Title: Denied (Kelly Pruett Mystery #2)
Author: Mary Keliikoa
Genre: Mystery Suspense
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not for me, maybe for you.

I enjoy a good suspense novel, but the writing style of Mary Keliikoa didn’t work for me despite giving her two books to sell me on it. I find it slow, dry, and rather pedantic. In my head, the voice of the main character was a drawl. The entire thing was frustrating as hell. 

PI Kelly Pruett is following in her father’s footsteps. She’s trying to keep his private investigation agency going after his death. After almost dying on a case, she’s on recovery when she takes a new investigation for a childhood friend to find the woman’s missing father. 

One thing that drives me crazy is when an author confuses determined with pigheadedness. Kelly Pruett is often stupid about seeing things through. Despite saying how important her daughter is, she doesn’t put her own well-being at any importance to act cautiously. It drives me nuts.

Denied is an improvement, story-wise to Derailed. I enjoyed this book more. There were a few points in Derailed where the pacing made me want to give up. Denied was better paced, and the rollout on reveals was more satisfying. 

I think that there is an audience for this book. It just isn’t me. I bet my dad would love it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.

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About Mary Keliikoa:

Mary Keliikoa is the author of the Lefty and Agatha award nominated PI Kelly Pruett mystery series and the upcoming Misty Pines mystery series featuring Sheriff Jax Turner slated for release in September 2022. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and in the anthology Peace, Love and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by Music of the ‘60s. A Pacific NW native, she spent a part of her life working around lawyers. Combining her love of legal and books, she creates a twisting mystery where justice prevails.

When not in Washington, you can find Mary on the beach in Hawaii where she and her husband recharge. But even under the palm trees and blazing sun, she’s plotting her next murder—novel that is.

Connect with Mary Keliikoa:

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