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Nikki Griffin #2
One Got Away
PI Nikki Griffin – a badass bookseller who punishes abusers – is back in S. A. Lelchuk's One Got Away…
Nikki Griffin, a private-investigator when she isn’t running her small bookstore, is on a case. The matriarch of one of the wealthiest San Francisco families has been defrauded by a con-man, and her furious son enlists Nikki to find the money. And find the con-man.
Nikki isn’t a fan of men who hurt women. Her secret mission, born of revenge and trauma, is to do everything she can to remove women from dangerous situations—and to punish the men responsible.
As Nikki follows the trail toward the con-man, she realizes that no one involved is telling her the whole truth. When the case overlaps with her attempt to protect a woman in trouble, and Nikki’s own life is put in danger, Nikki has to make terrible choices about who to save—and how to keep herself alive.
Nikki Griffin, a private-investigator when she isn’t running her small bookstore, is on a case. The matriarch of one of the wealthiest San Francisco families has been defrauded by a con-man, and her furious son enlists Nikki to find the money. And find the con-man.
Nikki isn’t a fan of men who hurt women. Her secret mission, born of revenge and trauma, is to do everything she can to remove women from dangerous situations—and to punish the men responsible.
As Nikki follows the trail toward the con-man, she realizes that no one involved is telling her the whole truth. When the case overlaps with her attempt to protect a woman in trouble, and Nikki’s own life is put in danger, Nikki has to make terrible choices about who to save—and how to keep herself alive.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published April 13, 2021
57 people are currently reading
3477 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Lelchuk
2 books326 followersS.A. Lelchuk's debut, SAVE ME FROM DANGEROUS MEN, was published in 2019 and is the first book in a series featuring bookseller and private investigator Nikki Griffin. The sequel, ONE GOT AWAY, released in spring 2021. He grew up in New Hampshire and splits his time between Oakland, CA and NH, where he teaches creative writing at Dartmouth College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
March 30, 2021
SA Lelchuk returns with the action packed PI Nikki Griffin series with her disturbing family background in which her parents were murdered, a trauma which has shaped who she is, a fearless defender of abused women and the vulnerable. She owns the popular second hand bookstore, The Brimstone Magpie, and her troubled brother, Brandon, has made remarkable progress, as he progresses to becoming a functioning member of society, whilst her English Literature academic boyfriend, Ethan, a relationship in which she feels safe and secure, is pushing for them to live together. A scion of the rich Johannessen family, their fortune based on Pharmaceuticals, Martin, hires Nikki to look into and follow Dr Geoffrey Tyler Coombs, whom he claims is a conman who has swindled millions from his elderly 81 year old mother, the matriarch Marie, and is blackmailing her.
As Nikki is to discover, the dysfunctional, manipulative and entitled Johannessen family are not what they appear, and there is little they can be trusted on. She meets William Johannessen, the victim of a hit and run, now wheelchair bound with injuries that have robbed him of the man he used to be, the other brother, Ron, rude and obnoxious, and their sister, Susan, an art gallery owner who has spent her life distancing herself from her troubling family. The British conman Coombs turns out to be a revelation, an educated and charismatic man with a taste for the rarified, expensive and the exclusive lifestyle, supremely difficult to resist, a man who sees Nikki as she actually is, something others fail to do. He has an attractive bad boy aura that Nikki is instantly drawn to, despite being in a stable relationship, their similarities to each other are unmissable. The two meet as she follows him to Monterey, only for Nikki to find herself in the dangerous and deadly world of crime and mobsters.
SA Lelchuk's crime writing is showing significant developments from the first book, which makes this a thrilling and exciting read with plenty of suspense and tension. What I missed was that Nikki spent far less time in her bookstore, and perhaps because of that, there were not as many as literary references as the debut. This is a wonderfully entertaining and engaging crime read, with a female, motorbike riding, protagonist, who has no problem becoming a vigilante, and here, she is willing to do whatever it takes to extricate a bright young bullied boy, Mason, who latches onto Nikki, desperate to be her sidekick, from his traumatic family. Many thanks to Flatiron Books for an ARC.
As Nikki is to discover, the dysfunctional, manipulative and entitled Johannessen family are not what they appear, and there is little they can be trusted on. She meets William Johannessen, the victim of a hit and run, now wheelchair bound with injuries that have robbed him of the man he used to be, the other brother, Ron, rude and obnoxious, and their sister, Susan, an art gallery owner who has spent her life distancing herself from her troubling family. The British conman Coombs turns out to be a revelation, an educated and charismatic man with a taste for the rarified, expensive and the exclusive lifestyle, supremely difficult to resist, a man who sees Nikki as she actually is, something others fail to do. He has an attractive bad boy aura that Nikki is instantly drawn to, despite being in a stable relationship, their similarities to each other are unmissable. The two meet as she follows him to Monterey, only for Nikki to find herself in the dangerous and deadly world of crime and mobsters.
SA Lelchuk's crime writing is showing significant developments from the first book, which makes this a thrilling and exciting read with plenty of suspense and tension. What I missed was that Nikki spent far less time in her bookstore, and perhaps because of that, there were not as many as literary references as the debut. This is a wonderfully entertaining and engaging crime read, with a female, motorbike riding, protagonist, who has no problem becoming a vigilante, and here, she is willing to do whatever it takes to extricate a bright young bullied boy, Mason, who latches onto Nikki, desperate to be her sidekick, from his traumatic family. Many thanks to Flatiron Books for an ARC.
June 25, 2021
A great follow up to Save Me From Dangerous Men.
A fast and furious read, but I sorta missed the bookshop. However, Nikki did acquire a "side-kick"/intern. Shades of Jeffery Epstein.
A fast and furious read, but I sorta missed the bookshop. However, Nikki did acquire a "side-kick"/intern. Shades of Jeffery Epstein.
April 12, 2021
Time is short, my TBR pile is long....do I really want to start another series? Yes. I will happily make room for Nikki Griffin, a bookstore owner and part time PI (basically my dream job) who saves women in trouble.
Nikki is a very appealing, kick-ass heroine who never seems forced or over-the-top like some female PIs in this genre do. Rather, Nikki is the super cool bookseller-slash-undercover-heroine who you'd want to have looking out for you in the world. Just over the top enough to be fun without being ridiculous.
I am also a fan of the Bay Area setting, which SA Lelchuk nails. I live in the Bay Area, and I find that a lot of writers setting stories in the Bay Area these days either make it too old-timey San Francisco without acknowledging the changing times and tech, or focus TOO much on the tech aspect and not enough on the charm of the Bay. Lelchuck has a handle on both and, without Googling, I'd guess she either lives here or has visited quite a lot. The authenticity of the city and the heroine adds to the readability of this page turner, which presents a somewhat complicated mystery featuring a mysterious and charming man with a Louis Vuitton suitcase, a number of randomly appearing goons and thugs, a slingshot, a Game Boy......and that's just in the first half.
