Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Review: Fatal Fortune by Victoria Laurie


Fatal Fortune
Author:  Victoria Laurie
Series:  A Psychic Eye Mystery 12
Publisher:  Obsidian, June 2, 2015
Format:  Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages
List Price:  $7.99 (print)
ISBN:  9780451469250 (print)
Review Copy:  Provided by the Publisher
Previously published in Hardcover, July 1, 2014

Fans of Harper Connelly and TV’s Medium will love the psychic detective in this New York Times bestselling series….

Abby Cooper can’t believe her eyes after the police show her surveillance video of her best friend and business partner, Candice Fusco, shooting a man in cold blood. And when the cops tell her they think the victim has ties to the Mob—and perhaps Candice does too—Abby can’t believe her ears. Surely there is a logical explanation. But Candice is nowhere to be found.

Trusting her intuition, Abby decides to search for the truth in Vegas—which may be the biggest gamble of her life. Once in town she begins to uncover a rigged game of dirty double-dealing where the stakes are no less than life and death. And if she’s not careful, Abby can forget about ever leaving Las Vegas…alive.



Jennifer's Review

Fatal Fortune is the 12th installment of Victoria Laurie’s long running Psychic Eye Mystery Series. This time around we find psychic, Abby Copper, racing to find answers after her partner and best friend, Candice, is accused of the cold blooded murder of a well liked doctor. The crime was caught on camera and clearly shows Candice shooting the doctor at point blank range, but Abby’s radar is telling her different and she is on the hunt for the killer, who may or may not be Candice, and for Candice herself, who has disappeared after leaving a cryptic message on Abby’s voicemail.

Abby is a well developed character that has evolved immensely over the course of the books. She is independent and practical and often relies on her psychic gift to make important choices in her life. She uses her psychic abilities in her professional life as well, having her own clients within the investigative firm she runs with Candice, and working part time as a civilian profiler for the FBI. This book focuses heavily on Candice and her past. Candice has always been a bit a mystery; she is a skilled investigator and is strong, physically and emotionally. She is very secretive and protective of her past and privacy, but has been a staunch friend to Abby, saving her life on multiple occasions. Now Abby needs to save her, no matter how much Candice protests. Candice’s new husband, FBI Agent Brice, figures prominently as he deals with his fear for his wife and the growing concern that she might not be who they all think she is. Abby has been with Dutch Rivers, also an FBI agent, since the beginning of the series, finally tying the knot in the last book. Dutch has a secondary role in this story, but is still a huge presence in Abby’s life. They have a wonderful relationship, built over years of missteps and several life-and-death experiences.

Abby travels from her home base of Austin, Texas to Las Vegas to follow clues and search for Candice, encountering various people along the way. We meet purported mobsters and rival casino owners Salazar Kato and Frank Garafalo. Garafalo, an intimidating personage, has a connection with Saline Hamon, a shadowy character who figures into the mystery. Kato is an older and refined mobster who has some kind of tie with Candice and vows to punish her for the murder of his friend, Dr. Robinowitz. Arlo and Michelle work for Kato. Arlo is a typical Vegas type thug, pushy and mouthy, and Michelle is an attractive young woman, who has an enigmatic role in Kato’s organization. Vegas PD Detective Brosseau, who was featured in a previous novel, comes back in this book to assist Abby in her quest for the truth. Special Agent Oppenheimer is tasked with bringing Candice to justice and is someone Abby must avoid until she uncovers proof of Candice’s guilt or innocence.

Laurie’s writing is fast paced, with lightning quick twists and turns. Her stories are generally action packed and suspenseful, which is definitely the case with this book. There are moments of pure excitement, dizzying confusion and high emotion. The story never hits a dull moment and I found myself getting lost in Abby’s world, laughing out loud at her ill fated attempts to curb her swearing habit, and reading well past my bed time to see where the next clue would take her. I am excited that the next installment of the series will be coming out in July 2015 with Sense of Deception.

Due to the fact that this novel is part of a well established series, I would recommend starting with the first book or the nuances of the characters pasts and their currents lives will be missed.





The Giveaway

What:  One entrant will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Fatal Fortune by Victoria Laurie from the publisher. US ONLY

How:  Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on June 19, 2015. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Upcoming

Sense of Deception
A Psychic Eye Mystery 13
NAL, July 7, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 368 pages

In New York Times bestselling author Victoria Laurie’s newest Psychic Eye Mystery, Abby Cooper senses a convicted killer is innocent, but she’ll need hard evidence to save the woman before it’s too late…

A ticked-off judge has tossed Abby in the slammer for contempt of court, and during her brief but unpleasant stay she learns the story of a condemned woman who is facing a far more serious sentence. Skylar Miller has been found guilty of murder and faces the death penalty. Everyone believes she’s guilty, including her own family and her ex-husband—everyone, that is, except Abby, whose finely honed intuition tells her this woman doesn’t belong behind bars.

With the help of her husband Dutch and her friend Candice, Abby launches into her own investigation to clear Skylar and find the real killer. But after a final appeal is denied and Skylar’s attorney scrambles for a stay of execution, time is running short—and the list of suspects keeps growing. There’s no margin for error as the life of an innocent woman hangs in the balance…

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for this intriguing giveaway which interest me greatly. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  2. Oooh nice review! I still need to read this one myself! I have the hardcover somewhere in my TBR Mountain of Doom, now confined to a trunk! LOL! Love this series and cannot wait to read this one! Whenever that may be! LOL! Great review!

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  3. Sounds great! I am looking forward to reading this one. I hope I win :) jenschaper (at) yahoo (dot) com

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