The Color of Fear by Judy Alter is the seventh book in the “Kelly O’Connell” mystery series. Publisher: Alter Ego Publishing, May 2017

The Color of Fear marks Judy Alter’s return to mystery fiction and the Kelly O’Connell series after an absence of more than a year. This time, the indomitable Keisha narrates the short tale wherein Kelly and her family live under the threat of infant Gracie’s kidnapping. The story serves as a reprise of many of the previous novels in the series, as Keisha, in her search for the kidnapper, recalls Kelly’s earlier adventures.

Keisha remains outspoken and independent as she balances her need to protect Kelly and her family with her love for new husband, José Thornberry. Some but not all of Kelly’s friends and foes from previous stories appear here, along with such new characters as Clyde, the guard dog, and Cowboy, the homeless guy with a soft heart.

Kelly and the gang are back in this mysterious tale of fear that leaves the family in a sedated state of mind. What happens next is an engagingly riveting tale where Keisha takes center stage as the narrator bringing forth her perception of things to come. The author did a great job in ratcheting up the tension as the story moved forward. My eyes were glued to the pages as I had to know how this will all end. All forms of safety precaution were undertaken included the addition of Clyde who did what he had to do to bring peace to the family. The main characters all played pivotal roles that enhanced the telling of this tale, especially that small surprising twist at the end. This was an enjoyable story and I hope there are more adventures with Kelly and her friends.