Summer Reads: Absolute Liability

I admit I am a Jennifer Becton fan girl. I adore her book Charlotte Collins (you may have heard me mention it), and have been anxiously awaiting the release of her newest book – a thriller entitled Absolute Liability. And it’s here! Yay! Jennifer was nice enough to let me have an Advanced Reader’s copy and I was so excited I sat my kids down in front of some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and read it in one sitting!

Here’s the description of Absolute Liability

(have I mentioned I love the cover?)

Meet Julia Jackson. Apparently, she's been abducted....

A woman is taken at gunpoint from the downtown office of Southeastern Insurance, and the police believe the victim is Special Agent Julia Jackson. Only it isn't true.

Now, with the help of her new partner Mark Vincent, state fraud investigator Julia Jackson must find justice for the woman who was taken in her place.

As Vincent and Julia begin to unravel the multimillion-dollar frauds that led to the abduction, they encounter a cast of quirky characters, one of whom will go to desperate lengths to hide a deadly secret.

Things only become more dangerous as bodies begin accumulating around town, and Julia must discover the truth before the abductor comes to rectify his mistake.

And here is my review:

I love mysteries and thrillers. I was raised right, which means on a healthy doses of Columbo and Murder She Wrote. I am very picky about my mysteries/thrillers because so many authors either try to hard (the wise-cracking lead comes off more like someone who missed a career in standup as opposed to someone whose just quick on their feet), or don’t try hard enough (I know who dunnit by chapter 4). When I find a really good mystery I cannot put it down and that is the case with Absolute Liability, which I read straight through as fast as I could.

Julia Jackson is a really believable lead character. She’s funny without being annoying, she’s vulnerable and insecure enough to not be a superwoman, and she yet she is clever and dedicated enough to keep me interested and rooting for her.

Her new partner Mark Vincent is, um . . . hot. Yes, I said it! But he’s got layers and layers that I so want Julia to start unraveling. I love the chemistry between them and I cannot wait to read more about these awesome characters.

All in all, I say two thumbs up! Five stars! I vote this as one of my “super satisfying summer reads,” and I highly recommend that you read it.

You can purchase Absolute Liability for your Kindle on Amazon (I have the Kindle app for my iPhone and it’s pretty cool), or for your Nook at Barnes & Noble, or as a downloadable ebook at Smashwords.