I received this book for free from the TLC Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Published by E-Lit Books on October 31, 2013
Genres: Adult, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 358
Source: TLC Tours
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Can Delilah Percy Powers figure out who killed Miriam Cross before she becomes the killer's next target?
Miriam Cross, author, feminist and philanthropist, disappears from her Philadelphia home. A year later, a lonely recluse named Emily Cray is brutally murdered in her bed in a small Pennsylvania town. Miriam and Emily are one and the same. As Delilah and her staff of female detectives - a militant homemaker, an ex-headmistress and a former stripper - delve into Miriam’s life, they become submerged in an underworld of unfathomable cruelty and greed with implications that go far beyond the gruesome death of one woman or the boundaries of one country. Eventually Miriam’s fight for justice becomes Delilah’s own...until Delilah’s obsession with finding the truth may prove just as deadly.
My Thoughts:
I had the opportunity to be on Wendy Tyson’s TLC Blog Tour for her debut mystery novel, Killer Image, a few months ago. I really enjoyed her writing and the book, so when I was approached for the tour for her new series, I gladly accepted. The Seduction of Miriam Cross is rooted more in the thriller genre than Killer Image was while they both are well written mysteries, and I loved the all-women private detective agency headed by Delilah Percy Powers featured in the Wendy Tyson’s newest series.
When the agency’s first pro-bono client’s aunt is brutally murdered after she’d been missing for nearly a year, the client approaches Delilah with the task of tracking down the killers. Even though the aunt was a well known author, little can be found out about the year she was off the grid, and Delilah is forced to bring in a new member onto her team that has computer expertise–someone who can dig for the digital things that are buried to most people. After much prodding from a member of her team, Delilah hires Matthew Anderson, a former investigative journalist looking for a change who has the needed computer experience the agency desperately needs for this case.
As Delilah, Anders, and the usual team consisting of a resourceful ex-nun, a tight-scheduled mom of three who’s married to a cop, and a former stripper who’s tough as nails with a young son to protect, dig their way through a twisting trail of aliases, shady dealings, and questionable characters as the find out who the real Miriam Cross actually was.
The characters in this book were strong and well developed. Delilah and the rest of the women detectives are strong, smart, and able-bodied, and they don’t always get along, which is totally realistic and refreshing. Delilah is still single in her thirties because of a tragedy in her past that she can’t seem to move past, choosing to live on a farm in the country with a few horses and dogs to keep her company. Each of the characters get their chance to shine since the book is written in the third person and you get into each of their heads, allowing you a peak at their motivations and hopes.
I give The Seduction of Miriam Cross a 4.5 out of 5. With strong, descriptive writing that moves at a great pace throughout, this dark and sometimes violent and gritty thriller had a mystery that was hard to guess as the story progressed. Great character development and heart-pounding action sequences kept me turning the virtual pages of my Kindle copy as I tried to unravel the mystery. This book wrapped up nicely and I can’t wait to see more of these characters in the next book, especially Delilah’s private security firm ex-boyfriend.
And now for the giveaway, enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a copy of The Seduction of Miriam Cross. Open to US/Canada residents only. Courtesy of TLC Book Tours and the publisher.
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Heather — Thank you so much for hosting THE SEDUCTION OF MIRIAM CROSS on your website today! I’m glad you enjoyed the book. I hope your readers enjoy it, too! Best, Wendy
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You’re welcome, Wendy!
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The team of ladies running this op sound awesome — smart and determined definitely makes for a great detective. A great gritty thriller featuring women as MCs and not just love interests or damsels in distress can be surprisingly difficult to find, darn it all.
Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Waiting On…EXILE by Kevin Emerson
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And that’s definitely a big part of what makes this book work so well, Mary. It is hard to find a book with all written women detectives that feel real, and Wendy Tyson has done this week with The Seduction of Miriam Cross.
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For some reason this reminds me of that TV show Nikita lol (which I actually love). I don’t read enough books like this, which is weird because I watch SO MANY TV shows like it. I might need to widen my reading selection!
Allie @ Little Birdie Books recently posted..Review: The Program {Suzanne Young}
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I don’t watch Nikita, but if you want to expand your reading material definitely pick up The Seduction of Miriam Cross. There’s a lot to enjoy within it’s (digital) pages.
Heather recently posted..Super Six Sunday – Favorite Book Covers of 2013
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Wow, sounds really fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome!
Heather recently posted..Super Six Sunday – Favorite Book Covers of 2013
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I like the idea of a series following an “all-women private detective agency ” – what a great idea!
Thanks for being on the tour.
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You’re welcome, Heather! I really enjoyed reading The Seduction of Miriam Cross and being on tour for TLC!
Heather recently posted..Super Six Sunday – Favorite Book Covers of 2013
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