Review: Crazy definitely sums it up-in a good way!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2014
So just FYI, I did receive an advanced reader copy-I'm not sure why everyone makes such a big deal about this-if I didn't like the book, I wouldn't write the review. There is no monetary incentive, but since others seem to make this caveat, I guess I will too.I rarely give 5 stars to anything, but I loved this book. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down.So here is the general plot- there is a murder (go figure) it is staged to look like a murder-suicide on the happy couples wedding night. It is quickly ascertained that it was actually a double homicide. You will get a big kick out of the opening "scenes" (I swear it feels like I am watching it on t.v.!) I thought the under the dress scene was a little over the top, personally, but it definitely goes along with the crazy that is Kate's life! So we have Kate, Charlie, and Pearl all at the crime scene to start off the investigation, we also are introduced to a new character-the medical examiner, Brie. She pops up here and there throughout the book, likable character we will probably see more of in future books. The investigation leads the gang to a high end prostitution enterprise, organized crime, and dirty cops. It also takes a turn that I knew we would get to eventually, but I thought it would be strung out for a few more books-Kate's dad's unsolved murder. A recurring theme in these first three books in the alphabet series is "the wolf". In book one, we have "Wolf Donavan", in book two there are some vague references to wolves as part of the occult theme. Now we have "The Wolf" who is the hit man. I wonder if that theme will continue to repeat itself in future books :-) So the identity of "The Wolf" is a mystery until the very end. I had my suspicions, mostly because he seemed like a long shot and that's who usually ends up being the culprit. The ending also leaves some loose ends that may wind their way into future books.Now for the drama that is Kate's personal life. She has a new Lieutenant-Henry Edna-who has taken the place of the male chauvinist pig from book Hollywood Blood. I actually Like Edna, he has what you might call a potty mouth, but I know plenty of people, especially cops that speak the same language and I still like them-lol. Edna seems like an overall good cop that doesn't disrespect Kate and tries to do the best he can despite the political and professional pressure being put on him. He is a hoot though, with his foul mouth and a bit of a short fuse. Then poor Kate has to work with Jessica when Charlie is out of commission for a few days. The back and forth between them is comical, but you just want to smack Jessica and tell her to grow up and stop being such a bitch. OF course what would life be like without Natalie, Mo, Robin, and her mom. Then we have the addition of Prissy, from the goth shop in book 2, and his grandma, and Natalie has new boyfriend-Tex. Mo and Natalie continue to add their own brand of humor and complication with their snooping, interference, "friendly" harassment, and over the top sexual references. Then there is Kate's love life. Jack and Mack-who will prevail? Well that remains to be seen still at the end of this book. But there is definitely some sizzle in Kate's love life throughout the book. I personally think I am rooting for Mack. He and Kate seem to be more compatible for the long haul, they balance each other out. Jack is a good guy but I think he has just been too casual for too long. If he wanted more than just a friend with benefits relationship then he should have put that out there when he took the job with Homeland Security. But it feels like he is just taking her for granted, whether he realizes it or not, and she deserves more than that. I really love Kate's character, she is strong and intelligent and yet vulnerable too. I love her sense of duty to protect and serve and not fall into the traps that the kind of power being in law enforcement can put in your way. I also like that the author has not fallen into the same old plot line of the damsel in distress has to be rescued by the big strong man or the situation where every book in a series involves the heroine doing something stupid and ending up seriously injured. Although, sorry Kate, I think she needs a few more hard knocks (with her as the winner of course) to gain some street credibility :-)There are a few little things that bugged me (hey nobody is perfect and I would hope the author wants some constructive feedback from his fans), obviously not enough to detract from the 5 star rating though. I thought there was too much crying, some of it was well placed, but some of it seemed out of character. I also think that Mo, Natalie, and her other roommates are over the top. I know it's for comic relief and to add to the "crazy" that is Kate's life, but I feel like it's a little forced and over the top. Another thing is Bernie. That dog is supposed to be a trained police dog, but he disobeys his training way too often. I think that perpetuates some people's misperceptions about K-9 officers. Also we have been through 3 books now and Kate has not intentionally released him once. That seems a little odd considering the situations they have encountered. One last thing that bugs me is the characterization of Charlie being overweight, lazy, and eating nothing but junk food. I think that also perpetuates some myths about police officers. The officers, even detectives, in our area still have to meet a certain threshold for physical fitness in order to be in the field. The officers have set up their own little fitness room in an old part of the building that isn't used any more and take their fitness for duty seriously. Not that there aren't officers who carry around extra weight and are getting older, but Charlie is an accident waiting to happen that will endanger the rest of the team. I think we need to see Kate take her physical fitness more seriously as well. I want her to be as physically capable as she is intellectually. So there is my recap and personal opinion that this book was awesome and I can't wait for #4!