Girl on the Run

I have two new kittens in my house.  They are just adorable.  They just started eating wet food.  The tortoise cat we are calling Buckeye (Bucky for short) after the buckeyes in Ohio (where we are from).  The orange striped cat I have decided to call Little Dickens.  He is feisty, stubborn, and into everything.  I think the name suits.  Once they start eating wet food, I know they will make it.  Kittens are so delicate.  They easily catch infections while nursing from their mum (if you do not keep the mother's stomach clean), the bed they sleep in, etc.  

Girl on the Run by Daryl Wood Gerber is a new suspense novel (her first).  Chessa Paxton wakes up with the body of her dead husband in the room.  There is blood everywhere and police officers.  The last thing that Chessa remembers is attending The Happily Ever After Ball at the Boardwalk Casino in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.  Chessa is the assistant in charge of special events at the Boardwalk Casino and she organized this event.  Chessa is attending with her husband, Zach Szabo.  She remembers asking for water and then nothing.  What happened to during those lost hours?  Detective Tallchief (a blowhard running for mayor) believes Chessa is guilty of the crime.  Detective Marcus Newman is not so sure.  But then Chessa (who is confused, dazed, and still a little out of it) takes off out the bathroom window.  She has no plan other than to run.  Chessa does not want to be framed for a crime like her father.  Chessa sets out to prove her innocence and find the real killer.  Things really heat up when they find eleven other bodies in meadow who were also at the ball along with Chessa’s missing shoe. 

Girl on the Run is a very good debut suspense novel (the author normally writes cozy mysteries).  I figured out what the twist at the end would be, but I do not think many people will see it coming (it is really good).  For the most part, Girl on the Run had a fast pace (which I liked).  I enjoyed the investigation as Marcus and Chessa went about solving the murders (I love getting the clues and putting them together).  I especially relished the Jason Bourne reference.  I give Girl on the Run 4 out of 5 stars (which means I liked it).  I look forward to Daryl Wood Gerber’s next book. If you enjoy reading suspense novels, then check out Girl on the Run.

You should check out Daryl Wood Gerber's other books.  She writes The Cookbook Nook Mystery series. I received a complimentary copy of Girl on the Run from NetGalley (and the publisher) in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.

I am off to relax, read, and watch television (I have to do something during the dull parts and commercials).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader