Book Review: Hell Hath No Fury by Annette Dashofy (Detective Honeywell Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and a compelling mystery

Cons: One of the subplots was weak

The Bottom Line:

Helping family

Murder complicates the trip

Another great book

Clearing Emma’s Friend of Murder

When I read book four of Annette Dashofy’s Detective Honeywell Mysteries last year, I thought that the ending set up book five, Hell Hath No Fury.  It’s always nice to be right.  It’s also always nice to have a new book in this series since you know you are in for a good mystery.

The series focuses on Detective Matthias Honeywell and crime reporter Emma Anderson.  The two met in book one, and, at this point in the series, they’ve started dating.

The first four books in the series have been set in Erie, Pennsylvania, but this book moves the action to Washington County, where Emma grew up.  Both Emma and Matthias are on leave from their jobs to recover from their injuries from the previous book, so when Emma’s best friend, Eric, calls saying that Emma’s drug addict sister, Nell, has come home, Emma and Matthias take off to help.  But it isn’t long before Emma’s sister gives them the slip again, and the developer who is trying to get his hands on Emma’s family property turns up murdered.  With Eric the prime suspect and Matthias well outside his jurisdiction, can he help?  Or will his efforts make things worse for everyone?

This book doesn’t contain any true spoilers for the previous book, but it does contain plenty of references to it.  I mean, it starts within a day or two of that book ending, so it makes sense.  So, if you are at all interested in this series, I highly recommend you at least start there.  And, let’s be honest, Annette’s books are so good once you start, you’ll want to read them all, so you might as well go back to the beginning.

While this might be the Detective Honeywell series, Emma is as much a main character as Matthias is.  As always, the two trade being the point of view character for the entire book, which is always used to wonderful effect to fully tell the story.

Since we were going to Emma’s childhood home, I thought she would get the majority of the character development, but that wasn’t the case.  While she certainly got her time in the spotlight, Matthias also got his moments to shine.  Eric and Nell have popped up in the past, and it was nice to really spend some time with them.  While that maybe it for returning characters with any significant page time, the new characters we meet along the way help pull us into the story.

I did find one of the subplots weak, but that’s my only complaint with the book.  As always, the main mystery is great.  I was confused as to what was going on and why until I reached the suspenseful climax. 

This is a police procedural, so keep that in mind when you pick up the book.  As long as you go in with your expectations set appropriately, you’ll be fine.

Hell Hath No Fury is another page turning read from Annette Dashofy.  Her fans will be delighted to pick it up.  If you aren’t already reading her books, you’ll want to fix that today.

Here are the rest of the Detective Honeywell Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: A Taste for Murder by Matt Baker

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Great writing and characters

Cons: Needed a better focus

The Bottom Line:

Grieving detective

Solving a case on Capri

Needed to focus

Two Books in One, and It Shows

When I was looking at upcoming book, A Taste for Murder caught my eye.  Not only did the title sound like a book I would pick up and enjoy, but the author’s name helped.  Matt Baker may not be related to me at all, but the name caught my eye.  I wasn’t sure about the book, but I decided to give it a shot.

The book introduces us to DCI Joe Mottram.  He’s leaving behind his native England and his job as a detective to spend the summer with his teenage daughter and his in-laws in Capri.  He’s hoping that the time will help him reconnect with his daughter and help him deal with the grief of losing his wife.

But then an English business woman falls of a cliff.  Mottram is brought in as a consultant since the victim’s father is powerful.  While at first it looks like an accident or a suicide, there are things that don’t add up for Mottram.  Can he figure out what is going on?

Despite the title, this isn’t a cozy but a police procedural, and includes the things that go along with that subgenre.  I was half expecting that when I picked up the book, so it wasn’t a big surprise to me.

My problem with this book is that it tried to do too much.  We get the story from three different points of view – Mottram, his daughter, Angelica, and the local detective that Mottram winds up partnering with, Lara Sarrancino.  That’s at least one perspective too many.  The issue is that Angelica gets her own storyline, which is one of the weakest aspects of the book and often slows things down.

While focusing on Mottram would help, the book still can’t quite decide what it wants to be.  Is it a mystery?  Or is it a story about dealing with grief?  They are both given equal weight.  Honestly, I was pulled into them, but the switches in focus were a bit jarring.  And the climax of the grief storyline is short changed.

Most of the characters are strong, which is what helped pull me into the story.  One, however, gets a twist part way through that was not handled well at all.

The mystery itself was solid, with plenty of twists and complications on the way to the logical climax.  Not all the twists surprised me, however, since the book leaned into cliches a few times.

While this is a police procedural, Mottram’s in-laws run a popular restaurant, so the culinary scenes are numerous and made me hungry as I read.

I’ve picked up a few books recently where the narration summarizes conversations for us, and this is another of them.  We’d be in a scene where we’d get a direct quote from one character, a summary if how the other person responded, and then a direct quote again.  It was weird and pushed me out of the book.

The book ends with a cliffhanger involving Mottram’s personal life and I just didn’t care.  I won’t be back for a second book with these characters.

Looking at reviews, I seem to be in the minority on A Taste for Murder.  I’m not sorry I read it, but it needed another edit to really polish what was there.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: Talking God by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #9)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Great climax; the two leads

Cons: Takes too long for the stories to merge; Chee’s love life still

The Bottom Line:

Separate cases

Too long to come together

Skip unless a fan

Weak Plot Didn’t Quite Work for Me

Every author has a book or two that doesn’t quite work the way they think it will.  For me, that was the case with Talking God, the ninth mystery from Tony Hillerman.

This series usually focuses on the Navajo reservation in the Southwest.  It features Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee.  This particular book kicks off with Leaphorn being asked to help with a dead body that was found near the train tracks just outside the reservation.  While he is only asked to help find any evidence around the body, he can’t help but work more on the case when no one can come up with the identity of the victim.

