Review: In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannon

Goodreads: The first in a series, the book expertly lays the groundwork for Liv Bergen, amateur sleuth, and her love interest, FBI Agent Streeter Pierce. Liv becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of Jill Brannigan, a summer intern at the limestone mine Liv manages near Fort Collins, Colorado (a breathtaking setting that unwittingly becomes an accessory to crime). In doing so, she inadvertantly puts her friends, her family, and herself at risk of being swallowed in the belly of a madman bloated with perverse appetites for women, surrealistic art, and renown. Perhaps a bit too daring (and at times irreverent) for her own good, "Boots" as Liv's eight siblings call her, soon realizes she has a knack for outsmarting and tracking down the Venus de Milo murderer - and she enjoys it! As the gripping plot of In the Belly of Jonah unfolds, Liv Bergen takes her place alongside the best female crime-solvers as a woman with smarts, self-confidence, and intuitive savvy.

Kritters Thoughts: What a thriller! I have had this book on my shelf with the sequel for a few weeks and I was just able to work it into the schedule. A woman in the mining industry who is holding her own amongst the men ends up in the middle of not one but two murder investigations that are clearly linked, but how?

With each thriller/suspense that I read I love the genre even more. This one definitely held up to those big name suspense authors. A little on the gory side, but packed full of who dun its. I found myself in the middle of the book waffling between two characters and I just couldn't put my finger on the real culprit. I loved this. Nothing irks me more than the person who is the killer only popping up in the end of the book with no way to guess of his involvement.

Brannan effortlessly weaves the killer in and out of the reader's thoughts, while giving hints but no definite clues. A must read for those who love a good suspense but watch out because the reader has a bird's eye view when the murders occur.

Rating:absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 288

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 15 of 50