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Kera Van Brocklin #2
Twisted Minds
A woman is found dead in the wetlands outside of Lakeside City, Michigan. When the town learns the nature of the markings on the dead body, panic rages through the community. And when citizens discover that the dead woman was a lesbian, and that her lover happens to be a local high school teacher and girl’s coach, bedlam breaks out in this ultra conservative community on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Private investigator Kera Van Brocklin has her hands full. She’s trying to prove that her client, the high school teacher, didn’t kill her lover—not an easy task in a town of bigotry and right-wing fanaticism. If that weren’t enough, Kera’s personal life isn’t going so well either. She fears that her girlfriend, Mandy, is leaving her for another woman.
Trying to prove her client’s innocence by finding the killer, Kera is drawn into the web of a demented murderer who is ready and willing to kill again.
Twisted Minds is the sequel to A Venomous Cocktail .
Private investigator Kera Van Brocklin has her hands full. She’s trying to prove that her client, the high school teacher, didn’t kill her lover—not an easy task in a town of bigotry and right-wing fanaticism. If that weren’t enough, Kera’s personal life isn’t going so well either. She fears that her girlfriend, Mandy, is leaving her for another woman.
Trying to prove her client’s innocence by finding the killer, Kera is drawn into the web of a demented murderer who is ready and willing to kill again.
Twisted Minds is the sequel to A Venomous Cocktail .
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2016
4 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Jody Valley
3 books24 followersGrowing up, Jody Valley wrote poetry and short stories to bare her teenage rebellious soul. She wanted to be either a spy or a reporter, and to never give up her skepticism. She settled for social work, writing columns and feature stores for newspapers, and social activism.
Jody has combined her years as a journalist with her years as a clinical social worker and social activist to write her first suspenseful mystery novel, "A Venomous Cocktail." The sequel "Twisted Minds. "
The third novel to her "Kera Van Brocklin Trilogy" is "The Bartender's Secret: A Cruise of Deception." This novel takes place on an adventure cruise ship in Alaska's inlet waters. This setting was inspired by a trip Jody and her wife took on an adventure cruise, there.
Jody lives in Michigan with her wife and two dogs. Together, they have four adult children and three adorable granddaughters.
Jody has combined her years as a journalist with her years as a clinical social worker and social activist to write her first suspenseful mystery novel, "A Venomous Cocktail." The sequel "Twisted Minds. "
The third novel to her "Kera Van Brocklin Trilogy" is "The Bartender's Secret: A Cruise of Deception." This novel takes place on an adventure cruise ship in Alaska's inlet waters. This setting was inspired by a trip Jody and her wife took on an adventure cruise, there.
Jody lives in Michigan with her wife and two dogs. Together, they have four adult children and three adorable granddaughters.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 12, 2019
3.50 Stars. This is the second book in the Kera Van Brocklin mystery series. I finished Book one A Venomous Cocktail a few days ago and wasn’t overly impressed. I’m happy to say that I thought this book was a noticeable step up.
One of the biggest differences was that the length was so much better than the first book. This book was much tighter and didn’t drag with unneeded filler pages. While there may have been more exciting scenes over all in the first book, since here the pace was bumped up with no dragging, this book felt like it had more action.
I do want to give a trigger warning of homophobia. This book takes place in 2012 but feels more like the 80’s or 90’s in this insanely homophobic town they live in. What’s weird is that 97% of the people in this town seem to be part of the LGBTQ community but somehow it’s still crazy homophobic. There was also some discussion about bisexuality and being trans that I think would be mildly offensive to some people. It was told in a way to educate a character who was being offensive so it seemed to be Valley’s way of maybe educating the reader, but it still felt a little ick to me.
I think my main complaint in this book was that the relationship angst was very cringe worthy. SO unbelievable that I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck. Talk about no communication. It was one character trying to explain while the other basically stuck her fingers in her ears and hummed Yankee Doodle Dandy. It was super weak.
Here is one last good note to end the review on. I thought the mystery was pretty good. While I did figure somethings out, there was a big twist I didn’t see coming and I always appreciate when a mystery author can fool me. I didn’t think our trusty private investigator was very smart or swift in this book and basically kept stumbling onto the answers instead, but I did like how the mystery played out.
In conclusion this was better than book one for sure. I think you could start the series here if you wanted, Valley give a good amount of background info that I don’t think you would be too lost. This is still not on the level for a mystery I prefer but I’m happy to see that this was a step-up. It gives me hope that when I read book 3, in a few days, that it will be the best of the bunch.
One of the biggest differences was that the length was so much better than the first book. This book was much tighter and didn’t drag with unneeded filler pages. While there may have been more exciting scenes over all in the first book, since here the pace was bumped up with no dragging, this book felt like it had more action.
I do want to give a trigger warning of homophobia. This book takes place in 2012 but feels more like the 80’s or 90’s in this insanely homophobic town they live in. What’s weird is that 97% of the people in this town seem to be part of the LGBTQ community but somehow it’s still crazy homophobic. There was also some discussion about bisexuality and being trans that I think would be mildly offensive to some people. It was told in a way to educate a character who was being offensive so it seemed to be Valley’s way of maybe educating the reader, but it still felt a little ick to me.
I think my main complaint in this book was that the relationship angst was very cringe worthy. SO unbelievable that I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck. Talk about no communication. It was one character trying to explain while the other basically stuck her fingers in her ears and hummed Yankee Doodle Dandy. It was super weak.
Here is one last good note to end the review on. I thought the mystery was pretty good. While I did figure somethings out, there was a big twist I didn’t see coming and I always appreciate when a mystery author can fool me. I didn’t think our trusty private investigator was very smart or swift in this book and basically kept stumbling onto the answers instead, but I did like how the mystery played out.
In conclusion this was better than book one for sure. I think you could start the series here if you wanted, Valley give a good amount of background info that I don’t think you would be too lost. This is still not on the level for a mystery I prefer but I’m happy to see that this was a step-up. It gives me hope that when I read book 3, in a few days, that it will be the best of the bunch.
February 17, 2016
Having read Ms Valley's first book. A Venomous Cocktail, how thrilled I was to read her new book Twisted Minds. A superbly written book-- my first value in reading a book-- Twisted Minds moves forward at a rapid pace; each chapter leaves you eager to get to the next discovery. It is artfully arranged to some times thinking you know who is the killer, and then it brings in some bit of info that leads you to question and change your idea. Of course a reader of mysteries does not really want to solve the mystery til the end, but also a reader of such a genre wants to know if what they have determined is the solution, is correct...Valley carries the reader right through these moments in the book, to another clue, which you may or may not get, but you sure don't put the book down. I highly recommend Twisted Minds to those who seek out excellence, suspense, strong women characters, and excellent writing.
Penny
Penny
February 17, 2016
I loved it! I love Valley's first book, A Venomous Cocktail, and this sequel is even better. If you love thrillers, these books gives you all you could want and more!! The plot is all I could ask for, but what I loved most was how the characters were so real to me. I read it in two nights. If I didn't have to work, I would have stayed up all night to finish.
February 17, 2016
What a sequel. I loved the A Venomous Cocktail. This sequel lives up to it. Though, you could read Twisted Minds and not have read the first book. But, I'd sure recommend reading both! Looking forward to another novel by Jody Valley. Hope it's coming soon!
June 19, 2020
This isn’t exactly Romantic Suspense 101, but it’s close. All it needs is separate paragraphs for the protagonist and her love interest in the book’s description. I don’t usually include romantic suspense in my reading, but the fact that the protagonist is a private investigator makes me include it here. The problem with that genre is that it takes two to tangle. There is generally one character with a mystery to solve (in this case, Kera Van Brocklin, an ex-Army veteran with a bad case of PTSD) and another—presumably a love interest—who is engaged in something else entirely (here it is Mandy Bakker, a lawyer involved in LGBT rights). Sometimes, the two occupations transect, as they do here. This is fine as long as the two characters—see Penny Mickelbury’s Mimi and Giana series—are of equal interest, especially if you are going to give then their own point-of-view chapters. In Twisted Minds, unfortunately, Mandy’s sub-story is not as interesting as Kera’s and it drags the novel down.
Kera served in the Middle East, where she developed PTSD—and where she witnessed her lover blown to bits by an IED. A good friend gave her a trained dog as a support companion to help her in overcoming this malady. Although she thinks that she is in love with Mandy, she insists on living mostly alone with her dog in a lighthouse near Lake Michigan. Although she loves her privacy she gets antsy without an occupation, so she chose to get her Private Investigator’s license, which keeps her busy and gives her excitement. When a closeted member of the lesbian community disappears, Kera undertakes the job of finding her.
Let’s first talk about the novel’s good qualities. The thing I like most about this book is the use of Kera’s service dog as a companion. As a dog (and cat) owner myself, I know firsthand how wonderful it is to have an animal to rest my hand on or to talk to in times of stress or loneliness. Kera takes Lakota everywhere; in fact, she so overwhelmed by groups of people that she rarely goes anywhere without her. I like the fact that Kera has an identical twin and I wish the author had gone much more deeply into her character, although she may have done in the first book. She is interesting and her coming to terms with her sexuality is intriguing. There is also a transgender character who plays a small, but important role.
The novel is fairly well edited by Shelly Rafferty; at least, there are no point of view errors and only a very few typos—which may already been corrected. These are big plusses. Granted, the writing is more toward the romance reader than the mystery reader, but that is the author’s choice. But notice that I said “fairly well edited.” There is one scene where Mandy receives a text and replies, but on the next page has to search for her phone. In a subsequent scene, Kera is told (and believes) that you have to have a password to see someone’s Facebook posts. In one part a suspect has a mustache; in another the mustache is a beard.
But the book has other problems as well. The first problem is Valley’s decision to go into the criminal’s point of view—she even leads off the book with a chapter in his POV. Despite the fact many authors do this, it is always a horrible idea. For one thing, an author—no matter how great her powers of imagination are—simply can’t get into the mind of a psychotic killer. It always comes off as either silly, over the top, or both. In Twisted Minds, it is both.
It is almost impossible to imagine a scenario in which having chapters from a killer’s point of view would add value and enjoy ability to a novel. Especially a killer who is intent on killing or torturing lesbians. Too often, an author adds these only to get the number of pages up to an acceptable level. To make it worse, the killer—who I identified almost one quarter of the way through the book—is like a cardboard cliché.
But in Twisted Minds, many of Mandy’s chapters have the same feeling. Mandy is just not that interesting, but we keep seeing her in situations—like organizational meetings—in which the only thing that happens is that we have gone though another dozen pages. Decisions are made, but we never are told exactly what those decisions are. The truth is, the author tries her mightiest to make Mandy’s concerns seem important, but fails—at least in my opinion. Romance aficionados might disagree. There is an important plotline in which Kera thinks that Mandy is dating another woman. And again, the author busts a gut trying to convince us that Kera really believes this. But it is way too silly; either that of Kera is simply an unsympathetic character unworthy or our interest. The supposed love interest—another cardboard cliché—was rather interesting, although we see way too little of her. The book would have been a lot better if Mandy would have just gone ahead and slept with the woman. Give Kera a real reason to feel dumped and Mandy a real reason to compare her feelings for Kera with those she has for Jessica, who is successful, pretty, and determined to help the LGBT community despite the fact that she has only just come out. And in the jam-packed denouement, Valley seems to just write whatever comes into her head, without thinking about whether it is plausible or not.
If I had been a normal reader, I would have quit reading several pages before the part in which I identified the killer. There were at least another two parts where I wanted to quit again. I could point out other things I didn’t care for, but I’ve gone on long enough. All in all, I didn’t care for this book and can’t recommend it. Give it a 2 and go on.
Note: I read an Advanced Review Copy of this book kindly provided by the publisher through Lesbrary in electronic form.
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
Kera served in the Middle East, where she developed PTSD—and where she witnessed her lover blown to bits by an IED. A good friend gave her a trained dog as a support companion to help her in overcoming this malady. Although she thinks that she is in love with Mandy, she insists on living mostly alone with her dog in a lighthouse near Lake Michigan. Although she loves her privacy she gets antsy without an occupation, so she chose to get her Private Investigator’s license, which keeps her busy and gives her excitement. When a closeted member of the lesbian community disappears, Kera undertakes the job of finding her.