Meanwhile, Chee is asked to arrest Henry Highhawk for desecration of a grave and then fleeing across state lines.  It should have been as simple as arresting Henry at the ceremony where he shows up.  But Chee feels something else is going on.  Is he right?

There are a couple of issues I had with this book.  The first is that we, the reader, have enough clues to know the two cases are going to intersect at some point.  (Besides the fact that they are in the same book.)  But, since neither Leaphorn or Chee regularly talk to each other, they don’t make those connections until late in the book.  As a result, I grew restless waiting for the storylines to intersect.

Also, a good portion of the story takes place in Washington DC.  Like when an earlier book took us to Los Angeles, it doesn’t quite work for me.  The reservation is a big character in the series, and I miss it when we aren’t there.  It also stretched credibility when both cases take the characters to DC separately for an interconnected story.

Having said that, once the stories come together, we get a great climax.  I was fully on board for that.

I’m also very tired of what we’ve seen of Chee’s romantic life in the series so far.  A storyline that should have been finished a couple of books ago is still dragging on with nothing new added to it.  I’m hoping that things are really finally over there.

Having said that, I do like Leaphorn and Chee and the different perspectives they bring to the cases they get involved in.  There are other interesting characters here as well.  Even if the entire book isn’t set on the reservation, I enjoyed the look at Navajo culture we got here.

I also found it odd that the audio for this book was narrated by Christian Baskous.  I’ve no idea why the narrator changed, especially since we are back to George Guidall for the next one.

Talking God is not the book with which to start this series.  But fans will still be interested in what happens here.

Do check out the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries.

Book Review: Lie Down with Dogs by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery with characters I love

Cons: Listing cons has gone to the dogs

The Bottom Line:

Changes for our leads

Set up compelling story

Curl up and enjoy

Changes Comes Racing at Jim and Sally

It’s always fun to see an author’s interests show up in their books.  Via her social media and newsletters, I learned that Liz Milliron has a retired greyhound dog.  So, when greyhound racing showed up in Lie Down with Dogs, the fifth Laurel Highlands Mystery, I smiled as I added it to my to be read list.

This series features Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan and defense attorney Sally Castle, who have started dating a few months back.  And they are both going through some job changes.  Jim has just transferred from regular patrol to the investigations division.  Meanwhile, Sally is taking a job with a law firm that her friend is starting, leaving behind her job as a public defender.

On Jim’s first day in his new job, he and his new partner land a case.  The victim has been dead in his house for a couple of days already, but they also find a greyhound in a cage in the back of the house.  They are able to learn that the dog has retired from racing, but they can’t figure out how the victim got him.

Meanwhile, Sally has taken on her first client in private practice – an accountant accused of taking money from one of her clients.  That client?  A greyhound adoption nonprofit.  Are Jim and Sally working two cases?  Or is there a connection?

As always, the book is told from both Jim and Sally’s perspectives, which allows us to see the story as it is unfolding and allows us to get to know them both better.  I really do like the characters, and I’m enjoying watching their relationship continue to grow.  And yes, they are dealing with something on that front as well.

Change is never easy, and that is reflected here.  I actually really liked how those storylines played out in relation to the larger mystery.  They felt realistic, and I appreciated how both Jim and Sally were there to support each other.  And yes, we still get to see some of the supporting players we’ve met in earlier books who bring fun to the series.

The plot was strong.  I was drawn into the book and had a hard time putting it down.  I wasn’t complaining when some time opened up in my schedule and I was able to read the second half in one day.  I needed to know how things were going to end.  And yes, things did make sense once we reached the climax.

I also learned a little something about greyhounds along the way, which added to the fun.

Lie Down with Dogs proves to be another entertaining mystery with great characters.  If you aren’t reading Liz Milliron, you are missing out.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Book Review: Harm Not the Earth by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery and characters who are growing

Cons: Some timeline issues that bugged me

The Bottom Line:

Body near River

Inquires under radar

Characters growing

Murder of Environmental Activists

While it can be frustrating to start a series when there are already multiple books published, the joy comes from being able to revisit the characters again soon after finishing the previous entry. That’s how I felt when I sat down to enjoy Harm Not the Earth, the fourth in Liz Milliron’s Laurel Highlands Mysteries. 

The series features an unlikely duo. Jim Duncan is a Pennsylvania State Trooper who has been given the latitude to pursue some of the cases he encounters while on patrol. Meanwhile, Sally Castle is an Assistant Public Defender. Not only are the duo friends who have solved some cases together, they have also recently started dating, which can make things tricky when their personal and professional lives collide. 

As this book opens, Jim and Sally follow up on a report and find a dead body in their off hours. Since the death is outside of Jim’s normal patrol area, the man who takes on the case doesn’t welcome his help. But Jim becomes even more determined to figure out what is going on when he realizes he knew the victim, having volunteered with his environmental organization. Then a second victim turns up. Sally jumps in to help, hoping to make sure things are resolved before Jim gets into too much trouble. Can they determine what is going on?

While I didn’t know who the victim would be when I picked up the book, I wasn’t surprised when the potential motives included environmental issues. The title of the book was a pretty big clue. I was very happy with how it was handled. We didn’t get lectures, and most of the characters professed to have a balanced view of things - wanting to use resources or let others enjoy without destroying nature. Of course, some might be lying and there is disagreement over what the best ideas are. This is a mystery, after all. But, again, we don’t get lectures, and this isn’t the only motive Jim and Sally uncover. 

All this to say the plot kept me engaged. We had some good, well-developed suspects and a few good twists that took me by surprise. I’d zeroed in on the culprit a little early, but not too early, and I was still intrigued to see if I was right and how they were going to prove it. 

Unfortunately, there were some timeline snags in this book. Nothing that impacted the logic of the story, but still things that bugged this timeline guy. 

This isn’t a cozy, and the content is a little beyond that sub-genre as a result. But as long as you keep that in mind, you’ll be fine. 

Since Jim and Sally have just started dating, they are still figuring out their relationship and how their professional lives are going to impact it. I appreciated the natural progression of things here and how that built on the previous book. And they both face some professional decisions, which I also enjoyed watching them work through. 

I already have the next in this series waiting for me to pick it up. I’m looking forward to seeing where the characters go after Harm Not the Earth. 

Enjoy the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries. 

Book Review: A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #8)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Two leads and interesting mystery

Cons: Chee’s personal story is repetitive; pacing at times

The Bottom Line:

A missing woman

Connected to two murders?

Another good book

Missing Anthropologist

For some reason, A Thief of Time stood out to me early on from the titles in Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series. So I was glad to finally get to this book and see what it is all about. 

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is dealing with the loss of his wife. He’s been on leave and plans to retire when his leave is over. But when a colleague invites him along to execute a search warrant in an area Joe knows well, he agrees to go along. Only, when they arrive, they learn the woman they are supposed to serve the warrant on has been missing for two weeks. Meanwhile, Officer Jim Chee is trying to find a piece of heavy equipment that vanished on his watch. The trail leads him to dead bodies. How are these cases connected?

This is the second team up for Leaphorn and Chee. With a couple of exceptions, the book alternated their points of view at the chapter breaks. Considering the transitions they are going through in their personal lives, this allowed us to see that character development clearly. Of course, I feel like Chee has been dealing with the same issue for a couple of books now. I’m hoping he moves on soon. 

I also like that the two men are slowly building their working relationship. There is more trust than in the previous book, and it feels like a natural progression. But they also are not full partners yet. 

The mystery was good and was something that could only take place in tribal lands, something I appreciated. I felt like we were visiting more of the Navajo reservation in this book than we often do, but that might just be me. I did feel like the pacing was a little off, but it built to a great climax that kept me engaged. 

I normally enjoy George Guidall’s narration in this series (and other series I used to listen to he narrated). For some reason, I didn’t feel like it was quite as good this time. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was the digital transfer. Maybe it was his narration. Either way, I felt like he was mumbling and I had to concentrate more than usual. 

Overall, A Thief of Time is another entertaining mystery. I may be late to the party, but it is easy to see why Tony Hillerman has so many fans. 

Check out the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries. 

Book Review: Broken Trust by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Jim and Sally’s relationship and a good mystery

Cons: A couple of niggles, but nothing major

The Bottom Line:

 On different sides

Will case divide Jim, Sally?

A strong mystery

Will Jim and Sally’s Relationship Survive This Case?

While I know I won’t catch up completely on Liz Milliron’s Laurel Highlands Mysteries this year, I’m hoping to make significant progress toward that goal. So, I picked up Broken Trust, the third in the series. As expected, I enjoyed it. 

The series follows Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan and Fayette County Assistant Public Defender Sally Castle.  Despite the fact that they might be on opposite sides of the aisle in the court room, they’ve formed a friendship that is inching toward something more. You can follow their personal story just fine if you jump in here, but it’s always more fun to start from the beginning. 

This book finds Jim called to the scene of a murder in the office of a local mining company. The victim is Lonnie Butler, a friend of his – in fact he and Sally helped Lonnie get the job just a few months ago. Despite the fact that Jim’s sister and her two kids are coming for a visit, Jim can’t help but keep investigating. Unfortunately, one of Sally’s current clients has come up as a suspect in the case. She doesn’t feel she can share what she knows without crossing ethical lines, so she starts trying to figure out what really happened to Lonnie. Will the case come between them? Will they still be able to find Lonnie’s killer?

Since this book is a police procedural, it does contain a bit more than the cozies I often read. But there isn’t too much. In fact, some of that is written around, which I appreciated. As long as you expect that when you pick up this book, you’ll be fine. 

The mystery was solid. While I started to suspect where things were going, the red herrings did a good job of keeping me distracted. And there was plenty else there to keep me engaged. The characters introduced here, aka the suspects, were memorable. Everything came together for a logical and satisfying climax. 

Equally important here was what the case was doing to Jim and Sally’s relationship. I will say, a couple of things that impacted their relationship felt a little immature to me, but they weren’t issues for too long. However, the main issue of their relationship was wonderfully done. I appreciated that we could see the issue from both of their perspectives and neither was completely right or completely wrong. Their friends kept calling them both out on their behavior, too. I’m sure it helps that this book alternates from their points of view. In lesser hands, I could see this storyline favoring either side, but this really took the more mature, and realistic, approach. 

I do want to be clear that the mystery got more time than the relationship, but the relationship issues were a strong subplot. For me, they worked well together to hook me and make it hard to put the book down. 

I also appreciated that Sally got a new friend here. I hadn’t realized how much we needed that to help round out her character until we got it. Meanwhile, Jim’s sister visiting showed us a different side of his character. 

I’m glad I’m working on catching up on this series. I’m looking forward to seeing where Jim and Sally’s relationship goes. If you haven’t read Broken Trust yet, you are in for a treat. Trust me. 

Enjoy the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Book Review: Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #7)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Leaphorn and Chee finally team up in a great mystery

Cons: None for me 

The Bottom Line:

Two detectives meet

In case that draws readers in

As series changes

Leaphorn and Chee Finally Team Up

When I started Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series, I commented on how different the series is from what we get today. I get it. Not only was it a different tone in publishing, but I suspect the characters and series evolved as it was written. Either way, we are now on book seven, and the two characters are finally working on a case together. Skinwalkers was well worth the wait. 

Lt. Joe Leaphorn is concerned with the three homicides that have occurred on the Navajo Reservation this summer. They don’t appear to be connected, but he can’t help shake the idea that they are. Not that they have any clues to solve these crimes whether they are connected or not. 

Meanwhile, Officer Jim Chee barely misses being killed in the trailer where he lives. At first, Leaphorn thinks that Chee was targeted because of bad policing, but soon the two men think it ties in to the other homicides. But how?

I’ve already noticed that Hillerman likes these types of plots, the seemingly unconnected and therefore unsolvable cases. And he’s a master of them. Juggling the various homicides gives us plenty to keep us engaged, although I did have a hard time keeping the various players straight as a result. That might just be me. Either way, I appreciated how everything came together in the end. The climax was suspenseful while wrapping things up well. 

I enjoyed watching Leaphorn and Chee work together for the first time. While they knew of each other, this is the first time they have worked together, so there isn’t any history we have missed out on. Those scenes were fun for me. I also love that the two men are so different in how they feel about their heritage. It gives them distinction while also helping drive the story. I expect this will factor into future books even more. Finally, we did get an update about Chee’s personal life while finally learning something about Leaphorn’s. In his three solo books, there was very little about his life outside the case. 

These two characters really are co-leads. We got scenes from both of their third person points of view, and they each contributed to solving the case. I appreciated that. And any time the point of view changed, it was easy to follow. 

These two are the best drawn characters in the book. The rest are fine for their role, but they don’t get the page time needed to be fully fleshed out. Still, given how the plot unfolds, it works perfectly. 

Once again, I listened to the audiobook, narrated expertly by George Guidall. I always enjoy the way he brings the book to life. 

Now that the series has turned, I’m excited to see what comes next for the characters. Skinwalkers is another exciting mystery that proves why this series has been so popular over the years. 

Here are the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries. 

Book Review: Heaven Has No Rage by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and an entertaining mystery

Cons: One of the storylines was a little weak

The Bottom Line:

Body in a fire

Plus a stalker sending notes

Characters growing

Stalking a Fire

I’ve come to really enjoy Liz Milliron’s books. Since I’m up to date on her two other series for the moment, I’m hoping to really dig into the Laurel Highlands Mysteries this year. Thus, I prioritized Heaven Has No Rage, the second novel in the series, this month. 

This series features Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan and Assistant Public Defender Sally Castle. They are flirting at starting a relationship, although in the months since the previous book ended, things have been a little awkward between them. 

It’s now the middle of February, and Jim responds to a call in the middle of the night. A local ski resort has had a fire. Sadly, there’s a dead body in the burned-out chalet. Evidence appears to show that the victim didn’t die in the fire. Who was he? How did he die?

Meanwhile, Sally has started getting some weird notes. They are mildly threatening. Does she have a stalker?

This book does a great job of referencing the previous book without spoiling anything. Considering how much Jim and Sally’s relationship was impacted by the last book’s ending, that’s especially impressive. You could jump in here if you wanted without worry, although you’ll appreciate this book most if you’ve read them in order. 

Since these books are more police procedural/traditional, we start right out with the mystery. I did find one of the mysteries better than the other, but I was still drawn in for the climax of both, reading as quickly as I could to see how everything was going to play out. And I was enjoying the book the entire way through. 

There is a strong emphasis on the growing relationship between Jim and Sally, and I’m here for it. The issue in their relationship felt natural, and I was glad they made some progress on it before the end of the book. 

It helps that I really like both of them. They are solid characters you want to see happy. We get to know a some supporting characters from Jim’s life, and I like them as well. And the suspects are intriguing. 

As I said, this is more in the traditional vein than the cozy tradition, so keep that in mind when you pick it up. The book still keeps the violence, language, etc. to a minimum. 

I’m looking forward to watching these characters continue to grow as the series progresses. Heaven Has No Rage is a good second entry that will help hook fans. 

Plan more visits with the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries. 

Book Review: The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #22, Renee Ballard #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Compelling mysteries and great characters

Cons: All cons burned away

The Bottom Line:

A mentor’s cold case

Bring Bosch, Ballard together

Hard to put book down

An Old Case and Two Modern Ones Heat Up

I’m still about six years behind on Michael Connelly’s books, but I feel like I’m catching up.  Considering he often writes two books a year, I still have a few years to go before I’ll actually be reading his new releases as they are published.  But his books are so good  I’m enjoying catching up, and The Night Fire was another great one.

This book is the second time he’s teamed up retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch and current LAPD Detective Renee Ballard.  Renee typically works the night shift out of the Hollywood station, which means her cases are passed on to others, leaving her with time to work on other cases that catch her interest.

Which is what happens here when Bosch brings her an old murder book that his mentor, John Jack Thompson, took when he retired.  The case is decades old, but Bosch is hoping that Ballard can shake something lose by taking a fresh look at it.  Their initial review of the documents leaves them with questions about what work, if any, has been done in the last twenty years.  Can they find anything new?

Meanwhile, Bosch gets involved in a case his half-brother, Mickey Haller, was defending in court.  Is Mickey’s client guilty of killing a judge?  And Ballard gets involved in the case of a vagrant who was burned to death in his sleep.

Obviously, there is plenty to keep the reader engaged.  There are some other storylines that pop up for a scene or two that are just as entertaining as the main mysteries.  We might have a couple of things that are too convenient over the course of the story, but I didn’t mind because I was having fun, and I was enjoying seeing what unfolded as the book went along.  The climax was great and my questions were resolved when I was done.

As with the last team up with the two characters, we get chapters from both of their points of view.  That means, we get updates on other characters in each of their lives, which I appreciated.  It also means we get to see some growth in both of them.  Each time the point of view shifts, the change is clearly labeled, which is helpful.

Each character we meet, whether a regular we’ve met before or some kind or a suspect or just a random character, feels real, which always pulls me into the book.

This book introduces a storyline that I knew was coming, and I’m not going to like watching it play out in future books.  But it is what it is, and did play into this book well.

These books are police procedurals, so they have more sex, language, and violence than in the books I would typically read.  That holds true here again as well.  Usually, it’s easy to skim past the worst scenes if that kind of things bothers you, but keep that in mind before you pick up this or any of his other books.

I read this via audiobook again, and Titus Welliver and Christine Lakin shared narration duties.  This time, any time Bosch was speaking, Titus delivered his lines, and same for Christine as Ballard.  Then, each actor narrated the sections from their character’s point of view.  This was different from their first team up.  I found I enjoyed this, and it helped me get even more lost in the story.

The Night Fire proves why Michael Connelly is still considered one of the top of today’s mystery writers.  If you are looking for a book you won’t be able to put down, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.

Enjoy the rest of the Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard Mysteries.

Book Review: No Stone Left Unturned by Annette Dashofy (Detective Honeywell Mysteries #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and mystery

Cons: No cons found under the stones

The Bottom Line:

Shooting at clinic

Is there a darker motive?

Hard to put it down

Random Robbery?  Or Something More?

Normally, I try to space out the authors I read by at least two months, even authors I love.  This gives time for other authors to get on my reading list and it keeps me from burning out on authors I love.  (Yes, it does happen.)  But when Annette Dashofy’s publisher decided to release books three and four in her Detective Honeywell series about six weeks apart, I immediately knew I’d be reading them about six weeks apart.  I wouldn’t be able to wait any longer than that.  And No Stone Left Unturned was well worth breaking my self-imposed rule.

This series is set in Erie, Pennsylvania, and focuses on two characters.  Detective Matthias Honeywell works for the local police, while Emma Anderson is a photographer who has just started working the crime beat for a local online news site.  Matthias and Emma have recently started dating, and they are trying to navigate what that means for their jobs.

When Honeywell is called to the scene of a robbery turned shooting at a veterinary clinic, the case immediately becomes personal since he knows the man the robbers shot.  But he can’t help but question what happened.  It doesn’t feel like a true robbery but something personal.  Meanwhile, Emma is on hand getting shots from outside the clinic.  Given the connection Honeywell has to the case, Emma starts to dig into the background of the victim to try to see if she can uncover any leads to help.  Will they be able to find the perpetrator before he strikes again?

As with the previous books in the series, Matthias and Emma share time as our third person point of view character.  These changes are always obvious and do a great job of showing us the entire story as it unfolds.  And yes, Emma does find some things to advance the story.  Having said that, this book really focuses on Matthias and people from his world, letting us get to know them better.  I appreciated that focus, and feel like I have a good picture of all the main characters in the series now.  Because of the nature of the plot, we don’t get to know the suspects that well, but they are still strong enough to keep us engaged by what the mystery is uncovering.

And the mystery?  Annette Dashofy is a master at unraveling a mystery, and this book is no exception.  I followed along with everything the characters were thinking as they uncovered the clues and red herrings, but at the end, I was once again in awe at how everything came together.  Meanwhile, there are enough twists to make the book hard to put down, especially when I reached the final third.

I will say, having read this book so quickly after having read book three, I enjoyed seeing the threads and character moments that this book built upon more clearly.  There is something to be said for reading books closer together for that kind of thing.  Maybe I should reconsider my approach to catching up on series.

Having said that, there aren’t any spoilers for previous books here.  Any references to previous events are vague enough that you’ll be fine going back to read the earlier books if you haven’t yet.  But you’ll want to read them all, so you might as well jump in with the first.

Do keep in mind that these are police procedurals, so they aren’t the light, clean cozies I often read.  However, they also don’t go any further than they have to.  And they are completely worth it.

While the main mystery is wrapped up here, we do get while I’m sure is a tease about the next book in the series.  I’m already anxious to find out what happens to the characters in it.

No Stone Left Unturned is another page turner that will thrill Annette Dashofy’s fans.  She is one of the best mystery writers out there today.  If you aren’t reading her books, you are truly missing out and you need to fix that today.

Enjoy the rest of the Detective Honeywell Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Review: Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (Eve Ronin #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Plenty of wild action and fun

Cons: Characters are a little on the thing side

The Bottom Line:

A familiar corpse

A case laced with politics

Another fun book

Body in a Barrel

When you pick up a Lee Goldberg book, you know you are in for a wild ride that’s hard to put down. That was the case once again with Fallen Star, the sixth book in the Eve Ronin series. 

If you are new to the series, Eve is a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. And I wouldn’t suggest jumping in here. There are some spoilers for previous books since this book follows up on those stories. If you really wanted to, you could jump in here since everything you need to know is explained. 

Eve and her partner are called to the scene of a body found in the Malibu Lagoon. Of course, it couldn’t be a body floating in the water. That would be too easy. In this case, the body was found floating in a fifty-five-gallon drum. What’s even more shocking is that Eve recognizing the victim. With his ties to some of the most powerful people in the county, can she find the killer without getting impacted by the politics of the case?

Of course, if you think this case is going to be that simple, it’s a sign you aren’t familiar with this series. It spins off in some wild directions, and yet each twist and turn is believable while you are engrossed in the story. I was thinking at one point how nice it was that Eve has a team behind her, were each able to contribute something along the way to the logical climax. 

I will say, the characters are a tad on the thin side. Between the banter and the fast action, there isn’t as much time to get to know the characters on a deeper level. That’s not to say I don’t like them or care about them. It’s just that they could be a little deeper. And there were a group of characters I had a hard time keeping straight. That is due to how they were introduced. 

The exception to this is Eve. While the book is told in third person, we follow her closely, so we get to see a bit more of what she is struggling with. I liked getting to see what those struggles revealed about her. 

I mentioned banter earlier. The characters do joke around, and we have some running jokes I always appreciate seeing show up. The locker room humor is kept to a minimum here, which I appreciated. 

Keep in mind that these are police procedural books, so the level of violence and language is more than in the cozies I often read. 

As always, this book left me anxious for the next in the series. Fans will enjoy Fallen Star as much as I did. 

Do check out the rest of the Eve Ronin Mysteries. 

Book Review: The Devil Comes Calling by Annette Dashofy (Detective Honeywell Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great character in an intriguing mystery

Cons: Cons are from the Devil

The Bottom Line:

Double homicide

Coupled with face from the past

This book pulls you in

Matthias and Emma Hunt the Devil

It’s been almost two years since we got the second book in Annette Dashofy’s Detective Honeywell Mysteries. I’ve put that time to good use by catching up on her Zoe Chambers series. But I was excited to get my hands on The Devil Comes Calling, the third in this excellent series. 

The series focuses on Matthias Honeywell, a detective with Eire’s police department. We also follow photographer Emma Anderson. The two met in the first book and have recently started dating. The story unfolds from both of their third person points of view, and these switches are always clear. 

Honeywell is called to the scene of a double homicide. The victims were found in a home being renovated and were shot execution style. One of them was Emma’s predecessor as a crime beat photographer for ErieLIVE. While Honeywell conducts his investigation, Emma begins to wonder if a co-worker is involved. But with a complication from Honeywell’s past in town, will that distract him from the case?

Before we go any further, I do want to point out that this isn’t one of my cozies. As long as you know that when you pick up the book, you’ll be fine. 

This book continues a storyline that was featured in the second book (which continued a storyline from book one). Honestly, I wish I’d had the time to reread book two myself before jumping in here because it’s been two years since that entry was released. This is a series you really will want to read in order. But they are all fantastic, so you’ll be hooked when you start and want to read them all anyway. You might as well go back to the beginning. 

As always, the book starts well, but the suspense just builds the further you get into the book. While I was intrigued early on, it soon became almost impossible for me to put the book down. I figured out one plot point early, but I still didn’t see how things would weave together for the climax. Yet, when we reached the end, it all made sense. 

Just as Matthias and Emma are still getting to know each other, we are still getting to know them. This time, it is Matthias who has some of his backstory used for some nice character development. I enjoyed getting to see him shine a bit more. There are a few supporting characters who do add to the charm of the series. And the new cast were also well developed. I suspect we will see some of them again in the next book, which is coming soon. 

Fans will be happy to get to visit Matthias and Emma again. The Devil Comes Calling was well worth the wait. Don’t hesitate to start this series today. 

Get hooked by the rest of the Detective Honeywell Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

Book Review: The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Another interesting mystery with Chee

Cons: Missed the usual setting when in L.A.; a couple of niggles with the climax

The Bottom Line:

Tracking for Bureau

Chee follows trail to L.A.

Complex mystery

A Hunt That Takes Chee to Los Angeles

I was happy to return to the Navajo Reservation with The Ghostway, the sixth in Tony Hillerman’s long running series. We are once again focused on police officer Jim Chee, and it’s another intriguing book. 

It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?

As I said, this book is intriguing with plenty of elements that don’t seem connected. Yet, I had faith it would all come together, and it did brilliantly. I figured a couple of things out early, but I still didn’t know what they meant for the big picture until Chee pieced it all together at the end. I do have a couple of quibbles with how things played out, but they aren’t a big deal. 

Normally, I enjoy it when I’m reading a book set in Los Angeles since I’m familiar with it. This time, it was a bit of a disappointment. I missed being on the reservation for those chapters. Fortunately, the majority of the book still takes place there. 

I was intrigued to see a subplot popped up here involving Cher’s love life. I was certain we wouldn’t hear about the character again since she wasn’t in the previous book. I appreciated that it allowed us to see a bit more of Chee outside of his police exploits. 

This book originally came out in the 1980’s, and it shows. While we do see a bit more of Chee’s personal life, it is very much kept in the background. We are still mostly focused on the case. Meanwhile, I always laugh when Chee has to find a phone or is cut off from everyone on the reservation. How easy it is to forget what those times were like. 

Once again, I listened to this on audio. George Guidall continues his excellent narration here. 

The next book in the series is the first time that Chee works with the series’ other protagonist, Joe Leaphorn. I’m looking forward to that. But if you haven’t yet read Jim Chee’s last solo putting, pick up The Ghostway today. 

Here are the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries. 

Book Review: Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #0.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Meeting Jim and Sally in six good mysteries

Cons: A couple of these short stories are a little straight forward

The Bottom Line:

Series begins here

With these six good short stories

You’ll want to read more

Meet Jim and Sally in These Short Stories

When I read the first Lauren Highlands novel earlier this year, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t where we really meet the characters.  They’d been introduced in a series of short stories.  Murder Most Scenic collects them all into one place, so I picked it up to really see how it all begins.

We get six short stories here.  The first one introduces us to Jim Duncan, a State Trooper in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  Here’s, he’s investigating the mysterious death of a woman in a rental cabin.  And it’s how he meets assistant public defender Sally Castle, who is assigned to defend his prime suspect.  Despite the fact that the two might be on different sides, they are both driven by a desire for justice, and they wind up both getting involved in solving the case.

Over the course of the next five stories, they get involved when a politician’s wife is murder, when a baseball player is killed, when the president of the local 4J club is killed in a barn, and when a brewery contest’s frontrunner is killed.

There is one of these stories that is not like the others.  That one features Deputy Coroner Tom Bruns, who gets pulled into a case when it becomes personal for him.  Jim is a supporting player, and Sally has a cameo.  So, it still features the characters and lets us get to know one of the series’ supporting players better.

Honestly, since I’d just read the one book with the characters, I didn’t remember much about the characters other than Jim and Sally.  It will be interesting to see how some of the supporting players I’ve met here pop up in the series.

And, of course, there’s Jim and Sally.  They are slowly admitting, at least to themselves, that they are attracted to each other.  I enjoyed their flirting in these stories.

The mysteries themselves are good.  Short stories don’t always deliver the twists that a full novel does, so a couple of these were straight forward.  Others kept me guessing until the end, which is always the sign of a good short story to me.

Do keep in mind that these are police procedurals and not cozies.  Some of the content is beyond what you’d find in a cozy.  But as long as you know to expect that, you’ll be fine.

