J.R. Mattison

Dog Eat Dog by J.R. Mattison ( Jen Mattison) is a 2013 Rochester publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liza Radley, Housewife Detective is back for another case, this time involving a dognapper. Well, at least that how things got started. With her trusty partner, Jack, Liza opened the Crimes of the Heart Detective Agency. They need money in a bad way because rent is due and they don't have it. Before long Liza and Jack are trying to stop an illegal dog fighting ring among other things. If that weren't enough to stress anyone out, Liza's mother is laying on the guilt trips, and the tension between Liza and Jack is palpable. Frustrations sets in when Liza's sixth sense is telling her something is off and they need to investigate further and Jack thinks it might be time to throw in the towel... in more ways than one.
Dogs, romantic tension, family drama, and of course Liza's investigations all make for a hilarious romp of fast paced adventure mixed in with a feel good story. Who doesn't love dogs? Adopting an adorable dog, and saving dogs from being abused is a great story line, but there were more dangerous plots at hand too, and LIza of course is in the big middle of it. I did not have the chance to read the first book in the series, but I think I will go look it up. You don't have to read the first one to enjoy this one, but I always like to know the whole story from the beginning. In this case, Liza has sworn off men after catching her husband cheating on her, but Jack is trying to soften Liza'a stance on dating. Liza and Jack have a wonderful snappy dialogue with each other, and If Liza doesn't wake up soon, I just might like Jack for myself. He's absolutely dreamy. This is a really light hearted cozy mystery, easy to read, and laugh out loud funny in some places. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to cozy mystery lovers, but also to chick lit or contemporary romance lovers too. Of course, as with most books that fall into the cozy genre there is no explicit sex, graphic violence, or harsh language. Adult content is PG. This one gets an A.… (mehr)

The Tree of Jesse is a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery, with a touch of romance revolving around the end of the world as prophesized by biblical scripture. The book is a written puzzle that tasks the reader with taking the various storyline threads interwoven throughout the book and finding their connections to the major plot. It is difficult to write a review where delving into the plot may give too much away to readers. However, there are some important aspects that I can convey regarding this book.

Unlike many novels that clearly distinguish the major characters from the minor ones, Mattison introduces us to numerous characters from all over the world with their own agendas, but each character plays an integral role in advancing the plot. The challenging part is figuring out how the characters are connected and the motives behind their actions.

The succinct chapters focusing on one or more characters and their point-of-views keeps the story moving along quickly, so much so, I found the book hard to put down at times. Furthermore, I think the brevity of each chapter allowed me to find clues often embedded in religious symbolism and biblical allusions. I am impressed by Mattison’s ability to provide enough detail to keep readers engrossed while not revealing too much, too soon.

Mattison also uses the technique of pulling the readers into a chapter that focuses on a particular character or scene only to have that chapter end and the next begin by describing a seemingly unrelated situation. At first the sometimes abrupt chapter endings and unexpected shifts of focus took me surprise. However, it didn’t take long to adapt to this style. I found myself often pausing to reflect on a chapter’s significance before moving forward.

When I was halfway through the book, I began to wonder how Mattison was going to be able to tie everything together by the end. Amazingly, she does so with a seamless, well-executed plot. Although there were minor proofreading errors, they were not significant enough to distract me from the read. However, I wish there were more scenes of Jesse and Mara together to really show that magnetic pull that keeps drawing them together and the deep connection they have with one another.

Overall, I found The Tree of Jesse to be an engaging and thought-provoking read that will stay with me for a long time.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)