Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Denied (A Kelly Pruett Mystery) by Mary Keliikoa. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Denied (A Kelly Pruett Mystery)
by Mary Keliikoa
I received this book free; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no cost to you.
Denied (A Kelly Pruett Mystery)
Cozy Mystery/Woman Sleuth
2nd in Series
Publisher : Camel Press (May 11, 2021)
Paperback : 226 pages
A high-risk pregnancy. A dangerous secret. When her case turns deadly, can this investigator avoid racking up a fatal debt?
Despite her injuries, PI Kelly Pruett is eager to get back to work. So when a mommy-to-be hires her to locate her estranged dad, Kelly is thankful for the straightforward missing-persons case. But as she rummages through his trash in search of clues, she uncovers gambling debts to gangsters… and a blood-soaked severed finger.
With her investigation no longer cut-and-dried, Kelly’s hunt takes a deadly turn when her quarry is found driven off a cliff to his doom. And she’ll need more than her cop boyfriend’s help to expose the truth when the mob sends her a cease-and-desist notice with an explosive ending.
Can the determined detective take on the mafia and make it out alive?
Denied book review
Denied is the second book in the Kelly Pruett Mystery series; and, like Derailed (Book 1), it’s another 5 star rating from me. For the past several months, Kelly’s PI caseload has been pretty dull…which means safe, and that’s just fine with her ex-husband, ex-mother-in-law, and current boyfriend. Her last case put her in a lot of danger and left her pretty battered. Just when she’s finally almost at 100%, a case comes in. And this case will be anything but safe.
Since the case comes from a former classmate, Kelly can’t say no. She’s hired to look for the classmate’s missing dad. Granted, she hadn’t talked to him much in the past several years, but now that she’s expecting a baby, she wants her dad in her life. All of her efforts to reach him have been in vain, so Kelly agrees to look for her friend’s estranged dad. Finding him should be easy, right? Go to his house, look for some clues, and probably find out that he’s taken a trip out of the country. But what she finds is a bloody finger in the trash and lots of evidence of gambling.
And Kelly’s back in the business of being a real PI who gets into sticky, dangerous situations. Those sticky, dangerous situations make Denied such an exciting read. Action abounds throughout this mystery book. Along with the action, multiple clues are discovered, and you’ll think you’ve got the case solved. Like Derailed, you’ll be guessing until those final chapters.
I really enjoyed getting to know the main characters in this series a little better. Kelly is a strong female protagonist to whom many of us can relate. She’s got people who care about her, and she finds that she cares for some of them more than she’d previously thought. Furthermore, the characters who are essential to only this mystery are very strong supporting characters and potential suspects.
Though you can read Denied as a stand-alone, I recommend reading Derailed first. Both are page turners that you won’t want to put down! I highly recommend this exciting mystery!
About Mary Keliikoa
Mary Keliikoa is the author of the Shamus finalist and Lefty, Agatha and Anthony award nominated PI Kelly Pruett mystery series and the upcoming Misty Pines mystery series featuring Portland homicide detective turned small town sheriff slated for release in September 2022. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and in the anthology Peace, Love and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by Music of the ‘60s. A Pacific NW native, she spent a part of her life working around lawyers. Combining her love of legal and books, she creates a twisting mystery where justice prevails.
When not in Washington, you can find Mary on the beach in Hawaii where she and her husband recharge. But even under the palm trees and blazing sun, she’s plotting her next murder—novel that is.
Author Links
Website: https://marykeliikoa.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mary.Keliikoa.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mary_keliikoa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary.keliikoa.author/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20038534.Mary_Keliikoa
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-keliikoa
Purchase Links
Enter the giveaway
Denied TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 17
Novels Alive – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 18
Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 19
Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
August 20
Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 21
Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
August 22
Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 23
Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 24
Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
August 25
Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
August 26
ebook addicts – REVIEW
August 27
Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 28
Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 29
The Book’s the Thing – SPOTLIGHT
August 30
BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
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Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest.
Sounds like a good read
This sounds like one that will keep me reading and interested.
Sounds like my kind of read. I commented but I don’t see my comment so I am posting another one.
Sounds like a great mystery!