On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
This book is also the last book needed to complete by Literary Escapes Challenge!
Murder Casts the Ballot (A Jake and Emma Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Wyoming
Publisher: 307 Publishing LLC (December 15, 2016)
Print Length: 301 pages
ASIN: B01M5K42EA
Jealousy, hatred and domestic terrorism — how can one little primary in one little town pack such a big punch? By the time election day comes, there may be more than one body on this ballot.
Jake Rand is running for County Attorney in Casper, Wyoming, but someone seems determined to keep him out of office. There’s only a week before voters head to the polls, and it’s shaping up to be a very bad one. Protesters, punches, stabbings and shootings – politics isn’t just personal in Casper, it’s downright deadly!
It isn’t long before the police make an arrest, but Jake isn’t sure they’ve got the right man. He wants to win the election, but sending an innocent man to prison isn’t part of his campaign plan.
Fifth book in The Jake and Emma Mystery Series. Previously released as Body on the Ballot.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I read the previous books in this series back in 2015 and had this one waiting on my Kindle for too long. To prove that this book and those before it now have new titles and covers. I am glad to get back to this series and happy to see the author recently released another book in the series.
Casper, Wyoming is holding a primary election in the County Attorney race. Jake Rand is running against Clint Taylor. While they are taking part in an intense debate the doors open and 2 men rush in with shots fired and Jake is hit. The police arrive and more shots ring out winging one of the gunmen. As the scene calms down Jake realizes hit was hit by a paintball not a bullet. The police on the scene also find that Detective Mortimer (Mort) Brugnick who was working security the event was shot and killed by a BULLET!
There is a shake-up at the police station that places Detective Matt Joyner on administrative leave right after State Investigator arrives to assist in the case. He can’t just sit on his hands, with a little help from his friends he does some investigating. Was Mort a target? or was Taylor the target? or was it just random? The case leads them to the college but some crazy and dangerous events really twist things up.
All the characters are well-developed and realistic. All the relationships are strong. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the core characters and the empathy shown throughout the story. Characters fight with emotions and daily life issues along with the effects the murder has on their lives.
I really enjoyed the politics theme in this book. A current topic complete with protests and rallies. While on a local scale it still escalates to a scary level.
The murder mystery is filled with drama and the author sets a brisk pace. The case is difficult to solve. The police make an arrest but there are so many holes in the case. Thankfully Jake and Matt stuck with it and some surprising secrets are revealed.
Murder Casts the Ballot
Agent
Linda grew up in Loveland, Colorado, the youngest of six children. She moved with her parents to California when she was 16 and spent the next 16 years of her life in the Bay Area before moving home to Colorado and finally to Wyoming.
In her writing, Linda draws from her vast and varied experience with people facing domestic violence, hunger, homelessness, mental illness and suicide. Her nonfiction is full of practical strategies and her fictional characters leap off the page with all the nuances, strengths and frailties that draw readers to her work.
Her current projects include the third Jake and Emma Mystery, “Justice for Katie,” now out and a new edition of “Life Isn’t Just Luck” to give readers even more real-world advice and activities. Linda is also working on a series of inspirational short stories and exploring a humorous new series called “It’s a Gift” about a young woman determined to make the most of every day of her life.
Follow Linda on Twitter https://twitter.com/LJCrowder
Check out her Author Site www.lindajcrowder.com for news and snippets of upcoming books.
Find her on Facebook – www.facebook.com/lindajcrowderauthor
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”