Ex-FBI agent Tracy Black and ex-Navy SEAL Adam Slade are back in Growler to Grave, the second in the Black OOps Detective series! This stand-alone sequel to Cad to Cadaver finds partners Tracy and Adam embroiled in another zany rom/com mystery. Adam, a man of few words, and Tracy, a woman of many, are arguably a match made in Heaven. Catching brewmeister Blake Geist’s cheating spouse isn’t the most desirable job for these audacious private detectives, but money’s tight. Tracy is no nature girl, but that doesn’t stop this daring duo from following trophy wife Denise Geist and her bodybuilding lover Johann Becker deep into the woods in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. Tracy’s scrabble up the crook of an ash tree provides the proof of infidelity. Yay! Tracy’s fall from the tree onto Adam lands him with a concussion. Oops! After the private eyes are swindled out of payment by cheapskate Blake, the brewmeister’s subsequent murder arouses police suspicion of the Black Ops duo. As bodies pile up, evidence mounts against Adam, whose mysterious disappearances and lack of an alibi trigger Tracy’s trust issues. Would a head injury lead him to commit murder? Tracy must find the killer to prove Adam’s innocence. Will she be able to crack the case? Will Tracy and Adam's relationship survive? Or is their partnership doomed to a "grave" demise?
Allen (the pseudonym for Maria McKenzie) uses Tracy’s relationship with Adam to infuse this murder investigation with romantic tension. The couple is on the cusp of making it official, but while Tracy waits for a ring, Adam’s unexplained disappearances force her to consider that his involvement in the case may be more than just professional. The fast-moving plot pivots frequently between a wide cast of characters—a sinister rival brewery owner, a local politician with a hot temper and a steamy secret, a jovial German chocolatier—but the couple’s emotional ups and downs contrast nicely with the twists and turns of the investigation.
As the mystery unfolds, Tracy’s lively commentary feels like a no-holds-barred conversation with a friend. As a former FBI Agent and ex-cop with trust issues, Tracy is “naturally suspicious,” but, while her skepticism and insecurity carry over into her work and relationship, she balances the chip on her shoulder with an entertaining sense of humor, as when Adam experiences a head injury on the job and Tracy uses her shirt and sports bra as makeshift bandages, worrying that “a topless black woman hiking in Kentucky would likely go viral.” With its mix of humor, red herrings, and romance, Allen’s mystery will keep readers hooked, right up until the final reveal.
Takeaway: Action-packed whodunit that balances humor and suspense.
Comparable Titles: Janet Evanovich; Alexia Gordon.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
