Pamela Samuels Young

contemporary, thriller, romantic, snarky, situational-humor, verbal-humor, private-investigators, ex-cop, ex-journalist, missing-persons, investigations, siblings, Black, mystery, dual-narrators, unputdownable, rivalry, California, ethnic, cultural-differences*****

Jackson Jones and Mackenzie Cunningham are each Black private investigators hired by the same high end white lawyer to find a missing adopted young woman before her mother dies in hospice care. But it's not a snooty story nor a high testosterone vehicle, it's great fun for all and perfect as a pick me up after a rotten day at work. I thought it was great and hope that this team will cooperate again in other books!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Atria Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 09 Jul 2024… (more)

I'm on a quest to read books by diverse authors this year because authors of color are underrepresented in my reading history. Got to even things up a bit.

This mystery by Pamela Samuels Young was a lot of fun. It's a courtroom drama following the trial of the main suspect from prep to verdict. The main character was well developed. She was smart, fiery and strong. Her weakness is her blindspot for how her actions affect others. She just isn't a particularly empathetic person. Over the course of the book you see her grow as a person and as an attorney, which is nice. I was pleased that there were a few surprises in there and that not everything> is resolved by the end. That would have been too neat and a bit corny so I'm glad that was avoided. The important parts were wrapped up though so the mystery was satisfying.

Honestly, there were some things in the book that were weak. A few bits of evidence either weren't explained or discussed until the end or were resolved in unsatisfying ways. It seemed to me that there were some obvious additional bits evidence that could have contributed to the suspect's defense by creating reasonable doubt that were never brought up at trial. I felt that there were too many times when the book had me asking questions that it should have resolved for me.

Some of the social dialogue was a bit weak, but the dialogue overall was solid. Having worked in a big firm for the last 4 years I can assure that this is exactly how partners talk, act and think. smh.

There were a couple of editorial errors primarily in the form of missing quotation marks to open a quote and one or two missing words in the book. Something for future editors to note.

Overall, the book moved along at a nice pace and always left me wanting to know what happened next. It's a hard book to put down. Definitely recommend it if you like lawyerly procedurals. Plan to read more Vernetta Henderson books in the future. Recommended.… (more)

Another winner from Pamuela samuels Young. I have been reading this series a little out of order! But I am not lost I like the characters in this series and it was a treat to see her friend,Special, is in this book. Special always adds excitement. Expertly plotted and well developed character and a couple of surprises at the end.

My favorite legal thriller author has a high profile sexual discrimination case and one her clients gets murdered but who did it? The opposing counsel, Girlie Cortez will stop at nothing to win a case. Attracting males all the time with her great legs and surgically enhanced breasts, and with her personality. no women trust her ever.

A pickle, that Special gets involves return boyfriend who has recently converted to Islam. Special wants the married life badly and promises to convert but she promised before seriously exploring what she would have to give up.

There is much more to the story, like company politics, fraud and martial disputes.

I enjoyed this story very much and learned a few things too.… (more)