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St. Kilda Consulting #1
Always Time to Die
Updated cover of this Kindle edition.
Former U.S. Senator Quintrell is dead.
His son, New Mexico's governor, is preparing his
run for the highest political office in the land.
And dark family secrets are about to explode with the devastating force of a Southwestern earthquake.
An eccentric Quintrell aunt has invited genealogist Carolina "Carly" May to their Taos compound to compile a record of the illustrious family. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about a would-be president's private life . . . and the grisly street crime that left his drug-addicted sister dead. As a dark world of twisted passions and depravity slowly opens up before Carly, there is no one whom she dares trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous, haunted enigma who's tied to the Quintrells' history. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible mysteries a father carried to the grave -- because following the bloodlines of the powerful can be a bloody business. And some dead secrets can kill.
Former U.S. Senator Quintrell is dead.
His son, New Mexico's governor, is preparing his
run for the highest political office in the land.
And dark family secrets are about to explode with the devastating force of a Southwestern earthquake.
An eccentric Quintrell aunt has invited genealogist Carolina "Carly" May to their Taos compound to compile a record of the illustrious family. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about a would-be president's private life . . . and the grisly street crime that left his drug-addicted sister dead. As a dark world of twisted passions and depravity slowly opens up before Carly, there is no one whom she dares trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous, haunted enigma who's tied to the Quintrells' history. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible mysteries a father carried to the grave -- because following the bloodlines of the powerful can be a bloody business. And some dead secrets can kill.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2005
275 people are currently reading
2353 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Lowell
206 books1,918 followersIndividually and with co-author/husband Evan, Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one work of non-fiction. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. Her novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery. After working in contemporary and historical romance, she became an innovator in the genre of romantic suspense.
In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994).
Since July of 1992, she has had over 30 novels on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1998 she began writing suspense with a passionate twist, capturing a new audience and generation of readers. Her new romance novel Perfect Touch will be available in July of 2015.
To get a full list of titles as well as read excerpts from her novels, visit www.elizabethlowell.com.
In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994).
Since July of 1992, she has had over 30 novels on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1998 she began writing suspense with a passionate twist, capturing a new audience and generation of readers. Her new romance novel Perfect Touch will be available in July of 2015.
To get a full list of titles as well as read excerpts from her novels, visit www.elizabethlowell.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
September 15, 2021
3.35* I guess.
The books's at its best just past the midway.
Okay where to begin?
There are basically two lines of mysteries running along here, one decades old and the other contemporary- basically the family genealogy project threatens to unspool shady old family secrets and it all turns into a run for your life murder mystery.
The mystery is good and the author has created an elaborate Quintrell/Castillo family tree of 5 generations and a town, a community (Sandovals mostly) to base her story in. There's a historical conflict and context that has reverberated into the present. But, it's the more personal family tangles and secrets, and the personal depravity, vileness and self-seeking behavior that has affected dozens of people (women really) that affects the reader more.
The pacing is slow at times, especially in the beginning and then even towards the end - when things don't really progress as I'd have liked or expected. Oh, all the threads are tied up but still...
Also plenty of jargon speak and details about genealogy, Anglo-Hispanic-Latino history and their shifting relations, and then the DNA testing may be too much for people. I found the later bit more intersting than the others.
The romance - they are attracted to each other from the first meet but keep a professional distance as they have more important things to focus on. Then just like that, the H decides to make a move on her despite his PTSD issues (which are usually such a downer), the h flirts right back and wham they are a couple - and a team - within the minute. There's just one sex scene but they make a good team even though they take their own sweet time to figure things out, an increasingly desperate murderer shadowing them notwithstanding.
*Major spoilers*
The books's at its best just past the midway.
Okay where to begin?
There are basically two lines of mysteries running along here, one decades old and the other contemporary- basically the family genealogy project threatens to unspool shady old family secrets and it all turns into a run for your life murder mystery.
The mystery is good and the author has created an elaborate Quintrell/Castillo family tree of 5 generations and a town, a community (Sandovals mostly) to base her story in. There's a historical conflict and context that has reverberated into the present. But, it's the more personal family tangles and secrets, and the personal depravity, vileness and self-seeking behavior that has affected dozens of people (women really) that affects the reader more.
The pacing is slow at times, especially in the beginning and then even towards the end - when things don't really progress as I'd have liked or expected. Oh, all the threads are tied up but still...
Also plenty of jargon speak and details about genealogy, Anglo-Hispanic-Latino history and their shifting relations, and then the DNA testing may be too much for people. I found the later bit more intersting than the others.
