Five Star Review - The Wrong Words

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/.../the-wrong.../... (full review here)

I know that Adam is the main focus of the series and it’s told in his point of view, but Sergeant Bethany Leith, the police officer, is the other main character. The death happened in her district and she’s the one assigned to the case. I only get to know her a bit from her dealings with Adam, her dialogue and the author’s descriptions. She’s no nonsense, dedicated and smart as a whip. She is a perfect complement to Adam. The book reads like a serious detective novel. Adam isn’t referred to as Adam, he’s usually, Norcross. And the Sergeant is referred to as Leith, or ‘the c

op’. The story has a certain feel to it, like the original Dragnet, but with a bit more personality. It’s a dogged pursuit of facts gleaned from evidence at the scene and lots of interesting interviews with potential suspects whose personalities liven up the tale. I was fascinated on how the author led me from chapter to chapter, each one bringing me closer to solving the case but leaving me totally dependent on Norcross and Leith to ferret out the truth of who done it. I guessed and was close. However, one of them was a shocker and I didn’t know what to think. Was that person truly guilty? I would have bet that they were innocent. That’s a pretty tricky call and I like what the author did. One thing that stood out for me was the subject matter the victim was involved in. I haven’t made up my mind about which side of the fence I’m on, especially since it’s very topical right now. But many parts in the chapters made me believe that the author truly did her due diligence and researched the subject. There were many observations that made so much sense to me, at times I just stared at the words, letting them absorb into my brain. I’m like, yeah – yeah, that makes sense! And, yes, it did tie in to the motivation and plot conflict. I thought it was pretty danged cool and it made for a really great mystery. There is a light dusting of allusion to Norcross actually liking Leith as more than a peer of the law, but it’s absolutely not romantic. I can assure you it’s not indigestion he’s feeling, it’s something else, and it could be a wonderful future development if that’s the direction the author is thinking of going. I liked how they worked together, eventually. They were bouncing theories, ideas and observations off of one another. I enjoyed watching their working association firm up and I liked how they showed mutual respect, once it was earned. There were other important secondary characters Norcross also had to earn respect from, and that was equally fascinating. Eventually, the puzzle pieces fit together and I was completely satisfied with the end results. I have to say that the blurb on Amazon is a bit misleading. The story is even better than it sounds. I’m extremely glad I gave this book a try because if the next installment in the series is as mesmerizing and clever as this one, then Ms. Rediger has a new fan. A straight mystery is not my typical read but I really enjoyed this novel and I’m looking forward to more from this author.