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AKA Investigations #3
Also Known As Syzygy
"Kelli Jae Baeli proves herself not just a fine storyteller, but one who’s highly skilled at her craft, both artist and artisan. Syzygy is an entertaining and rewarding novel and a reading experience I strongly urge you not to miss."
"It would be easy for a writer to become so incensed by the prevalence in the real world of the kind of acts depicted fictionally here that her fury detracts from the story, even becomes an obsession. I’m impressed by Baeli’s even-handed treatment of these crimes in her narrative. Oh, the outrage is there, to be sure, but she never allows it to get in the way of a most compelling and enjoyable novel. There’s no moralizing or demagoguery; the events speak eloquently for themselves."
On December 3, 2012, Saturn, Venus & Mercury aligned. On that same night, three women align to see that justice is done.
Ponzi Bonnet thought she had found the perfect husband. A psychologist could certainly understand her damage. But her suspicion of infidelity turns out to be something far worse. Far more sinister. And he had to be stopped.
Kenda Harper, an actress and Ponzi’s best friend, will do anything to help. Even if it means endangering her own life and denying the yearning in her heart.
Anna Dew, an artist and HSP, could not tell her friend Ponzi why she pulled away, but when she learns that her solution only enables bad men to do bad things, she is compelled to make it right.
Three women, finding strength amid their weaknesses, embarking on a journey into darkness, and the labyrinths of selfhood, match wits with the men who would inflict harm on other women, and they won't give up until justice is done.
"To me, failing to learn to use the tools one’s craft shows laziness and disrespect for the reader. There are, however, no issues of that sort where Baeli’s writing is concerned. It’s rare to these days to find a writer whose style is technically so nearly perfect, but who’s also a damned good storyteller. I doubt if she is even capable of writing poorly."
"It would be easy for a writer to become so incensed by the prevalence in the real world of the kind of acts depicted fictionally here that her fury detracts from the story, even becomes an obsession. I’m impressed by Baeli’s even-handed treatment of these crimes in her narrative. Oh, the outrage is there, to be sure, but she never allows it to get in the way of a most compelling and enjoyable novel. There’s no moralizing or demagoguery; the events speak eloquently for themselves."
On December 3, 2012, Saturn, Venus & Mercury aligned. On that same night, three women align to see that justice is done.
Ponzi Bonnet thought she had found the perfect husband. A psychologist could certainly understand her damage. But her suspicion of infidelity turns out to be something far worse. Far more sinister. And he had to be stopped.
Kenda Harper, an actress and Ponzi’s best friend, will do anything to help. Even if it means endangering her own life and denying the yearning in her heart.
Anna Dew, an artist and HSP, could not tell her friend Ponzi why she pulled away, but when she learns that her solution only enables bad men to do bad things, she is compelled to make it right.
Three women, finding strength amid their weaknesses, embarking on a journey into darkness, and the labyrinths of selfhood, match wits with the men who would inflict harm on other women, and they won't give up until justice is done.
"To me, failing to learn to use the tools one’s craft shows laziness and disrespect for the reader. There are, however, no issues of that sort where Baeli’s writing is concerned. It’s rare to these days to find a writer whose style is technically so nearly perfect, but who’s also a damned good storyteller. I doubt if she is even capable of writing poorly."
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2013
15 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Kelli Jae Baeli
123 books146 followers"To me, failing to learn to use the tools one’s craft shows laziness and disrespect for the reader. There are, however, no issues of that sort where Baeli’s writing is concerned. It’s rare to these days to find a writer whose style is technically so nearly perfect, but who’s also a damned good storyteller. I doubt if she is even capable of writing poorly." ~W. Spice
Even after 36 novels, I always try to write the sort of book I would want to read. My favorite thing to do is take a common trope and turn it on its ear. Where you expect a zig, I give you a zag. In my pages, you will find strong female characters, ethical dilemmas, and realistic storylines often filled with adventure and intense pacing, tempered by witty dialog, and happy endings. All are hallmarks of my work.
