Derailed, (A Kelly Pruett Mystery Book #1), Mary Keliikoa, author
For anyone who has been thirsting for another of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone mysteries, get ready for a treat. There is a new author in town, Mary Keliikoa. She has created a new girl in town, a private investigator to rival, if not surpass, Kinsey. Dear readers, please welcome Kelly Pruett! She will not disappoint. She is a spunky, perseverant young woman who, as a single parent, is trying to juggle a recent divorce, the death of her father and only remaining living parent, a wonderful daughter, and a business that she and her father used to run together. Her father was a well-known private investigator, and she was pretty much his Gal Friday, his main administrator, acting as a process server when needed, filing forms and registering documents, among other things. She did not engage in the heavy lifting, but that was all about to change as a tearful woman, very upset from the outset, knocked on her door and asked for her father, unaware of his death. Coincidentally, her dad had left her a note, with his papers, asking her to help a Georgette Hanson, if she ever came to the office. However, she was not to ask questions about how they knew each other. Sitting before her, was that very same woman. What was she to do? She had no experience, but how could she refuse to help both the woman and her father?
Georgette’s daughter Brooke had supposedly fallen to her death in front of a train. The witnesses that had interacted with her on the night she died had testified to the effect that she was drunk. The death was ruled an accident, and the case was closed after a brief police investigation. Mrs. Hanson disagreed and was determined to find out who killed her daughter. She was certain that it had been neither a suicide nor an accidental fall while in a drunken stupor. She insisted her daughter was a good girl, and this could simply not be possible. When Kelly began to investigate, she discovered that this image of Brooke was flawed. She was leading a double life.
Kelly had never done any kind of a murder investigation before. Although, her father had always promised that he would train her to do real investigations, somehow he never got around to it. Could she learn on the job? She wanted to fulfill her father’s request, but would she be able to wing it successfully? She wanted to prove to his memory that she was up to the task. She and her ex-husband Jeff, shared custody, and his mom lived next door to her. They both pitched in to help when needed, albeit often accompanied by judgment and resistance as her work became more and more dangerous. She knew that her work schedule could be pretty easily managed.
|As secrets were revealed and Kelly’s investigation grew more intense, her lack of experience exposed her to more and more risk. The mystery kept pointing in different directions and she became consumed with following up on the leads, often needing more and more help with her daughter. As new questions arose, the story became more interesting, not more confusing or boring as so many mysteries often do. The twists and turns go in many different directions, keeping the reader guessing as to whether or not a crime had been committed, and if so, who had committed it. With each new page came a new idea that could be a theme in an, as yet, unwritten next book. I, as a reader, became hungry for more of Kelly’s adventures.
I really enjoyed the book. I think it was a really good beginning for the series. It was light, but engaging. The character, Kelly, really grew into her own, as the book revealed itself. She became a more thoughtful and mature person with each experience, and I thought she became a much more likable character, which is the reason I look forward to meeting her again.
For the benefit of the reader, here is a list of some of the characters that are in this book. We have Kelly, the perhaps over eager private investigator who finds herself suddenly in the midst of a maelstrom, Jeff, the ex-husband who wanted a more traditional wife who stayed at home; Arlene, the ex, but very present mother-in-law who offers advice on everything; Kyle, the very interesting and handsome police detective who may or may not become a love interest for Kelly; Mitz the young daughter of Kelly and Jeff who is hearing impaired, but very bright and social. Georgette Hanson is Kelly’s very first client. She has two daughters, Brooke, who has died on the train tracks in possibly suspicious circumstances, and Hannah, her sister. Charles is Georgette’s very protective husband. In addition, there are other villains in this book that will be revealed as the mystery is exposed, but they seem more pertinent to just this first book in the series.
I received this book from Meryl Moss Media as an advanced copy to read and review. I buried myself in this book eagerly. I was not disappointed. The first page captured me and the following ones made me eager for more.