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Emily Locke #1
Final Approach
Four years ago Emily Locke’s life was shattered when her infant daughter and husband were lost in an inexplicable accident. She has nearly rebuilt her fragile mental health when Richard Cole, a disgraced former police detective now working as a PI, resurfaces. He wants help he says only she can provide—reconnaissance at a Texas sky-diving establishment over a thousand miles away. Emily knows better than to work with him again, but can’t refuse. She identifies too greatly with the new missing child case.
At Gulf Coast Skydiving, similarities between this new case and Emily’s troubled past make it increasingly difficult for her to stay objective. Soon she’s convinced that she is somehow connected to whoever took little Casey Lyons. Someone at the quiet, rural airstrip knows what happened to the boy and to Emily’s own daughter.
To find Casey before it’s too late, Emily will have to make sense of the menacing parallels between this case and her daughter’s....
At Gulf Coast Skydiving, similarities between this new case and Emily’s troubled past make it increasingly difficult for her to stay objective. Soon she’s convinced that she is somehow connected to whoever took little Casey Lyons. Someone at the quiet, rural airstrip knows what happened to the boy and to Emily’s own daughter.
To find Casey before it’s too late, Emily will have to make sense of the menacing parallels between this case and her daughter’s....
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2009
57 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Brady
13 books24 followersA graduate of Wright State University and The Ohio State University, Rachel works as a biomedical engineer at NASA in addition to writing mystery and suspense fiction. Her interests include health and fitness, acoustic guitar, and books of all kinds. She lives outside of Houston, Texas, with her family. Final Approach was her debut novel in the Emily Locke series, which features a different sporting community in each book. Its sequel, Dead Lift, was released in December, 2010. Visit Rachel on-line at www.rachelbrady.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 14, 2017
It's hard to believe this is a first novel. It's very well written. Children kidnapped and sold on the blackmarket. Terrifying! The fight scenes are well done and the parachuting info is just the right amount.
January 3, 2010
Final Approach is the first book in a series featuring Emily Locke, a skydiving, amateur sleuth who has lost everything important to her. As I read this book I found myself invested in Emily and her world far more than I expected. Brady has done a fantastic job bringing her to life and helping her to rise to the dangerous situations she faces while still maintaining her femininity. The clincher for me was her relationship with Vince. The skydiving backdrop was an added bonus. I enjoyed learning about skydiving and I appreciated the way Brady wove this into the plot and was able to teach and move the story at the same time.
I'm looking forward to the next Emily Locke in 2010.
I'm looking forward to the next Emily Locke in 2010.
December 21, 2018
It's quite different that the protagonist is a chemist and sky diver.
It was also quite suspenseful. I had some questions about how believable it was that the main character didn't figure things out sooner, but grief can blind us to the most obvious things.
Overall, it's a solid mystery and Emily Locke is an interesting character. Though it worked to her advantage, I often wanted to smack the slobber out of her friend Jeannie.
It was also quite suspenseful. I had some questions about how believable it was that the main character didn't figure things out sooner, but grief can blind us to the most obvious things.
Overall, it's a solid mystery and Emily Locke is an interesting character. Though it worked to her advantage, I often wanted to smack the slobber out of her friend Jeannie.
September 24, 2022
I found this book very readable, if a little intense. I enjoyed the story line, and the characters. It was disappointing to come across some coarse language, which simply does not enhance any novel.
September 8, 2015
A nice, decent, easy book to read over the weekend.
The theme is somewhat sad, considering there are kids kidnapped and then sold to other families who can pay tons of money to adopt a child.
There is a plot taking shape as we progress, the characters are well defined, with their own agendas and actions, creating twists and turns in the story-line. The dialog is funny at times and will keep us entertained along the way.
Without spoiling your fun, I would say that we are introduced or exposed a bit to the beauty of the skydiving and how some of those daredevils will act and react in their own environment and that's always nice to see.
There is however a lot of scene hopping, with flashbacks that we are exposed to, while our main protagonist is reading her journal since some years ago when she had a family with a child and a husband of her own, but this scene jumping back and forth, from the past to present, is somewhat confusing at times and kind of hard to follow as it's not well integrated with the present in my opinion. It may give us some answers to some questions, it may give us some explanations, but the way is done it's confusing and not easy to keep up, especially if we don't read continuous and take some breaks - like I do - so when we are back to the book it can be quite bewildering.