As a Bestselling Genre-Hopping Indie Author, I’ve enjoyed a sales position in the top 5% of lesbian writers, but I write crossover and mainstream fiction and have authored 26 nonfiction books, as well. All 36 of my FemFic novels have been bestsellers in the genres of domestic suspense, domestic thriller, women's adventure, romantic suspense, apocalyptic, speculative, lesfic, lesbian romance, and science fiction. I’m also a mixed-media artist (mostly clay and abstract painting) and former performing singer-songwriter with over 200 songs.
My wife, Melissa Walker-Baeli, is a budding author in her own right, and we have several co-writing projects coming soon. We live with two dogs, (Noodle and Whatnot) and two cats, (Poppet and Chicklet) on ten acres in the gorgeous Northwoods of Michigan.
Even after 36 novels, I always try to write the sort of book I would want to read. My favorite thing to do is take a common trope and turn it on its ear. Where you expect a zig, I give you a zag. In my pages, you will find strong female characters, ethical dilemmas, and realistic storylines often filled with adventure and intense pacing, tempered by witty dialog, and happy endings. All are hallmarks of my work.
As a Bestselling Genre-Hopping Indie Author, I’ve enjoyed a sales position in the top 5% of lesbian writers, but I write crossover and mainstream fiction and have authored 26 nonfiction books, as well. All 36 of my FemFic novels have been bestsellers in the genres of domestic suspense, domestic thriller, women's adventure, romantic suspense, apocalyptic, speculative, lesfic, lesbian romance, and science fiction. I’m also a mixed-media artist (mostly clay and abstract painting) and former performing singer-songwriter with over 200 songs.
My wife, Melissa Walker-Baeli, is a budding author in her own right, and we have several co-writing projects coming soon. We live with two dogs, (Noodle and Whatnot) and two cats, (Poppet and Chicklet) on ten acres in the gorgeous Northwoods of Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 21, 2014
I read the first two books in Kelli Jae Baeli’s AKA Investigations Series almost two years ago and each was great. I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to Book 3, but, whatever the reasons, I’m very glad I finally did.
I enjoy a good yarn as much as the next person, but I really read for character. Despite the high quality of writing and the interesting stories, it’s the characters that really stood out to me in the first book, Armchair Detective and Book 2, Also Known As DNA. Also, the first person voice of those books, which elsewhere I called a blend of Stephanie Plum and Raymond Chandler, was perfectly suited to the character, Jobeth, and to the story. So, I was a little leery when I learned the next book in the series, AKA Syzygy shifted POV to three new characters. In Syzygy, we do get a fair amount of Ginger, somewhat less of Phoebe, and only a soupçon of Jobeth and Izzy. I particularly missed the latter two, but, turns out, there’s a trade-off: In place of the thoroughly engaging people from the earlier books, we get some terrific new characters. In addition, Baeli proves every bit as adept writing from third person POV as from first.
There are two things I especially like about the new characters, Ponzi, Kenda and Anna: their strength amid adversity and their loyalty to each other. Ponzi suspects her husband, Garrison, of infidelity, but what she discovers is far worse. Though devastated, she quickly finds the strength to do whatever she must to stop his horrifying behavior. Her best friend, Kenda, agrees, without hesitation, to help her, no matter the danger to herself. They also enlist the aid of Garrison‘s former secretary, Anna, who is also aware of Garrison’s criminal activities.
Well, three things, I guess. The third, interpretation on my part, perhaps, is the characters’ need to bring about Garrison’s downfall themselves, Ponzi as a sort of catharsis, helping her begin to heal, Kenda to protect Ponzi, maybe even to punish Garrison, and Anna to atone for allowing him to continue his crimes due to her failure to report them.
Baeli introduces a second evildoer who is every bit as repugnant as Garrison, and brings the two together, vultures of a feather, so to speak. Ponzi and Kenda catch the two predators in flagrante delicto and conceive a clever plan to trap them. While the second miscreant, Payne, isn’t absolutely essential to the story, he does add depth, and subtly reinforces the idea that such predators are far more common than we want to admit.
In addition to the three friends, and the two malefactors, other characters give complexity to the novel. The blossoming relationship between Anna and uniformed cop Chloe is a nice secondary plot thread, and the fact that Chloe is teamed with Ginger in an investigation involving Sexual Deviant Number Two seems to bring things full circle, as the two criminals are completely surrounded by a cordon of powerful women.