I found this to be a fun and action-packed story with an appealing heroine. It will definitely satisfy readers looking for a traditional detective story with a modern protagonist. While there's no real reinventing the wheel here with a tough-talking female PI with a troubled past, the book knows what it is and executes its goals very well in a very fun way. Good plot and even better characters and dialogue.
Though this book had a little more of a multiple wise-guys vibe than I usually like in my mysteries, I was charmed by Nikki, and liked her and the book enough to pick up the first book in the series as well. I didn't have any trouble enjoying this one without reading the first.
Four solid stars for Nikki with the dream detective/bookstore/femme fatale life, and I look forward to reading the first book in the series.
Thanks to Flatiron Books, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC and the introduction to Nikki.
Nikki is a very appealing, kick-ass heroine who never seems forced or over-the-top like some female PIs in this genre do. Rather, Nikki is the super cool bookseller-slash-undercover-heroine who you'd want to have looking out for you in the world. Just over the top enough to be fun without being ridiculous.
I am also a fan of the Bay Area setting, which SA Lelchuk nails. I live in the Bay Area, and I find that a lot of writers setting stories in the Bay Area these days either make it too old-timey San Francisco without acknowledging the changing times and tech, or focus TOO much on the tech aspect and not enough on the charm of the Bay. Lelchuck has a handle on both and, without Googling, I'd guess she either lives here or has visited quite a lot. The authenticity of the city and the heroine adds to the readability of this page turner, which presents a somewhat complicated mystery featuring a mysterious and charming man with a Louis Vuitton suitcase, a number of randomly appearing goons and thugs, a slingshot, a Game Boy......and that's just in the first half.
I found this to be a fun and action-packed story with an appealing heroine. It will definitely satisfy readers looking for a traditional detective story with a modern protagonist. While there's no real reinventing the wheel here with a tough-talking female PI with a troubled past, the book knows what it is and executes its goals very well in a very fun way. Good plot and even better characters and dialogue.
Though this book had a little more of a multiple wise-guys vibe than I usually like in my mysteries, I was charmed by Nikki, and liked her and the book enough to pick up the first book in the series as well. I didn't have any trouble enjoying this one without reading the first.
Four solid stars for Nikki with the dream detective/bookstore/femme fatale life, and I look forward to reading the first book in the series.
Thanks to Flatiron Books, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC and the introduction to Nikki.
June 21, 2021
One of my fave tropes is women vigilantes and while this delivered a fast-paced story, I don't think it was as good as the first book.
February 19, 2021
You want to know what I do? I run a bookstore. That's what I do. Books. And when I'm not selling books, I try to do a little of what your crowd might call philanthropy. My own special brand of the stuff. Meaning that when I run into someone who has been treated badly, I don't turn my head away.
Firstly, thanks to the publisher for reaching out with the offer of an ARC. Nikki Griffin ended up carving her own little niche in my head, so it's pretty great to see her back!
I had some issues with the first book - fairly standard debut ones, but still. I'm happy to report this time around the author's confidence seems to have grown, expanding his sentences as it did - there's much less choppiness in the text, and it made for a much smoother read.
I'm a little torn about One Got Away - on the one hand, you can clearly see the author's growth, especially in writing style and some of those gorgeous descriptions of the California coast. On the other, what I loved most about the first book, what really stuck in my noggin and made it a memorable experience, didn't see as much of the spotlight this time around.
Nikki is taking on a much more streamlined investigation this time around, though where it leads is anything but neat. Most of the book is spent away from the bookstore, though it does get some time at the end. I appreciated that - too many books in this genre end abruptly, and I appreciated that the author took some time to slow down and tidy up when all was said and done on the mystery front.
Despite the lack of focus on the parts I loved about the first book, this was still an entertaining read, showing growth in all the right places. I'll certainly be back for book three, because regardless of focus, this is still a very exciting new series.
Firstly, thanks to the publisher for reaching out with the offer of an ARC. Nikki Griffin ended up carving her own little niche in my head, so it's pretty great to see her back!
I had some issues with the first book - fairly standard debut ones, but still. I'm happy to report this time around the author's confidence seems to have grown, expanding his sentences as it did - there's much less choppiness in the text, and it made for a much smoother read.
I'm a little torn about One Got Away - on the one hand, you can clearly see the author's growth, especially in writing style and some of those gorgeous descriptions of the California coast. On the other, what I loved most about the first book, what really stuck in my noggin and made it a memorable experience, didn't see as much of the spotlight this time around.
Nikki is taking on a much more streamlined investigation this time around, though where it leads is anything but neat. Most of the book is spent away from the bookstore, though it does get some time at the end. I appreciated that - too many books in this genre end abruptly, and I appreciated that the author took some time to slow down and tidy up when all was said and done on the mystery front.
Despite the lack of focus on the parts I loved about the first book, this was still an entertaining read, showing growth in all the right places. I'll certainly be back for book three, because regardless of focus, this is still a very exciting new series.
May 12, 2021
One Got Away was a phenomenal follow up to Save Me from Dangerous Men.
By day, Nikki Griffin runs a small bookstore. By night, Nikki is a P.I. who puts her skills to use tracking down abusive men and showing them just how she feels about them hurting the vulnerable people in their lives. After a con-man pulls one over on the matriarch of one of the wealthiest San Francisco families, Nikki is hired to track the man down and get back their money. But as Nikki tracks the man all over California, she quickly discovers that no one is telling her the whole story. When her own life is threatened, Nikki will have to put all her skills to use if she hopes to make it out of this job alive.
The plot in One Got Away was an interesting one and I enjoyed that the author took things in an unexpected direction. Nikki is hired by Martin Johannessen, the son of the defrauded woman, and he has a very one-track mind of what leads Nikki should follow. But Nikki does things her own way and after she gets in touch with other members of the Johannessen family, she finds out the situation is not at all like the one Martin described. While chasing leads, Nikki goes from San Francisco to Monterey and places in between. She meets various nefarious characters along the way from a charming British con-man to a cartel. There's also a cute sidekick she picks up in the form of Mason, a young boy Nikki meets in Monterey who turns out to be quite helpful. The ending had a few surprises I wasn't expecting and I enjoyed the final scene between Nikki and the Johannessen family. Overall a solid story with the perfect mix of action and intrigue.
Nikki continues to be a fascinating main character. She's smart, capable, and refuses to back down. We didn't get to see as much of Nikki's usual P.I. business where she tracks down abusers, although there is a small scene that somewhat fills this void. I enjoyed Nikki's interactions with Mason, the kid who helps her out in Monterey. Mason's inclusion was unexpected and I liked the bond Nikki develops with him. The kid was surprising bright and had access to a number of gadgets that ended up helping Nikki out. Throughout the book Nikki also gets help from a few side characters we met in the first book which I enjoyed.
Overall One Got Away was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a great thriller to pick up.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
By day, Nikki Griffin runs a small bookstore. By night, Nikki is a P.I. who puts her skills to use tracking down abusive men and showing them just how she feels about them hurting the vulnerable people in their lives. After a con-man pulls one over on the matriarch of one of the wealthiest San Francisco families, Nikki is hired to track the man down and get back their money. But as Nikki tracks the man all over California, she quickly discovers that no one is telling her the whole story. When her own life is threatened, Nikki will have to put all her skills to use if she hopes to make it out of this job alive.
The plot in One Got Away was an interesting one and I enjoyed that the author took things in an unexpected direction. Nikki is hired by Martin Johannessen, the son of the defrauded woman, and he has a very one-track mind of what leads Nikki should follow. But Nikki does things her own way and after she gets in touch with other members of the Johannessen family, she finds out the situation is not at all like the one Martin described. While chasing leads, Nikki goes from San Francisco to Monterey and places in between. She meets various nefarious characters along the way from a charming British con-man to a cartel. There's also a cute sidekick she picks up in the form of Mason, a young boy Nikki meets in Monterey who turns out to be quite helpful. The ending had a few surprises I wasn't expecting and I enjoyed the final scene between Nikki and the Johannessen family. Overall a solid story with the perfect mix of action and intrigue.
Nikki continues to be a fascinating main character. She's smart, capable, and refuses to back down. We didn't get to see as much of Nikki's usual P.I. business where she tracks down abusers, although there is a small scene that somewhat fills this void. I enjoyed Nikki's interactions with Mason, the kid who helps her out in Monterey. Mason's inclusion was unexpected and I liked the bond Nikki develops with him. The kid was surprising bright and had access to a number of gadgets that ended up helping Nikki out. Throughout the book Nikki also gets help from a few side characters we met in the first book which I enjoyed.
Overall One Got Away was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a great thriller to pick up.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
April 16, 2021
Nikki is like the female Jack Reacher. She’s a bookstore owner AND a part time PI 🕵🏻 That’s a dream premise right there. She kicks 🍑 and I love her. Plus January LaVoy narrates and her voice is like suede baby... I can’t wait for the next installment!
February 24, 2021
The first Nikki Griffin book was one I meant to get to and never did, if you're in the same boat the good news is it's pretty easy to jump right in on book #2. We get enough about Nikki's backstory to understand her but you don't get bogged down in it. The biggest downside is that one of the big themes of the book is that Nikki is going against her usual work and that doesn't come through quite as strongly when you can't contrast it with what you already know about her.
That issue with the theme was the real weakness of the book for me, but I am going to assume this is my fault in not reading book 1 and not the book's fault at all. That said, if you are looking for a book about a PI vigilante who wants to take down bad guys who hurt good people, that is not what happens in this book!
If you like PI books, there is a lot to like here. Lelchuk gets the genre, and you can feel the old school noir vibes along with the modern feel. Nikki is tough and her motivations explain why she often puts herself in ridiculously dangerous situations. Here we start out pretty mildly but by the end there is a whole lot of violence with a whole lot of mobsters and Nikki keeps on diving in as she climbs up the food chain to get to whoever's in charge.
For me, I am just okay on PI books, which is why this is a 3-star for me. It's not my favorite genre, but I appreciate that I did not have to constantly be annoyed with the protagonist for doing something stupid. Everything Nikki does makes sense! Even if it is dangerous. And I very much appreciate that, because it can be the thing that frustrates me most in crime novels. I read this really quickly, and I found it quite satisfying. I picked it up needing a fast book and the pacing here is top notch, it just moves and moves.
That issue with the theme was the real weakness of the book for me, but I am going to assume this is my fault in not reading book 1 and not the book's fault at all. That said, if you are looking for a book about a PI vigilante who wants to take down bad guys who hurt good people, that is not what happens in this book!
If you like PI books, there is a lot to like here. Lelchuk gets the genre, and you can feel the old school noir vibes along with the modern feel. Nikki is tough and her motivations explain why she often puts herself in ridiculously dangerous situations. Here we start out pretty mildly but by the end there is a whole lot of violence with a whole lot of mobsters and Nikki keeps on diving in as she climbs up the food chain to get to whoever's in charge.
For me, I am just okay on PI books, which is why this is a 3-star for me. It's not my favorite genre, but I appreciate that I did not have to constantly be annoyed with the protagonist for doing something stupid. Everything Nikki does makes sense! Even if it is dangerous. And I very much appreciate that, because it can be the thing that frustrates me most in crime novels. I read this really quickly, and I found it quite satisfying. I picked it up needing a fast book and the pacing here is top notch, it just moves and moves.
April 17, 2021
This amazing book is for fans of Lisbeth Salander and Jack Reacher.
I enjoyed this fast paced and unputdowable read. Once I started my fingers could not turn the pages fast enough. Wow this was a wild ride and I loved it!
Nikki Griffin is an amazing character, and has a great back story and the reason why she is so passionate about protecting women. She is also a bookseller by day and private investigator by night. Who wouldn’t love a badass character with the perfect job I can only dream of.
Sounds amazing right?
In this second book, which I enjoyed reading so much, and can be enjoyed as a stand alone, we are taken along in an action packed adventure to find a con-man who has defrauded one of the wealthiest families in San Francisco.
Nothing is ever what it seems and this book is full of amazing surprises, with the twits and turns thriller lovers enjoy in their read.
I highly recommend this. I am so excited to read the first book in this series.
Thank you Flatiron Books for providing a Netgalley eARC. Opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this fast paced and unputdowable read. Once I started my fingers could not turn the pages fast enough. Wow this was a wild ride and I loved it!
Nikki Griffin is an amazing character, and has a great back story and the reason why she is so passionate about protecting women. She is also a bookseller by day and private investigator by night. Who wouldn’t love a badass character with the perfect job I can only dream of.
Sounds amazing right?
In this second book, which I enjoyed reading so much, and can be enjoyed as a stand alone, we are taken along in an action packed adventure to find a con-man who has defrauded one of the wealthiest families in San Francisco.
Nothing is ever what it seems and this book is full of amazing surprises, with the twits and turns thriller lovers enjoy in their read.
I highly recommend this. I am so excited to read the first book in this series.
Thank you Flatiron Books for providing a Netgalley eARC. Opinions are my own.
March 22, 2023
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I’m not really sure if I love this series as much as I wanted to. There are aspects to it that are just not my thing. The first novel in the Nikki Griffin series started well, but ended up becoming a bit ridiculous. My suspension of disbelief was hanging on by a thread. With this sequel, I’ve figured out that’s just the way this series is going to be – kind of ridiculous and hard to believe. Are you into that? Then you’ll like this.
One Got Away has a Charlie’s Angels kind of vibe to it. Not so much the original show, but the Drew Barrymore version where there’s a lot of action, but it’s also a bit silly.
I’m not sure if this series is totally pulling off that very specific kind of style. It's just not leaning into it enough, like give me an Angel dressing up like LL Cool J and parachuting out of a commercial airplane. Stop being so serious, Nikki!
Nikki Griffin is a badass P.I. who owns a popular bookstore. Her brother is a recovering drug addict making good on turning his life around. And her boyfriend – though not really attractive to me as a character (seriously he’s so fucking vanilla) – is a calming anchor after her wild adventures.
As set up in the first book, Nikki’s whole schtick in her P.I. career is levelling out the playing field, taking jobs where she’s helping the underdog – but in this novel, she’s kind of abandoned those principles.
She’s hired by the oldest son in a very wealthy family to find out if his mother is being taken advantage of by a con man. Sounds simple enough but it quickly escalates into demented family secrets, blackmail, sex trafficking and criminal underworld shenanigans.
This series tries to blend a very serious and dark P.I. thriller with plotlines and scenes that are sooo over-the-top. The line between the two feels stark, the transition is not seamless and so I do find the writing to be a bit clunky. You can feel like you’re reading two different versions of the same book at times.
I like Nikki well enough, but I would love to see her work on a more personal case so the reader can experience her personality in an intimate setting, instead of these wild cases with powerful people that get out of hand and really only showcase Nikki’s “badass” side. At this point, after two books and probably 500 pages, I still don’t feel like I understand Nikki as a person. There isn’t much to her.
Nikki is written less like a woman of depth and more like a cishet man’s wet dream action star. Super hot, book smart, street smart, rides a motorcycle and wears tight clothes and always has the perfect one-liner for any situation. Sure, she’s cool, but there doesn’t seem to be much else to her which is a bummer.
The case was interesting enough and everything was wrapped up with a nice little bow in the end, but the writing was lacking something. Too much emphasis was put on the appearance of what the narrative was trying to be – cool and badass and exciting – and the emotional depth was sacrificed in exchange. Like why was that loner kid involved at all? Because now the Indiana Jones vibes need to be thrown in or to make it seem like Nikki has a heart? Okay, whatever. I didn’t get that though. But, I’m not a big fan of reading adult crime fiction with kids tagging along to solve a case in general. That’s just a personal preference that I wanted to complain about.
So, I don’t know. I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t love it either. I’ll probably read the third book just to be certain of the direction the series is going, but if it’s more of the same without any character growth, Imma peace out.
⭐⭐⭐½ | 3.5 stars rounded down
I’m not really sure if I love this series as much as I wanted to. There are aspects to it that are just not my thing. The first novel in the Nikki Griffin series started well, but ended up becoming a bit ridiculous. My suspension of disbelief was hanging on by a thread. With this sequel, I’ve figured out that’s just the way this series is going to be – kind of ridiculous and hard to believe. Are you into that? Then you’ll like this.
One Got Away has a Charlie’s Angels kind of vibe to it. Not so much the original show, but the Drew Barrymore version where there’s a lot of action, but it’s also a bit silly.
I’m not sure if this series is totally pulling off that very specific kind of style. It's just not leaning into it enough, like give me an Angel dressing up like LL Cool J and parachuting out of a commercial airplane. Stop being so serious, Nikki!
Nikki Griffin is a badass P.I. who owns a popular bookstore. Her brother is a recovering drug addict making good on turning his life around. And her boyfriend – though not really attractive to me as a character (seriously he’s so fucking vanilla) – is a calming anchor after her wild adventures.
As set up in the first book, Nikki’s whole schtick in her P.I. career is levelling out the playing field, taking jobs where she’s helping the underdog – but in this novel, she’s kind of abandoned those principles.
She’s hired by the oldest son in a very wealthy family to find out if his mother is being taken advantage of by a con man. Sounds simple enough but it quickly escalates into demented family secrets, blackmail, sex trafficking and criminal underworld shenanigans.
This series tries to blend a very serious and dark P.I. thriller with plotlines and scenes that are sooo over-the-top. The line between the two feels stark, the transition is not seamless and so I do find the writing to be a bit clunky. You can feel like you’re reading two different versions of the same book at times.
I like Nikki well enough, but I would love to see her work on a more personal case so the reader can experience her personality in an intimate setting, instead of these wild cases with powerful people that get out of hand and really only showcase Nikki’s “badass” side. At this point, after two books and probably 500 pages, I still don’t feel like I understand Nikki as a person. There isn’t much to her.
Nikki is written less like a woman of depth and more like a cishet man’s wet dream action star. Super hot, book smart, street smart, rides a motorcycle and wears tight clothes and always has the perfect one-liner for any situation. Sure, she’s cool, but there doesn’t seem to be much else to her which is a bummer.
The case was interesting enough and everything was wrapped up with a nice little bow in the end, but the writing was lacking something. Too much emphasis was put on the appearance of what the narrative was trying to be – cool and badass and exciting – and the emotional depth was sacrificed in exchange. Like why was that loner kid involved at all? Because now the Indiana Jones vibes need to be thrown in or to make it seem like Nikki has a heart? Okay, whatever. I didn’t get that though. But, I’m not a big fan of reading adult crime fiction with kids tagging along to solve a case in general. That’s just a personal preference that I wanted to complain about.
So, I don’t know. I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t love it either. I’ll probably read the third book just to be certain of the direction the series is going, but if it’s more of the same without any character growth, Imma peace out.
⭐⭐⭐½ | 3.5 stars rounded down
April 9, 2021
Review Coming soon!
September 16, 2021
Bookshop owner - Private Investigator, Nikki Griffin, is totally a rebel WITH a cause. Strong and smart female antagonist who really is as brilliant as she is beautiful.
Her secret mission is fueled by revenge and trauma (her own family having been killed), to remove and fix dangerous situations, particularly for women and children (or those who are at a huge disadvantage), being controlled, abused or exploite. Once found, the goal is to bring justice or to punish those responsible (sometimes both) - trying to reason with them, bringing justice by way of the law, or by meting out her own brand of justice. (Yes siree, she can and does kick hiney, and wears motorcycle boots for an exclamation point).
Pulling this all together again, is my most favorite narrator, January LaVoy. Her amazing range of voices….man, woman, young, old, accent, no accent, just amazes me every time she is the narrator of a book. This time is no different. She absolutely brings the book to life, and I fully recommend the AUDIO version for the most enjoyable experience.
Her secret mission is fueled by revenge and trauma (her own family having been killed), to remove and fix dangerous situations, particularly for women and children (or those who are at a huge disadvantage), being controlled, abused or exploite. Once found, the goal is to bring justice or to punish those responsible (sometimes both) - trying to reason with them, bringing justice by way of the law, or by meting out her own brand of justice. (Yes siree, she can and does kick hiney, and wears motorcycle boots for an exclamation point).
Pulling this all together again, is my most favorite narrator, January LaVoy. Her amazing range of voices….man, woman, young, old, accent, no accent, just amazes me every time she is the narrator of a book. This time is no different. She absolutely brings the book to life, and I fully recommend the AUDIO version for the most enjoyable experience.
May 7, 2021
“One Got Away” is the second in the “Nikki Griffin” series; new readers will immediately be captured by the characters and the action, wondering how they missed the first book. The story is set in central California and reflects the unique geography and culture of the area, but the story is all Nikki from start to finish -- the places she goes, the people she finds, and how she feels about everything.
Nikki owns a bookstore along with Bartleby, the bookstore’s normally social resident feline. She rides a motorcycle, so she has no trouble finding parking spots where ever she goes. Her “significant other” Ethan is an adjunct professor on a tenure track at Cal. He wants their relationship to grow and progress; Nikki just wants to make it to tomorrow. She tells herself that she really is not ready for a long-term relationship. In truth, she might be fine without Ethan, but she would not be the same; she needs him more than she knows.
Nikki’s current assignment, a simple request for information, nothing illegal had happened, somehow turns into a very complex, and of course, dangerous situation. She ventures beyond the scope of the original request but is compelled to finish what she started. Readers enthusiastically go along for the wild ride with her.
“One Got Away” is a compelling adventure where everyone has little secrets and everyone is a bit deceitful. The plot is deliberate, focused, and filled with the unexpected right up to the frantic end. I received a review copy of “One Got Away” from S. A. Lelchuk and Flatiron Books. My advice is to plan your reading time carefully, once you start on this journey with Nikki, you will not stop until you reach the last page.
Nikki owns a bookstore along with Bartleby, the bookstore’s normally social resident feline. She rides a motorcycle, so she has no trouble finding parking spots where ever she goes. Her “significant other” Ethan is an adjunct professor on a tenure track at Cal. He wants their relationship to grow and progress; Nikki just wants to make it to tomorrow. She tells herself that she really is not ready for a long-term relationship. In truth, she might be fine without Ethan, but she would not be the same; she needs him more than she knows.
Nikki’s current assignment, a simple request for information, nothing illegal had happened, somehow turns into a very complex, and of course, dangerous situation. She ventures beyond the scope of the original request but is compelled to finish what she started. Readers enthusiastically go along for the wild ride with her.
“One Got Away” is a compelling adventure where everyone has little secrets and everyone is a bit deceitful. The plot is deliberate, focused, and filled with the unexpected right up to the frantic end. I received a review copy of “One Got Away” from S. A. Lelchuk and Flatiron Books. My advice is to plan your reading time carefully, once you start on this journey with Nikki, you will not stop until you reach the last page.
April 19, 2021
I'm a sucker for a good PI story. It's 4:06 a.m. and I just finished reading this action-packed book with a badass heroine with a very strong moral sense. Nikki Griffin stands up to protect the abused with a passion and skill unexpected in a bookseller. Hired by big pharma family to protect their aging mother from a manipulative con artist, Nikki soon discovers nothing is as it seem except she is headed down a very dangerous path. Highly recommended although you might lose some sleep.in your rush to finish it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2023
Enjoyable with a twist at the end. The audio version is good with a good voice and action.
April 14, 2021
The best thing about this book is its speed, and snappy interaction between the characters. S.A. Lelchuk's One Got Away is a thriller, the second in a series which clearly is being groomed to go far and long, and I daresay - seems to have potential.
Nikki can clearly remember the experiences in her earlier escapade, and is beginning to settle into life with her almost-boyfriend, Ethan, when she gets her second assignment. On the face of it, the case seems uncommonly domestic and while it raises an eyebrow from her, she decides to take it. It soon snowballs into something she could never have imagined - and, in this case, neither could I, the reader.
The story meanders quite a bit - and in quite the most delicious sort of way, reminding me of long-forgotten Raymond Chandler and the days of gumshoe detectives. She plods along, finding one link after another, and slowly, laboriously but definitely, making her way up the food chain to find the apex predator that's behind all she now finds herself a part of. What starts off as a domestic squabble soon turns into something far more social (!), and the more she digs, the deeper she finds herself - no surprises there.
What set this book apart from some others of its genre was its easy read, and easier flowing interactions. It made it very easy - and likely - to want to follow Nikki, to find out what's going on. She and Buster are a force to reckon with, and it was somewhere during the second half that it began reminding me - repeatedly so, I must add - of the earliest Reacher stories, like Die Trying and Worth Dying For and Tripwire.
The first book in this series had been favorably compared to Jack Reacher, and that Nikki was a soon-to-be female Reacher. While that book was not nearly as cleanly presented, this one turns out better at that. It nicely conjures up an image of a lone, persistent PI, who will simply not stop. The situations and locations are well presented - locales far outside of normal day-to-day life for most of us, and that again added to the Reacher-like persona. The deserted roads, the desolate motels, the decrepit rooms, the lowlifes eyeing her lasciviously - all made for good build-up to the confrontation you're sure is coming.
What eventually detracted me from the perfect image were two things.
I mentioned earlier about the easy-flowing conversation. The problem with imagining such an easy-flowing conversation is it doesn't seem to belong between adversaries. Folks who are keen on killing each other don't talk so much, and definitely not so smoothly. Normally, when you read about difficult conversations, a good author will try and introduce delays in responses from both sides, making it seem like a troubled, and pained effort to make conversation - when both parties would rather just talk with their hands or their guns. You'd find at least responses buffered with thoughts, or descriptions, or - at the very least - not provide long winding and descriptive responses at all. Not so here.
I went back and checked my opinions about the first Nikki G. book - I had the exact same reaction there as well. The characters were all too eager to talk, too much.
A second gripe I had with the book was its ending. I can easily imagine the need - and urge - to provide in those last pages one final twist, that no one could have seen coming. I just felt it could have been made a little more plausible, and - one would have sufficed (!). It was not a very deep storyline overall, and the ending stretched it even thinner.
Finally, though, the last chapter was surprisingly sweetly written, and I found myself looking forward to wanting to read more of her adventures.
My thanks the author S.A. Lelchuk, publisher Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary ARC for an honest review.
Nikki can clearly remember the experiences in her earlier escapade, and is beginning to settle into life with her almost-boyfriend, Ethan, when she gets her second assignment. On the face of it, the case seems uncommonly domestic and while it raises an eyebrow from her, she decides to take it. It soon snowballs into something she could never have imagined - and, in this case, neither could I, the reader.
The story meanders quite a bit - and in quite the most delicious sort of way, reminding me of long-forgotten Raymond Chandler and the days of gumshoe detectives. She plods along, finding one link after another, and slowly, laboriously but definitely, making her way up the food chain to find the apex predator that's behind all she now finds herself a part of. What starts off as a domestic squabble soon turns into something far more social (!), and the more she digs, the deeper she finds herself - no surprises there.
What set this book apart from some others of its genre was its easy read, and easier flowing interactions. It made it very easy - and likely - to want to follow Nikki, to find out what's going on. She and Buster are a force to reckon with, and it was somewhere during the second half that it began reminding me - repeatedly so, I must add - of the earliest Reacher stories, like Die Trying and Worth Dying For and Tripwire.
The first book in this series had been favorably compared to Jack Reacher, and that Nikki was a soon-to-be female Reacher. While that book was not nearly as cleanly presented, this one turns out better at that. It nicely conjures up an image of a lone, persistent PI, who will simply not stop. The situations and locations are well presented - locales far outside of normal day-to-day life for most of us, and that again added to the Reacher-like persona. The deserted roads, the desolate motels, the decrepit rooms, the lowlifes eyeing her lasciviously - all made for good build-up to the confrontation you're sure is coming.
What eventually detracted me from the perfect image were two things.
I mentioned earlier about the easy-flowing conversation. The problem with imagining such an easy-flowing conversation is it doesn't seem to belong between adversaries. Folks who are keen on killing each other don't talk so much, and definitely not so smoothly. Normally, when you read about difficult conversations, a good author will try and introduce delays in responses from both sides, making it seem like a troubled, and pained effort to make conversation - when both parties would rather just talk with their hands or their guns. You'd find at least responses buffered with thoughts, or descriptions, or - at the very least - not provide long winding and descriptive responses at all. Not so here.
I went back and checked my opinions about the first Nikki G. book - I had the exact same reaction there as well. The characters were all too eager to talk, too much.
A second gripe I had with the book was its ending. I can easily imagine the need - and urge - to provide in those last pages one final twist, that no one could have seen coming. I just felt it could have been made a little more plausible, and - one would have sufficed (!). It was not a very deep storyline overall, and the ending stretched it even thinner.
Finally, though, the last chapter was surprisingly sweetly written, and I found myself looking forward to wanting to read more of her adventures.
My thanks the author S.A. Lelchuk, publisher Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary ARC for an honest review.
February 15, 2021
I loved the first book featuring Nikki so when this one was offered to me, I grabbed it quickly! Nikki is a take-no-prisoners woman (who also owns a bookstore) and as a PI she is determined to protect women from male predators. So when Martin hires her to find the con-man who has scammed his wealthy mother out of a small fortune, she is all in. But of course, things aren't always as they appear and once she meets the man, she realizes he's a smooth operator but maybe not exactly the man she thought he was. Throw in a savvy 11-year-old boy willing to help her, friend Buster who is good at finding people, and a sex-trafficking ring, and you've got the makings for a superb story! Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Press for this ARC!
April 15, 2021
I enjoyed this book and Nikki is still one of my favourite heroines.
I found the initial encounter with Coombs quite irritating, but Nikki’s reaction to Coombs being taken away was just weird. I could understand her wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery, but the author had her wanting to protect him, even though he had just been about to kill her in cold blood. Still it gave the author a reason for the rest of the book and Nikki solving the problems in her inimitable style.
For all that I liked this story there were a couple of things I wasn’t as happy with. I’m sure the author must have been given a book 101 Clichés for Thriller Writers because there were a few e.g.
I also thought the author took a few liberties when he had Nikki make some silly mistakes.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars, I debated whether to make this 3 or 4 and in the end I have given Nikki the benefit of the doubt.
I found the initial encounter with Coombs quite irritating, but Nikki’s reaction to Coombs being taken away was just weird. I could understand her wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery, but the author had her wanting to protect him, even though he had just been about to kill her in cold blood. Still it gave the author a reason for the rest of the book and Nikki solving the problems in her inimitable style.
For all that I liked this story there were a couple of things I wasn’t as happy with. I’m sure the author must have been given a book 101 Clichés for Thriller Writers because there were a few e.g.
I also thought the author took a few liberties when he had Nikki make some silly mistakes.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars, I debated whether to make this 3 or 4 and in the end I have given Nikki the benefit of the doubt.
March 16, 2022
Nikki Griffin owns a bookstore, but she's also working as a private-investigator. She gets hired by one of San Francisco's wealthiest families, who seem to have a con-man in their vicinity. Nikki is facing a hard challenge, since no one is telling her the whole truth.
I love Nikki Griffin! Her moral compass might be slightly askew at times, but she's always helping the weaker ones. I like it when she lets the bad guys taste their own medicine, and I can't help to cheer every time her opponent underestimate her.
This case takes some unexpected turns and I really appreciate that. "On the side" Nikki takes care of an 11 year old boy, whose father treats him poorly, and that shows she's got a good heart. I really hope there will be more books with Nikki Griffin - I need her in my life!
I love Nikki Griffin! Her moral compass might be slightly askew at times, but she's always helping the weaker ones. I like it when she lets the bad guys taste their own medicine, and I can't help to cheer every time her opponent underestimate her.
This case takes some unexpected turns and I really appreciate that. "On the side" Nikki takes care of an 11 year old boy, whose father treats him poorly, and that shows she's got a good heart. I really hope there will be more books with Nikki Griffin - I need her in my life!
June 28, 2021
Excellent.
Badass Heroine.
Badass Heroine.
April 11, 2022
3.5 stars
I liked this book better than the first. Nikki is already established and I feel like I "know" her by now - or at least as much as she ever lets anyone know her.
She shows a bit more of her soft underbelly (I'm kidding - of course she's got a rock hard six-pack) in this book, which makes her a bit more multifaceted and I instantly warmed up to her when she started to show more complex sides of herself.
The one thing that kept irking me about this book was that Nikki wasn't really helping someone "good" in this book. She's working her case, but the case is predominantly surrounding a dude that's kind of an a-hole.
Or... Well... No. He's an a-hole. Full stop. He just happens to have plenty of style.
I felt like Nikki's obsession with this "case" was sort of lacking in traction. She kicks ass and is badass, sure, but is it for a good cause at least?
Ehh.... Nah. Not really?
After a while it felt more like it was because a certain hot conman made Nikki a little bit hot and bothered, but I was mostly fine with it. Mostly.
I mean, considering her own position somewhere on the edge of what's legal and not, I can totally understand why the danger of the conman was alluring, but at the same time... Hmm.
Oh well, it was still a fun ride and I will definitely check out book 3 when it turns up.
I liked this book better than the first. Nikki is already established and I feel like I "know" her by now - or at least as much as she ever lets anyone know her.
She shows a bit more of her soft underbelly (I'm kidding - of course she's got a rock hard six-pack) in this book, which makes her a bit more multifaceted and I instantly warmed up to her when she started to show more complex sides of herself.
The one thing that kept irking me about this book was that Nikki wasn't really helping someone "good" in this book. She's working her case, but the case is predominantly surrounding a dude that's kind of an a-hole.
Or... Well... No. He's an a-hole. Full stop. He just happens to have plenty of style.
I felt like Nikki's obsession with this "case" was sort of lacking in traction. She kicks ass and is badass, sure, but is it for a good cause at least?
Ehh.... Nah. Not really?
After a while it felt more like it was because a certain hot conman made Nikki a little bit hot and bothered, but I was mostly fine with it. Mostly.
I mean, considering her own position somewhere on the edge of what's legal and not, I can totally understand why the danger of the conman was alluring, but at the same time... Hmm.
Oh well, it was still a fun ride and I will definitely check out book 3 when it turns up.
January 3, 2022
This one literally got away from me. I received it as a digital arc in February, and then I left it sitting on my NetGalley shelf; I’m not sure why I didn’t read it sooner, but I’m so glad I finally got to it.
Not having read the first book, Save Me From Dangerous Men, I had to get up to speed on Nikki Griffin. But I quickly grew to like this bookish, motorcycle-driving private investigator.
When not on a case for a client, Nikki runs a quiet bookstore. What makes Nikki a complex character is that scars from her past make her especially partial to doling out justice on men who hurt women.
When a client from a very wealthy family in San Francisco asks Nikki to look into Jeffery Coombs, the man who has supposedly been blackmailing their elderly mother, things get messy. Nikki gets too emotionally attached to Coombs, and now someone else is hunting Coombs. When, without notice, her client says he no longer needs her services, Nikki knows she needs to dig a little deeper.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 is full of suspense, with clever dialogue. One of my favorite parts is when Nikki takes on a young sidekick and, once again, she shows you don’t want to mess with Nikki Griffin.
Thank you to @flatironbooks for this gifted copy.
Not having read the first book, Save Me From Dangerous Men, I had to get up to speed on Nikki Griffin. But I quickly grew to like this bookish, motorcycle-driving private investigator.
When not on a case for a client, Nikki runs a quiet bookstore. What makes Nikki a complex character is that scars from her past make her especially partial to doling out justice on men who hurt women.
When a client from a very wealthy family in San Francisco asks Nikki to look into Jeffery Coombs, the man who has supposedly been blackmailing their elderly mother, things get messy. Nikki gets too emotionally attached to Coombs, and now someone else is hunting Coombs. When, without notice, her client says he no longer needs her services, Nikki knows she needs to dig a little deeper.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 is full of suspense, with clever dialogue. One of my favorite parts is when Nikki takes on a young sidekick and, once again, she shows you don’t want to mess with Nikki Griffin.
Thank you to @flatironbooks for this gifted copy.
January 3, 2022
Never have I seen a writer with an MFA degree try their hand at a mystery/thriller, so I was intrigued when I learned that Saul Lelchuk had written one, or more precisely two.
Lelchuk seems to be a big fan of Steinbeck and a good part of the story takes place in modern day Monterrey, California which juxtaposes nicely with scenes from Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat.
As for the writing style, I was impressed by the attention to relevant detail. Having recently read Dune, I can say that it is difficult to write a fight scene well, but Lelchuk is able to pull it off. His description of characters are superficial enough that it is easy to picture them in your mind, but they are not overdone. He also gets into the substance of the characters and there is some character development over the course of the story, which I was not expecting.
I'm never going to be a fan of this genre, but I am a fan of Lelchuk. This book is a hidden gem that has not received the attention that it deserves!
Lelchuk seems to be a big fan of Steinbeck and a good part of the story takes place in modern day Monterrey, California which juxtaposes nicely with scenes from Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat.
As for the writing style, I was impressed by the attention to relevant detail. Having recently read Dune, I can say that it is difficult to write a fight scene well, but Lelchuk is able to pull it off. His description of characters are superficial enough that it is easy to picture them in your mind, but they are not overdone. He also gets into the substance of the characters and there is some character development over the course of the story, which I was not expecting.
I'm never going to be a fan of this genre, but I am a fan of Lelchuk. This book is a hidden gem that has not received the attention that it deserves!
April 23, 2021
Nikki, our heroine of One Got Away, is a flawed, damaged, badass PI who plays by her own set of rules.
The characters and their interactions were my favorite part of this book. They’re unique, interesting, funny, and thoroughly entertaining.
The plot gives us lots of action, along with surprisingly poignant moments full of insight. At times we can’t look too closely at the details without lifting eyebrows at the implausibility, but it all works for the story.
One Got Away is the second Nikki Griffin novel. For the most part, I think it works fine as a stand-alone read, though Nikki’s many complexities are better understood if you’ve read the first book.
*I received a review copy from Flatiron Books, via NetGalley.*
The characters and their interactions were my favorite part of this book. They’re unique, interesting, funny, and thoroughly entertaining.
The plot gives us lots of action, along with surprisingly poignant moments full of insight. At times we can’t look too closely at the details without lifting eyebrows at the implausibility, but it all works for the story.
One Got Away is the second Nikki Griffin novel. For the most part, I think it works fine as a stand-alone read, though Nikki’s many complexities are better understood if you’ve read the first book.
*I received a review copy from Flatiron Books, via NetGalley.*
May 2, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Flat Iron Books for my arc of this title.
One Got Away is a mystery set around Nikki Griffin, a bookstore owner who moonlights as a Private Investigator. In this book Nikki is hired by the family of a wealthy SF matriarch to find the man who defrauded their mother.
Overall I thought the story was a good one that kept me guessing. However this one was a little too violent for me. It felt a little gratuitous and not really necessary to advance the story along.
I did however really enjoy the Northern California setting and think the author does a good job describing the various locations that the story takes place in.
One Got Away is a mystery set around Nikki Griffin, a bookstore owner who moonlights as a Private Investigator. In this book Nikki is hired by the family of a wealthy SF matriarch to find the man who defrauded their mother.
Overall I thought the story was a good one that kept me guessing. However this one was a little too violent for me. It felt a little gratuitous and not really necessary to advance the story along.
I did however really enjoy the Northern California setting and think the author does a good job describing the various locations that the story takes place in.
May 10, 2021
A female Jack Reacher, an American version of Liz Salendar - Nikki Griffin is a great new defender of the innocent and righter of wrongs. Book #2 was every bit as exciting as #1. If you like a really quick read, love non-stop (and sometimes unbelievable) action, a main character that does bad things for good reasons, and people getting what they deserve you should definitely check out the Nikki Griffin series.
