Detective Frank Fontana Is Missing>>>Is he a good cop gone bad or in the worst mess of his life?A frantic call for help has Jessica on the run. Taken from his home while his daughter hides upstairs, Detective Frank Fontana is gone. Jessica’s out to save him, but what if he doesn’t want to be found? Has he been abducted or is he on the run?>>>Who Can She Trust?Even a message from … the run?
>>>Who Can She Trust?
Even a message from Frank isn’t all that clear-cut: “Trust no one. The devil was once an angel.” Is it a warning to Jessica or a confession as Frank’s colleague, Detective Rikki Havens, suggests? When a body turns up, the identity of the victim only fuels the controversy. Good cops. Bad cops. Missing money. Undercover operations that may or may not have ended. Jessica and her friends soon become entangled in a web of secrets and lies that make it hard to know who’s on which side of the law.
>>>Join Jessica and her “Cat Pack” as they search for Frank in A Dead Cousin, book 5 in the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series by USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Anna Celeste Burke!
Like the other eBooks in this series, A Dead Cousin for Free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
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Do intricate suspenseful crime and mystery stories make your pulse race? Throw in drug cartels, dirty cops, murder, and a good cop’s reputation on the line, and you have the makings of quite the juicy story in A DEAD COUSIN by Anna Celeste Burke
A DEAD COUSIN is the fifth installment of the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities, and starts like a bullet fired from a Glock 22.
Right after an undercover operation led by Detective Frank Fontana seems to be in the can, Jessica receives word from his daughter Evie her dad’s been taken by some men right in their home. The clever girl manages to hide due to a safe word she’s been taught in case of imminent danger, and Jessica rushes to the rescue, her trusty poodle in tow.
Once the team arrives to inspect the crime scene, suspicion arises as one of Frank’s colleagues Detective Rikki Havens wonders if Frank has crossed the line – the damning evidence found in Frank’s safe has seen to that. Fake ID’s, a one way plane ticket, and passports with Frank’s picture, and lots of money, along with an old ledger with numbers and initials – what do they mean? More importantly, whom does the ledger really belong to?
And what will that tiny key Jessica secretly pockets while the team searches the rest of the evidence eventually open?
Kudos on the side for the entertaining Anastasia the poodle – this smart pooch should receive the K9 cop award, for sniffing out certain clues the human police overlook – specifically the laminated card Jessica had once given Frank that states: “Don’t trust anyone. The devil was once an angel,” Semi-buried in Franks’ front yard.
Yikes!
From there the crafty canine discovers other clues, so if Anastasia’s not awarded a medal, at least get her a huge bag of treats, in my opinion…
The action is expertly plotted and moves rapidly, holding this reader’s anticipated interest, and making me grateful there was a super story to look forward to, a much-needed escape from reality.
Although Ms. Burke references other murders committed in prior books of the series here (like the characters who’re responsible, or not), I had no trouble figuring out who began where and when – I thought this backstory information was cool, and a credit to Ms. Burke’s writing ability, since it didn’t confuse me, or take my head out of the story.
In fact, the lure contained in A DEAD COUSIN beckons me to grab the previous installments of this series, one of which is already on my Kindle.
Any reader who’s stoked by this genre would be as delighted as I with this fast paced, well-written yarn – So! You won’t find any spoilers in this review, but I will say this – the ending was sweet, satisfying, and nicely wrapped up a most intriguing mystery.
PS: Who else is unaware urine is not a good source for DNA? I watch enough crime shows like NCIS, and I’m also a crazy-wild fan of Burn Notice, but this topic never came up during my TV travels. I thought this is a fun fact to know. Thanks, Celeste!
I enjoy these Jessica Huntington books!
What a mystery! This a case of good cop, bad cop, but on higher levels of law enforcement. When Frank gets kidnapped, Jessica, her co workers, and the police department begin the search. The most difficult obstacle is not knowing who to trust. As the mystery unfolds,they are getting the list of suspects and their rolls in the kidnapping… But can all these cops be bad? Is Frank a part of the “bad cop club” as it’s been rumored? You will have to read this and decide for yourself… Good cop…. Or bad cop??? Will Frank be found alive?
“The Cat Pack’s work is never done!” Tommy sighed in mock desperation. “So little time, so many rats to find.”
Jessica Huntington and her “cat pack” are at it again! Seems this time there are hands in the wrong cookie jar on both sides of the border,and things wrap Jessica’s friend Frank in the middle of corruption affecting the police.
In a fast paced story, Anna Celeste Burke gets you caught up in a believable story that is at once hard to conceive of and next easy to understand. The question becomes who exactly are the good guys anyway?… and are they all “guys”?
I love this kind of “take me away”mystery, where money is no object but people are more important. You will grow to care for these characters: from “surfer dude”Brien to “St. Bernadette” to Peter, the private cop with a big heart, all the way down to Anastasia, the poodle-slash-service dog, and cheer or boo for the good guys and the bad guys. Just a fun read. Highly recommended. 5/5.
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
Jessica and the Cat Pack are on the case!
Jessica Huntington has two wonderful men in her life and can’t decide which one to choose. When Detective Frank Fontana is apparently kidnapped and the evidence seems to say he’s a crooked cop, Jessica and the Cat Pack are hot on the trail to find Frank and bring the criminals to justice.
In A Dead Cousin, Frank is missing. Things are not adding up. Is Frank a cop gone bad? Despite the evidence to support that theory, Jessica does not believe it. All the wonderful characters I have come to love are back in this well written, fast paced, edge of your seat mystery. It grabbed my attention on page one and never let go. I had to drop everything else to finish this in one sitting!
Once again Jessica and the Cat Pack are on the trail of “la creme de la crud” as they search for one of their own. Frank is missing and the body count keeps rising. Not knowing who to trust makes the case more difficult but with each member of the Cat Pack bringing their own special talent to the investigation, they quickly make headway into solving the mystery. I stayed up hours past my bedtime to finish this fast-paced, action-packed whodunit by the talented Anna Celeste Burke. While each story in this series is a standalone, I suggest reading them in order. The characters and their relationships evolve as the series progresses and recurring characters(other than the Cat Pack) are found throughout the books.
I found this a little confusing at first. There are a lot of characters introduced without much context other than the frantic call by Evie to Jessica as her father is being abducted. It eventually sttles out & I could figure out who was who. Can anyone be trusted?
You’ll have to read if Frank is a good or bad cop and to what extent. This was a wild ride. Never a dull moment.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book and these are my own opinions. I have this book on pre-order and do not intend to cancel. I’m sure I’ll be reading it again.
Tense and Tight Mystery!
This is one full bodied mystery! I have not read the other books in this series, yet. This book does stand alone quit well. Prior stories are referred to is a way that gives the reader necessary information without making the reader feel that they have missed anything. The plot to this story was intricate and busy. I enjoyed having to think about the plot and not just having it spoon fed. The characters are great, well developed and solid. I also enjoyed the underlying romance and deep feelings between the characters. And the dog! What a hoot! She is so necessary to so much of the book and adds a little comic relief. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series! I received this ARC book for free and this is my honest opinion.
A Dead Cousin is the fifth book in the Jessica Huntington Desert City Mystery series. Life is finally peaceful for Jessica Huntington and she’s enjoying some down time with friends. That ends quickly when she gets a frantic call informing her that her friend, Detective Frank Fontana, has been abducted. Jessica and her close friends, known as the Cat Pack, go into investigation mode.
Well written characters and a mystery with twists and turns will have you turning the pages. It’s a book you won’t want to put down. I highly recommend it!
“A Dead Cousin” earns 5/5 Deadly Abductions…Clever!
“They took him away!” An exciting read from fav author Anna Celeste Burke who brings fans a clever, entertaining mystery! Jessica is reveling in the idea that life has calmed down…then she is awoken by a phone call. Detective Frank Fontana’s daughter Evie calls, hiding in the closet, whispering her dad has been abducted. From there Jessica, joined by family and the “Cat Pack” group, follows clues, some leading to peril, to discover corruption, deception, questionable activities, missing money, and…murder! As a standalone in the series there are enough references to background and character connection to engage any newbie, but it is the fifth book, so life has moved on and characters are established. Anna’s first-person narrative provides excellent descriptions along with Jessica’s inner thoughts, and her dialogue illustrates tone, personality, and emotion. Together her writing makes this a real page-turner! But it’s not all nail-biting “Watch out!” screams, there are sprinkles of humor that will allow you to catch your breath. I thoroughly enjoyed this newest book. Jessica is engaging and clever, the sidekicks are a “kick,” the mystery is contemporary, and recipes! There’s a mini cookbook included with several entree options (one Vegan, one breakfast), a variety of rice and quinoa sides, and Salted Caramel Turtle Brownies desserts!
Probably the best in the Desert Cities Mysteries yet, once you start this book you’ll have a tough time putting it down. Well developed characters and story with humor injected in just the right places, this book will keep you turning the pages as Jessica seems to find trouble no matter where she turns. This time it’s her detective friend Frank Fontana who has disappeared. Jessica and her Cat Pack posse jump into action to try and determine who, what, when, where and why…twists and turns abound, deceit, lies and tons of questionable activity as they use clues that Frank has left to figure out what the heck!!! I received this book and am providing an unsolicited honest review, but I LOVED it so much I purchased a copy. I enjoyed this superbly written mystery and I know you will too!
Wow, what a great book, I couldn’t put it down. As soon as the story opens with a BAM!, you’re hit with Jessica getting a call from Evie her dad’s been taken. Jessica sends an email to Det. Rikki Havens who works with Frank. Rikki sends a sheriff to escort Jessica faster to Frank’s home. The action never stops you keep moving from one situation to the next. You’re never sure who the good guys and who the bad guys are until the end.
Fantastic Fast Paced Page Turner
A Dead Cousin is the fifth book in Anna Celeste Burke’s awesome Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series. Readers will find themselves pulled into this fast-paced, complex mystery from the beginning, anxiously turning pages until they find themselves at the end of the story and wanting more. Ms. Burke’s descriptive writing style flows smoothly, and even though tension is high, she’s sprinkled humor throughout the pages of this book. The well-developed characters are three-dimensional and Anastasia, Jessica’s lovely poodle, will steal your heart in more than one scene. There is a lot going on, and Ms. Burke does an excellent job of tying up all the loose ends. I highly recommend this book.
Things have been calm in Jessica Huntington’s life for several months, and she felt a celebration was in order. Alexis, Jessica’s mother, is recovering from a medical emergency and making progress beating her drug and alcohol addiction, the law caught up with Cassie, her ex-husband’s new wife who often wreaked havoc in Jessica’s life, and big undercover operation her friend, Detective Frank Fontana, was involved in was finally over. Jessica and her Cat Pack friends enjoyed a relaxing evening together, but Jessica is a calamity magnet, and mayhem is never far away. Instead of her sweet poodle, Anastasia, waking her the next morning, Jessica receives a phone call from Frank’s daughter, Evie, who tells her that after men came to see her dad, she heard him say their safe word which meant she should hide behind the false wall in her closet and now he was gone! Jessica, who often suffers from panic attacks, fought the urge to fall victim to the one she felt coming on and quickly moved into action mode, accessed the situation, and contacted Frank’s colleague, Detective Rikki Havens. Jessica has a wonderful support system, the Cat Pack, which is an intriguing group of friends who help her with investigations and provide support and shelter from threats, both emotional and physical. None of them hesitates to jump in and take an emotional and bumpy ride with Jessica as she tries to figure out who, if anyone other than her team, can be trusted. Jessica had taken Father Martin’s advice to put her black AMEX card away to heart, and she’s resisted the strong urge to go on shopping sprees, but feels justified pulling it out to save Frank. They don’t know if he’s been abducted or is on the run but find clues he left along the way and are determined to bring one of their own back home. As Jessica and her family and friends search for clues leading to Frank’s whereabouts, they discover shady activities, lies, deception, corruption, missing money, and murder.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This book is too long and has too many characters. I’ve not read the other books in the series which may have helped me to follow the characters. If that it’s the reason,then it is really not a stand alone. It did have a good story line.