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Mirror Estate #4.5
Christmas Murders
A Christmas conspiracy. Multiple Murders. A dogged detective who won’t quit.
Detective Kylie "KC" Cassidy's career wilts like a thirsty poinsettia in the Florida heat. When a councilman is found dead during Christmas week, KC must solve this high-profile case before the New Year's Eve fireworks or face unemployment.
As she delves deeper, more bodies surface like unwanted gifts. KC is running out of time, the clock ticking down as though in a twisted Advent calendar.
Just when she thinks it’s over, the tables turn. Will she survive the ordeal and save her career, or will this be her last Christmas?
If you like the Michael Bennett series, you’ll love this crime mystery!
Buy Christmas Murder today to start this classic cop drama!
Detective Kylie "KC" Cassidy's career wilts like a thirsty poinsettia in the Florida heat. When a councilman is found dead during Christmas week, KC must solve this high-profile case before the New Year's Eve fireworks or face unemployment.
As she delves deeper, more bodies surface like unwanted gifts. KC is running out of time, the clock ticking down as though in a twisted Advent calendar.
Just when she thinks it’s over, the tables turn. Will she survive the ordeal and save her career, or will this be her last Christmas?
If you like the Michael Bennett series, you’ll love this crime mystery!
Buy Christmas Murder today to start this classic cop drama!
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2024
29 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
S.F. Baumgartner
20 books428 followersS.F. Baumgartner crafts fast-paced Christian suspense thrillers, weaving tales of complex characters, secretive operatives, and relentless agents. Her gripping storytelling has earned acclaim, with Living Secrets—Book 1 of her Mirror Estate series—named a Top Pick in the thriller category at Killer Nashville, 2024. When she’s not plotting her next twist, she’s binge-watching crime TV shows, like NCIS or playing with her cats. Fans of James Patterson's style, especially those who appreciate short, punchy chapters, will find much to love in her work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 13, 2024
Kylie Cassidy, or KC as she's best known in the force is working on getting transferred as she might end up without a job by the end of the year due to some recent department changes.
Pine Grove seems to be just a dying town where nothing major really happens when all of a sudden a series of murders start to happen right before and around Christmas time. This might as well be what KC needs to keep her career afloat, but the more she digs into the murders and the possible perpetrators, the more in danger she gets as these all seem to be linked to high profile characters.
On her journey to solve the case we learn that all this criminal activity may be linked to the Ghost, a very famous character of the Mirror Estate series.
Will KC be able to get the answers she needs? It seems we would need to follow her path to find the answer to such question.
After reading this short story, I can gladly say that I've already become quite a fan of S.F. Baumgartner and her novels as they are difficult to put down once you start reading them.
My only hope for now is that we'll get to read more about KC in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Pine Grove seems to be just a dying town where nothing major really happens when all of a sudden a series of murders start to happen right before and around Christmas time. This might as well be what KC needs to keep her career afloat, but the more she digs into the murders and the possible perpetrators, the more in danger she gets as these all seem to be linked to high profile characters.
On her journey to solve the case we learn that all this criminal activity may be linked to the Ghost, a very famous character of the Mirror Estate series.
Will KC be able to get the answers she needs? It seems we would need to follow her path to find the answer to such question.
After reading this short story, I can gladly say that I've already become quite a fan of S.F. Baumgartner and her novels as they are difficult to put down once you start reading them.
My only hope for now is that we'll get to read more about KC in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 24, 2024
The novella Christmas Murders by S.F. Baumgartner is a well plotted police procedural that packs a whole lot of story in a fairly small space. It combines edge-your-seat suspense and plenty of twists and turns with a kickass female protagonist to make for a very compelling read. It should be noted that, outside of the title and the time period of the tale, there is very little to do with Christmas here. Still a fast short and entertaining read perfect for this very busy time of year.
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this book in e change for an honest review
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this book in e change for an honest review
November 15, 2024
Ok, total transparency here, I got hooked with just one sentence in the book summary,
“ If you like the Michael Bennett series, you’ll love this crime mystery!”
. That’s it, that’s all it took. As a devoted Michael Bennett fan, I knew I had to have this one. It’s all good! Amidst this sappy holiday reading binge I’ve been on, I have come across some good holiday crime thrillers and suspense too. This one was a good break if you too need something different from all the Hallmark romances and family dramas.
However, it became clear that the FMC isn’t anything like Michael Bennett. Michael is a seasoned NYC detective with a long and decorated career and an impressive arrest and cleared record. KC has only been a detective a few years whose career so far hasn’t been all that impressive and her arrest and solve record a little thin. Furthermore, Michael is very well known and liked among the brass and city officials. KC, on the other hand, is the only detective for the Pine Grove police force (a very small town in FL) that has her working mostly shoplifting and burglaries cases. Furthermore, she is on the verge of losing her job because the mayor’s nephew just passed the detective’s exam and is going to be the new department’s detective come Jan 1st. Pine Grove’s budget can only afford one detective on the force. Additionally, Michael is a father of 10 (and working on #11) with kids ranging from grade school to college. KC is as single as a pringle with no kids. Hmmm…..has me questioning the purpose of adding that blurb in the book summary.
Anyway, book summaries aside, KC suddenly finds herself in the midst of a murder case, which is extremely unusual for Pine Grove. The Sheriff calls in reinforcements to help KC with the investigation, a Det Morales, that KC doesn’t really take a liking to. There is also a secondary storyline of KC running into an FBI agent, Nate Tanner, that she worked with on a previous auto accident case. Eventually, Tanner asks KC to work with him on his investigation that he believes is connected to her investigation.
The dead bodies start piling up and KC starts getting texts from a stranger warning her to back off her investigation or else. KC and Tanner know they are getting close to something but they just can’t pin it down, until they do. At a 113pgs, the end comes fast in an intense and scary scene for all, especially KC. If I were to compare this to any other series, I would say KC and Pine Grove are more like early Kate Burkholder and Painters Mill than Michael Bennett and NYC. I would strongly suggest that the publishers reconsider that Michael Bennett comment in the book summary.
I’m a character driven reader and, for me, character development is the most important element of a story. In short stories like this, the character development is basically slim to none, which is to be expected in a halfway decent prequel to an upcoming series, which is what this really is. JMHO The pacing was fast and the storylines interesting. The writing was just ok, but that’s mostly because of the lack of some real character development. I'm looking at an over all rating of 3.6 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Books Go Social for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #BookGoSocial #ChristmasMurders
However, it became clear that the FMC isn’t anything like Michael Bennett. Michael is a seasoned NYC detective with a long and decorated career and an impressive arrest and cleared record. KC has only been a detective a few years whose career so far hasn’t been all that impressive and her arrest and solve record a little thin. Furthermore, Michael is very well known and liked among the brass and city officials. KC, on the other hand, is the only detective for the Pine Grove police force (a very small town in FL) that has her working mostly shoplifting and burglaries cases. Furthermore, she is on the verge of losing her job because the mayor’s nephew just passed the detective’s exam and is going to be the new department’s detective come Jan 1st. Pine Grove’s budget can only afford one detective on the force. Additionally, Michael is a father of 10 (and working on #11) with kids ranging from grade school to college. KC is as single as a pringle with no kids. Hmmm…..has me questioning the purpose of adding that blurb in the book summary.
Anyway, book summaries aside, KC suddenly finds herself in the midst of a murder case, which is extremely unusual for Pine Grove. The Sheriff calls in reinforcements to help KC with the investigation, a Det Morales, that KC doesn’t really take a liking to. There is also a secondary storyline of KC running into an FBI agent, Nate Tanner, that she worked with on a previous auto accident case. Eventually, Tanner asks KC to work with him on his investigation that he believes is connected to her investigation.
The dead bodies start piling up and KC starts getting texts from a stranger warning her to back off her investigation or else. KC and Tanner know they are getting close to something but they just can’t pin it down, until they do. At a 113pgs, the end comes fast in an intense and scary scene for all, especially KC. If I were to compare this to any other series, I would say KC and Pine Grove are more like early Kate Burkholder and Painters Mill than Michael Bennett and NYC. I would strongly suggest that the publishers reconsider that Michael Bennett comment in the book summary.
I’m a character driven reader and, for me, character development is the most important element of a story. In short stories like this, the character development is basically slim to none, which is to be expected in a halfway decent prequel to an upcoming series, which is what this really is. JMHO The pacing was fast and the storylines interesting. The writing was just ok, but that’s mostly because of the lack of some real character development. I'm looking at an over all rating of 3.6 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Books Go Social for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #BookGoSocial #ChristmasMurders
October 25, 2024
Christmas Murders is a novella by S F Baumgartner. K C want to broaden her police work. Her cousin has disappeared and a Council man is murdered. I found a fast paced story with drugs, a mole… high up, and another murder. I was never sure what was going to happen next. Although this book is not part of a series. I would love to have another book staring KC.
November 11, 2024
The book is engaging, unputdownable and suspenseful. This is a christmas crime mystery novella. Mysterious death of a councilman in the town scares everyone. Detective KC is trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. The more she is getting close to the mystery, the more perilous it’s becoming. So many unsettling things happens and buried truths and secrets unveils. She must solve the case before the New Year’s Eve. Some twists were unpredictable. The book will keep you on the edge.
4.5
Thanks to the publisher, author, and booksirens
4.5
Thanks to the publisher, author, and booksirens
November 8, 2024
This book was a real page-turner, delivering a fast-paced and action-driven story that included drugs, a high-level mole, and another murder. I was always left in suspense, unsure of what would unfold next. I really connected with the characters, especially KC, and now I’m eager to explore more about this intriguing character. The novella was filled with unexpected twists that kept me guessing right until the last moment.
Thank You NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to review this ARC
Thank You NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to review this ARC
November 7, 2024
Tightly wound plot with lots of suspense, moderately developed characters and emphasis on a sometimes clandestine investigation.
Hope this is KC Cassidy Mysteries 0.5!
I requested and reviewed a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!
#ChristmasMurdersAMystery by @SFBaumgartner #MirrorEstatePsychologicalThrillers #BooksGoSocial @newbooksplease #NetGalley
Hope this is KC Cassidy Mysteries 0.5!
I requested and reviewed a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!
#ChristmasMurdersAMystery by @SFBaumgartner #MirrorEstatePsychologicalThrillers #BooksGoSocial @newbooksplease #NetGalley
November 7, 2024
From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked, eager to unravel what was happening next. There were moments in the story that had me exclaiming “OOOH!”—each twist leaving me craving more. The suspense built up around certain chapters kept me on the edge of my seat, making me eager to learn more about the characters and their roles. If you’re in the mood for a suspense-filled read, this book is exactly what you need!
November 8, 2024
An interesting investigation that appears to go nowhere after a councilman's murder. Yet a tenacious KC keeps on probing……………. bodies appear and her investigation is stalling.
The denouement when KC is by herself trapping the killer after following the money trail is intense - a short very satisfying read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The denouement when KC is by herself trapping the killer after following the money trail is intense - a short very satisfying read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 26, 2024
Received as a review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. Christmas Murders is an adrenaline rush of a story a they holiday season descends upon the town of Pine Grove. Already struggle personal problems that keeps invading the vital focus the comes with being Detective, KC Cassidy; she never thought a series of complicated murders could help keep her career alive. And the death of a prominent councilman, the closer Cassidy and her colleagues get to the truth, the more dangerous the chase for justice gets as someone not so subtlety threats her life if she keeps digging. Detective Cassidy is on the hunt do criminals beware.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
October 29, 2024
★★★★★
A short crime novella that dives straight into the action, KC’s latest case—the mysterious death of a local councilman—sets off a chilling series of murders. Baumgartner nails character development within just a few chapters, keeping the suspense high and the pace relentless. A fun and thoroughly enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and S.F. Baumgartner for the early copy of this holiday treat!
A short crime novella that dives straight into the action, KC’s latest case—the mysterious death of a local councilman—sets off a chilling series of murders. Baumgartner nails character development within just a few chapters, keeping the suspense high and the pace relentless. A fun and thoroughly enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and S.F. Baumgartner for the early copy of this holiday treat!
