Repeat after me, “I wish I had read the first book in the series, but you don’t have to do that to read this book.” It’s become a mantra. Sometimes, you just can’t start at the beginning. Detective Davie Richards is the featured detective in Patricia Smiley’s Pacific Homicide series. The Second Goodbye is the third book.
When there are no active homicide investigations, LAPD Homicide Detective Davie Richards, a member of the Pacific Area division, works on cold cases. While she juggles two cold cases, one is the shooting death of a gangbanger. The other one interests Davie more. It’s the suicide of a thirty-four-year-old woman who supposedly shot herself in a gun shop. After reading the files, Davie doesn’t believe it was suicide, and the investigating officer, now retired, didn’t believe it either. Sara Montaine’s story fascinates her.
Sara Montaine came out of nowhere, married a man who was financially well-off, nursed him through his final illness. No one seems to have really known her, though, when she died. Who was Sara Montaine? Davie’s investigation only adds to the confusing case. Someone else discovered Sara Montaine’s past, and, in order to hide the truth, they’re now stalking Davie Richards.
This is an intricately plotted police procedural with an intrepid female police officer. If you appreciate the teamwork and careful exposition in other procedurals with female officers, books such as Vicki Delany’s Molly Smith mysteries or Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder novels, you’ll want to try the Pacific Homicide series. I enjoyed The Second Goodbye. I wish I’d started with Pacific Homicide.
Patricia Smiley’s website is www.patriciasmiley.com
Note: If you’re interested, I recently interviewed Patricia Smiley for Poisoned Pen’s blog. Here’s the link if you’d like to read that interview. http://bit.ly/2SwLMXh
The Second Goodbye by Patricia Smiley. Midnight Ink, 2018. ISBN 9780738752365 (paperback), 312p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.
I read a good number of books that are at my library. While I know that they have a limited budget and also receive donated books, it does upset me when only books 3, 4 and 7 from a series is all they have! Sometimes you do need to read them in order!
I have to agree, Deb (and Lesa). In my case, I am pretty anal about the need to read a series in order from book one. Last year I read and enjoyed Margaret Mizushima's first Timber Creek K-9 mystery, only to discover the library didn't have book two. Fortunately, they now have an ebook copy of STALKING GROUND that I was able to borrow.
I will look for the first in this series.
OK. Here's the story. My library doesn't have any of her new series. But I was able to get a Kindle edition from Amazon for 99 cents, so another to add to the long, long list.
Honestly, Deb and Jeff? The only reason I read out of order is because I often receive a book to review that is later in the series. Then, I don't want to go back, but I'm eager to go forward.
Deb, Because I work at the library, I know sometimes, the later books in a series are hard to come by. I just had someone ask for a book partway through a long series. It was the only one we didn't have, and she couldn't get it through interlibrary loan. We undoubtedly had it at one time, but it was probably withdrawn because of condition or it was lost. Now, it's out-of-ptrint, and I can't get it for the customer. That out-of-print part is hard for a series.
Oh, I know, Jeff. I have a long list on my phone, and I never read them.
Lesa, surprise, surprise the library has the whole series of Tucker Sinclair by Patricia Smiley. They have the first book of the Davie Richards
series. I did put a hold on it.
Then I checked Amazon and the first book Pacifie Homicide is $0.99 on Kindle and book 2 is $1.99 on Kindle, nice prices.
Good review❗️
I just put all three of this series on hold at the local library. I always try to read in order though it is not always possible.
I hope you enjoy them, Charlotte & Kevin. I'm with you, Kevin. I try to read in order, too.