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Nicki Valentine Mystery #1
Finding Sky
AN ENGAGING COZY DEBUT… “Author Susan O’Brien deftly combines motherhood and mayhem in this lively tale of a single mom tracking down a missing teen. Lots of fun!” – Laura Levine, Author of the Jaine Austen Mystery Series
Sub-Genre Tags: Humorous Mysteries, Amateur Sleuths, Cozy Mysteries, Women Sleuths, Private Investigators
She’s a parent. She’s (almost) a P.I. No one gets on your case like mom.
Suburban widow and P.I. in training Nicki Valentine can barely keep track of her two kids, never mind anyone else. But when her best friend’s adoption plan is jeopardized by the young birth mother’s disappearance, Nicki is persuaded to help. Nearly everyone else believes the teenager ran away, but Nicki trusts her BFF’s judgment, and the feeling is mutual.
The case leads where few moms go (teen parties, gang shootings) and places they can’t avoid (preschool parties, OB-GYNs’ offices). Nicki has everything to lose and much to gain — including the attention of her unnervingly hot P.I. instructor. Thankfully, Nicki is armed with her pesky conscience, occasional babysitters, a fully stocked minivan, and nature’s best defense system: women’s intuition.
Praise for FINDING SKY:“Nicki Valentine, the heroine of O'Brien's engaging cozy debut, has her hands full as a widowed mother of two…When her best friend, Kenna, phones to tell her that Beth, the 18-year-old mother-to-be of the baby Kenna plans to adopt, has disappeared, Nicki seizes the chance to put what she's learned in her PI training course to work…Nicki proves a resourceful sleuth as she gets on the trail of the missing teen. The conclusion will leave readers eager for the next installment.” – Publishers Weekly
“Has a heart and soul and the minute I started reading it, I knew it was something special. Nicki Valentine, the sleuth at the center of the mystery of a missing pregnant teen, felt like an old friend to me and the lengths to which she will go to help a friend is just one example of her integrity and loyalty. I can't wait to read more about Nicki and her journey as a single mom and modern-day Nancy Drew.” – Maggie Barbieri, Author of Once Upon a Lie, Lies That Bind and the Murder 101 Mystery Series
“This debut mystery offers menace without violence, intrigue, and the realistic depiction of a single mother struggling to find an identity outside of motherhood. The hint of romance and element of humor further ensures that this novel will attract a following of cozy-reading fans for the upcoming sequel, Sky High.” – Kings River Life Magazine
“Nicki is a character readers will no doubt feel attached to way before they close the book. The fact that this book sports the tagline “A Nicki Valentine Mystery” leads me believe that there is more of Nicki Valentine and her adventures waiting for us, which will hopefully continue to entertain us way past her children's high school graduation.” – Blogcritics.org
“I cannot fully express how much I loved this book. Nicki Valentine was such a great character to follow as she tries to juggle being a single parent, taking classes to become a PI, and investigating the disappearance of a pregnant teenager.” – Denise Pappas, LibraryThing.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2014
18 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Susan O'Brien
5 books54 followersSusan O’Brien is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Nicki Valentine mystery series (Finding Sky, Sky High, and Skydive). Her work has been praised by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Mystery Scene Magazine, and Suspense Magazine. When she isn’t typing away, Susan loves cooking (while blasting old school R&B or playing podcasts), photographing nature, volunteering with hospice patients, and studying spirituality. She lives with her family, including her beloved rescue dog, in Northern Virginia, where she is writing her next memoir. She loves to keep up with readers at authorsusanobrien.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 23, 2014
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Nicki Valentine has a degree in forensic psychology and is attending classes to become a private investigator all while taking care of her two young children. It didn’t take me long to see that Nicki has a huge heart and finds it very hard to say “no” to anyone. When her best friend’s surrogate disappears Nicki barges right into an investigation without really giving it much thought. Thankfully her extraordinary handsome instructor is there to help her better format a plan and move forward more carefully. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t find herself in some scary and dangerous situations. Nicki is more of an act first – think about it later sort of person.
The author has created some wonderful characters including Nicki’s mom, her friends Kenna and Andy, and P.I. Instructor Dean. All the characters have plenty of room to evolve as we get to know them better in future installments. We know Nicki and her kids are vegetarian and like most single moms housekeeping is not high on her priority list. Kenna wants to be a mom more than anything and her husband Andy is worried about what another disappointment could do to her and their relationship. They have been through a lot but their relationship has remained strong so far. Nicki’s mom is her go to babysitter unless she is off visiting her sister in Florida. She would do anything for daughter and grandchildren. Dean, oh Dean, this plot was just starting to thicken as this story came to its end but it looks like things could get very interesting.
A missing person case is an unusual case for a cozy mystery but I must say it was fun to read especially when you have rival gangs and drugs that could be involved. There is more than one edge of your seat moment! I was really surprised by the ending. I thought I knew the who but couldn’t figure out the why until everything all came together.
This series is off to a good starts and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
September 29, 2014
It took me awhile to decide how I felt about Nicki Valentine. She's the kind of overprotective crazy mom, that usually drives me nuts, but as I continued through Finding Sky, I really started to like her. She's intensely loyal to her friends, Kenna and Andy. They are the reason, she's taking on the hunt for the missing teenager, whose baby, Kenna and Andy were going to adopt.
The hunt for the missing Beth, leads Nicki into some pretty nasty situations, involving drugs and gangs, and she gets put on the hit list of one of those gangs. Not something fun, when you have kids to raise.
The story starts off a little slowly, as you get to know the characters, but once Nicki starts her investigation things really get moving. This definitely wasn't the typical cozy, since there were no dead bodies. That made things more interesting. Then there's the question of will Dean be a love interest for Nicki or will he just be someone that helps her along. That's going to be fun to find out in the upcoming books. There's definitely a little bit of chemistry there, but will they act on it?
I really liked how passionate Nicki was about finding Beth and how good of a PI she's eventually going to be. She doesn't come across as an amateur sleuth at all.
I was pretty surprised at the way everything worked out in the end.
This was a great start to a new mystery series!
The hunt for the missing Beth, leads Nicki into some pretty nasty situations, involving drugs and gangs, and she gets put on the hit list of one of those gangs. Not something fun, when you have kids to raise.
The story starts off a little slowly, as you get to know the characters, but once Nicki starts her investigation things really get moving. This definitely wasn't the typical cozy, since there were no dead bodies. That made things more interesting. Then there's the question of will Dean be a love interest for Nicki or will he just be someone that helps her along. That's going to be fun to find out in the upcoming books. There's definitely a little bit of chemistry there, but will they act on it?
I really liked how passionate Nicki was about finding Beth and how good of a PI she's eventually going to be. She doesn't come across as an amateur sleuth at all.
I was pretty surprised at the way everything worked out in the end.
This was a great start to a new mystery series!
December 19, 2015
3.5 stars. It's well-written, well-plotted and has great characters. But the mommy thing... It's right there in the summary, but I didn't expect quite so much evangelising about parenting and all the things she does to be a good parent. There was a lot. I was way more interested in what she was doing to solve the mystery than I was in hearing a detailed account of how she spent quality time with her kids.
Wordy review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/121554...
Wordy review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/121554...
April 11, 2018
Nickie is called by her neighbor, Kenna to find her surrogate teenage expectant Mom. Kenna and Andy have waited many many years to be parents. Nickie truly thinks that is horrible!
Nickie is studying to be a Private Investigator and they ask her to help them find her.
She goes through hell to find a tenager who does want to be found. She gets shot at, gets mixed up with gang members, one who is the father of the baby.
All in all it was a funny, very good book. Well written, and a great first novel. I would recommend it to all my family and friends!
Nickie is studying to be a Private Investigator and they ask her to help them find her.
She goes through hell to find a tenager who does want to be found. She gets shot at, gets mixed up with gang members, one who is the father of the baby.
All in all it was a funny, very good book. Well written, and a great first novel. I would recommend it to all my family and friends!
October 7, 2017
It's hard to rate this one. I had a little trouble getting into it but I've had a busy couple of days so I've been distracted. Like many of the other reviewers mentioned I found the internal dialogue about parenting kinda different (can't think of a nice word for it) and also the repeat reminders she eats vegetarian and organic etc etc. I would be so annoyed by a person like that in real life. We get it lol. However, I enjoyed the plot. It was so unique! I enjoyed the fact no dead bodies! Yay! Mystery without killings. Nice. I even grew to enjoy the characters and I did get drawn in. Drawn in enough to want to try the next book in this series. I feel this author will continue to grow and each book will get better and better.
September 29, 2015
Nicki Valentine has her hands full to say the least. She’s a widow, raising two children on her own and going to P.I. school. Her plate is more than full, but when her best friend, Kenna, pleads for help, how can she refuse?
Kenna and her husband are about to adopt a newborn baby. However, things don’t go as planned when the birth mother disappears. Kenna is convinced something has happened to the teenager, but everyone else thinks the girl ran away. The possibility that the teenager changed her mind about the adoption is on everyone’s mind, but Kenna doesn’t buy it. Nicki trusts Kenna’s judgment and agrees to investigate.
Nicki isn’t a full fledged P.I. yet, but she knows what she’s doing. With some help from her P.I. instructor, she delves right into this case. Nicki faces more obstacles than she expected, putting her own life in danger and maybe even her own children.
I’ve been putting this book on the back burner because of a lack of reading time and my own overloaded schedule, but I wish I read it sooner. The is an intriguing plot without all the gore and foul language. It’s a very realistic look at adoption, the emotions that go with it and a single mom dealing with two young kids and a career of her own.
Nicki is a strong character. Although she had help along the way, she basically handled this case on her own even though she’s a P.I. in training. She knew just what to do and went with her instincts. It’s a captivating book with interesting characters that keep you guessing until the end.
I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series.
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kenna and her husband are about to adopt a newborn baby. However, things don’t go as planned when the birth mother disappears. Kenna is convinced something has happened to the teenager, but everyone else thinks the girl ran away. The possibility that the teenager changed her mind about the adoption is on everyone’s mind, but Kenna doesn’t buy it. Nicki trusts Kenna’s judgment and agrees to investigate.
Nicki isn’t a full fledged P.I. yet, but she knows what she’s doing. With some help from her P.I. instructor, she delves right into this case. Nicki faces more obstacles than she expected, putting her own life in danger and maybe even her own children.
I’ve been putting this book on the back burner because of a lack of reading time and my own overloaded schedule, but I wish I read it sooner. The is an intriguing plot without all the gore and foul language. It’s a very realistic look at adoption, the emotions that go with it and a single mom dealing with two young kids and a career of her own.
Nicki is a strong character. Although she had help along the way, she basically handled this case on her own even though she’s a P.I. in training. She knew just what to do and went with her instincts. It’s a captivating book with interesting characters that keep you guessing until the end.
I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series.
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 17, 2015
“Finding Sky” was an easy book to read. It was interesting. It was fun to read. It wasn’t at all what I expected.
It is the story of Nicki Valentine, a full-time mom and part-time PI, and her first case. Nicki’s best friend Kenna is adopting a baby and the birth mother goes missing. It’s enough to get interested right away. It’s fairly easy to tell from the cover that the story won’t be an edge of your seat suspense thriller with murder and mayhem, and that is what really does come across as unexpected.
Instead, the chick lit cover leads to a story filled with missing pregnant teens, gang wars, shootings in which no one is shot, small kids who like their grandmother’s junk food better than their busy mom’s vegetarian fare, sexy PI instructors, and a cast of supporting characters who each have an individual personality that really adds something to the story.
Read it if you need something light, easy, and with a good bit of mystery.
Plus, it’s the first in a series.
“Finding Sky” is available for purchase now.
(I received a copy of “Finding Sky” through NetGalley in exchange for an honest & original review. My review will be cross-posted on my blog, on NetGalley, and on Goodreads.)
It is the story of Nicki Valentine, a full-time mom and part-time PI, and her first case. Nicki’s best friend Kenna is adopting a baby and the birth mother goes missing. It’s enough to get interested right away. It’s fairly easy to tell from the cover that the story won’t be an edge of your seat suspense thriller with murder and mayhem, and that is what really does come across as unexpected.
Instead, the chick lit cover leads to a story filled with missing pregnant teens, gang wars, shootings in which no one is shot, small kids who like their grandmother’s junk food better than their busy mom’s vegetarian fare, sexy PI instructors, and a cast of supporting characters who each have an individual personality that really adds something to the story.
Read it if you need something light, easy, and with a good bit of mystery.
Plus, it’s the first in a series.
“Finding Sky” is available for purchase now.
(I received a copy of “Finding Sky” through NetGalley in exchange for an honest & original review. My review will be cross-posted on my blog, on NetGalley, and on Goodreads.)
October 7, 2014
A wonderful mystery touching on aspects of wanting a baby, miscarriages and adoption. Emotions of a woman's shaving difficulties of cutting the "apron string" with her children. There is no sex or violence.
Beth, a pregnant teenager is missing,the police, school, and family feel she is a RUNAWAY. Kenna asked her best friend Nicky to.locate as she feels that Beth and the baby she hopes to adopt are in danger.
Nicky is taking classes to become a PI. Together with her instructor helping Nicky starts searching for Beth and sees a drive-by shooting and becomes a target of a gang. This is one of the best books I have read recently. I am looking forward to reading more about Nicky's adventures.
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.
Beth, a pregnant teenager is missing,the police, school, and family feel she is a RUNAWAY. Kenna asked her best friend Nicky to.locate as she feels that Beth and the baby she hopes to adopt are in danger.
Nicky is taking classes to become a PI. Together with her instructor helping Nicky starts searching for Beth and sees a drive-by shooting and becomes a target of a gang. This is one of the best books I have read recently. I am looking forward to reading more about Nicky's adventures.
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.
March 8, 2015
“Finding Sky” is the first book in the Nicki Valentine Mystery series by Susan O’Brien. This is Ms. O’Brien’s first mystery novel and it has been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Ms. O’Brien has a M.A. in forensic psychology and is a registered private investigator in Virginia.
In “Finding Sky,” Nicki Valentine is a widow with two small children who is training to be a Private Investigator. When her best friend’s adoption is in jeopardy due to the birth mother’s disappearance, Nicki agrees to help find her. The search involves her in gang violence, teen issues and questionable medical practices.
For the rest of the review read: http://www.examiner.com/article/enjoy...
In “Finding Sky,” Nicki Valentine is a widow with two small children who is training to be a Private Investigator. When her best friend’s adoption is in jeopardy due to the birth mother’s disappearance, Nicki agrees to help find her. The search involves her in gang violence, teen issues and questionable medical practices.
For the rest of the review read: http://www.examiner.com/article/enjoy...
August 24, 2015
This isn't quite a cozy (IMHO) but it is a mystery. Nikki is a widow and has decided to become a PI and is attending a PI school (didn't know they existed!). Her best friend and neighbor, Kenna, is adopting a baby and the birth mother goes missing. She pleads for Nikki to help find Beth, so of course she does.
I thought this was a good start to this series. I had my suspicions about what happened to Beth and was right. Nikki definitely is a PI in training as she stumbles around trying to figure out what is going on. I had to shake my head at some of her antics and how she could have gotten herself into a lot more trouble!
I think this will be a series to watch.
I thought this was a good start to this series. I had my suspicions about what happened to Beth and was right. Nikki definitely is a PI in training as she stumbles around trying to figure out what is going on. I had to shake my head at some of her antics and how she could have gotten herself into a lot more trouble!
I think this will be a series to watch.
March 9, 2015
This book was a fresh take on the PI-in-training in that it involves a single parent with two young children, who has to juggle the needs of said children while trying to solve a mystery. I've never raised children myself, but the challenges of doing that--and doing it well--seemed realistic and to me. Add just a hint of romance, and you have a real winner. The mystery was also unique in that it didn't involve a murder, but a disappearance. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
March 21, 2017
This was the best "cozy" mystery I've read in a long time, and one that had me wondering why books with female detectives so often get a sub-category of "cozy" rather than just plain mystery, to describe it.
Reading Finding Sky felt like a book meant to feel like reality rather than one that takes place in the cozy Universe where just about anyone (it seems) can investigate a crime for the most implausible of reasons. Don't get me wrong, I read those books too, but the practical realism of Finding Sky was refreshing. It didn't surprise me that Nicki and the author share an education and career path.
Nicki's life and dilemmas felt real and relatable. She was over 27, which is something I notice the older I get, and relatable to in almost every way. It was completely logical for her to get involved in this mystery and instead of bumbling around with an entire plot built around her either not communicating or her being a bumbling novice, Nicki seeks out help and professional guidance throughout the story and the plot moves ahead with honest to goodness events instead.
There was one thing about Nicki that bothered me. She just spent an inordinate amount of time thinking and worrying about how her body looked in a particular situation or outfit. I mean, no wonder she's exhausted that kind of mental preoccupation would wear anyone out. Overall, she could come off as very close to the main character in Bad Moms - the picture of a modern mom and her stresses - and maybe if I had young kids now I would see more of myself in that. But as I raised my kid a decade ago I did sometimes find myself wondering if this character wasn't swiftly becoming the new cliche.
Still I enjoyed the story, the details and characters and writing enough that I'd recommend the book (especially if you like mysteries but not violence) and I'm off to get the second one for myself right now.
Reading Finding Sky felt like a book meant to feel like reality rather than one that takes place in the cozy Universe where just about anyone (it seems) can investigate a crime for the most implausible of reasons. Don't get me wrong, I read those books too, but the practical realism of Finding Sky was refreshing. It didn't surprise me that Nicki and the author share an education and career path.
Nicki's life and dilemmas felt real and relatable. She was over 27, which is something I notice the older I get, and relatable to in almost every way. It was completely logical for her to get involved in this mystery and instead of bumbling around with an entire plot built around her either not communicating or her being a bumbling novice, Nicki seeks out help and professional guidance throughout the story and the plot moves ahead with honest to goodness events instead.
There was one thing about Nicki that bothered me. She just spent an inordinate amount of time thinking and worrying about how her body looked in a particular situation or outfit. I mean, no wonder she's exhausted that kind of mental preoccupation would wear anyone out. Overall, she could come off as very close to the main character in Bad Moms - the picture of a modern mom and her stresses - and maybe if I had young kids now I would see more of myself in that. But as I raised my kid a decade ago I did sometimes find myself wondering if this character wasn't swiftly becoming the new cliche.
Still I enjoyed the story, the details and characters and writing enough that I'd recommend the book (especially if you like mysteries but not violence) and I'm off to get the second one for myself right now.
March 23, 2024
What do you do when your plans to adopt a baby go horribly awry? How do you handle it when the surrogate mom just disappears? Well, if you’re Aerobics Instructor Kenna, you ask for help from your best friend, amateur sleuth and private investigator in training, Nicki Valentine.
It seems teenage mom Beth is gone. She was eager to give up her baby to Kenna and her husband, Andy, but one day, the girl simply vanished. No one knew where she was. Nicki, a widow and single mom to two young children, gets involved. She has always wanted to do private investigations work, and she’s taking a class from a sizzling hot instructor at the local college on how to do that. She gets in on the case to find Beth, and things get interesting. This qualifies as a cozy mystery, but there’s gang activity and reference to drug dealing in here. At one point, poor Nicki is on a gang’s hit list. That’s not a great place to be if you have ambitions of being someone’s grandma someday.
I enjoyed this first book in the trilogy, and I’ll likely complete the next two sooner than later.
It seems teenage mom Beth is gone. She was eager to give up her baby to Kenna and her husband, Andy, but one day, the girl simply vanished. No one knew where she was. Nicki, a widow and single mom to two young children, gets involved. She has always wanted to do private investigations work, and she’s taking a class from a sizzling hot instructor at the local college on how to do that. She gets in on the case to find Beth, and things get interesting. This qualifies as a cozy mystery, but there’s gang activity and reference to drug dealing in here. At one point, poor Nicki is on a gang’s hit list. That’s not a great place to be if you have ambitions of being someone’s grandma someday.
I enjoyed this first book in the trilogy, and I’ll likely complete the next two sooner than later.
December 2, 2024
It's not altogether a bad book (for that reason I give it 3 stars instead of 2), but I had a hard time getting into it.
Slow start and wayyy too much mommy information for my taste. The main character is not bad, but there's too much insistance on her being a (wonderful, attentive, loving and all around involved) mom, vegetarian, organic-focused, etc., (I expected her at any moment to start waxing on about essential oils) and the detecting part seems almost secondary to that (almost more about how she cares SO much about the victim and everyone involved). There were times where I just skimmed over the mom stuff, more than a little bored.
Another sticky point for me it's that the love interest is just TOO perfect (single, handsome, hot, muscled, intelligent, sensitive, not full of himself, drives a bike and an awesome car, speaks some French --and above all, always takes time out of his cool life to be there for the main character).
It's a cozy mommy mystery which I'm sure has it's target audience, but it's just not for me.
Slow start and wayyy too much mommy information for my taste. The main character is not bad, but there's too much insistance on her being a (wonderful, attentive, loving and all around involved) mom, vegetarian, organic-focused, etc., (I expected her at any moment to start waxing on about essential oils) and the detecting part seems almost secondary to that (almost more about how she cares SO much about the victim and everyone involved). There were times where I just skimmed over the mom stuff, more than a little bored.
Another sticky point for me it's that the love interest is just TOO perfect (single, handsome, hot, muscled, intelligent, sensitive, not full of himself, drives a bike and an awesome car, speaks some French --and above all, always takes time out of his cool life to be there for the main character).
It's a cozy mommy mystery which I'm sure has it's target audience, but it's just not for me.
September 5, 2017
Silly mystery
December 30, 2018
Nice story, loved it
January 3, 2020
Love this truly unique detective story by a wonderful author who is also a wonderful person (and - full disclosure, is my cousion)!
September 8, 2022
Kept me interested. Read it in a few days. Will probably read the next one also.
October 20, 2014
Review originally posted on my blog: http://lifewithjoyblog.wordpress.com/...
Nicki Valentine is a disorganized, overprotective 36-year-old single mother living in suburban Washington D.C. with her two young children Sophie and Jack. She’s a picky vegetarian, though she’s not one to care what you eat in front of her and she doesn’t push her eating habits on anyone but her own kids. Her children are the greatest joys in her life, but she’s lucky that her mother lives close enough to watch them when she needs some time to herself. Her mother has a way of knowing what Nicki needs and when and never minds babysitting the kids.
Although her husband died 4 years ago, it’s still difficult for Nicki to acknowledge that she’s a widow and even harder for her to admit that she was blind to her husband Jason’s infidelity until he wound up dead in a boating accident with his mistress. Even her best friend of 25 years Kenna and her husband Andy hadn’t an inkling that Nicki’s husband was cheating on her. It’s inspiring how different these two best friends are, yet how strong their friendship has grown over the years. Kenna is a fitness instructor while Nicki is basically allergic to working out. Nicki is tech-savvy, while Kenna barely knows how to turn a laptop on. Nicki has two beautiful children that are the love of her life while Kenna realizes that she’s never going to be able to get pregnant and have her own children. It’s all fun and games until something major happens in Kenna’s life.
When Kenna confides in Nicki that Beth is missing – the teenage mother of the baby Kenna is in the works of adopting once it’s born – Nicki steps in to help find the supposedly runaway teen. The girls parents don’t seem fazed by Beth’s disappearance and claim that she’s run away from home twice before, so this time would be no different. Kenna is convinced that there’s more to the story and that Beth needs help. Now that Nicki is faced with trying to find a pregnant teen, she has to draw upon some of the skills that she’s learned in her Private Investigator classes.
Nicki is a bundle of nervous energy and tends to think of the worst-case scenario while dealing with new situations. It’s amazing that she was ever interested in studying to become a P.I, though she hit the jackpot with a totally gorgeous instructor at the Academy named Dean. Whenever she talks to or sees Dean, she gets nervous butterflies in her stomach to the point where it’s a wonder she can even function with him around. Nicki has to learn to control her feelings for Dean, and fast, because he’s offered to help her try to find the runaway teen.
Since I don’t normally read mysteries, this was a new type of read for me. It was fun to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, to think about what happened to Beth and try to figure out what the real story is behind her disappearance. I loved Nicki’s hilarious thought process while faced with despair and loved that O’Brien could make me laugh while reading about a self-conscious character in some sticky situations. Nicki Valentine’s character is written in such a way that I felt transported into the story, almost as if I were a neighbor and knew her life story and situation personally.
Susan O’Brien’s Nicki Valentine Mysteries are filled with the same type of wit, humor and intrigue that fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels will love. If you’re a fan of light-hearted mysteries with a fabulous heroine and lots of laughs, add this, and any others that she writes in the future to your must reads!
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Press for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Nicki Valentine is a disorganized, overprotective 36-year-old single mother living in suburban Washington D.C. with her two young children Sophie and Jack. She’s a picky vegetarian, though she’s not one to care what you eat in front of her and she doesn’t push her eating habits on anyone but her own kids. Her children are the greatest joys in her life, but she’s lucky that her mother lives close enough to watch them when she needs some time to herself. Her mother has a way of knowing what Nicki needs and when and never minds babysitting the kids.
Although her husband died 4 years ago, it’s still difficult for Nicki to acknowledge that she’s a widow and even harder for her to admit that she was blind to her husband Jason’s infidelity until he wound up dead in a boating accident with his mistress. Even her best friend of 25 years Kenna and her husband Andy hadn’t an inkling that Nicki’s husband was cheating on her. It’s inspiring how different these two best friends are, yet how strong their friendship has grown over the years. Kenna is a fitness instructor while Nicki is basically allergic to working out. Nicki is tech-savvy, while Kenna barely knows how to turn a laptop on. Nicki has two beautiful children that are the love of her life while Kenna realizes that she’s never going to be able to get pregnant and have her own children. It’s all fun and games until something major happens in Kenna’s life.
When Kenna confides in Nicki that Beth is missing – the teenage mother of the baby Kenna is in the works of adopting once it’s born – Nicki steps in to help find the supposedly runaway teen. The girls parents don’t seem fazed by Beth’s disappearance and claim that she’s run away from home twice before, so this time would be no different. Kenna is convinced that there’s more to the story and that Beth needs help. Now that Nicki is faced with trying to find a pregnant teen, she has to draw upon some of the skills that she’s learned in her Private Investigator classes.
Nicki is a bundle of nervous energy and tends to think of the worst-case scenario while dealing with new situations. It’s amazing that she was ever interested in studying to become a P.I, though she hit the jackpot with a totally gorgeous instructor at the Academy named Dean. Whenever she talks to or sees Dean, she gets nervous butterflies in her stomach to the point where it’s a wonder she can even function with him around. Nicki has to learn to control her feelings for Dean, and fast, because he’s offered to help her try to find the runaway teen.
Since I don’t normally read mysteries, this was a new type of read for me. It was fun to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, to think about what happened to Beth and try to figure out what the real story is behind her disappearance. I loved Nicki’s hilarious thought process while faced with despair and loved that O’Brien could make me laugh while reading about a self-conscious character in some sticky situations. Nicki Valentine’s character is written in such a way that I felt transported into the story, almost as if I were a neighbor and knew her life story and situation personally.
Susan O’Brien’s Nicki Valentine Mysteries are filled with the same type of wit, humor and intrigue that fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels will love. If you’re a fan of light-hearted mysteries with a fabulous heroine and lots of laughs, add this, and any others that she writes in the future to your must reads!
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Press for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
June 14, 2015
Susan O’Brian’s debut, FINDING SKY, is classified as a mystery and yet it’s not really one. I know when I read a mystery, I expect there to be a murder; hopefully you don’t consider this to be a spoiler because there is none. And unfortunately, that’s just my personal preference when it comes to mysteries and of no fault of O’Brian’s or the publisher, Henery Press. In many ways, it is a mystery in terms of trying to find out what happened to the missing teenager Nicki Valentine has vowed to locate.
Character development is a bit weak. While we do spend a lot of time with Nicki, we don’t know much about her other than she’s super health conscious (we’re constantly reminded of the organic food in Nicki’s house) and a mother of two. We’re never told exactly why she wants to be a private investigator nor are given the whole background regarding the death of her husband. Nicki has a crush on her PI instructor named Dean and we’re told he’s a Brad Pitt lookalike (well a Brad on steroids) constantly. I was a bit disappointed we don’t get to spend much time with Dean and when we do, it’s all business. I know where O’Brian is heading with these two, it’s just I don’t just see them working out. Maybe it’s because I need to see more of them outside the PI classroom. We have a few secondary characters that play a role including Nicki’s best friend, Kenna. I really liked Kenna and her husband and hopefully they’ll play a larger role in the future.
As for the narration, it’s first person via Nicki and unfortunately, I had difficulty liking Nicki. There’s so many reasons as to why, but mostly it had to do with O’Brian constantly telling us about the food located in Nicki’s pantry. I get it, she’s health conscious and feeds her children organic food, but we don’t need to be constantly told about it. Also, I found Nicki’s behavior to be a bit ridiculous in certain situations. Time and time again, I found myself rolling my eyes, but then I can forgive her because she’s a rookie who hasn’t quite become a full fledged PI. For example, when she goes to the high school to find information about Beth, she’s doesn’t form a plan of what will be her excuse if she’s questioned by school authorities. In this day in age, a random adult in a high school library will raise some eyebrows, which didn’t occur here. There’s also an incident involving Nicki following a known gang member. I won’t go into details because it would be a spoiler, but a single mother of two would not have put herself in that type of situation even if she didn’t anticipate it to turn out the way that it did.
What I did like about FINDING SKY was Nicki’s relationship with her children and how this wasn’t one of those type of novels where we’re told about the children but never see them make an appearance on the page. I liked the kids and they didn’t distract from the overall story. I also enjoyed the parts of being in PI school. It’s a fascinating job and I got a kick reading about the different gadgets Nicki gets to work with as part of her craft. As for the overall mystery, I made a prediction at how it would end and I was right. Maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy FINDING SKY as much as I thought I would.
Overall, Susan O’Brian’s FINDING SKY was a light and easy read. I’m hoping I’ll have better luck with the second book in the series. If you’re a fan of trying out new authors, I recommend Susan O’Brian.
This review and more are located at Literary, etc.
Character development is a bit weak. While we do spend a lot of time with Nicki, we don’t know much about her other than she’s super health conscious (we’re constantly reminded of the organic food in Nicki’s house) and a mother of two. We’re never told exactly why she wants to be a private investigator nor are given the whole background regarding the death of her husband. Nicki has a crush on her PI instructor named Dean and we’re told he’s a Brad Pitt lookalike (well a Brad on steroids) constantly. I was a bit disappointed we don’t get to spend much time with Dean and when we do, it’s all business. I know where O’Brian is heading with these two, it’s just I don’t just see them working out. Maybe it’s because I need to see more of them outside the PI classroom. We have a few secondary characters that play a role including Nicki’s best friend, Kenna. I really liked Kenna and her husband and hopefully they’ll play a larger role in the future.
As for the narration, it’s first person via Nicki and unfortunately, I had difficulty liking Nicki. There’s so many reasons as to why, but mostly it had to do with O’Brian constantly telling us about the food located in Nicki’s pantry. I get it, she’s health conscious and feeds her children organic food, but we don’t need to be constantly told about it. Also, I found Nicki’s behavior to be a bit ridiculous in certain situations. Time and time again, I found myself rolling my eyes, but then I can forgive her because she’s a rookie who hasn’t quite become a full fledged PI. For example, when she goes to the high school to find information about Beth, she’s doesn’t form a plan of what will be her excuse if she’s questioned by school authorities. In this day in age, a random adult in a high school library will raise some eyebrows, which didn’t occur here. There’s also an incident involving Nicki following a known gang member. I won’t go into details because it would be a spoiler, but a single mother of two would not have put herself in that type of situation even if she didn’t anticipate it to turn out the way that it did.
What I did like about FINDING SKY was Nicki’s relationship with her children and how this wasn’t one of those type of novels where we’re told about the children but never see them make an appearance on the page. I liked the kids and they didn’t distract from the overall story. I also enjoyed the parts of being in PI school. It’s a fascinating job and I got a kick reading about the different gadgets Nicki gets to work with as part of her craft. As for the overall mystery, I made a prediction at how it would end and I was right. Maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy FINDING SKY as much as I thought I would.
Overall, Susan O’Brian’s FINDING SKY was a light and easy read. I’m hoping I’ll have better luck with the second book in the series. If you’re a fan of trying out new authors, I recommend Susan O’Brian.
This review and more are located at Literary, etc.
March 3, 2017
I've been checking out a lot of the Henery Press offerings hoping that I'll enjoy another series as much as The Country Club Murders, but so far nothing has really gripped me. This book almost got there - the writing was nice and I really liked Nicki as a protagonist, but the mystery was only so-so, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) I could have done without the romance subplot. Overall, it was perfectly fine and enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'll keep going with this series.
September 21, 2014
Putting together your life after it has been torn apart by the death of your husband is not easy, especially when you have two young children, and it was discovered that your husband had been cheating on you before his death. But Nicki Valentine is not going to let that get to her. Quite the contrary. Not only she is not letting it get to her, she is also going through a private investigator course.
And it so happens that her best friends and neighbor, Kenna, comes to her with an urgent request to use her still-in-development skills to track down the mother of her unborn child to be adopted. Teenage mother-to-be Beth made the difficult decision to give her daughter up for adoption, and has chosen Kenna and her husband, Andy, as adoptive parents after a long and emotionally draining process. No surprise then that they are desperate to find Beth so as not to have to go through the process again – but also because they have already developed an emotional bond with the yet to be born child.
It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a 38 week old pregnant teenager mother, but it is, and Nicki follows the trail which leads her to unexpected and sometimes even dangerous places. While this is definitely not your gun toting, car chasing, foul-mouthed, intense mystery, it is a book that will keep you wondering. You might guess, like I did, what is going on relatively early on in the book, but author Susan O’Brien does a good job in keeping readers guessing even then. The writing is solid and the story filled with humorous moments, and moments that will make you want to reach out to Nicki and give her the kind of help single parents richly deserve.
There are some times when you want to shake some sense into Nicki, but thankfully, in the tradition of everything-turns-out-ok, she survives even the most ridiculous of decisions. There is some level of suspension of belief in reality that has to occur because some of the turns of event are just too bizarre. But then again, I have never been a private investigator; perhaps even the craziest of twists would have happened to me had I been in Nicki’s shoes.
There isn’t any lesson to be learned in this book, really, other than to appreciate the art of perseverance. Nicki is a character readers will no doubt feel attached to way before they close the book. The fact that this book sports the tagline “A Nicki Valentine Mystery” leads me believe that there is more of Nicki Valentine and her adventures waiting for us, which will hopefully continue to entertain us way past her children’s high school graduation.
First published at http://blogcritics.org/book-review-fi... and at http://www.saharsreviews.com/book-rev....
And it so happens that her best friends and neighbor, Kenna, comes to her with an urgent request to use her still-in-development skills to track down the mother of her unborn child to be adopted. Teenage mother-to-be Beth made the difficult decision to give her daughter up for adoption, and has chosen Kenna and her husband, Andy, as adoptive parents after a long and emotionally draining process. No surprise then that they are desperate to find Beth so as not to have to go through the process again – but also because they have already developed an emotional bond with the yet to be born child.
It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a 38 week old pregnant teenager mother, but it is, and Nicki follows the trail which leads her to unexpected and sometimes even dangerous places. While this is definitely not your gun toting, car chasing, foul-mouthed, intense mystery, it is a book that will keep you wondering. You might guess, like I did, what is going on relatively early on in the book, but author Susan O’Brien does a good job in keeping readers guessing even then. The writing is solid and the story filled with humorous moments, and moments that will make you want to reach out to Nicki and give her the kind of help single parents richly deserve.
There are some times when you want to shake some sense into Nicki, but thankfully, in the tradition of everything-turns-out-ok, she survives even the most ridiculous of decisions. There is some level of suspension of belief in reality that has to occur because some of the turns of event are just too bizarre. But then again, I have never been a private investigator; perhaps even the craziest of twists would have happened to me had I been in Nicki’s shoes.
There isn’t any lesson to be learned in this book, really, other than to appreciate the art of perseverance. Nicki is a character readers will no doubt feel attached to way before they close the book. The fact that this book sports the tagline “A Nicki Valentine Mystery” leads me believe that there is more of Nicki Valentine and her adventures waiting for us, which will hopefully continue to entertain us way past her children’s high school graduation.
First published at http://blogcritics.org/book-review-fi... and at http://www.saharsreviews.com/book-rev....
September 12, 2014
Nicki Valentine is a widow with two small children (Sophie, 4 and Jack, 6). She is also training to be a private detective. So when her best friend and near neighbor, Kenna, asks for her help in finding someone, how can she refuse?
It seems Kenna and her husband Andy have been trying to have a baby, but with no luck; so they turned to an agency that will allow them to adopt. Having met Beth, the birth mother, and followed her throughout her pregnancy, Kenna is distraught when Beth, still pregnant, disappears. She wants Nicki to help her find Beth, since she thinks she has been abducted. Her reasoning for this is that the birth father, Marcus, is in a gang and Kenna believes he had something to do with it. So, against her better judgment (the fact that being only a P.I. in training and doesn't know if she can help), Nicki agrees.
But she doesn't do it alone: she has the help of one of her instructors, a hottie named Dean, who helps her through her first case. Even though Nicki eventually realizes she has put herself in real danger, she still wants to find Beth and presses on. Nicki is competent, intelligent and doesn't put herself in harm's way, like some cozy heroines. I did find the reason she was in danger to be somewhat unbelievable, but hey, I'm not a PI, so...and there were a couple of uncomfortable situations (such as when she decides to search a house with the tenant still in it), that didn't seem like it would occur in real life (unless you were insane or something.)
However, Ms. O'Brien drew me in immediately, and kept me reading with very good writing. But be aware that it's not a murder mystery. I know that "mystery" is a broad spectrum, but let's face it: when you hear that a book is a mystery, you kind of expect a murder at some point. Even if it's not in the "blurb," you still figure that someone will be killed. Don't get me wrong; I've read mysteries before where there was no murder, but not many - and none of them were as good as this book.. And, as I said, the writing was good and I enjoyed chasing Beth's trail along with Nicki.
I enjoyed the book very much and will probably read others by this author. Recommended.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review, but this in no way influenced my decision.
It seems Kenna and her husband Andy have been trying to have a baby, but with no luck; so they turned to an agency that will allow them to adopt. Having met Beth, the birth mother, and followed her throughout her pregnancy, Kenna is distraught when Beth, still pregnant, disappears. She wants Nicki to help her find Beth, since she thinks she has been abducted. Her reasoning for this is that the birth father, Marcus, is in a gang and Kenna believes he had something to do with it. So, against her better judgment (the fact that being only a P.I. in training and doesn't know if she can help), Nicki agrees.
But she doesn't do it alone: she has the help of one of her instructors, a hottie named Dean, who helps her through her first case. Even though Nicki eventually realizes she has put herself in real danger, she still wants to find Beth and presses on. Nicki is competent, intelligent and doesn't put herself in harm's way, like some cozy heroines. I did find the reason she was in danger to be somewhat unbelievable, but hey, I'm not a PI, so...and there were a couple of uncomfortable situations (such as when she decides to search a house with the tenant still in it), that didn't seem like it would occur in real life (unless you were insane or something.)
However, Ms. O'Brien drew me in immediately, and kept me reading with very good writing. But be aware that it's not a murder mystery. I know that "mystery" is a broad spectrum, but let's face it: when you hear that a book is a mystery, you kind of expect a murder at some point. Even if it's not in the "blurb," you still figure that someone will be killed. Don't get me wrong; I've read mysteries before where there was no murder, but not many - and none of them were as good as this book.. And, as I said, the writing was good and I enjoyed chasing Beth's trail along with Nicki.
I enjoyed the book very much and will probably read others by this author. Recommended.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review, but this in no way influenced my decision.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2016
Title: Finding Sky - Nicki Valentine Mystery Book 1
Author: Susan O'Brien
Published: 10-7-2016
Publisher: Henery Press
Pages: 286
Genre: Mystery; Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Amateur Sleuths; Humor; Cozy Mystery; Women Sleuths
ISBN: 13: 9781940976303
ASIN: B00N11DG2O
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I received a copy of " Finding Sky" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Description From the Publisher:
She’s a parent. She’s (almost) a P.I. No one gets on your case like mom.
Suburban widow and P.I. in training Nicki Valentine can barely keep track of her two kids, never mind anyone else. But when her best friend’s adoption plan is jeopardized by the young birth mother’s disappearance, Nicki is persuaded to help. Nearly everyone else believes the teenager ran away, but Nicki trusts her BFF’s judgment, and the feeling is mutual.
The case leads where few moms go (teen parties, gang shootings) and places they can’t avoid (preschool parties, OB-GYNs’ offices). Nicki has everything to lose and much to gain — including the attention of her unnervingly hot P.I. instructor. Thankfully, Nicki is armed with her pesky conscience, occasional babysitters, a fully stocked minivan, and nature’s best defense system: women’s intuition.
My review:
Nicki Valentine is nearly a licensed PI with a big heart. How can she refuse to help her friends find the missing birth morther of their soon to be born baby. Well written by a talented writer who uses humor to keep the story rom becoming dark and sinister. Susan O'Brien writes to bring her chaacters and plot to life and allow the reader to venture into the story and become a part of it. Fast paced and well laid out "Finding Sky" is a great start to a new series that I can not wait to read where Nicki will go next. My rating for "Finding Sky" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N11DG2O/...
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/findi...
GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Author: Susan O'Brien
Published: 10-7-2016
Publisher: Henery Press
Pages: 286
Genre: Mystery; Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Amateur Sleuths; Humor; Cozy Mystery; Women Sleuths
ISBN: 13: 9781940976303
ASIN: B00N11DG2O
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I received a copy of " Finding Sky" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Description From the Publisher:
She’s a parent. She’s (almost) a P.I. No one gets on your case like mom.
Suburban widow and P.I. in training Nicki Valentine can barely keep track of her two kids, never mind anyone else. But when her best friend’s adoption plan is jeopardized by the young birth mother’s disappearance, Nicki is persuaded to help. Nearly everyone else believes the teenager ran away, but Nicki trusts her BFF’s judgment, and the feeling is mutual.
The case leads where few moms go (teen parties, gang shootings) and places they can’t avoid (preschool parties, OB-GYNs’ offices). Nicki has everything to lose and much to gain — including the attention of her unnervingly hot P.I. instructor. Thankfully, Nicki is armed with her pesky conscience, occasional babysitters, a fully stocked minivan, and nature’s best defense system: women’s intuition.
My review:
Nicki Valentine is nearly a licensed PI with a big heart. How can she refuse to help her friends find the missing birth morther of their soon to be born baby. Well written by a talented writer who uses humor to keep the story rom becoming dark and sinister. Susan O'Brien writes to bring her chaacters and plot to life and allow the reader to venture into the story and become a part of it. Fast paced and well laid out "Finding Sky" is a great start to a new series that I can not wait to read where Nicki will go next. My rating for "Finding Sky" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N11DG2O/...
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/findi...
GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
July 19, 2014
Finding Sky by Susan O’Brien is a great mystery that pulled me in from the very beginning and never let me go. It has mystery, friendship, a bit of romance and humor. The mystery aspect is great but what I thought made the book extra special are the characters.
Nicki is a single mom with two young children. She is a bit overprotective, which is something I can relate to, and will do anything to keep her children safe and happy. She is a private eye in- training, and has a crush on one of her instructors. Her best friend Kenna and her husband Andy are waiting to adopt a baby but the birth mother is missing. Kenna asks for Nicki’s help in finding her, and Nicki cannot say no.
Nicki is a person I would like to be friends with. She has a big heart, is very determined and also has a sense of humor. I found it refreshing that the main character was a little older and a mother, who was trying to do the best she could. She is more obsessed about her children’s welfare than finding a boyfriend (although she does have a crush on Dean, one of her instructors). She has insecurities like we all do, and doubts about her abilities. I felt like she was a real person and wanted her to succeed. I think this is a sign of a great author when they can make a character seem so real.
The other characters in the book are also very well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. The interactions between the characters are very realistic and humanistic. The writing style is very descriptive and it is easy to feel like I was right there with the characters, watching all the happenings first hand.
The writing style flows smoothly and this is an easy read. The book is a clean one, which I appreciate. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and to anyone who wants to read a feel-good book. I look forward to reading more about Nicki and her friends and family. Treat yourself and read Finding Sky.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Henery Press Publishers for the opportunity to read this great book.
Nicki is a single mom with two young children. She is a bit overprotective, which is something I can relate to, and will do anything to keep her children safe and happy. She is a private eye in- training, and has a crush on one of her instructors. Her best friend Kenna and her husband Andy are waiting to adopt a baby but the birth mother is missing. Kenna asks for Nicki’s help in finding her, and Nicki cannot say no.
Nicki is a person I would like to be friends with. She has a big heart, is very determined and also has a sense of humor. I found it refreshing that the main character was a little older and a mother, who was trying to do the best she could. She is more obsessed about her children’s welfare than finding a boyfriend (although she does have a crush on Dean, one of her instructors). She has insecurities like we all do, and doubts about her abilities. I felt like she was a real person and wanted her to succeed. I think this is a sign of a great author when they can make a character seem so real.
The other characters in the book are also very well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. The interactions between the characters are very realistic and humanistic. The writing style is very descriptive and it is easy to feel like I was right there with the characters, watching all the happenings first hand.
The writing style flows smoothly and this is an easy read. The book is a clean one, which I appreciate. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and to anyone who wants to read a feel-good book. I look forward to reading more about Nicki and her friends and family. Treat yourself and read Finding Sky.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Henery Press Publishers for the opportunity to read this great book.
June 25, 2014
http://anurseandabook.blogspot.com/20...
I was given a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Finding Sky was a quick summer read. The heroine, Nicki, is a widow, who for some reason has decided to take a PI class. No matter how many books I read with this setup, I'll never understand this. Why would a single woman decide to become a private investigator? Especially, Nicki Valentine, a widowed mother of two small children. Nicki is a bored stay at home mom. While my cure for boredom is binge watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, for Nicki, it's getting involved in a gang war and searching for a pregnant teen, Beth, who has gone missing.
Her best friend lives across the street from her and is supposed to be adopting Beth's baby. When Beth turns up missing, Nicki is asked to track her down.
Nicki wants to help so she jumps right in. Her first night on the case ends up with her holding pressure on a gang member's gunshot to the head, after a drive-by shooting. Surely, this would send most suburban moms straight home to a bottle of wine and a new appreciation for locked doors and a Netflix account, but not Nicki!
She continues to look for the missing teen - even after someone breaks into her house and leaves her a message on her computer. I personally love the saying "Bitches get stitches", but finding that message, with the touching addition of "Snitches get ditches" on my laptop would be a never event for me.
Overall, the book was enjoyable - I wish there had been more background on how Nicki became a widow or how she decided to take PI classes. I felt like I was missing a large part of her story, and it may have shed more light on the crazy decisions she made that kept putting her in danger.
I give this book 3/5 stars. A decent way to pass the time.
I was given a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Finding Sky was a quick summer read. The heroine, Nicki, is a widow, who for some reason has decided to take a PI class. No matter how many books I read with this setup, I'll never understand this. Why would a single woman decide to become a private investigator? Especially, Nicki Valentine, a widowed mother of two small children. Nicki is a bored stay at home mom. While my cure for boredom is binge watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, for Nicki, it's getting involved in a gang war and searching for a pregnant teen, Beth, who has gone missing.
Her best friend lives across the street from her and is supposed to be adopting Beth's baby. When Beth turns up missing, Nicki is asked to track her down.
Nicki wants to help so she jumps right in. Her first night on the case ends up with her holding pressure on a gang member's gunshot to the head, after a drive-by shooting. Surely, this would send most suburban moms straight home to a bottle of wine and a new appreciation for locked doors and a Netflix account, but not Nicki!
She continues to look for the missing teen - even after someone breaks into her house and leaves her a message on her computer. I personally love the saying "Bitches get stitches", but finding that message, with the touching addition of "Snitches get ditches" on my laptop would be a never event for me.
Overall, the book was enjoyable - I wish there had been more background on how Nicki became a widow or how she decided to take PI classes. I felt like I was missing a large part of her story, and it may have shed more light on the crazy decisions she made that kept putting her in danger.
I give this book 3/5 stars. A decent way to pass the time.
October 6, 2014
It took me a little while to warm up to Nicki Valentine but, once I did, I had a great time sleuthing around with her. Maybe it wasn't so much Nicki that I was feeling uncertain about, but rather the subject of her search. Dealing with adoption and foster care for The Day Job means that I sometimes don't respond the best to stories involving adoption and foster care when I'm away from work. But Susan O'Brien's story is about so much more and I was very soon caught up in the mystery of Finding Sky.
Widowed mom of two, Nicki Valentine knows how much her best friend Kenna dreams of having a child of her own. Unable to do so, Kenna and her husband, Andy, are in the process of adopting a baby from birth mom Beth. Beth, however, disappears one day and Kenna asks Nicki - a PI student - to find the teenager. Nicki quickly finds herself in over her head, dealing with rival D.C.-area gangs, shady characters, and nosy (or not-nosy-enough) neighbors. Nicki very much wants to help Kenna - and Beth - but it might just be at the expense of her own children . . . or her life.
While Nicki leads the charge to find Beth, she isn't alone on her mission. Her class instructor - the handsome Dean - is guiding Nicki and helping out, as well. Nicki's mom provides child care and a handful of neighbors and friends flesh out the mystery. I liked Dean, but I don't feel very connected to his character. I wish there were more personal scenes between he and Nicki in order to amp up the romantic tension and feelings there, rather than simply being taken there by the end of the book. I did, however, like the number of supporting cast members that the author included - enough to fully populate the canvas, but not so many as to lead to confusion.
In all, a good start to a cozy series! I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the plot.
Widowed mom of two, Nicki Valentine knows how much her best friend Kenna dreams of having a child of her own. Unable to do so, Kenna and her husband, Andy, are in the process of adopting a baby from birth mom Beth. Beth, however, disappears one day and Kenna asks Nicki - a PI student - to find the teenager. Nicki quickly finds herself in over her head, dealing with rival D.C.-area gangs, shady characters, and nosy (or not-nosy-enough) neighbors. Nicki very much wants to help Kenna - and Beth - but it might just be at the expense of her own children . . . or her life.
While Nicki leads the charge to find Beth, she isn't alone on her mission. Her class instructor - the handsome Dean - is guiding Nicki and helping out, as well. Nicki's mom provides child care and a handful of neighbors and friends flesh out the mystery. I liked Dean, but I don't feel very connected to his character. I wish there were more personal scenes between he and Nicki in order to amp up the romantic tension and feelings there, rather than simply being taken there by the end of the book. I did, however, like the number of supporting cast members that the author included - enough to fully populate the canvas, but not so many as to lead to confusion.
In all, a good start to a cozy series! I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the plot.
August 27, 2014
Note: I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I loved everything about this book from the interesting and sometimes twisty plot to the cute cover art. Most of all I loved the leading lady Nicki. Nicki is a breath of fresh air for long time readers of female driven mysteries. Nicki is a single mom and future private investigator with too many things to do and too little time. She's the kind of person you would want to be friends with in real life because not only is she a good person, but she is smart and dedicated. She is also completely competent unlike a lot of heroines in modern "cozy mysteries". Don't get me wrong, I love bumbling sleuths from time to time, but every once in awhile it's nice to see something new.
As for the rest of the characters? Well, even the minor characters were well rounded. Everyone was more than they seemed. I'd also like to thank the author for adding in an lgbt* character who wasn't a caricature or joke. It seems small, but it means a lot to someone like me.
Now on to the plot! I absolutely loved the story because it kept me guessing until the very end. I always wanted to know what secret was going to be revealed next. As it turns out not everyone is what they seem. I was also completely relieved when the romance sublot didn't completely overshadow the main plot which happens in so many books. My only complaint is that the ending felt a tad rushed (then again maybe that's a sign that I just didn't want to say goodbye to these characters).
So, in short, this book was amazing and Susan O'Brien is an author I will definitely be keeping an eye on.
I loved everything about this book from the interesting and sometimes twisty plot to the cute cover art. Most of all I loved the leading lady Nicki. Nicki is a breath of fresh air for long time readers of female driven mysteries. Nicki is a single mom and future private investigator with too many things to do and too little time. She's the kind of person you would want to be friends with in real life because not only is she a good person, but she is smart and dedicated. She is also completely competent unlike a lot of heroines in modern "cozy mysteries". Don't get me wrong, I love bumbling sleuths from time to time, but every once in awhile it's nice to see something new.
As for the rest of the characters? Well, even the minor characters were well rounded. Everyone was more than they seemed. I'd also like to thank the author for adding in an lgbt* character who wasn't a caricature or joke. It seems small, but it means a lot to someone like me.
Now on to the plot! I absolutely loved the story because it kept me guessing until the very end. I always wanted to know what secret was going to be revealed next. As it turns out not everyone is what they seem. I was also completely relieved when the romance sublot didn't completely overshadow the main plot which happens in so many books. My only complaint is that the ending felt a tad rushed (then again maybe that's a sign that I just didn't want to say goodbye to these characters).
So, in short, this book was amazing and Susan O'Brien is an author I will definitely be keeping an eye on.
September 8, 2014
See original review here:
http://wp.me/p4K3p7-8u
*Note: I received this as eArc from Net Galley
This is a great new addition to the cozy mystery scene. Nicki is a strong and wonderful character, who truly cares about bettering the world and taking care of those that she loves. In all honesty she is the person who everyone would want for their BFF. As I mentioned above she is who everyone strives to be. She is more concerned about motherhood than catching a man, and taking care of everything so that her best friend doesn't have to face the reality that this case might not turn out as she hopes.
The other characters are great as well. Kenna is a tried and true friend and the exact opposite of Nicki, Dean is the epitome of hunkishness, and provides strength and knowledge to Nicki when she needs it. As with the characters, the writing is very strong. It flows seamlessly, and provides a great back drop to anyone who loves to read well written books.
The only drawback that I found to this book was the God aspect. At the beginning of the story God is rarely mentioned, but by the end Nicki is asking Kenna to pray with her, and openly thanking God for her good fortune. This does not offend me, but this story was not touted as a Christian read, and I honestly think that since the story started mentioning God more and more towards the end that it needs to be categorized as Christian Fiction.
However, Susan O'Brien is definitely a wonderful writer and I will be looking forward to reading more by her. I would recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a good clean read.
http://wp.me/p4K3p7-8u
*Note: I received this as eArc from Net Galley
This is a great new addition to the cozy mystery scene. Nicki is a strong and wonderful character, who truly cares about bettering the world and taking care of those that she loves. In all honesty she is the person who everyone would want for their BFF. As I mentioned above she is who everyone strives to be. She is more concerned about motherhood than catching a man, and taking care of everything so that her best friend doesn't have to face the reality that this case might not turn out as she hopes.
The other characters are great as well. Kenna is a tried and true friend and the exact opposite of Nicki, Dean is the epitome of hunkishness, and provides strength and knowledge to Nicki when she needs it. As with the characters, the writing is very strong. It flows seamlessly, and provides a great back drop to anyone who loves to read well written books.
The only drawback that I found to this book was the God aspect. At the beginning of the story God is rarely mentioned, but by the end Nicki is asking Kenna to pray with her, and openly thanking God for her good fortune. This does not offend me, but this story was not touted as a Christian read, and I honestly think that since the story started mentioning God more and more towards the end that it needs to be categorized as Christian Fiction.
However, Susan O'Brien is definitely a wonderful writer and I will be looking forward to reading more by her. I would recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a good clean read.
March 21, 2016
I enjoyed Finding Sky. Nicki is a bit obsessive in terms of her kids to the point of causing her to be vegan, but she is a young widow which may explain it. It did not get to the point it irritated me. The situation leading her to be a widow may also explain why she is studying to become a PI, but it would have been nice if the author had given us Nicki's mindset in regards to that.
I liked the characters especially how the author started to build them up by giving us small details, especially Dean. She evens builds up April, a teen, who has a small role. Some might complain about the direction she takes with April (why bother to introduce such an element not integral to the story), but I found it made the world a bit richer without taking me from the main story. One thing about the author, she doesn't shy away from bad elements in her stories, they don't overwhelm or make you feel bad though. Here we have a pregnant missing teen, another teen with problems, gangs, the problems with infertility and desperation to have a child, losing parents young, etc.
One thing that seems out of place is that Nicki has a master's in forensic anthropology I believe. It may also explain her wanting to be a PI. I can see some cross over, but she doesn't seem to have done anything with that degree, nor is there mention of what she did prior to becoming a full time mother which seems to be from the time her first child was born.
I enjoyed the book, liked the characters and story line and am looking forward to book #3 (I read and reviewed #2, Sky High) first.
I received my copy from Netgally in exchange for my honest review.
I liked the characters especially how the author started to build them up by giving us small details, especially Dean. She evens builds up April, a teen, who has a small role. Some might complain about the direction she takes with April (why bother to introduce such an element not integral to the story), but I found it made the world a bit richer without taking me from the main story. One thing about the author, she doesn't shy away from bad elements in her stories, they don't overwhelm or make you feel bad though. Here we have a pregnant missing teen, another teen with problems, gangs, the problems with infertility and desperation to have a child, losing parents young, etc.
One thing that seems out of place is that Nicki has a master's in forensic anthropology I believe. It may also explain her wanting to be a PI. I can see some cross over, but she doesn't seem to have done anything with that degree, nor is there mention of what she did prior to becoming a full time mother which seems to be from the time her first child was born.
I enjoyed the book, liked the characters and story line and am looking forward to book #3 (I read and reviewed #2, Sky High) first.
I received my copy from Netgally in exchange for my honest review.
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