The Finders

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Finders is a the first book in a new series by Jeffrey Burton. Mace Reid, the dog whisperer, is a dog trainer who maintains a group of cadaver dogs with song-inspired names. He adopts a golden retriever puppy who proves to be exceptionally talented at sniffing out bad guys. In a story with twists and turns, Mace and Vira (the retriever) get mixed up with a serial killer or two, while Mace tries to figure out how to romance the attractive police officer who initially rescued Vira (or, Honey Bear as she calls her). Great start to what I hope is an ongoing series. Recommended for fans of Paula Munier and Margaret Mizushima.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for access to a digital ARC.

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The third in the Zoe Bentley Series

Thicker than Blood by Mike Omer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is the final book in the Zoe Bentley/Rod Glover story arc (though I’m not sure if it’s the final book in the series). Dr. Zoe Bentley and her partner, Special Agent Tatum Grey, return to Chicago on the the tail of Rod Glover. The action heats up as multiple confounding factors interfere with the investigation, and Zoe must deal with her residual trauma from her sister’s encounter with Glover. While I didn’t find this book as strong as the first book, it provided a satisfying conclusion to the story. I’m interested to see if Omer continues the series with Zoe and Tatum on the hunt for other baddies!

I received access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

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See my review for the previous book in the series, In the Darkness.

Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery

This is the second book about Vera Kelly, a twenty-something gay woman trying to make a life in 1960’s NYC. I hadn’t read the first book–and hadn’t even realized that there was a first book– so it’s safe to say that this works as a stand-alone. In 1967, homosexuality is not accepted in mainstream society, and Vera’s outing after her girlfriend moves out costs Vera her job. She decides to fall back on the skills learned as a CIA agent and open a private investigator agency.

As might be expected, both her sex and her sexuality work against here, but Vera is undaunted. When she takes a case looking for a Dominican couple’s missing nephew, she finds a lot more than she bargained for. This is good mix-up of a missing person mystery and a spy thriller, and I was rooting for Vera all the way.

Recommended for those looking for a strong female lead in a setting that’s out of the ordinary.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher (WW Norton) via NetGalley.

Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another great addition to the Mary Russell canon. This series works well because it’s not just another Sherlock Holmes knock-off; Sherlock is present, but as a supporting character and these are Mary’s stories. Throughout the series, we’ve seen Mary grow from a 15-year-old girl struggling with the deaths of her family to become a self-assured woman of 25.

In this outing, Mary travels to the Riviera where she encounters some ex-pat Americans, including a couple named Scotty and Zelda, as well as Pablo Picasso, and Mrs. Hudson. After the adventures in the Murder of Mary Russell, Mrs Hudson has retreated to the Mediterranean.

Despite now knowing about Clarissa Hudson’s past, Mary only feels love and gratitude towards the woman who brought acceptance and warmth into her teenage years. When Mrs Hudson is accused of murder, Mary maintains her faith in the woman and continues to show Sherlock that he still doesn’t understand women as she follows the threads to the end.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for access to a digital ARC.



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