Linda Lovely

In With Neighbors Like These, author Linda Lovely transports the reader to the lowcountry area of Beaufort, South Carolina, for an intriguing mystery story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

When neighborly feuds over the HOA Hullis Island community's status as a nature sanctuary overrun by herds of deer sparks incidents that turns into a murder, retired Coast Guard Inspector Kylee Kane joins up with childhood friend Ted Welch, owner of Welch HOA Management Company, investigating a rash of murders that start occurring in HOA communities that are Welch clients. Add in the threatening notes sent to Kylee's mom Myrtle over her stance on the deer issue, and you have a pair of ex-military who is determined to find the killer, but the killer's motive for murder is a personal case of revenge. Follow Kylee and Ted as they embark on an investigation where a crafty killer engages them in a dangerous cat and mouse game.

In With Neighbors Like These, author Linda Lovely weaves a slow-building and suspenseful story that follows Kylee and Ted as they pursue a killer's methodical murder plan of revenge before any more murders occur on any more unsuspecting victims. Told in an alternating first person narrative by Kylee and the killer, Kylee and Ted engage in a deadly cat-n-mouse game that slowly plays out as Kylee puts the puzzle pieces together, while the killer is confident that the revenge plans will outsmart them and the police.

I loved reading this riveting story. The author provides the reader with a fascinating killer profile known as "The Twin," which allows them to follow the killer's very detailed revenge murder plan. And if that's not enough to keep the reader engaged, Kylee and Ted's investigation kept me intrigued as they slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together. The reader will be easily drawn into this richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing the identity of the killer, as the motive, murder plan, and clues are uncovered, and a surprise ending that brings this gripping story full circle.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I love reading stories set in the lowcountry setting of the Carolinas. The author does an amazing job of providing a richly vivid description of the lowcountry islands, and the quirky characters that reside within the various HOA communities. The book is a mixture of cozy mystery because of the humor and quirky characters who provide a growing list of suspects and finger pointing, intertwined with a classic mystery whodunit puzzle that keeps the reader engaged and guessing from beginning to end.

With Neighbors Like These 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 in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/08/with-neighbors-like-these-by-...… (meer)

This was a good follow up to the first book in the series. Brie is back and this time she is investigating why someone would want to attack the son of her aunt's best friend. Of course her investigation will lead her to be in danger.

I really liked reading about Brie, her Aunt Eva, and her friends. I enjoyed how they all came together to investigate what was going on. What I didn't like about this book was Brie's dilemma in regards to Paint and Andy. She needs to make up her mind whether or not to be in a relationship with one of them. I am starting to find it creepy that Paint and Andy don't mind that the other is flirting and trying to be with Brie. I hope this doesn't last long in this series.

I really enjoyed that there was a lot of action in this book. It seemed like Brie was in danger a lot during this book and I enjoyed all of the suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.… (meer)

When Brie and her friends Paint and Andy are getting Udderly Kidding Dairy ready for a Halloween fundraiser for her Aunt Eva's best friend Carol Strong, who is running for governor, all talk is about Carol's son Zack, who grew up with the two men and has now made it big in football. But no sooner are they talking about him when he shows up to visit with his old friends.

Once the costumed affair is underway, everyone seems to be having a good time...until Zack is found unconscious in the barn, having been hit on the head and then stabbed with a pitchfork. The attack has left him in a coma, and since almost everyone wore a mask, no one can tell who the attacker might have been.

But it doesn't stop there. Soon Carol disappears, and both Brie and Eva thinks she might have been kidnapped. It doesn't help that suddenly the town is filled with people from Zack's football team, including a pair of hired thugs who are more menacing than protective. And if Brie doesn't figure out what's going on pretty soon, she might be the next one in the line of fire...

First off, I should get the things that bothered me out of the way: Having read the first one, I was looking forward to this book. However, this time out, Brie is really concerned with sex (as she reminds us how long she's been celibate). Also, as I've said before, if this were a man and he were making remarks about two women who were interested in him, the demographics would be a whole lot different on peoples' opinion of the book.

Her friend Mollye, who is supposed to be witty and funny, comes off like a twisted teenager in this book. She's constantly making sexual innuendos which seem out of place considering there's a man in the hospital and his mother is missing. I just felt that she never took the situation seriously; it gave me the impression that this book was centered more on the romantic angle, and because of that, the mystery angle suffered. It wasn't until the second half of the book when there's a murder to be solved. (Let's face it, folks, you read a mystery because of the murder, and you expect it fairly early on). Unfortunately, since I'm not the least interested in love triangles, it made the first part of the book slow going for me.

But once the mystery started to get going, so did the action. The pace picked up, and suspects began to come out of the woodwork, making the last half of the book quite interesting. There were some harrowing situations that Brie managed to get into (and out of) and I enjoyed this immensely. The words began to flow off the page, bringing us into the story and keeping us involved right up until the end. It was this half that saved the book for me, and the best part of it, in my humble opinion.

Brie manages to think on her feet in tight situations, and that's always a good thing. I found the writing to be very good, the plot line engaging. I enjoyed how everything came together nicely at the end, and look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.… (meer)