Gary GusickBesprekingen

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Alibi via NetGalley. I received an ARC Kindle e-book of [b: The Legacy: Darla Cavannah Mysteries, #3|25614680|The Legacy (Darla Cavannah Mysteries, #3)|Gary Gusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470844356s/25614680.jpg|45425842] by [a: Gary Gusick|5825734|Gary Gusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1381334945p2/5825734.jpg].

The novel is well written and kept me in a grip the entire way through.

I think that the cover threw me off from diving in when I first received it.

It is representative of the dynamic 'Yankee' detective Darla Cavannah who is transplanted to Mississippi. Darla carries a gun and knows how to use it. She is smart, can schmooze the politicians and other policing agencies she must deal with.

Married to an OBGYN who performs legal abortions - the only one in MS who does. In most cases that could pose a problem for her career, but she is also a widow of the late and great Old Miss Quarterback "Hugh the Glue Cavannah."

A few things missing from the cover: Darla's partner "Redneck Rita." The Mississippi Blues road houses. Old Blues posters. A carved statue of an African American warrior. Kudzu and a white Governor whose adopted African American daughter is lynched in the middle of the Old Miss campus.

Yes, I love this book, but there is a lot going on that could use more time and development.

Wow, the subplots running through this novel are vast enough to have created three more novels. I will go back and read [b: The Last Clinic: Darla Cavannah #1|18050394|The Last Clinic (Darla Cavannah Mysteries, #1)|Gary Gusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371680041s/18050394.jpg|19229765] and [b: Officer Elvis: Darla Cavannah, #2|22926840|Officer Elvis (Darla Cavannah Mysteries, #2)|Gary Gusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416497126s/22926840.jpg|42495952] and perhaps there I will find what I seek.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I will recommend [a: Gary Gusick|5825734|Gary Gusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1381334945p2/5825734.jpg] books for our library collection.

After a performance at old folks home, off duty police officer and part-time Elvis impersonator Tommy Reylander climbs into his pink Cadillac and is promptly blown to smithereens. Detective Darla Cavannah, who used to work with Tommy years ago, is determent to find his killer. Now she must go investigate all Tommy's enemies. But when more Elvis impersonators is starting to die must Darla re-valuate the while case, is there someone out there who just do not like the King of Rock and Roll, or have something against Elvis impersonators?

This cozy mystery book was actually a lot of fun to read. I liked Darla Cavannah, she's a tough chick and she made a great team with Rita Gibbons, who is back out in the field after being reprimanded for crashing a department SUV during a chase. Rita is an Elvis fan and that was handy on this case on the case to have. Also, she is a funny character and Darla & Rita work great together.

The case in itself was OK; I wasn't completely taking in by it. Don't take it wrong, I enjoyed reading the book and I would very much read more in this series. But it was a very lighthearted book and I prefer my crime novels to be a mix of light and dark or just dark. This felt a bit too whimsical for my taste. But it is a perfect book to read when you need something lighthearted in your life. But I must admit I was a bit surprised when it came to the killers identity, I don't want to give the story away, but who he was supposed to be was a bit of surprise, especially since I don't know much about the fellow in question he thought he was. Confusing? Yeah, but this is part of the plot and I just don't want to give it away.

So this book gets 3.5 stars. I actually changed the rating writing this review, gave it a half star more because I did enjoy the book!

I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley and from TLC Book Tours in return for an honest review!

Review also posted on A Bookaholic Swede and It's a Mad Mad World

4.5 stars. Gary Gusick's The Last Clinic is an intriguing mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. Pennsylvania transplant Darla Cavannah's murder investigation of a popular minister soon uncovers scandalous secrets and a shocking conspiracy. With time running out and a man's life at stake, will Darla put all of the pieces of this puzzling mystery together before it is too late?

A colorful cast of interesting characters is certainly one of the highlights of this entertaining and clever murder mystery. Darla is a richly developed and multi-faceted protagonist whose investigative skills are unsurpassed. As an outsider, she has a vastly different viewpoint of possible motives and suspects in Reverend Jimmy Aldridge's death and she follows the evidence rather than jumping to quick conclusions. Sheriff Shelby Mitchell is a charming Southern lawman with political aspirations who fully recognizes and appreciates Darla's expertise as an investigator. Unfortunately the good old boy network is firmly in place and Shelby reluctantly saddles, er, partners Darla with Tommy Reylander whose investigative skills are as abysmal as his Elvis impersonations. The other side of the bumbling investigator coin is the sharp as nails computer geek Uther Johnson whose tech savvy skills prove invaluable to Darla's investigation when he discovers a disturbing pattern to a seemingly unrelated series of crimes.

The logical suspect in the reverend's death is Doctor Stephen Nicoletti but Darla is not as convinced of his guilt as Tommy is. Instead, Darla focuses on Jimmy's life and the troubling evidence found at the crime scenes. Darla's intense scrutiny reveals very unsavory aspects of Jimmy's life and an appalling breach of his congregation's trust.

The only area the novel falters is the rushed romance between Darla and chief suspect Stephen Nicoletti. As the story opens, Darla is still deeply mourning of her husband's death, so I was a little taken aback at how quickly she fell in love with Stephen. Their relationship would have been much more believable if there had been a slower build-up and exploration of their growing feelings for one another.

The Last Clinic is a fast-paced and compelling mystery that I found impossible to put down. Gary Gusick deftly handles sensitive topics with ease and his characterization of Southern life is quite accurate. Unexpected plot twists keep readers guessing whodunnit right up until the novel's conclusion. An excellent first installment in what I hope is a new mystery series starring the delightfully engaging Darla Cavannah. Definitely a recommended read for anyone who enjoys mysteries.

Darla Cavannah is a South Philly girl, a Philadelphia cop, who moved to Jackson Mississippi with her husband, Jackson native and football hero Hugh Cavannah. Injuries ended his career, and, just six months ago, a car accident, fueled by the pain pills demanded by his injuries, ended Hugh's life.

On a leave of absence from the Hinds County sheriff's department while she grieves Hugh's death, Darla is startled to be abruptly called back to work in the wake of the shooting death of Reverend Jimmy Aldridge.

The popular Reverend was killed in the early morning, in front of the women's health clinic he's been rather aggressively picketing. Popular opinion, including Darla's newly assigned partner, Detective Tommy Reylander, has already convicted the doctor who runs the clinic, Dr. Stephen Nicoletti.

Darla is not so sure. And as the investigation continues, the situation grows not more clear, but less clear. The reverend had an interesting set of extracurricular activities as well as an unsuspected source of income.

I'm really impressed with both the character development and the pacing in this book, which is apparently a first novel. I can honestly say it doesn't read like a first novel. Darla and her friends, colleagues, and rivals, including Reylander, who could easily be a clown, are very neatly drawn and none are two-dimensional or boring. The layers of what's really going on are peeled back at exactly the right pace, and this is a truly enjoyable read.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first of this series that I've read and it won't be the last. I love books that are set in the deep south and Darla being a transplant from up North makes it even more interesting. The witty dialog exchanges between Darla and her not so polished partner, Rita is catchy as well. There wasn't a lot of things that I didn't like about this series, I've got some catching up to before the next release comes out.
I received a copy of this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is the third instalment in the Darla Cavannah series. This was another solid book with great characters and interesting story. Another recommended read.

Does everyone know what a "legacy" is? As the word is used here, a "legacy" is a person who is allowed a privilege because of some good performance by someone else. In the college admissions and Greek world, a "legacy" is a person who gets an extra look because another family member has previously been accepted.

Here Caitlin Burnet is a double legacy. She got a legacy boost on admission to Ole Miss because her adopted mother was an alum. (Not that honor student and governor's adopted daughter Caitlin would have had any trouble getting accepted anyway.) She also got a legacy boost on rushing Delta Beta sorority because her adopted mother was a DB. We can't know how much the legacy mattered, but it certainly helped. Caitlin is black and Delta Beta has not pledged a black sister before.

The night of her initiation, Caitlin is hanged from a tree on campus in what is surely a hate crime and Darla Cavannah and her side-kick Rita are brought in.

This is the third Darla Cavannah and the fourth Gary Gusick book I have read. This one is a little slower, a little shorter, a little less interesting, and a little more implausible than the others.

I received a review copy of "The Legacy: A Darla Cavannah Mystery" by Gary Gusick (Random House – Alibi) through NetGalley.com.

This is a fast action southern style detective novel with plenty of local color (no pun intended). A young African American student is murdered and Detective Darla Cavannah and her sidekick Rita are challenged by the Governor to solve an apparent hate crime. But nothing is, as it seems. The author cleverly unfolds the clues along with digressions about local culture, prejudices and customs of the old South. The end will surprise you.

I was given an electronic copy in return for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable, fast-paced story and provided much-needed lightness after the heavy books that I have read lately.

At first, I thought this was Christian Fiction, but it SO IS NOT. I saw another review that mentioned the same thing. Not sure why this feels like CF at first, but at least I was not alone. haha

With that said, this is the first novel by Gusick, who has a few non-fiction books under his belt. It is a good first novel with likable characters and believable action. There are a few loose ends, and I was left with more than one question, but I like the fact that this is a series and expect that these issues will be ironed out in subsequent books.

Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Outside the local women’s health clinic, the Reverend Jimmy Aldridge waving his protest sign is a familiar sight. But that changes early one morning when someone shoots the beloved Reverend Jimmy dead. Sheriff Shelby Mitchell knows the preacher’s murder will shock the good people of Jackson—and the pressure to find the killer is immediate and intense, which is why Shelby calls in detective Darla Cavannah.

When police detective Darla moved from Philadelphia to Jackson with her husband—hometown football hero Hugh “the Glue” Cavannah—she never imagined the culture shock that awaited. Then after Hugh dies in a car crash, Darla enters a self-imposed exile in her Mississippi home, taking a leave of absence from the sheriff’s department. Now she’s called back to duty—or coerced, more like it, with Shelby slathering on his good-ole-boy charm nice and thick, like on a helping of barbecue.

Reluctantly partnered with a mulish Elvis impersonator, Darla keeps a cool head even as the community demands an arrest. The court of public opinion has already convicted the clinic’s doctor, Stephen Nicoletti, but Darla is just as sure he’s not guilty—even as she fights her growing attraction to him. From the genteel suburbs to a raunchy strip club, Darla follows a trail of dirty money and nasty secrets—until the day of judgment comes, and she faces down an ungodly assassin."

It has been a very long time since I read The Last Clinic, and surprisingly I can remember it very well. I think it says a lot about this book that it's stayed with me for over a year now and I can remember both the plot and the characters very clearly. Even the comedic ones.

This novel was written well and was a very fast read. I believe I got through it in a couple of days, and that was mostly due to the writing. It was engaging and had just enough description to build a good image, but wasn't too taxing to read and it kept the book moving smoothly. While it'll never be considered a literary classic, for what it is I'd consider it very well written. In some parts it had me laughing, in others cringing.

I found myself growing tired of the characters, especially the main character who I found to be a little immature and irritating. A little bit too much of a perfect Mary Sue for my tastes. But some other characters were fun, despite not seeing much of them. The character development was well done although I'd have liked to have seen more of it.

There is a romantic element within this book that I didn't enjoy at all and it felt out of place with the tone of the rest of the novel. It'd have been better without it, and I believe it'd have maybe gained another half star were it not within the book. I want to know who the murderer is. I don't want to see the unprofessional courting of the police officer and a suspect, whether they turn out to be guilty or innocent. It just didn't fit well.

The plot was interesting, although very formulaic. A typical crime thriller novel that was structured in the same way as all of the others. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on your interests, and I found it an enjoyable and easy read because of this formulaic plot. It's a nice, easy, Sunday afternoon read that doesn't require too much thought or hard work on the reader's part.

Overall I did enjoy this book and would read others by this author also. 4/5 stars.

Darla Cavannah owes Sheriff Shelby a favor. He’s come to collect. The good news is she can run the controversial murder of Reverend Jimmy Aldridge’s murder any way she chooses. The bad news is she’ll be working with Tommy Reylander, an Elvis impersonator on the side. Being pro-life, Reverend Jimmy had led many protests outside of Jackson Women’s Health Clinic. His style of protest was to carry a cross with the picture of a baby stapled to it. The sign read, “Aren’t you glad I was born?” Dr. Nicoletti had performed several abortions at the clinic and becomes Reylander’s prime suspect. Darla is not convinced and wants to further the investigation. The community at large is behind Reylander; they want someone to pay for this horrific crime. One of her many questions is why did the beloved Reverend have three thousand cash dollars in an envelope in the glove compartment of his SUV?

Set near Jackson, Mississippi, the small town charm is apparent throughout the story. Even the Sheriff takes his time getting his point across. There are many ‘good ole’ boys’ planted within the pages of this novel, and I enjoyed the author’s talent in presenting them with their ‘southern’ way of life. It was a good mystery with a side story of sorts. Someone else, with chapters of his own, is actively seeking and destroying abortion clinics. Darla is smart, handling the ‘politics’ of the situation well. The story line was well told and believable. Rating: 4 out of 5.

On a side note – This is the first book in the Darla Cavannah series. I had read them out of order, beginning with Officer Elvis (2nd in the series). They can both be read as a stand-alone, but while reading this, I now already know what is going to happen to Tommy Reylander in book 2. So, in summary, it may be best to read these in order.

Tommy Reylander is a detective with Hinds County Sheriff’s Department in the state of Mississippi and on his own time, he is an Elvis impersonator. His preferred stage name is ‘Officer Elvis’. This particular performance is at a nursing home. “Tommy looked around the room, making eye contact here and there, muttering thank you, winking and blowing kisses. An elderly woman in the back row had fainted. Or maybe she’d nodded off. In nursing homes it was kind of hard to tell.” Edwina (Cill) Nothauzer was Tommy’s girlfriend. She was the Priscilla to Tommy’s Elvis. She waited at the door with his fans while he went to retrieve the caddy. He owned an ‘Elvis-mobile’, a car just like Elvis’ 1955 pink and white Cadillac Fleetwood. This would be the last time he’d ever start the car.

Lieutenant Darla Cavannah of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI) is called to investigate the explosion that took Tommy’s life. She soon finds out that someone is targeting Elvis impersonators. Before her promotion, she and Tommy had been partners. She hadn’t been close to him; but he is one of their own. She teams up with Rita Gibbons, a recently reprimanded officer, who needs this second chance.

Officer Elvis was well done; it has a very creative story line. The author used dialect and expressions of the Mississippi locale that made the characters more believable. I’m drawn to mysteries that use humor and even a bit of sarcasm, and this one fit the bill. The killer is shadowed in a couple of early chapters without revealing his identity. Then about half way through, he is identified but the novel remains suspenseful as Darla and her team try to catch up to him. Officer Elvis follows The Last Clinic, #1 in the series, but I didn’t feel the need to read them in order. This book is complete in itself. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Officer Elvis fits into the adult category due to adult language, sexual innuendoes and profanity.

Lieutenant Darla Cavannah, worked with the MBI, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Her one time partner, Tommy Reylander, when she worked for the Hinds County Sheriff's Office, was an Elvis Tribute Artist. Upon arriving at work, she discovered that "Officer Elvis" as he was known by his stage name had been blown up the night before at his last performance. She felt that although they hadn't gotten along well as partners, it was part of "the unwritten code" that they should work they case and find the murder. She wanted to lead the investigation.

Darla is given three days to come up with some good leads or turn the case over to the local county department. What she comes up with is bigger and stranger than anyone could have imagined.

Officer Elvis started out moderately paced and then picked up speed as it approached its climax. I thought the mix of Elvis Presley history and fiction made for an interesting basis for the story.

As this is the second book in the Darla Cavannah series, we were able to see a further development in Darla's professional character. Unfortunately we only find one scene with her new husband so we don't find much more about her personal life.

There are returning members from the first book such as Major Shelby Mitchell, her superior officer and Uther Pendragon Johnson - FBI research specialist, and new characters like Detective Rita Gibbons, her new partner and Elvis Presley aficionado. It was a lot of fun to see what information Uther was able to dig up through his resources and Rita’s knowledge of Elvis was quite impressive.

Watching the killer’s planning was fascinating. It was very well thought out and had definitely been thought about for some time. The way he made various planned steps ahead of time kept me wanting to keep reading to see what he was going to do with those steps since he didn’t execute them right away.

