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Izzy McNeil Mystery #1
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Advocate Izzy McNeil staat op het punt te gaan trouwen. Haar verloofde Sam en zij zijn bezig met de laatste voorbereidingen van hun bruiloft als Sam spoorloos verdwijnt. Op dezelfde avond wordt Forester Pickett, haar belangrijkste client, dood gevonden én blijkt er dertig miljoen aan aandelen te zijn verdwenen uit zijn kluis. De kluis waar alleen Sam toegang toe had.
Vanaf dat moment verdwijnen een voor een al Izzy's zekerheden. Ze raakt haar baan kwijt. Er wordt ingebroken in haar appartement. En op straat wordt ze voortdurend achtervolgd.
Eén ding is duidelijk: als ze de waarheid wil achterhalen over Sams verdwijning en Foresters dood, moet ze angstaanjagende grenzen overschrijden. Haar enige houvast is haar liefde voor Sam, maar hoe dieper ze graaft, hoe onontkoombaarder de conclusie: ze kent Sam niet zo goed als ze dacht...
Vanaf dat moment verdwijnen een voor een al Izzy's zekerheden. Ze raakt haar baan kwijt. Er wordt ingebroken in haar appartement. En op straat wordt ze voortdurend achtervolgd.
Eén ding is duidelijk: als ze de waarheid wil achterhalen over Sams verdwijning en Foresters dood, moet ze angstaanjagende grenzen overschrijden. Haar enige houvast is haar liefde voor Sam, maar hoe dieper ze graaft, hoe onontkoombaarder de conclusie: ze kent Sam niet zo goed als ze dacht...
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
27 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
About the author
Laura Caldwell
31 books164 followersLaura Caldwell is a Chicago-based lawyer turned novelist. Her first book, Burning the Map, was selected by Barnes & Noble.com as one of The Best of 2002. Following that, A Clean Slate received a starred review from Booklist. The release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I Got Lucky prompted Booklist to declare, “Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive...writers around.”
Laura began publishing thrillers and suspense novels in 2005. Her debut mystery, Look Closely, received critical acclaim and The Chicago Sun-Times called The Rome Affair “Caldwell’s most exciting book yet…a summer must-read.” The Rome Affair, which centers around a Chicago society couple riding a roller coaster of infidelity, blackmail and murder, pulled Laura into a real-life, highly-profiled murder trial involving a 19-year old suspect forced into a confession and wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. Laura became one of the attorneys who represented the suspect pro bono, resulting in a not-guilty verdict.
Laura's newest is an international thriller, The Good Liar. Bestselling author Ken Bruen calls it "a massive achievement." Publisher's Weekly lauds it as "a taut, enjoyable thriller." And New York Times bestselling author James Rollins said, "THE GOOD LIAR strikes like an assassin's bullet: sudden, swift, precise, deadly. Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning. Not to be missed." Her work has been translated into ten languages and published in over twenty countries.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a trial attorney, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. She is published in the legal field and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at her alma mater, Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches Advanced Writing for Litigation. She recently received the St. Robert Bellarmine award for distinguished contributions to the profession and the Loyola School of Law. In the summer of 2008, she will be teaching International Criminal Law at Loyola's campus in Rome, Italy.
Laura is also a freelance magazine writer. Her work has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others. Her work can also be seen in Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume (Pocket Books, 2007), It's A Wonderful Lie: Truth About Life In Your Twenties (Warner, 2006), Girl's Night In II (Red Dress Ink, 2006) Flirting With Pride & Prejudice (BenBella Books, 2005) and Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives (BenBella Books, 2006).
Laura began publishing thrillers and suspense novels in 2005. Her debut mystery, Look Closely, received critical acclaim and The Chicago Sun-Times called The Rome Affair “Caldwell’s most exciting book yet…a summer must-read.” The Rome Affair, which centers around a Chicago society couple riding a roller coaster of infidelity, blackmail and murder, pulled Laura into a real-life, highly-profiled murder trial involving a 19-year old suspect forced into a confession and wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. Laura became one of the attorneys who represented the suspect pro bono, resulting in a not-guilty verdict.
Laura's newest is an international thriller, The Good Liar. Bestselling author Ken Bruen calls it "a massive achievement." Publisher's Weekly lauds it as "a taut, enjoyable thriller." And New York Times bestselling author James Rollins said, "THE GOOD LIAR strikes like an assassin's bullet: sudden, swift, precise, deadly. Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning. Not to be missed." Her work has been translated into ten languages and published in over twenty countries.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a trial attorney, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. She is published in the legal field and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at her alma mater, Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches Advanced Writing for Litigation. She recently received the St. Robert Bellarmine award for distinguished contributions to the profession and the Loyola School of Law. In the summer of 2008, she will be teaching International Criminal Law at Loyola's campus in Rome, Italy.
Laura is also a freelance magazine writer. Her work has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others. Her work can also be seen in Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume (Pocket Books, 2007), It's A Wonderful Lie: Truth About Life In Your Twenties (Warner, 2006), Girl's Night In II (Red Dress Ink, 2006) Flirting With Pride & Prejudice (BenBella Books, 2005) and Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives (BenBella Books, 2006).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
May 29, 2009
Attorney Izzy McNeil is about to get married. Izzy and her fiancé, Sam Hollings are finalizing all of their wedding plans, when Sam vanishes without a trace. Izzy can't figure out why Sam would up and leave without saying anything to her.
Forester Pickett is owner and CEO of Pickett Enterprises, a huge corporation. Recently Forester has been investing in real estate property in Panama. Izzy receives a phone call from Mr. Pickett's son, Shane. His father has passed away of a heart attack. Izzy can't believe it. Just two weeks ago, Izzy and Forester were talking about how healthy he was. He had recently had a bunch of tests done and the results were negative. Though Forester told Izzy that he had been recently receiving threatening messages. He told Izzy that if someone were to happen to him that she should suspect foul play.
Now Forester is dead and thirty million dollars worth of real estate shares have gone missing from Pickett Enterprises. Surprisedly, Sam was in charge of safe keeping the shares and we know what happened there. Obviously Sam killed Forester and took off with the shares. At first Izzy doesn't want to believe Sam could murder anyone but the deeper she digs, she realizes that she may not know Sam as well as she thought she did.
Izzy McNeil is one tough cookie. She doesn't give up till the job is done. No matter how high the stakes are stacked aganist her. Red Hot Lies has a interesting plot that will keep you on your toes till the very last page. When I first saw that ony of my favorite authors Laura Caldwell was releasing this new trilogy, I get knew I had to check it out. I am happy to report that this book did not disppoint. MS. Caldwell has such an amazing range of talent. Everything she writes is a winner in my book...from chick lit stories to international suspense thrillers. I can't wait to visit with Izzy again.
Forester Pickett is owner and CEO of Pickett Enterprises, a huge corporation. Recently Forester has been investing in real estate property in Panama. Izzy receives a phone call from Mr. Pickett's son, Shane. His father has passed away of a heart attack. Izzy can't believe it. Just two weeks ago, Izzy and Forester were talking about how healthy he was. He had recently had a bunch of tests done and the results were negative. Though Forester told Izzy that he had been recently receiving threatening messages. He told Izzy that if someone were to happen to him that she should suspect foul play.
Now Forester is dead and thirty million dollars worth of real estate shares have gone missing from Pickett Enterprises. Surprisedly, Sam was in charge of safe keeping the shares and we know what happened there. Obviously Sam killed Forester and took off with the shares. At first Izzy doesn't want to believe Sam could murder anyone but the deeper she digs, she realizes that she may not know Sam as well as she thought she did.
Izzy McNeil is one tough cookie. She doesn't give up till the job is done. No matter how high the stakes are stacked aganist her. Red Hot Lies has a interesting plot that will keep you on your toes till the very last page. When I first saw that ony of my favorite authors Laura Caldwell was releasing this new trilogy, I get knew I had to check it out. I am happy to report that this book did not disppoint. MS. Caldwell has such an amazing range of talent. Everything she writes is a winner in my book...from chick lit stories to international suspense thrillers. I can't wait to visit with Izzy again.
September 26, 2009
I had high hopes for this book. The reviews all seemed to be on the high side and I really enjoy reading mysteries with female leads. Unfortunately, this one just didn't leave me satisfied. I usually read books in a day or so, while this one took me over a week. I just didn't find myself excited to get back to reading the book. When I was about halfway through the book, I realized that I just really didn't like the main character, Izzy. She is smart, beautiful, sexy, and successful. She is also selfish, self-centered, and a little snobby. I just really didn't like her. I didn't find myself "rooting" for her. I honestly didn't care what happened to her.
The story itself was decent. The plot twists were only slight bends and nothing shocking. The ending was a bit of a let down and a bit abrupt. It also ends with the reader knowing there are likely more books coming for Izzy McNeil (which, of course this was just the first in a trilogy).
I don't think I will be bothering with the next two books in the trilogy...I didn't care what happened to Izzy in this book, so I don't think I will care what happens to her later.
I give the book 3 stars because the story was decent. I took stars off for the inability to connect with the characters and the blah ending.
The story itself was decent. The plot twists were only slight bends and nothing shocking. The ending was a bit of a let down and a bit abrupt. It also ends with the reader knowing there are likely more books coming for Izzy McNeil (which, of course this was just the first in a trilogy).
I don't think I will be bothering with the next two books in the trilogy...I didn't care what happened to Izzy in this book, so I don't think I will care what happens to her later.
I give the book 3 stars because the story was decent. I took stars off for the inability to connect with the characters and the blah ending.
October 12, 2010
Solid mystery but seemed too much like other mystery books. The best parts were the secondary characters.
STORY BRIEF:
Izzy is a young lawyer whose biggest client is Forester, owner and CEO of Pickett Enterprises. Izzy’s fiancé is Sam who is a financial advisor to Forester. On the same day, Forester is killed, some of his real estate shares disappear, and Sam disappears. The police and FBI believe Forester’s death was due to a heart attack and are not investigating. Izzy believes something else is going on and does her own investigating to get answers.
REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH MINOR SPOILERS):
Most of the story is told by Izzy – first person point of view. She is a lawyer doing private investigating work, something she had not done before and was not trained to do. On the cover and inside the book, other authors call this a “thriller,” with which I disagree. We are not watching a bad guy planning a major harmful event. This is a mystery. Izzy is wondering and worrying about Sam and Forester, and she takes actions which slowly unravel the mystery. At times Izzy is being followed which adds more mystery to the story, rather than suspense.
The story seemed like a lot of other mysteries. The main characters were ok and interesting, but they didn’t stand out from the pack for me. I wasn’t emotionally pulled in. The dialogue and events were ok but nothing special.
The first third of the book dragged at times as Izzy kept pondering and wondering why Sam took off. But I perked up around page 144 when Izzy made a deal with private investigator Mahoney. He agreed to help her investigate Sam and Forester if she would help him on a different case. He needed Izzy to make friends with Lucy to get inside Lucy’s home. Izzy had to borrow a child and pretend to be a mother so she could meet Lucy with her kids in the park. I enjoyed the story around Izzy and Lucy.
I also thoroughly enjoyed two minor characters. I almost wish they had bigger roles in the story – or their own story. Izzy’s brother Charlie managed to avoid most work so he could read books and enjoy his wine at night. He was charming and got along great with others. Izzy’s best friend was Maggie, who passionately loved the law and was a criminal defense attorney representing drug runners. I chuckled when Izzy phoned Maggie at night, and the first sleepy words out of Maggie’s mouth were: “What courthouse? What’s the bond?”
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve read three books by this author and all three have been different genres. I loved “The Good Liar” (5 stars) which was a romantic suspense thriller. “The Rome Affair” (3 stars) was a psychological suspense thriller. “Red Hot Lies” (a mystery) is the first book in a trilogy starring Izzy.
DATA:
Story length: 431 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual content: none. Setting: Chicago, Illinois, and Panama. Copyright: 2009. Genre: mystery.
DISCLOSURE:
This book was provided to me free of charge through the Amazon Vine Program in return for my writing a review.
STORY BRIEF:
Izzy is a young lawyer whose biggest client is Forester, owner and CEO of Pickett Enterprises. Izzy’s fiancé is Sam who is a financial advisor to Forester. On the same day, Forester is killed, some of his real estate shares disappear, and Sam disappears. The police and FBI believe Forester’s death was due to a heart attack and are not investigating. Izzy believes something else is going on and does her own investigating to get answers.
REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH MINOR SPOILERS):
Most of the story is told by Izzy – first person point of view. She is a lawyer doing private investigating work, something she had not done before and was not trained to do. On the cover and inside the book, other authors call this a “thriller,” with which I disagree. We are not watching a bad guy planning a major harmful event. This is a mystery. Izzy is wondering and worrying about Sam and Forester, and she takes actions which slowly unravel the mystery. At times Izzy is being followed which adds more mystery to the story, rather than suspense.
The story seemed like a lot of other mysteries. The main characters were ok and interesting, but they didn’t stand out from the pack for me. I wasn’t emotionally pulled in. The dialogue and events were ok but nothing special.
The first third of the book dragged at times as Izzy kept pondering and wondering why Sam took off. But I perked up around page 144 when Izzy made a deal with private investigator Mahoney. He agreed to help her investigate Sam and Forester if she would help him on a different case. He needed Izzy to make friends with Lucy to get inside Lucy’s home. Izzy had to borrow a child and pretend to be a mother so she could meet Lucy with her kids in the park. I enjoyed the story around Izzy and Lucy.
I also thoroughly enjoyed two minor characters. I almost wish they had bigger roles in the story – or their own story. Izzy’s brother Charlie managed to avoid most work so he could read books and enjoy his wine at night. He was charming and got along great with others. Izzy’s best friend was Maggie, who passionately loved the law and was a criminal defense attorney representing drug runners. I chuckled when Izzy phoned Maggie at night, and the first sleepy words out of Maggie’s mouth were: “What courthouse? What’s the bond?”
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve read three books by this author and all three have been different genres. I loved “The Good Liar” (5 stars) which was a romantic suspense thriller. “The Rome Affair” (3 stars) was a psychological suspense thriller. “Red Hot Lies” (a mystery) is the first book in a trilogy starring Izzy.
DATA:
Story length: 431 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual content: none. Setting: Chicago, Illinois, and Panama. Copyright: 2009. Genre: mystery.
DISCLOSURE:
This book was provided to me free of charge through the Amazon Vine Program in return for my writing a review.
April 4, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, though it has a bitter sweet ending. Isabel “Izzy” McNeil’s life gets turned upside down in this book. She find’s she doesn’t know people as well as she thought she did – including her fiancé and her mother. I realize we can never really know another person. We can know them well, but never completely, as we are not privy to their thoughts and feelings, unless they reveal them to us.
I understand Izzy’s feelings and reactions in this book. If I was in her position, I think I may have reacted similarly, but I’ll never be sure and I have doubts. In this book, it appears trust is more important than love. Shouldn’t they be on a level plane, at the least? I’m truly not sure, but find I am disappointed that trust seems to rule. If you are completely and really in love with a person, shouldn’t you give them the benefit of the doubt?
I’d like to pose a question. If a person you loved was sworn to secrecy from another person they loved and was seemingly in trouble, should you be hurt that they didn’t immediately turn to you for help or to at least put you in their confidence? That other person is in a tough position. Their motivation may be to want to try to protect you, rather than pull you into the mess, so they don’t contact you immediately and leave you out. Shouldn’t the breach of trust in this instance, over rule love? Does the time span between when the event happens and they make at least an attempt at contact count or make a difference?
I am conflicted, but definitely a bit disappointed in the ending. However, since I am conflicted, maybe the heroine's reactions are truer than mine. I don’t know and I’m glad I’m not in her position.
I understand Izzy’s feelings and reactions in this book. If I was in her position, I think I may have reacted similarly, but I’ll never be sure and I have doubts. In this book, it appears trust is more important than love. Shouldn’t they be on a level plane, at the least? I’m truly not sure, but find I am disappointed that trust seems to rule. If you are completely and really in love with a person, shouldn’t you give them the benefit of the doubt?
I’d like to pose a question. If a person you loved was sworn to secrecy from another person they loved and was seemingly in trouble, should you be hurt that they didn’t immediately turn to you for help or to at least put you in their confidence? That other person is in a tough position. Their motivation may be to want to try to protect you, rather than pull you into the mess, so they don’t contact you immediately and leave you out. Shouldn’t the breach of trust in this instance, over rule love? Does the time span between when the event happens and they make at least an attempt at contact count or make a difference?
I am conflicted, but definitely a bit disappointed in the ending. However, since I am conflicted, maybe the heroine's reactions are truer than mine. I don’t know and I’m glad I’m not in her position.
August 23, 2009
Red Hot Lies is the first book in the Izzy McNeil trilogy. I’ve read two of her suspense novels, Look Closely and The Rome Affair, and enjoyed them both. When I heard she was writing a new trilogy, I immediately added the titles to my TBR List.
At first glance, life appears to be going well for Izzy McNeil. She’s an entertainment lawyer working for one of the richest men in Chicago, Forester Pickett. She’s planning her wedding with her successful and gorgeous, fiancé Sam. She’s feisty, beautiful and is satisfied with how things are in her life. Until one evening when several bad things happen in a row that cause Izzy’s life to spin rapidly out of control.
Izzy is a character that I liked from page one. Ms. Caldwell did an excellent character portrayal of Izzy, that it seemed as though she was a friend. I immediately pictured her in my mind and rooted for her as she scrambled to find the truth behind Sam’s disappearance and Forester’s murder.
Red Hot Lies is a good, solid mystery. It kept me engrossed until the ending. There’s twists and turns and plenty of suspects. Red Hot Lies did not disappoint. The good news is books two and three, Red Blooded Murder and Red, White & Dead, are now available and I’m looking forward to reading what happens next with Izzy.
At first glance, life appears to be going well for Izzy McNeil. She’s an entertainment lawyer working for one of the richest men in Chicago, Forester Pickett. She’s planning her wedding with her successful and gorgeous, fiancé Sam. She’s feisty, beautiful and is satisfied with how things are in her life. Until one evening when several bad things happen in a row that cause Izzy’s life to spin rapidly out of control.
Izzy is a character that I liked from page one. Ms. Caldwell did an excellent character portrayal of Izzy, that it seemed as though she was a friend. I immediately pictured her in my mind and rooted for her as she scrambled to find the truth behind Sam’s disappearance and Forester’s murder.
Red Hot Lies is a good, solid mystery. It kept me engrossed until the ending. There’s twists and turns and plenty of suspects. Red Hot Lies did not disappoint. The good news is books two and three, Red Blooded Murder and Red, White & Dead, are now available and I’m looking forward to reading what happens next with Izzy.
October 17, 2009
I quit reading this book at chapter 10. It was here that I realized that I really didn't care who killed Forester and hadn't really connected to any of the characters. Not the book for me.
February 12, 2020
Sister Power requires that I follow this female author with a strong yet feminine female protagonist. Plus I like this character & I like this book. What I disliked intensely was the overuse of the word “adored”. Couldn’t some of the characters “respected him immensely”? & others “admired him and all he stood for”? Just a couple of examples...
I will be reading all of this series & checking out more from this author.
I will be reading all of this series & checking out more from this author.
August 29, 2017
A fun, quirky read. You're given information, wonder how that information can possibly be relevant, only to have it tied up in the next chapter. The nicknames are terrible, the modes of transportation are awesome, and the book is quite enjoyable.
August 1, 2017
This is the first in the Izzy trilogy. The characters are likeable and I'm wondering what will happen with Grady.
May 16, 2019
I really liked Izzy McNeil because she's a strong female character. It took me a bit to warm up to the plot, but overall, held my interest and kept me reading.
March 19, 2021
Great book. Adventure filled, thrilling, exciting, and dramatic. The story was relatable at the same time as being completely unrelatable. Great storyline, narration, and detail.
July 1, 2022
First time I have read this author. This book held my attention from start to finish. Lots of twist and turns whucj didn't prepare me for the ending. Can't wait to read the next adventure.
August 27, 2025
I’ve had this series in my TBR pile for years. Story dragged on and on, too many characters to keep track of and details that weren’t needed. Ended up skipping to the end just to finish the book.
December 26, 2012
What a fun change of pace for me!
First off, I must be honest and say I almost shelved this immediately after reading the first few lines. To my unexpected horror, it was written in 1st person POV. I loathe reading books in first person, mostly because it's awkward to me and I lose focus because I keep thinking how much I hate 1st person POV. (with the exception being memoirs and biographies because I expect it in those books.) I am super glad I looked past my bias and kept plugging away because it turned out to be a surprisingly fun book. Luckily, there were POV switches that happened every few chapters or so, some of the secondary characters had chapters devoted to them written in 3rd.
