Worth Killing For by Jane Haseldine is the third book in the Julia Gooden mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, coming March 27, 2018
Detroit newspaper reporter Julia Gooden returns in a twisting, superbly assured new mystery, where a brutal murder and a father’s sudden return may provide the answers she’s spent decades searching for . . . or lead deep into a fatal trap.
The past never really leaves us. Crime reporter Julia Gooden sees proof of this every day in her stories. A dark childhood, a negligent parent, early abandonment—any one of them can seal a person’s fate as either a villain or victim. Julia, who experienced all three, seems to have beaten the odds, finding happiness raising her two sons and a blossoming relationship with detective Raymond Navarro.
But now, after three decades of absence, Julia’s conman father has resurfaced to throw her life into turmoil again. Julia was only seven when Duke Gooden abruptly left. Barely a month later, her nine-year-old brother, Ben, disappeared. Ben was her hero and protector, and though the case is cold, Julia has never given up hope of finding him. Duke’s return offers vital clues—but it also makes her a target of those who intend to see Duke punished for his many sins.
When Julia investigates the death of a city councilman’s young nephew, she finds links to a string of other murders . . . and to a web of greed and kidnapping that stretches back decades. At long last, Julia may be able to discover what happened to Ben all those years ago, but only if she’s willing to risk everything in her present . . .
From the turn of the first page this novel immediately grabbed my attention and I could not put this book down until the last page was read. The author has a way with the narrative visually putting me in the middle of all the action as I felt Julia’s trepidation of seeing her past, mainly her father, appears right in front of her eyes. Why is he here? What does he know about her brother’s disappearance. Is it a coincidence that the players involved in the murder case Julia is investigating may be connected to her father’s return? In this grippingly intriguing tale, we are taken on an emotional roller coaster ride that starts out slow but then packs a wallop when it all comes together. As this book comes to its conclusion, the tempo reaches a crescendo pitch when Julia learns the truth about what happened long ago, the revelation was a surprising twist that I did not see coming. All the main character had pivotal roles that enhanced the telling of this fast-paced drama that rocks everything to its core. This is the best book in this terrific series and I hope there are more stories left to be told with Julia, Navarro and their friends.
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FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the author.