There were quite a number of twists and turns in the plot of this story, so much so that the story turns out to be about so much more than what it looks like at first glance. Officer Elvis is not the only Elvis Presley tribute artist who is murdered in the short few weeks leading up to a large competition. One of the questions that comes up during the investigations is why would the killer take out Officer Elvis who usually places last, or near last in this competition every year?

Despite the adult themes and profanity, I found the basic story itself to be very interesting. Those who are Elvis Presley fans will enjoy this novel, I'm sure. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

See my full review at Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-officer-elvis-b...

"Officer Elvis" is the second book in the Darla Cavannah Mystery series and it is an improvement over the first. I liked "The Last Clinic," the first book, but found the killer and motive to be instantly apparent.

This book hinges on a gimmick, but Elvis impersonation is an ok gimmick. The dialogue and the dissection of Mississippi culture are funny and I laughed out loud more than once. (I have cousins from Mississippi. None is an Elvis impersonator though.)

I received a review copy of "Officer Elvis: A Darla Cavannah Mystery" by Gary M. Gusick (Random House – Alibi) through NetGalley.com.

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This story didn't pull me in straightaway but I persevered and enjoyed it when I familiarized myself with the characters. The plot is political and covers the sensitive issue of abortion. There were no surprises everyone reacted as I expected.

Darla Cavannah is an interesting female detective with a tragic past. She moved to Jackson with her husband a pro-footballer forced to retire through injury. When he dies she stays even though much of the area's culture and population are alien to her.

The cast of support characters are well developed and often irritating but memorable. I felt some of the minor characters came across as stereotypical. As I am unfamiliar with this part of the U.S.A. I'm not sure if the characterizations and prejudices portrayed are realistic.

The romance between Stephen the gynaecologist at the centre of the anti-abortionists hate campaign and Darla is sweet with a happy ever after. As this is the first book in the series I think the romance reached its happy ever after too soon, I wonder where it will go in the next book.

There was a predictability about the plot and twists which may have been intentional I felt like I was reading an episode of 'Murder She Wrote' or 'Castle'. They were no real surprises but a reassuring familiarity.

That said it was an easy quick read and I would read another to see how Darla develops as a character.

I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Alibi via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

With the level of hatred [for almost every character] I was operating on, I have to admit I finished the novel a bit ambivalent about it all.
read more: http://likeiamfeasting.blogspot.gr/2014/07/the-last-clinic-gary-gusick.html

More like a 3.5

Another author and series to add to my list.

What I liked: I enjoyed how this book developed. It was told in such a way that while you got to know the characters, the mystery was just out of reach. This, to me, is an example of a female lead written extremely well by a male author, with one exception. While the story centered around a "hot topic", the issue didn't overshadow the story or mystery. I really can't say too much without spoilers but I did not want to put the book down.

What I didn't like: The romance aspect of the story seemed a bit rushed. Except for some tension between the two (and no I can't say who), it just happened. I would have liked to have had the romance aspect progress more naturally, I think.

I will be buying more books by this author and can't wait for follow-ups to The Last Clinic.


This is currently available on Kindle and is very reasonably price for the quality at $2.99


Recommend!

Darla Cavannah is a detective in Jackson, Mississippi and a darned good one at that. Her boss, Sheriff Shelby Mitchell, knows that and overlooks the fact that she's a Yankee. Unfortunately she's assigned a partner, detective Tommy Reylander, for her current investigation that isn't so forgiving. Added to the mix of North-South hostility, a woman's place is in the home mentality, bigotry against a talented Black computer associate, and prejudice against an immigrant physician, is murder, politics, and a little romance.

Mr. Gusick has taken the good and the bad from the New South and combined them into one fast-paced mystery. The Last Clinic provides a little bit of insight into the good old-boy South with characters like the murdered minister and members of his congregation. Some of the old bigotries and prejudices are seen in Detective Reylander's attitude and behavior toward Detective Darla Cavannah and computer associate Uther Johnson. The story takes a number of twists and turns that keeps the reader off-balance as the investigation leads to a strip club and a high class brothel, not to mention a trail of murders across the United States. The reader will be surprised to learn that Rev. Aldridge wasn't as pious as he appeared in public. I liked Darla and Uther and enjoyed reading about their interactions and investigative teamwork. I found The Last Clinic to be a quick and enjoyable read. Although I thought the ending was a bit bizarre (no I won't reveal the ending, read it for yourself!), I hope there will be more coming from Darla (and Uther) in the future.

