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Finding Lizzy Smith
Kate Nash, a St. Louis detective turned private investigator, becomes the central figure in a multiple homicide case--one of the victims was her husband. Now her friend and old college roommate, Lizzy Smith, is missing and presumed kidnapped. As the mystery unfolds, Kate realizes that whoever is behind the killings is out to destroy her and everyone close to her. Will they succeed?
199 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2017
22 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Susan Keene
30 books56 followersSusan has ten books published Her latest, The High Steaks Murder is a cozy mystery and the second book in the Arizona Summers Detective. This book will be released for publication on October 23, 2020.
Book one in the Arizona Summers Mystery Series is now available on Amazon both in Kindle and paperback editions.
Tattered Wings is a stand alone romantic suspense filled with flawed characters, some who try to redeem themselves.
The Twisted Mind of Cletus Compton is a stand alone novel. Fans of the television program Criminal Minds love Cletus Compton.
Susan is the author of the popular Kate Nash Mystery Series. Book One, Finding Lizzy Smith, Book Two, Who's Roxy Watkins, and Book Three, The Untimely Death of Ivy Tucker.
She has also written four children's books. The Adventures of Diggitty the Dog. Book one, The Adventures of Diggitty the Dog, Book two, Diggitty the Dog Finds a Friend and Book three, Diggitty the Dog Saves Christmas. Three of them are about Diggitty the Dog, Susan's favorite dachshund who is fifteen. And a children's book about diversity, We Aren't So Different After All.
Susan studied in a branch of the medical profession and loves to weave her knowledge and experiences into her stories.
She lives on a farm in the beautiful Ozarks and is surrounded by dogs, cats, cows, sheep. horses, mules, and donkeys
She is the current President of Sleuth's Ink Mystery Writes and Treasurer of The Ozarks Romance Authors are two of the groups she attends regularly..
Susan loves spending time with family and friends
Book one in the Arizona Summers Mystery Series is now available on Amazon both in Kindle and paperback editions.
Tattered Wings is a stand alone romantic suspense filled with flawed characters, some who try to redeem themselves.
The Twisted Mind of Cletus Compton is a stand alone novel. Fans of the television program Criminal Minds love Cletus Compton.
Susan is the author of the popular Kate Nash Mystery Series. Book One, Finding Lizzy Smith, Book Two, Who's Roxy Watkins, and Book Three, The Untimely Death of Ivy Tucker.
She has also written four children's books. The Adventures of Diggitty the Dog. Book one, The Adventures of Diggitty the Dog, Book two, Diggitty the Dog Finds a Friend and Book three, Diggitty the Dog Saves Christmas. Three of them are about Diggitty the Dog, Susan's favorite dachshund who is fifteen. And a children's book about diversity, We Aren't So Different After All.
Susan studied in a branch of the medical profession and loves to weave her knowledge and experiences into her stories.
She lives on a farm in the beautiful Ozarks and is surrounded by dogs, cats, cows, sheep. horses, mules, and donkeys
She is the current President of Sleuth's Ink Mystery Writes and Treasurer of The Ozarks Romance Authors are two of the groups she attends regularly..
Susan loves spending time with family and friends
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 25, 2020
This is the first book by this author I have read or listened to but I have already download the next book.because I enjoyed it. The mystery was good but I had worked out what was going on by the end, this didn't detract from the story it was just nice to know I was right. The characters are a tight knit group and work well together, it even had the add fun of a dog. There was a number of twists in the book, as they tried to work out why the group of friends was being killed and even if the high body count was all murders. I am off to start the next book.
Kate is worried when an old friend doesn't turn up for a meeting she had arranged but what is even more worrying is the red laser dot on her chest. Is someone trying to kill her? And what happened to Lizzy? The police can't do anything because she is an adult and needs to be missing for 48 hours before they can start looking for her, even with the shooting accruing. It's a good job Kate is one half of a private investigation team. With the added help of another friend Kate and her friends look back into he past for some answers because they use to be a group of nine and now they are down to six. Two murders, an accident and now a disappearance they are either the unluckiest group of friends or someone is taking them out one at a time. Can Kate work out the connection before anymore of her friends or even herself is killed? And do it all while still solving her own cases? She can't let clients or her partner who has nothing to do with the past, down.
I liked the narrator with the exception of one voice it was just to high pitched and squeaky.
Kate is worried when an old friend doesn't turn up for a meeting she had arranged but what is even more worrying is the red laser dot on her chest. Is someone trying to kill her? And what happened to Lizzy? The police can't do anything because she is an adult and needs to be missing for 48 hours before they can start looking for her, even with the shooting accruing. It's a good job Kate is one half of a private investigation team. With the added help of another friend Kate and her friends look back into he past for some answers because they use to be a group of nine and now they are down to six. Two murders, an accident and now a disappearance they are either the unluckiest group of friends or someone is taking them out one at a time. Can Kate work out the connection before anymore of her friends or even herself is killed? And do it all while still solving her own cases? She can't let clients or her partner who has nothing to do with the past, down.
