The Scent of Lies, Mystery with a Romantic Twist (Paradise Valley Mystery Series Book 1)

I mean what could go wrong when you start to investigate murders, right?

Emily Parker lost her husband, who was a PI, and clearly working on something big. She gets sucked into his last case, which might have also gotten him killed…

Now, I’ll just start by stating that this is a fast, easy read. There is just enough mystery and twists to keep you interested in wanting to learn more. Although we do get some satisfaction in solving the case, we do not yet get to learn why Emily’s husband was murdered. We do know there’s a lot more to his death, which means there are more books to read. I'm already geared up to read the second installment, because I need to know what really happened to her husband and why.

The romance in this novel is handled well, given that Emily is still grieving the loss of her husband. Her love interest seems wonderful though and is very understanding of her situation.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was the awesome group of female friends. Emily has an incredible support system. I thoroughly enjoyed the female empowerment present in this book. And the diversity of personalities, her characters all had their own quirks and ideas.

What I did not see coming early on, but figured out quite fast, was the outcome of this immediate crime. This did not, however, detract from my enjoyment of the book. Whether we learn more about her husband's murder with each novel or not, I think this one is a well-written, enjoyable book, that can easily remove you from your own life, and suck you into that of Emily's.

Here's hoping that Emily and her new boyfriend will continue to explore their romance, her friends will keep her on the right track, and she will get the answers she needs to move on for good...