all your Reads in Here

We should count the number of times I've said start at the beginning of a series. You don't have to with Emily Littlejohn's Gemma Monroe series, but that doesn't mean I really like starting with the third book.  Lost Lake , set in a small town in Colorado, is an atmospheric mystery. Those who appreciate mysteries that emphasize the natural setting will enjoy this one. Gemma Monroe is a police detective who responds to a call about a missing person. Four people had been camping at Lost Lake, and when they get up in the morning, one woman is missing. Gemma doesn't know if the it's the story the three friends are telling that makes her uneasy, or Lost Lake itself. There are stories about the lake, and young women who committed suicide there. Now, Gemma wonders about the missing woman, Sari Chesney. When Sari's boss at the local history museum is killed soon after she reports the theft of a historic journal, Gemma's convinced there's a connection between...

D.A. Bartley's Blessed Be the Wicked may be a debut mystery, but she brings a knowledge of Mormon history and traditions to this intriguing story. The background, as well as the well-developed character of Abish Taylor, combine for a fascinating debut. Abish Taylor is from a respected Mormon family. Her father is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University. Yet, she had her reasons for leaving the Church. She moved to New York City, became a police detective, and had a loving, successful marriage. But, her husband's death devastated her, and she moved back to Utah, hoping to reconnect with her family and  nature. Now, she's the only detective on Pleasant View's police force. And, she's viewed with suspicion by all the Mormon men on the force, including her boss, Chief Henderson. All the insiders keep secrets from Abbie, even at the scene of Steven Smith's death. The men don't really want to investigate when Smith is found dressed i...