I truly felt bad for Detective Pete Shasta in Murder on the Heartstrings when his plan to take his wife on a romantic trip is thwarted. They barely arrive at the resort when they’re snowed in--and there’s a murder. Pete’s on his own, given that the local authorities can’t get to the lodge with the roads impassable. I have to give Pete a high five for at least making the effort to et away from work with his wife, even if it didn’t work, and the together time they had was Lisa helping him solve a murder. This story was a real head scratcher.



“In Flashback, Detective Danny Vincent always gets the creepy cases whenever his partner is away. A missing woman suddenly shows up again after seven months. Before Lucinda Staub disappeared without a trace, she was married to an older man and had an affair with her neighbor (and boss). Her husband refused to give her a divorce and her lover refused to run away with her unless she was divorced. Since showing up again out of the blue, she’s claiming to have no memory of where she's been or how she returns seven months pregnant. Just like Danny is, I found the quirky circumstances unsettling. As I read, I constantly had to look over my shoulder. This story really creeped me out!



“In Double Take, Victor Brooks, the owner of Brook's Gallery is married to Risa Nitzberg from Fixated in Falcon's Bend Case Files, Volume I. When three paintings are taken from his gallery, Amber and Jensen are called to the case. I loved how they used their abilities to solve this mystery.



“In Retribution, both Lisa and Melody aren’t too happy that their husbands Pete and Danny spending so much time in the backyard watching their neighbor strut around in a tiny bikini. Cassandra just moved in the house next door with her two children who aren’t allowed to play in the backyard. Jealousy aside, Lisa and Melody are convinced something isn't right next door. With Melody now pregnant, my heart ached for Lisa, who can’t have children of her own. The two wives decide to take matters in their own hands. Lisa caught the sleuthing bug in Murder on the Heartstrings, and it was interesting (scary for Pete) to watch her solve this.



“In Up in Smoke, Pete wants to find the perfect Christmas gift for his wife. I understood how hard it was for him, knowing Lisa was ready to start a family together by adopting, but he came from a dysfunctional family. He’s not sure if he’s emotionally up to the task of fatherhood. This mystery was so funny, I laughed myself silly while Pete rooted out the criminal who set fire to the only Christmas tree farm in Falcon's Bend!



"In Ghost of the Past, a story unfolds about a spoiled 16 year old who got pregnant. Scared, she gave birth and put the baby, alive, in a dumpster! Now, countless years later, Ericka believes she's being stalked. Amber solves this 16-year-old mystery, leaving the reader feeling sad and shocked.



All of these stories make me hunger to read the next in the series and find out if Danny gets any more weird cases!! ( )