Title: Flight
Subtitle: Texas Murder Mystery Book 2
Author: Laura Griffin
Publisher: Berkley Pub, March 30th, 2021
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Romance
ISBN: 9780593197349
Reviewed by Elise Cooper
Flight by Laura Griffin is a riveting mystery with very believable characters. She excels at writing characters the readers root for, and her descriptive details of the Texas landscape has readers believing that they are there.
“I think the Texas coast setting is great for a murder mystery. There is the natural drama of the coast, thunderstorms, and wildlife. Mother Nature is a dramatic piece of the story. Lost Beach is based on Padre Island in Texas. South Padre Island is a beautiful place with a mix of tourism and nature. There are bars, motels, and shops. They have a turtle rescue and a Birding Center. North Padre Island is basically an uninhabited park with sand dunes. The water is clearer, and the sand is whiter.”
The heroine Miranda Rhoads, the sister of the heroine in the last book, decides to move to Lost Beach Texas after experiencing burn out and a need to destress after her last case went awry. As a forensic photographer she uses those skills to capture the native birds for the Texas Birding Association’s upcoming calendar. Unfortunately, she discovers two bodies in a canoe. Although Miranda wanted to escape the life she led before, she finds herself unable to step away. She has a nose for detail and her insights are spot on. The detective on the case, Joel Breda, convinces her to join the team as their forensic photographer. As more murders turn up the police realize they don’t just have a murderer on their hands, they have a serial killer.
In a short time, both Miranda and Joel find themselves very much attracted to each other; the chemistry between them was great. Working together they find clues that will lead them to the killer. Joel wants to protect her and the community, while Miranda is an intelligent and complex character. The tension is ratcheted up with the heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and all the other factors that come together to make Texas such a unique environment.
“Miranda is conflicted. Observant and has an eye for detail. She is a visual person where she cannot get images out of her head. Miranda is also a people person. She has a lot of baggage that makes her anxious. She decides to stay at Lost Beach to escape the emotional upheaval she experienced at her job as a forensic photographer. She has guilt, anger, confusion, and worries about the previous case. While Joel is tenacious. Determined. Persuasive. Charming. He is also intense, confident, and self-assured. He wants to protect the community as well as Miranda. He sees the economic benefit to a small town but does not always see tourism as good. They realize they are more alike than different. . Both are wary of having a relationship and are not looking for a serious one. They need to evolve for it to work.”
Laura Griffin is a master at suspenseful storytelling. Her books never disappoint. The complex mystery has readers on the edge of their seats.
More About the Reviewer
Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best selling authors since 2009. Her reviews cover several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women's fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband. She is a frequent reviewer for #TheNewBookReview. Use this blog's search engine (in the right column of the home page) to find more of her reviews.
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