Checking the Traps by Joan Livingston# Blog Tour#Rachel’sRandomResources#

Blurb:

Checking the Traps
Isabel Long is a bit banged up from her last case with a broken collarbone and her arm in a sling. But that doesn’t stop her from pouring beer at the Rooster Bar or taking her third case with Gary Beaumont, a local drug dealer who once terrorized her. Gary is convinced his brother didn’t jump off a bridge known for suicides. Somebody pushed him.
Gary’s brother was a boozer who drove for a highway crew. But what interests Isabel and her ‘Watson’ — her 93-year-old mother who lives with her — is that the man wrote poetry.
The chief suspects are one of Gary’s business associates and a famous poet who plagiarized his brother’s poetry for an award-winning book. Yes, he was that good.
As a journalist, Isabel did regular meetups with her sources for stories. She called it checking the traps. She does the same as a private investigator, and this time, she’ll make sure she doesn’t get caught in one.
Purchase Links:
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Checking-Traps-Isabel-Long-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07NDFKS59
US – https://www.amazon.com/Checking-Traps-Isabel-Long-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07NDFKS59

My Thoughts and Review:

This is the third in the series but I read and enjoyed as a standalone.

We are introduced to Isabel, one time reporter, now a Private Investigator. Along with her 93 year old mother is asked by Gary and Larry Beaumont to investigate the death of their half brother Carry six years previously.

Though a crime novel dealing with a tragic event in the recent past, it is also a book filled with humour. Isabel and her Ma are perfect foils for each other, sharing wisecracks and one liners with one another. It is a tale set in a small hill town, where everyone knows everyone and to a certain extent live in each other’s pocket. This makes for a hugely enjoyable read!

Another aspect that enjoyed is that the main character Isabel seems to be talking to you and guiding you through the events in the tale. The characters are all well drawn and the writing is top notch. A fast paced read laced with humour, that pulls the reader along willingly.

Isabel’s relationship with her Ma is not the only one in her life. She has a relationship with her boyfriend Jack who is also her boss in her other job as barmaid.

Throw in an ex wife, people who have secrets that they wish to keep secret and a surprise twist at the end and you have a hugely enjoyable read!.

Author Bio
Joan Livingston is the author of novels for adult and young readers. Checking the Traps, published by Crooked Cat Books, is the third in the mystery series featuring Isabel Long, a long time journalist who becomes an amateur P.I. The first two are Chasing the Case and Redneck’s Revenge.
An award-winning journalist, she started as a reporter covering the hill towns of Western Massachusetts. She was an editor, columnist, and the managing editor of The Taos News, which won numerous state and national awards during her tenure.
After eleven years in Northern New Mexico, she returned to rural Western Massachusetts, which is the setting of much of her adult fiction, including the Isabel Long mystery series.
Social Media Links –
Website: http://www.joanlivingston.net.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoanLivingstonAuthor/
Twitter: @joanlivingston
Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/JoanLivingston_Author
Goodreads: http://www.Goodreads.com/Joan_Livingston