Review: I LOVE Julie Collins and crew!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 8, 2014
Are you a fan of gritty mysteries featuring kickass women?  Are you a Lorelei James fan? Did you know she writes two awesome mystery series featuring kickass women, under the name Lori Armstrong? While I'm a fan of her Mercy Gunderson series, I am a self-professed super fan of her Shamus nominated Julie Collins, PI series!  There are four books in the series, BLOOD TIES, HALLOWED GROUND, SHALLOW GRAVE, and SNOW BLIND, a short story, DEAD FLOWERS and a brand-new novella, BAITED.To say that I was excited about this new addition to the series is an understatement! Finally!  New adventures of my favorite PI, Julie Collins!  I couldn't wait to get my hands on this story...and it was so worth the wait!Julie is a tough chick who can take a punch and come up swinging.  She often lets her emotions and her sense of justice lead her into dangerous situations.  In BAITED, she takes on a missing person's case, at the request of the missing man's best friend.  As an investigator, she is both smart and persistent.  Even though she doesn't think there is much to her client's claim that his friend isn't just missing, but was murdered, she sets out to uncover the truth.  In addition to the missing person's case, she is also battling her own case of loneliness. Her former BFF, Kim, isn't around as much since she became a mom, and  her business partner and longtime friend, Kevin, is spending a lot of time on the road.  Tony Martinez, Julie's super sexy, badass biker boyfriend, is busy with his various business interests, as well as running the Hombres MC, leaving Julie on her own more often than she would like.  Feeling lonely and a little sorry for herself, she sets out to make a new friend...in Tony's bar.  Lucky for both Julie and fans of this series, her old friends are here too-- Kevin, Jimmer, and even Big Mike.  I love the entire cast of characters in this series and am thrilled when they show up!  It's like a visit with old friends.  Some kind of scary old friends, but friends that I've missed and was excited to see.BAITED is a mystery, not a romance.  But Julie and Martinez's relationship is romantic...and sweet...and smoking hot! I LOVE these two together and can't get enough of them!  Tough guy Martinez is perfect for Julie.  He always seems to know what she needs, often before she does. Did I mention this man is seriously HOT?I love Julie Collins, flaws and all.  I always know I'm going to get a great mystery, a few laughs, some emotional highs and lows, and even a little romance.Remember, BAITED isn't a standalone. If you haven't read this series...what are you waiting for?!Review copy provided for an honest review.