Now that I’ve gone back and properly met the characters, I’m looking forward to spending more time with them in the novels.  If you haven’t read these stories yet, you’ll be glad you picked up Murder Most Scenic today.

Enjoy the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Book Review: The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great mystery with a good main character

Cons: None worth blowing into the light

The Bottom Line:

Witness a plane crash

But why was it running dark?

Well plotted story

Plane Crash Brings Mystery

I have three authors I’m rotating on audio at the moment, and I got to all three recently. The one I had the most trouble getting was the oldest, The Dark Wind, the fifth in Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series. Maybe that was because of the show on AMC that uses this book as the name of the show? Either way, I’m glad the wait at the library, where I get all my audios, wasn’t too long since I enjoyed it. 

While this is the fifth in the series, it’s the second to feature Jim Chee, and he still hasn’t really interacted with Joe Leaphorn yet. Not that I’m complaining too loudly since it is nice to get to know them separately for now. Anyway, Chee has moved to a new police station on the Navajo reservation, and he’s struggling to solve cases now that he’s in an area where he isn’t familiar with the residents and they don’t yet trust him. For example, he’s supposed to be solving the case of a John Doe, but he can’t even figure out who the man was. And he is supposed to stop the repeated sabotage of a windmill, but there are no clues. 

When Chee decides to spend a night staking out the windmill in the hopes of catching the vandal in the act, he is on hand when an airplane crashes nearby. A plane that was running without lights and flying below the radar. Clearly, it’s a Federal case, and Chee doesn’t intend to get involved. But the Feds seem to think he is involved. Can he figure out what happened without looking any more guilty?

This book came out in the early 80’s, and books were different back then. This really could be read as a standalone. There is no discussion of his personal life, including the potential love interest introduced in the previous book. We get some discussion about his family, but don’t meet them. In fact, if you wanted to jump in here, you easily could. 

Now, this isn’t to say that the characters are bad. They might not be how we expect them to be today, but they are still interesting a fleshed out enough for us to care about the outcome. 

The focus is on the mystery with little in the way of subplots to distract us, and it is very well done. There are enough complications to keep us engaged in the story, but when Chee pieces things together, they made sense. I even let a red herring distract me at one point. 

As always, the land of the reservation comes to life as we read the book. And we get some more insight into Navajo culture without it slowing down the story. 

I mentioned earlier that I read this via audiobook. George Guidall is still doing an excellent job of narrating these stories for us. 

All told, The Dark Wind is a strong second outing for Jim Chee. While I’m anxious for him to team up with Leaphorn, I’m enjoying getting to know him on his own for now. 

Here are the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee novels. 

Book Review: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (Bosch #21 and Ballard #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Two characters balanced well in an entertaining mystery

Cons: A few things could have been better fleshed out

The Bottom Line:

Team up introduced

Well balanced for series fans

Keeps us entertained

I Sense the Beginning of a Beautiful Partnership

Since I first heard that Michael Connelly was teaming up his long time main character, Harry Bosch, with his newest (at the time) main character, Renee Ballard, I was curious to read it. Obvious he liked it since he’s continued to do that with the characters for several more books. I’ve finally to the point in his backlog so I am reading that first partnership, Dark Sacred Night, and I enjoyed it overall. 

It all starts one night when Ballard catches Bosch breaking into the file cabinets in the Hollywood police station. While he claims he is feeling nostalgic for his old case files, she doesn’t believe him. Some investigating on her own leads Ballard to the conclusion that Bosch is working on a case involving a teen who was murdered and left in an alley dumpster over 10 years before and she gets herself involved in the case. Will the two of them solve this cold case together?

Of course, neither of the detectives are working on just the one case. For Bosch, he has a new lead on a cold gang related slaying in San Fernando, where he is working cold cases as a volunteer. Ballard gets several different cases as part of her regular duties as a detective on the overnight shift. 

While I’ve been reading Connelly’s books in order, most of the time, the only thing that carries over from one book to the next is the personal life developments. That’s not the case here. The main mystery that the two detectives are trying to solve was introduced in the previous Bosch novel, Two Kind of Truth. I’ve got to admit, it took me longer than it should have to realize that fact considering I read the previous book just a few months ago. I do suggest you read that book first since much of Bosch’s story here is an outflow of that book. 

The book is split between Bosch and Ballard, getting several chapters at a time from each’s point of view. The changes are always labeled. This allows us to get updates on what is going on with each of them and the characters in their lives, something I appreciated.

I did feel like the sub cases each were dealing with individually were a little underdeveloped. This mostly happened on Ballard’s side of things. Still, they were entertaining. 

And the main case? It kept my interest. I did have a couple of niggles with it, including how stupid Ballard was at the end. But overall, I was satisfied with how it wrapped up. 

My standard disclaimer with this series comes into play here.  These are police procedurals, and include more language, sex, and violence than I typically read.  Know that before you pick up the book.

As usual, I read this via audio book. Since the two characters have chapters where they are center stage, we get two narrators. Titus Welliver is still narrating the Bosch portion of the book, but Christine Lakin has taken over the Ballard portion. Yes, they each read everything in the chapters they are reading. It took a little bit to adjust, but I did quickly and enjoyed both of their performances. 

I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Ballard and Bosch team ups go. If Dark Sacred Night, and the rest of Connelly’s books, are in indication, I’ll enjoy them. 

Here are the rest of the Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard novels. 

Book Review: Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #20)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Bosch and the characters; the case from the past

Cons: The modern case isn’t as compelling as normal

The Bottom Line:

A killing for drugs

And fresh evidence; old case

One story struggled

Two Kinds of Cases

I haven’t gotten back to my audio books quite as quickly as I had hoped this year. As a result, I just finally got a chance to listen to Two Kinds of Truth, the twentieth Harry Bosch book from Michael Connelly. While I did enjoy it, I found it a bit more uneven than I normally expect. 

