Buried Leads

by LynDee Walker
Book 2 of A Nichelle Clarke Crime Thriller

This second book in the Nichelle Clarke series was maybe a little bit more disappointing than I had hoped.  Sure, it was still written well, and I still like Nichelle.  But I think I would like her better if she didn't blatantly ignore warnings of danger just to trudge forward without a care.  As much as I hated the scene with the stuffed Pomeranian toy, I'm glad that it kind of gave her a wake-up call... even if she still didn't really see the danger in the story she was pursuing.  At least she was taking some action to keep her puppy safe, even if she wasn't taking steps to keep herself safe.

The story pacing and the writing is still winning, though.  As I stated, I still like Nichelle.  I like that she's smart, resourceful, and has a way with puzzles.  I didn't really care for her trying to edge into another co-worker's area though, because it left me feeling like she was trying to steal someone else's job.  She'd been spending time complaining about Shelby trying to steal her job since book one, so it felt a little contradictory.  At the very least, she DOES finally admit that she's not trying to steal Trudy's political beat, and goes to Trudy with questions as well as offers the scoop to her co-worker.

It's a little too convenient, however, that Trudy dismisses Nichelle's insights, thus giving Nichelle a green light for continuing her investigation, conscience-free.

I AM glad for the fact that Nichelle covers more than just the "mystery of the week."  In fact, there are more mysteries going on in this book than I'd expected, and enough to keep readers guessing for hours.  Simply the mystery of the missing white chocolate syrup was lingering in the background.

But to be totally honest, the ending wasn't really all that surprising to me, even if I didn't see it coming.  And I felt like it was kind of abrupt.  All the other incidents that Nichelle covered in this book felt like they should have been separate incidents, but everything tied together in the end, though.  I'm not sure if I like that everything ties together in the end, or if I would have preferred to see Nichelle working an article on an incident that had nothing to do with the "mystery of the week," just to show us that there's more going on in this world than the one big convoluted scandal that serves as the main conflict in this book.

Meanwhile, I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but I could smell this one coming a mile away.  I don't know how to feel about it at the moment, because not a whole lot of character is given to either male love interest--at least not enough for me to like one over the other.  And since I don't like triangles, I'm really hoping that this one doesn't keep up for too long and Nichelle either chooses one guy... or chooses no one.  At this point, you can kind of see her leaning more towards Mr. "Call Me Joey," though it could have just been because of the fact that she and ATF Agent Kyle have a history she's reluctant to get into.

At this point, I am kind of glad that Nichelle's world doesn't revolve around her love interests.  They're really just afterthoughts for her at the moment, even if she finds both of them attractive and alluring.

I'm still not digging the color commentary about Shelby's bedroom habits--nor am I feeling the necessity of Shelby's "Mean Girl" act.  I don't feel like it brings much to the table--Nichelle's urgent deadlines still stand whether or not there's someone actively vying for her position.  The fact that she's got a friendly rivalry going on with Charlie from News Channel Four also serves to keeps her on her toes as is.

Otherwise, this second book of the series wasn't bad.  It wasn't incredible, nor was it as exciting or entertaining as the first, but it was still enjoyable, and fast-paced enough that I finished it in a breeze.

Halloween Bingo 2018 (any murder mystery)

Other possible squares:  Cozy Mystery; Amateur Sleuth; Terrifying Women

I had fun with this zany, screwball comedy, cozy mystery, chick lit, whatever book.

The main character, Maddie Springer, is a fun mess.  The book just works.

Heck, an incipient love triangle was even handled by Maddie making an actual decision.

Not sure what else to say without spoilers.  I enjoyed it and regret letting this start of a series languish so long on the ereader.

Indeed, I like Maddie.

Of her mom, the bride, at a wedding in which Maddie's the bridesmaid with Barney purple $29.99 eBay purchase polyester monstrosity of a dress:

From:

  Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday  

Taking place right after the wedding, Jack and Maddie are off on their honeymoon to a resort in Tahiti. Jack is actually relaxed for once, even leaving his cell at home in LA so as not to be disturbed by his workplace while he and Maddie spend some very much needed alone time. But as usual, Maddie finds a dead body and Jack is asked by the local police to consult. If Maddie wants to salvage any of her honeymoon, she needs to find the killer asap. I liked this part....up until Maddie's BFFs Dana and Marco show up unannounced to help Maddie. Dana and Marco don't get that a honeymoon is not a party where friends are invited....that was the wedding reception. Needless to say, they come up with a hare-brained idea to catch the killers, but ends up leaving Maddie alone and in danger. Luckily, Jack finds her with no help from the BFFs.

An okay story, I just wanted a story with Maddie and Jack without everyone else.