Dying to Kill

I just finished, AS GOOD AS DEAD, the third book in the Angel Delaney Mysteries by Patricia Rushford. What a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed all three books. The action, suspense, twists and turns, it had it all. Add that with a little romance and you have yourself a wonderful book filled with intriguing characters and fascinating plot lines. Book one, DEADLY AIM, follows Angel Delaney as she struggles to deal with the death of a kid that she's shot in a gang related robbery, she begins to question why it is she is a cop. Is it what she wants to do or has she gotten involved in law enforcement to try and earn the love and respect of her father, a veteran cop himself? In DYING TO KILL, Angel decides to step back from police work and try her hand at being a Private Investigator. When a string of murders happens, all link to her therapist, Angel gets involved. As her list of suspects grows, Angel herself is threatened. She now must figure out who the killer is before she is the next victim. In AS GOOD AS DEAD, Angel deals with a loss that motivates her to find her brother who vanished several years ago. When Nick, a fellow cop and best friend to her brother Luke is shot and left for dead, she realizes Luke might not be that far away after all. Though she is ever convinced her brother is innocent of what he has been accused of, she realizes she will never know the truth until she can ask him herself. Along with great plot lines, Patricia introduces a measure of romance in book one, in the form of Callen, the investigator assigned to Angel's officer involved shooting. Though, he is struggling with the death of his wife, he is drawn to Angel. We get to watch there relationship grow and define itself throughout all three books. I thoroughly enjoyed the Angel Delaney Mysteries. They were quick reads and kept you guessing until the end.

Angel Delaney has been having a rough year --- and it's not over yet. After tragically losing her first partner and later shooting to death her first perpetrator, the young Sunset Cove police officer is taking some time off to sort things out. And what better place to heal than in the small town atmosphere at the foot of the Coastal Mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean, taking daily runs on the beach, lunching with friends and daydreaming about her handsome boyfriend, Det. Callen Riley. But all is not as peaceful as it seems and Angel soon finds herself in the middle of a crime wave, family discord, and conflict with her co-workers on the police force. It all begins when Candace Kelsey, the victim in a domestic violence call that Angel had once answered, phones and begs her to come right over. Despite her own problems, the good neighbor and trained cop in Angel cannot refuse. Apparently, Candace's abusive husband has shot himself and Candace, being the victimized wife she is, dutifully cleaned up the mess to keep her home spotless, "The way Phillip expects it to be." Even to the untrained eye, this looks more like a murder than a suicide and the police immediately select Candace as the most likely suspect. Angel is convinced that Candace did not do it and gets her a lawyer, Rachael Rastovski. Then Rachael hires Angel to help her investigate the murder and prove Candace's innocence. Suspects abound as Angel uncovers many who are not saddened by the death of Phillip Kelsey. While working unofficially allows her a bit more freedom to investigate, her findings often put her at odds with longtime friends on the force who see her as interfering. Patricia Rushford pulls together many themes in this complex tale that examines domestic violence, guilt, fear and love. She uses interesting techniques that allow the reader to access clues as the detectives work to solve the mystery. And she raises questions regarding revenge and resolution that may or may not be answered satisfactorily. DYING TO KILL is an altogether well written and satisfying tale, with enough surprises to keep even the most expert mystery fans guessing right up to the last ten pages. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. She also reviews for www.bookreporter.com and www.womenonwriting.com. To contact Maggie, e-mail [email protected].