Bosch is still working for the San Fernando police department in a consulting capacity, focusing on the cold cases the department has. However, it’s all hands on deck when a double homicide happens in a pharmacy in town. Bosch quickly determines that the motive might not be robbery but something to do with prescription drugs. 

However, Bosch’s focus is spilt. One of the killers he put away almost three decades ago is trying to get his conviction overturned. He claims that new DNA evidence clears him, which would mean the key piece of evidence against him was planted. Since no one at the LAPD will have his back, Bosch knows he has to clear his reputation himself. But can he fight the DNA results?

Bosch having two cases in a book is hardly new. And, usually, there’s one I find more compelling than the other while still enjoying both of them. Here, there was a big difference for me. I felt like the modern case was too straightforward. The story was more to tie in to the opioid crisis as it was when the book came out in 2017 and Connelly didn’t quite know how to make it as twisty as he normally would. It’s not that it was bad, but it wasn’t compelling. Any time that was front and center, and it got plenty of page time, I was ready for the book to get back to the story I cared about. 

Because what was going on with the old case was very interesting. It presents a bit of a locked room puzzle, and seeing how Bosch worked through what was happening was a lot of fun. It helped that this storyline brought in a couple of the Lincoln Lawyer characters. 

Speaking of characters, we get to see a couple of supporting characters from earlier in the series again, which was great. 

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think about how a book’s frame of a story makes all the difference. I’ve read books where we were certain someone had been falsely convicted of a crime and were working to overturn the injustice. In this case, we were certain Bosch had arrested the right person thirty years ago and wanted to make certain they stayed there. It’s all about how the author sets things up. And how much we trust the characters. 

All the characters here were their usual interesting selves. Bosch did do some things in the middle of the book that I wish he’d stop doing, but I get why he was doing them. That’s a minor issue for me. As usual, I enjoyed catching up with those characters who popped up here. 

Do keep in mind these are police procedurals, so the content is a little more than some of what I read. As long as you know this going in, you’ll be fine. 

As I said, I read this via audio. Titus Welliver is now three books into narrating the series, and I’m getting used to his way of reading to us. I enjoyed his performance. 

Overall, I did enjoy Two Kinds of Truth. Fans of Bosch will be glad they read it. 

Check out the rest of the Harry Bosch novels. 

Book Review: Root of All Evil by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong debut mystery novel and leaves me anxious for more

Cons: A few issues, but nothing to truly dampen my enjoyment.

The Bottom Line:

Drug dealer is back

With an attorney murdered

Are they connected?

Drugs and Scandal

Since I’ve enjoyed both of Liz Milliron’s other series, I’ve been meaning to go back and read Root of All Evil, her first novel and the first book in her Laurel Highlands series.  I’ve even had this book for several years.  I’m glad I finally sat down to read this book.

The series centers on Jim Duncan, a Pennsylvania State Trooper in Fayette County, and Sally Castle, an assistant public defender for the county.  Despite the fact that these two would often be on the opposite sides, the two have formed a friendship that has the potential to turn into something more.

As this book starts, rumors that Aaron Trafford is back in the area have reached Jim’s ears.  It’s bad news for sure since Aaron dodged a drug conviction the year before.  He was guilty.  Everyone knew he was guilty.  But somehow, he got off.  Jim wants to get Aaron this time before he gets too established.

Meanwhile, Sally walks into work on a Monday morning to find one of her co-workers dead, shot in his office.  Colin had been acting squirrely all weekend, but what was he involved in?  Determined to find out, Sally steps outside of her job to poke around.

As the cases begin to converge, Sally becomes even more involved, much to Jim’s dismay.  Will the duo figure out what is going on?

As I said earlier, I’ve enjoyed Liz’s other books, so I was expecting to enjoy this book when I sat down to read it.  I did find a couple of things that bothered me, but they might be my fault as much as the book’s fault.

The book started well, not wasting too much time on the set up before we are really plunged into the mystery.  However, I did feel the pacing was a bit uneven in the middle before picking up again as we raced toward the climax.  But that might be me.  Real life got in the way of my reading and kept me from reading at my normal pace, so that might be why it felt this way to me.  Either way, I appreciated the logic of the climax even if it required the characters to act in a way I didn’t feel was the smartest.

I knew there were some short stories with these characters, but I didn’t investigate where they fell into the series chronology before picking up this book.  Turns out, they take place before this book.  As a die hard read in order person, I should have investigated just a bit more.  However, a bit more of an introduction to the characters would have been nice here.  I felt like we were thrust in with little context at the beginning of the story.  Still, you can bet I will be getting that short story collection, Murder Most Scenic, and reading it soon.

That’s not to say I didn’t get to know the characters and their relationships as the book progressed.  The story is pretty much split between Sally and Jim’s points of view.  The changes are always easy to identify, which I am grateful for.  This allowed us to get to know both of them really well, and I do like them both as characters.  I’m rooting for them to get together already.  The rest of the characters are also well developed based on how much page time we get.  I’m curious to see who will become series regulars and who were just introduced for this book.  I have a few I’m not sure about, although I wouldn’t mind seeing them again.

Liz is good friends with Annette Dashofy, and Annette has borrowed Jim Duncan in a couple of her Zoe Chambers Mysteries.  A significant part of the last book in that series takes place here, as well.  Sadly, that’s my only real knowledge of this part of the country, but I enjoyed getting to visit it in back to back books since it made it feel like I was in more familiar territory.

This is a police procedural, so it has some more content and a darker tone than some of the books I read.  Know that going in and you should be okay.

I’m glad I finally got a chance to visit the Laurel Highlands and officially meet Jim and Sally.  Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I get a chance to visit them again.  If you are looking for a good first novel, you’ll be glad you picked up Root of All Evil.

Visit the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Book Review: What Comes Around by Annette Dashofy (Zoe Chambers #13)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and mystery to pull you in

Cons: The cons never came around

The Bottom Line:

Confronting Davis

How does a murder tie in?

Always excellent

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.