When Blood Lies

Nicole Charles Mystery #2

by Linda L. Richards

When Blood Lies is the second novel in a series of mysteries featuring rookie reporter Nicole Charles. Vancouver Post gossip columnist Nicole Charles is only slightly put out when she discovers she’s been downsized. She figures she’s lucky to still have a job. It just means she needs to get a desk so she can work out of her apartment. But the desk she buys at auction proves to have more history than she’d anticipated, and the cache she finds in a secret compartment in that desk has links to a money-laundering ring, and an old school-mate. Will this be the story that lands Nicole a job on the news desk? Even while she struggles to solve the case, she wonders if she’ll ever get the recognition she figures she deserves.

Genres: Mystery

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Linda L. Richards is the award-winning author of fifteen books. The founder and publisher of January Magazine and a contributing editor to the crime fiction blog The Rap Sheet, she is best known for her strong female protagonists in the thriller genre. Richards is from Vancouver, Canada and currently makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Her latest book, ENDINGS, was published by Oceanview Publishing in 2021. A PW starred review said that this “harrowing tale of love, loss, and the value of life is not to be missed.” A sequel, EXIT STRATEGY, was published May 2022 and DEAD WEST, the third novel in the series, will be published September 2023. Linda’s 2021 novel, ENDINGS, was recently optioned by a major studio for series production.

Reviews

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start, but I really liked the book. Rookie newspaper reporter Nicole Charles is finding her perfect job to be somewhat boring, for want of a better word. At least she has a place in the large newspaper she is calling home. Through the unexpected yet unquestioned death of the society reporter, she falls into his job. She trained to be a news reporter, what happened to reporting on crimes? What happened to following up leads? For that matter, what happened to working in her own office? The paper is downsizing, as so much media is, and much of the staff now works online from home. Working from home slightly compensates for lack of office space, but Nicole needs a desk to work at. Her best option appears to be an auction, where she finds the "perfect" desk. As bidding starts she is not the only one who wants this desk. Just as she reaches the final limit to bid, police storm in and arrest the other bidder! An extreme but fascinating interruption but fruitful because the auction must begin again. With the only other bidder gone, she gets the desk for a much lower bid.

Looking it over, she notices someone has tried to get into one of the locked drawers. Is the key lost? What could be so important? Her brother Kyle joins her to bring the desk home, but once it is installed the search for what secrets it may hold begins. At the same time, their parents' home is broken into. Is there a connection? If so, what could it possibly connect to?

This book has a lot of surprises, a story of love and loss, crime and vintage wine, memories and misguided moments. For readers who know Vancouver, it will bring familiarity, well depicted. Activity escalates throughout Nicole's investigations. I enjoyed the book for all these reasons. I look forward to another Nicole Charles Mystery. I'm left wondering, what happened to the wine?

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rapid Reads is right! This book moved quickly, introduced the characters and off we went to the mystery. Neat premise with a newspaper reporter who already likes to investigate so it is a natural fit that she wants to find out more about her mystery desk she purchased at auction, but almost didn't get except the other bidder was arrested during the bidding.
Easy to sit down and devour in one sitting. Enjoyable and I hope there are more to this series.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the book for the amount of mystery and symbolism in the book. "She looks from chair to chair, column to column, and raises her eyebrows" (12)" In the book, there are so many different signs and symbols that stick out in the book. This quote is powerful because it shows that people hide secrets to make them look better. The main character buys a desk that hides many secrets that she never imagined. This book has many cool ideas that aren't noticeable until you look into the deeper meaning of the text.

[Kate Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story; written with just enough detail to tell the tale but not so much to bog down the reader. There are a few twists and turns and at least one red herring to hold the readers interest. It's a relatively short book and would be a handy companion for that short flight or waiting in an airport or doctor's office.

I am grateful to author Linda L. Richards and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for having provided a free advance reading copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little story full of intrigue.
Nichole Charles full time reporter, part time sleuth. Nichol is a young reporter trying to work her way up.
But, due to downsizing she is told to work from home. She buys a desk at an auction. This is no ordinary desk, it is full of surprises that lead her to solve a mystery.Will this be the break she needs?
A good short read you will find entertaining. Add this one to your bookshelf.