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Jessie Martin Series #2
Hooker Avenue
HOOKER AVENUE is the second in the Queen City Crimes series, which sees the return of attorney Jessie Martin in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley. Jessie is on her way home during a pop-up thunderstorm when she spots a woman drowning in a storm drain. She pulls over to save the woman—only to discover that no good deed goes unpunished.
Responding to the scene is Jessie’s former best friend, Detective Ebony Jones. Ebony and her partner are investigating a string of disappearances of sex workers, and the assault matches the other crimes with one difference—the victim is still alive.
Before Jessie can make amends with Ebony, she’s thrown into a dilemma. A former rival has offered her a job in his law firm, and as an unemployed single mother, she can’t say no. But this also means she can’t help Ebony with her case. Jessie’s employer is now the attorney of record for the victim, Lissie Sexton, and Lissie has gone into hiding, which places the two old friends on opposite sides of the law.
As the evidence builds, Jessie’s personal life goes into a tailspin. She’s being stalked by the killer she helped put away, and the man in her life is ready to take their relationship to the next level. With her allegiance being pulled in every direction and horrific revelations coming to light, will Jessie be able to figure out where her loyalties lie and stop another killer plaguing the Hudson Valley before her own life hangs in the balance?
Responding to the scene is Jessie’s former best friend, Detective Ebony Jones. Ebony and her partner are investigating a string of disappearances of sex workers, and the assault matches the other crimes with one difference—the victim is still alive.
Before Jessie can make amends with Ebony, she’s thrown into a dilemma. A former rival has offered her a job in his law firm, and as an unemployed single mother, she can’t say no. But this also means she can’t help Ebony with her case. Jessie’s employer is now the attorney of record for the victim, Lissie Sexton, and Lissie has gone into hiding, which places the two old friends on opposite sides of the law.
As the evidence builds, Jessie’s personal life goes into a tailspin. She’s being stalked by the killer she helped put away, and the man in her life is ready to take their relationship to the next level. With her allegiance being pulled in every direction and horrific revelations coming to light, will Jessie be able to figure out where her loyalties lie and stop another killer plaguing the Hudson Valley before her own life hangs in the balance?
360 pages, Paperback
Published April 19, 2022
2 people are currently reading
2039 people want to read
About the author
Jodé Millman
5 books729 followersJode is a life-long resident of the beautiful Hudson Valley in New York State. After many years of practicing law, she semi-retired her briefcase to write.
Her award-winning debut thriller, THE MIDNIGHT CALL (2019) was the recipient of the 2020 BRONZE IPPY AWARD, 2020 AMERICAN Fiction Award for Legal Thriller, 2021 Independent Press Award, Finalist - 2021 Book Excellence Award, Finalist - 2020 Write Touch Readers Choice Awards, Finalist - 2020 National Readers Choice Award, Shortlist - 2019 CLUE AWARD. In 2014, THE MIDNIGHT CALL was designated as the "Best Police Procedural" by Chantireviews.com and was short-listed for the Clue Award.
Her second thriller, HOOKER AVENUE, was released in April 2022, and is a Finalist for the RWA/KOD Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. It won the 2022 Independent Press Award, was a Finalist for the American Fiction Award and is a First Place in the Clue Awards.
Her third novel, THE EMPTY KAYAK is a First Place Winner of the 2023 Clue Award, and a Finalist for the Independent Press and Best Thriller Award.
These three mysteries compose THE QUEEN CITY CRIMES series, which received the First Place Award in the 2023 Clue Book Series Awards.
In addition to writing crime fiction, Jode loves reading a good mystery. She holds a Masters In English Literature, and has taught undergraduate and law school, where her classes combined her interests in Law and Literature.
She is a book reviewer for Booktrib.com and New York Journal of Books, a podcaster and creator of THE WRITERS LAW SCHOOL.
Her award-winning debut thriller, THE MIDNIGHT CALL (2019) was the recipient of the 2020 BRONZE IPPY AWARD, 2020 AMERICAN Fiction Award for Legal Thriller, 2021 Independent Press Award, Finalist - 2021 Book Excellence Award, Finalist - 2020 Write Touch Readers Choice Awards, Finalist - 2020 National Readers Choice Award, Shortlist - 2019 CLUE AWARD. In 2014, THE MIDNIGHT CALL was designated as the "Best Police Procedural" by Chantireviews.com and was short-listed for the Clue Award.
Her second thriller, HOOKER AVENUE, was released in April 2022, and is a Finalist for the RWA/KOD Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. It won the 2022 Independent Press Award, was a Finalist for the American Fiction Award and is a First Place in the Clue Awards.
Her third novel, THE EMPTY KAYAK is a First Place Winner of the 2023 Clue Award, and a Finalist for the Independent Press and Best Thriller Award.
These three mysteries compose THE QUEEN CITY CRIMES series, which received the First Place Award in the 2023 Clue Book Series Awards.
In addition to writing crime fiction, Jode loves reading a good mystery. She holds a Masters In English Literature, and has taught undergraduate and law school, where her classes combined her interests in Law and Literature.
She is a book reviewer for Booktrib.com and New York Journal of Books, a podcaster and creator of THE WRITERS LAW SCHOOL.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 8, 2022
There is a lot going on here in Jode Millman's 2nd installment of her Queen City Crime series. Currently unemployed attorney Jessie Martin discovers the body of Lissie Sexton lying in a roadside ditch that is filling with water. Lissie is saved and that brings in police detective, Ebony Jones into investigating this case. Could be a serial rapist/killer, as she matches up another case with very similar MO. The author will weave a plot into how all 3 of these threads will come together as there is a race to solve the case. Set in Poughkeepsie, NY, this is a very busy book that will capture the readers attention. Really liked the Ebony Jones character.
June 21, 2022
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Jodé Millman for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Having been handed this ARC by Jodé Millman, I dove into the series debut first, in hopes that they would complement one another well and keep me intrigued until the final page turn. Millman does well and keeps pace in this second novel, which does not leave the reader tired at any point throughout the intense thriller.
Jessie Martin is back as a great legal mind in upstate New York. The young lawyer has a lot to prove and is ready for most anything that comes her way. While driving home in a torrential storm, Jessie comes across a woman who is in dire need of assistance. Thinking that she can be a Good Samaritan, Jessie tries to help, only to find herself pulled into the middle of something far more dangerous.
When Detective Ebony Jones answers the call and attends the scene, Jessie is torn while also filled with emotions. Ebony was once Jessie’s close friend, but something’s happened, an event that is best left shelved until things quiet down. Ebony and her partner have actively been persuing a number of sex workers who have up and disappeared, their bodies assaulted by some unknown assailant. With a live victim, things could be different, but Ebony will have to act fast, putting her row with Jessie to the side.
Jessie is offered a great new position in a law firm, one that will help her as a single mother. However, this comes as a significant cost and impedes her from being able to work the case alongside Ebony. When her employer becomes the attorney for the woman who was attacked, Jessie must straddle two worlds and hope that she can work effectively without putting added strain on her disintegrating friendship.
While working through the case, Jessie must also deal with a personal life that is in a spiral. One man seeking to win her heart and another wanting her dead for past legal transgressions, Jessie Martin will have to face things head-on, in hopes of making a difference in the lives of many. This is one time in her life that Jessie wished things were simpler and without drama. Millman does it again with a great piece that stirs up emotion and suspense in the same breath.
Jadé Millman offers readers something stellar to contemplate as they read this piece, mixing drama and legal matters into a single story. There is a great deal going on herein, providing the reader a great deal of excitement in a series that is gaining momentum. I have high hopes for Millman and her exciting protagonist, who is growing on me bit by bit.
Millman uses a strong narrative throughout the piece to keep the reader in the middle of all the action. With a decent amount of character development and some plot twists, the reader is drawn into all the drama with each turn of the page. Serving as a legal thriller on the one hand and a crime story on the other, Millman mixes them well, developing a constant depth to her protagonist, Jessie Martin. I am eager to see what comes of this series and how Millman will continue developing things for her fans.
Kudos, Madam Millman, for another great piece. You are evolving as the series progresses and I hope things continue to advance accordingly.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Having been handed this ARC by Jodé Millman, I dove into the series debut first, in hopes that they would complement one another well and keep me intrigued until the final page turn. Millman does well and keeps pace in this second novel, which does not leave the reader tired at any point throughout the intense thriller.
Jessie Martin is back as a great legal mind in upstate New York. The young lawyer has a lot to prove and is ready for most anything that comes her way. While driving home in a torrential storm, Jessie comes across a woman who is in dire need of assistance. Thinking that she can be a Good Samaritan, Jessie tries to help, only to find herself pulled into the middle of something far more dangerous.
When Detective Ebony Jones answers the call and attends the scene, Jessie is torn while also filled with emotions. Ebony was once Jessie’s close friend, but something’s happened, an event that is best left shelved until things quiet down. Ebony and her partner have actively been persuing a number of sex workers who have up and disappeared, their bodies assaulted by some unknown assailant. With a live victim, things could be different, but Ebony will have to act fast, putting her row with Jessie to the side.
Jessie is offered a great new position in a law firm, one that will help her as a single mother. However, this comes as a significant cost and impedes her from being able to work the case alongside Ebony. When her employer becomes the attorney for the woman who was attacked, Jessie must straddle two worlds and hope that she can work effectively without putting added strain on her disintegrating friendship.
While working through the case, Jessie must also deal with a personal life that is in a spiral. One man seeking to win her heart and another wanting her dead for past legal transgressions, Jessie Martin will have to face things head-on, in hopes of making a difference in the lives of many. This is one time in her life that Jessie wished things were simpler and without drama. Millman does it again with a great piece that stirs up emotion and suspense in the same breath.
Jadé Millman offers readers something stellar to contemplate as they read this piece, mixing drama and legal matters into a single story. There is a great deal going on herein, providing the reader a great deal of excitement in a series that is gaining momentum. I have high hopes for Millman and her exciting protagonist, who is growing on me bit by bit.
Millman uses a strong narrative throughout the piece to keep the reader in the middle of all the action. With a decent amount of character development and some plot twists, the reader is drawn into all the drama with each turn of the page. Serving as a legal thriller on the one hand and a crime story on the other, Millman mixes them well, developing a constant depth to her protagonist, Jessie Martin. I am eager to see what comes of this series and how Millman will continue developing things for her fans.
Kudos, Madam Millman, for another great piece. You are evolving as the series progresses and I hope things continue to advance accordingly.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
April 19, 2022
“Being a good Samaritan is hazardous”
Based on a true-life crime investigation which must have been so distressing, soul destroying and utterly devastating for so many families, I am almost loathe to admit that I enjoyed this book so much. However, whilst place names are real (and yes, there really is a Hooker Avenue in Hudson Valley, PA) and many of the pertinent facts surrounding the case are correct; all other names and references appear to be fictional, which does help to absolve my conscience somewhat, and justifies my treating this as a work of fiction for review purposes. The blending of fact and fiction has been so sensitively and seamlessly executed, that it is impossible to know where one ends and the other begins, and purely from a police procedural point of view, I haven’t read such a well constructed, immersive and engaging interpretation of the genre, for some time now.
…
Just to bring you up to speed with the story…
Disgraced attorney, Jessie Martin, finds herself playing the Good Samaritan whilst driving home in the dark, during a particularly wild storm. She comes across what looks like a body in a roadside ditch, although when the inert form suddenly moves, she realises that she must act quickly, as this is now a life-saving mission which she cannot undertake alone. Along with the emergency rescue services, Jessie’s one-time best friend, Detective Ebony Jones and her partner Zander, are in attendance. In an atmosphere of tension and discord, the former ‘besties’ can hardly bare to speak to each other, setting the pattern for a case which grows exponentially and will eventually involve several State forces and the FBI, forcing Jessie and Ebony to call a truce to hostilities, in the name of justice.
When it becomes clear that this is no accident, and although initially reluctant to cooperate with the authorities, a very feisty victim begins to let her mouth run, divulging more than she ever intended to and enough to lead Ebony, Zander and Jessie to believe that her beating is certainly no isolated incident. To complicate matters even further, Jessie and her baby daughter are living with District Attorney Hal Samuels, so law enforcement from all sides of the spectrum are jostling for position, in trying to unravel the whys and wherefores of an angry woman’s ranting and raving, but from their own individual perspectives, not as a single cohesive team. The victim Lissie, eventually gives enough information away to cause a sudden scramble to coordinate similar unsolved cases and disappearances from across the region, which to everyone’s shame, have hitherto been pretty much treated in isolation and ignored, given the various and unorthodox lifestyles of drugs, alcohol and prostitution, led by the victims.
It soon becomes apparent that Lissie’s partner Kurt, although he is abusive, was not her assailant and is not a suspect for the most heinous of crimes, however his major drug and larceny ring also comes in for unwanted attention, which yields a great result in itself and will see him removed from circulation for some time to come. Lissie is keeping tight-lipped about the identity of her attacker, for whom she genuinely has no name, and despite the inter-service rivalries and individual tensions in the room, which are beginning to spiral out of control, it is only Jessie who is ultimately able to reach out to her for help in bringing the perpetrator of so many potential cases, to book. Lissie drives a surprisingly hard bargain and has been quite astute at deceiving a thoroughly obnoxious and nauseating Kurt; so recognise her spirit, decry the way of life she thinks she had no option but to take, or applaud her resilience and strength; you can’t help but admire her strength and tenacity. When, from the details Lissie is able to provide, the search is narrowed down to a mere handful of suspects, it doesn’t take long for the team to find their man. Despite Ebony potentially jeopardising the entire operation, an arrest is made, although the horrendous and ghastly discoveries which follow, will test the mental and physical stamina, and well being of the entire team and haunt them for some time to come.
For the victim’s families, closure is going to be all they have to cling to, although for everyone else involved a good result is heralded and rewarded, with all of them living to fight a new battle another day and maybe, just maybe, some of those old rivalries and wounds can be healed, if not entirely forgiven just yet.
…
This well structured, powerful and highly textured, multi-layered storyline, was intense and full of atmosphere from beginning to end. Even though I didn’t want the book to be finished, I found myself reading ever faster and turning the pages more quickly, in my haste to see what twist the author had added in next, which was going to change my way of thinking all over again. I suppose I missed the very obvious connection between Jessie and Lissie and that was even more scary, because I could see how that kind of scenario might actually happen in real life, with potentially devastating consequences. It certainly shook Jessie to her very core. Relentless and face paced, told in short well signposted chapters, with a crisp no nonsense narrative and dialogue, replete in descriptive detail, which afforded a very visual sense of time and place, this infinitely tangled web of lies, deception, manipulation and control, definitely kept me on my toes. Everyone was looking for the angle, in their attempts to avoid revealing their own individual secret agendas and weaknesses.
As with so many fictional detectives, lawyers and investigators, Jessie is really carrying an awful lot of baggage and secrets, although I get the feeling that this case has really set her back on track a bit, both professionally and personally, so it will be interesting to see how she develops in her role, assuming of course that the series is expanded and continued, which I sincerely hope it is. On the whole, the cast of characters were quite authentic, compelling and believable, despite their emotional complexities, which often made them rather raw, passionate and prone to being volatile, when they could have done with keeping their cool and using their heads a bit more. I found myself being able to relate to them, in a strange way, even Lissie, whose background only came to light right near the end and was one of those jaw dropping, ‘never judge a book by its cover’, moments. Even Duvall Bennett, although definitely the disgusting and reprehensible perpetrator he is portrayed as, has a motive which if examined, would surely constitute some form of PTSD, in modern day mental health developments. It didn’t make me detest him any the less, and yes, he knew exactly what he was doing making him cold and calculating. Once again, some fictional license was brought to play around this character and I may not have had quite so many ‘what if’ thoughts about the real life offender.
For those of you with an interest in the true background storyline, below is a link to the original news story as it was reported…
Kendall Francois – The Poughkeepsie Killer – Bodies On The Floor (wickedwe.com)
I also really want to go back and read and author Jode Millman’s previous book The Midnight Call where we are first introduced to the character of attorney Jessie Martin. Don’t get me wrong, although there are references to Jessie’s first case in this book, the backstory is filled with more than enough detail to keep any series reader happy, yet without short-changing any new reader just joining the journey. It’s simply that the case sounds really intriguing and I want to know more!
To connect with the author and to share my favourite and memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
Based on a true-life crime investigation which must have been so distressing, soul destroying and utterly devastating for so many families, I am almost loathe to admit that I enjoyed this book so much. However, whilst place names are real (and yes, there really is a Hooker Avenue in Hudson Valley, PA) and many of the pertinent facts surrounding the case are correct; all other names and references appear to be fictional, which does help to absolve my conscience somewhat, and justifies my treating this as a work of fiction for review purposes. The blending of fact and fiction has been so sensitively and seamlessly executed, that it is impossible to know where one ends and the other begins, and purely from a police procedural point of view, I haven’t read such a well constructed, immersive and engaging interpretation of the genre, for some time now.
…
Just to bring you up to speed with the story…
Disgraced attorney, Jessie Martin, finds herself playing the Good Samaritan whilst driving home in the dark, during a particularly wild storm. She comes across what looks like a body in a roadside ditch, although when the inert form suddenly moves, she realises that she must act quickly, as this is now a life-saving mission which she cannot undertake alone. Along with the emergency rescue services, Jessie’s one-time best friend, Detective Ebony Jones and her partner Zander, are in attendance. In an atmosphere of tension and discord, the former ‘besties’ can hardly bare to speak to each other, setting the pattern for a case which grows exponentially and will eventually involve several State forces and the FBI, forcing Jessie and Ebony to call a truce to hostilities, in the name of justice.
When it becomes clear that this is no accident, and although initially reluctant to cooperate with the authorities, a very feisty victim begins to let her mouth run, divulging more than she ever intended to and enough to lead Ebony, Zander and Jessie to believe that her beating is certainly no isolated incident. To complicate matters even further, Jessie and her baby daughter are living with District Attorney Hal Samuels, so law enforcement from all sides of the spectrum are jostling for position, in trying to unravel the whys and wherefores of an angry woman’s ranting and raving, but from their own individual perspectives, not as a single cohesive team. The victim Lissie, eventually gives enough information away to cause a sudden scramble to coordinate similar unsolved cases and disappearances from across the region, which to everyone’s shame, have hitherto been pretty much treated in isolation and ignored, given the various and unorthodox lifestyles of drugs, alcohol and prostitution, led by the victims.
It soon becomes apparent that Lissie’s partner Kurt, although he is abusive, was not her assailant and is not a suspect for the most heinous of crimes, however his major drug and larceny ring also comes in for unwanted attention, which yields a great result in itself and will see him removed from circulation for some time to come. Lissie is keeping tight-lipped about the identity of her attacker, for whom she genuinely has no name, and despite the inter-service rivalries and individual tensions in the room, which are beginning to spiral out of control, it is only Jessie who is ultimately able to reach out to her for help in bringing the perpetrator of so many potential cases, to book. Lissie drives a surprisingly hard bargain and has been quite astute at deceiving a thoroughly obnoxious and nauseating Kurt; so recognise her spirit, decry the way of life she thinks she had no option but to take, or applaud her resilience and strength; you can’t help but admire her strength and tenacity. When, from the details Lissie is able to provide, the search is narrowed down to a mere handful of suspects, it doesn’t take long for the team to find their man. Despite Ebony potentially jeopardising the entire operation, an arrest is made, although the horrendous and ghastly discoveries which follow, will test the mental and physical stamina, and well being of the entire team and haunt them for some time to come.
For the victim’s families, closure is going to be all they have to cling to, although for everyone else involved a good result is heralded and rewarded, with all of them living to fight a new battle another day and maybe, just maybe, some of those old rivalries and wounds can be healed, if not entirely forgiven just yet.
…
This well structured, powerful and highly textured, multi-layered storyline, was intense and full of atmosphere from beginning to end. Even though I didn’t want the book to be finished, I found myself reading ever faster and turning the pages more quickly, in my haste to see what twist the author had added in next, which was going to change my way of thinking all over again. I suppose I missed the very obvious connection between Jessie and Lissie and that was even more scary, because I could see how that kind of scenario might actually happen in real life, with potentially devastating consequences. It certainly shook Jessie to her very core. Relentless and face paced, told in short well signposted chapters, with a crisp no nonsense narrative and dialogue, replete in descriptive detail, which afforded a very visual sense of time and place, this infinitely tangled web of lies, deception, manipulation and control, definitely kept me on my toes. Everyone was looking for the angle, in their attempts to avoid revealing their own individual secret agendas and weaknesses.
As with so many fictional detectives, lawyers and investigators, Jessie is really carrying an awful lot of baggage and secrets, although I get the feeling that this case has really set her back on track a bit, both professionally and personally, so it will be interesting to see how she develops in her role, assuming of course that the series is expanded and continued, which I sincerely hope it is. On the whole, the cast of characters were quite authentic, compelling and believable, despite their emotional complexities, which often made them rather raw, passionate and prone to being volatile, when they could have done with keeping their cool and using their heads a bit more. I found myself being able to relate to them, in a strange way, even Lissie, whose background only came to light right near the end and was one of those jaw dropping, ‘never judge a book by its cover’, moments. Even Duvall Bennett, although definitely the disgusting and reprehensible perpetrator he is portrayed as, has a motive which if examined, would surely constitute some form of PTSD, in modern day mental health developments. It didn’t make me detest him any the less, and yes, he knew exactly what he was doing making him cold and calculating. Once again, some fictional license was brought to play around this character and I may not have had quite so many ‘what if’ thoughts about the real life offender.
For those of you with an interest in the true background storyline, below is a link to the original news story as it was reported…
Kendall Francois – The Poughkeepsie Killer – Bodies On The Floor (wickedwe.com)
I also really want to go back and read and author Jode Millman’s previous book The Midnight Call where we are first introduced to the character of attorney Jessie Martin. Don’t get me wrong, although there are references to Jessie’s first case in this book, the backstory is filled with more than enough detail to keep any series reader happy, yet without short-changing any new reader just joining the journey. It’s simply that the case sounds really intriguing and I want to know more!
To connect with the author and to share my favourite and memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
March 6, 2022
The story continues for the resolution the many issues after the last story. Jessie is found in a damaged woman in a water channel next to a road. When she visited the victim in the channel, she begins a investigation to find a serial killer. Jessie is developing a romance with Hal, a new DA. She is drawn into a job with the attorney who had falsely lose her to lose she job. Issues and problems grow wilder and wilder as she tries to help the victim she had found. The descriptions has many details that accelerates an d stall as the plot develops. Some many subplots has several endings before the book is done. The story is very engrossing.
March 29, 2022
Hooker Avenue, the next book in the Queen Cities Crimes series is a thriller for certain. The deaths and one near death of prostitutes raises the interest of Detective Ebony Jones and her partner, Zander. Drawn into the search for a serial killer is Ebony’s former best friend, lawyer Jessie Martin. It is a race against time to find the killer and stop him before he strikes again.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 24, 2022
In Hooker Avenue, author Jode Millman transports the reader to the tranquil Hudson Valley town of Poughkeepie, New York, for an intriguing story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.
Jessie Martin is a disgraced attorney who is trying to get her career back on track after having her baby daughter Lily.
Detective Ebony Jones is intrigued by the near death of prostitute Lissie Sexton, which draws her and partner Detective Zander Pulaski into searching a series of missing women cold cases, looking for a pattern that will lead them to a serial killer.
Jessie and Ebony are estranged best friends, and when their intertwined connection to Lissie surfaces, they need to put their issues aside, and search for the serial killer before he can strike again.
Author Jode Millman weaves a fast-paced and suspenseful tale that follows attorney Jessie Martin and Detective Ebony Jones' investigation to search for a serial killer after discovering a pattern of cold cases involving missing women.
I loved reading this slow-building and action-packed story. I was kept intrigued by Jessie and Ebony's investigation, as well as the traumatic backstory into each of their pasts. The reader will be easily drawn into this multi-layered story with a richly descriptive plot that interweaves police procedure with the legal process, and a dangerous cat-n-mouse game that will keep them guessing as personal and professional dramas, past histories, a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues are uncovered.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved the richly vivid description of Poughkeepsie, that makes me want to take a roadtrip to the picturesque Hudson Valley region.
Hooker Avenue has enough drama, tension, action, dark secrets, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest book review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspo...
Jessie Martin is a disgraced attorney who is trying to get her career back on track after having her baby daughter Lily.
Detective Ebony Jones is intrigued by the near death of prostitute Lissie Sexton, which draws her and partner Detective Zander Pulaski into searching a series of missing women cold cases, looking for a pattern that will lead them to a serial killer.
Jessie and Ebony are estranged best friends, and when their intertwined connection to Lissie surfaces, they need to put their issues aside, and search for the serial killer before he can strike again.
Author Jode Millman weaves a fast-paced and suspenseful tale that follows attorney Jessie Martin and Detective Ebony Jones' investigation to search for a serial killer after discovering a pattern of cold cases involving missing women.
I loved reading this slow-building and action-packed story. I was kept intrigued by Jessie and Ebony's investigation, as well as the traumatic backstory into each of their pasts. The reader will be easily drawn into this multi-layered story with a richly descriptive plot that interweaves police procedure with the legal process, and a dangerous cat-n-mouse game that will keep them guessing as personal and professional dramas, past histories, a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues are uncovered.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved the richly vivid description of Poughkeepsie, that makes me want to take a roadtrip to the picturesque Hudson Valley region.
Hooker Avenue has enough drama, tension, action, dark secrets, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest book review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspo...
June 18, 2022
Hooker Avenue is a mystery thriller based on a true crime. The plot is multilayered full of conflict and emotion. While there are a lot of moving pieces to this story, the author does a great job of layering them on top of one another for one cohesive story.
The characters are realistic and beautifully flawed which made me fall in love with them. The main character, Ebony is lovely, and I found myself rooting for her. This is a story is believable and could happen today. Overall, this is a very well written legal thriller. I highly recommend it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Level Best Books, Jode Millman, and Partners In Crime Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
The characters are realistic and beautifully flawed which made me fall in love with them. The main character, Ebony is lovely, and I found myself rooting for her. This is a story is believable and could happen today. Overall, this is a very well written legal thriller. I highly recommend it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Level Best Books, Jode Millman, and Partners In Crime Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
June 1, 2022
‘On a cold and rainy night…’ don’t you love a story that begins that way? You just know that what follows will be an adventure, a thrill ride, and Jode Millman exceeded my expectations.
Jessie Martin just wants to get home to her baby, but as she navigates the wet streets, she sees something that will change her life. She finds a woman, battered and bleeding, and near death. Little could she know that by helping this woman, she was opening herself up to a world of sh**.
I enjoyed Millman’s portrayal of the people in her story. She has created fascinating characters and a plot that sucks the reader in. Her combination of police procedure and legal acumen drives the story and make the characters more believable. Her ability to depict people who have been marginalized by society is a reminder that either everyone matters or no one does.
Jessie Martin just wants to get home to her baby, but as she navigates the wet streets, she sees something that will change her life. She finds a woman, battered and bleeding, and near death. Little could she know that by helping this woman, she was opening herself up to a world of sh**.
I enjoyed Millman’s portrayal of the people in her story. She has created fascinating characters and a plot that sucks the reader in. Her combination of police procedure and legal acumen drives the story and make the characters more believable. Her ability to depict people who have been marginalized by society is a reminder that either everyone matters or no one does.
April 12, 2022
This is a terrific, gripping book - truly a page-turner. I couldn't put it down. If you read Jode Millman's first book, The Midnight Call, you'll enjoy reconnecting with the lead characters and meeting new ones. The places and action are described in such visceral language, that this book inhabits your mind. It's one of those books you just can't wait to get back to. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy and tore right through it. Based on a true crime, the detective work and drama unfold at a face pace. I highly recommend it for your summer reading list - or as soon as you can get your hands on one!
April 9, 2022
I loved reading Hooker Avenue! It is a fast-paced crime thriller full of conflict, tension, unexpected twists and high stakes. I found the story exciting, the characters fascinating, and I finished quickly because it is well written and gripping.
June 22, 2022
The driving rain of the thunderstorm Jessie Martin finds herself in at the beginning of Hooker Avenue sets the tone and pace for this suspenseful thriller.
Her nerves frayed from the violent storm and the hidden turmoil in her personal life, Jessie pulls over to calm down and allow the storm to pass and finds the body of someone barely conscious lying in a deep ditch alongside the road. Calling for help will draw her deep into a case she doesn’t need right now, but the criminal defense attorney’s gut instinct won’t allow her to walk away.
From beginning to end, this read delivers and is not only a thriller but also a legal thriller and police procedural with a dash of women’s fiction thrown in. Told in alternating points of view and a tight narrative, the author penned a story of intrigue and secrets. Lots of secrets.
Without question, Jessie is a strong, confident character and I respected her, but I didn’t like her very much. She is an exceptional attorney always determined to protect her clients, but as a woman, I felt she was something of a milquetoast. Granted, she’d been through a lot since her high school days, but hiding and internalizing her problems has cost her much, however, she can’t seem to understand that and keeps far too much to herself. I cheered for her though when she found inner strength and decided to take control of her life and stop being reactive.
Police detective, Ebony Jones, is another strong, confident woman and Jessie’s lifelong but estranged best friend. She’s career-focused and has worked hard to rise through the ranks. Like Jessie, she also internalized personal issues, but not to her detriment. She was more proactive and quick to take action despite the consequences.
Their desire to help women and children who fall through the cracks of justice lead the two women to work together. On two different paths of the same case, their commitment to their jobs strains their relationship even further.
Sharp writing and well-honed characters make this nearly four-hundred-page read a one-sitting page-turner. From the police station to the courtroom to Hooker Avenue the suspense never slows as characters work to find footing in their personal lives while searching for a brutal serial killer.
Enjoy!
Her nerves frayed from the violent storm and the hidden turmoil in her personal life, Jessie pulls over to calm down and allow the storm to pass and finds the body of someone barely conscious lying in a deep ditch alongside the road. Calling for help will draw her deep into a case she doesn’t need right now, but the criminal defense attorney’s gut instinct won’t allow her to walk away.
From beginning to end, this read delivers and is not only a thriller but also a legal thriller and police procedural with a dash of women’s fiction thrown in. Told in alternating points of view and a tight narrative, the author penned a story of intrigue and secrets. Lots of secrets.
Without question, Jessie is a strong, confident character and I respected her, but I didn’t like her very much. She is an exceptional attorney always determined to protect her clients, but as a woman, I felt she was something of a milquetoast. Granted, she’d been through a lot since her high school days, but hiding and internalizing her problems has cost her much, however, she can’t seem to understand that and keeps far too much to herself. I cheered for her though when she found inner strength and decided to take control of her life and stop being reactive.
Police detective, Ebony Jones, is another strong, confident woman and Jessie’s lifelong but estranged best friend. She’s career-focused and has worked hard to rise through the ranks. Like Jessie, she also internalized personal issues, but not to her detriment. She was more proactive and quick to take action despite the consequences.
Their desire to help women and children who fall through the cracks of justice lead the two women to work together. On two different paths of the same case, their commitment to their jobs strains their relationship even further.
Sharp writing and well-honed characters make this nearly four-hundred-page read a one-sitting page-turner. From the police station to the courtroom to Hooker Avenue the suspense never slows as characters work to find footing in their personal lives while searching for a brutal serial killer.
Enjoy!
June 26, 2022
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Hooker Avenue by Jodé Millman was a great read. This is the second book in the “Queen City Crimes” series, and this is the first one I have read. I wasn’t confused at all as I was reading this book, but I would recommend reading them in order if the first book interests you. The author did a great job of giving you just what you need to know in this book without spending a ton of time giving you details that you don’t need to understand this book. This book had just the right amount of suspense that kept me guessing but not so much that I got stressed out. There is a fine line between having too much tension and not having enough, and this author did a great job of giving just enough to keep me reading. I also loved that the author let crimes that happen in our world inspire this series because it makes the book more believable than other books I have read. I can’t write enough praise for this book. I enjoyed it so much that I can’t think of anything I would change. This is one of those books I know I will go back and read the first book because I liked this book that much. I also will be reading any other books in this series that the author releases because I love the characters. If you are looking for a new series to read this summer, I would recommend this series to you.
Hooker Avenue by Jodé Millman was a great read. This is the second book in the “Queen City Crimes” series, and this is the first one I have read. I wasn’t confused at all as I was reading this book, but I would recommend reading them in order if the first book interests you. The author did a great job of giving you just what you need to know in this book without spending a ton of time giving you details that you don’t need to understand this book. This book had just the right amount of suspense that kept me guessing but not so much that I got stressed out. There is a fine line between having too much tension and not having enough, and this author did a great job of giving just enough to keep me reading. I also loved that the author let crimes that happen in our world inspire this series because it makes the book more believable than other books I have read. I can’t write enough praise for this book. I enjoyed it so much that I can’t think of anything I would change. This is one of those books I know I will go back and read the first book because I liked this book that much. I also will be reading any other books in this series that the author releases because I love the characters. If you are looking for a new series to read this summer, I would recommend this series to you.
April 19, 2022
Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. Except for a few spots the dialogue is okay, and the plot is helped by the actions taken by the characters. Character building is a huge facet of “Hooker Avenue,” and the author spends much time explaining the feelings of the characters. It can be difficult to not fall into the telling rather than showing habit, and although readers are given heavily detailed paragraphs about the characters, the plot slowed in areas when it should have been moving into the faster gears.
A writer may occasionally pull out the soapbox and have a character present a speech reflecting the author’s personal views. Where this can get out of hand is when multiple characters are spouting the same trains of thought, especially if the repetition creates a melodramatic feeling. There were instances of this in the book.
The obligatory twist at the end did not contain the “oh my, you fooled me” feeling and for me was a bit of a letdown. I felt the book had been progressing well with the overall plot and the twist did not add to it. It appears that author Jode Millman plans to make this a series. There are multiple characters featured in “Hooker Avenue” who could carry a book on their own, and this would allow Ms. Millman to take her series in different directions. There is enough in this book to convince me to take a look at the next entry. Three stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
A writer may occasionally pull out the soapbox and have a character present a speech reflecting the author’s personal views. Where this can get out of hand is when multiple characters are spouting the same trains of thought, especially if the repetition creates a melodramatic feeling. There were instances of this in the book.
The obligatory twist at the end did not contain the “oh my, you fooled me” feeling and for me was a bit of a letdown. I felt the book had been progressing well with the overall plot and the twist did not add to it. It appears that author Jode Millman plans to make this a series. There are multiple characters featured in “Hooker Avenue” who could carry a book on their own, and this would allow Ms. Millman to take her series in different directions. There is enough in this book to convince me to take a look at the next entry. Three stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
June 18, 2022
Thank you to Library Thing and Level Best Books for an ARC of this crime novel, which was my first by the author. Although I had not read the first book in the series, and there were a lot of references to events that happened in the previous novel, I was able to follow the plot of this story and become engaged with the characters.
The third-person POV narrative alternates between Jessie Martin, a young mother/disgraced lawyer trying to rebuild her life and career; Hal Samuels, the district attorney and Jessie's love interest; and Ebony Jones, a police detective who used to be Jessie's best friend. A lot of the story focuses on the relationships; how trust is built and lost, how they learn to work together toward a common goal, despite differences in methods and communication decisions dictated by their various professions.
It's also a good mystery/police procedural, with some aspects of a legal thriller. The story opens when Jessie has to pull over during a heavy rainstorm and discovers a body of a woman in a storm drain. She calls for help and the woman, Lissie Sexton, a sex worker, is pulled out alive. She's been badly beaten, but, once she regains consciousness, refuses to talk to the police or identify her attacker. Lissie turns out to be a challenging witness, testing the wits of Jessie, Ebony, and Hal, pitting them against each other, but ultimately, she's instrumental in identifying and bringing to justice a serial killer responsible for the deaths of nine women in New York's Hudson Valley.
I can recommend this enjoyable, character-driven crime story.
The third-person POV narrative alternates between Jessie Martin, a young mother/disgraced lawyer trying to rebuild her life and career; Hal Samuels, the district attorney and Jessie's love interest; and Ebony Jones, a police detective who used to be Jessie's best friend. A lot of the story focuses on the relationships; how trust is built and lost, how they learn to work together toward a common goal, despite differences in methods and communication decisions dictated by their various professions.
It's also a good mystery/police procedural, with some aspects of a legal thriller. The story opens when Jessie has to pull over during a heavy rainstorm and discovers a body of a woman in a storm drain. She calls for help and the woman, Lissie Sexton, a sex worker, is pulled out alive. She's been badly beaten, but, once she regains consciousness, refuses to talk to the police or identify her attacker. Lissie turns out to be a challenging witness, testing the wits of Jessie, Ebony, and Hal, pitting them against each other, but ultimately, she's instrumental in identifying and bringing to justice a serial killer responsible for the deaths of nine women in New York's Hudson Valley.
I can recommend this enjoyable, character-driven crime story.
June 24, 2022
This is the second book in the Jesse Martin mysteries and then this one she is driving home in a thunderstorm when she finds a badly beaten prostitute lying in the ditch when she calls it in to the station her estranged friend Lexi who is a detective comes to investigate. The two women were friends for a long time but I’ve had a falling out and will now have to collaborate to solve the murders that seem to be affecting only the poor side of Poughkeepsie. Not to mention Jesse is getting divorced and she has a stalker and he’s in prison and oh yeah she also has an 11 month old baby. There was a lot to unpack and more than enough to keep you turning the pages in this Jesse Martin thriller. I was so excited to read this book especially when I found out it was based on a real true crime trust me when I say I wasn’t disappointed. I am always leery when someone says this is totally a page Turner it will keep you up late at night because usually it’s not but this one totally did!A true five star reads. If you love mysteries you’ll love this book. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own oh I was given this book by net Gally and I am leaving this review voluntarily#Hooker Avenue, #Joe Day Milman
May 8, 2022
I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.
In this 360-page book, you will find some interesting characters. I am not sure how to “label” this one as there are elements of at least three different genres: Police procedural, legal thriller, and a bit of a political thriller as well. All three of these “labels” are contained within these pages.
Let me introduce you to the main characters:
Jessie Martin – Reading The Midnight Call, the first book in this series, will help in understanding part of Jessie’s backstory. This will explain the references to Terrence, her former mentor, and the trouble he creates in Jessie’s life. Jessie is an attorney who almost lost her license, her life, and her daughter, Lily. She is a strong female character who holds it together and finds a new beginning.
Hal Samuels III – District attorney who was previously involved with Jessie, married Erin which didn’t work, and ended up back with Jessie. He also decided to pull together a task force to help in assisting the police to find the person or persons responsible for the disappearances of nine different women, feeling he failed them as well as his city. Cindie, his assistant, reminds him of the upcoming election. Lauren, his predecessor, is nothing more than a thorn in Hal’s side, thinking she wants her old job back.
Ebony Jones – Detective with the Poughkeepsie police department. She and Jessie also went through their years of high school together. At one time, they enjoyed a close friendship, but as with life, they went their separate ways. In this tale, they are drawn back together but their friendship has taken a different trek as adults.
Zander – Ebony’s partner. He always has her back. He doesn’t always agree with her choices, but he supports her.
Lily – Jessie and Kyle’s daughter. Kyle isn’t mentioned much, but he’s mentioned enough to know that he and Jessie have a less than amicable relationship.
As soon as I started reading this tale, I was pulled in by Ms. Millman’s writing style. Being a lawyer herself, Ms. Millman’s writing relatable. Her characters seem to come alive through her descriptiveness, putting both lawyer and police folks in realistic situations. When Ebony and Zander are searching one particular home, the descriptions of what they see and what they smell … you can really use your imagination to “see” and “smell” what you are reading. If you like reading police procedurals and legal thrillers with just a hint of politics, I’m sure this will fit the bill.
In this 360-page book, you will find some interesting characters. I am not sure how to “label” this one as there are elements of at least three different genres: Police procedural, legal thriller, and a bit of a political thriller as well. All three of these “labels” are contained within these pages.
Let me introduce you to the main characters:
Jessie Martin – Reading The Midnight Call, the first book in this series, will help in understanding part of Jessie’s backstory. This will explain the references to Terrence, her former mentor, and the trouble he creates in Jessie’s life. Jessie is an attorney who almost lost her license, her life, and her daughter, Lily. She is a strong female character who holds it together and finds a new beginning.
Hal Samuels III – District attorney who was previously involved with Jessie, married Erin which didn’t work, and ended up back with Jessie. He also decided to pull together a task force to help in assisting the police to find the person or persons responsible for the disappearances of nine different women, feeling he failed them as well as his city. Cindie, his assistant, reminds him of the upcoming election. Lauren, his predecessor, is nothing more than a thorn in Hal’s side, thinking she wants her old job back.
Ebony Jones – Detective with the Poughkeepsie police department. She and Jessie also went through their years of high school together. At one time, they enjoyed a close friendship, but as with life, they went their separate ways. In this tale, they are drawn back together but their friendship has taken a different trek as adults.
Zander – Ebony’s partner. He always has her back. He doesn’t always agree with her choices, but he supports her.
Lily – Jessie and Kyle’s daughter. Kyle isn’t mentioned much, but he’s mentioned enough to know that he and Jessie have a less than amicable relationship.
As soon as I started reading this tale, I was pulled in by Ms. Millman’s writing style. Being a lawyer herself, Ms. Millman’s writing relatable. Her characters seem to come alive through her descriptiveness, putting both lawyer and police folks in realistic situations. When Ebony and Zander are searching one particular home, the descriptions of what they see and what they smell … you can really use your imagination to “see” and “smell” what you are reading. If you like reading police procedurals and legal thrillers with just a hint of politics, I’m sure this will fit the bill.
May 22, 2023
Criminal defense attorney Jessie Martin discovers Lissie Sexton, a local prostitute, in a ditch. Lissie claims she escaped the attack of a killer, so Jessie's boss puts her into hiding. However, Lissie is also the key witness for Jessie's estranged friend Detective Ebony Jones, who is looking for her. Jessie is now caught: if she reveals Lissie's location, she compromises her client, her firm, and her professional ethics. If she doesn't, she risks alienating not just Ebony but the entire police department backing her.
The book takes place in Poughkeepsie, New York, and is very loosely based on an actual area of the city where prostitutes were working and getting picked off by a serial killer. For this book, Jessie finding Lissie isn't her only connection to killers. She had known a teacher who turned out to be a killer and still felt overly possessive of her, enough to keep calling her. It's in this frazzled state of mind during a storm that allows her to find Lissie, and it's because of that case with the teacher that Jessie wants to keep her reputation and career intact. She has her own demons besides the teacher which she's ashamed to reveal, so she let a lot slide. In the background to this is the conflict with her ex over their daughter, her new boyfriend, and his future competition for District Attorney. Ebony is Black, female, and a detective, so she's under a lot of pressure to perform and produce actionable results. A hunch to connect cold cases isn't enough, and Lissie is the only living witness they have.
This is a novel with legal tensions, as there's the need for the police to find a potential rapist and killer, and the need of a lawyer to protect their client. Jessie is caught between both, understanding that the police need to do their job, but her new boss is adamant that he won't help and she can't go against his wishes. This forces her to take matters into her own hands, much as Ebony does for the police. It's fascinating to see these two stubborn women handle this case from their own angles and put themselves at risk professionally in order to make sure that justice is done for women that normally have no voice at all in society. While it's not exactly the action-filled fare of a political thriller, this is still a thriller in its own way, and I had to stay up late to finish it. Definitely a great look into cases like this, and the machinations behind the scenes that help to get them solved.
The book takes place in Poughkeepsie, New York, and is very loosely based on an actual area of the city where prostitutes were working and getting picked off by a serial killer. For this book, Jessie finding Lissie isn't her only connection to killers. She had known a teacher who turned out to be a killer and still felt overly possessive of her, enough to keep calling her. It's in this frazzled state of mind during a storm that allows her to find Lissie, and it's because of that case with the teacher that Jessie wants to keep her reputation and career intact. She has her own demons besides the teacher which she's ashamed to reveal, so she let a lot slide. In the background to this is the conflict with her ex over their daughter, her new boyfriend, and his future competition for District Attorney. Ebony is Black, female, and a detective, so she's under a lot of pressure to perform and produce actionable results. A hunch to connect cold cases isn't enough, and Lissie is the only living witness they have.
This is a novel with legal tensions, as there's the need for the police to find a potential rapist and killer, and the need of a lawyer to protect their client. Jessie is caught between both, understanding that the police need to do their job, but her new boss is adamant that he won't help and she can't go against his wishes. This forces her to take matters into her own hands, much as Ebony does for the police. It's fascinating to see these two stubborn women handle this case from their own angles and put themselves at risk professionally in order to make sure that justice is done for women that normally have no voice at all in society. While it's not exactly the action-filled fare of a political thriller, this is still a thriller in its own way, and I had to stay up late to finish it. Definitely a great look into cases like this, and the machinations behind the scenes that help to get them solved.
November 3, 2022
Jessie Martin never thought that saving a battered woman from drowning in a storm drain on a rainy night would send her down a very disturbing road but that is exactly what happens in Hooker Avenue, the second book in the Queen City Crimes Novel by Jode Millman.
In Hooker Avenue after Lissie is rescued Jessie is reunited with her old friend from school Detective Ebony Jones who is called to the scene. The two do not have a good relationship and their friendship has been unexistent since college took Ebony toward becoming a police officer and Jessie toward becoming a lawyer. Now they are drawn together when Lissie’s abuse case turns into something bigger than the two of them could have imagined.
When Jessie accepts a job offer from the lawyer that previously destroyed her in a past case, her boyfriend County District Attorney Hal Samuels finds it hard to believe but when Lissie will only work with Jessie, he has no other choice than to accept things in order to catch a criminal. And when the case becomes one of multiple missing women throughout the area within the last two years and the person behind it looks to be the one who assaulted Lissie and Jessie is working for Jeremy, Lissie’s attorney, Hal has no put personal feelings aside and to work with them.
Hooker Avenue is not just one case and a handful of people. Hooker Avenue is so much more…. it is a rollercoaster of a ride that readers will not want to get off of. The crimes, the people, the bad guys and the good guys, the area, the evidence and the thrill of the chase……will have you on the edge of your seat. If you are reading at night, you are going to want to leave a few extra lights on because Millman will have you so engrossed in the story, the shadows may spook you. Millman will have you thinking you hear things when you don’t and the smell will seem so real !! And you may have to stop sometimes and remind yourself to breathe…..
I highly encourage readers to grab their copy of Hooker Avenue and getting lost in this amazing story. You will thank me later !!
In Hooker Avenue after Lissie is rescued Jessie is reunited with her old friend from school Detective Ebony Jones who is called to the scene. The two do not have a good relationship and their friendship has been unexistent since college took Ebony toward becoming a police officer and Jessie toward becoming a lawyer. Now they are drawn together when Lissie’s abuse case turns into something bigger than the two of them could have imagined.
When Jessie accepts a job offer from the lawyer that previously destroyed her in a past case, her boyfriend County District Attorney Hal Samuels finds it hard to believe but when Lissie will only work with Jessie, he has no other choice than to accept things in order to catch a criminal. And when the case becomes one of multiple missing women throughout the area within the last two years and the person behind it looks to be the one who assaulted Lissie and Jessie is working for Jeremy, Lissie’s attorney, Hal has no put personal feelings aside and to work with them.
Hooker Avenue is not just one case and a handful of people. Hooker Avenue is so much more…. it is a rollercoaster of a ride that readers will not want to get off of. The crimes, the people, the bad guys and the good guys, the area, the evidence and the thrill of the chase……will have you on the edge of your seat. If you are reading at night, you are going to want to leave a few extra lights on because Millman will have you so engrossed in the story, the shadows may spook you. Millman will have you thinking you hear things when you don’t and the smell will seem so real !! And you may have to stop sometimes and remind yourself to breathe…..
I highly encourage readers to grab their copy of Hooker Avenue and getting lost in this amazing story. You will thank me later !!
April 14, 2022
When Jessie Martin finds a person half-drowned in a gutter, she has no idea how much it will affect her life. Still trying to bounce back from the last debacle she was caught up in, she soon finds herself in the middle of a criminal investigation while trying to revive her career, ease the tension in her love life, and decipher her best friend’s attitude.
Things I LOVED about this book:
*The story line. Millman is so close to being an excellent writer. She’s well on her way to being a unique combination of Megan Miranda and John Grisham.
*Grasp of legal concepts and procedures. I prefer my legal thrillers to be written by attorneys because they know the law and don’t annoy me. She was accurate without being boring. Extra credit for that.
*The main character - so easy to root for. If Ebony doesn’t get her act together, I’m happy to be Jessie’s new BFF.
Things that didn’t work for me:
*Dialogue. Some of it was okay, but a lot of it was forced, awkward, and flat.
*Weird chapter cliffhangers that went nowhere. I had an ARC, so this may have been fixed for the final copy. For example, the second chapter ends with a serious accident that potentially includes our main character, but is never mentioned again. We quickly learn she wasn’t in the accident (this isn’t a spoiler), but the “suspense” isn’t suspenseful. It’s awkward and unnecessary. Later chapters end with dramatic conversation openers….but the conversation never happens? This really affected the flow of the book for me.
This is the second installment in Millman’s Queen City Crimes series. It hits shelves April 19. Overall, I definitely recommend grabbing a copy. Millman has the ability to take the legal thriller genre by storm if she so chooses. Better editing (which again, may have been done - if so, I will completely redo this review!) would have made this a 4.5 star review.
Thanks to the author, Level Best Books, and Meryl Moss for this ARC in return for my honest review.
Things I LOVED about this book:
*The story line. Millman is so close to being an excellent writer. She’s well on her way to being a unique combination of Megan Miranda and John Grisham.
*Grasp of legal concepts and procedures. I prefer my legal thrillers to be written by attorneys because they know the law and don’t annoy me. She was accurate without being boring. Extra credit for that.
