Moonlight Avenue by Gerri Hill is a riveting, literary tapestry of mystery, suspense, thriller and romance. It is also a story about forgiveness, moving on with your life and opening your heart to love despite how daunting it may seem at first.
Finley Knight left the police service ten years ago to become her own boss. She is a private investigator and her solitary life suits her just fine until she realizes how uneventful and barren her world really is. When she isn’t doing stakeouts and research for her clients, Finn can’t resist the urge to dwell on childhood memories, regrets and an old grudge she refuses to let go of.
After a horrible break-up, Detective Dee Woodard decided to move to Corpus Christi so that she could get over her ex and move on with her life. There’s no way that Dee could have predicted that a murder investigation would lead her to a lonely, dead end street called Moonlight Avenue and she would have the pleasure of meeting a beguiling woman by the name of Finley Knight.
Rylee Moore has left everything and everyone she has ever known and loved in Amarillo to make a new life for herself in Corpus Christi. Her dreams of unlimited abundance don’t pair up well with the reality of unemployment because she has been turned down by every firm she was brave enough to go to. Finley Knight wasn’t too keen on hiring anyone but Rylee’s persistence paid off when Finley grudgingly offered to hire her as a receptionist. Rylee had her heart set on becoming an apprentice but beggars couldn’t be choosers so she accepted the job because she needed the money to pay her rent and keep her kitchen cupboards well stocked.
The murder toll continues to climb at an alarming rate and Dee is abruptly pulled off of the case. She decides to team up with Finn and Rylee so that she could find out who is responsible for the grisly murders.
In the midst of murder, mayhem and corruption on the highest levels—love finds a way to insert itself into the lives of these amazing women. Will Finn, Rylee and Dee be able to catch the killer before it is too late?
The Characters
April: Finley Knight also known as “Finn”, runs her own private investigation firm. She is used to doing everything on her own and she sees no need to change anything until a very persuasive lady by the name of Rylee Moore, turns up at Moonlight Avenue Investigations looking for a job. I have the biggest crush on Finn! She is the epitome of the strong, silent, completely focused and confident butch woman (I am sure that you all know how much I adore butch women! I think I swooned each time Finn was mentioned).
Rylee Moore has landed a job as a receptionist at Moonlight Avenue Investigations. She moved out of her comfort zone and Amarillo to start over in Corpus Christi. I admire Rylee’s bravery because I don’t know if I could do what she did—she just flew by the seat of her pants and she went with the flow (I’m more of a meticulous planner, so I have a lot of respect for Rylee!) I really wished Rylee was a real woman because we would have been the best of friends and she’s a foodie just like me! We would have met up to share some of our favorite recipes and enjoy lots of delicious meals together.
Detective Dee Woodard works tirelessly to keep the streets of Corpus Christi safe and she investigates the majority of the homicides in the district. I just love Dee’s no nonsense attitude when it comes to gathering information and her dedication to preserving law and order. Plus, she is a woman in uniform with a fun-loving and generous personality. I’ve got a funny feeling that Gerri Hill read my mind when she created Dee (wicked wink!)
Sheena: I love that there were three main women in this one and that Dee and Finn were quite clearly only ever going to be great friends. It added a wonderful dynamic to the story.
The Writing Style
April: Gerri Hill’s stories will always make me feel as though I’m in a book lover’s paradise because her beautiful descriptions of nature and the landscape in Corpus Christi made me feel as though I was seeing everything firsthand. In addition, she creates the most down-to-earth and adorable characters ever (I would really love to hang out with Finn, Rylee and Dee!)
Sheena: This book managed to combine a great mystery with a compelling romance, something that Gerri Hill does particularly well.
The Narration
Sheena: Cassandra York is a new narrator for me and I rather enjoyed her understated style of narration. She managed to keep all the characters clear and the pace going well even without being one of the larger than life narrators we often hear in the sector. So yes, the audio is well worth it.
