Category: Mystery

Murder In Just Cause by Anne Cleeland

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Murder in Just Cause: A Doyle & Acton Mystery (The Doyle & Acton Mystery Series Book 9)Murder in Just Cause: A Doyle & Acton Mystery by Anne Cleeland

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Doyle and Acton Mysteries #9
Publication Date: 2/24/19
Number of Pages: 251

I am always excited when a new addition to the Doyle and Acton Mysteries series is released. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It is well written, well plotted and the characters are complex and interesting. You can read this as a stand-alone book, but to get the real flavor for the characters, you really need to read at least the first couple of books – but why not read them all, they are all good, fun and quirky.

Scotland Yard has been through scandal after scandal over the last several books and many – if not most – of the higher-ups are either jailed or removed from their jobs. They are working short-handed, but hopefully, all of the bad actors and the scandals are behind them so they can concentrate on protecting the citizens and providing justice.

It is Doyle’s first day back from maternity leave and the powers-that-be have decided to ease her back into the routine by having her assist DS Munoz on her cases. They are almost immediately dispatched out to the scene of a dead body that they assume is an overdose. It is in the slum area that is riddled with drugs, so the assumption is a reasonable one. However, when they arrive, they discover that it is not self-induced – not accidentally nor purposefully. They have a murder on their hands.

Acton quickly arrives on the scene because he’s not happy that Doyle has been sent into that neighborhood. To say that Acton is a determinedly protective husband would be putting it very mildly. Not long after he arrives, he realizes that there is more to this scene than meets the eye. He quickly comes to understand that it was a set-up as a way to ambush DS Munoz and the only reason it didn’t go as planned was that Doyle was there also.

We soon learn that the last of the corruption isn’t yet out of Scotland Yard and that if things aren’t handled with finesse, there will be yet another scandal. As usual – Acton is behind the scenes manipulating things to work out the way he wants – and he keeps poor Doyle in the dark. Doesn’t matter, she always figures him out and calls him out on it.

This is a lovely, fun, quirky, and interesting read

Connections In Death by J.D. Robb

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, MysteryLeave a comment

Connections in Death (In Death, #48)Connections in Death by J.D. Robb

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: In Death #48
Publication Date: 2/5/19
Number of Pages: 384

You might think that after 48 books this series would start to get stale, but that is definitely NOT the case. I look forward to each new book with as much enthusiasm as I did at the beginning of the series. I have absolutely loved watching Eve’s transformation – which is why I am a firm believer that you really should read the series from the beginning – or at least read the first five or six books to get an idea of who Eve and Roarke are and where they came from. You won’t regret it. I’ve seen several reviewers who have said that they think Eve and Roarke should have a baby, but since I’m positive that would end the series, I disagree with that. Besides, they have only been married for two or three years, so give them some time – and more books.

I adore all of the recurring characters in the series, so it was nice to have a reappearance of Crack. This time, he has a love interest and it will be nice to see where that goes in future books.

Lots of progress has been made on Roarke and Eve’s new school and youth center – An Didean (means Haven). It is state-of-the-art and offers everything a disadvantaged youth could need to become successful in life. One of the things it offers is psychological counseling and Roarke is in the process of hiring a head psychologist. Dr. Rochelle Pickering is a psychologist specializing in children – and she is Roarke’s top pick as the head psychologist. The fact that she is the love interest of Eve’s friend Crack is unexpected, but not unwelcome.

When Eve’s link signaled, she almost ignored it, until she noticed that the incoming was from Crack and he almost never tagged her. Something serious must be up – and it was. Crack and Rochelle discovered the body of her brother as they returned to Rochelle’s apartment after an evening out. Crack immediately called Eve rather than calling police dispatch – he wanted someone he trusted and someone he knew would stand for Lyle (Rochelle’s brother) and wouldn’t just write it off as an overdose.

Eve’s investigation brings her to admire the young man who had turned his life around. He’d gone from a member of the Bangers gang to prison to leading a straight life and having nothing to do with the gang or drugs. Could it be the gang who held him down and shot a lethal dose of drugs into him? Who else would have wanted him dead? Eve’s investigation takes her into the dangerous Underground, into gang territories and even to sleazy disbarred lawyers before she finally rounds up all of the culprits.

Eve and Roarke are always a wonderful read, and this is no exception. The book is well written, the plot is well executed and the characters are some of the best and strongest I’ve read. I love that Eve takes things literally and always questions and really messes up those old axioms/sayings – like March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. She’s funny, bright, serious and totally dedicated to those victims whose deaths she investigates.

Another great read and I highly recommend it!