*The main character - so easy to root for. If Ebony doesn’t get her act together, I’m happy to be Jessie’s new BFF.
Things that didn’t work for me:
*Dialogue. Some of it was okay, but a lot of it was forced, awkward, and flat.
*Weird chapter cliffhangers that went nowhere. I had an ARC, so this may have been fixed for the final copy. For example, the second chapter ends with a serious accident that potentially includes our main character, but is never mentioned again. We quickly learn she wasn’t in the accident (this isn’t a spoiler), but the “suspense” isn’t suspenseful. It’s awkward and unnecessary. Later chapters end with dramatic conversation openers….but the conversation never happens? This really affected the flow of the book for me.
This is the second installment in Millman’s Queen City Crimes series. It hits shelves April 19. Overall, I definitely recommend grabbing a copy. Millman has the ability to take the legal thriller genre by storm if she so chooses. Better editing (which again, may have been done - if so, I will completely redo this review!) would have made this a 4.5 star review.
Thanks to the author, Level Best Books, and Meryl Moss for this ARC in return for my honest review.
May 28, 2023
Hooker Avenue is the second book in the Queen City Crimes ( Jesse Martin Series) Series featuring Jesse Martin, Detective Ebony Jones, and Ebon'ys partner Zander. Jesse is on her way home from shopping and comes across something in the ditch on the side of the road. She investigates and finds that there is a person lodged in the ditch. She calls 911 and Ebony and Zander arrive on the scene.
Jesse is a disgraced attorney but is clawing her way back up to the top. She agrees to take a position with a fellow attorney. She is also being stalked by a man she helped put into prison, in the previous book The Midnight Call. The man is calling her and harassing her.
Detectives Jones and Pulaski are investigating a case that has numerous women missing. These women are all hookers, no one has investigated their disappearances so the two detectives take it upon themselves to find out what has happened to the women. They are hoping to find a pattern that will lead them to a serial killer hunting the streets of Poughkeepsie NY. They eventually find more than they had bargained for as the killer is very elusive.
With Jesse her fiance Hal, and the two detectives put themselves in danger to confront the killer. This is a fast-paced character-driven mystery book that is a continuation of the story set up in the first book, The Midnight Call. We learn a bit more about the lives of the characters, including the missing women.
I always enjoy a good mystery thriller and this author does an amazing job telling a story that is gritty and could come right off of the headlines. Personal dramas and secrets come forth in the telling of Hooker Avenue. I enjoyed the book immensely and eagerly await the next in the series The Empty Kayak which comes out May 30th, 2023
I give the book 5 stars!
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.
Jesse is a disgraced attorney but is clawing her way back up to the top. She agrees to take a position with a fellow attorney. She is also being stalked by a man she helped put into prison, in the previous book The Midnight Call. The man is calling her and harassing her.
Detectives Jones and Pulaski are investigating a case that has numerous women missing. These women are all hookers, no one has investigated their disappearances so the two detectives take it upon themselves to find out what has happened to the women. They are hoping to find a pattern that will lead them to a serial killer hunting the streets of Poughkeepsie NY. They eventually find more than they had bargained for as the killer is very elusive.
With Jesse her fiance Hal, and the two detectives put themselves in danger to confront the killer. This is a fast-paced character-driven mystery book that is a continuation of the story set up in the first book, The Midnight Call. We learn a bit more about the lives of the characters, including the missing women.
I always enjoy a good mystery thriller and this author does an amazing job telling a story that is gritty and could come right off of the headlines. Personal dramas and secrets come forth in the telling of Hooker Avenue. I enjoyed the book immensely and eagerly await the next in the series The Empty Kayak which comes out May 30th, 2023
I give the book 5 stars!
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.
April 21, 2022
Disgraced lawyer Jessie Martin is driving through the rain when she is distracted by a shiny object. It’s a shiny jacket in a drainage ditch, and the woman wearing it is barely alive.Her childhood friend Ebony Jones is the officer on the case and wants to know how the woman ended up there. Jessie and Ebony want the attacker to pay, but Acting District Attorney Hal Samuels won’t prosecute until there’s more evidence. The victim, Lissie, is a prostitute who wants to get as far away as she can from law enforcement and her attacker, so it’s tougher to get evidence when she keeps disappearing. Add in Hal’s relationship and Lissie’s connection to the police chiefs further complicate matters. Throw Hal’s reelection campaign, stalking, some strange legal pairings, and cold cases in for good measure.
Wow. That’s a lot to pack into one story. It takes a skilled writer to pack so many moving pieces into the plot without it falling apart. Jode Millman manages to layer all of the pieces together in a compelling, satisfying way. At first, I felt like it was a stretch for so many characters connected to each other, but it allowed a familiarity between them that helped move the plot forward quicker. The characters were well-defined and developed reasonably as the book progressed. Seemingly random scenes were reasonably tied together as the story plowed to the finish. Most importantly, the strong finish made sense because of Millman’s sharp writing.
I enjoyed Hooker Avenue, and I will happily read more of Jode Millman’s books.
Thank you, NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media Group for providing a review copy of the book.
Wow. That’s a lot to pack into one story. It takes a skilled writer to pack so many moving pieces into the plot without it falling apart. Jode Millman manages to layer all of the pieces together in a compelling, satisfying way. At first, I felt like it was a stretch for so many characters connected to each other, but it allowed a familiarity between them that helped move the plot forward quicker. The characters were well-defined and developed reasonably as the book progressed. Seemingly random scenes were reasonably tied together as the story plowed to the finish. Most importantly, the strong finish made sense because of Millman’s sharp writing.
I enjoyed Hooker Avenue, and I will happily read more of Jode Millman’s books.
Thank you, NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media Group for providing a review copy of the book.
February 28, 2023
This is the 2nd book in the Queen City Crime series. It can definitely be read as a stand-alone but I definitely think the reader will
benefit greatly from reading “The Midnight Call” first.
The book has a very strong protagonist, Jesse Martin. The beginning of the book had me struggling a bit because there were so many facets of her life and career that I had to read about. Some incidents were left hanging and never brought up again until the end of the book. For me, this was distracting as I kept wondering why, what and how this will amount to later in the book.
The book takes place in Poughkeepsie, NY which is only 20 minutes and across a bridge for me. The author’s description of the surroundings and places were easy for me to visualize and put the book into a very real place.
Writing is an art and I think as a new writer, she did a very detailed job. The more books she writes, the stronger she will become. The mystery and suspense she will write will be a “can’t put it down type of book”. The suspense and mystery are there but not in the beginning. I do love the fact that she wrote it with a third party point of view. I am definitely looking forward to her next book! Hopefully it will be a 3rd book in this series. This book is well written and very interesting as the author is a former lawyer and has a masters degree in English Literature. #suzyapprovedbooktours
benefit greatly from reading “The Midnight Call” first.
The book has a very strong protagonist, Jesse Martin. The beginning of the book had me struggling a bit because there were so many facets of her life and career that I had to read about. Some incidents were left hanging and never brought up again until the end of the book. For me, this was distracting as I kept wondering why, what and how this will amount to later in the book.
The book takes place in Poughkeepsie, NY which is only 20 minutes and across a bridge for me. The author’s description of the surroundings and places were easy for me to visualize and put the book into a very real place.
Writing is an art and I think as a new writer, she did a very detailed job. The more books she writes, the stronger she will become. The mystery and suspense she will write will be a “can’t put it down type of book”. The suspense and mystery are there but not in the beginning. I do love the fact that she wrote it with a third party point of view. I am definitely looking forward to her next book! Hopefully it will be a 3rd book in this series. This book is well written and very interesting as the author is a former lawyer and has a masters degree in English Literature. #suzyapprovedbooktours
July 11, 2022
I really wanted to love this book, being from the Hudson Valley area myself, where this novel takes place. This story really holds your hand and tells you how to feel at each turn, neither are things I would look for in a murder mystery to say the least.
The author likes to mention places of restaurants, buildings, towns, and even streets by name, but gives no context or additional detail describing them. I was able to picture them in my head because I've been to these specific places, but if I was not from the area, I'd be totally lost. Throughout the novel, there are some plot points introduced that feel forgotten about until the end, some resolved and some never mentioned again. This further irritated me while I was struggling to feel any compassion for the characters along the way. Each of the major characters felt very two dimensional, they had a main goal, a few likes, and a few headstrong traits. However, characters will suddenly change their behavior on a dime in order to progress the story, doing things that seem pretty out of character and don't get explained either.
The entire time, I was waiting for a twist or a sudden development in the plot that would keep my interest, but it never came. I pushed to finish this so I could see if the story actually wrapped up nicely or not. In my opinion, this story acts like it's amazing, but falls short so much.
The author likes to mention places of restaurants, buildings, towns, and even streets by name, but gives no context or additional detail describing them. I was able to picture them in my head because I've been to these specific places, but if I was not from the area, I'd be totally lost. Throughout the novel, there are some plot points introduced that feel forgotten about until the end, some resolved and some never mentioned again. This further irritated me while I was struggling to feel any compassion for the characters along the way. Each of the major characters felt very two dimensional, they had a main goal, a few likes, and a few headstrong traits. However, characters will suddenly change their behavior on a dime in order to progress the story, doing things that seem pretty out of character and don't get explained either.
The entire time, I was waiting for a twist or a sudden development in the plot that would keep my interest, but it never came. I pushed to finish this so I could see if the story actually wrapped up nicely or not. In my opinion, this story acts like it's amazing, but falls short so much.
March 8, 2022
Jessie’s sort of best friend, Detective Ebony Jones, and her partner are on the case and investigating missing women. Some are sex workers and the cases have been put on the back burner. But now they have a live victim who can give them a description. But the witness is shaky at best and is now missing.
Jessie’s personal life is complicated. Her boyfriend, Hal, is the DA and she is a lawyer. On extended maternity leave. With a horror of a husband, she is trying to divorce. He is demanding she stay home with their daughter, Lily, for a year. And then Jessie receives an offer from the attorney who ruined her former career. Work with him. His health is bad and she does like him.
Things go from bad to worse as a killer in an insane asylum keeps calling her and threatening her. She is keeping secrets and so is everyone here.
Jessie and Ebony are determined to help find these women. Only from two different directions and without telling each other anything. Miscommunication causes lives to be harmed and Jessie is putting her life on the line.
There are so many questions I have about this one. For one, where did Ebony put the money? And why didn’t anyone bring this up? $30,000? Parts dragged on and parts were brushed over.
NetGalley/April 19th. 2022 by Level Best Books
Jessie’s personal life is complicated. Her boyfriend, Hal, is the DA and she is a lawyer. On extended maternity leave. With a horror of a husband, she is trying to divorce. He is demanding she stay home with their daughter, Lily, for a year. And then Jessie receives an offer from the attorney who ruined her former career. Work with him. His health is bad and she does like him.
Things go from bad to worse as a killer in an insane asylum keeps calling her and threatening her. She is keeping secrets and so is everyone here.
Jessie and Ebony are determined to help find these women. Only from two different directions and without telling each other anything. Miscommunication causes lives to be harmed and Jessie is putting her life on the line.
There are so many questions I have about this one. For one, where did Ebony put the money? And why didn’t anyone bring this up? $30,000? Parts dragged on and parts were brushed over.
NetGalley/April 19th. 2022 by Level Best Books
October 26, 2023
Hooker Avenue, by Jode Millman, tells the story of a serial killer on the loose in upstate Poughkeepsie, New York. A number of young women, most of them prostitutes have gone missing over a period of several years, and neither the local police nor the district attorney’s office seems to have taken much interest until, on a rainy night in early spring, another young woman named Lissie Sexton turns up nearly drowned in a roadside ditch. She is found there by attorney Jessie Martin, who decides to take up Lissie’s cause, and quickly enlists the somewhat reluctant help of her former BFF and present-day Poughkeepsie police detective, Ebony Jones. From that beginning, the narrative takes shape as a police procedural that, in the skilled hands of author Milliman, herself a practicing attorney, is every bit as skillfully written as those of Michael Connelly (author of the Harry Bosch series). It takes the reader along for the ride on an unforgettable journey in the very heart of evil. This is a terrific read (and an American fiction Awards Finalist) that you will not want to put down. I recommend it unreservedly.
--Gregory Stout, Shamus Award winning author of the Jackson Gamble series
--Gregory Stout, Shamus Award winning author of the Jackson Gamble series
April 19, 2022
Hooker Avenue is set in New York’s Hudson Valley. It begins with a woman saving another severely beaten woman from drowning during a rainstorm. That’s a fairly innocent beginning, but it’s what follows that will have you on the edge of your seat. Being from opposite sides, cops and lawyers don’t usually see eye to eye, but it takes both – and several of each – to solve the mystery of who hurt this young woman of the night. One thing leads to another, and they learn of several deaths of prostitutes across the Valley. It’s sad but true that women of the streets are quite often viewed as throwaways that don’t really matter. Fortunately, the good guys (and gals) – after figuring out there’s a serial killer on the loose – begin taking these deaths seriously. There’s a lot of action in Hooker Avenue, and Millman does a fabulous job of keeping the pace going while educating the reader on police procedures, what’s ethical, borderline, and crossing into unethical territory. I loved this book – it’s not an easy read, but anything worthwhile shouldn’t be easy. I highly recommend Hooker Avenue to anyone interested in a spellbinding and thrilling read.
June 22, 2022
Hooker Avenue is a police procedural based on true events. The setting is an area a short drive from where I live and the author captures the essence of the area. The characters are well-developed and there is obvious tension between Jessie Martin and Detective Ebony Jones. Unfortunately, this tension started in the first book of the series and made it difficult to understand the underlying issues between the characters when they first encountered each other. The reader is thrown into an already difficult friendship.
The author successfully manages the intensity of the thriller so that the reader wants to keep turning the page to find out what happens next or get the next piece of the puzzle. The legalese is handled in such a way that the reader understands the criminal investigative process as well as the legality of representing a client.
I would recommend that a person start with book 1 of this series before delving into book 2. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Level Best Books, Jodé Millman, and Partners In Crime Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
The author successfully manages the intensity of the thriller so that the reader wants to keep turning the page to find out what happens next or get the next piece of the puzzle. The legalese is handled in such a way that the reader understands the criminal investigative process as well as the legality of representing a client.
I would recommend that a person start with book 1 of this series before delving into book 2. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Level Best Books, Jodé Millman, and Partners In Crime Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
November 15, 2022
Hooker Avenue was a really fun read. I was anxious to get started after the closing line in the first book in the series, The Midnight Call. The story picks up with Jessie, the main character, still finding her new normal after the murder case that had such a devastating impact on her life. She finds herself in a new drama on a routine drive home from the grocery store. The story quickly develops and brings back some more familiar characters and the challenges and interactions of Jesse's relationship with those characters as the plot develops.
The story addresses the failings of society and the criminal justice system on the treatment of women sex workers while creating an exciting mystery that brings the personal and legal sides into the story and how the key characters are motivated to address the problem that they have identified in Dutchess County. The book was a legal thriller and an exciting read.
Being from the Hudson Valley made the story even more real to me. Great characters and non-stop surprises made this book an interesting and fun read. I recommend reading it but be prepared to find that it is hard to put down!
The story addresses the failings of society and the criminal justice system on the treatment of women sex workers while creating an exciting mystery that brings the personal and legal sides into the story and how the key characters are motivated to address the problem that they have identified in Dutchess County. The book was a legal thriller and an exciting read.
Being from the Hudson Valley made the story even more real to me. Great characters and non-stop surprises made this book an interesting and fun read. I recommend reading it but be prepared to find that it is hard to put down!
April 10, 2022
Jessie Martin, after stopping to help a woman badly beaten on the side of the road, finds herself entangled in the search for a predator of women, particularly sex workers. Lissie Sexton, one of those sex workers, is on the run, from her boyfriend/pimp, from the man who beat her up and from the police. Ebony Jones is following her police instincts to stop a dangerous man, fighting for women that society often times discards as less than.
Overall the book was entertaining. A decent police-crime novel. The alternate point of view storytelling did help the pacing of the book and kept my interest. I haven't read The Midnight Call yet and some of the storyline was a carry over but it didn't distract from the current novel. I would have and probably should have read the first just to get a better feel of the backstory.
Well written and believable characters. I recommend for those that like crime novels, police adventures and detective narrations.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and provide my honest opinion.
Overall the book was entertaining. A decent police-crime novel. The alternate point of view storytelling did help the pacing of the book and kept my interest. I haven't read The Midnight Call yet and some of the storyline was a carry over but it didn't distract from the current novel. I would have and probably should have read the first just to get a better feel of the backstory.
Well written and believable characters. I recommend for those that like crime novels, police adventures and detective narrations.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and provide my honest opinion.
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