Helpful Score: 5
Emma-Joy Ferris (EJ) was serving her country in Iraq when shrapnel from an IED blast mangled her knee and lower leg and got her medically discharged and sent home. Her dream is to work for any police department stateside but all she has received is rejections. The only job similar that she now has is being a mall cop for Fernglen Galleria just outside of Vernonville, Virginia.
Most days are spent deterring shoplifters, giving directions, and cruising the mall on her Segway. Today is much more interesting, vandals are painting bible passages on vehicles in the parking lot, someone has liberated all the reptiles from the Herpetology Hut, including Agatha, a 15 foot python, and oh yes, a dead naked man was found in a boutique window.
EJ's feathers get ruffled when an arrogant police detective brushes her off as just a mall cop. There are snakes loose in the mall and a killer on the loose in Vernonville and EJ plans to round them all up by herself if necessary. With her military experience and the help of her grandfather who is retired from the CIA she knows she can solve the case before the police and is determined to do just that unless she gets herself killed first.
An pleasing debut to what should be a very interesting series. I love EJ, and could feel her pain both internal and external as she fights for what she wants but has to settle for what her body allows her to do. This resonates very personally with me. I am very interested in where the author takes this character in the future. A mall can be ripe with possibilities.
As for the mystery and the plot, they were both very good and while very entertaining were needing more depth, which I am sure will come as the author grows more comfortable with these characters and setting. This is definitely a series to watch, the foundation has been set and the possibilities are endless.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Most days are spent deterring shoplifters, giving directions, and cruising the mall on her Segway. Today is much more interesting, vandals are painting bible passages on vehicles in the parking lot, someone has liberated all the reptiles from the Herpetology Hut, including Agatha, a 15 foot python, and oh yes, a dead naked man was found in a boutique window.
EJ's feathers get ruffled when an arrogant police detective brushes her off as just a mall cop. There are snakes loose in the mall and a killer on the loose in Vernonville and EJ plans to round them all up by herself if necessary. With her military experience and the help of her grandfather who is retired from the CIA she knows she can solve the case before the police and is determined to do just that unless she gets herself killed first.
An pleasing debut to what should be a very interesting series. I love EJ, and could feel her pain both internal and external as she fights for what she wants but has to settle for what her body allows her to do. This resonates very personally with me. I am very interested in where the author takes this character in the future. A mall can be ripe with possibilities.
As for the mystery and the plot, they were both very good and while very entertaining were needing more depth, which I am sure will come as the author grows more comfortable with these characters and setting. This is definitely a series to watch, the foundation has been set and the possibilities are endless.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Helpful Score: 4
This is a great book in a new series. I'll be looking for future books. Anyone who has ever shopped in a mall will easily identify with the characters. The main character EJ is like many people today, trying to start over in a job that at first appears not quite a good fit. Several secondary characters (Grandpa in particular)are a hoot. Easy, fun read.
Helpful Score: 3
I was pleasantly surprised by this first book in a new series. The main character had depth and believability. Her snarky internal comments were dead-on without being mean and she came off as being smart, resourceful, and grounded in reality.
I wasn't quite as enamored of most of the secondary characters, but that could change with more development ... for now, they seem fairly shallow and stereotypical:
BEST FRIEND: Former Olympic athlete, black, software engineer running a New Age store for a vacationing relative. The store is, of course, located in the mall.
SECRETIVE HANDSOME GUY: Owns a cookie store in the mall, shows up unexpectedly when trouble occurs. Avoids answering personal questions.
DETECTIVE: Cute, gives our heroine the tingles when he smiles, but looks down his nose at the "Mall Cop".
GRANDFATHER: Retired, but stuck in his glory days as a CIA operative. Loves to play with gadgets and snoops to keep his skills up. Always has "connections" to get things done.
MEAN BOSS(ES): Head of security - drinks a lot and has low morals. Mall Manager: Self-promotional and cheap.
I wasn't quite as enamored of most of the secondary characters, but that could change with more development ... for now, they seem fairly shallow and stereotypical:
BEST FRIEND: Former Olympic athlete, black, software engineer running a New Age store for a vacationing relative. The store is, of course, located in the mall.
SECRETIVE HANDSOME GUY: Owns a cookie store in the mall, shows up unexpectedly when trouble occurs. Avoids answering personal questions.
DETECTIVE: Cute, gives our heroine the tingles when he smiles, but looks down his nose at the "Mall Cop".
GRANDFATHER: Retired, but stuck in his glory days as a CIA operative. Loves to play with gadgets and snoops to keep his skills up. Always has "connections" to get things done.
MEAN BOSS(ES): Head of security - drinks a lot and has low morals. Mall Manager: Self-promotional and cheap.
Helpful Score: 2
Overall, I enjoyed this , the first book in a new series. E.J. Ferris, a mall cop, had been medically discharged from the service following an explosion that left her injured. She had been an MP and wants, more than anything to be hired by a "real " police department. There are several interesting characters that need some development in future installments. ..... a mysterious handsome "cookie baker" at the food court.... dependable "Grandpa".....and a hunky Detective who does not take E.J.'s observations and thoughts about the murder seriously.....I will read the next book...
Very enjoyable though the characters tended to be a bit one-sided. The tough cop, the very bad 'bad guy', the vampy women. Our heroine was nicely done. I'd like to read the sequel to find out what choice she made in the end.
