My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Many Thanks to Net Galley, Mascot Books and Richard Schwartz for a chance to read and review this book.

#PearlRiverMansion #NetGalley

I picked this book solely because of its gorgeous cover. The image of a forlorn child with a backdrop of sprawling mansion really had me intrigued. As the story begins, we are introduced to the main family members, Joan, the matriarch of the family, Tyler, the spoiled immature son, Sarah his meek wife, and the twins Cody and Rachel. 20% into the story, too many things have happened in supersonic speed, that a reader is left gaping. How can the death of one person cause such humongous repercussions? That’s exactly what we get to see in this brilliant story.

Book 2 in the Underdog Detective Series, Richard Shwartz has wonderfully managed to eke out an emotional tale of a child of 4 years who suffers severe trauma from the people responsible for her care. Jack and Stacy as the private investigators become involved in the missing child case and it was heartening to see the roles played by the caretakers Regina and Gibbs with his grandson Jayden who offers some warmth to the lonely Rachel.

The issues being discussed in this book is quite vast, like wealth, privilege, class and racism, snobbish attitude towards the domestic help, then of course the abuse for Tyler, for Sarah, for Rachel, each part of the story actually makes the reader emotional.

A very complex and intensely related tale of lost innocence, Pearl River mansion is definitely a story to savor. But there are still parts of it that had a lost feeling. The first part with Pamela and Tyler and Sarah’s death was literally zip, zap, zoom that I never felt the loss or grief, it is only when Jack and Stacy are introduced that the story picks up pace. Stacy was the most lovable character with her passion and kindness shining thru till the end.

Warning to readers who cannot abide child beating, there’s an intense scene which can be disturbing for some.




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Detective Jack Kendall and his assistant, Stacy Young, receive a disturbing call that opens the door to a missing persons case that has tugged at the heartstrings of Mississippi and the entire nation. Now Jack and Stacy hold the key to the most shocking, complex, and emotional case of their careers, and they are all in! As the only heir of Joan Chandler, Tyler Chandler stands to inherit everything a man could want, including Pearl River Mansion a 450-acre, post-Civil War estate that sits at the end of one of the many fingers of the Pearl River. Tyler’s mother makes a game out of controlling people by trading on her wealth, but Tyler refuses her money which always comes with strings and struggles to make it on his own, trading instead on his intelligence and exceptional good looks. But he’s not as good at the game as she is and finds himself trapped in a marriage that infuriates his mother. It is a destructive battle of wills, and just when Tyler believes he’s winning, fate intercedes… And for the second time in her life, Joan finds a purpose for the alligators that have kept her well away from the water’s edge and the stakes keep rising.