I assume - and hope - the author is continuously working to improve her writing skills, since she's not a writer by trade, so I would guess in the future if she decides to use this technique to make us travel in the past via flashbacks, she will learn to do it in a smoother and more comfortable way. It's not something to be hold against the author, as this is not an easy technique to deploy in the narrative, but for sure here we are in an experimenting phase and some extra tuning is need it in this area.
On a positive side, I can definitely say she - the author - knows what she's talking about when it comes to computers and how they work, witch is not unexpected from a real scientist like she is in her real life.
I like the fact she is quite accurate with any and all aspects related with computers in her book, as it brings a great deal of realism and authenticity and I for one I appreciate that.
I assume some authenticity comes also from her intimate knowledge of the skydiving world and even guitar playing, but I can't speak for that, since I don't know much about those two topics, but in the computers category, I can say for sure she is accurate and that brings authenticity.
In the end, it's a nice, pleasant and entertaining book deserving 3 stars.
The theme is somewhat sad, considering there are kids kidnapped and then sold to other families who can pay tons of money to adopt a child.
There is a plot taking shape as we progress, the characters are well defined, with their own agendas and actions, creating twists and turns in the story-line. The dialog is funny at times and will keep us entertained along the way.
Without spoiling your fun, I would say that we are introduced or exposed a bit to the beauty of the skydiving and how some of those daredevils will act and react in their own environment and that's always nice to see.
There is however a lot of scene hopping, with flashbacks that we are exposed to, while our main protagonist is reading her journal since some years ago when she had a family with a child and a husband of her own, but this scene jumping back and forth, from the past to present, is somewhat confusing at times and kind of hard to follow as it's not well integrated with the present in my opinion. It may give us some answers to some questions, it may give us some explanations, but the way is done it's confusing and not easy to keep up, especially if we don't read continuous and take some breaks - like I do - so when we are back to the book it can be quite bewildering.
I assume - and hope - the author is continuously working to improve her writing skills, since she's not a writer by trade, so I would guess in the future if she decides to use this technique to make us travel in the past via flashbacks, she will learn to do it in a smoother and more comfortable way. It's not something to be hold against the author, as this is not an easy technique to deploy in the narrative, but for sure here we are in an experimenting phase and some extra tuning is need it in this area.
On a positive side, I can definitely say she - the author - knows what she's talking about when it comes to computers and how they work, witch is not unexpected from a real scientist like she is in her real life.
I like the fact she is quite accurate with any and all aspects related with computers in her book, as it brings a great deal of realism and authenticity and I for one I appreciate that.
I assume some authenticity comes also from her intimate knowledge of the skydiving world and even guitar playing, but I can't speak for that, since I don't know much about those two topics, but in the computers category, I can say for sure she is accurate and that brings authenticity.
In the end, it's a nice, pleasant and entertaining book deserving 3 stars.
March 23, 2014
I can't say what it is but there was just something about this book and this protagonist that I just could not like. To me, the main character seemed too self-involved to be 'accessible' to the reader. The ending bothered me too, but I do not want to put in a spoiler for those who read the book.
Recently at the library, I almost signed out the second book of the series but when I realized it was, in fact, the next book after this one, I put the book back on the shelf. Often, I am willing to give a series a book or two (sometimes three) before deciding I really have no interest in it. This time I couldn't do that. t guess that says something eh?
Recently at the library, I almost signed out the second book of the series but when I realized it was, in fact, the next book after this one, I put the book back on the shelf. Often, I am willing to give a series a book or two (sometimes three) before deciding I really have no interest in it. This time I couldn't do that. t guess that says something eh?
May 27, 2012
What happens when a chemist who skydives, plays guitar, juggles kids, and writes puts it all together? Ans. a quick fun read that intrigues the reader and gives a subtle overview of skydiving. A good first book from author Rachel Brady .
February 18, 2025
This is the first book by this author I have read. The story was riveting and keep you interested from start to finish. You are often guessing who the bad guys are. It can be anyone. It is a thriller read.
October 2, 2020
Though this was good for a first book, I had no emotional connection to the characters whatsoever, which made this so hard to get through.
