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cj_mo_2222's review
5.0
I have been a fan of this author’s “Dead-End Job” and “Mystery Shopper” cozy series for quite some time, and now I can add the “Angela Richman” series to my list of favorites. This series features Angela Richman as a “death investigator” in a wealthy suburb of St. Louis. Angela’s job is to gather and analyze evidence from crime scenes in assistance to the medical examiners.
“Fire and Ashes” is the second book in the series, a follow-up to “Brain Storm” which described Angela’s brush with death after suffering multiple strokes. This is a more serious, more complex series than the previously mentioned cozy series and Angela is a complicated, but likeable character. Angela is back to work, but still recovering from the strokes and subsequent brain surgery. She is also grieving the loss of her husband and despite the attempts of interested men and well-meaning friends, she is not ready to date again. Although the tone of this series is somewhat dark, there is plenty of the author’s wonderful sense of humor throughout the book to lighten some of the tragedies that occur in Angela’s personal and professional life.
In “Fire and Ashes”, Angela is one of the few people in town to believe in the innocence of a beautiful young woman of Mexican heritage accused of murdering her much older fiancé, Luther Delor. The elite gated community Olympia Forest Estates, within the town of Chouteau Forest, bands together against Kendra Salvato, who they see as an outsider because of her ethnic background, even though she was born and raised along with their own children. Angela is intelligent, a thorough investigator, and is determined that Kendra is treated fairly. She teams up with not only with her best friend Katie, who is the assistant medical examiner, but also Katie’s boyfriend, Monty, the attorney representing Kendra. The solution of Luther’s death is unexpected and provides closure to the case and those involved. I look forward to more books in this unique, well-written series, which will appeal to fans of Kathy Reichs.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Thomas and Mercer. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
“Fire and Ashes” is the second book in the series, a follow-up to “Brain Storm” which described Angela’s brush with death after suffering multiple strokes. This is a more serious, more complex series than the previously mentioned cozy series and Angela is a complicated, but likeable character. Angela is back to work, but still recovering from the strokes and subsequent brain surgery. She is also grieving the loss of her husband and despite the attempts of interested men and well-meaning friends, she is not ready to date again. Although the tone of this series is somewhat dark, there is plenty of the author’s wonderful sense of humor throughout the book to lighten some of the tragedies that occur in Angela’s personal and professional life.
In “Fire and Ashes”, Angela is one of the few people in town to believe in the innocence of a beautiful young woman of Mexican heritage accused of murdering her much older fiancé, Luther Delor. The elite gated community Olympia Forest Estates, within the town of Chouteau Forest, bands together against Kendra Salvato, who they see as an outsider because of her ethnic background, even though she was born and raised along with their own children. Angela is intelligent, a thorough investigator, and is determined that Kendra is treated fairly. She teams up with not only with her best friend Katie, who is the assistant medical examiner, but also Katie’s boyfriend, Monty, the attorney representing Kendra. The solution of Luther’s death is unexpected and provides closure to the case and those involved. I look forward to more books in this unique, well-written series, which will appeal to fans of Kathy Reichs.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Thomas and Mercer. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
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