November 23, 2024
Once this get moving it really hooks you. You’ll be in so deep you won’t be able to put the book down. The beginning was a bit muddled there was a lot thrown at you with not a lot of context to make you want to know more. I am glad I stuck with it though because this story does shine! I loved the hustle that KC has. She’s brave, determined , clever and resourceful. I liked Tanner he was great ops support. I haven’t read the series this is spun off from but I didn’t feel a lack. It stands well on its own and I absolutely would love to read more about KC and her adventures!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 25, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ | I dove into another case with Detective Kylie "KC" Cassidy & enjoyed this one as well! Investigating a high profile case that ran deep, she is thrown into a cat and mouse game with a k!ller, but the stakes are high! Police corruption, corrupt government officials and these secrets ran deep! Great narration in this audiobook & overall a solid read, and I’m looking forward to reading all of KC’s stories!
October 30, 2024
Christmas Murders by SF Baumgartner is a novella, a police drama mystery. It’s a fast paced full of twists and turns. I enjoyed reading this novella as police procedural type books are one of my favourites to read. I just wish it were longer as I felt I was getting to know KC.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 25, 2024
S. F. Baumgartner does not disappoint in the nouvella "Christmas Murders: A Mystery". Fast-paced, action-packed, engaging characters. Just wish it had been a full-length novel. Maybe this is the beginning of a new series????
Releases Nov. 26th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Releases Nov. 26th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 26, 2024
This was a quick novella that is related to the Mirror Estate series.
I really liked Detective Cassidy. She was quick to solve her case. This book was full of great crime procedure. I'm hoping we see more of Detective Cassidy! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I really liked Detective Cassidy. She was quick to solve her case. This book was full of great crime procedure. I'm hoping we see more of Detective Cassidy! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
October 25, 2024
This is another very short book but full of action. It’s good because it’s not full of false turns just to try to fool you. I’m anxious to see what KC decides about her future.
November 12, 2024
Thank you Bookworm Books, BookFunnel, and S. F. Baumgartner for this ARC.
Summary:
With Christmas around the corner in the town of Pine Grove, Detective KC fears she might lose her job after New Year’s. When a high-profiled councilman’s body is found, KC takes it upon herself to investigate the suspicious cause of his death. The more she digs, the more about her small town she uncovers, and the more deaths follow as a warning to get her to stop.
Review:
I really enjoyed this quick read, and I recommend it to anyone who likes police procedural stories.
The book is heavy on dialogue, but I thought it worked well for most part. The characters were easy to distinguish, and it kept the pacing of the story fast, sometimes a bit too fast.
KC is depicted as a smart and quick-witted individual, and I was rooting for her. The author did an amazing job upholding the suspense throughout the novella, and I thought the red herrings were utilised really well. There were some characters I had doubts with, and although the ultimate reveal wasn’t too overwhelmingly exciting, it was still satisfying.
The novella isn’t really big on the Christmas-theme despite the title. Some of the sentences also felt choppy, but overall, a good read. I look forward to reading more of Baumgartner’s work.
Summary:
With Christmas around the corner in the town of Pine Grove, Detective KC fears she might lose her job after New Year’s. When a high-profiled councilman’s body is found, KC takes it upon herself to investigate the suspicious cause of his death. The more she digs, the more about her small town she uncovers, and the more deaths follow as a warning to get her to stop.
Review:
I really enjoyed this quick read, and I recommend it to anyone who likes police procedural stories.
The book is heavy on dialogue, but I thought it worked well for most part. The characters were easy to distinguish, and it kept the pacing of the story fast, sometimes a bit too fast.
KC is depicted as a smart and quick-witted individual, and I was rooting for her. The author did an amazing job upholding the suspense throughout the novella, and I thought the red herrings were utilised really well. There were some characters I had doubts with, and although the ultimate reveal wasn’t too overwhelmingly exciting, it was still satisfying.
The novella isn’t really big on the Christmas-theme despite the title. Some of the sentences also felt choppy, but overall, a good read. I look forward to reading more of Baumgartner’s work.
November 27, 2024
A great addition to The Mirror Estates saga, this book is set in the same town with Detective Cassidy solving a mysterious murder of a local councilman. Having really only dealt with petty crimes, she is testing new waters here. She is about to lose her job, so performing well is imperative to reversing that.
A very short book, but packed with adventure. Missing people, murders, moles and threats – what more could you want. I liked the tiny references and connections to the Estate Series. I am hoping KC will get her own series from this. Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC of this book.
A very short book, but packed with adventure. Missing people, murders, moles and threats – what more could you want. I liked the tiny references and connections to the Estate Series. I am hoping KC will get her own series from this. Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC of this book.
November 9, 2024
This is an entertaining and well written novella. It has a good heroine in Detective “KC” Cassidy. Baumgartner provides a good balance of police procedure and KC's personal life. A murder sets the stage and the action continues as KC investigates.
I have read all of Baumgartner's Mirror Estate series, full length novels. Of all her fiction, I have liked this novella the best. The plot is not as complex as in her Mirror Estate series, and is easy to follow. There is good police procedure and sufficient suspense. There are not so many characters, as has been the case in her full length novels. I think Baumgartner has found her best subject for fiction in a regular police procedure. I really liked this short work from her and hope it is the beginning of a new series featuring KC.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through BookSirens. My comments are an independent and honest review.
I have read all of Baumgartner's Mirror Estate series, full length novels. Of all her fiction, I have liked this novella the best. The plot is not as complex as in her Mirror Estate series, and is easy to follow. There is good police procedure and sufficient suspense. There are not so many characters, as has been the case in her full length novels. I think Baumgartner has found her best subject for fiction in a regular police procedure. I really liked this short work from her and hope it is the beginning of a new series featuring KC.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through BookSirens. My comments are an independent and honest review.
December 8, 2024
Kc is best in the force that she is currently workiing in but she is getting transferred as she might end up without a job the end of the year due to some department changes
Pine Grove might be a dying town as nothing major happens until there is a sudden series of murders that happpen right before and around christmas time. This is what KC might need to be able to keep her career afloat ..
she digs into the murders and the possible perpetrators but she could be in more danger than she realised as the murders could be link to high profile characters
when reading the story and start to work out the case aswell as learning the criminal activity might be link to a ghost which was a very famous character of the Mirrir Estate series.. will she get the answers that she is looking for ? we will have to follw KC path to find out what happen next...
i really love the short story as i was hooked from the begining where i couldnt put it down. I will be reading more of her books
Pine Grove might be a dying town as nothing major happens until there is a sudden series of murders that happpen right before and around christmas time. This is what KC might need to be able to keep her career afloat ..
she digs into the murders and the possible perpetrators but she could be in more danger than she realised as the murders could be link to high profile characters
when reading the story and start to work out the case aswell as learning the criminal activity might be link to a ghost which was a very famous character of the Mirrir Estate series.. will she get the answers that she is looking for ? we will have to follw KC path to find out what happen next...
i really love the short story as i was hooked from the begining where i couldnt put it down. I will be reading more of her books
November 17, 2024
An enjoyable read with a few murders thrown in! Detective Kylie Cassidy, KC to most people gets called to the murder of a councilman. There are a few references to “Ghost” a crime boss who is in jail but could be running things from there. KC’s friend Aiden disappears but warns her about a mole. She has no idea who that could be, but, gradually she puts things all together.
November 10, 2024
This book hooked me from the start and I read it in one sitting. Detective Kiley "KC" Cassidy is assigned a high profile murder case right before Christmas. She knows she's on the right track when she begins to receive threatening phone calls. And when someone close to her warns KC of a mole in the police force, she struggles to trust anyone. This was a great read, full of suspense and action. I received an ARC copy and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 25, 2024
She HAS to solve this murder to keep her job
A councilman!!! The housekeeper found him when she went to work! They realize this was not random, but planned. WHO?? He was restrained and was obviously premeditated. BUT who did it? This is a superb book that I really enjoyed.. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and comments are my own.
