FIRST PLACE - Clue Award
FINALIST - American Fiction Award
HOOKER AVENUE is the second in the Queen City Crimes series, which sees the return of attorney Jessie Martin in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley. Jessie is on her way home during a pop-up thunderstorm when she spots a woman drowning in a storm drain. She pulls over to save the woman—only to discover that no good deed goes unpunished.
Responding to the scene is Jessie’s former best friend, Detective Ebony Jones. Ebony and her partner are investigating a string of disappearances of sex workers, and the assault matches the other crimes with one difference—the victim is still alive.
Before Jessie can make amends with Ebony, she’s thrown into a dilemma. A former rival has offered her a job in his law firm, and as an unemployed single mother, she can’t say no. But this also means she can’t help Ebony with her case. Jessie’s employer is now the attorney of record for the victim, Lissie Sexton, and Lissie has gone into hiding, which places the two old friends on opposite sides of the law.
As the evidence builds, Jessie’s personal life goes into a tailspin. She’s being stalked by the killer she helped put away, and the man in her life is ready to take their relationship to the next level. With her allegiance being pulled in every direction and horrific revelations coming to light, will Jessie be able to figure out where her loyalties lie and stop another killer plaguing the Hudson Valley before her own life hangs in the balance?
Her award-winning debut thriller, THE MIDNIGHT CALL (2019) was the recipient of the 2020 BRONZE IPPY AWARD, 2020 AMERICAN Fiction Award for Legal Thriller, 2021 Independent Press Award, Finalist - 2021 Book Excellence Award, Finalist - 2020 Write Touch Readers Choice Awards, Finalist - 2020 National Readers Choice Award, Shortlist - 2019 CLUE AWARD. In 2014, THE MIDNIGHT CALL was designated as the "Best Police Procedural" by Chantireviews.com and was short-listed for the Clue Award.
Her second thriller, HOOKER AVENUE, was released in April 2022, and won the 2022 Independent Press Award, was a Finalist for the American Fiction Award and is a Clue Award Finalist.
In addition to writing crime fiction, Jode loves reading a good mystery. She holds a Masters In English Literature, and has taught undergraduate and law school, where her classes combined her interests in Law and Literature.
She is a book reviewer for Booktrib.com and New York Journal of Books, and a podcaster.
My Thoughts!
Hooker Avenue is the second book in the Queen City Crimes ( Jesse Martin Series) Series featuring Jesse Martin, Detective Ebony Jones, and Ebon'ys partner Zander. Jesse is on her way home from shopping and comes across something in the ditch on the side of the road. She investigates and finds that there is a person lodged in the ditch. She calls 911 and Ebony and Zander arrive on the scene.
Jesse is a disgraced attorney but is clawing her way back up to the top. She agrees to take a position with a fellow attorney. She is also being stalked by a man she helped put into prison, in the previous book The Midnight Call. The man is calling her and harassing her.
Detectives Jones and Pulaski are investigating a case that has numerous women missing. These women are all hookers, no one has investigated their disappearances so the two detectives take it upon themselves to find out what has happened to the women. They are hoping to find a pattern that will lead them to a serial killer hunting the streets of Poughkeepsie NY. They eventually find more than they had bargained for as the killer is very elusive.
With Jesse her fiance Hal, and the two detectives put themselves in danger to confront the killer. This is a fast-paced character-driven mystery book that is a continuation of the story set up in the first book, The Midnight Call. We learn a bit more about the lives of the characters, including the missing women.
I always enjoy a good mystery thriller and this author does an amazing job telling a story that is gritty and could come right off of the headlines. Personal dramas and secrets come forth in the telling of Hooker Avenue. I enjoyed the book immensely and eagerly await the next in the series The Empty Kayak which comes out May 30th, 2023
I give the book 5 stars!
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.
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