Lisa Towles – nigeladamsbookworm

The way of writing that involves just one persons perspective, a story told from one persons point of view, through their eyes, through their thoughts and emotions, is one of the most effective ways of telling a story, and Lisa Towles is a master at it.

Billed as Ellwyn and Abernathy book 2, the story is purely told via Mari Ellwyn’s point of view, and this work’s fantastically.

Ellwyn starts the story in the British Virgin Islands on a personal quest but is quickly called back to California when her mother is taken ill.

Whilst there she is contacted by an old friend to look into things which are happening around a young entrepreneur that specialises in financing agricultural start ups and companies.

Somebody is trying to discredit Jack Darcy, but is anything they are doing illegal? The drip of intimidation is skating the edge of legality. Rumours that his high profile wife has been abducted only add to the intrigue, but no missing persons report has been filed.

Meanwhile Abernathy is off investigating the death of two brothers in an agricultural accident in a small farming town and keeps going “off-radar”.

Ellwyn employs some of the side characters from the series to help her with her investigations and to keep an eye on her Mom, who’s erratic behaviour in hospital can’t all be the result of her suffering a stroke.

When Ellwyn starts to receive warnings, it’s not about her case, it’s about her partners, but why do the people who are sending her the message also appear to be involved in her case.

A great story that has some complex plots weaving through it.

The frustrations felt by Ellwyn are passed to the reader because of the way the story is written. She, and the reader, do not know what is happening to her partner, until it’s revealed by her discoveries and observations.

The distraction of her Moms illness and behaviour diverts her from her investigations.

You would think that this style of writing is simplistic, but it’s not, it’s realistic.

We only know what we know. So why should that be any different in a book. I’ve fully brought into this series and I can’t wait for the next book

Pages: 297 Publisher: Indies United Publishing House. Available now

For some reason this book reminded me of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series.

The location, the settings and although the main character is a civilian woman, and the writing style all got me thinking of Connelly and Bosch.

Mari Ellwyn, ex CIA, now part time Private Investigator, and Art Gallery owner is the main character

She has been employed to look at who is blackmailing a family friend, a Judge on Americas 9th Circuit.

Meanwhile ex cop and Private Investigator, Derek Abernathy, is looking into the disappearance two journalist, one of who has turned up dead.

Inevitably the two cross paths as they discover the death of a foreign student links both their cases.

By forcing the Police Officer investigating the students death to help them, and whilst dodging old colleagues from the CIA Ellwyn and Abernathy investigate the links and follow the ever increasing amount of leads, trying to sort the truth from the deliberately scattered red herrings.

But by who, and why, are they being stone walled and misdirected.

A short but cracking read, ideal for crime fiction lovers who want a book to stick in the pool bag or flight bag for this years summer holiday.

Pages: 286. Audio length: 6.43. Publisher: Indies United Publishing House. Available from 6th May 2022