Image via WikipediaFirst In The Pointer Mystery Series
By Kath Russell
Kath Russell didn't have to do much to acquire a new fan! First, she started a new series, which I always enjoy. Next she added a wonderfully funny animal who is the side-kick of the lead female. And, best of all, she placed a mature woman as her lead character! How coooooool is all that! Now I enjoy any intelligent, tough, gritty female character, but since I've been around a little now, it is always a wonderful treat to read about older women who are exciting, enjoying life, laughing, playing, and...getting herself into trouble...LOL! Top all that with a great mystery, and I just have to add that I loved the whole package!
Nola Billingsley had started up a dot.com company, but a credit card check on her company's cards revealed there was an employee/thief using his card to embezzle! In fact, he was setting up his new girlfriends apartment with purchases from Ikea and many other places.
Things had been going bad, but this forced Nola and her co-founders to finally face the issues and close the company. I have to include that the thief had checked her insurance, and when discovered, calmly pointed out that her coverage would take care of it!
Ahhhh, the young people of today...
Fortunately, Nola had fall-back contacts and work since she had been a former biotechnology consultant and there were many new companies looking for somebody who had both her technical and marketing skills. Soon Nola was contacting potential new clients. But she was also working with the police regarding the theft--and was immediately attracted to Harrison, the assigned officer.But life was not going to settle back into a routine...
Now we come to the fun! Meeting Skooch! Ok, he may not be exactly involved in helping to solve cases, at least not this time. But he did discover the body--does that count? And the body, which had been beheaded was Nola's employee/thief! Obviously there were others who had a problem with his cavalier life style.
Fortunately, something good came out of this horrible find. The entire case, which was now a murder case that involved theft, was assigned to another officer. Which left Harrison to ask Nola out on a date! Cool...
Now seems the perfect time, though, to add another important character. Janie Belle is Nola's mother; they live together. Not a great situation for getting to know a new man in your life--but for we readers it adds even more hilarity to the trio--Nola, plus Skooch and Janie Belle--with whom Harrison must make nice. Actually, he did very well with all of that and I'm already hoping he stays as part of the series. What is more fun than an amateur sleuth who has a police boyfriend who constantly tells her to stay out of everything...but figures she probably won't...
Now the reason behind the murder does indeed deal with biotechnological espionage and soon Nola gathers a group of her coworkers who all feel they are better to deal with what is going on than the police. Nola meets a new friend, Karin plus former partners and they do indeed figure out who, what, when and where. I'm not sharing any more on that except to say that the espionage is intriguing, involving a foreign country who plans to use medical drugs for an entirely different reason--quite complex enough to make readers get involved to help solve the "why." of it all.
Great mystery and funny, wonderful characters. Kath Russell, in my opinion, you've got a winning combination! When is your next novel coming out?
Book Received Via
Bostick Communications
GABixlerReviews
I hope I can get the second book in the series, called Pointing the Zinc Finger, out by year-end. But first, I have to promote this book, do taxes, etc., etc., etc. ... Ain't modern life a challenge!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the incredibly thorough review!
Kath Russell
Hey, thanks...I was just going to send you the link and see that you found it! Great!
ReplyDeleteI wish you much success with your book promotion activities!