Weekly Reader: All Eyes on Me: A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1 by Linsey Lanier; An Eye For A Good Gruesome Murder Mystery About The Trappings of Fame

 

Weekly Reader: All Eyes on Me: A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1 by Linsey Lanier; An Eye For A Good Gruesome Murder Mystery About The Trappings of Fame

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: For all those who love graphic gruesome murder mysteries especially when the victim is a divalicious star laid out in a grotesque way say "Eye!" Then read All Eyes on Me A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1 by Linsey Lanier.

Miranda Steele has had a traumatic past. She survived an abusive first marriage, the abduction and return of her daughter, and a near death experience. While most would be justified in wanting to cower into their home and hide, Miranda instead teams up with private investigator Wade Parker. Their relationship has gone from associates, to lovers, to a married couple. When one is called, the other is there as an equal partner.

Their current case is a pretty violent one that puts them right in the forefront of public consciousness. Ambrosia Dawn, a famous pop singer/diva has been found the desert outside of her Las Vegas home, dead, bruised and possibly poisoned. As if that wasn't bad enough, her eye has been gouged out by a melon baller. Kind of ironic since one of her biggest hits is the love song, "All Eyes on Me." The killer certainly has a sick twisted sense of humor and possibly a desire for revenge against the beautiful famous singer.

All Eyes on Me combines a great protagonist with a gripping mystery. The best detectives for these type of mysteries are the ones that have personal demons of their own or where the case involves them specifically. In this case, we have Miranda whose emotional baggage is ever present. After what happened before with her ex and daughter, Miranda's nerves are on edge and her senses are sharply acute all symptoms of PTSD. However, she is also able to use that private pain to help others. She can put herself in their situation, because she had been in their situation before. Miranda empathizes with the victims and sometimes with those who commit crimes because she can see where they are coming from.

Besides her observational and empathetic skills, Miranda is a good detective good enough that Parker puts her in charge of the investigation. Besides leading the inquiries, she answers media questions and challenges the mysoginistic Sgt. O'Toole who isn't happy about working with a woman.

Parker isn't as developed as Miranda, but he proves to be as competent and dedicated to the pursuit of justice as his wife. He is caught between believing in Miranda's abilities to solve the mystery and concern for her because of all that she had been through. One nice touch that the duo have is they use their original last names and don't let people know that they are married. It's hard enough for a woman like Miranda to be taken seriously in detective work, acknowledging their marriage would only further complicate things. When police officers or suspects look at Miranda, they are able to see an investigator that happens to be a woman rather than the lead private investigator's wife. Their hidden marital status make them equals.

Besides the detectives themselves, the mystery is pretty fascinating. The deceased, Ambrosia Dawn, is the typical murder victim that spent a lot of time cultivating a public image of beauty, charm, and kindness but those closest to her could see the bad tempered violent bitch underneath. There are plenty of suspects that could have killed her because they have all felt her wrath. Her husband, Cameron, a former Elvis impersonator is very emotional but seems to be keeping extra company during the grieving period. Ambrosia's sister, Blythe, stood behind the scenes and now has her chance in the spotlight. The cook, Suzie, who has been at the bad end of Ambrosia's rants and knows Ambrosia's favorite treats and how to make them just right. Scottie, the bodyguard, has had a few flings with staff members and is just the kind of muscle to drag a woman's body through the desert and hold her down if necessary. It is a house and staff full of potential leads that lead to other clues. Since multiple suspects look possible to be the killer, the resolution is a genuine surprise and is very well handled.

All Eyes on Me is a great mystery in the hard boiled detective genre. It is definitely worth a read. After all, the eyes have it.

New Book Alert: Wanted in Paradise By Kate Ashenden; Romance Has Charming Couple And Beautiful Island Setting

New Book Alert: Wanted in Paradise By Kate Ashenden; Romance Has Charming Couple And Beautiful Island Setting




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: One thing that many Romance novels have are unforgettable locations. Settings that are beautiful and make the Readers want to pay them a visit at least in the pages of a book.

Kate Ashenden's novel Wanted in Paradise has one. This Romance novel is set mostly at the Maldives. Ashenden captures the beauty and splendor of these Indian Ocean islands and gives us a sweet charming couple to experience it.

Jasmine Hartwell, a publicist receives the plum job offer to help promote pop sensation, Romeo Moretti’s Power to Change concert. Besides a great business opportunity, there is another reason. Romeo and Jasmine were once in love. Jasmine had previously been in a relationship with Romeo's temperamental brother, Diego and when her relationship with Diego went south, Romeo provided more than a shoulder. Diego found out and Romeo and Jasmine separated. Jasmine, no sooner goes to the island than she and Romeo realize that they still have feelings for each other.

Wanted in Paradise has all the tropes found in Romance novels but Romeo and Jasmine are a good pair of protagonists and the Maldives setting is so beautiful that this Reader is willing to overlook the formulaic content and the occasional lapse in credibility to experience a whole that is greater than some parts.

The Maldives setting is what makes this book. Ashenden describes the scented flora and white sandy beaches with the blue waves so well that this Reader actually felt sand beneath her toes. There are many pages where Romeo and Jasmine walk hand in hand in the scenic beaches or that Jasmine and other characters partake in sailing, snorkeling, and other activities. Reading books like this always makes me wonder whether the location makes an upswing in real-life tourism or the setting itself benefited from the author's recent vacation. Either way, Maldives is a beautiful and unique setting for such a novel and is not one a lot of writers choose making it fresh in the Reader's eyes.

While Maldives could be a paradise on Earth, Ashenden’s writing shows awareness of the country's problems, many of which are the direct result of climate change. In the book, many of the beaches are losing their splendor and natives are being driven from their homes because of environmental disasters. Corrupt business executives destroy the waters and skies with industrialization and create a sprawl by building hotels where land used to be. Hence, the Power to Change concert which highlights the concerns towards the Maldives’s rapidly declining environment.

Besides the setting, Ashenden’s lead couple are well written. It would be tempting to make Romeo, a conceited womanizing shallow star who is a bad boy but redeemed by the love of a good girl. Ashenden thankfully does not do this. Despite the fame and screaming fawning female fans, Romeo is actually a nice guy who is genuinely concerned about climate change. Even though, the concert is televised he wants to make it as low key and green powered as possible.

Romeo also reveals his love and commitment towards family and those around him. He originally ends his earlier romance with Jasmine out of loyalty to his brother and when Diego disappears, he is worried about him and how it will affect his mother. Even when Jasmine gets involved with Romeo, they resist at first until they are completely sure whether they love each other.

When Jasmine is temporarily seduced by a wealthy sheik, Romeo is jealous but is also concerned about whether the man will hurt Jasmine and interfere with the concert because of his ties to the aforementioned corrupt businesses.
Jasmine is also a well developed character. She suffers from PTSD from surviving a typhoon that killed many including her cousin. While she is understandably still shaken and comforted by her well meaning parents, she wants to pursue her career in public relations and is as committed to bringing awareness to climate change as Romeo is.

Jasmine's time working under Romeo's direction is filled with all the experiences a recent employee has working in a new position. Many opportunistic employees resent her presence and she is nervous about pitching her ideas. However, she shows how good a publicist she is by offering suggestions to make the concert more personable so the people at home can relate to the Maldivian struggles.

Jasmine also shows some naivete and Romanticism. She is naturally swept up in this new exciting world and when she is offered gifts such as an expensive purse and tube dress from an admirer, she can't help but be impressed despite how untrustworthy the source turns out to be.

However, her passages with Romeo are very sweet as they bring out the best in each other. When Jasmine realizes she's wrong, she admits it and works to improve her situation.

There are some parts in Wanted in Paradise that are a bit contrived. Characters, long gone, suddenly make a reappearance. There is some manufactured suspense as the concert is sabotaged but the saboteur is easy to guess. This is the type of book that is easy to figure out but is earnest in its play on tropes.
With a well-written loving couple and a beautiful evocative setting, Wanted in Paradise makes for perfect summer reading by the pool or the beach.