ACCIDENTAL ALLIES by Karina Barlow

Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, 240 pages

4****

Blurb: Everybody’s experienced a rocky start to a new job, but few can top Minka Avery’s return to Orlando PD. After six years as a stay-at-home mom, Minka’s nervous but excited to sit at a detective’s desk again. Before she has a chance to break in her badge, however, her career resumes with a bang when someone bombs the county courthouse. With many disillusioned with the justice system, several brow-raising suspects emerge right away. Minka and her new partner, Renee, follow several tips that lead to dead ends, until they zero in on the courthouse’s former security guard. Their attempts to apprehend him send the city and police department into chaos. Meanwhile, Minka contends with the lingering suspicion of another party being involved. Could his accomplice be closer than she thinks?

Thoughts: This is a well-plotted mystery with good characters. I especially liked the main one, Detective Minka. She juggles returning to her job as a police detective after six years at home with her daughter. Like most moms who do this, she is often conflicted about doing this. I also like that she is a female detective—something that can be challenging by itself, but she also has a cochlear implant which makes many of the people she works with doubt her abilities. But she overcomes all her challenges and shows everyone what she is made of. I can honestly say I pretty much had the perp figured out early on, but the reasons why escaped me until the end—which was well done.

Recommendation: For a good mystery with interesting characters and a decent ending, pick this one up. Note though – this is not a “cozy” mystery. Minka is no amateur sleuth.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”