Darla Cavanaugh is a strong, smart, ex-Philadelphia detective who returns to Jackson, Mississippi when her football star husband, Hugh, ends up on the injured list and is not able to play ball anymore. With no other career in sight, they return to Hugh's home town where he can help run the family company and she can join the Sheriff’s Department. But tragedy hits this couple again and Darla finds herself a widow after a car accident claims Hugh's life. This is where we pick up with the story and Darla- halfway into her year sabbatical from the Hinds County Sheriff's Department in Mississippi. A popular reverend is shot and killed while on his usual protest at the local abortion and family planning clinic in the dark hours of the morning. Sheriff Mitchell is short on staff and calls in a favor to pull Darla back to work to help solve this crime. The only other person he is able to have working on the case is a bad Elvis impersonator and press hound (who also happens to be the mayor's nephew), Officer Tommy Reylander. Throw in a big pro-life bill working its way through the courts, a whole lot of town politics and town secrets and a little racism to add some hate to the mix, and you have a town full of suspects.

This book started off really strong but soon the momentum slowed and I felt like I had read this recipe for mystery all too often. The killer was not a surprise to me at all- the pieces lined up a little too perfectly as the author brought each clue out one by one. Yes, there were a few attempts to throw the reader off into another direction, to another suspect here and there, but I never truly believed these others could have been the true killer.

The romance with Darla and the Women's Health Clinic doctor, Stephen, seemed too rushed to me also. It didn't seem to make sense. Of course, the doctor was dreamy and you wanted the two of them together, but the way it happened, there was no buildup. I was disappointed in that aspect as I really liked both of them and felt it could have been so much better.

All in all, I did like Darla and many of the characters, like Dr. Stephen Nicoletti, Sheriff Mitchell and especially the geeky techy intern, Uther Pendragon Johnson. There was some really good dialogue and scenes in the book that I enjoyed. I would like to read more of Darla in sequels, but I hope there is more concentration on Darla and her strengths as a character. I feel she could be made a stronger protagonist- there are a lot of places the author could go with her story. There also needs to be a stronger plot, something more original so that the reader won't see the ending coming until the author wants it to be revealed.

I received this book from Alibi and NetGalley for an unbiased review of this book- thank you to them and the author for their generosity.

I received a Kindle copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for a book review.

I enjoyed reading The Last Clinic quite a bit. The author, Gary Gusick, has quite a gift for both description and dialog which combined with a strong plot resulted in a very engaging book. I'd definitely read other books by this author.

In The Last Clinic the protagonist, Darla Cavannah, is given a case that's a politically charged hot potato. A prominent clergyman is murdered while protesting an abortion clinic in the early morning hours. The sheriff wants this case off his desk as soon as possible so he calls in a favor and has Darla return to duty. The subsequent action as Darla works around a bumbling co-worker and steadily eliminates possible suspects keeps you turning pages. She's very believable as both a detective and a grieving widow looking towards a sunnier future. This book should appeal to a wide range of demographics.

**The Last Clinic** by *Gary Gusick*
There are some topics, whether they are handled in fiction or non-fiction, that are difficult to be objective about. Or at least that's the case for me and the topic of abortion and abortion clinics. Which is why I was surprised that the topic was handled so well in **The Last Clinic**. For me, this is not a black or white subject. It's a matter between the pregnant woman and whomever she chooses to include in her decision making process. It is none of my business to know who does or does not use this option, except, as in the current atmosphere, when taxpayer dollars are involved. Aside from that, I object to interference from anyone who believes (s)he knows better than the parties involved what to do about a pregnancy. Which would explain why I have rather strong opinions about zealots who do nothing but interfere in matters of no concern to them. That said, it will come as no big revelation that Reverend Jimmy Aldridge's death in the first few pages did not get my also considerable justice juices flowing. What did arouse my curiosity, and held onto it for the duration of the book was what kind of people were involved with the Jackson Women's Health Clinic. In addition, once the character of Darla Cavannah was introduced, I wanted to know much more about her. By the time I got to the **Sisterhood Of The Swamp** I wanted lots more books with Darla and her female posse.

