Category: Contemporary

Paradox by Catherine Coulter

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Paradox (FBI Thriller #22)Paradox by Catherine Coulter

Barbara’s Rating: ** 4.5 of 5 suspenseful stars **

Series: FBI Thriller #22
Publication Date: 7/31/18

Another pulse-pounding, non-stop action addition to the FBI Thriller series. This time it is very, very personal to Savich and Sherlock. In the early hours of the morning, Sherlock is awakened when she hears a series of almost inaudible chirps coming from their home alarm. That means that their home alarm isn’t active and being smart, savvy FBI agents, they have a plan for that. Savich heads downstairs to investigate and Sherlock heads to the nursery. The sight Sherlock sees knocks the breath from her. Someone is standing over her sleeping son and he has a knife in one hand and a gun in the other. After a bit of verbal and physical altercation, the culprit escapes through the cut screen in the window. Were they going to kidnap Sean for a ransom or was it even more sinister because someone wanted revenge against Savich or Sherlock?

Thus begins the first of the four mysteries that will be solved. I love that there isn’t just one case per book – just as in real life, the agents have more than one case to solve at a time. I also love the characters. They are all well-written and relatable. In addition to the continuing characters of Savich and Sherlock, we meet FBI agent Sala Porto who is both a victim and an investigator and Willicott, Maryland’s Police Chief Ty Christie.

Ty gets up very early each morning to have a cup of the sludge-thick Turkish coffee she loves. As she walks onto her back deck she sees a small rowboat out on foggy Lake Massey. There are two figures in the boat, but she can’t determine if they are male or female or even make out anything recognizable about them. Then, to her astonishment, one swings the boat oar at the other and then pushes the body off the boat and into the lake. Ty immediately calls in her deputies and then gets into her own boat and heads out to see if she can rescue the victim. There isn’t a body there! Was the body already weighted before they were struck and dumped into the water? Ty then calls in the local who drags the lake to search for the body. They are all shocked when they not only find the body but bones from a number of other skeletons. Somebody has been using the lake as a body dumping ground for a very long time. Does Willicott have a serial killer in its midst?

Are all of the cases interrelated? The investigations intertwine and separate and intertwine and separate. That is just to say that there are many, many unexpected twists and turns.

I do have to say that I miss seeing Savich’s ‘visions’ playing a part in the case and I also missed MAX even though he was featured just a bit.

It was a great read and I hope you’ll love it as much as I did.

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Murder in Spite by Anne Cleeland

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Contemporary, MysteryLeave a comment

Murder in Spite (New Scotland Yard/Doyle and Acton, #8)Murder in Spite by Anne Cleeland

Barbara’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: New Scotland Yard/Doyle and Acton #8
Publication Date: 9/16/18

Anne Cleeland writes marvelously quirky characters in very intelligent and well-crafted books. Acton and Doyle’s relationship is highly improbable while also being delightfully entertaining and intriguing. Acton is absolutely obsessed with the fey Doyle and the ensuing story is always delightful. Lessons learned from reading this series: (1) Ghosts immediately lose their ability to speak in straightforward, linear language as soon as they cross over. They speak in hints, riddles, and ambiguity. (2) Acton will always be up to something he shouldn’t be and will always try to keep it hidden from Doyle. (3) Doyle will always find out what Acton is up to and will get herself into trouble trying to stop it.

Just as an FYI, this series is best read in order from the beginning because each story builds upon the last. You can certainly read this book as a stand-alone and still enjoy the mystery, but you’ll miss out on who the people are and their relationships.

In the last book, Murder in Misdirection, Acton, Doyle, and crew brought down a huge sex-trafficking ring that reached into some of the highest levels of London’s Metropolitan Police Force. The aftermath has left the Met very shorthanded and the remaining crooks trying to cover their tracks. Also, at the end of the last book, Doyle gave birth to Edward.

This book begins with Acton taking Doyle and Edward (and their entourage) to Dublin to visit Doyle’s childhood haunts. He wants her away from London and all that is going on there. He wants her to rest and enjoy being a mother after her narrow escape from a rooftop. Doyle is sure that Acton has an ulterior motive for getting her out of London, but if it gets him away too, then that is good with her. Then, Edward and his nanny are almost pushed from the train. Doyle takes it as an accident, but Acton is on high alert from that point on. He immediately changes all of their pre-booked travel plans and assures that Doyle and Edward are always accompanied wherever they go.

As soon as they arrive, Acton is summoned to the local Garda (police) station. They had a dead body turn up right on the Garda’s entry steps and the victim had come to the station the day before wanting to get in contact with Acton. The Irish Garda is immediately suspicious of Acton. Acton is immediately up to something – covering up what has happened, but Doyle doesn’t have a clue why. Then, they learn of a bishop’s murder in London. Are the two murders related?

Poor Doyle has to figure out what is going on with the murders, figure out what Acton is up to and deal with two ghosts who are haunting her dreams and leaving her with very ambiguous clues to what is going on.

Cleeland’s stories always have a lot going on and this one is no exception. The personal lives of their entourage also keep Doyle and Acton busy, so that relaxing and happy vacation just never quite materializes. We also meet someone new that I think will be a continuing character. She is a young Pakistani intern, Nazy, at the local Garda station. I liked her and it will be interesting to see how she fits into future stories.

I certainly recommend this entire series and I can’t wait for the next adventure.

Please check out my reviews at:
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”