Tropical Delusions……

Charlotte “Charlie” Winters has just arrived at her uncle’s PI office, “A1 Investigations” when a well-dressed young woman comes in, with a troubling story.  Gloria Carmichael is seeking assistance in discovering who killed her father, and what has become of several hundred million dollars that is missing from the Carmichael estate. Gloria confides that she is one of six children, and that the family is not particularly close, with any one of her siblings possibly having an agenda where the missing money is concerned. There’s also the possibility of the man’s mistress being involved. 

Intrigued, Charlie accepts the case, and begins by visiting the Carmichael estate, to see the murder scene, and to meet Gloria’s siblings. As she interviews each family member, it becomes readily apparent that they have had difficult relationships with their father and with one another. Meanwhile Dutch’s mistress, remains very elusive.  Additional questions arise, including Dutch’s missing computer, and the whereabouts of Dutch’s will. Strangely, no one has been able to locate the document. 

As Charlie digs deeper, the case suddenly turns deadly in the form of a hit and run accident outside of Charlie’s office – then Charlie too, finds her life in grave danger. More determined than ever to get to the bottom of things, Charlie sneaks into a gala at the local country club to confront Dutch’s former mistress, who knows a secret or two herself.  Finally, an impromptu visit to a mountain vacation home inadvertently reveals a secret that will crack the case wide open…if Charlie lives to reveal it…

I love this new character, and the at times hysterical dialogue that she has with her deceased sister Allie, interspersed throughout the pages. The reader learns that Allie was a fairly recent murder victim, a crime as yet unsolved – hoping the authors take the series in that direction soon!  If you love strong female protagonists, this is yet another book to add to your reading list! While you’re at it, be sure to look up this duo’s ‘Violet Darger’ series as well! Great reads, all! 

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.  Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Dave Gurney, a highly decorated detective now retired from the NYPD, is has just finished giving a lecture to a bunch of cadets when he receives a phone call.  An old partner, and one he owes a debt to, has just called, wanting to connect with him and discuss an unusual case. Somewhat reluctantly, Dave agrees to a quick meeting with Mike Morgan.  When Mike arrives at Dave’s Walnut Creek home, he details some rather unusual events that have taken place in the town of Larchfield where he, much to Dave’s surprise, is their chief of police.  The tale, tall at best, has culminated in the murder of a very wealthy individual, with the only prints left behind appearing to belong to the town bad boy, Billy Tate.  The only problem – Billy is dead – due to a freak accident a day before the murder. Somewhat reluctantly, but a bit intrigued, Dave agrees to take a look…

Upon his arrival to Larchfield, Dave sees a picturesque town that is essentially owned and run by the wealthy patriarchs who reside there, one of whom, Angus Russell, is now deceased. The evidence clearly points to a young man, who died after being struck by lightning while defacing the towns church steeple. But when they attempt to verify the ID of the body in the coffin at the funeral home, they discover an empty box, with a lid that was broken out of……and video showing the apparent resurrection of the young man. 

As Dave and the Larchfield Police search for an apparent ghost, more sightings of the formerly deceased Billy Tate are reported, along with his trademark orange Jeep, as he leaves a wake of victims in his path, along with an eerie calling card, painted in a victim’s blood that reads, ‘I am the dark angel who rose from the dead’. But what is Tate’s real objective? And how could he have possibly survived a lightning strike and a fall?  Looking for more insight into the town and its people, Gurney calls upon a crusty but dependable old friend, Jack Hardwick. 

As the investigation heats up, and a town is gripped in fear wondering who is next, Gurney quietly works in the background, asking questions, perusing crime scene video and amassing information as he slowly puts the pieces together that others don’t seem to see…until a quiet plan to draw out a murderer results in a showdown that even Gurney doesn’t see coming….

This is the seventh novel in the Dave Gurney series, and another stellar read! John Verdon reminds me a lot of Jeffrey Deaver with his character development, with the intricate storylines and intriguing personalities of his characters, along with the sheer brilliance of the unexpected as you race page by page to try to beat Dave to the finish line – but you won’t! He’ll outfox you every time!!  A great series and a must read if you’d like a break from the predictable who-dun-it!!  

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.  Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis return to the pages, as another strange case finds its way into Milo’s hands, this one long since gone cold – thirty-six years to be exact – when, without warning, Milo is summarily tasked with solving it.

When she was three years old, entrepreneur Ellie Barker’s mother died in a fiery car crash after driving off the side of the famed Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. Initially presumed to be an accident, it was re-classified a homicide after a bullet was located in the woman’s remains. The case was never solved. Ellie knows very little about her mother, and is hopeful, at long last, to learn more.

As Milo & Alex start to dig into the past, some strange information comes to light. There is absolutely no documentation about Ellie’s mother, Dorothy Swoboda, other than her death certificate. The original case file is missing, and a former cold case investigator hit dead ends in his own investigation, before having the case taken from him. A search for the owner of the car Dorothy died in, leads them to his living children, one of whom remembers the victim, but also provides little useful information.

 As the duo continue to dig into the past, it’s a memory from an old ex-socialite, a decade’s old picture & an old True Crime magazine that help to really spur the investigation, along with Milo’s pit bull tenacity, that inadvertently leads them in the direction of a long-forgotten murder spree – one that may have never ended…

I have read Mr. Kellerman’s novels religiously and have a years long fondness for this crime solving pair, and this book is no exception to that – in fact this might have been one of my most favorite so far! As with most series novels, it’s like stopping to visit some old and dear friends when you start one of these books, and he adventures within the pages never disappoint!!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.  Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Gwen Proctor, along with her significant other Sam Cade and their two children, have recently moved into a sleepy small town in Tennessee, in attempts to gain some peace from the past. Gwen, formerly known as Gina Royal is a private investigator with a troubled past – her ex-husband Melvin Royal was discovered to be a prolific serial killer, before Gwen shot him dead, and Gwen faced significant scrutiny regarding her potential involvement in his killings. While absolved of all guilt in the legal system, there are those that believe she is culpable, and continually harass her family. 

Kezia Claremont, a good friend of Gwen, and a detective with the Norton, Tennessee PD, catches an early AM homicide – two small children are found drowned inside of a vehicle found in a lake. As Kezia has recently learned she’s expecting her first child, the case hits her hard, so she reaches out to Gwen for support. 

As both women investigate the murders, the search turns to the missing mother, Sheryl Lansdowne. With Gwen helping in the background, as the TBI takes over the case, she and Kezia soon discover that Sheryl has had many aliases – each time leaving death in her wake. But who is she really, and where is she now? 

 Meanwhile the torment begins to ramp up again for Gwen and her family – from messages on doors and vandals, to vindictive flyers being posted, and threats being made against them as things escalate. All too soon, it appears that Gwen has attracted a killer, determined to make her pay for the perceived sins of her past.  

As both situations continue to escalate, Gwen and Kezia find themselves united in the search for a killer, who lures them to his lair, determined to stop them both. 

Told from the perspectives of Gwen, Kezia & Sam, this was an edge-of-your-seat read for me, and one that I greatly enjoyed. I was unaware that it was part of a series, which I will definitely catch up with in the days to come. 

I also want to send good wishes, love and light to the author, Rachel Caine, who confides a cancer diagnosis, and its uncertainty, with her readers in an ‘Author’s Note’, bringing even more meaning to the title of this novel.  Yes, 2020 has been a strange journey, indeed…I know I speak for all your readers when I say you’ll be in my thoughts and prayers. 

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective  review.