Answering The Call by Ali ValiAnswering The Call by Ali Vali is a riveting thriller/mystery coupled with a few romantic moments on the side. It is the second book in the Sept Savoie and Keegan Blanchard series.

Bit by bit, New Orleans is slowly but surely recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Just like the city she lives in, Sept Savoie is healing and regaining her strength as well. She is recovering from a gunshot wound and her loving partner, Keegan Blanchard is nurturing and supporting her every step of the way. The criminal masterminds have started to creep out of their hiding spots as soon as they’ve realized things are settling down and more people are returning to the city to rebuild their homes and their lives.

Sept is overjoyed to return to work but her first case is a bizarre, ceremonial killing, which becomes a part of an intricate web of serial murders. While Sept is busy with chasing down every lead or potential witness she can find—Sept also has to contend with a best-selling crime writer, Nicole Voles, who is anxious to get the classified details of her case so that she could create more realistic murder scenes for her fans. Nicole Voles is not only interested in getting more information for her book but she wants to have Keegan as well.

Sept is torn between protecting her loved ones and trying to catch the serial killer. Will Sept catch the murderer before more law-abiding citizens are tortured and killed? Will the hectic pace of her investigation cause her to lose the only woman she has ever loved?

The Characters

April: Sept Savoie is a homicide detective with the New Orleans Police Department. Her job may not be everyone’s cup of tea but she has an astounding ability to see the larger picture in any case she undertakes. Sept is a woman after my own heart because she doesn’t do anything half-way—she gives her all to her job and to the woman who owns her heart. I love everything about Sept because she can be a ruthless force to be reckoned with when anyone threatens the people she loves and she is also a die-hard romantic who will go all out to please her partner.

Keegan Blanchard is a chef and she also runs her family’s restaurant. She treats her employees like family and her feisty, fun-loving and nurturing personality is so endearing and I’m not ashamed to say that she owns a huge chunk of my heart. Keegan won me over with her love of cooking and she’s a foodie just like me! I really wished she was a real woman because we would be best friends for life and our friendship would be forged with scrumptious meals and many laugh out loud moments.

Sheena: We met most of the cast in the previous book so it was a delight to see them again and to join them further along in their relationships.

Vali did a marvelous job of endearing me to them in the first book and growing that relationship in this book.

The Writing Style

April: Ali Vali has never let me down because she always blows my mind with her one of a kind literary tapestries. She definitely made me fall in love with New Orleans and the quirky characters who made this vibrant city their home. The witty banter between Sept, her coworkers and Keegan was epic because I spent a lot of time chuckling and shaking my head at my kindle while I received a few side-eye glances from coworkers and anyone else who was lucky enough to be seated next to me.

Sheena: Well said, April. Vali’s writing style so perfectly lends itself to this kind of book and I hope to see many more from her yet.

The Narration

Sheena: Paige McKinney is the perfect choice for this series, her ability to tell a story and keep you on the edge of your seat is magical. Vali and McKinney make a fantastic pair for thrillers.

The Pros

April: Is there anything better than a smoking hot, butch woman in uniform? I’m not ashamed to admit that I was drooling over Sept while she investigated every lead that could help her get one step closer toward catching the killer.

Sheena: To answer your question, April – There is not!

The Cons

April: There were graphic descriptions of murder and physical assault.

Sheena: Vali managed to make this one even more gruesome than the first. But I liked that there were men and women being killed, not just women. Yay for an equal opportunity killer.

aprils favourite bookssheena's favouriteThe Conclusion

April: I still can’t get over the fact that Ali Vali created this awesome story because I feel as though she found my little black book of fictional crushes and she decided to create a book with gorgeous characters that would knock my fluffy bedroom socks off! There’s a new love interest in my world and that person is definitely Sept Savoie! If you enjoy stories with stakeouts, gun-slinging butch cops, meddling family members coupled with murder and mayhem around every corner, then this story is certainly for you.

Sheena: If you enjoyed Calling The Dead then you will adore this one. Vali managed to write a book even more captivating than the first with a lot more on the line for the heroine.

Absolutely get this book.

Excerpt from Answering The Call by Ali Vali

“That slash from our first case means something different than this. Perlis wanted me gone right away, but I don’t get that sense here.” She glanced at the officers’ bodies to make sure nothing was out of place. “Have the coroner go over every inch before releasing them to their families.”

“What’s different about the messages?” John asked as more of George’s crime-scene guys came in. “I didn’t work the first cases, but you won’t be able to keep me out this time. These were my guys, and I’m going to help you catch this fucker and take him down.”

“No one’s keeping you from anything, John. Perlis put the line through the number on that guy as a warning to me to get off the case, since my name means seven, but this strikes me more as an invitation. It’s the second one I’ve gotten this week.” A button at the top of the shirt on the victim farthest away from her was slightly out of the hole. “I need some gloves,” she said, and one of the techs handed them over. She unbuttoned only three before she saw the rest of the message.

“What does it say?” John asked, leaning over her.

“Afra.” She spelled it out. “Julio?”

“It’s the road the killer’s taking,” Julio said, blowing out a long breath. “It’s the road who gathers the bodies of the dead.”

“Who?” she asked. “Is it a road or a person?”

“Yes to both. It’s a living entity,” Julio said as he fingered the beads around his neck.

“So, the message says it’ll be our job to clean up after this guy, since he’ll keep killing until he tires of it?” she asked, buttoning the officer’s shirt back up.

“That’s just fucking great,” John said.

“Exactly.” She resigned herself to the weeks ahead. “Exactly.”

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Series

Sept Savoie & Keegan Blanchard Series

Calling The Dead

Answering The Call

Bits and Bobs

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