Chasing Wolfe

by Jessica P. Morgan

Words aren’t always enough.

As a reporter for the Folman Gazette, Never Martinez has secured a job she loves, a long-term relationship, and a measure of respectability she never felt growing up in foster care. On the surface, her long-term goals seem to be lining up, but she soon learns not everything is as it appears.
When a meeting by the lake leaves her personal life in tatters, Never walks away from her now ex-boyfriend, Wolfe Strickland, fantasizing about his demise. The next morning, she wakes to find someone has beaten her to it.
Reports of strange activity in the area and questions about Wolfe’s last days start to pile up around her. To get answers, Never will follow a string of curious events and vague clues left in the wake of her ex’s unexpected death.
In life and in her work, she knows that no one gives up their secrets for free. As things get dangerous, will Never find a way to save herself, or will Wolfe’s secret lead them all into dangerous waters?

378 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2020

Reviews

[Amanda Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Folman Gazette reporter, Never Martinez, agrees to a lakeside date with her lover, Wolfe Strickland, she expects a romantic proposal. Instead, he breaks her heart when he tells her their relationship is over.
The next morning, she wakes up to news reports that his body has been found in the lake, and she becomes caught up in a deadly cat-and-mouse game as she tries to understand why he left her, and why he died.
Jessica P. Morgan is an amazing writer. She has constructed a mystery with pieces of Wolfe’s life and his secrets and leaves it for Never to unravel. I especially loved how I, as the reader, knew what Wolfe had done and I was able to follow Never as she tried to find out the truth from the scraps of information she had been give.
My only complaint, and this is minor, is that I didn’t like the name of the character. I found it confusing and jarring. But in the end, I was okay with it when Never herself explained how her name came about.
An excellent well-paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Anita Dow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The crisp, easy-read writing pulled me into this interesting plot immediately, and I liked the way the story is told through the eyes of newspaper reporter Never Martinez, and alternated with chapters from her one-time partner, history professor Wolfe Strickland, now dead. Feeling compelled to investigate Wolfe's untimely death, Never soon finds herself exposed to a series of disturbing events which intrude on her private life and of those close to her. The story gave me an interesting glimpse of the personality traits a newspaper reporter would need, and I realised that some of them must be 'good guys', trying hard to raise important issues and ensure transparency in their communities.

Set in a smallish American town with several characters having links to a university nearby, the elements are all there for an appealing mystery story. The characterisation in this book is solid and author Jessica Morgan made me care about her characters. There is humour and a little pathos and I could see Never Martinez easily featuring in further books. (There is a plausible explanation for her first name.) The pace of the story kept me wanting to read on, and although the dramatic resolution seemed a little improbable, I could see it working well visually, if this book was ever adapted for film. There are no profanities and only one scene hinting at a sexual encounter, but it is not fully described, and is left to the reader's imagination. I would definitely read another book by this author as I enjoyed her writing style. If you like a good, clean mystery 'whodunnit', give this book a try.

[Rebecca Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a mystery I can’t put down, and CHASING WOLFE hits all the right notes. Newspaper reporter Never Martinez is a smart, savvy, (not to mention funny) heroine whose life is turned upside down the night her college professor boyfriend, Wolfe, is slated to propose. Instead of giving her a ring, he dumps her, then turns up hours later dead. Following Never as she channels her heartbreak and anger into a compulsive need to discover Wolfe’s secrets and find out what really happened will keep you turning the pages long after you should have turned out the light. It’s a great read!

[Mellissa Bushby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and engaging read, with likable and interesting characters, and I was quite intrigued by how the outlook jumps between characters, it added a rather three dimensional aspect to the story. I've never read any of this author's books before, but am quite inspired to do so.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Jessica Morgan for my ARC.

[Kirsten Marie Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read!

I enjoyed the way the author chose to tell this story. I do not want to give anything away, but the back and forth between then and now was easy to follow, and my enjoyment of the characters grew as the story continued.
I wasn't really surprised by anything in this book, but the desire to see things through to the end kept me turning pages!
Enjoyable read!

[Cherry London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never is stunned by the events that jolted her out of her cozy and secure environment. Confusion reigned in her life, It was a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from, but she refused to quit, she needed closure and answers to her most delicate questions.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I was instantly drawn into the story, and really liked the alternating perspectives from the professor and his ex-girlfriend’s point of view. I found the whole story interesting and the characters engaging.

This is the author’s fifth novel, and I think the best one to date. I’m looking forward to more mysteries in the future!