The romance - they are attracted to each other from the first meet but keep a professional distance as they have more important things to focus on. Then just like that, the H decides to make a move on her despite his PTSD issues (which are usually such a downer), the h flirts right back and wham they are a couple - and a team - within the minute. There's just one sex scene but they make a good team even though they take their own sweet time to figure things out, an increasingly desperate murderer shadowing them notwithstanding.
*Major spoilers*
May 22, 2022
Powerful family secrets are the center of this story. It's filled with characters that are part of the family or are in some way connected to the family and they all have secrets. Details about those secrets are slowly revealed throughout the book; some of which leads to further investigation and danger for Carly and Dan. There is an extremely large number of characters that makes it a bit difficult to sort out exactly who is who, but there is a family tree at the beginning of the book does help. The unexpected twist toward the end of the book makes wading through the huge number of details in the early part of the story worth the effort. The romance between Carly and Dan plays second fiddle to the mystery surrounding the Quintrell & Castillo family. Overall, it's a well written story that just has way too many characters.
April 3, 2011
I kept vacillating between hating and liking this book. It must have been the narrator. The genealogy stuff got to be a little too much. Then the whole incest thing just went waaaaaay beyond creepy, disgusting, and too much as well.
October 30, 2011
Note: I originally read this book back in 2006, and read it again in 2011. My opinion of the book hasn't changed in the interval, though it's worth noting that I did enjoy it well enough to come back and read it again.
I can generally rely upon Elizabeth Lowell to give me a fluffily suspenseful but enjoyable read. She's formulaic, sure, but it's a formula I happen to like: beautiful, spunky woman plus broody and sexy man plus people trying to kill them, generally for reasons involving fabulously expensive l00t, dirty secrets, or both. The man is generally broody over a troubled past, and chances are high that the woman has had issues involving men in her own background. Chances are even higher than they will resist being attracted to one another, and they may well get cranky at one another if one thinks the other has done something particularly stupid, though if that happens, you know that by the end they'll clue in and live Happily Ever After(TM). Also, by way of demonstrating what a butch guy he is and how he'll lay it on the line for his girl, the hero will get wounded at a suitably dramatic juncture in the narrative, but always in one of the Approved Hero Fashions, and it will never prevent him from handily dispatching the villain even if he has to keel over afterwards (even if it takes him several chapters to pull it off).
Always Time to Die is a fine example of her formula. Nothing terribly new or unusual here, unless you count a remarkable lack of angst on the part of the heroine Carly, which I quite appreciated. She was spunky and funny, and although she did have the obligatory Trouble With Men in her background, it wasn't something she had any issues with, and it certainly didn't get in the way of her realizing that Dan, Hero Du Jour, was the hottest thing to ever hot out of Hot Town.
The genealogy aspect of the plot was also new and kind of fun for Lowell. Some reviewers on Amazon.com were complaining about this bogging down the story for them, but I found it entertaining and certainly quite pertinent to the ongoing story; it felt well-balanced against the current brouhahas, and past and present came together in a suitably suspenseful fashion at the end. All in all an entertaining way to blow a few hours.
I can generally rely upon Elizabeth Lowell to give me a fluffily suspenseful but enjoyable read. She's formulaic, sure, but it's a formula I happen to like: beautiful, spunky woman plus broody and sexy man plus people trying to kill them, generally for reasons involving fabulously expensive l00t, dirty secrets, or both. The man is generally broody over a troubled past, and chances are high that the woman has had issues involving men in her own background. Chances are even higher than they will resist being attracted to one another, and they may well get cranky at one another if one thinks the other has done something particularly stupid, though if that happens, you know that by the end they'll clue in and live Happily Ever After(TM). Also, by way of demonstrating what a butch guy he is and how he'll lay it on the line for his girl, the hero will get wounded at a suitably dramatic juncture in the narrative, but always in one of the Approved Hero Fashions, and it will never prevent him from handily dispatching the villain even if he has to keel over afterwards (even if it takes him several chapters to pull it off).
Always Time to Die is a fine example of her formula. Nothing terribly new or unusual here, unless you count a remarkable lack of angst on the part of the heroine Carly, which I quite appreciated. She was spunky and funny, and although she did have the obligatory Trouble With Men in her background, it wasn't something she had any issues with, and it certainly didn't get in the way of her realizing that Dan, Hero Du Jour, was the hottest thing to ever hot out of Hot Town.
The genealogy aspect of the plot was also new and kind of fun for Lowell. Some reviewers on Amazon.com were complaining about this bogging down the story for them, but I found it entertaining and certainly quite pertinent to the ongoing story; it felt well-balanced against the current brouhahas, and past and present came together in a suitably suspenseful fashion at the end. All in all an entertaining way to blow a few hours.