Baeli imbues her characters with considerable depth. We come to know them well, and, as a result, we care about them and about what happens to them. One of the highlights of Baeli’s writing is the avoidance of that writer’s bête noire, telling instead of showing, and that’s particularly true of her characterizations. We learn about the characters through their actions and through dialog. That showing, not telling, is what makes us feel we’re “in” the story, not an outside observer.
If I’ve devoted considerably more time to the events of the story than I normally do, it’s because of their importance, not just in the novel, but in our everyday lives. Men such as Garrison and Payne do exist, but, as the novel shows, women, alone, but, especially together, can not only stand up to them but also exact retribution.
It would be easy for a writer to become so incensed by the prevalence in the real world of the kind of acts depicted fictionally here that her fury detracts from the story. I’m impressed by Baeli’s even-handed treatment of the crimes in her narrative. It's the characters who show their outrage, not the author, so that indignation is never allowed to get in the way of a most compelling and enjoyable story.
In a review of Book 1 of the AKA Investigations series, I mentioned several specific scenes, That I can recall such specifics after almost two years is a credit to the author. There are many standout scenes in Syzygy, too. I loved the scene where Ginger first interrogates Payne, pointing out inconsistencies in his story with scarcely concealed sarcasm; he’s so totally clueless and self-absorbed that he doesn’t even realize he’s waaayyy out of his depth with the woman detective. A scene in the woods with Garrison and Ginger skillfully shows us another side of Garrison’s malevolence and misogyny. Another great scene, maybe my favorite, is the final one with Ponzi and Kenda, where Baeli (through Kenda) shows considerable insight about Ponzi’s needs and emotional state.
For those who care about such things, yeah, there’s some sex. The scenes are well-written and in no way salacious. There‘s no greater deal-breaker for me than gratuitous sex and porn-speak in a novel, and there‘s none of that here. Instead, the few acts of love-making are a natural outgrowth of the narrative; the final one is, in fact, essential for closure. The scenes are, however, undeniably erotic, which is particularly impressive given their briefness.
Anyone who’s read more than a couple of my reviews is probably aware of how I feel about gaffes in what Janet Burroway (Writing Fiction) calls the mechanical aspect of writing: grammar, spelling, and punctuation. To her list, I would add usage. To me, failing to learn one’s craft shows laziness and, worse, a lack of respect for the reader. There are, however, no issues of that sort where Jae Baeli’s writing is concerned.
It’s rare to these days to find a writer whose prose style is technically so nearly perfect, but who’s also a helluva good story-teller. (If you really think about it, even the wildly popular JK Rowling is a terrific storyteller, but she'd really pretty "meh" as a writer.) Some time ago, I wrote of AndI Marquette that I doubted if she were even capable of writing poorly. I would also apply the same comment to Baeli.
In short, Also Known as Syzygy is a well-written, nicely plotted, entertaining and thought-provoking novel, capable of eliciting both righteous anger and considerable pleasure. I strongly encourage you to read it.
I enjoy a good yarn as much as the next person, but I really read for character. Despite the high quality of writing and the interesting stories, it’s the characters that really stood out to me in the first book, Armchair Detective and Book 2, Also Known As DNA. Also, the first person voice of those books, which elsewhere I called a blend of Stephanie Plum and Raymond Chandler, was perfectly suited to the character, Jobeth, and to the story. So, I was a little leery when I learned the next book in the series, AKA Syzygy shifted POV to three new characters. In Syzygy, we do get a fair amount of Ginger, somewhat less of Phoebe, and only a soupçon of Jobeth and Izzy. I particularly missed the latter two, but, turns out, there’s a trade-off: In place of the thoroughly engaging people from the earlier books, we get some terrific new characters. In addition, Baeli proves every bit as adept writing from third person POV as from first.
There are two things I especially like about the new characters, Ponzi, Kenda and Anna: their strength amid adversity and their loyalty to each other. Ponzi suspects her husband, Garrison, of infidelity, but what she discovers is far worse. Though devastated, she quickly finds the strength to do whatever she must to stop his horrifying behavior. Her best friend, Kenda, agrees, without hesitation, to help her, no matter the danger to herself. They also enlist the aid of Garrison‘s former secretary, Anna, who is also aware of Garrison’s criminal activities.
Well, three things, I guess. The third, interpretation on my part, perhaps, is the characters’ need to bring about Garrison’s downfall themselves, Ponzi as a sort of catharsis, helping her begin to heal, Kenda to protect Ponzi, maybe even to punish Garrison, and Anna to atone for allowing him to continue his crimes due to her failure to report them.
Baeli introduces a second evildoer who is every bit as repugnant as Garrison, and brings the two together, vultures of a feather, so to speak. Ponzi and Kenda catch the two predators in flagrante delicto and conceive a clever plan to trap them. While the second miscreant, Payne, isn’t absolutely essential to the story, he does add depth, and subtly reinforces the idea that such predators are far more common than we want to admit.
In addition to the three friends, and the two malefactors, other characters give complexity to the novel. The blossoming relationship between Anna and uniformed cop Chloe is a nice secondary plot thread, and the fact that Chloe is teamed with Ginger in an investigation involving Sexual Deviant Number Two seems to bring things full circle, as the two criminals are completely surrounded by a cordon of powerful women.
Baeli imbues her characters with considerable depth. We come to know them well, and, as a result, we care about them and about what happens to them. One of the highlights of Baeli’s writing is the avoidance of that writer’s bête noire, telling instead of showing, and that’s particularly true of her characterizations. We learn about the characters through their actions and through dialog. That showing, not telling, is what makes us feel we’re “in” the story, not an outside observer.
If I’ve devoted considerably more time to the events of the story than I normally do, it’s because of their importance, not just in the novel, but in our everyday lives. Men such as Garrison and Payne do exist, but, as the novel shows, women, alone, but, especially together, can not only stand up to them but also exact retribution.
It would be easy for a writer to become so incensed by the prevalence in the real world of the kind of acts depicted fictionally here that her fury detracts from the story. I’m impressed by Baeli’s even-handed treatment of the crimes in her narrative. It's the characters who show their outrage, not the author, so that indignation is never allowed to get in the way of a most compelling and enjoyable story.
In a review of Book 1 of the AKA Investigations series, I mentioned several specific scenes, That I can recall such specifics after almost two years is a credit to the author. There are many standout scenes in Syzygy, too. I loved the scene where Ginger first interrogates Payne, pointing out inconsistencies in his story with scarcely concealed sarcasm; he’s so totally clueless and self-absorbed that he doesn’t even realize he’s waaayyy out of his depth with the woman detective. A scene in the woods with Garrison and Ginger skillfully shows us another side of Garrison’s malevolence and misogyny. Another great scene, maybe my favorite, is the final one with Ponzi and Kenda, where Baeli (through Kenda) shows considerable insight about Ponzi’s needs and emotional state.
For those who care about such things, yeah, there’s some sex. The scenes are well-written and in no way salacious. There‘s no greater deal-breaker for me than gratuitous sex and porn-speak in a novel, and there‘s none of that here. Instead, the few acts of love-making are a natural outgrowth of the narrative; the final one is, in fact, essential for closure. The scenes are, however, undeniably erotic, which is particularly impressive given their briefness.
Anyone who’s read more than a couple of my reviews is probably aware of how I feel about gaffes in what Janet Burroway (Writing Fiction) calls the mechanical aspect of writing: grammar, spelling, and punctuation. To her list, I would add usage. To me, failing to learn one’s craft shows laziness and, worse, a lack of respect for the reader. There are, however, no issues of that sort where Jae Baeli’s writing is concerned.
It’s rare to these days to find a writer whose prose style is technically so nearly perfect, but who’s also a helluva good story-teller. (If you really think about it, even the wildly popular JK Rowling is a terrific storyteller, but she'd really pretty "meh" as a writer.) Some time ago, I wrote of AndI Marquette that I doubted if she were even capable of writing poorly. I would also apply the same comment to Baeli.
In short, Also Known as Syzygy is a well-written, nicely plotted, entertaining and thought-provoking novel, capable of eliciting both righteous anger and considerable pleasure. I strongly encourage you to read it.
March 1, 2017
Third book in the AKA Investigations Series. This time with new main characters, and about 500 point of views. After a steady increase in book ratings in this series, this book here was a disappointment.
This book here kept back tracking. Certain things would be seen by certain people, the story would progress and then . . . oops, now we are back to the beginning of a particular plot point. Watching everything unfold again. From another point of view. That was . . . annoying. I probably could have just lived from having the women's viewpoint and just the ones introduced in this book. Just leave the AKA people out of it, as their participation wasn't needed at all.
The romance angle wasn't needed as well. Just seemed to serve as a forced inclusion. Like, these books need to have romances in them, right? So . . . 'force'. There. Romance. Mmmphs.
The next book goes back to the main characters but, I'm kind of leery of looking into it. Since it has been implied that it will be the same story, but now from the main characters point of view. I was bored with the story the second time around. I don't need to see it a billion more times.
I initially thought that this would be a different type of book than it was. There was a certain vibe at the beginning that lead me to suspect certain things. Things that would move it out of the mystery genre. But no, this had mystery elements.
Right, let me see, I wrote done the point of views as they turned up. I might have missed one or two along the way. So, point of views: Kendra, Ponzi, Anna (the last two being the 'wronged' women, Kendra just the lesbian in lust for the straight Ponzi), Ginger (from prior book), Jobeth (I think she had a few lines from her point of view), Payne Hollister (I might be mispelling his first name; he's the rich guy who likes raping women), Dr. Garrison Bishop (Ponzi's husband, Anna's former boss and current blackmailee (as in Anna's blackmailing him), and another rapist), Chloe (a neighbor of Anna's who apparently is just there for someone for Anna to hook up with). So, how many is that? *counts* I believe I count eight people with point of views. Wait. Hollister's sister had a scene of her own, so nine people. At least.
The book with a thousand heads (or at least nine). And that is a problem. The AKA people, Jobeth (if she actually did have one scene), and Ginger could have had their sections pulled. Anna and Chloe could have had their sections pulled, and just had Anna's participation in the plot 'seen' through Kendra and Ponzi's eyes. Not 100% certain Kendra's point of view scenes were absolutely needed. Because of the nature of the book, Dr. Bishop, Hollister, Ponzi, and Hollister's sister's scene had to be included for plot reasons. I mean, most of the police action is scene through the eyes of the non-police characters, despite having two police characters with point of views included (Ginger and Chloe). Except for some investigation by Ginger while suspended from the police, I don't actually recall that any of the important plot points were actually scene through the eyes of the police. The interviews were from the eyes of others.
And that whole - let me tell you the same story, but now from different characters point of views thing? I suppose some of that was 'needed' but . . . frankly, I started to mostly just skim. I mean, nothing I didn't already know or have implied got revealed except for who Prada was. Everything else was covered the first time around.
Those who read these types of books, and or, those who read Baeli books specifically, for the sex . . . well. I'm trying to remember here. Except for some kissing, and maybe two scenes that might have occurred while I was in skimming mode, most if not all of the 'sex' that occurred involved rape. There were, hmms, three rapes, if I recall correctly, which were 'seen' in the book, two were seen from multiple view points as they happened, and one was seen several times later from film. Well, no, two were seen later from video evidence. Those are a lot of rape scenes for a series that hadn't had anything like this before.
So, right. This is a revenge plot type of book. Ponzi was raped while she was asleep. Anna witness a different rape, though by the same man that raped Ponzi. So, Ponzi decides to go into the punishment game, pulls in Anna and Kendra (the lesbian with a massive crush on Ponzi). While stumbling around, and accidentally witnessing several rapes in person, the three attempt to implement their revenge against Dr. Bishop, and, Hollister. I forget when they decided to include Hollister in the punishment, though I know they had violent reactions when they learned that Hollister had raped Phoebe years ago.
A lot of what they do is counterproductive. Like, they pull in the AKA investigators for help. Which isn't a stupid thing to do initially, when in the stages of grief and horror. To have investigators involved. Except . . they then, they being the revenge plot people, Ponzi, Anna, and Kendra, then had to dodge and lie to the AKA investigators to be able to carry out their plot. Hence, counterproductive. Also, Ponzi lying about going on a hunting trip with her husband, Dr. Bishop, was just stupid. Ended up with a scene with Ginger hunting for Ponzi's dead body while threatening Dr. Bishop. While Ginger is suspended from the police. And while Dr. Bishop will be handling an internal affairs investigation, from the therapist report, on Ginger Grant. So, that whole scene just made Ginger look stupid, and endangered her career. For no real point. I mean, I know, the point was to show that Ponzi was in danger but . . that didn't really show that. Strike that "really" part. That didn't show that.
