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Charlie Parker #14
Buried Secrets Can Be Murder
It's Christmas in Albuquerque; Charlie and her family are ready for a quiet holiday at home. But right away, her hopes for that scenario fade when Charlie's brother and PI business partner, Ron, brings in two new cases, one of which made national headlines.
Five years earlier, in a tide of media attention and despite public sentiment against her, Tali Donovan was acquitted of killing her two children and then she disappeared from the radar. Now, at the anniversary of the children's disappearance, their father wants to find his kids. Charlie realizes that the distraught man will not find peace until he knows what really happened. RJP Investigations digs up more than past history as Charlie and Ron work to find the answers.
Five years earlier, in a tide of media attention and despite public sentiment against her, Tali Donovan was acquitted of killing her two children and then she disappeared from the radar. Now, at the anniversary of the children's disappearance, their father wants to find his kids. Charlie realizes that the distraught man will not find peace until he knows what really happened. RJP Investigations digs up more than past history as Charlie and Ron work to find the answers.
207 pages, ebook
First published September 4, 2013
108 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Connie Shelton
94 books310 followersMy love of books started with weekly trips to the library as a child and from the moment I learned to read I can't remember a time that I didn't have at least one book going. For the past 25 years, that list has grown to include what I'm reading and what I'm writing at any given time.
I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico.
In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach.
Series:
* Charlie Parker Mystery
I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico.
In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach.
Series:
* Charlie Parker Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 15, 2018
I've been reading this series for a long time now. I've fallen behind a bit and enjoyed catching up via this installment, set in Albuquerque during my favorite holiday of Christmas. The mc and her family feel like old time friends that I've finally gone to visit after a long absence. I did enjoy this one as much as the others; however, I was, unfortunately, able to figure out the villain somewhere near the middle of the story. There were twists and turns and life happenings to keep me reading, however, so it still merited four stars from me. Hopefully it won't take me forever to get to the next in the series!
December 24, 2024
Charlie and Ron have a new case. A retired police officer who felt a past defendant was really guilty, is working the case privately for Boyd, whose ex was acquitted of killing their two young children. Charlie thinks the ex is still around with a new identity, which I figured out pretty easily. The characters are likable, and I liked the Mew Mexico setting.
March 2, 2017
Great addition to the series. This is one of my favorites so far. Seems each book just gets better and better! Charlie and her brother take on a case dealing with child abuse and murder. Nobody was ever convicted of the disappearance of two sweet young children. The mother then just completely disappears and the father goes off the deep-end because he has no idea what happened to his children. He hires Charlie's agency to find out what happened.
You'll wonder how two men can be so completely blind and taken in by a woman! Where the mother is and what happened to the children will be a surprise and you'll be happy to know the bad guys get their just due in the end!
Great read!
You'll wonder how two men can be so completely blind and taken in by a woman! Where the mother is and what happened to the children will be a surprise and you'll be happy to know the bad guys get their just due in the end!
Great read!
August 20, 2024
This book, as the title suggests is about a murder, except the first half of the book is just an intro to each of the characters. That was way too long for me. I figured out who the murderer was before I knew who was murdered. Thus there was little mystery or suspense and the ending was just sad and depressing. I did like the character of Charley, the private investigator and her family.
December 5, 2024
another enjoyable cozy. I was a bit confused with all the high class parties Charlie is going to and all the makers and shakers she is getting to know. the bit about child abuse with the step daughter raising the alarm.
lo and behold, the two part of the stories are really related to each other.
Just amazing.
lo and behold, the two part of the stories are really related to each other.
Just amazing.
June 7, 2017
Fast paced fun!
Great read - one of her best so far!
Miss Samantha Sweet series but happy to have found this one!
Great read - one of her best so far!
Miss Samantha Sweet series but happy to have found this one!
February 2, 2021
Secrets
A very good murder mystery.,. The characters were really cool. You won't regret getting this book go read. It keeps your attention!!!
A very good murder mystery.,. The characters were really cool. You won't regret getting this book go read. It keeps your attention!!!
August 18, 2021
This was very sad. At least, Katie and Adam survived.
November 9, 2023
Where is Tali Donovan and why??? AND who killed those children and why??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
February 3, 2024
I love this series. There is no over the top ending just very good writing. Love the narrator, Rebecca Cook also
November 20, 2013
Here we have another in a long line of Charlie Parker mysteries, this one showing Connie Shelton at her very best. Charlie Parker unravels yet another secret plot, a conspiracy between two sisters who agree that they’d be better off without children in their lives. One of them, Tali, takes this predilection a step too far, murders her two kids, then… But I’m getting ahead of things.