I liked the narrator with the exception of one voice it was just to high pitched and squeaky.
January 27, 2023
A Suspenseful, Engaging Read
“Finding Lizzy Smith” by Susan Keene offers captivating, mind-boggling suspense with unexpected twists and turns. The story centers around Kate Nate, a private investigator who had previously been a police detective. It begins with her still mourning the death of her husband. He died as a result of being shot in the head, execution style, two years ago. But he was just the first murdered victim among a tight group of friends. The killer is still at large.
Lizzy Smith, another member of Kate’s circle of friends has gone missing. With the help of her close friends, Ryan and Amy, Kate searches for Lizzy. As they delve deeper into the murders, Kate believes the killings are an act of revenge against her for something she did in the past. Is Lizzy still alive or has she met the same fate as other group member?
The author has expertly threaded together mystery, suspense, and romance in this intriguing read. The characters and plot are well-developed. The unexpected horrific ending caught me by surprise and clearly displays the author’s creative imagination. “Finding Lizzy Smith” is highly recommended to everyone who enjoys a suspenseful mystery.
“Finding Lizzy Smith” by Susan Keene offers captivating, mind-boggling suspense with unexpected twists and turns. The story centers around Kate Nate, a private investigator who had previously been a police detective. It begins with her still mourning the death of her husband. He died as a result of being shot in the head, execution style, two years ago. But he was just the first murdered victim among a tight group of friends. The killer is still at large.
Lizzy Smith, another member of Kate’s circle of friends has gone missing. With the help of her close friends, Ryan and Amy, Kate searches for Lizzy. As they delve deeper into the murders, Kate believes the killings are an act of revenge against her for something she did in the past. Is Lizzy still alive or has she met the same fate as other group member?
The author has expertly threaded together mystery, suspense, and romance in this intriguing read. The characters and plot are well-developed. The unexpected horrific ending caught me by surprise and clearly displays the author’s creative imagination. “Finding Lizzy Smith” is highly recommended to everyone who enjoys a suspenseful mystery.
October 9, 2019
When enough is enough
A great read. Chilling in certain respects, understandable in others and feeling just a little too real. I must admit that I had sort of guessed who the culprit was but it really was just a guess. A well developed plot and great characters who lend human frailties to the read. In some respects it does remind me of Stephanie Plum and in others Marlowe.
Still not over the seemingly senseless killing of her husband and the apparent suicide of a friend she gets a text to meet another friend in the very early hours of the morning. Only for a sniper to take pot shots at her. But where is her friend? No one has seen her for a couple of weeks. Now she does what she does best - investigate. As a former police officer and now a PI she has the training. Throw in more attempts on the lives of her friends, another murder, stolen paintings, a stolen car and finally what feels like a breakthrough. But will it lead to the answers or more questions and doubts?
A great read. Chilling in certain respects, understandable in others and feeling just a little too real. I must admit that I had sort of guessed who the culprit was but it really was just a guess. A well developed plot and great characters who lend human frailties to the read. In some respects it does remind me of Stephanie Plum and in others Marlowe.
Still not over the seemingly senseless killing of her husband and the apparent suicide of a friend she gets a text to meet another friend in the very early hours of the morning. Only for a sniper to take pot shots at her. But where is her friend? No one has seen her for a couple of weeks. Now she does what she does best - investigate. As a former police officer and now a PI she has the training. Throw in more attempts on the lives of her friends, another murder, stolen paintings, a stolen car and finally what feels like a breakthrough. But will it lead to the answers or more questions and doubts?
February 20, 2022
Lizzy, Kate, Ryan, and Amy are part of a close knit circle that have been friends since their early college days. Now, the members of that circle are being murdered, one by one. Can they find the killer before it's too late for the rest of them?
To an inveterate reader of serial mysteries, a new series by a newly discovered author is literally like finding hidden treasure. Finding Lizzy Smith is treasure indeed!
Keene's characters pop off the pages, entrenching themselves firmly as friends. The ingenious, convoluted plotone will leave you staggering under its evil and speechless at its resolution.
Well played, Ms Keene, well played . . . I've already got Book Two queued up and waiting!
[Finding Lizzy Smith was made available by the author for the 2022 Winter Games Reader Challenge, with no obligation to review. The opinions herein are given freely and are entirely my own.]
To an inveterate reader of serial mysteries, a new series by a newly discovered author is literally like finding hidden treasure. Finding Lizzy Smith is treasure indeed!