July 7, 2010
I really wanted to like this book, as I do especially of any work by any first-time author, but I felt this debut mystery needed more time in the story-editing stage. I felt it was overplotted, overpopulated, overstuffed with dangerous situations and desperate characters that at times strained the bounds of plausibility.
Emily Locke would be likable if her creator would give her a chance to breathe, but she's rendered claustrophobic by the constant contrivances that cluster around her — the Requisite Tragedy From The Past™, The Oversexed, Wisecracking Best Friend Straight Out Of A Seventies Sitcom™, The Man From The Past She May Or May Not Be Able To Trust™, The Sexy Thrill-Seeker With A Soulful Side™ and so on.
The plot would have us believe that the only way Emily can get close to the ring of baby-nappers who stole her infant years before is to skydive with the suspects half a nation away. The preposterousness would be fun if the skydiving scenes — an original motif for a mystery novel — were rendered with any soul, but they're instead written in perfunctory plot-advancing fashion.
And that would be fine if the plot could be followed. But by the third act it dissolves into a haphazard series of crashes and action sequences, punctuated by long moments of overexpository dialogue that don't ring particularly true to the way people talk. By the end, there's too many people involved, too many plot threads to tie up and too many implausibilities to reconcile. And too much action that drags on far too long. I finished the book feeling winded and bewildered.
Author Rachel Brady isn't a bad writer, and I'd be willing to take a flyer on whatever she comes up with next. There are some scenes that truly crackle, and some intriguing bits of dialogue. But "Final Approach" feels like the product of a long series of how-to-write-a-romantic-suspense-mystery workshops and how-to-books. The craft is there in places, but it is overwhemed by the stuff that feels like the fancies of a first draft.
There's a good idea in there somewhere, but the stage at which a skilled story editor sorted out what worked and what didn't appears to be missing on this book's path to publication. Somebody — her agent, her beta readers, her critique group members or her editor — clearly didn't step up and demand a few more rounds of stringent revisions.
Emily Locke would be likable if her creator would give her a chance to breathe, but she's rendered claustrophobic by the constant contrivances that cluster around her — the Requisite Tragedy From The Past™, The Oversexed, Wisecracking Best Friend Straight Out Of A Seventies Sitcom™, The Man From The Past She May Or May Not Be Able To Trust™, The Sexy Thrill-Seeker With A Soulful Side™ and so on.
The plot would have us believe that the only way Emily can get close to the ring of baby-nappers who stole her infant years before is to skydive with the suspects half a nation away. The preposterousness would be fun if the skydiving scenes — an original motif for a mystery novel — were rendered with any soul, but they're instead written in perfunctory plot-advancing fashion.
And that would be fine if the plot could be followed. But by the third act it dissolves into a haphazard series of crashes and action sequences, punctuated by long moments of overexpository dialogue that don't ring particularly true to the way people talk. By the end, there's too many people involved, too many plot threads to tie up and too many implausibilities to reconcile. And too much action that drags on far too long. I finished the book feeling winded and bewildered.
Author Rachel Brady isn't a bad writer, and I'd be willing to take a flyer on whatever she comes up with next. There are some scenes that truly crackle, and some intriguing bits of dialogue. But "Final Approach" feels like the product of a long series of how-to-write-a-romantic-suspense-mystery workshops and how-to-books. The craft is there in places, but it is overwhemed by the stuff that feels like the fancies of a first draft.
There's a good idea in there somewhere, but the stage at which a skilled story editor sorted out what worked and what didn't appears to be missing on this book's path to publication. Somebody — her agent, her beta readers, her critique group members or her editor — clearly didn't step up and demand a few more rounds of stringent revisions.
June 3, 2011
When Emily Locke is called by Richard Cole, the detective turned PI who investigated the death of her husband and daughter four years earlier, she is in no hurry to help him. When she finds out she gets to fly to Houston and engage in her passion for sky-diving while helping to check a lead in a child abduction case, Emily decides that this is a good excuse for a vacation. What Emily quickly discovers is that the lead is very real , but she is unsure of who she can actually trust. The stakes increase as Emily finds out that along with a missing child there is also the possibility of learning the truth about her own family’s tragic end. But the search for the truth could cost her life…and potentially even more.
Rachel Brady’s debut mystery novel Final Approach brings us into the life of chemist Emily Locke, who is unwittingly dropped into the pursuit of a baby abduction ring that might have ties to her past. Written from the first-person perspective of Emily, the story delves into the world of skydiving where we learn all about “boogies” and “cutaway chutes.” Fortunately, it isn’t just a skydiving education that Final Approach provides. It is also a very well written mystery. Brady provides Emily an authentic voice that is both human and endearing. Emily doesn’t have all of the answers – in fact she doesn’t even know a lot of the questions – but she learns and makes mistakes in a way that readers can relate to. She is no superhero, but that doesn’t prevent her from making a heroic stand. Brady does a fantastic job introducing the other characters and keeping the reader guessing as to whether they are someone Emily can confide in or someone she needs to run away from.
Brady doesn’t spend very much time painting picturesque scenes. Final Approach is very much a character and plot driven chase. At 250 pages, the story moves quickly and leads into a succession of twists and turns that work so well. Brady keeps you hanging on for the ride right up to the last page. A very satisfying story from a promising, gifted writer. I can’t wait to read her next story. Mystery fans should check this one out.
Rachel Brady’s debut mystery novel Final Approach brings us into the life of chemist Emily Locke, who is unwittingly dropped into the pursuit of a baby abduction ring that might have ties to her past. Written from the first-person perspective of Emily, the story delves into the world of skydiving where we learn all about “boogies” and “cutaway chutes.” Fortunately, it isn’t just a skydiving education that Final Approach provides. It is also a very well written mystery. Brady provides Emily an authentic voice that is both human and endearing. Emily doesn’t have all of the answers – in fact she doesn’t even know a lot of the questions – but she learns and makes mistakes in a way that readers can relate to. She is no superhero, but that doesn’t prevent her from making a heroic stand. Brady does a fantastic job introducing the other characters and keeping the reader guessing as to whether they are someone Emily can confide in or someone she needs to run away from.
Brady doesn’t spend very much time painting picturesque scenes. Final Approach is very much a character and plot driven chase. At 250 pages, the story moves quickly and leads into a succession of twists and turns that work so well. Brady keeps you hanging on for the ride right up to the last page. A very satisfying story from a promising, gifted writer. I can’t wait to read her next story. Mystery fans should check this one out.
July 26, 2010
Emily Locke's husband and daughter were killed in a boating accident four years before we meet her. Richard Cole, the detective who'd worked the case, now a private investigator, says she's the only person he knows who can help him with his current case which may involve sky-diving. She's reluctant to help him, as she's sure he botched her case and she's not an experienced investigator, but when she hears it concerns a missing child, she agrees.
She takes leave from her job in northern Ohio, and flies to Houston, where she is to infiltrate a local sky-diving club. She hasn't done any jumps since she lost her family, and although it's tough to begin again, she soon realizes how much she'd missed it.
Hearing that there will be a "boogie" (skydiving festival) that weekend, she signs up. Forgoing the early morning jump, she lends her gear to another woman, who is forced to use the cutaway chute when she discovers that someone has tampered with the main parachute.
Emily's history is revealed to the reader slowly throughout the course of the book, and we learn the truth about her husband and daughter and why she feels so compelled to help with the missing child case.
Sky-diving ignoramuses (such as I) will learn a lot from this book, while being totally immersed in a gripping and exciting story.
She takes leave from her job in northern Ohio, and flies to Houston, where she is to infiltrate a local sky-diving club. She hasn't done any jumps since she lost her family, and although it's tough to begin again, she soon realizes how much she'd missed it.
Hearing that there will be a "boogie" (skydiving festival) that weekend, she signs up. Forgoing the early morning jump, she lends her gear to another woman, who is forced to use the cutaway chute when she discovers that someone has tampered with the main parachute.
Emily's history is revealed to the reader slowly throughout the course of the book, and we learn the truth about her husband and daughter and why she feels so compelled to help with the missing child case.
Sky-diving ignoramuses (such as I) will learn a lot from this book, while being totally immersed in a gripping and exciting story.
July 3, 2011
If you love good mysteries, you'll love the Emily Locke series. Emily Locke is a widow who've lost her husband and her baby daughter, a few years ago, from a boating accident. When Richard Cole comes to see her in Cleveland, he told her about a missing child case and a skydiving ticket. Since Emily used to skydive, she took an unplanned leave from work and hits Houston to find Casey Lyons. This case is similar to another one, which had changed her life, and are parallel. As she investigates this, she meets an eclectic array of characters, including Vince Townsend. As she gets closer to the truth, she's in danger, when she realizes the truth that her daughter was alive and possibly adopted by another family. On a plane, she risks life and limb, including helping the FBI in the process, when her life's on the life, and she's reunited with her daughter after all. A great mystery!
