Showing posts with label lead female character. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lead female character. Show all posts

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Review: Great New Series Started by Kath Russell!

Spanish pointerImage via Wikipedia
A Pointed Death:


First 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...


A Pointed DeathFortunately, 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














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Friday, November 19, 2010

Review: All Great Books - This Was My Favorite from Rohm!


Candomblé celebrationImage by Jay Tamboli via Flickr
Sandrina danced wildly, freely at the Voodoo secret ceremony
 The Secret Life  of Sandrina M.



By Jessica Dee Rohm






Of her three novels, The Secret Life of Sandrina M. by Jessica Dee Rohm, was my favorite. Perhaps it was the erotic touch of her secret life...but, maybe more, it was the sharing of that life with her readers. It is not easy to analyze your own actions, especially at the time you are directly involved in those actions, so Rohm's creation of a character who we see agonizing over her actions, while still involved, created an intimacy of realism for all of us to share. We became much more involved and concerned and wanted it all to be "OK" for her, even as we knew she was playing with fire...

Perhaps that secret life was a direct response to having a miscarriage. She had wanted the child, but knew that her husband was satisfied with just the two of them. He had even suggested an abortion and then when the baby had died, had told her that it was for the best...

The Secret Life of Sandrina M.She had gained her Pygmalion status through Joshua who saw her potential and began to mentor her in all things needed for her success. She was introduced to all the right people and dressed by a personal shopper until she could fashionably dress herself. He even told her how and when to eat! And at the end, she was ready to enter the PR business as a leader. Of course Joshua arranged for her first client...and she had been offered their business!

Now she had her own company and was heading for Brazil at the suggestion of clients who would host her.

And there she met Warren, with whom she began her secret life, especially on the night he took her to a secret candomble ceremony where she was quickly separated from him and attendants helped her to be entered by the spirit of fertility and protection... 

During her trance, she was once against going through her miscarriage and in her heart she blamed her husband...

But two things were happening back home. Michael, her husband, was facing major business problems and maybe legal action, based upon what his brother had done without his knowledge.

At the same time, a woman who worked for her and who she had recently promoted, was moving fast to corner Sandrina's clients through lies, tricks and two-faced backstabbing...

Sandrina had learn to be sharp and was an intelligent professional woman but when she learned that her mentor, Joshua had died while she was traveling, she was devastated.  But with the types of problems that could end both her personal and professional life, she had to act swiftly and with no holds barred! Sandrina is a woman ever woman should meet! She trusts easily, but when she is attacked, she acts immediately to hold what is hers. She is powerful, but her personal integrity shines through--you gotta love her!

I loved this story! Thoroughly enjoyable drama and a fantastic female lead character...A wonderful combination for readers!

Home for the holidays? Spend time with Jessica and her savvy sexy lead females even if you have to buy them and put them under the tree yourself! Don't forget to check out my reviews for all three books and my interview with the author...next!

Book Received Via
Bostick Communications

G. A. Bixler



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