A councilman!!! The housekeeper found him when she went to work! They realize this was not random, but planned. WHO?? He was restrained and was obviously premeditated. BUT who did it? This is a superb book that I really enjoyed.. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and comments are my own.
December 8, 2024
Love these thrillers!
I really enjoy reading these Mirror Estate thrillers. This is the 4th one I have read. As they dig deeper and deeper, things become more dangerous! I enjoy the clean suspenseful page-turners!
I really enjoy reading these Mirror Estate thrillers. This is the 4th one I have read. As they dig deeper and deeper, things become more dangerous! I enjoy the clean suspenseful page-turners!
November 13, 2024
I specifically sought out a holiday mystery/thriller story and I loved it. Great story and characters and government corruption. Bravo!
November 26, 2024
A fantastic, well written, short read with a great plot and wonderful characters! I can’t wait to read more from this series!
December 7, 2024
This book is a side story in the Mirror Estate Psychological Thrillers series and the main characters are Detective Kylie Cassidy (KC) and Special Agent Nathan Tanner (Nate). She meets him again on the county courthouse steps, where she was being hassled by Aiden, before she drove back to the small Pine Grove station. She spots an unknown SUV in the small town, easy to do when she knows pretty much what goes on in town. The next morning, she sees Aiden’s beat up sports car following her home, as she was jogging. He asks to meet her later, saying it is important, but ends up running away only giving her part of a garbled message, before disappearing in the mysterious SUV. He warned her of a mole and left a card with her, telling her to call them. When he calls later on, the line is really bad and she can only make out a few words, but one was ‘Ghost’. She also starts to get some anonymous texts warning her she is closer than she thinks and to watch her step! It sees word is out that a new organisation have moved into town to distribute a new drug, with a connection to the Ghost, who is in Federal custody. The discovery of the local councilman Prescott found dead in his home, have the station busy. There are various lines of enquiry to follow, and Aiden’s words remind here she doesn’t know who to trust in town, so she calls the number on the card he gave her, for FBI Task Force 629.Prescott’s death has opened up a can of worms about corruption, money laundering, approvals for new developments and more, leading all the way to the mayor’s office.
Weird stuff starts to happen, first evidence going missing and then someone tampering with her car, leaving her worried about who is behind it all and who she can trust at the station. She has her ideas, mainly form the bad feelings she gets especially from one of the other detectives, but no proof. Tanner comes to visit her in secret, but then another couple of dad bodies land on her hands, one being known by Tanner and throwing the FBI right into the mix, as more dangers beckon. There is a possible connection forming between Tanner and Cassidy, but too much is happening in her small town, for her to have a real opportunity to follow it up. A big operation is having a delivery arriving in the next few days and she is going to have to rely on Tanner and his contacts at the FBI, to help check out her suspects within the force and give her any information they have the suspected corruption case and the possible drug trade coming though town. Lots more threats come through and one of her fellow detectives turns up at a murder scene at midnight, saying he heard it on the radio, but no call had gone out! She is getting in over her head but refuses to give up. She wants to get back to the big city and be a detective, rather than a small town that normally has no big cases. She should have been careful what she wished for, as now she has three bodies and counting, with a mole who somehow knows her every step and is trying to warn her off. At least she has been getting to know Tanner and a spark possibly growing between them. He is there at the end of the chase, as she is paced in danger and he brings the back up to catch those they can, but he and the FBI will still need to follow the leads up the line to catch the bigwigs in charge of it all. A nice link to a possible new job, close to where Tanner is currently based, so more could happen in the future. A determined detective who is set on helping a family friend, when he seems to be in danger and where that takes her.
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Weird stuff starts to happen, first evidence going missing and then someone tampering with her car, leaving her worried about who is behind it all and who she can trust at the station. She has her ideas, mainly form the bad feelings she gets especially from one of the other detectives, but no proof. Tanner comes to visit her in secret, but then another couple of dad bodies land on her hands, one being known by Tanner and throwing the FBI right into the mix, as more dangers beckon. There is a possible connection forming between Tanner and Cassidy, but too much is happening in her small town, for her to have a real opportunity to follow it up. A big operation is having a delivery arriving in the next few days and she is going to have to rely on Tanner and his contacts at the FBI, to help check out her suspects within the force and give her any information they have the suspected corruption case and the possible drug trade coming though town. Lots more threats come through and one of her fellow detectives turns up at a murder scene at midnight, saying he heard it on the radio, but no call had gone out! She is getting in over her head but refuses to give up. She wants to get back to the big city and be a detective, rather than a small town that normally has no big cases. She should have been careful what she wished for, as now she has three bodies and counting, with a mole who somehow knows her every step and is trying to warn her off. At least she has been getting to know Tanner and a spark possibly growing between them. He is there at the end of the chase, as she is paced in danger and he brings the back up to catch those they can, but he and the FBI will still need to follow the leads up the line to catch the bigwigs in charge of it all. A nice link to a possible new job, close to where Tanner is currently based, so more could happen in the future. A determined detective who is set on helping a family friend, when he seems to be in danger and where that takes her.
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
December 16, 2024
I love Christmas themed books. They’re so much fun to read around the holidays. Usually they’re not murder mysteries, which adds a new twist to this one.
KC is a detective with a small police force in Pine Grove, Florida. She’s the only detective on the force, so when things happen in their town, she gets called. Just a few days before Christmas, a local councilman is killed. When the detective from the Sheriff’s office shows up to help, KC is less than thrilled. But being this was a councilman, she feels like she has no choice but to let him assist.
As the days pile up, so do the bodies. An investigative journalist, a police officer. The pressure is on KC to solve this one. She enlists the help of the local FBI office, one very attractive agent named Nate Tanner. Together they realize this case goes deep into local government. They are on the clock to solve the mystery before another body appears.
This was a short one, but boy was it good. I finished it in one afternoon! Loved KC. She’s tough and driven. Smart. Not easily pushed around by the men. The mystery itself was good. I had my suspicions from the beginning, but it wasn’t confirmed until near the end. Also, there were others involved. Well tied up at the end, but there for the next installment as well.
Good read and will definitely want to read the rest of the series.
KC is a detective with a small police force in Pine Grove, Florida. She’s the only detective on the force, so when things happen in their town, she gets called. Just a few days before Christmas, a local councilman is killed. When the detective from the Sheriff’s office shows up to help, KC is less than thrilled. But being this was a councilman, she feels like she has no choice but to let him assist.
As the days pile up, so do the bodies. An investigative journalist, a police officer. The pressure is on KC to solve this one. She enlists the help of the local FBI office, one very attractive agent named Nate Tanner. Together they realize this case goes deep into local government. They are on the clock to solve the mystery before another body appears.
This was a short one, but boy was it good. I finished it in one afternoon! Loved KC. She’s tough and driven. Smart. Not easily pushed around by the men. The mystery itself was good. I had my suspicions from the beginning, but it wasn’t confirmed until near the end. Also, there were others involved. Well tied up at the end, but there for the next installment as well.
Good read and will definitely want to read the rest of the series.
November 23, 2024
Detective Kylie Cassidy better known as KC to her friends and co-workers is having a difficult time in the Florida heat. People are dying and usually their little town of Pine Grove is so quiet and nothing important is going on. First it was a councilman and we had not solved his murder before another murder was committed. And to top it all off she might not have a job at the end of the year due to some recent department changes. So the pressure is really on for her to solve this case or as it is now cases.
This story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you are stumped, you are lead off on another clue, or another angle to solve the case. In working the case we learn that all of the criminal activity that has been plaguing the town might be linked to the Ghost, a very famous character that stared in the Mirror Estate Series. Will KC be able to solve these cases? If not will they really eliminate her job? Is this the last book with KC? Is this her last Christmas?
This story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you are stumped, you are lead off on another clue, or another angle to solve the case. In working the case we learn that all of the criminal activity that has been plaguing the town might be linked to the Ghost, a very famous character that stared in the Mirror Estate Series. Will KC be able to solve these cases? If not will they really eliminate her job? Is this the last book with KC? Is this her last Christmas?
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