August 19, 2010
Disclaimer: I'm not generally a romantic-suspense (or romantic-anything) reader; I grabbed this off a housemate because I was out of books of my own, so maybe this book was only "meh" to me because I wasn't familiar with whatever genre conventions I'd let myself in for. But "meh" it was.
The suspense plot is a good one, but the way it's paced, it never seems as urgent as I'd expect. There are many isolated incidents of people threatening the heroine, Carly. There are some isolated incidents of people dying or talking to shadowy figures. Then it's daylight and Carly's driving around talking to people, being all curious and determined and whatnot.
Some have complained about the long genealogical-research scenes. I actually liked those. The information they presented was interesting, and, at least to this layperson, it seems Lowell really did her homework. They're also good for the sake of seeing Carly and Dan work together - I just think there's too little connection, tone-wise, between these sections and the THREATENING PHONE CALLS! DEAD RODENTS! BULLETS ON A HILLSIDE! sections.
The final wrap-up was a little too quick, and a little too off-screen for my taste - we go from our lead couple making a strange discovery straight to a later epilogue where it's explained, rather than shown, what they concluded and how everyone reacted. And then there's talk of marriage? Honestly, I was sold on Dan and Carly as people who get along, and as people who are attracted to each other, and as people who have sex. But in love? Enough for marriage? I never got that impression.
So, basically, "meh."
The suspense plot is a good one, but the way it's paced, it never seems as urgent as I'd expect. There are many isolated incidents of people threatening the heroine, Carly. There are some isolated incidents of people dying or talking to shadowy figures. Then it's daylight and Carly's driving around talking to people, being all curious and determined and whatnot.
Some have complained about the long genealogical-research scenes. I actually liked those. The information they presented was interesting, and, at least to this layperson, it seems Lowell really did her homework. They're also good for the sake of seeing Carly and Dan work together - I just think there's too little connection, tone-wise, between these sections and the THREATENING PHONE CALLS! DEAD RODENTS! BULLETS ON A HILLSIDE! sections.
The final wrap-up was a little too quick, and a little too off-screen for my taste - we go from our lead couple making a strange discovery straight to a later epilogue where it's explained, rather than shown, what they concluded and how everyone reacted. And then there's talk of marriage? Honestly, I was sold on Dan and Carly as people who get along, and as people who are attracted to each other, and as people who have sex. But in love? Enough for marriage? I never got that impression.
So, basically, "meh."
April 24, 2012
Carolina "Carly" May is a genealogist who was invited by the eccentric aunt of New Mexico's governor, Josh Quintrell, to come to their Taos ranch to compile a record of the Quintrell/Castillo family. She arrives following the death of the family patriarch, A. J. Quintrell, a former U.S. senator. However, digging up the past is creating trouble within the family and Carly finds herself on unsafe footing. Dan Duran, a former Army Ranger and now an agent for St. Kilda was born and raised in the Taos community with ties to the family. He decides to come to Carly's aid both in her research and to protect her from unknown factions.
This is a complicated story as you must keep track of the genealogy of both the Quintrell and Castillo families, along with the progeny from the Senator's exploits outside of marriage. The dynamics within the family are interesting and complex and you will find yourself stumbling around trying to keep up but you'll be intrigued enough to stick with it. The developing relationship between Carly and Dan is well written and the dialogue witty.
My complaint with the book lies in the ending. The story was well crafted to lead to an exciting climax that was rushed and abrupt. It took the wind out of the sails of a pretty fascinating tale, enough for me to drop the rating to 3.5 stars. I'm rounding to 4 because everything leading up to this was pretty compelling. And, we don't learn very much about St. Kilda Consulting!! I guess I'll have to read the next book for those answers.
This is a complicated story as you must keep track of the genealogy of both the Quintrell and Castillo families, along with the progeny from the Senator's exploits outside of marriage. The dynamics within the family are interesting and complex and you will find yourself stumbling around trying to keep up but you'll be intrigued enough to stick with it. The developing relationship between Carly and Dan is well written and the dialogue witty.
My complaint with the book lies in the ending. The story was well crafted to lead to an exciting climax that was rushed and abrupt. It took the wind out of the sails of a pretty fascinating tale, enough for me to drop the rating to 3.5 stars. I'm rounding to 4 because everything leading up to this was pretty compelling. And, we don't learn very much about St. Kilda Consulting!! I guess I'll have to read the next book for those answers.
March 3, 2009
I was shocked by this book. It sounded good, then I started reading and was struck by a desire to skip a lot of pages. There is a ton of geneology and family history described in the chapters because the main character is hired to write about just that. So at first it's boring, then it just gets disgusting. If you want to read about some filandering, pig-headed chold molesters and bigamists be my guest -- I put the book down. I couldn't believe one of my choice authors had chosen to write such a sickening ending to her story. I wouldn't bother giving this book a second glance.
