5-STAR REVIEW: THE EMPTY KAYAK by Jodé Millman

Book Reviews Crime Fiction Thriller/Suspense Mystery

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About The Book

Queen City Crimes Series: Book 3
Publication Date: May 30, 2023

For Detective Ebony Jones, crime is always personal. But this time, it strikes too close to home.

A pop-up thunderstorm marched its way across the Hudson River, ambushing a young couple’s kayaking trip. The woman miraculously made it back to shore, but her fiancé remains missing. Ebony and her partner are the first responders who rush to the river to assist in rescuing the capsized boater.

The victim’s identity shocks Ebony to the core. Kyle Emory, the ex-boyfriend of her estranged best friend, attorney Jessie Martin, is the man who never made it out of the water. The accident ignites a firestorm between the two friends, pitting them against each other in a race to discover whether Kyle survived or whether he met his untimely demise. Under pressure from the chief and the DA, Ebony needs to solve the mystery, while Jessie seeks justice for the sake of the daughter she shares with Kyle.

The investigation leads them through the dark worlds of social media, online sports betting, and extreme sports. Along the way, they uncover lies and betrayals, and gather a list of dangerous suspects who are all linked to the accident survivor, Kyle’s mysterious fiancée. Even more, the discovery that Kyle possessed his own life-shattering secrets has trapped Ebony between her career and her lifelong friendship with Jessie. Yet neither Ebony nor Jessie will stop until they unearth the truth. Even if it destroys their friendship and their lives.

But the evidence is as murky as the secretive Hudson River. Only the river knows whether Kyle’s untimely death was an accident, a suicide, or murder.

Excerpt

The Review

A friendship gets pushed to the limit in the latest installment of the Queen City Crimes series.

As a detective, Ebony Jones is determined to solve her cases. However, her latest case takes a personal twist when it involves the possible drowning of her best friend’s ex-boyfriend. Author Jodé Millman delivers the third installment with The Empty Kayak.

From the opening scene, the tension is ratcheted into high gear between Ebony and her estranged defense attorney best friend. Their professional lives have strained their friendship almost to the breaking point. With the news of Kyle’s disappearance, it drives a deeper wedge between the two.

Perfect as a standalone, the book gives plenty of context to ensure readers new to the series are comfortable and can easily pick up the storyline. It’s interesting to note the growth of various characters throughout the series, in addition to meeting new faces.

With the twists and turns regarding Kyle’s fate, the author opens the door for an investigation that uncovers all sorts of unexpected details. It’s up to Ebony to solve the case, even with her friendship hanging in the balance.

The Empty Kayak provides an action-packed mystery courtesy of the Hudson River, delivering a case that hits Detective Ebony Jones on a personal level.

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About The Author

Photo by Evangeline Gala (www.evangelinegala.com)

Jodé Millman is the acclaimed author of HOOKER AVENUE and THE MIDNIGHT CALL, which won the Independent Press, American Fiction, and Independent Publisher Bronze IPPY Awards for Legal Thriller. She’s an attorney, a reviewer for Booktrib.com, the host/producer of The Backstage with the Bardavon podcast, and creator of The Writer’s Law. Jodé lives with her family in the Hudson Valley, where she is at work on the next installment of her “Queen City Crimes” series —novels inspired by true crimes in the region she calls home.