That's one of the major points about this novel for me aside from the fact that it's a well developed mystery with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and wondering where all of this was going. I loved the addition of humor in such unexpected places. For example, it's clear enough that Detective Tommy Reylander is a fool, but add to that his act as an Elvis impersonator, and I got the giggles more than once when Tommy showed up.

The bottom line, though, is that this is a mystery about who murdered Reverend Jimmy Aldridge and why. There's nothing funny about what led people to react the way they did in a number of situations, and I was impressed by Gusick's knowledge of human psychology in making the motives behind the behavior make perfect sense once they were all understood and revealed.

And then there's that love story... I want more of Darla Cavannah just to see where Gusick takes the characters for that. And, oh yes, more of the **Sisterhood Of The Swamp** too. And the Elvis impersonator. Definitely 5 Stars from me!

Darla Cavannah has a place among the female mystery heroines of today. A transplant to the south, a widow of a former football hero, smart and sexy. Gary Gusick has created the first of a series that has colorful characters, flowing dialogue, and timely issues at stake. Fans of primetime crime should be on board. Gusick handles murder involving abortion clinics without becoming preachy or one sided and although there are a few bumps, a good debut. Looking forward to the next case...

I read an early e-copy uncorrected proof of this novel, courtesy of NetGalley. The author Gary Gusick is a highly successful, recently retired advertising executive. This is his first novel.

The protagonist is Darla Cavannah, a Philadelphia police detective who transplanted herself to Jackson, Mississippi when she married the local football hero. As the story opens, Darla is on leave, still grieving the loss of her husband Hugh to a one vehicle fatality. But she is called back to duty by the sheriff when a local minister and ardent pro life advocate is gunned down in a drive-by shooting while picketing a Women's Health Clinic.

Darla's partner on the case immediately assumes the abortion doctor who owns the clinic is the murderer and sets about to gather the evidence to hang him high. Darla, the more insightful of the two, is not so quick to assign guilt, and decides to "follow the money," $3000.00 of which was found in the Reverend's glove compartment in an envelope marked Deposit.

The trail that Darla follows takes her on a sordid, seedy trail that exposes a really ugly side of the Reverend Jimmy Aldridge. Darla has another co-worker, a young black intern who is an unapologetic computer geek. His specialty is looking for patterns that will expose crimes that otherwise might not even be recognized as such by law enforcement. His skills expose the reverend's connections to a nationwide effort to take down abortion clinics.

There are colorful characters galore, some a little too colorful to be believed, but still make for an entertaining read. The mystery is fast-paced, with lots of twists and turns thrown in.

But I've got to admit I may not be the best reviewer for this particular narrative. I am not particularly nuanced about abortion. I believe a child is killed every time one is performed, so it is kind of hard to swallow a narrative where the doctor who performs the abortions is presented as heroic, the love interest of the protagonist with a compassionate, balanced attitude toward his patients, while those who are representing the anti-abortion side are presented as unethical hypocrites, if not bonafide perverts.

That objection aside, I do think Gusick is a good story teller, and I will check out his next saga, unless he stays on the pro-abortion theme. Reading about it in the news is enough for me...I don't need it in my fiction too.

The Last Clinic by Gary Gusick is a wild ride from the very beginning. I loved the way he told about each character, and some of them were characters, and they seemed like you knew them. They could be the people that live up the street.

At no time was I bored or wanting something to happen to get the story moving, Mr. Gusick does a great job on that. And he didn’t leave you wondering what happened to any of the side characters. Yes, I will be looking for more by Gary Gusick and am looking forward to reading it.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.

I received this via netgalley.

THE LAST CLINIC is a murder mystery story which crosses fictional boundaries of the FBI and a small town sheriffs office. Darla Cavannah is a detective, born and bred in Philadelphia, who moved with her husband to Hinds County, Miss. After her husband dies, she continues to work on the force, but even though she's been living there with her husband, she continues to deal with being an outsider at times.

In this story, the victim is a minister who gets murdered while doing his daily protest at an abortion clinic. Around this scene, the author introduces us to the life of Darla and a glimpse of what living in a small town could be like as well as the hidden deeds which go unmentioned in society until it is too late. The characters are likable and the book is well written. However, I found I was able to figure out the murderer from the first introduction in the story.