Friday, July 5, 2024

Between The Pages - Cruel Charade

Cruel Charade
Alana Lorens 
July 2024 

Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children. On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. 

Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea. 

As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed? 

Between The Pages 
This murder mystery was a great suspenseful who-done-it. The plot was well-developed, and the cast of characters was interesting. Bet held the lead superbly on her own. She has traveled a bumpy road with more down moments than up but still kept her head high. There was so much to like about this story filled with humor, tension, and drama. Bet reciting her senses to ground her was an enjoyable bonus. The story dipped from present to past to fill in the blanks so it’s not a quick read, but the author’s long list of suspects will keep you reading and guessing until the end.

Rating 
4.5 Stars

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