So. A book I forced myself to stumble through. At this exact moment I'm not really sure if I am being overly generous or overly harsh with a 2 rating.
This book here kept back tracking. Certain things would be seen by certain people, the story would progress and then . . . oops, now we are back to the beginning of a particular plot point. Watching everything unfold again. From another point of view. That was . . . annoying. I probably could have just lived from having the women's viewpoint and just the ones introduced in this book. Just leave the AKA people out of it, as their participation wasn't needed at all.
The romance angle wasn't needed as well. Just seemed to serve as a forced inclusion. Like, these books need to have romances in them, right? So . . . 'force'. There. Romance. Mmmphs.
The next book goes back to the main characters but, I'm kind of leery of looking into it. Since it has been implied that it will be the same story, but now from the main characters point of view. I was bored with the story the second time around. I don't need to see it a billion more times.
I initially thought that this would be a different type of book than it was. There was a certain vibe at the beginning that lead me to suspect certain things. Things that would move it out of the mystery genre. But no, this had mystery elements.
Right, let me see, I wrote done the point of views as they turned up. I might have missed one or two along the way. So, point of views: Kendra, Ponzi, Anna (the last two being the 'wronged' women, Kendra just the lesbian in lust for the straight Ponzi), Ginger (from prior book), Jobeth (I think she had a few lines from her point of view), Payne Hollister (I might be mispelling his first name; he's the rich guy who likes raping women), Dr. Garrison Bishop (Ponzi's husband, Anna's former boss and current blackmailee (as in Anna's blackmailing him), and another rapist), Chloe (a neighbor of Anna's who apparently is just there for someone for Anna to hook up with). So, how many is that? *counts* I believe I count eight people with point of views. Wait. Hollister's sister had a scene of her own, so nine people. At least.
The book with a thousand heads (or at least nine). And that is a problem. The AKA people, Jobeth (if she actually did have one scene), and Ginger could have had their sections pulled. Anna and Chloe could have had their sections pulled, and just had Anna's participation in the plot 'seen' through Kendra and Ponzi's eyes. Not 100% certain Kendra's point of view scenes were absolutely needed. Because of the nature of the book, Dr. Bishop, Hollister, Ponzi, and Hollister's sister's scene had to be included for plot reasons. I mean, most of the police action is scene through the eyes of the non-police characters, despite having two police characters with point of views included (Ginger and Chloe). Except for some investigation by Ginger while suspended from the police, I don't actually recall that any of the important plot points were actually scene through the eyes of the police. The interviews were from the eyes of others.
And that whole - let me tell you the same story, but now from different characters point of views thing? I suppose some of that was 'needed' but . . . frankly, I started to mostly just skim. I mean, nothing I didn't already know or have implied got revealed except for who Prada was. Everything else was covered the first time around.
Those who read these types of books, and or, those who read Baeli books specifically, for the sex . . . well. I'm trying to remember here. Except for some kissing, and maybe two scenes that might have occurred while I was in skimming mode, most if not all of the 'sex' that occurred involved rape. There were, hmms, three rapes, if I recall correctly, which were 'seen' in the book, two were seen from multiple view points as they happened, and one was seen several times later from film. Well, no, two were seen later from video evidence. Those are a lot of rape scenes for a series that hadn't had anything like this before.
So, right. This is a revenge plot type of book. Ponzi was raped while she was asleep. Anna witness a different rape, though by the same man that raped Ponzi. So, Ponzi decides to go into the punishment game, pulls in Anna and Kendra (the lesbian with a massive crush on Ponzi). While stumbling around, and accidentally witnessing several rapes in person, the three attempt to implement their revenge against Dr. Bishop, and, Hollister. I forget when they decided to include Hollister in the punishment, though I know they had violent reactions when they learned that Hollister had raped Phoebe years ago.