Parker’s PI agency is contacted by a retired Seattle detective bothered about the lack of resolution of a nationally infamous case. Two kids had been reported kidnapped by their somewhat spaced-out mother, who comes under immediate scrutiny by the police. When no bodies are found, Tali is acquitted. Soon to be ex husband loses his belief in her innocence but can’t prove anything. Years later he hires the aforementioned detective to track Tali down and reopen the case, thus the premise of the book.
Shelton does a masterful job of keeping readers oriented to time, place, story and plot. She uses foreshadowing with a deft touch, enticing readers with just enough information to keep pages turning, even if certain (unrevealed) data begins to make sense early in the book. With full command of her characters’ voices, quirks, roles in the story and development, Shelton shows once again that she is a mystery writer of many gifts. The plot is seamless, if a tad predictable, and has not one glitch that this reviewer could find.
One weakness in the book, for this reader, was the moving around among certain characters, such as husband Drake, Sally and husband Ross. They seemed to be positioned elsewhere just to keep them in readers’ minds, with little to do with the work itself except to get them out of the way. Brother— and real PI, Ron—takes off on a missing persons case for Rosa Flores, gets stuck in Dallas and essentially leaves the book. This is fine as far as it goes; despite her lack of official credentials as a PI, Charlie always seems better at cracking cases than her brother the pro.
Chet Flowers’ death seemed to lack the necessary emotional impact it might have, and though a bit of a stretch, it is possible that Jerry Brewster would know so little of his new bride. Fiction readers must, of course, suspend disbelief.
All in all a satisfying addition to the Charlie Parker mystery series.
Byron Edgington, author of The Sky Behind Me: A Memoir of Flying & Life
Parker’s PI agency is contacted by a retired Seattle detective bothered about the lack of resolution of a nationally infamous case. Two kids had been reported kidnapped by their somewhat spaced-out mother, who comes under immediate scrutiny by the police. When no bodies are found, Tali is acquitted. Soon to be ex husband loses his belief in her innocence but can’t prove anything. Years later he hires the aforementioned detective to track Tali down and reopen the case, thus the premise of the book.
Shelton does a masterful job of keeping readers oriented to time, place, story and plot. She uses foreshadowing with a deft touch, enticing readers with just enough information to keep pages turning, even if certain (unrevealed) data begins to make sense early in the book. With full command of her characters’ voices, quirks, roles in the story and development, Shelton shows once again that she is a mystery writer of many gifts. The plot is seamless, if a tad predictable, and has not one glitch that this reviewer could find.
One weakness in the book, for this reader, was the moving around among certain characters, such as husband Drake, Sally and husband Ross. They seemed to be positioned elsewhere just to keep them in readers’ minds, with little to do with the work itself except to get them out of the way. Brother— and real PI, Ron—takes off on a missing persons case for Rosa Flores, gets stuck in Dallas and essentially leaves the book. This is fine as far as it goes; despite her lack of official credentials as a PI, Charlie always seems better at cracking cases than her brother the pro.
Chet Flowers’ death seemed to lack the necessary emotional impact it might have, and though a bit of a stretch, it is possible that Jerry Brewster would know so little of his new bride. Fiction readers must, of course, suspend disbelief.
All in all a satisfying addition to the Charlie Parker mystery series.
Byron Edgington, author of The Sky Behind Me: A Memoir of Flying & Life
October 20, 2015
Charlie and Ron are hired by a retired Seattle homicide detective to handle the local portion of his current investigation. It was a case where he failed to find the bodies of two missing children. Their Mother was found innocent in her trail. She than disappeared and the detective wants to located her. He feels the Mother is settled in New Mexico as her family is living there. This set against a Christmas celebration and unusual snow storm. The story was very good but I recognize the answer very early in the story.
December 18, 2024
charlie figured out the woman who was found not guilty in killing her 2 children really did kill them. she found where they were buried and that the woman had plastic surgery and was actually living near her and she knew her and had been to her house. she also murdered the pi assigned to the case. her sister was in on it so she got arrested, tho they couldnt try the mother for murder again, she was abusing her children as well
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2014
I love this series - I loved this book! Can't wait for the next one in this series.
June 1, 2015
Although I had it mostly figured out from nearly the beginning, it was still enthralling and kept me reading all day.
June 15, 2019
Hooopla better than some
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews