Reviewing: "Jade’s Photos: Blackmail in Grand Saline (An Ace Edwards Mystery)" by Randy Rawls

For Dallas Private Investigator Arthur Conan Edwards (Ace) three in the morning is usually not a good time. His sleep is frequently interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Usually it is Jake about a case, but occasionally, it is a client in need that Jake has referred. Of course the call will make Ace grumpy, but in the end he will agree to meet the client or Jake somewhere in a few hours.

In this case, it is Johnny Nicholas who calls and he is being blackmailed over an affair he had with a beautiful woman. While his wife might look the other way, his rich and powerful mother-in-law won’t. A mother-in-law who has controlled everything in his life for years and isn’t going to take well seeing pictures of her son-in-law cheating on her daughter.

Before long Ace is in the middle of a blackmail case in Grand Saline, Texas. He has Kit along for backup and assistance in a case that quickly goes nasty with many suspects and several murders. Along the way in a story told primarily from the viewpoints of Ace and Kit, their relationship and his past are used to continue an ongoing secondary storyline regarding Ace’s fallen love.

The result is a story that frequently alludes to earlier books in the series while constantly moving forward in a twisting case on many different paths. Relationships are a theme throughout the book both in terms of dysfunctional love and the choices one makes in loving others. This interesting twisting tale further develops Ace’s character along with Kit’s while providing plenty of mystery, action and a bit of Texas folklore and culture to keep readers highly entertained. Once again Randy Rawls has another strong novel in his series worth reading.


Jade’s Photos: Blackmail in Grand Saline (An Ace Edwards Mystery)
Randy Rawls
http://www.randyrawls.com/
iUniverse
http://www.iuniverse.com
2003
ISBN# 0-595-26381-X
Trade Paperback
215 Pages
$14.95


Review copy provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009