2.5*

My thoughts: This was an okay mystery but not one in which there are clues for the reader. I felt that the personal life of the narrator took up too much of the story and Sloane came across more as opinionated than headstrong to me. ( )

Mysterious Tension!

Backstory:

Sloane Monroe is a private investigator and when a woman by the name of Audrey hires her to find out what happened to her sister, Charlotte, Sloane thinks it is a closed case as the coroner's report states that Charlotte was in a skiing accident. Audrey convinces Sloane that it was no accident as Charlotte had plans to meet up with Audrey and Charlotte had information that could break something wide open, but the chance never came for Charlotte to reveal all as she ended up dead on the slopes.

Sloane is hesitant to even try to investigate a case that looks to be "cut and dried" but Sloane decides that it couldn't hurt to check a few things out so she begins her investigation. She ends up stepping on toes at the police department with the Chief and a couple of other detectives, but she wants to see if there is anything to what Audrey is saying about her sister.

As time goes on, Sloane finds out there is something going on and then she has a prime suspect that could have killed Charlotte, but then he ends up dead, which sends Sloane into a tailspin as if the prime suspect is dead then who killed Charlotte. Sloane is now walking on eggshells trying to discover who it could be and hoping that she does not become a target herself!

That is about all I can give on a taste without giving away spoilers, so if you want to learn more than you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This was my first time reading this author within a crime fiction series. I have read this author before in a paranormal suspense series and really liked her writing style. This book reminded me of the series by author, Sue Grafton as I read her books way back in the middle 80's and early 90's. I was very impressed by how quick I was pulled into the storyline as right away something happens and I didn't have time to breathe as the story started to become a snowball rolling down a hill as the more I read the story the more something else seemed to happen.

I have found a new crime series to sink my teeth into and I didn't realize it but I own all eight books in the series so I can just go from one to the other as I go along. This book did not end on a cliff hanger so it seems the books could be read out of order, but I think I will read them in order anyway as there might be things that happen with the main character. I will eventually step into book two as I am curious to what kind of situation that Sloane Monroe will find for herself next. Giving this book four Skiing Sleuth stars! ( )

I picked up the series box as a freebie a long time ago, and over the years I gathered quite a collection of the author's books in this way. I think it was because of the excellent reviews mostly that I downloaded them, but whatever the reason, I'm glad I did. The few bad ones were, in my opinion, people that didn't take the time to read the book—book trolls with no valid excuse and thumb sucked a review.
This year, I decided to read some of these books and so far, I'm not disappointed with the choice on my TBR list.
This is a fast-paced private investigator story, well written with a steady buildup to the end. It has the reader on the edge guessing until the last chapter.
The underlining romance between Sloane and Nick is another noteworthy happening. For some reason, I feel sorry for Nick as he tries hard to stay true to the relationship while Sloane is on a path of self-discovery and helping others. It all stemmed from her own sad past, which propels her to continue in her quest to help women in dangerous situations.
The suspense a gradual build to the end that kept you engaged and the bad people revealing themselves.
I like the cliffhanger book one ended in and can't wait to get to book 2 in the series. Hoping that it would continue. Because I am a romantic by heart, I really Nick and Sloane can work it out as well. If not, that will also be okay ( )

A different type of private investigator. Sloane Monroe suffers from anxiety and OCD but she is a qualified, effective and passionate investigator.

The story caught me up and through the twists and turns held me until the end. ( )

In Black Diamond Death, Sloane Monroe #1, by Cheryl Bradshaw, Charlotte Halliwell dies on a ski slope. She was an exceptional skier, however, and her sister Audrey doesn't believe it was an accident. While it is obviously true that skiing accidents do happen, Audrey feels as if her sister was just too skilled. She hires Sloane Monroe, P.I., to investigate.

From the very beginning, Sloane agrees with Audrey. Now she begins the daunting task of exposing the killer. All the while, Sloane knocks heads with Detective Drake Cooper. He truly believes that it was an accident, and he doesn’t want Sloane nosing around. It helps that Sloane is dating Detective Nick Calhoun, as he helps to smooth things over with Detective Cooper.

So Sloane barges forward, and searches out possible suspects. The most likely suspect is Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend. He has a bad reputation with women, and Sloane is determined to pin the murder on him. But she is a consummate professional, and investigates other possible suspects, as well as all angles.

This story kept me guessing until the very end. Nothing was quite as it seemed, leading to a surprising conclusion. I am looking forward to reading all of the books in the series. As a matter of fact, I purchased the remaining books and I’m about to dive into Book 2. ( )