Mystery

Always a Groomsman (Love on the Run Book 1)

Michel Prince stops Connor’s heart, Serena learns her cousin Bethany is getting married in the Dominican Republic, and Serena’s presence is essential to the wedding. The party-=illed days are interrupted by the bride’s meltdowns as she struggles to create a beautiful, multicultural wedding that highlights the couple’s love for each other. When one of the groomsmen is found dead on the beach, the wedding plans become even more complicated. Believing the young man accused of the murder is innocent, Serena and Connor must =ind the real murderer before the bride’s special day.

Serena and Connor Love travel the world sharing their adventures on Serena’s vlog. Shortly after Serena’s cliff dive which almost

This book presents a delightful mix of romance and wedding fever while certainly setting the stage for future books. Readers will identify with the family trials that accompany wedding planning when one is trying to mix the traditions and customs of two different cultures. Further complicating the story is the competition going on at the law =irm where most of the wedding party works. A murdered groomsman heightens the tension because he was disliked so much by coworkers. The complexities of love are presented with a backdrop of corrupt politics in a resort rimmed by the poor people who are at the mercy of a government fueled by greed. Serena and Connor are the calm in the midst of the storm, and the voice of reality in the chaos. Readers will be watching for book two with anticipation!

Leah Neale

SUSPENSE/THRILLER: Zoe is a hardened agent working for a special ops division of the CIA. Trained from a young age to be an assassin, Zoe is now at crossroads, wanting to step back from her highoctane life and build a life with her girlfriend, Isabel, yet still gain approval from her boss and uncle, Easton. When she involuntarily orphans a young girl, Leah, during her last op, Zoe is further con=licted. Leah’s father has been negotiating a sale of the =irst ever ‘invisibility’ nano weapon to the highest bidder, and has hidden the codes within riddles that he’s taught Leah making her a prime target. Zoe’s determined for this to be her =inal mission, to keep Leah safe, and start her new life with her =iancé e. This story has a fast-paced and intriguing plot line of espionage and counter-espionage, where the writer focuses on strong female characters that are engaging and inclusive, yet also have human =laws. The plot develops steadily with subplots and twists that engage the reader until the middle of the book. From this point on, the storyline devolves into a Bgrade action movie, with dialogue that is too simplistic to be from experienced operatives, and plot complexities that are initiated and conclude too fast. The story has the scope to be split into two books to build on the villain’s mindset, and also add more depth to the bond growing between Zoe and Leah, which seems too forced. Nevertheless, “The Child Riddler” is an entertaining read which could have played out better with more background to Zoe’s early life and its similarities to the Nine-yearold Leah.

Rika Chandra