The Pros
April: Who doesn’t love a captivating mystery and romance story? I don’t know about anyone else but I enjoyed every word of this novel. I have never been a cheerleader before I read this book but I did a lot of jumping and cheering each time Finn, Rylee and Dee came up with new theories that could help them get one step closer toward solving the perplexing murders in their city.
Sheena: I totally agree with April, it was a compelling story and the characters were also great fun and entirely worth cheering for. I especially loved Rylee, she was adorable and made me want to hug her.
The Cons
April: I have so much love for this awesome story but there were a few scenes that portrayed graphic descriptions of murder and physical assault.
Sheena: I didn’t find the assault that graphic but if you are sensitive to that sort of thing then perhaps skip ahead in the book or audiobook.
The Conclusion
April: I am a hard-core Gerri Hill fan and I can certainly declare that this story won more than one coffee cup honor from me because I did a lot of late night reading marathons. That’s not all, I also had to come up with a few creative and quirky excuses to give to my boss to explain my late arrivals (Don’t try to read this story during the work week because you might end up running late for work as well! You’ve been warned…) This author really went above and beyond to give me an enthralling mystery that I gleefully devoured for hours on end and I am keeping my fingers crossed with the hope that Gerri Hill would write a sequel to this outstanding story.
Sheena: I just don’t know how Gerri Hill does it. Every one of her books manages to be unique, her characters realistic and her plots exciting. This is a great audiobook and I will absolute be hoping for a follow up for these three women.
Excerpt from Moonlight Avenue by Gerri Hill
“Got it. Thanks.” She clipped the phone back without looking. “Do you know a Mr. Daniel Frazier?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“He’s a client? He hired you, I’m assuming.”
“He did.”
“In what capacity?”
Finn shook her head. “I’m sorry, Detective. That’s private and confidential.”
“He had a single gunshot wound to the head. Small caliber. Either killed right there at Packery Channel Pier or dumped there. A couple found him on the beach at daybreak.”
At that, Finn was certain she did show surprise on her face. “Daniel Frazier was the body you found on the beach?” Michael Drake, sure. She even wouldn’t have been shocked to learn that Connie Frazier was dead. But Daniel? “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Detective Woodard raised her eyebrows. “That’s it?”
She leaned forward slightly. “Look, we both know how this is going to play out. You’re going to have to get a subpoena and then I’ll have to hand over my file. No need to waste time arguing about it.”
“Subpoenas take time, Ms. Knight. Murder cases grow cold very quickly.” Detective Woodard gave her a flirty smile. “Just a little help is all I’m asking.”
If there was one thing Finn prided herself on, it was sticking to her principles. Her clients expected privacy. That was something she never wavered on. She leaned back in her chair, meeting the light brown eyes of Detective Woodard. Yes, she was attractive. And there was no ring on her finger. But…
“I’m sorry, Detective. I have my reputation to think about.”
The flirty smile disappeared quickly. “When did you last see him?”
“Yesterday morning. He left here a few minutes before eleven.”
“How much contact had you had with him?”
“I met with him twice and spoke on the phone once.”
“So he wasn’t a regular client?”
“No.”
“And what is it that you specialize in, Ms. Knight?”
Finn smiled at her attempt to garner information. “I specialize in a lot of things, Detective Woodard. Perhaps if we got to know each other better, I could show you.”
The detective arched an eyebrow. “Perhaps if you played nice, that could be arranged.”
Finn laughed. “Come back with a subpoena, Detective. I’ll play nice then.”
But when Detective Woodard left her office, Finn’s smile faded. What in the world had Daniel Frazier done to get himself killed? Was she somehow to blame?
She shook her head. No. He hired her for a service. What he did with the information she gave him was not her concern. She assumed he would confront his wife, sure. But what if he confronted Michael Drake instead? Again, she shook her head. How would he even find Michael Drake? Unless he followed his wife yesterday and found them together, he would have no way of locating him. Finn hadn’t given him Drake’s address.
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Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9781642470277
- Publisher: Bella Books
- Audiobook Publisher: Audible Studios
- Narrator: Cassandra York
- Gerri Hill Online
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