A lot of what they do is counterproductive. Like, they pull in the AKA investigators for help. Which isn't a stupid thing to do initially, when in the stages of grief and horror. To have investigators involved. Except . . they then, they being the revenge plot people, Ponzi, Anna, and Kendra, then had to dodge and lie to the AKA investigators to be able to carry out their plot. Hence, counterproductive. Also, Ponzi lying about going on a hunting trip with her husband, Dr. Bishop, was just stupid. Ended up with a scene with Ginger hunting for Ponzi's dead body while threatening Dr. Bishop. While Ginger is suspended from the police. And while Dr. Bishop will be handling an internal affairs investigation, from the therapist report, on Ginger Grant. So, that whole scene just made Ginger look stupid, and endangered her career. For no real point. I mean, I know, the point was to show that Ponzi was in danger but . . that didn't really show that. Strike that "really" part. That didn't show that.
So. A book I forced myself to stumble through. At this exact moment I'm not really sure if I am being overly generous or overly harsh with a 2 rating.
August 28, 2022
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: full-time writer, not a romance, character with a disability, out of your comfort zone, coming-out story, unusual job; UNICORN: more than 2 POVs (possibly other categories)
Trigger warnings: there are several rapes of drugged women
Book three was a big departure from the main ensemble, but they did appear throughout the story. It had its own ensemble though: Ponzi, Kenda, Anna, and a secondary character, Chloe. There were two men committing rapes independently of each other, and there was a bit of a crossover with both of them being somehow connected with both sets of women. This story's ensemble were just as varied as the AKA women, and I liked all of them, too. The author's note explained how this and book four originally started out as one story, but ended up splitting into two that occurred simultaneously with each other.
The characters were more unique than usual, and pretty well fleshed out. The plot was fantastic and very well written. This was a really great book, and I hope that these characters show up again after book four.
Trigger warnings: there are several rapes of drugged women
Book three was a big departure from the main ensemble, but they did appear throughout the story. It had its own ensemble though: Ponzi, Kenda, Anna, and a secondary character, Chloe. There were two men committing rapes independently of each other, and there was a bit of a crossover with both of them being somehow connected with both sets of women. This story's ensemble were just as varied as the AKA women, and I liked all of them, too. The author's note explained how this and book four originally started out as one story, but ended up splitting into two that occurred simultaneously with each other.
The characters were more unique than usual, and pretty well fleshed out. The plot was fantastic and very well written. This was a really great book, and I hope that these characters show up again after book four.
January 6, 2021
The Investigation Series, Book Three, and although the original characters are still here, three new characters are featured. And oh, are they ‘characters’!
The mystery here isn’t which dude is the most despicable, it’s wondering how they will they be held accountable. No spoiler—nuh-uh—that you’ll have to read to find out. Each book has been unique in itself, even with the recurring characters. A story that offers something new each time.
Baeli’s characters will feel like friends and their individual stories will have you cheering for them…from the first paragraph to the last. Just sayin’.
The mystery here isn’t which dude is the most despicable, it’s wondering how they will they be held accountable. No spoiler—nuh-uh—that you’ll have to read to find out. Each book has been unique in itself, even with the recurring characters. A story that offers something new each time.
Baeli’s characters will feel like friends and their individual stories will have you cheering for them…from the first paragraph to the last. Just sayin’.
May 18, 2019
Another can't put down.
I wasn't sure what to think since Jobeth, Phoebe, Ginger and Izzy weren't the main focus. But then the more I read about Ponzi, kenda and Anna I was Ohhh. I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for that shoe to drop and they get caught. I almost skipped this o e but I am glad I didn't. Off to read book 4. I definitely recommend this book.
I wasn't sure what to think since Jobeth, Phoebe, Ginger and Izzy weren't the main focus. But then the more I read about Ponzi, kenda and Anna I was Ohhh. I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for that shoe to drop and they get caught. I almost skipped this o e but I am glad I didn't. Off to read book 4. I definitely recommend this book.
December 30, 2017
other two book is way batter then this one
March 1, 2013
Book Three in the AKA Investigations Series
Ponzi Bonnet has a perfect marriage, or so she thinks. Her husband, Garrison, is impotent, which suits Ponzi. She can’t have sex due to earlier problems and events in her life. Garrison is a psychologist, who better to understand Ponzi’s problems?
