My book club, By The Book, loves a good mystery, and Midnight on The Mississippi by Mary Ellis provided just that. We loved the characters, the setting and the twisting plot. It also produced some very lively conversation and a desire to take a book field trip. All around, this book gets a thumbs up!

Nicki Price is a newly minted PI determined to leave her poor, rural roots behind. But can you really go forward without dealing with the past first? With perseverance, a bit of luck and a little swamp time, Nicki will find out just who killed Hunter Galen’s partner — hopefully before Hunter lands in jail and she ends up dead!

Let me say first that we loved, loved, loved the setting. New Orleans is one of my favorite places to visit and Ellis did a good job of bringing it and its environs to life. Her characters were fun, with many endearing and more that we loved to hate. The plot was a bit predictable and in some cases stretched credibility, but we decided to suspend disbelief and join in the fun.

There was only one thing that I took issue with. Nicki is a Mississippi girl and is often referred to by the author as a “delta” girl. Um, no. Nicki was from Natchez; the Delta (notice the capitalization) is located in the north western part of the state. It’s own distinctive region, the Delta has a rich culture and heritage, as rich as its black earth. While this discrepancy was a bit of an irritant for me, I decided to over look it. Regional details are difficult to get 100% right when you are not from the area. And if you are wondering how I know about such things, I lived in Mississippi for 8 years, married a Mississippi boy and had a true Delta Girl as a college roommate.

Minor issues aside, we loved this novel and will be reading book #2, What Happened on Beale Street, in 2017. We give it a highly recommended rating.

Highly recommended.

Audience: adults. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful mystery by Mary Ellis. She keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages. I will definitely want to read the next book in this series.

Hunter Galen's partner is found murdered. Hunter was getting calls from him all day and even during a large family party and now he's dead. Of course, he is at the top of the list of suspects. As he searches for clues to who did the crime and why his partner would be murdered he discovers shady dealings he knew nothing about. Enter Nikki Price, a novice private detective who convinces Hunter to let her take the case. As she looks for evidence to prove Hunter innocent someone doesn't want her snooping around. You will need to read this adeptly written novel to see for yourself how this murder is solved.

I highly recommend Midnight on the Mississippi the first of the South Mysteries.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and I gladly have given my honest review. ( )

Midnight on the Mississippi
Mary Ellis

Book Summary: Hunter Galen, a stock and securities broker, suspects his business partner, James Nowak, may be involved in embezzling their clients' money, but he's reluctant to jeopardize their friendship based on suspicion alone. After James turns up dead, Hunter realizes his unwillingness to confront a problem may have cost James his life. Nicki Price, a newly minted PI, intends to solve the stockbroker's murder, recover the missing millions from the client accounts, and establish herself in the career she adores. As she ferrets out fraud and deception at Galen Investments, Hunter's fiancée, Ashley Menard, rubs Nicki the wrong way. Nicki doesn't trust the ostentatious woman with an agenda longer than the Mississippi River. Ashley seems to be hiding something, but is Nicki's growing attraction to Hunter—a suspected murderer—her true reason for disliking Ashley? As they encounter sophisticated shell games, blackmail, and murder, Nicki and Hunter's only option is to turn to God as they search for answers, elude lethal danger, and perhaps discover love along the way.

Review: Great start to a new series!!! Doesn't take to long to get into the murder. It made me think that about coming upon something illegal and even though you report it does no mean that person doesn't get pegged for it. I really enjoyed Nikki and some of the other underlying events that were going on. For me that kept the suspense going without it being too intense. I always like to be kept waiting for the who did it and this one did not disappoint. I really am hooked on this series. Looking forward to finishing the second book and to start the third book!!!

I would like to thank Net Galley and Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. ( )

Thrilling, nerve-racking, often intense, are just a few of the words I am using to describe this novel. Hunter Galen, a well-known business man, high society name in New Orleans, finds his partner dead. And to top it off, guess who is being accused of committing the crime. Even after suspecting that his partner, James, may have been up to know good, Hunter tried to ignore it, until now. James was his friend - or was he?

Nicki Price, country gal from Mississippi, is direly in need of a job. With her recently acquired PI license, and hopefully soon to be acquired carrying permit, she barges her way into her cousin's New Orleans office demanding to be hired. When her plans go a bit amiss, she weasels her way into her cousins newest case - Hunter's murder of his friend James- using her PI skills or ... something like that. To the amazement of both Hunter and her cousin, she is actually pretty good at investigating. So good, she is rubbing people the wrong way, and finds herself in danger numerous times.

Will they discover who the real killer is before someone else gets killed? Full of twists and turns, surprises, and a few narrow escapes, Mary Ellis takes you on a thrilling roller coaster ride of adventure. This is my first Mary Ellis book. For me it was a quick read, once I got started. Honestly, I had a hard time putting it down, and found myself often reading when I really should have been doing other "more important" things. I totally enjoyed this book. The plot, as well as, the subplot were extremely well written. And I was somewhat surprised at the end result. Mary definitely kept me guessing.

I was blessed with this book by the Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to review the book in a positive manner. ( )

Title: Midnight on the Mississippi (Secrets of the South #1)
Author: Mary Ellis
Pages: e-book
Year: 2015
Nicki Price and Hunter Galen couldn’t be from two more different backgrounds. She is from very rural Mississippi and he is from New Orleans. His family is very wealthy while hers is poor. When they first meet, Nicki is trying to land her first big case as a newly minted private investigator with Hunter as her first client. Actually, her cousin owns the detective agency and she pleads with him to let her be his assistant. Her cousin Nate has worked for Hunter for several years and when Hunter is a suspect in a murder, Nate is on the job. However, someone gets Nate arrested so he is off the job, leaving Nicki in the driver’s seat. Nicki is also investigating on her own time the death of her father seventeen years ago. She knows he wasn’t all that good of a father, but he was the only one she had so she wants to know what happened on that night long ago.
As Nicki now leads her first paying case, she follows the money to try to discover who might want to kill Hunter’s business partner and friend. Hunter is the number one suspect, but Nicki knows Hunter is innocent. Hunter researches his partner’s financial records and business dealings, finding out things about his friend he never thought possible. Hunter also is coerced into an engagement with his girlfriend that he is not quite ready for, but doesn’t want her to be embarrassed so he agrees. However, something doesn’t sit right with him. He has spent a lot of time with Nicki and wants to spend more time with her. He doesn’t care whether she is rich or poor. His current fiancée is very focused on money and her style of living in society. Is she really the right woman for him?
The story has a good plot and enough action to keep readers interested from beginning to end. I really liked the character of Nicki. She says what she is thinking without sugarcoating things. She is honest, a hard worker, goes the extra mile and is God-fearing. Nicki also has a great sense of humor and has no illusions about where she is from and who she is. Her trust lies with the Lord. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. This is a book that is easy to read and one that will entertain.
My rating is 4 stars out of 5.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )