★★★ @MelindaLeigh1 #HerSecondDeath
New to me author Ms. Leigh brings forth a short murder story with a pair of female detectives. This reminds me of one of my favourite TV shows from before the turn of the century - Cagney & Lacey from the 80s. Whilst that show may have been a bit campy at times, this series differs. It looks to be the beginning of two female detectives - one who uses their emotion to motivate them and another who is a jaded seen it all - could care less about feelings.
I preface this review by explaining that this is a prequel to an already established series. This is the first case more or less that Bree is on with her new partner. I hope this relationship develops into something with more camaraderie because as it stands, I am probably not going to continue with the series. I didn't like Bree's partner Dana and could do with not seeing her again.
I found Dana off-putting because of how she treats Bree. Bree may not have as much experience but she isn't an idiot. Dana also came across much older. Only to find out, she's younger than me! LOL. There is nothing wrong with Dana's age. But her attitude seemed like she was someone in her late 50s or 60s. "When I was a kid, I had holes in my shoes and walked 5 miles to get to school" kind of person. *Rolls eyes* I totally understand "suck it up, buttercup" but for some reason, Dana just grated on me.
Bree seemed to be okay. She didn't stand out to me in any way other than feeling a bit unqualified based on how Dana treated her. Maybe this is what bugged me. Anyway, personalities aside, the homicide case they took on was quick and sad. Perhaps a longer novel will give me a better feel for how the suspense is written in this series.
Overall, this book is recommended to readers of the established series who want to see where it all began.
* An ARC was provided. No review was requested. I wrote one always.