This book was quite different from my normal type of books - no romance (it had a miniscule amount), no sex, no murder, no gore, no violence. Honestly, I didn't miss any of those things. This was just a straight mystery and I enjoyed watching it unravel. Izzy "Red Hot" McNeil is a firecracker who kept me laughing, especially with her made up cuss words, "Son of a motherless goat!", being one of my favorites. Such a quirky character that I wouldn't expect her to drive anything other than her little Vespa. This book also had a lot of emotion woven into the story. I loved watching Izzy go through a "rollercoaster" of emotions. She is pretty shell shocked, almost despondent in the beginning, then she moves to being downright pissed, back to sad, on to hopeful, then right back down to pissed. Caldwell did an excellent job with injecting emotion in the story that passed along to the reader. I loved most of the characters in the book and hope to see many in the following books in this series. The one I MOST look forward to seeing again is John Mayburn. I really enjoyed the parts where Izzy was playing amateur sleuth.
The bad guy was quite simple to figure out, but Caldwell did a pretty fair job of running the reader in circles in hopes of hiding the bad guy. I say fair, because it was still pretty easy to guess. The only part that bugged me was the manner in which one of the mysteries was solved. Another thing I didn't like was the way the accents were written in the dialogue. They were all written the same way, whether the person was Chinese, Panamanian, or Italian. Accents are just weird and awkward to write / read, so I would have preferred they were just written normally with something like "she stated in her thick Chinese accent". Nitpickish, I know.
I never read series books back to back, but I had so much fun with this one that I am immediately moving on to the next one in the series, Red Blooded Murder.
First off, I must be honest and say I almost shelved this immediately after reading the first few lines. To my unexpected horror, it was written in 1st person POV. I loathe reading books in first person, mostly because it's awkward to me and I lose focus because I keep thinking how much I hate 1st person POV. (with the exception being memoirs and biographies because I expect it in those books.) I am super glad I looked past my bias and kept plugging away because it turned out to be a surprisingly fun book. Luckily, there were POV switches that happened every few chapters or so, some of the secondary characters had chapters devoted to them written in 3rd.
This book was quite different from my normal type of books - no romance (it had a miniscule amount), no sex, no murder, no gore, no violence. Honestly, I didn't miss any of those things. This was just a straight mystery and I enjoyed watching it unravel. Izzy "Red Hot" McNeil is a firecracker who kept me laughing, especially with her made up cuss words, "Son of a motherless goat!", being one of my favorites. Such a quirky character that I wouldn't expect her to drive anything other than her little Vespa. This book also had a lot of emotion woven into the story. I loved watching Izzy go through a "rollercoaster" of emotions. She is pretty shell shocked, almost despondent in the beginning, then she moves to being downright pissed, back to sad, on to hopeful, then right back down to pissed. Caldwell did an excellent job with injecting emotion in the story that passed along to the reader. I loved most of the characters in the book and hope to see many in the following books in this series. The one I MOST look forward to seeing again is John Mayburn. I really enjoyed the parts where Izzy was playing amateur sleuth.
The bad guy was quite simple to figure out, but Caldwell did a pretty fair job of running the reader in circles in hopes of hiding the bad guy. I say fair, because it was still pretty easy to guess. The only part that bugged me was the manner in which one of the mysteries was solved. Another thing I didn't like was the way the accents were written in the dialogue. They were all written the same way, whether the person was Chinese, Panamanian, or Italian. Accents are just weird and awkward to write / read, so I would have preferred they were just written normally with something like "she stated in her thick Chinese accent". Nitpickish, I know.
I never read series books back to back, but I had so much fun with this one that I am immediately moving on to the next one in the series, Red Blooded Murder.
November 4, 2013
Narrated by Nancy Liem
13 hrs and 59 mins
Audible Editor Reviews
In Red Hot Lies everybody's got a secret. But when the secrets start crashing into each other, the pillars of Izzy McNiell's world crumble faster than she can run around in her stilletos to prop them back up. Izzy, the redheaded bombshell lawyer in figure-hugging power suits, is having a very, very bad day. Her client and mentor, Forrester Picket, is dead. And Sam, her fiancé, is missing — along with $30 million in Forrester's real estate bonds.
Capturing the nail-biting pace and smart, sexy energy of this first book in Laura Caldwell's sizzling summer trilogy, Nancy Liem's terrific narration of Red Hot Lies brings the resilient, upbeat, and gutsy Izzy McNiell to life. From the opening scene, Liem's charm and command of the character are complete — she even sounds like a redhead. And she shifts effortlessly from character to character, between 20-something Izzy and a street smart, cynical PI; from a series of Panamanian real estate agents to a four-year-old diva with an attitude.
With the cops and FBI staking her out, Izzy has to find her fiancé fast. She turns to PI John Mayburn for help and barters her assistance on one of his cases in exchange for his expertise in tracking down Sam and the $30 million. Liem's pacing, especially in the scene where Izzy hacks a mobster's computer to download evidence, is so in tune with the action it will leave your heart pounding and your palms sweating.
Red Hot Lies is Lisa Scottoline meets Janet Evanovich, with a whole lot that's pure Laura Caldwell. And Liem captures Izzy McNiell's tenacity, her sexy exuberance, and her vulnerability with the sparkle of sunshine on the Chicago shoreline. There's no better way to spend summer downtime than listening to the perfect marriage of Laura Caldwell and Nancy Liem in this season's best mystery series: Red Hot Lies, Red Blooded Murder, and Red White & Dead. —Nancy Carter
Publisher's Summary
"Usually I pride myself on my intuition. I listen to that voice that says, 'Something bad is happening...' or maybe 'Get out. Now.' But on that Tuesday at the end of October, my psyche must have been protecting the one remaining day I still believed life was orderly and the universe liked me. Because I didn't hear that voice. I never saw it coming."
They say bad things happen in threes. When her fiancé, Sam, disappears on the same day her mentor and biggest client is killed, hotshot Chicago attorney Izzy McNeil starts counting. But trouble keeps coming. Sam is implicated in the client's death, her apartment is broken into and it's not just the authorities who are following her.
Now, to find Sam and uncover her client's murderer, Izzy will have to push past limits she never imagined. Lucky for her she's always thrived under pressure, because her world is falling apart. Fast. And the trail of half-truths and lies is red-hot.
13 hrs and 59 mins
Audible Editor Reviews
In Red Hot Lies everybody's got a secret. But when the secrets start crashing into each other, the pillars of Izzy McNiell's world crumble faster than she can run around in her stilletos to prop them back up. Izzy, the redheaded bombshell lawyer in figure-hugging power suits, is having a very, very bad day. Her client and mentor, Forrester Picket, is dead. And Sam, her fiancé, is missing — along with $30 million in Forrester's real estate bonds.
Capturing the nail-biting pace and smart, sexy energy of this first book in Laura Caldwell's sizzling summer trilogy, Nancy Liem's terrific narration of Red Hot Lies brings the resilient, upbeat, and gutsy Izzy McNiell to life. From the opening scene, Liem's charm and command of the character are complete — she even sounds like a redhead. And she shifts effortlessly from character to character, between 20-something Izzy and a street smart, cynical PI; from a series of Panamanian real estate agents to a four-year-old diva with an attitude.
With the cops and FBI staking her out, Izzy has to find her fiancé fast. She turns to PI John Mayburn for help and barters her assistance on one of his cases in exchange for his expertise in tracking down Sam and the $30 million. Liem's pacing, especially in the scene where Izzy hacks a mobster's computer to download evidence, is so in tune with the action it will leave your heart pounding and your palms sweating.
Red Hot Lies is Lisa Scottoline meets Janet Evanovich, with a whole lot that's pure Laura Caldwell. And Liem captures Izzy McNiell's tenacity, her sexy exuberance, and her vulnerability with the sparkle of sunshine on the Chicago shoreline. There's no better way to spend summer downtime than listening to the perfect marriage of Laura Caldwell and Nancy Liem in this season's best mystery series: Red Hot Lies, Red Blooded Murder, and Red White & Dead. —Nancy Carter
Publisher's Summary
"Usually I pride myself on my intuition. I listen to that voice that says, 'Something bad is happening...' or maybe 'Get out. Now.' But on that Tuesday at the end of October, my psyche must have been protecting the one remaining day I still believed life was orderly and the universe liked me. Because I didn't hear that voice. I never saw it coming."
They say bad things happen in threes. When her fiancé, Sam, disappears on the same day her mentor and biggest client is killed, hotshot Chicago attorney Izzy McNeil starts counting. But trouble keeps coming. Sam is implicated in the client's death, her apartment is broken into and it's not just the authorities who are following her.
Now, to find Sam and uncover her client's murderer, Izzy will have to push past limits she never imagined. Lucky for her she's always thrived under pressure, because her world is falling apart. Fast. And the trail of half-truths and lies is red-hot.
May 25, 2009
Wedding nerves, murder and millions combine in this unconventional and fascinating thriller.
Isabel “Izzy” McNeil is a young associate at the law firm of Baltimore & Brown who catapulted to the top of the heap with the help of multi-millionaire media mogul, Forester Pickett. Her fiancé, Sam Hollings, and she met at one of Forester’s BBQs at his estate. Sam handles Forester’s financial planning and Izzy handles entertainment contracts and negotiations. Both young and on the rise, Sam and Izzy immediately hit it off and now, a couple years later, they are planning their wedding.
Sam is calm and happy in spite of the tedious and time-consuming wedding preparations, but Izzy feels more and more confused and unsettled. She should be happy and Sam should be looking for the exit. Sam leaves the wedding planner’s early and agrees to meet Izzy later at a business dinner. Sam doesn’t show up and he doesn’t come back to Izzy’s that night. At the office the next morning, Izzy receives a phone call. Forester is dead and Sam is missing, so are thirty million dollars Forester entrusted to Sam. Suddenly, Izzy’s fears about the impending wedding take a back seat to her growing fear that she never really knew Sam Hollings.
Digging deeper into Sam’s disappearance and Forester’s death, Izzy discovers that she doesn’t know anyone as well as she thought she did. Forester is at the center and everyone has something to hide, even Izzy’s mother.
In spunky Izzy McNeil, Laura Caldwell, has created an unlikely heroine who talks like a truck driver, looks like an flame-haired siren and is intriguing, a spicy mix of insecurity and sincerity with the tenacity of a bull dog. Red Hot Lies is a character driven story that leaves much to the imagination and gives up its secrets like a high class stripper – slowly and with finesse – without hindering the pace.
Feisty and clever Izzy McNeil adds spice to this tangled web of lies and half truths, filling this lively thriller with brass and class.
August 6, 2009
#1 Izzy McNeil Mystery series
First in a trilogy featuring Chicago entertainment attorney, Izzy (Isabel) McNeil finds her fiance missing, her biggest client dead under possibly mysterious circumstances, and valuable financial instruments missing.
Laura Caldwell's The Good Liar and The Rome Affair are for me hands down the best suspense books I've had the pleasure to read in years! These aren't "romantic suspense" as such ... while there are relationships, the romance is not the main story. I *highly recommend* each book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or suspense.
LC's The Night I Got Lucky is a contemporary romance/fiction ... but without the steamy sex, or main focus being romance. It's simply outstanding as well.
I am surprised, then, that Red Hot Lies didn't grab me like Laura Caldwell's other books have. The book is very well written, suspenseful and enjoyable ... I guess I'm max'd out on legal-related thrillers. Izzy's a young associate at a big Chicago law firm. The author's descriptions of the pressure cooker atmosphere, the mind-numbing neverending work load, the partners who tend to be arrogant, take credit for the vast amounts of work done by associates, and many times are downright unlikeable, remind me very much of my days working in such an environment, and I think that's part of the reason I put up a bit of a wall against this story.
I will definitely continue reading reading Ms. Caldwell's backlist.
www.lauracaldwell.com
First in a trilogy featuring Chicago entertainment attorney, Izzy (Isabel) McNeil finds her fiance missing, her biggest client dead under possibly mysterious circumstances, and valuable financial instruments missing.
Laura Caldwell's The Good Liar and The Rome Affair are for me hands down the best suspense books I've had the pleasure to read in years! These aren't "romantic suspense" as such ... while there are relationships, the romance is not the main story. I *highly recommend* each book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or suspense.
LC's The Night I Got Lucky is a contemporary romance/fiction ... but without the steamy sex, or main focus being romance. It's simply outstanding as well.
I am surprised, then, that Red Hot Lies didn't grab me like Laura Caldwell's other books have. The book is very well written, suspenseful and enjoyable ... I guess I'm max'd out on legal-related thrillers. Izzy's a young associate at a big Chicago law firm. The author's descriptions of the pressure cooker atmosphere, the mind-numbing neverending work load, the partners who tend to be arrogant, take credit for the vast amounts of work done by associates, and many times are downright unlikeable, remind me very much of my days working in such an environment, and I think that's part of the reason I put up a bit of a wall against this story.
I will definitely continue reading reading Ms. Caldwell's backlist.
www.lauracaldwell.com
May 10, 2010
Isabel (Izzy) McNeil, a Chicago lawyer, is just about to marry the man of her dreams. Her fiancé, Sam, disappears on the same day as her mentor, Forester.
Forester had told Izzy recently that he was receiving threatening messages and that he had just been to the doctor and was very healthy. Izzy receives a phone call from Shane, Forester's son, telling her that Forester has died of a heart attack.
The night that Forester dies is also the night that Sam, who was in charge of Forester's financial portfolio, goes missing with $30 million in Panamanian real estate bonds.
Izzy begins an investigation into why her fiancé vanished and is accused of stealing $30 million in Panamanian real estate bonds. Izzy discovers that there are tons of secrets and they are all starting to mesh together. Izzy enlists the help of John Mayburn, a Private Investigator; because she just can't believe that the man she loved would be involved in something like this. She is questioning her love and her trust of Sam.
Definitely a good book, although the middle seemed to have a lot more detail than necessary. I gave it 4 stars.
Forester had told Izzy recently that he was receiving threatening messages and that he had just been to the doctor and was very healthy. Izzy receives a phone call from Shane, Forester's son, telling her that Forester has died of a heart attack.
The night that Forester dies is also the night that Sam, who was in charge of Forester's financial portfolio, goes missing with $30 million in Panamanian real estate bonds.
Izzy begins an investigation into why her fiancé vanished and is accused of stealing $30 million in Panamanian real estate bonds. Izzy discovers that there are tons of secrets and they are all starting to mesh together. Izzy enlists the help of John Mayburn, a Private Investigator; because she just can't believe that the man she loved would be involved in something like this. She is questioning her love and her trust of Sam.
Definitely a good book, although the middle seemed to have a lot more detail than necessary. I gave it 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2012
I really enjoyed Red Hot Lies. This series and author are new to me and I am now hooked on a new series! I don't read a lot of mystery books so I was a little unsure about this one -- but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and didn't figure out who the "bad guy" was until the very end. I love when I can't figure it out. Although after finding out -- I felt like I should have known all along. LOL
I have already purchased book #2 in the Izzy McNeil Mystery Series and plan to read it right away. Can't wait to see what Izzy is up to now. Although the plot has a fabulous mystery and loads of suspense, I think one of my favorite things about this book was the main character (Izzy McNeal). She was so real and easy to relate to -- and I loved her somewhat dry sense of humor. I seriously almost laughed out loud a few times while reading.
If you are looking for a good mystery series to sink your teeth into -- give Red Hot Lies a shot. I think you will enjoy it.
I have already purchased book #2 in the Izzy McNeil Mystery Series and plan to read it right away. Can't wait to see what Izzy is up to now. Although the plot has a fabulous mystery and loads of suspense, I think one of my favorite things about this book was the main character (Izzy McNeal). She was so real and easy to relate to -- and I loved her somewhat dry sense of humor. I seriously almost laughed out loud a few times while reading.
If you are looking for a good mystery series to sink your teeth into -- give Red Hot Lies a shot. I think you will enjoy it.
June 30, 2014
It's funny that there's a note from the author at the beginning that says these books can be read in any order. That's not true at all and I think I would have liked this one more if I hadn't read the fourth book first. I got the fourth book at BEA a few years ago and liked it, so I wanted to start from the beginning. The problem was, I already knew about this whole thing with Sam, as well as other things mentioned in this book, because they were talked about in the fourth. My advice is to definitely read these in order. This was a pretty good mystery, and even had a few twists I didn't know about. I'm not sure how I feel about Izzy because she often seems naive, at best, and at times a little stupid. I don't remember thinking that about her in the other book, so maybe she matures. And I did like how she handled the Sam situation at the end. I definitely want to catch up with this series because it seems like it keeps getting better.
August 1, 2014
If you love great legal thrillers, you'll enjoy Red Hot Lies by Laura Caldwell. This was a new one to enjoy. Set in Chicago, Izzy McNeil's life was turned upside down. Poor Izzy McNeil. While planning her wedding, her boss was murdered and her fiancé was on the run, accused of stealing money. Meanwhile her life fell apart by rumors, the police and the FBI continued to stalk her. When people push comes to shove, lies showed up all over the place, when she finally heard from him. She teamed up with PI John Mayburn, while she helped him out with his own case, when her closest friend fell in love with her. Things got out of control, when she finally tracked her fiancé down and discovered the truth as shocking secrets exploded in the end at Panama. This was a great new legal thriller series to enjoy. Red Hot Lies was red hot for sure!
November 22, 2009
This was an excellent read! A page turner etc.
It was unpredictable...I think I figured out what was happening at the same time as Izzy.
There are three books in this series:
1.
Red Hot Lies
2. Red Blooded Murder
3. Red, White & Dead
I intend to read all of them.
It was unpredictable...I think I figured out what was happening at the same time as Izzy.
There are three books in this series:
1.
Red Hot Lies
2. Red Blooded Murder
3. Red, White & Dead
I intend to read all of them.
October 18, 2009
This book was supposed to be full of scandel and secrets, but the plot was too predictable to be engaging. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to really become invested in the characters. The main character, Izzy, was interesting but I couldn't drum up the passion she showed to care about the mystery at hand - Who killed her main client Forester? And why did Izzy's fiance, Sam, disappear with $30 million worth of Forester's shares? It lacked the twists and turns necessary to make it a real legal thriller.
A linear plot and 100 unnecessary pages makes me apathetic to this two-star series debut.
A linear plot and 100 unnecessary pages makes me apathetic to this two-star series debut.
October 21, 2009
Well, I finished it....I found it to be an easy read, what I call a "filler" book. It was entertaining but predictable to me, I picked Tanner in the first few pages LOL, but it wasn't a book that I hated or found difficult to finish. One of the reasons I really wanted to read it was because it was based in Chicago but aside from street names & the Rock & Roll McDonald's, I didn't get any Chicago out of it.....I wish we could give 1/2 stars on GoodRead, I would give it a 3.5 instead of a 3.....
With all the other books I have here to read, I doubt the others in this series will get added to my "to-read" list....
With all the other books I have here to read, I doubt the others in this series will get added to my "to-read" list....
March 2, 2010
This review will be biased because I liked Laura Caldwell tremendously after meeting her at a local book signing. Never say author appearances aren't good marketing! I read this book in under 24 hours; the pacing was tight and the details of my favorite city, Chicago, were as spot-on as they were fun. Caldwell crafts believable characters you can relate to (with zero schmaltz in the relationship department, lest the cover mislead you) and knows how to build edge-of-your-seat tension. A fun read if you like a fast-paced mystery where the setting plays one of the lead characters.
December 13, 2009
I really enjoyed this book and this protagonist...so much so that I would like to read the other two books in the trilogy. I got lots of chuckles from Izzy's trying not to swear and using words that just didn't feel as good as shouting those four-letter ones. I did feel that the book got a *bit* on the slow side in the middle and things tied up a bit too neatly in the end. I also found myself wondering about some of the characters (most specifically Grady and Mayburn) as they were both kind of dropped when their usefulness to the plot ended. Maybe we will find out in the next book?!?!
February 19, 2012
I went back and read this book after reading book 4 in the series because I had not realized when I picked up the original book that it was a series. Because of this some of the characters were not under suspicion from me because of knowing they were still in book 4.
With that being said, I still found the book kept me guessing and interested in the outcome. I found it to be a slow starter for the first 100 pages or so but by the end was hooked on wanting to find out the ending with both her fiancee and who was responsible for the murder.
With that being said, I still found the book kept me guessing and interested in the outcome. I found it to be a slow starter for the first 100 pages or so but by the end was hooked on wanting to find out the ending with both her fiancee and who was responsible for the murder.
October 25, 2009
This was a great book...I couldn't figure out who the killer was and that makes it a fantastic book!
I really liked the main character Izzy...I think she is a spitfire and I could actually see alot of myself in her. I think she handled the whole situation well and I am anxious to see where she goes next...
The twists in the book really surprised me...I definitely didn't see them coming. Really enjoyable read!
I really liked the main character Izzy...I think she is a spitfire and I could actually see alot of myself in her. I think she handled the whole situation well and I am anxious to see where she goes next...
The twists in the book really surprised me...I definitely didn't see them coming. Really enjoyable read!
November 11, 2009
izzy mcneil... lawyer, chicagian, engaged, successful... until her primary client dies and her fiance disappears. In twelve days, and 439 pages later, she loses her job, gets a crash course as a private detective, finds her fiance, and solves her client's murder. I look forward to the next two books... the romantic in me wants to make sure she and her fiance are fine, and the practical in me wants to see how she puts her life back together.
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