Keene's characters pop off the pages, entrenching themselves firmly as friends. The ingenious, convoluted plotone will leave you staggering under its evil and speechless at its resolution.
Well played, Ms Keene, well played . . . I've already got Book Two queued up and waiting!
[Finding Lizzy Smith was made available by the author for the 2022 Winter Games Reader Challenge, with no obligation to review. The opinions herein are given freely and are entirely my own.]
August 28, 2017
A Cool New Series
I give very few 5s when I'm reading books, but I didn't hesitate to give "Finding Lizzy Smith" a 4. This was a fun read, an easy read, and kept me awake and interested on a long highway trip. Keene's book could have used a bit more editing, mostly for things like using the word "personal" when it should have been "personnel," as well as a number of punctuation errors, but her story development was good enough that I could overlook those things. Keene is a good storyteller, and I look forward to seeing what adventures await Kate in further books.
This would be a good book for anyone who likes cozy mysteries. There is a naked man who makes a couple of appearances, but it's all good, clean fun.
I give very few 5s when I'm reading books, but I didn't hesitate to give "Finding Lizzy Smith" a 4. This was a fun read, an easy read, and kept me awake and interested on a long highway trip. Keene's book could have used a bit more editing, mostly for things like using the word "personal" when it should have been "personnel," as well as a number of punctuation errors, but her story development was good enough that I could overlook those things. Keene is a good storyteller, and I look forward to seeing what adventures await Kate in further books.
This would be a good book for anyone who likes cozy mysteries. There is a naked man who makes a couple of appearances, but it's all good, clean fun.
April 4, 2022
Just finished reading Finding Lizzie Smith by Susan Keene and wow what a read. Finding Lizzie Smith was a thrill ride from the very first paragraph. Kate turned from cop to private detective after her husband Michael was murdered. As Kate tries to make sense of her husband’s unsolved murder, a couple more of her friends are murdered. Kate, Amy (her partner and friend), and Ryan slowly make connections between their murdered friends and the possibility of something that linked them together over the past. As the novel unfolds, it also makes you question, how well do you truly, truly know someone? Susan Keene wrote a jam packed, full of action, a touch of romance, and the true meaning of friendship novel.
February 23, 2022
This mystery started out with a bang and didn't let up until the shocking conclusion. People in Kate's circle are murdered and now one (Lizzy Smith) is missing. Kate, her PI partner Amy and her friend Ryan are frantically searching for clues to not only find Lizzy Smith but to get to the bottom of the unsolved murders. I absolutely loved Kate Nash- a compassionate, empathic ex-cop lacking in organizational skills with unruly hair and I look forward to reading more about her and her friends antics.
August 27, 2017
When Kate's friend Lizzy comes up missing, Kate is going to have to search some rough realities of the past to solve the problem she is facing now. Kate gets some help from a few friends, but the twists and turns have her deep in a mystery. The author does a good job with a cozy mystery that will have readers puzzled to the end. This is the second book I have read by this author and I love her writing style that takes readers in and holds them with a great story line.
March 6, 2022
Wow! I was not expecting that!! This is the first book in The Kate Nash Mysteries series. I must say that since this book was listed as a “cozy mystery” I didn’t get my hopes up too high, but I should have. This book was so much more than the other little “cozy mysteries” that I’ve read. It has great characters, it’s full of twists and keeps you flipping the pages. But the ending!? Wow! I loved this book and can’t wait to read the rest of this series.
March 21, 2018
A delightful and well written story.
Susan has done a great job of entertaining the reader with her delightful cast of characters and intriguing story. I'm looking forward to reading her second book!
Susan has done a great job of entertaining the reader with her delightful cast of characters and intriguing story. I'm looking forward to reading her second book!
September 24, 2018
A fantastic story about a group of friends who are dying, some by accidents, some by being murdered. Why! Then one friend goes missing! What’s going on? A wonderful story, keeps you wanting to reading to find out!
March 4, 2022
Kate Nash is a former police office now private detective. Some one is killing off members of her close circle of friends including her husband. Well written book with great characters that kept your interest through to the surprise ending. I will be checking out more books in this series.
March 5, 2022
enjoyed reading this cozy mystery that kept me guessing. I stayed up most of the night as could not put it down once I started reading it. Love the twists and turns and trying to figure out who dine it. I plan on getting the rest of the series.
March 8, 2022
Awesome story. Lots of twists and surprises kept me guessing and totally involved in the plot. Very intriguing and suspenseful. Loved the pace and the unexpected. Intriguing characters in a very well woven plot.
January 24, 2021
A new author for me and I found it very enjoyable and good narration. The plot had good twists to it and good style of writing. Well done.
February 18, 2022
Must read. Susan you are an amazing writer. I love love love Finding Lizzy Smith. I can't wait to read what happens next for Kate, Ryan and Amy.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews