law-enforcement, Florida, cancer-survivor, smuggling, artifact, diamonds, due-diligence, action, humor, surfer, procedural, teamwork, family, friendship*****

Her mom died with her birth, her dad was killed in the line of duty when she turned 18, and at 26 she has just survived surgery and chemo and has returned to the Job. But the placement was in animal control as a stepping stone, only she stepped up jumping several rungs to Homicide detective in VERY short order. That's what happens when you stumble upon a scheme involving a large exotic bird who is carrying an unbelievable amount of expensive diamonds in it's body. And then there are the murders. And the tie-in to a cruise ship, pro footballers, and a whole lot more. Loved the characters!
There are brief episodes of erotica, but not the prolonged or detailed sort.
This is a new author for me and I hope he writes many, many more! Excellent read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Black Rose Writing via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

I was hooked in the first few pages of this book.The main character, Valarie Garibaldi, a young police officer returning to work after a bout of cancer was an earthy and gutsy character who displayed a soft streak in her relationships with her Italian aunt and uncle. In the fast paced story Val got a chance to play detective and sort out a mess that included dead macaws, smuggling, murder and a conniving mother. Fans of the detective genre will enjoy this story. While not a literary masterpiece but offers the reader a few hour of escape from their own environments. I was not expecting the book to end so suddenly but on rereading the last paragraphs it was a satisfactory conculsion to Valarie's adventures. I would be interested to hear if Valarie's romance was a flash in the pan or if it developed into a longterm relationship. If the author cares to write another novel featuring Valarie Garibaldi I will definitely read it. ( )