Book Review: In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from JKS Communications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

This week I'm sharing Sandra Brennan's Liv Bergen mystery series with you,

to showcase the premier of it's later tome, Noah's Rainy Day!

Here's Book One:

Synopsis: The puzzle of “a window cut into a girl’s body” leads to a serial killer with an artistic bent in this thrilling mystery set in a Colorado mining community.

The first in a series, of fast-paced mysteries with a likable protagonist and an intricately woven narrative brimming with bizarre yet believable twists, this book expertly lays the groundwork for Liv Bergen, amateur sleuth, and her love interest, FBI Agent Streeter Pierce. Liv becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of Jill Brannigan, a summer intern at the limestone mine Liv manages near Fort Collins, Colorado (a breathtaking setting that unwittingly becomes an accessory to crime).

In doing so, she inadvertently puts her friends, her family, and herself at risk of being swallowed in the belly of a madman bloated with perverse appetites for women, surrealistic art, and renown. Perhaps a bit too daring (and at times irreverent) for her own good, “Boots,” as Liv’s eight siblings call her, soon realizes she has a knack for outsmarting and tracking down the Venus de Milo murderer—and she enjoys it!

As the gripping plot of In the Belly of Jonah unfolds, Liv Bergen takes her place alongside the best female crime-solvers as a woman with smarts, self-confidence, and intuitive savvy.

Review: You have to admit, setting your lead FEMALE character in the mining industry seems off, but the author is writing what she knows! And partially because it is different, the book grabs you and never lets you go! I actually started this series backwards, with the last book, and then came back to this one, and read the rest in the correct order. It was like going back and discovering how you met an old friend, all over again!

I LOVE Liv- she is tough, but still all woman. she is confident in herself (most of the time) and able to take on the 'boys club' and win the day. If you have never read this series, you MUST pick it up! Sandra knows how to write a tight mystery that keeps you turning pages LONG into the night (can you say 'oh no it's 0230 and I have to be up in 3 1/2 hours?"). I think Sandra finds a better feeling for the federal agents in this story, in her later books, as you sort of end this book thinking she really didn't like them, or really much need them. If you let that part go and just read this tale for what it is, you will have an enjoyable read, that will having you ruinning off to get the rest of the books in the series!

About the Author: After living in Wyoming, Washington, D.C., Washington state, and Colorado, Sandra Brannan returned to her hometown in South Dakota, where she is surrounded by family. She enjoys working with relatives in the mining business; living in the Black Hills with her husband, Joel; smiling with pride over the journeys taken by her four sons; doting over her three grandchildren; and appreciating all of life’s blessings, too many to count. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and check out her website too!