My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Many thanks to Net Galley, BooksGoSocial and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Any mystery that happens in a bookstore is itself quite an intriguing aspect. Diane Gates is the owner of the Gates’ bookstore which she had started as an escape from the life of a forensic psychologist. When the things she has seen and the cruelty she had witnessed begin to give her nightmares especially after a dreadful past of her father’s murder, Diane finds solace in the bookstore like many of us escaping into the world of books to forget pain.
But fate has a different set of plans for her, as she finds the body of her friend and assistant Catherine, in the store. As evidence begins to mount against Diane and her relationship with the lead detective Eric Barnes muddles her thinking and the investigation seem to be frozen by the authorities, Diane has no choice but take matters into her hands.

As Diane along with Eric and her friend Vivian begins enquiry, an explosive revelation comes to light and the story moves at a devastating pace to a shocking cliffhanger. There’s a thread of sadness that echoes throughout the story as Diane faces one hurdle after another. Her character comes across as strong and at certain places rude and emotionless which made it difficult for me to warm up to her. The romance between Eric and Diane was touching but there were parts of the story that felt discordant. For e.g., there’s a scene where Diane is in a coffee shop and talking to Catherine but in the very next sentence, she’s in a bar and having a tequila. I would have expected a much smoother transition of one scene to another.

A compelling and superb plot and with a climax that is open-ended, it is terribly hard to wait for book 2 in the series and know how everything would conclude and what the future has in store for Diane. Looking forward to it.

Two break-ins. One body. Countless unanswered questions…

When Diane Gates’s father died, she opened a bookstore in his honor and left her criminology career behind. Her passion for literature earned Diane quick success, and Gates’ Bookstore fast became a popular stop for locals and visitors alike.

Arriving at work one day, Diane discovers a minor break-in has happened overnight. She believes it to be a petty, one-off occurrence, but days later it happens again.

And this time, there’s a body.

The circumstances are unmistakable: a young woman has been murdered, and suddenly the future of Diane’s bookstore hangs in the balance.

Joining forces with detective Eric Barnes, Diane can’t resist her forensics-filled past and decides to investigate the murder alongside him. What she couldn’t have predicted however, is that the more evidence they uncover, the more it all points to Diane herself.

As a damning case starts to back Diane into a corner, her partnership with Eric is put to the ultimate test as they race to piece together the clues.

Can Diane unravel this mystery before she lands behind bars?

Or will she just become another pawn in a serial-killer’s game?

The first book in the gripping Diane Gates series.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.wordpress.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.




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