulling the strings behind the scenes. Just when I had a theory in mind, some plot twist would send it out the window. I enjoyed the incorporation of pop cultural references sprinkled along the way. The story was compelling and full of surprises, and the tragic eleventh-hour resolution was absolutely thrilling. 

With its engaging protagonists and intricate, well-paced plot, I highly recommend A BOX OF FROGS to mystery and thriller readers. 

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

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A Basket Case

Maddie Sparks Mystery, #2

by

Lesley A. Diehl

 

Intriguing double mysteries and complex personal relationships combine for a compelling story.

 

A Basket Case is the second book in author Lesley A. Diehl’s intriguing Maddie Sparks Mystery series. Still, newcomers to the series can easily pick up, catch up, and enjoy it as an introduction or standalone. When a director at the museum where Maddie’s granddaughter is completing a college internship and she is volunteering is murdered right before completing the turnover of Native American artifacts to local tribes, Sara’s boyfriend’s father, a well-known Native American activist and a claimant to one of the museum’s holdings is accused of the crime. Maddie, convinced he didn’t do it, enlists her defense attorney son, Richard, to represent the man in the white justice system and her love interest, former local sheriff Zack Montgomery, to investigate and find the real killer. 

Maddie and Zack had grown serious and close over the summer; however, when he returns from a trip to visit his adult daughter, Amy, he shows up not only with her but with Mary Sanders, a woman with whom Zack apparently had a long history, one Amy has decided he should rekindle. Maddie is stunned when Zack bows to his daughter’s wishes and moves his things from Maddie’s place into the B&B where Amy and Mary are staying. Knowing Amy is fighting a battle with drug addiction and needs her father’s support, Maddie tries to understand his actions and, though heartbroken, goes along with the situation. Maddie and Zack’s interactions are awkward and hard to watch unfold, especially with Mary stirring the pot every chance she gets. Zack comes across as weak and indecisive in his handling of his relationships, but he’s being torn apart by his need to be there for his daughter and be with the woman with whom he’s already fallen in love. His blindness to Mary’s toxicity and lack of the skills his daughter needs goes on way too long, and there are consequences. 

The situation at the museum is also more complex than originally imagined. There is evidence of a very toxic work environment with ongoing incidents of harassment, racism, and misogyny, and pieces from the museum’s collections are suddenly going missing, with forged lookalikes left in their place. Sara discovers the discrepancies and shares her concerns with her grandmother, but their knowledge may have put them in the crosshairs of a killer. Although clues are hard to come by, Maddie and her friends are able to piece together enough plausible hypotheses to conduct an investigation, though with so much going on in the story, their efforts were scattershot for much of the book. The difficulties in the various personal relationships really distracted everyone: Maddie, Zack, and even Sara, who had to deal with her protective parents and being in a mixed-race relationship. However, red herrings come and go as plot twists complicate an already intricate case but guaranteed my attention and entertainment until the final resolution. 

I recommend A BASKET CASE to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy a more mature set of sleuths, strong female protagonists, relationship-heavy plots, and behind-the-scenes looks at museum operations. 

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