Review of Diamond in the Desert
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Maggie Johnson 2
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Review of Diamond in the Desert
[Following is a volunteer review of "Diamond in the Desert" by Karen Gilleland.]
Hope Diamond and her team at Diamond Security travel to the Secret Sands Resort in the Navajo Nation to protect four rich and powerful women as they meet to discuss something in secret. The job was supposed to be simple. Then one of the women’s assistants turns up dead. Since the murder took place in the Navajo Nation, FBI agent Matt Dennison is sent to Secret Sands to investigate. He is brash and abrupt, and he and Hope clash from the moment he arrives. They only have a few days before everyone leaves the resort, so they must work together to protect the guests and catch the killer. Diamond in the Desert by Karen Gilleland is an exciting whodunit that will keep readers guessing until the end.
The mystery in this story was excellent. The book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and had multiple twists that kept me engaged throughout. Hope is prone to premonitions, and these added to the feeling of suspense throughout the novel. The story is told from the perspectives of Hope and her team, as well as Matt. This allowed the reader to see each of the suspects from a different perspective. Despite this, I still had a long list of potential suspects right up until the moment the truth was revealed. I felt satisfied after finishing this book. Like any good mystery, the ending was a surprise, but once everything was explained it made sense.
I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The writing was descriptive, and the mystery was intriguing. I also enjoyed the insights into the Navajo culture that were sprinkled throughout the book. I am generally not a fan of romance in mystery novels. However, in this case, I think it worked well and added to the story rather than detracted from it.
There were quite a few characters in this book, and at times it was hard to keep track of who was who. In particular, it was difficult to remember who each of the assistants worked for. The story takes place over just a few days, so I can understand how it would be difficult to get a complete picture of each character. Therefore, I don’t think this is worth deducting a star over. However, I do wish the author had included a character chart or found a way to remind the reader of who was who.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light mystery. It is suitable for teenagers as well as adults. There is romance, but there are no intimate scenes. There is some violence, but it is not graphic. It is the first in a series but can be read as a standalone.
******
Diamond in the Desert
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Hope Diamond and her team at Diamond Security travel to the Secret Sands Resort in the Navajo Nation to protect four rich and powerful women as they meet to discuss something in secret. The job was supposed to be simple. Then one of the women’s assistants turns up dead. Since the murder took place in the Navajo Nation, FBI agent Matt Dennison is sent to Secret Sands to investigate. He is brash and abrupt, and he and Hope clash from the moment he arrives. They only have a few days before everyone leaves the resort, so they must work together to protect the guests and catch the killer. Diamond in the Desert by Karen Gilleland is an exciting whodunit that will keep readers guessing until the end.
The mystery in this story was excellent. The book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and had multiple twists that kept me engaged throughout. Hope is prone to premonitions, and these added to the feeling of suspense throughout the novel. The story is told from the perspectives of Hope and her team, as well as Matt. This allowed the reader to see each of the suspects from a different perspective. Despite this, I still had a long list of potential suspects right up until the moment the truth was revealed. I felt satisfied after finishing this book. Like any good mystery, the ending was a surprise, but once everything was explained it made sense.
I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The writing was descriptive, and the mystery was intriguing. I also enjoyed the insights into the Navajo culture that were sprinkled throughout the book. I am generally not a fan of romance in mystery novels. However, in this case, I think it worked well and added to the story rather than detracted from it.
There were quite a few characters in this book, and at times it was hard to keep track of who was who. In particular, it was difficult to remember who each of the assistants worked for. The story takes place over just a few days, so I can understand how it would be difficult to get a complete picture of each character. Therefore, I don’t think this is worth deducting a star over. However, I do wish the author had included a character chart or found a way to remind the reader of who was who.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light mystery. It is suitable for teenagers as well as adults. There is romance, but there are no intimate scenes. There is some violence, but it is not graphic. It is the first in a series but can be read as a standalone.
******
Diamond in the Desert
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: By The Rivers of Babylon by Mary Glickman
