A bittersweet reunion…Separated by feuding families when they were children, Detective Lyn Kramer of the Elm Grove Police Department and her estranged twin sister, high school teacher Melissa Farnsworth, have finally been reunited—but under terrifying circumstances. After freeing her sister from the clutches of Lester Barton, a devious crime boss who also happens to be their sadistic uncle, Lyn … uncle, Lyn vows to keep Melissa and her family safe. However, that goal is thwarted when Barton, working behind the scenes, infiltrates their sleepy town with drug traffickers and threatens to destroy the sisters and everyone they love as an act of revenge.
Can the recently reunified twins lure the ringleader out of hiding and into the cold light of justice? Or will their evil uncle succeed in terrorizing the sisters into submission?
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After reading Missing, the first book in the Lyn Kramer mystery series by Ann Jones, I wanted to read more. When the second book, Trapping, was published earlier this year, I anxiously grabbed a free copy during the initial marketing launch and put it into my reading schedule for May. It was next up this week and as soon as I jumped in, it felt like I’d never left the story… kinda like I was home again. It actually takes place just hours after the first book ended, which for anyone who read it knew clearly there was a lot more to be revealed in the story. Twins separated for ~30 years couldn’t possibly not get together and re-discover themselves, right? Jones doesn’t disappoint, seamlessly transitioning from finding one another in the first book to protecting one another from a lecherous uncle in this second one.
Jones has created a very relatable family in this series. Raised separately by their two grandfathers, the twin girls’ parents died under mysterious circumstances long ago. One was mistreated by her uncle, forced into a life of crime. The other became a cop. Who better than to take down the crime family than the force of their reunited bond? Book two kicks off with a secret plan to lure the uncle out of hiding and hopefully convict him of a number of crimes over the years. But Uncle Lester is very smart, keeping himself at least two degrees separated from his henchmen doing any dirty work. He can’t be connected to any crimes, but he can still hurt both girls. Throw in a story about a hit-and-run driver, a drug ring operating in a small Midwest town, a growing romance re-ignited after a decade, an ex with a grudge, and a difficult family reunion, the book has it all.
Though dubbed “writing clean suspense with a touch of romance,” I feel there’s a lot bigger picture going on in the books. The writing style is clean and direct making it easy to stay connected with and keep turning the pages. The characters are well drawn, full of angst and emotion, history and love. The new criminals are shady but also potentially mere red herrings. There are budding romances at many generational levels. The cast of culprits leaves you with a dozen or so characters who could be working for Uncle Lester, reporting back any information on Lyn and Melissa, or they could just be normal citizens caught up in their own webs of deceit. Who knows? Only those who read the book, right? So get on it!
What I like most about the book is that although there’s a mystery, and even with the suspense and drama, at its core this is a story about a family torn apart by good and evil. When the twins were separated years ago, a rift the size of Kansas was opened… and it’s not going to heal in 1 or 2 books. There is longevity here in these characters which is always something important I seek in a new series. Jones creates balance, just enough tension on the surface that you know things are gonna blow up, just not when it will happen. It could be this book, it could be the next one… but a family separated for over two decades doesn’t just heal overnight. And since the span of the first two books barely covers a few weeks, there’s a lot of unexplored time. I’m confident Jones will deliver in creating a few explosive moments in the near future.
Can’t wait til she publishes the third one… now if I could only find a way to get the answer of when and where it will happen. Kudos for an excellent follow up in this series.
Ms. Jones weaves suspense and mystery with the second installment of her detective, crime mystery Trappings. Though I’ve yet to read the first installment, Missing, I was able to follow the storyline easily. Detective Lynn Kramer and her partner Jud Hughes have their work cut out for them when Drug traffickers infiltrate their small town, Elm Grove, led by her uncle, Lester, a Drug Lord bent on reaping vengeance against Lynn and her sister, Melissa. This story comes at a relevant time, with the epidemic of oxycodone addictions in this country. Ms. Jones does an excellent job painting citizens of this small town and especially their comings and goings at a local store, a place suspected of being a pickup station for drugs.
I felt I was spying along with Detective Kramer as she and her partner spied and video locals comings and goings. The author interlaces each character’s history, and affiliations well, coming to a conclusion of their undertaking in the seedy world of abuse and addiction. I held my breath, hoping at the end to see more romance explode between Lyn and Judd. I suspect the attraction between the two is stronger than they let on. I’m hoping the author explores the romance more in her third installment. This book is super suspenseful and held my attention to the very end. I couldn’t put it down. If you love detective mysteries, you’re going to enjoy Ms. Jones novel. I highly recommend Trappings.
Trapping is a great addition to the Lyn Kramer mystery series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. The characters are realistic, relatable and engaging while the plot is even paced and entertaining with twists and turns that will leave you wanting more. If you are looking for a fast-paced, edgy, steamy romantic suspense then this book is not for you. Trapping is a clean suspenseful read that does not include foul language or sexual situations. There is a low key romantic interest between Lyn and her partner, Jud but nothing described in detail; just internal thoughts from the characters and a few flirting situations, here and there. And be prepared to be left hanging at the end of the book again. Like Missing, Trapping ends with a cliffhanger that will have you wishing you already had the next book in your hands (and I am hoping that will not be too long of a wait!).
In the first book Missing, we met Detective Lyn Kramer and her new partner, Jud Hughes, who are pulled in to solve the disappearance of a local wife and mother, Melissa Farnsworth, reported missing by her husband Gary. Little did Lyn know at the time, but taking on this case will have her past and present colliding and all those close to her in danger, as well as herself. The missing woman, Melissa, is Lyn’s long-lost twin sister from whom she was separated from in their youth. After their parents died each set of grandparents took a sister to raise and where Lyn was given a loving home and grew up to be a detective, Melissa had a hard life in a family of criminals and was still being blackmailed by her uncle Lester to do his bidding. Once the clues lead Lyn and Jud to Melissa and they reunite they all compare notes and put a plan in motion to remove Melissa from Lester’s grasp and her family from danger.
Trapping starts where Missing ends and has Melissa trying to re-engage in her day to day life with her husband, Gary, her children and her teaching job; as well as work in secret with Lyn, Jud, and their grandfather ‘Pops’ to bring down their corrupt uncle and his associates. They have a plan in motion and have to work under the radar with misdirection, gossip and fake relationships trying to gain the upper hand on Lester. They have a lot of breadcrumbs to follow to connect all the players in his drug enterprise and make sure no one is the wiser on their plan and Melissa and her family are kept safe. There are more twists and turns presented in this book to keep you engaged in the story and invested in the characters. Things start to heat up for Lester and paranoia sets in when connections are made and warrants issued for some associates. Will he be able to stay one step ahead of Lyn and the gang or will they finally have everything they need to take him out of the game for good? This was an exciting read and great addition to the series. I look forward to seeing what comes next.