We’ve Been Waiting for This
An ongoing subplot for the last few books in the Zoe Chambers Mysteries has been the obnoxious Dr. Charles Davis. When I learned that his contentious relationship with the main characters of the series would feature prominent in What Comes Around, the thirteenth book, I couldn’t wait to read it. I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.
If you haven’t yet checked out this series, Zoe started out as a paramedic, but she is now the coroner for Monongahela County in Pennsylvania. She is married to Pete Adams, the Vance Township police chief. And Dr. Charles Davis? He’s Zoe’s chief deputy coroner, a job she gave him in hopes of creating some peace but has turned out to be nothing but a nightmare for her.
This book opens just days after book twelve ended, which makes sense. Helpless ended with Zoe deciding to finally stand up to Dr. Charles Davis publicly. But before she can line everything up to fire him, Pete and Zoe are called to scene of a homicide. A woman has been brutally murdered in a hotel room. The surprise is that the victim was Davis’s ex-wife who came to the area to tell Zoe something. What was it?
I’m usually hooked pretty quickly when I pick up one of author Annette Dashofy’s books. I felt like this one hooked me even faster. It helps that we are able to jump into this story right away. We know the major players already and are already invested in the coming conflict. It might also help that I just read the last book a couple of months ago, so things were still fresh in my mind.
Which brings us to reading in order or not. Yes, you get enough background that you could jump in here if you wanted to. But, as I usually say, the characters and their relationships will mean that much more to you if you have read them in order.
Anyway, the plot is strong as always. Things unfold in a way that just keeps raising the stakes for the characters and pull us further into the book. Honestly, any time I had to put the book down, it was a struggle. The climax was great, and yes, everything made perfect sense when we got there.
As I always point out, Pete is just as much a main character as Zoe is. The story unfolds from both of their points of view, which helps raise the suspense at times and gives us a better view of the action at all times. The shifts are always clearly marked and easy to follow. At this point in the series, they are newlyweds, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship here. We don’t get to see all the regulars, but we see enough to make this book feel like home. And the new characters are just as real as the characters we’ve gotten to know over the course of the series.
Given what our main characters do, this isn’t one of my cozy mysteries. They are definitely darker. I promise you, they are worth it. As long as you are in the proper mood when you pick up one of Annette’s books, you’ll find it is well worth the ride.
Once again, Annette has borrowed a character from her friend Liz Milliron’s Laurel Highlands series. Fans of that series will enjoy seeing Jim here. Me? I’m actually about to read the first in the series, and I’m looking forward to meeting him on his home turf after getting to know him here.
Annette has announced that this book marks the end of the Zoe Chambers series. (Sob!) However, that’s only because she is moving on to other characters and other series. It’s hard to be too upset when a series gets this many books. And she hasn’t ruled out coming back to the characters in the future in she finds more stories to tell with them. While there are definitely some things I’d like to see explored in future books, I’ll be happy with where things ended if this is the final book.
If you are a fan still catching up, you’ll devour every page of What Comes Around. If you aren’t a fan yet, that needs to change. Meet Zoe and Pete today, and you’ll find yourself hooked before you know it.
Enjoy the rest of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries.
Thank you, Mark!
ReplyDeleteI always love your reviews and this is the reason. You make a wonderful book sound as good as it is.
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