Mercy Street (Mercy Street, Book 1)

Great series opener (I'm assuming by the open ended plots and character lines). Great character development and intriguing mix of backgrounds intertwined. Wonderful romance and love stories enfold and hopefully will continue to develop in the next books. Strongly recommend.

I have read this author for many years until her latest trilogies left me rather cold -- too surface, too simplistic, written too fast (or something). So for three years I stopped buying her books. The reviews of this latest book, however, were enough to pique my interest, so I bought it. When it arrived, I sat down to read just the inside flap and/or the back cover, and I surfaced the next day. I handed the book to my busy journalist daughter, and she couldn't put it down either. I thought the plot was good, the writing was well above average and the characters were ones I really liked and could relate to. So -- here's my recommendation: Read this book to rediscover Mariah Stewart. I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a series because I will not hesitate to buy the author's next one.

I didn't know what to expect with this latest Mariah Stewart book since she has created a whole new set of characters. I was not disappointed! Once again she creates believable characters that we get to know and like, and a plot that keeps us up late turning the pages! Way to go Mariah, can't wait for the sequel! You've done it again!

In Conroy, Pennsylvania, two male high school seniors are executed with a bullet to the back of each of their heads; two other students who were with them, Courtney Bauer and Ryan Corcoran vanished. The local police led by Chief Drabyack assume Ryan robbed and killed the other two before fleeing with Courtney. Ryan's grandmother Mary believes the teen she raised is innocent and either is in trouble or dead; so does Courtney's mom Linda. Mary plans to mortgage her house to pay for a sleuth to investigate. Her boss Father Kevin Burch asks his friend gadzillionaire Robert Magellan to fund a private investigator. Robert remains desperate to find his missing wife Beth and their son Ian; however, he distrusts all private investigators as those he hired provided nothing but padded bills over the past year. Reluctantly he agrees to pay the fees of true crime writer Mallory Russo, a former Conroy cop. Ex-Philadelphia police detective Charlie Wanamaker, who just came home to Conroy to help his family, assists in spite of being part of the local force after seeing Grand Canyon holes in the official inquiry. This engaging romantic private investigative thriller is an enjoyable read made fun by a solid mystery and the attraction between Mallory and Charlie. The story line is fast-paced as the bets keep on coming as to the teens' innocence, padded bills, and a romantic relationship between the unofficial partners. Readers will enjoy the MERCY STREET sleuthing. Harriet Klausner

Set in Pennsylvania. Mallory Russo used to be the lead detective on the Conroy Police force until something happened and she resigned. Mallory is writing a book when her former friend and police chief, Joe Drabyak, sends Father Kevin Burch to her. Father Burch is from the school "Our Lady of Angels" and asks her to get a P.I. license and investigate a park shooting. Over two weeks ago, on a Friday night, four high school seniors - three boys and a girl - enter Conroy's small park. The next morning, two of the boys are found shot to death, and the girl and third boy have disappeared. There are no witnesses and no leads. Conroy's police force is busy with a sniper and have put the case on hold. This is just the type of case Mallory loved to bite into. Father Burch's secretary is the grandmother and legal guardian of the missing boy. On her behalf, Father Burch convinces Mallory to look into it. Detective Charlie Wanamaker left the Philadelphia force and returns to his childhood home in Conroy to help his own family with a couple of problems. His first assignment with the Conroy Police Department is the park shooting. Charlie quickly realizes that the initial investigation left many questions unanswered. Unofficially, he teams up with Mallory to find out what really happened that fateful night and locate the two missing teens. ***** This is the first book of a new series about The Magellan Project, a select task force of private citizens with backgrounds in a variety of law enforcement fields who solve cold cases. In this book, readers witness the creation of The Mercy Street Foundation "M.S.F." There is a secondary plot, involving the M.S.F.'s owner, that is mentioned often but left dangling (open) for future parts in this new series. This story is very well written and captured my attention almost immediately. There is a blooming romance between Mallory and Charlie, but no hot bedroom scenes. This story remains focused on the homicides and missing persons investigation. The reason Mallory left the force creates a lot of tension with former coworkers and rivals. This makes the action even more intriguing somehow. All-in-all, another winner from the Queen of Romantic Suspense, Mariah Stewart! Highly recommended! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.