December 11, 2013
Not a fan. At all. It was free and I still feel like I was robbed.
June 30, 2024
ALWAYS TIME TO DIE was an excellent romantic suspense title. Carly May is a family historian who was hired to write the story of the family of the Governor of New Mexico. His eccentric aunt hired her. She wants her to concentrate on the Castillo family - the female line. The Governor, who is soon to be running for President, is not at all encouraging. He apparently has secrets to keep about his twisted family tree.
Daniel Duran is home to recover from an injury to his leg gained on a job for St. Kilda Consulting. He is also quietly looking into drug trafficking in the area for his employer. He knows what a twisted situation Carly is going to find and develops an unexpected desire to keep her safe.
From dead rats on pillows, to vandalized cars, and bricks heaved through windows, Dan and Carly have to deal with someone who really wants to scare Carly away from her task of writing that family history.
I really enjoyed all the interesting details about genealogy that were woven into this story. I liked that both Carly and Dan were competent adults with lots of things in common. The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I also thought the romance was realistic.
Daniel Duran is home to recover from an injury to his leg gained on a job for St. Kilda Consulting. He is also quietly looking into drug trafficking in the area for his employer. He knows what a twisted situation Carly is going to find and develops an unexpected desire to keep her safe.
From dead rats on pillows, to vandalized cars, and bricks heaved through windows, Dan and Carly have to deal with someone who really wants to scare Carly away from her task of writing that family history.
I really enjoyed all the interesting details about genealogy that were woven into this story. I liked that both Carly and Dan were competent adults with lots of things in common. The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I also thought the romance was realistic.
November 10, 2020
This story was stressful yet boring? I liked the genetic/genealogy information but I could not connect to any of the characters and I was so sick of hearing "the Senator" by the end of the book. And the big ending was just...odd. Maybe the story would have felt more impactful and interesting if I was reading it and not listening to the audiobook.
July 2, 2021
3,5 out of 5 stars
August 18, 2014
Always Time to Die
4 Stars
Synopsis
Carly May is a genealogist hired by Winifred Castillo to trace the history of her family. But someone in the Quintrell-Castillo line would rather keep old and dark secrets buried with the dead. Soon Carly finds herself the target of a sinister foe who will stop at nothing to prevent her from discovering the truth. The only person Carly can turn to is Dan Duran, a dangerous enigma with ties to the Quintrells and secrets of his own.
Review
Well-paced action and suspense.
The history of New Mexico is interesting and the genealogical aspects well-researched and explained in a way that even this science-phobe could understand (the table at the front of the book is especially useful for keeping track of who's who). Some readers may find the details excessive and tiresome but it is relevant and necessary to the plot.
The mystery is intriguing and there are just enough clues to figure it all out in time. Nevertheless, the story lacks a sense of urgency and the big confrontation scene never comes. Moreover, the transition to the epilogue is so sudden that I thought my copy might be missing a few pages.
There are also several loose ends such as the origins and nature of St. Kilda's consulting, what really happened to Sylvia Quintrell, why does Alma have it in for Carly, what are Carly's roots and what happened to Lucia and Armondo?
The romance is secondary and while the sexual tension between Dan and Carly is excellent, their chemistry never really materializes. Carly's spunk and sass, however, are a definite highlight and her banter with Dan is simply brilliant.
Overall, an intriguing read that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I will be continuing with the series.
4 Stars
Synopsis
Carly May is a genealogist hired by Winifred Castillo to trace the history of her family. But someone in the Quintrell-Castillo line would rather keep old and dark secrets buried with the dead. Soon Carly finds herself the target of a sinister foe who will stop at nothing to prevent her from discovering the truth. The only person Carly can turn to is Dan Duran, a dangerous enigma with ties to the Quintrells and secrets of his own.
Review
Well-paced action and suspense.
The history of New Mexico is interesting and the genealogical aspects well-researched and explained in a way that even this science-phobe could understand (the table at the front of the book is especially useful for keeping track of who's who). Some readers may find the details excessive and tiresome but it is relevant and necessary to the plot.
The mystery is intriguing and there are just enough clues to figure it all out in time. Nevertheless, the story lacks a sense of urgency and the big confrontation scene never comes. Moreover, the transition to the epilogue is so sudden that I thought my copy might be missing a few pages.
There are also several loose ends such as the origins and nature of St. Kilda's consulting, what really happened to Sylvia Quintrell, why does Alma have it in for Carly, what are Carly's roots and what happened to Lucia and Armondo?
The romance is secondary and while the sexual tension between Dan and Carly is excellent, their chemistry never really materializes. Carly's spunk and sass, however, are a definite highlight and her banter with Dan is simply brilliant.
Overall, an intriguing read that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I will be continuing with the series.
December 5, 2014
3 STARS
"The powerful Quintrell family of New Mexico has spent decades in the public eye. Now the recent death of the clan's patriarch, a former U.S. senator, has placed his son, Governor Josh Quintrell, squarely in the spotlight as he prepares his run for the highest political office in the land. It is not a good time to be rattling skeletons in the family's closets.
Researching personal histories isn't just Carolina "Carly" May's profession, it's her passion. When the governor's eccentric Aunt Winifred invites Carly into the Quintrells' private Taos compound to compile a genealogical record of the illustrious residents, she can hardly believe her good luck. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about the would-be president's private life, his late father and catatonic mother, and the grisly street crime that left his notorious drug-addicted sister dead. And it soon becomes frighteningly apparent that the motivation of the dotty old woman who hired Carly might be something more akin to revenge -- and that someone is determined to remove the inquisitive genealogist from the picture by any means necessary.
As a dark world of twisted passions and depraved crimes slowly opens up before Carly, she realizes that there is no one whom she dares to trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous and haunted mystery man who's somehow tied to the Quintrells' past. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible secrets a father carried to the grave and an even more devastating evil that lurks among the living -- because following the bloodlines of the wealthy and power-hungry can be a bloody business ... and some dead secrets can kill." (From Amazon)
An okay romantic suspense - shows promise so will try book two in the series.
"The powerful Quintrell family of New Mexico has spent decades in the public eye. Now the recent death of the clan's patriarch, a former U.S. senator, has placed his son, Governor Josh Quintrell, squarely in the spotlight as he prepares his run for the highest political office in the land. It is not a good time to be rattling skeletons in the family's closets.
Researching personal histories isn't just Carolina "Carly" May's profession, it's her passion. When the governor's eccentric Aunt Winifred invites Carly into the Quintrells' private Taos compound to compile a genealogical record of the illustrious residents, she can hardly believe her good luck. But digging into the past is raising troubling questions about the would-be president's private life, his late father and catatonic mother, and the grisly street crime that left his notorious drug-addicted sister dead. And it soon becomes frighteningly apparent that the motivation of the dotty old woman who hired Carly might be something more akin to revenge -- and that someone is determined to remove the inquisitive genealogist from the picture by any means necessary.
As a dark world of twisted passions and depraved crimes slowly opens up before Carly, she realizes that there is no one whom she dares to trust -- perhaps least of all Dan Duran, a dangerous and haunted mystery man who's somehow tied to the Quintrells' past. But she will need an ally to survive the terrible secrets a father carried to the grave and an even more devastating evil that lurks among the living -- because following the bloodlines of the wealthy and power-hungry can be a bloody business ... and some dead secrets can kill." (From Amazon)
An okay romantic suspense - shows promise so will try book two in the series.
June 5, 2009
Book # 53 of 2009
Wow, it seems like it took me all of May to read this book. It was a decent book. Lots of buried family secrets and intrigue. I became interested in this book after listening to "Blue Smoke and Murder" which was the fourth in a line of St. Kilda Consulting series - this was supposed to be the first. Although St. Kilda was mentioned (especially in the last 1/4 of the book), it left me more confused about the whole St. Kilda series timeline. There's no description of how this organization started. And compared to the roll it played in "Blue Smoke and Murder", the organization might as well have been non-existent here. But despite those issues, which I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't started the series at the end, it was a decent book on its own. I had to reread through the ending just to make sure I understood where all the twists came out and I still think there's one I'm not following, but that's alright.
Wow, it seems like it took me all of May to read this book. It was a decent book. Lots of buried family secrets and intrigue. I became interested in this book after listening to "Blue Smoke and Murder" which was the fourth in a line of St. Kilda Consulting series - this was supposed to be the first. Although St. Kilda was mentioned (especially in the last 1/4 of the book), it left me more confused about the whole St. Kilda series timeline. There's no description of how this organization started. And compared to the roll it played in "Blue Smoke and Murder", the organization might as well have been non-existent here. But despite those issues, which I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't started the series at the end, it was a decent book on its own. I had to reread through the ending just to make sure I understood where all the twists came out and I still think there's one I'm not following, but that's alright.
March 28, 2016
I enjoyed this book because it combined two on my interests: mysteries and genealogy. The main character, Dan, belongs to an organization that specializes in remedying problems in dangerous parts of the world. He is from Taos, New Mexico and is part of an extended family that can trace their roots back to Spanish explorers. Recovering from an injury, he spends some time at home and meets a visitor who is writing a genealogical history of his mother's family. She becomes the target of a sniper and Dan springs into action to help her and along the way they fall in love. Lots of incestuous relationships and political skulduggery move the story along.
