Review by klbradley -- B-Side by Janis Jones

[Kourtney Bradley]

[Following is a volunteer review of "B-Side" by Janis Jones.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Mara Bays’ anniversary with her girlfriend Casey was supposed to be perfect. As a detective for the LAPD, it isn’t often that Mara has time to just relax. Life seems to have been a bit troublesome for her in the past, but everything is finally starting to straighten out enough for her to be able to enjoy life. Although she has not always been interested in women, Mara seems to have found exactly what she was looking for in Casey.

The night of their anniversary should have been bliss; everything seemed perfect, right up until it didn’t. When Mara arrives at their beachfront home after a long day of work and more than ready to celebrate their anniversary, she is sick with worry at the sight of police and ambulance surrounding the home. Much to Mara’s horror, Casey had been attacked in their home and beaten almost to death. Determined to catch the criminal behind the brutal and seemingly personally driven attack, Mara relies on the help of her detective partner, Derek, while also attempting to keep her relationship with Casey a secret from the rest of the department in order to avoid a conflict of interest while working on the case.

B-Side by Janis Jones is a highly intelligent mystery/thriller novel that kept me on my toes throughout. Told in a third-person perspective, the story follows Mara, her girlfriend, Casey, a strange but seemingly harmless homeless man named Skeezy, and various members of the LAPD, including Mara’s partner, Derek. Mara was my favorite character in the book, as well as who I would consider to be the easiest to relate to. Her no-nonsense attitude was charming, and I certainly appreciated the way she would stand up for herself in uncomfortable situations, despite being one of the only female members of the LAPD. Mara’s dedication to Casey’s case was also respectable, as her determination was evident with every move and decision she made.

While I always enjoy a good mystery/thriller novel, it is especially more enjoyable when the story is unpredictable and full of twists and turns. With B-Side, I seemed to change my mind on who the attacker was so many times that by the end I was just convinced that it was everyone. The pace of the story was seamless, starting slow enough with a steady build to give a backstory, but without unnecessary lag to cause boredom. I found no editing errors while reading, which is always even more pleasing to an already enjoyable read.

I’m pleased to rate B-Side 4 out of 4 stars. This one comes highly recommended by me for readers who enjoy mystery novels, especially ones with a crime/thriller premise. Due to some readers potentially being put-off by the use of explicit language and sexual scenes, I must warn that there are a few instances of both throughout the story. Although the story doesn’t seem to overdo it in either instance, I find it necessary to warn of the presence.

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B-Side
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