Time and Trouble

This is a really enjoyable mystery from the author of the popular Amanda Pepper mystery series. "Time and Trouble" is darker, edgier, better written, and more tightly plotted than any of the Amanda Pepper books, and I hope this is the first in a new series from Roberts.Emma Howe is a crusty old P.I. whose unapologetically blunt demeanor repels her employees; she's gone through seven detective trainees in less than three years. Enter Billie August, a young, pretty single mom desperate for a steady income and a mental challenge. Theirs is a match made in hell--Billie's naive earnestness and Emma's been-there-done-that coldness bring out the worst in the other. After Billie botches her first case, their partnership seems doomed.Billie is given a second chance, however, when the Howe Agency is asked to locate a teenage runaway. Learning as she goes, Billie soon finds herself involved in something far more complex--and dangerous--than she imagined.These two characters are marvelous depicted; each is so distinctive, complex, and fully portrayed. The reader completely understands Emma's irritation with Billie and Billie's frustration with Emma--each person is so convinced the other is a big pain. Kudos to Roberts for creating a relationship that is so fresh and interesting.The plot is satisfyingly complex. Another reviewer complained of "coincidences," but I did not think these strained credulity. I read stranger things in the newspaper every day.I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next in the series.

The two main characters in this book, a youngish woman and her older mentor/teacher in a private detective agency, are so well-drawn! They are among the best, most "real" characters I've encountered lately. And the story is rich and many-layered and intriguing, fast-paced without losing its depth. I couldn't put the book down, and even when I did, I kept thinking about it. You don't encounter many stories showing the interaction of two such strong, interesting, completely different personalities working together (and sometimes not so together). Now that I'm done, I'm sorry I finished reading it so quickly.

Penny Redmond runs away from her dysfunctional family and into someone intent on rescuing her. Stephen Tassir envisions himself as a Medieval knight, rescuing a lady in distress. While practicing for an upcoming tournament, Penny discovers the bones of a baby. A few days later, a woman's skeleton is discovered. Private eye Emma Howe,desperate for some office help, hires newcomer Billie August as an sleuth. The pair is soon hired by Penny's parents to find the runaway teen. Before they can accomplish their mission, another person will be killed and Penny finds herself in danger from a cold blooded murderer. It is up to the veteran and the rookie to keep alive their client from someone who has murdered before and has no qualms about killing again. TIME AND TROUBLE is a dynamic novel that should appeal to the baby boomers (Emma) and generation x'ers ( Billie). The interaction between this pair seems to represent the interaction between the generations in American society. Though the novel suffers a bit from an Agatha Christie type of ending in which the villain seems to surface out of nowhere, the characters make this an enjoyable read. Hopefully, Gillian Roberts will provide readers with more Emma-Billie generation gap mysteries. Harriet Klausner