September 17, 2017
Nicely-paced suspenseful mystery whodunnit. It didn't stand out in any particular fashion, other than I noticed harsh cuss words weren't used. At one point a character said "nucking futs", and I found that witty. Kinda/sorta borders on being a romance, but there's enough going on in the plot for it to not permeate the entire novel.
May 18, 2023
I have never DNF’d a book but I’d been reading this book well over 3 months and a little more than halfway through and I just cannot finish it. It’s very boring the way it’s written, nothing really intrigued me that made me want to keep reading. I absolutely hated it and really recommend you save yourself some time and don’t read it.
September 26, 2012
Intetesting read. Had everything figured out on page 83... but finished it anyways.
September 5, 2016
Good characters
August 12, 2019
A 2.5 star is a more accurate rating for this book, but I gave it 3 for the characters and what I learned about New Mexico, and historical recording, which I found interesting. Parts of the book were intriguing. The characters were interesting and for the most part believable until you get to the end. Wrapping up all the questions that the rest of the book is dealing with becomes a convoluted, overly complicated, highly unlikely sequence of events. I’d have to go back to check some of the events (which I’m not interested in doing), but somethings seem to be amiss - or maybe it’s just the unlikely story. A old senator dies and it’s discovered that he had sex with pretty much everyone and fathered countless children. He had four legitimate children All of whom are dead except for one who has become the governor of New Mexico. Turns out the governor is not really his legitimate child but a bastard of his. The governor murdered the legitimate son in Vietnam and took his identity. What??? The senator had a daughter Liz, who he raped, who had a daughter, Diane, who he also rapped, and gave birth to Dan, one of the main characters of the book. Dan falls in love with the person doing the history for the family, Carley. Dan is the son of Diane, who is the granddaughter of the senator. So the senator is Dan’s father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Sound a little muddled? There’s more. The ranch caretakers have been blackmailing the Senator for millions. The Senator, however, doesn’t know who is doing the blackmailing. There’s more murder, the senator and aunt are murdered by the female caretaker (for the governor). The governor then murders the caretakers. And it’s likely there are more murders in the past. So it’s a hot mess, so much so that I was disappointed when it all came together. Even things like the governor snipper shorting Dan and grazing him in the mountains, then tracking him and collecting the blood so that he could use Dan’s blood for a DNA test to prove he was a legitimate descendant (which he wasn’t but knew that Dan was). Ugh!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2020
Carolina May has been hired by Winifred Castillo to trace her family's history, but some people in Winifred's family don't want their long-held secrets revealed, especially Winifred's nephew, Governor Josh Quintrell of New Mexico. When Josh's father, US Senator and womanizer, AJ Quintrell dies, Josh decides to use his death to propel him into a run for the presidency. At the same time, threats against Carly begin with a bloody dead rat on her pillow. Dan Duran of St. Kilda Consulting is home due to an injury that he sustained while on the job that he continues to tell people occurred in a climbing accident. He recognizes that Carly has an uphill battle trying to trace the family's history, so he decides to help and hopes that he will be there if threats against Carly become more violent.
Powerful family secrets are the center of Always Time to Die. The story is filled with characters that are part of the family or are in some way connected to the family that have secrets of their own. Details about those secrets are slowly revealed throughout the book; some of which leads to further investigation and danger for Carly and Dan. The large number of characters in the story make it a little difficult to follow, but the family tree at the beginning of the book does help. There is an unexpected twist toward the end of the book, making the struggle through the multitude of details earlier in the story worth the effort. The romance between Carly and Dan plays second fiddle to the mystery surrounding the Quintrell/Castillo family. Overall, a well written and researched story that suffers a little from so many characters.
Powerful family secrets are the center of Always Time to Die. The story is filled with characters that are part of the family or are in some way connected to the family that have secrets of their own. Details about those secrets are slowly revealed throughout the book; some of which leads to further investigation and danger for Carly and Dan. The large number of characters in the story make it a little difficult to follow, but the family tree at the beginning of the book does help. There is an unexpected twist toward the end of the book, making the struggle through the multitude of details earlier in the story worth the effort. The romance between Carly and Dan plays second fiddle to the mystery surrounding the Quintrell/Castillo family. Overall, a well written and researched story that suffers a little from so many characters.
December 24, 2019
A very interesting tale of intrigue, duplicity and murder set in the convoluted politics of northern New Mexico. Much is made of the centuries-long dominance of northern NM by the original land-grant families that still have a strong presence in NM, especially the northern part of the state. At the beginning, the long-time senior senator from NM has died, and his son, the current governor of the state, is just setting off on a run for the presidency. It quickly becomes apparent that the old senator was far from a paragon of virtue, and his son may not be an improvement. Enter a professional genealogist/family researcher and a "vacationing" narco-crime investigator, and the story is off to the races. There is a lot of dirty history in the senator/governor's family, and the old senator's sister in law, a descendant of one of the old Spanish land-grant family wants the researcher to reveal some of the old skeletons in the senator's closet. Of course it all gets messy and dangerous. The only serious (or not-so-serious) flaw is that too much text is used to show off the author's knowledge of the history of photography in the 19th century. I look forward to the next St. Kilda book.
January 17, 2025
Alway time to die ของอลิซาเบ็ธ โลเวล นักเขียนที่จนบัดนี้แม็กซ์ก็ยังเสียใจที่เธอหันไปเขียนแนวสืบสวนสอบสวนซะ แล้วเรื่องปลอบใจก็คือ เธอเขียนมันได้ดีกว่าที่จูลี่ การ์วู้ดฝันว่าจะเป็นได้ แม็กซ์ชอบงานโรแมนซ์ของเธอมากกว่าสืบสวน แต่ก็ไม่ใช่ว่าแนวสืบสวนจะไม่สนุก อย่างน้อยหนังสือของเธอก็ทำให้แม็กซ์อ่านจนดึกดื่น ตามลุ้นว่าใครเป็นผู้ร้ายแต่สำหรับเล่มนี้ผิดหวังค่ะ อาจเพราะแม็กซ์ฉลาดกว่าตัวละครที่เดาเรื่องตั้งแต่ครึ่งเล่มแล้วว่าใครเป็น ผู้ร้าย และมีความเป็นมายังไง ในขณะที่พระเอกกะนางเอกยังงมหอยโข่งกันอยู่ อ่านไปก็เลยขัดใจว่า "ทำไมถึงคิดไม่ออกสักทีนะ" แต่เรื่องนี้มันก็ช่วยไม่ได้นี่คะ แม็กซ์ดันเก่งเกินพิกัดไปเอง (เอาเข้าไป)
เรื่องนี้นางเอกเป็นนักเขียน/นักสืบชาติกำเนิดของชาวบ้าน ถูกจ้างให้มาเขียนชีวิตประวัติของตระกูลวุฒิสมาชิกแห่งรัฐนิวเม็กซิโก แต่คนส่วนใหญ่ไม่อยากให้เธอเข้ามาขุดคุ้ยประวัติและอดีตของตระกูลที่นอง เลือด ทำให้นางเอกถูกตามปองร้าย และร้อนถึงพระเอกที่มีความเกี่ยวข้องกับตระกูลนี้อีกคนต้องเขามาช่วยเหลือ
เรื่องนี้มันไม่เวิร์กเท่าไหรก็เพราะ แม็กซ์ไม่เข้าใจว่าทำไมนางเอกถึงได้ทู่ซี้สืบอยู่ได้ ทั้งที่คนตามฆ่า ไม่มีเหตุผลอะไรเลย เธอไม่มีส่วนได้เสีย ไม่มีความชัดเจนว่ามีเรื่องไม่ชอบมาพากลเกิดขึ้น เธอให้เหตุผลว่า เมื่อรับงานแล้ว เธอต้องทำให้สำเร็จ แต่นั่นไม่มากไปหน่อยหรือไง ถ้าเธอเป็นคนหนึ่งในตระกูลที่ต้องการรู้ความจริงก็ไปอย่าง แต่นี่ไม่ใช่เลย ทำให้แม็กซ์ไม่เชื่อในพล็อตเรื่อง
เรื่องนี้นางเอกเป็นนักเขียน/นักสืบชาติกำเนิดของชาวบ้าน ถูกจ้างให้มาเขียนชีวิตประวัติของตระกูลวุฒิสมาชิกแห่งรัฐนิวเม็กซิโก แต่คนส่วนใหญ่ไม่อยากให้เธอเข้ามาขุดคุ้ยประวัติและอดีตของตระกูลที่นอง เลือด ทำให้นางเอกถูกตามปองร้าย และร้อนถึงพระเอกที่มีความเกี่ยวข้องกับตระกูลนี้อีกคนต้องเขามาช่วยเหลือ
เรื่องนี้มันไม่เวิร์กเท่าไหรก็เพราะ แม็กซ์ไม่เข้าใจว่าทำไมนางเอกถึงได้ทู่ซี้สืบอยู่ได้ ทั้งที่คนตามฆ่า ไม่มีเหตุผลอะไรเลย เธอไม่มีส่วนได้เสีย ไม่มีความชัดเจนว่ามีเรื่องไม่ชอบมาพากลเกิดขึ้น เธอให้เหตุผลว่า เมื่อรับงานแล้ว เธอต้องทำให้สำเร็จ แต่นั่นไม่มากไปหน่อยหรือไง ถ้าเธอเป็นคนหนึ่งในตระกูลที่ต้องการรู้ความจริงก็ไปอย่าง แต่นี่ไม่ใช่เลย ทำให้แม็กซ์ไม่เชื่อในพล็อตเรื่อง
May 17, 2025
Came for the family history stuff and excitement, found a lot of scenes with shuffling papers and a bunch of incest. The plot was interesting, but the way it was written was incredibly boring to me, with random shocking events scattered about with enough frequency that they weren’t really shocking anymore. It was like watching a lifetime movie with a blanket over your head. This might be the first Lowell book I’ve read where I was truly disappointed in the climactic sequence. It just kinda…happened.
The romance was nice, when it became the focus, but pretty anemic in development. Dan had a decent amount of layers as a character. Carly really turned me off when she was randomly mean to an elderly maid in the beginning. I have no idea what that was about and it kinda made me hate her. She was pretty two-dimensional throughout. Overall, not a lot to like about this one for me.
The romance was nice, when it became the focus, but pretty anemic in development. Dan had a decent amount of layers as a character. Carly really turned me off when she was randomly mean to an elderly maid in the beginning. I have no idea what that was about and it kinda made me hate her. She was pretty two-dimensional throughout. Overall, not a lot to like about this one for me.
May 9, 2017
Good book with some seriously creepy elements. It's billed as a St. Kilda Consulting book, but there's very little St. Kilda to it. The hero is on medical leave after being injured on the job. The heroine has been hired to construct a family history of the local grandee, a former senator who was a total scuzzbucket. He's the source of most of the creepiness, which all happened in the past, since he's dead now. But people are still dying, so there's got to be more secrets than the Senator's old sins. And it's tied in with the hero's family history. The romance develops naturally and not too precipitously. It's a good read.
September 20, 2025
DNF: Gross. Boring and gross. I liked the main character, but she has no skin in the game and the likelihood that a sane person would stay after the things she goes through is nearly zero. I prefer my protagonists to have some semblance of self-preservation and this character has none. The reason for this is only because if she did, there wouldn't be a plot. If she had a reason to ignore the obvious threat to her life and/or requisite training to make it so that her assessment of the threats against her were less impactful, it would be more believable. I don't buy it and therefore, I am done.
August 29, 2019
Carolina "Carly" May is a professional genealogist hired by Winifred Castillo Simmons to write a biography about the Castillos not the Quintrells who married into the family and now own the land. As she delves into the family history, lots of skeletons emerge, and someone doesn't want them brought to light.
Fascinating look at NM heritage including drug trafficking, mising of Anglo, Indian and Hispanic cultures, doing genealogy using DNA and a nice love story. Mostly clean with a few brief lovemaking scenes. The family history is dicey though not graphic.
Fascinating look at NM heritage including drug trafficking, mising of Anglo, Indian and Hispanic cultures, doing genealogy using DNA and a nice love story. Mostly clean with a few brief lovemaking scenes. The family history is dicey though not graphic.
November 26, 2019
Really 3.5 - WARNING - do NOT listen to this on DVD - not because of a bad reader but b/c of SO MANY names of relatives over the centuries. I got so confused but got the gist of it. Also, lots of genealogy, which I really enjoy reading BUT since I was listening, it was a bit hard to follow. All in all, tho, I enjoyed the book - wasn't crazy about the generational incest - some of it a bit unbelievable, which is basically why I didn't rate it higher otherwise, a good mystery with a litte romance thrown in.
December 19, 2020
Interesting book; I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because there are SO MANY characters. I could not keep people straight, especially since a bunch of them are AJ Qunitrill I, II, III, IV, V. The family tree in the front is helpful but was missing people I think. I also think there was a lot of excess story line that could have been cut out. The last quarter or so be came so confusing with all the characters.
SPOILER ALERT: The story does cover the topic of rape and incest if you are sensitive to this. It made my stomach churn.
SPOILER ALERT: The story does cover the topic of rape and incest if you are sensitive to this. It made my stomach churn.
February 15, 2022
I read The Wrong Hostage before this & liked it better. What I found very frustrating about this book is the VERY large cast of characters, which made it difficult to follow the story & keep the characters straight, despite the genealogical chart included at the beginning. I also thought the story dragged a bit in the middle, but the ending was exciting. The mystery isn’t revealed until just about the very last page. I would’ve enjoyed more romance, but romance took a back seat to the mystery here.
Overall, it was adequate, but not great.
Overall, it was adequate, but not great.
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