March 10, 2021
This one was way more complicated than Save Me From Dangerous Men. There were a lot more moving parts, and not all of them were fully reinforced. We have Nikki, our badass not-above-bending-the-rules PI - except she takes a job from a really rich family, which already puts us away from her previous more "even the playing field" style. Like, she feels less like a force of justice (or at least balance) and more like someone just working for a paycheck.
Then we have Coombs. I didn't understand his gravity and effect on Nikki at all. She makes all these decisions relative to him and it's like she forgot she was a badass. There are still definitely some badass moments, but if there was meant to be genuine connection between them, I think we needed more than what we got.
We've also got some other really unusual side characters who come and go. Buster and Chris (or was it Charles?) speak to a less-than-legal past for Nikki, but we don't actually see that. It's a problem I often have with the PI angle: where do these connections come from? And then there's Mason, but talking more about Mason would be spoilery.
But once we got to Nikki bashing heads and taking names, I was all for it. She's clever with her methods and it added to the unique vibe of the book and Nikki's character. It also had the very classic Christie-esque "confrontation" ending. Overall, I definitely preferred the tension of Save Me From Dangerous Men - especially when the consequences of the two novels are compared - but I like Nikki enough that I would read another book.
{Thank you Flatiron Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
Then we have Coombs. I didn't understand his gravity and effect on Nikki at all. She makes all these decisions relative to him and it's like she forgot she was a badass. There are still definitely some badass moments, but if there was meant to be genuine connection between them, I think we needed more than what we got.
We've also got some other really unusual side characters who come and go. Buster and Chris (or was it Charles?) speak to a less-than-legal past for Nikki, but we don't actually see that. It's a problem I often have with the PI angle: where do these connections come from? And then there's Mason, but talking more about Mason would be spoilery.
But once we got to Nikki bashing heads and taking names, I was all for it. She's clever with her methods and it added to the unique vibe of the book and Nikki's character. It also had the very classic Christie-esque "confrontation" ending. Overall, I definitely preferred the tension of Save Me From Dangerous Men - especially when the consequences of the two novels are compared - but I like Nikki enough that I would read another book.
{Thank you Flatiron Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
May 27, 2021
Following a successful debut, the second book in a new mystery series becomes the test case for whether or not the first book was a one-off or if the new series has a future. The Nikki Griffin series has legs.
S. A. Lelchuk gets the story going quickly in ONE GOT AWAY. Readers get the update on her bookstore, boyfriend, and brother, and then a new case comes her way, all in the first pages. Nikki Griffin fits the template of the edgy private eye (the difference from the norm being gender, of course). She is the protector of those who cannot protect themselves; willing to skirt the law and to use a little (or a lot of) force when she deems necessary. Vengeance meets do-gooder. In keeping with the template, Nikki has a coterie of sidekicks who provide information and muscle when necessary, and that list seems to grow in this book as a couple of new characters are introduced who are likely to become recurring, but in truth Nikki is pretty good at taking care of herself.
Lelchuk tells an exciting story here, founded on Nikki's growing involvement with a corrupt, wealthy San Francisco family and subsequent encounters with uber-violent criminals who underestimate Nikki's willingness to fight fire with fire. The story is enhanced by the author's deft descriptions of place as the narrative travels, at various points, from Berkeley to Monterey. If you've ever traveled in that part of northern California sites will be instantly recognizable.
There is one slight discordant note. Nikki is such a kick-ass hero it is odd when she is manipulated so easily by a charming con man, to the point of putting herself in danger on multiple occasions. I don't see the connection but I suspect we haven't seen the last of Geoffrey Coombs.
The clients aren't saints
and the bad guys after them
are awful. Nikki's good.
S. A. Lelchuk gets the story going quickly in ONE GOT AWAY. Readers get the update on her bookstore, boyfriend, and brother, and then a new case comes her way, all in the first pages. Nikki Griffin fits the template of the edgy private eye (the difference from the norm being gender, of course). She is the protector of those who cannot protect themselves; willing to skirt the law and to use a little (or a lot of) force when she deems necessary. Vengeance meets do-gooder. In keeping with the template, Nikki has a coterie of sidekicks who provide information and muscle when necessary, and that list seems to grow in this book as a couple of new characters are introduced who are likely to become recurring, but in truth Nikki is pretty good at taking care of herself.
Lelchuk tells an exciting story here, founded on Nikki's growing involvement with a corrupt, wealthy San Francisco family and subsequent encounters with uber-violent criminals who underestimate Nikki's willingness to fight fire with fire. The story is enhanced by the author's deft descriptions of place as the narrative travels, at various points, from Berkeley to Monterey. If you've ever traveled in that part of northern California sites will be instantly recognizable.
There is one slight discordant note. Nikki is such a kick-ass hero it is odd when she is manipulated so easily by a charming con man, to the point of putting herself in danger on multiple occasions. I don't see the connection but I suspect we haven't seen the last of Geoffrey Coombs.
The clients aren't saints
and the bad guys after them
are awful. Nikki's good.
December 6, 2020
ARC review:
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but One Got Away really did not hold my interest. I've given it 2 stars.
Recap: Bookstore owner and PI Nikki Griffin is approached by a society family to track down a conman who has targeted the family's matriarch. She soon discovers that the family has plenty of their own secrets (an estranged artist daughter, one brother grievously injured in a drive by accident, and more), and that "Mom" is far from a helpless old widow. She enlists the help of her chop-shop friend Buster, a retired newspaper man, and a nosy child named Malcolm to track down the con man.
Review: I really liked the inclusion of these characters, but I found the story really quite implausible, and I was frustrated by all the time and text devoted to driving up and down the California coast. I do wish the bookstore staff and client's featured a little more heavily in book 2 like they did in book 1. Lastly, I found it hard to connect with Nikki's form of vigilantism.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but One Got Away really did not hold my interest. I've given it 2 stars.
Recap: Bookstore owner and PI Nikki Griffin is approached by a society family to track down a conman who has targeted the family's matriarch. She soon discovers that the family has plenty of their own secrets (an estranged artist daughter, one brother grievously injured in a drive by accident, and more), and that "Mom" is far from a helpless old widow. She enlists the help of her chop-shop friend Buster, a retired newspaper man, and a nosy child named Malcolm to track down the con man.
Review: I really liked the inclusion of these characters, but I found the story really quite implausible, and I was frustrated by all the time and text devoted to driving up and down the California coast. I do wish the bookstore staff and client's featured a little more heavily in book 2 like they did in book 1. Lastly, I found it hard to connect with Nikki's form of vigilantism.
May 10, 2021
Gripping!
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