July 5, 2015
Finished 07/05/2014. Emily is drafted to help find a missing baby because she is a skydiver. Former police officer Richard Cole is suspect in the loss of a prosecution that E's testimony should have secured. Then her husband & young daughter were drowned in the lake. E's friend Jeannie is brash but uninvited still helps in the investigation. At the Gulf Coast Skydiving Co. E is drawn to Vince and becomes suspicious of Trish, a pilot employed by GC. T, Skud, and several others are involved in weapons, drugs, & illegal adoptions, selling kidnapped babies & often murdering the parents or guardians. +
December 9, 2010
Rachel Brady's FINAL APPROACH is a marvelous debut mystery novel and the start of a great series. Filled with action, humor, and some very touching moments, it follows reluctant investigator Emily Locke as she infiltrates a sky-diving school linked to the disappearance of several children. The sequel novel, DEAD LIFT, has already been released so those of you who won't read a series until there's more than one book available -- go ahead and pick these up.
October 13, 2012
While I liked the setting of a sky diving school and the concept of child trafficking as the crime, there were times when I had a hard time believing the heroine Emily Locke would really have behaved the way she did. We're all used to protaganists that risk all and look before they leap, but some of Emily's decisions felt contrived and unrealistic to me. Just my opinion. In fairness, I did get hooked and I did want to finish it.
July 29, 2014
Emily Locke’s life was shattered when her infant daughter and husband were died in an accident. She has nearly rebuilt her fragile mental health when a former police detective resurfaces to ask for help, reconnaissance at a Texas skydiving company. At Gulf Coast Skydiving, similarities between Richard’s case and Emily’s past make it increasingly difficult for her to stay objective. OK novel, but very convoluted story.
February 9, 2010
My local bookclub is hosting the author at our February meeting. She uses/writes from my local library. How cool is that!
Really liked the author - super sweet, very involved in community/family/current events. The book, not so much. Had a hard time getting into it, but I liked her so much I will probably read another of hers.
Really liked the author - super sweet, very involved in community/family/current events. The book, not so much. Had a hard time getting into it, but I liked her so much I will probably read another of hers.
March 5, 2013
Considering I have never flown before, I found the skydiving background in Final Approach very unusual and fresh. This is my first book by author Rachel Brady and I found it fast paced and full of interesting characters. I especially would like to see if her interest in Vince carries on into the next book.
April 6, 2010
Rachel Brady's debut novel mixes child abduction with skydiving. A whole new vocabulary and life-style for me and it certainly ramped up the action! Great details and plenty of opportunities for Ellie's return. 1st in a new series.
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April 17, 2011I started reading this book today and I'm taking it with me on a trip to Boston, a four hour flight both ways so I'll probably finish it by Thursday. Great book. A masterful author. I highly recommend this book.
October 22, 2015
I actually enjoyed this mystery type novel, and I don't usually like the genre. Emily and her sidekick are much smarter, successful, and trained sleuths than the only comparable sleuths I can think of, Stefanie Plum and Lula. This is more realistic, has more heart and more intelligence.
January 24, 2010
Although I don't ever expect to sky dive, Rachel held my attention with her exciting plot. I didn't really connect to the characters, though.
February 24, 2010
This was a thrill a minute. One minute my heart was racing the next it was breaking. Really great story! I can't wait to read by Ms. Brady! Yay for new authors!
May 13, 2010
Fun to read about skydiving even though I don't want to do it! Intense story. Good reading.
March 11, 2011
Wasn't my favorite book but it was decent
May 14, 2011
A fun mystery beach read.
July 18, 2011
On iPhone
Just OK, nothing special, but moved along enough to finish it.
Just OK, nothing special, but moved along enough to finish it.
July 23, 2014
I got this book from the library and thought it was quite good. Apparently this is her first book and I would definately try another one of her books
July 5, 2012
This book was pretty predictable. It lacked suspense and creativity. It provided an interesting description of sky diving. So if you're a sky-diving enthusiast, you may like it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews