Forbidden Entry

Kendall O'Dell #5

by Sylvia Nobel

Spirited, flame-haired reporter Kendall O’Dell’s plans to spend her vacation sightseeing with her family go up in smoke after the bodies of a young couple are discovered inside their camper on a closed Forest Service road high in the snow-covered Bradshaw Mountains of Arizona. Evidence at the scene suggests an unfortunate accident, but then comes the shocking news that one of the victims is the cousin of her best friend, Ginger King. When Kendall is informed about a tragic event in the young woman’s background and discovers there have been two other questionable deaths in the same area, she becomes suspicious and decides to follow up herself. Her investigation leads her to the hidden community of Raven Creek, populated by a host of shadowy characters, and she puts her life on the line to uncover the dangerous and startling secret.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

456 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Sylvia Nobel, a resident of Arizona since 1961, is the author of the best-selling Kendall O'Dell mystery series. She is also one of the producers of the new feature film Deadly Sanctuary, based on the first book in the series. The 5th book, Forbidden Entry has now been released. Her breathtaking descriptions of the Arizona desert illustrate her love affair with the state's unique beauty. Her main protagonist, feisty, flame-haired reporter Kendall O'Dell has been described by readers as a modern day grown up "Nancy Drew" or a younger Jessica Fletcher from "Murder She Wrote". Her books are available from Nite Owl Books as well as major booksellers worldwide. Readers can participate in an adventure that provides the true ambiance of the modern west with each based on actual cases gleaned from news articles. The attention to detail and the eloquence of the masterfully written stories, will give the reader a vivid picture as well as present great insight into these well researched contemporary tales. Best yet, her judicious use of language makes readers comfortable sharing these books with teens and seniors alike. She follows the same pattern with the film, Deadly Sanctuary, which has received a PG-13 rating making it suitable for just about everyone!

Reviews

[Kelly Kosinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and unfortunately cannot give a review but I have loved all her books, that I do remember. You can’t go wrong. I like Kendall, the reporter very much and her fiancé is wonderful. This one does have Kendall expecting to sight see with her visiting family but this doesn’t happen because of a discovery of two dead bodies.

[Angel Salazar king · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Forbidden Entry last night! Very fun read and I seriously laughed out loud quite a few times and my interest was kept throughout! I couldn't wait to get to the part where Kendall finally put all the pieces together to figure out this murder mystery. The characters really came to life for me in this one and the descriptions of the Arizona mountain desert scenes are so amazing that I can picture them in my mind, especially since I live here! Definitely a page turner!! Thank you Sylvia Nobel for another great Kendall O'Dell adventure!

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait for this one to come out, as I have read all of her books. This one doesn't disappoint! It has the flame-haired reporter Kendall O'Dell follows the leads when the bodies of a young couple are discovered inside their camper on a closed Forest Service road high the snow-covered Bradshaw Mountains of Arizona, and something just isn't right! One of the victims is the cousin of her best friend, Ginger King. Her investigation leads to Raven Creek. She finds plenty of suspects and almost gets herself killed doing it! A real Sylvia Nobel mystery! Can't wait for the next one!

[Tabatha Shipley · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books do not need to be read in order (which is good because I think I've missed one). You can get a great feel for the main characters, character dynamics, and plot lines just by picking up any of the books in this series.

When a young couple turns up dead, Kendall is determined to stay focus on her visiting family. But when the couple turns out to be connected to Kendall's friend, Ginger, she can't help but get herself immersed in the case. Her investigation will take her to Raven's Creek and into the path of a bunch of shady new characters.

If you enjoy a little amateur detective work, these stories are always great. Kendall O'Dell reminds me of (a grown-up) Nancy Drew. I've previously rated other books in this series four or five stars. This one is not my absolute favorite (I could've done without the overwhelming lectures on drug use from Kendall) but it was very well done and the mystery was entertaining. Four stars and recommended for mystery fans.

Note for parents/teachers: There is drug use (although HIGHLY discouraged and explained as dangerous by the main character) and light romance (kissing). I wouldn't have any problem with a mature middle school kiddo (or older) picking this one up.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very satisfying entry in the series. Lots of quirky characters and an a decent mystery. However an over abundance of descriptions of the landscape and extensive discussion on the evils of drug use made for some slow going at times. Don't get me wrong. It was germaine to the story. All I'm saying there was an awful lot of it. Too much for my taste and the drug information crossed the line to preachy. That aside I really did enjoy the story. I figured a few things out before the reveal at the end but there were a few surprises. Hope there will be more books to follow.

[Robbin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this since I live in the general area. But, I stopped at chapter 6. Her mother is just plain nasty. His mother is apparently crazy. They are worried the mothers will destroy the BBQ. They snark at each other & aren't nice. What is fun about this? I'm done!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again another fascinating Kendall O'Dell book. I've read all of the series and each time they get better and better. And of course, Sylvia Nobel puts good Kendall in some very interesting mysteries. Who also has a hunky fiance'. A wedding party, family, friends and a mysterious disappearance, all makes for a good story. Can't wait for the next one.