Killer Riches

Former D.C. cop Leigh Ann Warren barely had time to re-coop from the disappearance of her fiancé when another deadly mystery called. Leigh Ann receives a call from a man claiming he has kidnapped her beloved foster mother. He says that if Leigh Ann does not get back the Vietnam metal that her father stole from him, he will kill her foster mother. Leigh Ann would love nothing more than to give the man what he wants, but her parents died when she was only five, and she doesn't remember anything about them, not even how they looked. Leigh Ann goes to the FBI, but they don't believe her. The kidnapper has made it look like her foster mother is still traveling the country on her honeymoon. Now Leigh Ann has one week to find the family that didn't come to claim her when her parents died. In finding her family, she also uncovers family secrets that may lead to her murder before she can save her foster mother. KILLER RICHES is a perfect installment in the Leigh Ann Warren mystery series. Watching as Leigh Ann uncovered repressed memories and untangled the web of deceit surrounding her biological family kept me turning the pages. What I like most about Ms. West's books are her characterizations. If you can write a novel with memorable characters, the battle is almost won. I can honestly say that I couldn't stand some of the characters, loved others and felt sorry for others. Chassie West has done it again! Reviewed by Deatri King-Bey of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Killer Riches introduces us to a whole new level of Leigh Ann Warren, and shared more with us about her values. I already admired the character of Leigh because she seems to have been affected by life but not permanently scarred by it. In Killer Riches, we see more of where her scars could have come from, and how much of a survivor she really is. The resilient Leigh continues to put one foot in front of the other, even when her beloved Nunna and new husband are kidnapped. She doesn't go off the deep end, she doesn't become macha and psycho -- she just takes care of business. This is another good book in a great series.

The unidentified voice informs retired DC police officer Leigh Ann Warren that he snatched her beloved Nunna and the elderly woman's new husband. Leigh Ann becomes worried when he mentions Nunna's pink pill. The voice demands she give him the Silver Star awarded her deceased father in Nam that the angry abductor says belongs to him. Leigh Ann has no known living relatives having lost her parents when she was a young girl. Nunna raised her. However, the case takes a wicked twist when the FBI, who joins the investigation, not only cannot find a record of her parents or other relatives, but insist there is no Leigh Ann. With the Feds trying to hide an elephant in a living room and the realization than Nunna is safe, Leigh Ann begins to look for her missing heritage and her first five years of life. KILLER RICHES is a fabulous tale that keeps reader's attention from start to finish. When it appears that the plot is obvious, Chassie West pulls a sleight of the hand that sends a clever twist to the story line. Leigh Ann is a wonderful protagonist struggling at first to save Nunna and ultimately to learn who she is. The relationship subplot that anchors the main sleuthing story line makes for a complete tale that fans of both genres will enjoy and seek previous works by the talented Ms. West (see SUNRISE).Harriet Klausner