Let’s first talk about the novel’s good qualities. The thing I like most about this book is the use of Kera’s service dog as a companion. As a dog (and cat) owner myself, I know firsthand how wonderful it is to have an animal to rest my hand on or to talk to in times of stress or loneliness. Kera takes Lakota everywhere; in fact, she so overwhelmed by groups of people that she rarely goes anywhere without her. I like the fact that Kera has an identical twin and I wish the author had gone much more deeply into her character, although she may have done in the first book. She is interesting and her coming to terms with her sexuality is intriguing. There is also a transgender character who plays a small, but important role.
The novel is fairly well edited by Shelly Rafferty; at least, there are no point of view errors and only a very few typos—which may already been corrected. These are big plusses. Granted, the writing is more toward the romance reader than the mystery reader, but that is the author’s choice. But notice that I said “fairly well edited.” There is one scene where Mandy receives a text and replies, but on the next page has to search for her phone. In a subsequent scene, Kera is told (and believes) that you have to have a password to see someone’s Facebook posts. In one part a suspect has a mustache; in another the mustache is a beard.
But the book has other problems as well. The first problem is Valley’s decision to go into the criminal’s point of view—she even leads off the book with a chapter in his POV. Despite the fact many authors do this, it is always a horrible idea. For one thing, an author—no matter how great her powers of imagination are—simply can’t get into the mind of a psychotic killer. It always comes off as either silly, over the top, or both. In Twisted Minds, it is both.
It is almost impossible to imagine a scenario in which having chapters from a killer’s point of view would add value and enjoy ability to a novel. Especially a killer who is intent on killing or torturing lesbians. Too often, an author adds these only to get the number of pages up to an acceptable level. To make it worse, the killer—who I identified almost one quarter of the way through the book—is like a cardboard cliché.
But in Twisted Minds, many of Mandy’s chapters have the same feeling. Mandy is just not that interesting, but we keep seeing her in situations—like organizational meetings—in which the only thing that happens is that we have gone though another dozen pages. Decisions are made, but we never are told exactly what those decisions are. The truth is, the author tries her mightiest to make Mandy’s concerns seem important, but fails—at least in my opinion. Romance aficionados might disagree. There is an important plotline in which Kera thinks that Mandy is dating another woman. And again, the author busts a gut trying to convince us that Kera really believes this. But it is way too silly; either that of Kera is simply an unsympathetic character unworthy or our interest. The supposed love interest—another cardboard cliché—was rather interesting, although we see way too little of her. The book would have been a lot better if Mandy would have just gone ahead and slept with the woman. Give Kera a real reason to feel dumped and Mandy a real reason to compare her feelings for Kera with those she has for Jessica, who is successful, pretty, and determined to help the LGBT community despite the fact that she has only just come out. And in the jam-packed denouement, Valley seems to just write whatever comes into her head, without thinking about whether it is plausible or not.
If I had been a normal reader, I would have quit reading several pages before the part in which I identified the killer. There were at least another two parts where I wanted to quit again. I could point out other things I didn’t care for, but I’ve gone on long enough. All in all, I didn’t care for this book and can’t recommend it. Give it a 2 and go on.
Note: I read an Advanced Review Copy of this book kindly provided by the publisher through Lesbrary in electronic form.
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
February 18, 2016
Excellent mystery/thriller. Having read and enjoyed The Venomous Cocktail by Jody Valley I was anxiously awaiting her second book in the series and it didn't disappoint me. Twisted Minds was a fast paced novel with in-depth characters that was a joy to read. I was hooked from start to finish. The book portrays strong women that are not perfect but struggle with the world in a realist and heartwarming way. I particularly enjoyed Kara who has PTSD from her war experiences. Having the same diagnosis her portrayal of the difficulties she faces dealing with her demons and coming to terms with relationships is all to real. Thank you Jody Valley for this wonderful book.
August 20, 2016
Quite a good noir murder mystery, with a fully realized protagonist worth following through more stories. Its engagement with Michigan gender politics is interesting, but could have been set in 2016 instead of 2012 (unfortunately).
May 1, 2016
Great book.
I really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed hearing more about Kera and Mandy. There are so many twists in the plot.
I really enjoyed this book. Enjoyed hearing more about Kera and Mandy. There are so many twists in the plot.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews