THE BUSINESS TRIP

4 stars out of 5

Tell you what - this is one of the most "Aw, c'mon, you've got to be kidding me" tales I've read in a long time. But I didn't mind at all - the twists and turns made it a romp and really hard to put it down. Trying to review it, I quickly realized, is a challenge, though - way too much chance of spoiling it for others.

The two main characters are Stephanie, a TV news director, and Jasmine, a have-nothing 44-year-old who's in an abusive marriage. Both are looking for a break; Stephanie from the daily grind and hoping to reconnect with her grown son, and Jasmine for the obvious reason. Over time, Jasmine has surreptitiously squirreled away tips from the bar where she works so she can make a getaway when the time is right - and she's finally reached it. Stephanie's breaking point comes with what she hopes will be the last demand that she drop everything - this time to head for San Diego for a news director convention she really doesn't want, or need, to attend.

On the plane, Jasmine and Stephanie coincidentally sit next to each other (yeah, right). And that's when things start to get interesting, as it isn't long after that when the two women are reported missing. Say what?

The calls of foul play come from various sources, although one of them is not Jasmine's ne'er-to-well husband Glenn, whose track record makes him reluctant to notify the authorities. Not so her friend Anna, who's been helping Jasmine make plans. On Stephanie's end, her ever-so-gay next-door neighbor Robert, who's been watching her cat, becomes suspicious early on, as do a couple of co-workers at the station who begin to notice irrational behavior.

Readers, however, are clued in to what's happening by way of chapters that shift in perspective among several of these characters including, of course, Stephanie and Jasmine. Now I do have to admit it's unlikely I'd ever want to hoist a beer with either of them, nor did I much care what fate (or make that ultra-careful planning) had in store for them personally. The process of finding out, though, was rather fun, and the author did a great job with the plot development and "reveals" along the way.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the nod to download a pre-release copy. This is a debut novel, and I'll certainly be on the lookout for more from this talented author.

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia (St. Martin's Press, January 2024); 352 pp.

DYING FOR JUSTICE

4 stars out of 5

This is, I believe, a first book for the author and the

first of a series. Now that I've finished it, I'd say congratulations to the former and it's off to a good start to the latter.  Put another way, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Julia Ainsworth is a 25-year-old lawyer in London. Her father, a lawyer and prominent politician, asks her to represent a teenage boy named Michael, the son of his friends Tom and Nicole Bradley. Although Michael claims to be innocent, he is accused of shooting a man who was out hunting with the Bradleys on their vast property - a man considered a top candidate for Chancellor of the Exchequer (as is Julia's father). 

Julia gets help from her inexplicably wealthy friend Danny, who in turn suggests an alliance with Chris Carter, a hunky ex-M15 agent who now runs his own business and is well-versed in "cognitive empathy" (a.k.a. software that analyzes behavioral clues). After reviewing videotapes of Michael, he concludes that the boy's insistence that he shot a deer and not a human is the truth; no, he's not the killer. But knowing isn't proving - and all the hard evidence continues to point to Michael.

Julia remains convinced of Michael's innocence, though, and insists that she'll keep digging to get to the truth. But clearly, someone isn't thrilled about that prospect; and when an horrific accident turns out to be meant for Julia, everything starts to go south in a hurry. Bit by bit, more clues are unearthed - some literally - leading the three teamsters to a prime suspect. But except for her growing romantic interest in Chris, Julia grows more and more unhappy with the direction the investigation is going; it's heading way too close to home for comfort.

Although I enjoyed this relatively short and fast-paced book, I do hope to see a bit more expansive transition throughout and greater character development in subsequent efforts (the chapters here seemed a bit "jumpy," and truth be told, I never felt much of a connection with the main characters, including Julia). But as I said at the beginning, this is a solid first effort that I'm sure other readers will enjoy as much as I did. Many thanks to the author for offering me an advance copy for me to read and review.

Dying for Justice by Pauline Isaksen (Amazon Digital Services LLC, December 2018); 185 pp.