Review: Someone Rotten Riding the Rails (The Accidental Detective Book 6) by Kris Bock

 

Kate Tessler and her crew of misfits set out to blow the whistle on two feuding crime families . . .

Former war correspondent Kate Tessler has solved multiple murders since returning to her Arizona hometown, to the grudging appreciation of the local police. Now Detective Padilla and the FBI approach Kate with a proposal. Two Russian crime families have rented a private historic train to the Grand Canyon for their children’s wedding. The route is scenic and remote. No cell phones. The FBI needs to surveil, but anyone infiltrating the train must be above suspicion.

Kate poses as herself, sent by the newspaper to cover the society wedding, while her sister Jen is the photographer. Their multi-generational and eccentric crew pose as train staff. The goal is to observe, but that quickly derails when the groom disappears, and a search for him turns up a dead body. Everyone’s a suspect and trapped on the train.

The mob families won’t contact the police, so it’s up to Kate and friends to uncover the truth before their whole mission goes off the tracks.

 

My Review:

Exciting and unpredictable.

A wedding on a train between rival Russian mafia families.  What could go wrong?  This book is a nail biter and I had a hard time putting it down.  I just needed to know what happened next.  It is the perfect mystery story; interesting and unpredictable.  I enjoyed catching up with Kate, Jen and the Coffee Shop Irregulars.  Even though this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. 

Review: A Stolen Shadow (Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery Book 7) by H L Marsay

 

This winter, the York pantomime opens as a farce but closes as a murder scene…

Chief Inspector John Shadow returns from a rare holiday to Italy but before he can unpack, he’s investigating the theft of an antique sabre. Everyone involved assumes it’s a prank, however later that evening, a reluctant Shadow attends the local pantomime—his least favorite form of entertainment—with his star struck sergeant. They watch stunned as Prince Charming dies on stage. Shadow suspects poison and launches an investigation. When he discovers the missing sabre backstage, Shadow realises the theft was no joke and the entire cast and crew are murder suspects. Then another body is found….

John Shadow is a man of contradictions. A solitary figure who shuns company but is a keen observer of all he meets. A lover of good food, but whose fridge is almost always empty. He prefers to work alone but is assisted by the eager Sergeant Jimmy Chang. Together, the two men must work through an ever increasing list of jealous husbands, angry fathers and spurned lovers to discover the identity of the killer.

 

My Review:

Intriguing and unpredictable.

First, it’s a stolen antique sabre, then it’s the murder of a pantomime actor and his business partner.  Chief Inspector Shadow and his sergeant, Jimmy Chang, have their hands full solving this crime where anyone could be the killer.  I have to admit, I did not figure out who the killer was until their identity was revealed.  It came as a total surprise.  I really enjoy it when a mystery book is written so well, with lots of suspects, that could have possibly been the killer.  When I find out the killer is one of the last ones I expected, that makes a great story.  This is a great addition to the Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery series and I highly recommend it.

Review: ER Doc's Las Vegas Reunion by Denise N. Wheatley

 

Will she roll the dice on a second chance when she’s reunited with the man from her past? Find out in Denise N. Wheatley’s Las Vegas–set debut for Harlequin Medical Romance!

WILL HER GAMBLE PAY OFF?

The last place straitlaced Dr. Eva Gordon expects to call home is Las Vegas. But when her famous fiancé abruptly ends their engagement, Eva’s desperate to escape her small town and its gossipmongers. Yet, whilst Fremont General provides a clean slate, Dr. Clark Malone makes her history impossible to forget… Because Eva’s new colleague was once her best friend, before an evening of passion changed everything. Could her fresh start lead to their second chance?
 

 

My Review:

An amazing second chance romance. 

I just found a new addiction in the form of a book. I read through this book in record time. It was that good. The romance and passion were off the charts. The ER scenes seemed so real and very detailed. The chemistry between Eva and Clark was the best. I really enjoyed the secondary characters too. I don’t think this story could have gotten any better. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

Review: Lucky Strike (Love in El Dorado Book 3) by Janine Amesta

Is finding an unexpected gem a lucky strike?

After getting a late jumpstart in life, Luna Lanza isn’t afraid to get what she wants, including the place of her dreams. When she loses out on the perfect duplex and settles for a standard apartment, she’s disappointed. But Luna remains determined to make it work, even if it sparks a contentious relationship with her new landlord– the same guy she accidentally kissed in an impromptu photo shoot.

Still grieving the sudden death of his brother, reformed bad boy Sam Sunderland feels trapped managing his father’s rundown apartment building. When the spunky beauty, who unexpectedly kissed him, moves in full of ideas, he can’t help being intrigued– that is until she starts changing things behind his back, endangering his position and the relationship with his father.

Sam and Luna wrangle over rules and misunderstandings while fighting against the undeniable attraction between them. It’s a hard lesson to learn that ‘perfect’ can take many different forms. But will the renovations they do together lay a foundation to something more?

 

My Review:

Fun and original.

This book is sweet and tender, funny and emotional.  From the very first (accidental) kiss, I couldn’t wait to see how Luna and Sam would find their way to each other.  While reading this book, I went through all sorts of emotions, I laughed and felt sad and cheered for Luna and Sam.  They deserved a happily ending after all they went through to get there.  This writer really has a way with words.  She pulled me into the story from the very start and when I was finished reading the book, I still needed more.