Never Kissed Goodnight

Leigh Koslow Mystery #4

by Edie Claire

"A well-paced, solidly plotted mystery...All the answers are not immediately apparent, keeping the tension high throughout... Leigh is a very likable character... Charming."—The Mystery Reader

"A nicely twisted tale... light reading for a quiet evening."—I Love a Mystery

No one told Cara why her father abandoned her when she was a baby.

They had their reasons.

Gil March is lying, he's sneaking around, and he's certainly not acting like his usual too-perfect self. But could he really be cheating on Leigh's cousin Cara? Leigh doesn't think so, but when Cara shows up in the middle of the night with tears in her eyes, Leigh is determined to find out. Little does she know that what Gil is hiding is only the tip of an iceberg. There are more than a few things her family hasn't told her about the circumstances of her cousin's birth—and the reality is chilling.

Originally published in mass market paperback by NAL/Penguin, Putnam, Inc. in 2001. Large-Print Edition published by Wheeler Publishing Inc., 2001.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Cozy

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

No matter the genre, USA-Today bestselling novelist and playwright Edie Claire strives to infuse all her writing with both warmth and humor. Her family-friendly Leigh Koslow cozy mystery series, a favorite of animal lovers that was originally published in 1999, was reborn in 2012 to become a Kindle Top-10 bestseller. Her romantic novels range from women’s fiction with romantic elements to a blend of romance and mystery, beginning with her traditionally published contemporaries, the award-winning Long Time Coming and Meant To Be, and continuing with her USA-Today bestselling Pacific Horizons series, whose characters follow the migration of the humpback whales to some of the most gorgeous locations on earth. In any Edie Claire work, the reader may be assured that while intrigue may beckon and tensions rise, love and happiness will always triumph in the end!

Edie has worked as a veterinarian, a childbirth educator, and a scientific/technical writer. A mother of three, she lives in Pennsylvania and aspires to become a snowbird.

Reviews

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leigh learns that Clara's father is back in town. As the mystery, why Clara has never seen him begins to unfold tighten, events become serious. Leigh' s New husband, Warren is running for office; however Leigh must help Clara and her family.

[Roddy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, it seems that somewhere between the third and fourth volumes Leigh Koslow and Warren Harmon were married.
That seems like a completely missed opportunity for a murder or two but maybe Claire felt that her heroine needed a break from drama.
For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Leigh Koslow is a young Pittsburgh woman with a talent for finding herself involved in murder enquiries. She has a fascinating and extensive family, all well characterised, an impulsive nature and a streak of curiosity that often gets her into deep water.
It's her cousin Cara who is the focus of the drama in this novel. She confides to Leigh that she suspects her husband is hiding something from her and asks Leigh to follow him. Begrudgingly she agrees but what she discovers exposes old family secrets that lead to blackmail and kidnapping.
There's no murders in this, which left me a little disappointed and a tiny bit concerned at my disappointment in the lack of murders.
Claire still provides a satisfying product though.
Glad I discovered them.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leigh's cousin Cara comes to see her because she thinks her husband Gil is keeping secrets from her, and she wants Leigh to help her find out what they are. Leigh discovers that Gil is being blackmailed by Cara's long-departed father, who left her and her mother when Cara was an infant. But he doesn't want Cara to know about it, because the threat involves an alleged long-ago indiscretion by Cara's mother. With the whole family wanting to shelter Cara, and Leigh wanting to tell her, things get complicated. As usual, Leigh starts poking her nose in everywhere and discovers several other secrets along the way.

[ReadaBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat meandering, but a good addition to developing the story line of several characters in the series. I can only hope these continue in the next books.
Another passing reference to pit bulls that at least wasn’t 100% stereotypical.... Nothing is more irritating than authors using this type of dog in a negative context.
Keep the Pittsburgh locations and integration of the terrific city coming! They definitely add to the enjoyment of the series. In fact, even more references would be welcome.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Cara is one of my favorite characters so I’m happy she plays a more prominent role in this one. Also, finally Warren and Leigh are together which I’m happy about. There is so much intrigue from page one and so much confusion over who can be trusted. But in between the mysteries, the danger, the questions and Old scandals coming to light, there is the bigger question: should you risk your heart to meet the man you thought abandoned you before birth? The last line of the book made me cry.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not all cozy mysteries have to be about a murder! This might be the first one I've read that wasn't. I enjoyed that it was bit different. My only real complaint is where was all the dating between Leigh and Warren? I despite when series drag out relationships in a will they/won't they kind of thing for forever, but we got Leigh telling Warren her feelings in the last one and in this one they're married?!

[Allison Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series that I enjoy more as it continues. The MC Leigh has been toned down from her book 1 personality to human levels. The mystery was an odd one, with everyone fairly cavalier about murder, attempted kidnapping, child abandonment, extortion and bank robbery, but wrapped up with a neat bow at the end.

[Teri Am · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #4 in this series. The focus in this book is on Leigh's cousin and best friend, Cara. Secrets are revealed and lives are in danger. The activities related to the reveal of the killer were a little unbelievable to me, but I kept reading as I wanted to know what happened next.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like this series. It’s centered in Pittsburgh and has an interesting set of characters. It seemed a bit more in this book, though, that Leigh just does whatever she wants and doesn’t listen to her husband or whoever is out there trying to help her. I was a bit over it in this book.

[Rachel Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another victim of the airport, done and done in one day. I still don’t understand why the cheating is so heavily featured in the book description to be resolved in the first 20 pages. The ATF stuff i did not see coming, but other than that pretty predictable.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent read! Cara's long lost father returns to Pittsburg and brings big trouble. This was hard to put down. Lots of action and wit.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read in the Leigh Koslow series 😊

[Mella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth Leigh Koslow mystery, Never Kissed Goodnight, finds Leigh delving deep into the past - of her own family. When Leigh's cousin Cara turns up in the middle of the night crying, Leigh is surprised to find that Cara believes her husband Gil is keeping secrets from her. But when she's tasked with following him, she can't deny his behaviour is strange. And then she finds out the family is being blackmailed. By Cara's absentee father. Over Cara's mother, Lydie's past. And it all snowballs from there.

But at least Leigh doesn't find any bodies.

Following from the previous books, Leigh and Warren have been married for six months and are living happily in domestic bliss. Cara, Gil and Mattias have settled into their farm property and recently been featured on television special. Maura's career is going great and her personal life has a new beau who makes her laugh. Randall is still working as a vet and the Morton sisters - Frances, Lydie and Bess are all on vacation to India to see the Taj Mahal. And then the family's perchance for trouble rears it's head.

This one was intense. The stakes were higher in this one, the danger was more immediate and real, for all the previous books have dealt with murder. Between kidnapping and violent assault, it felt more dangerous.

The family drama was insane. I liked Leigh and Gil working together to protect Cara. And I loved Frances coming back from her holiday and being ambushed to spill her secrets. It was also pretty funny Warren leaving her in Frances hands and Leigh still managing to get into trouble.

“I’ll be fine,” she said for the fortieth time.
“I’m not leaving you alone,” he said for the forty-first.
“I’ll go to the office. It’ll be perfectly safe there.” He glared at her.
“Yesterday I left you in the capable hands of the world’s most overzealous mother — and you got shot at. I repeat, I’m not leaving you alone.”
“I won’t be alone,” she argued. “I’ll go to Cara’s farm. They have security guards 24/7 now.” He brought a stack of pancakes to the table and served himself three.
“Like that matters. Sending you to stay with Cara is like having Jessica Fletcher look after Miss Marple. You’re not getting out of my sight.”

Claire, Edie. Never Kissed Goodnight: Volume 4 (Leigh Koslow Mystery Series) (p. 170). Edie Claire. Kindle Edition.

The mystery itself was good, although it was fairly obvious what Lydie had done. She drove the getaway car. I would've liked to see more confrontation between Cara and Lydie and Cara and Mason but it was a minor issue. Overall very enjoyable, 4 stars.

[Joe Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventure with Leigh but, she has finally married Warren so some sense of calm and reason has come into her life. Nope! No change, Leigh is still on her quest to save the world. What I can't figure out is how someone with a degree in journalism and responsibility as a copy writer in her own advertising firm finds time and curiosity to pursue unraveling mysteries and bringing the evil doers to justice often at the risk of her own life. As always, Edie Swihart introduces a stable of quirky characters as lovable as ever populate the story. Leigh's family and cats are all involved as expected and lend their presence to the range of enjoyable reading. Plenty of action, suspense and smiles as the story wraps up with an unsuspected and rewarding conclusion. Just another lovely read!

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER.

Leigh Koslow may have found happiness in her new marriage--but her cousin Cara's life seems to be nothing short of perfect. She has a knockout figure, an adorable son, and a rich, devoted--not to mention gorgeous--husband. She and her family have even been featured on television for their ideal lifestyle. But if Cara's life is so wonderful, why does she show up at Leigh's apartment in the middle of the night with tears in her eyes?

It appears that Cara's perfect husband, Gil, has been lying, sneaking around, and simply not acting like himself. For Cara, the telltale signs of cheating are obvious, but with her background in advertising, Leigh knows that there's always more to the truth than meets the eye. And after a little investigation through the quiet streets of Pittsburgh, even Leigh is shocked to find out what Gil's secret really is....

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to re-read this series, since it had been so long and I wanted to read the last couple of books. It was fun reading them all over again. I read a lot while traveling and these were the best books to do that with. I enjoy the two main characters Leigh Koslow and her cousin/"sister from another mister" Cara. Nice mix of humor, mystery and suspense.
(I am loving this series. It combines all the great elements I love so much. Humor, intrigue, love, and suspense. Kept me going right through the end. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.- original review)

[Kay (Brigidsmomma) Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. I enjoyed reading this one, and again, it's a series that I will enjoy reading all the books of. In this one, we spend a bit more time with some of the other members of Leigh's extended family, and learn the truth behind one of the longest held family secrets - her long missing uncle and cousin Cora's father. It's a story that fills in some details, and explains some things, while providing much more drama for the cousins to get into. a great read, and one I'd high;y recommend...

[Cali Behr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read this book it reminds me of my own less than perfect dad. Its a great story an really fills out the characters Cara, Lydie, Frances and Gil on a deeper level. My only problem is Leigh's ongoing problem with Gerry Frank. He didn't know her from Adam when he arrested her in book two. He was right there when they caught the real perpetrator, and he apologized and sent flowers! I love Leigh, but considering how many times she's wrong, she needs to cut him some slack.

[Mascanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advertising copywriter Leigh Koslow is back in a very solid outing. Cousin Cara never did know why her Dad left before she was born but will finding out why make her happy or add to the heartbreak? And why is her husband sneaking around? Its up to Leigh to help figure it out and keep the family secrets from tearing it apart.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In book 4, Edie Claire spends more time on character development, bringing the characters' pasts into play in such a way that you understand their personalities much better. But that's not to say that the plot line suffered at the expense of that character development. I had a couple of late nights because I just couldn't go to sleep until I read "one more chapter."

[HELEN A. RITTENHOUSE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edie Claire

Edie Claire

Another great read from Edie Claire! I really have been enjoying the Leigh Koslow mystery series. Will definitely have to follow her next adventures.

[K.C. Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read. I liked that this mystery didn’t necessary center around a dead body. (I mean, there’s only so many of those that one person can find in a lifetime, right?) Still, I enjoy watching Leigh’s character progress and look forward to the rest of the series.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

very typical leigh koslow/enjoy the descriptions of pittsburgh

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best in the series yet. Story and characters held together. Not too much extraneous. Definitely improving.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. The "heroine" can be quite annoying with her insistence of putting herself in harm's way. Accidentally is one thing but by choice (repeatedly) is a completely different matter.

[Sharon Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read.

So now I am through four books from this great writer and going onto the next. Well written, funny, scary and lovely. All in one book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series is much more entertaining.

[a. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was pretty good. I swear I didn't space out when I was reading it, but I never really connected the title to the story. Mo?

[Lindsay Wolsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose there can be mysteries without a murder in them. It was an easy read.