Ponzi becomes suspicious of Garrison and wonders if he’s told her the full truth about himself. She thinks he may be having an affair. Her suspicions are wrong. Garrison has a far worse agenda than a simple affair. He has to be stopped from carrying on his devious goings on at all costs.
Actress, Kenda Harper, is Ponzi’s best friend. Kenda is also smitten with her straight best friend, but she would never act on her feelings. Straight is straight and married is married after all. Kenda would do literally anything for Ponzi, even at the risk of her own life.
Struggling artist, Anna Dew, used to work for Garrison as his secretary and left suddenly. Ponzi has her suspicions that she may be the one Garrison is seeing. But Ponzi couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ponzi, Kenda and Anna eventually pit their wits together to outsmart Garrison and his sidekick. They have to prevent them from harming any more women, no matter what the consequences to themselves. They plot and plan and come up with a dangerous and intricate plan. But will it work? Will all three women survive?
This book is vastly different to the previous two in the series. But, it is every bit as exciting and as much a page turner from start to finish as it’s predecessors. I ended up staying up until well past my bedtime to finish this.
Syzygy is an alignment of three celestial objects according to Kelli Jae Baeli. Here we have three women aligned in the pursuit of justice. Hence the title of this book.
Syzygy features Ponzi, Kenda and Anna as it’s main characters. All are multidimensional and interact really well together. Some of the staff of AKA Investigations put in an appearance, along with Phoebe, Izzy and Ginger from the previous books. All characters are essential in moving the story along at a nice pace.
This book covers a lot of different topics. I don’t want to add in any spoilers, but be prepared for some major shocks along the way. The storyline is certainly not for the faint hearted. But having said that, the book is extremely well written and any storyline of an upsetting nature has been sympathetically penned.
I have the fourth book in this series, which I can’t wait to start. But I’m going to save it until next month. It will probably be a while before another AKA book is published. Well, I’m hoping there will be another in the series. Please!
Ponzi Bonnet has a perfect marriage, or so she thinks. Her husband, Garrison, is impotent, which suits Ponzi. She can’t have sex due to earlier problems and events in her life. Garrison is a psychologist, who better to understand Ponzi’s problems?
Ponzi becomes suspicious of Garrison and wonders if he’s told her the full truth about himself. She thinks he may be having an affair. Her suspicions are wrong. Garrison has a far worse agenda than a simple affair. He has to be stopped from carrying on his devious goings on at all costs.
Actress, Kenda Harper, is Ponzi’s best friend. Kenda is also smitten with her straight best friend, but she would never act on her feelings. Straight is straight and married is married after all. Kenda would do literally anything for Ponzi, even at the risk of her own life.
Struggling artist, Anna Dew, used to work for Garrison as his secretary and left suddenly. Ponzi has her suspicions that she may be the one Garrison is seeing. But Ponzi couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ponzi, Kenda and Anna eventually pit their wits together to outsmart Garrison and his sidekick. They have to prevent them from harming any more women, no matter what the consequences to themselves. They plot and plan and come up with a dangerous and intricate plan. But will it work? Will all three women survive?
This book is vastly different to the previous two in the series. But, it is every bit as exciting and as much a page turner from start to finish as it’s predecessors. I ended up staying up until well past my bedtime to finish this.
Syzygy is an alignment of three celestial objects according to Kelli Jae Baeli. Here we have three women aligned in the pursuit of justice. Hence the title of this book.
Syzygy features Ponzi, Kenda and Anna as it’s main characters. All are multidimensional and interact really well together. Some of the staff of AKA Investigations put in an appearance, along with Phoebe, Izzy and Ginger from the previous books. All characters are essential in moving the story along at a nice pace.
This book covers a lot of different topics. I don’t want to add in any spoilers, but be prepared for some major shocks along the way. The storyline is certainly not for the faint hearted. But having said that, the book is extremely well written and any storyline of an upsetting nature has been sympathetically penned.
I have the fourth book in this series, which I can’t wait to start. But I’m going to save it until next month. It will probably be a while before another AKA book is published. Well, I’m hoping there will be another in the series. Please!
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