ALL THE WRONG MOVES by Merline Lovelace (Berkley)

I'm delighted to present a new reviewer today. Helen Jones has attended my mystery talks at the Cary NC Library, and when I asked if any of the folks would be interested in reviewing some books, she stepped up—and how! Helen has already read and reviewed the first bag of mysteries I took her—and is waiting for more today. Welcome, Helen!

Lt. Samantha Spade, USAF works with a team of civilian geeks and nerds evaluating unusual inventions for the military. She is a sarcastic, funny, lovable and smart lady. In this first episode, after discovering two bodies in the desert, she gets involved in an arms scam being investigated by a slew of government agencies. I laughed at her honest reactions when life gave her lemons and I could not put the book down during the lifethreatening drama scenes. Her “love” interest, Border Patrol Agent Jeff “Mitch” Mitchell, adds just the right amount of romance. I hope future books will involve the members of her research team in solving the mysteries. Their characters were very interesting and each one reminded me of someone I have known.

--Helen Jones