Texas Book-aholic

Friday, February 5, 2016

Desperate for Death

A Kelly O'Connell Mystery

by Judy Alter

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Suspense

Publisher: Alter Ego Press

Date of Publication: January 9, 2016

# of pages: 228

Just when Kelly's life has calmed, she faces yet another of life's puzzles. Except the pieces in this one don't fit. First the apartment behind her house is torched, then a string of bizarre "accidents" occur to set her off-balance. Who is stalking her? Where does the disappearance of a young girl and her disreputable boyfriend fit in? And why are two men using the same name? Is the surprise inheritance another part of the puzzle? At a time when she is most vulnerable, Kelly can't make the pieces fit. Before Kelly can get the whole picture, she helps the family of a hostage, rescues a kidnap victim and attends a wild and wonderful wedding.

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Praise for Desperate for Death

Once again, Kelly is thrust into action when her family and friends are targeted by a deranged convict and this time Kelly has more to protect. I enjoyed this fast-paced and well written drama that continues to get better and better with a strong and determined heroine and a secondary cast that plays a pivotal role in the telling of this tale. It was fun watching this mystery played out with all the key elements that lead to a fulfilling finale and I especially enjoyed Keisha presence in this book. This is by far the best book in this series and I hope there are more to come in this engaging series.—Dru Ann L Love

One satisfying aspect of Desperate for Death which sets it apart from other murder mysteries is its staccato action in which everything happens at once, little seems connected, and life becomes a series of challenges. Fast-paced action keeps readers involved in not only events, but Kelly's response to them, and in her efforts to keep her head above stormy waters.—Diane Donovan, Senior E-book Review Editor, Midwest Book Review

Judy Alter's books just keep getting better. Her characters have real growth and the plots get harder to figure out. This one is her best of this genre….David Hartley Burlingame

Kelly seems to have a very quiet life finally. Things are going well and the kids are happy. But for Kelly the adventure is about to begin. The action starts with a fire that almost destroys the entire place they rent out to others. Funny thing is no one has lived there for awhile so how could a grease fire start in an empty apartment?

The story moves at a fast pace with twists and turns. I loved the character Keisha. She was sassy, persistent and had a sixth sense that was vital to the story. The kids did not like the fact that once again their lives were chaotic and made their feelings known to anyone who would listen. Kelley is in a race to find out who wants her dead and the list of suspects grows daily. Will she solve the case before it is to late ? It is a nice cozy mystery that at times seems to skip around a bit but the ending is good and overall a nice quick read with fun characters .

I received a copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog for an honest review.

An award-winning novelist, Judy Alter is the author of six books in the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries series: Skeleton in a Dead Space, No Neighborhood for Old Women, Trouble in a Big Box, Danger Comes Home, Deception in Strange Places, and Desperate for Death. She also writes the Blue Plate Café Mysteries—Murder at the Blue Plate Café, Murder at the Tremont House and Murder at Peacock Mansion. Finally, with the 2014 The Perfect Coed, she introduced the Oak Grove Mysteries.

Her work has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.

Judy is retired as director of TCU Press and the mother of four grown children and the grandmother of seven. She and her dog, Sophie, live in Fort Worth, Texas.