Nineteen-year-old trans woman Eliza is missing . . . and her worried father sets private investigators Fran and Ken Stein on her trail in this second instalment of the light-hearted and fun cozy mystery series with a paranormal twist. Taking a break from their usual business of helping adoptees find their birth parents, New York private investigators – and super-sized, ever-so-slightly-paranormal siblings – Fran and Ken Stein accept a job to find a missing young woman.

Dru’s Short Musing:
Their latest case involves a runaway teen which leads to murder and it’s up to Fran to keep track of this teenager and solve a murder that gets complicated as the story progresses.

The author knows how to tell a story with visually descriptive narrative, engaging dialogue, and a backdrop of New York City. It was fun to recognize the locations in the story, even when hiding under a different name. Speaking of hiding, that is what the person responsible for all this chaos in the story is, in plain sight. The writing style is easy to follow along, the tone was comfortable, and the mystery was nicely staged to keep me in the game. I also enjoyed it when Fran stepped out of the page to talk to us, bonus in my eyes. There were a few strategically placed twists that enhanced my reading pleasure, and the pacing was on par with how well this story was being told. I really like this series. Fran and Ken are special, and that uniqueness helps them in their private investigation business. Overall, a terrific read and I can’t wait to see where we go next with this crime fighting duo. I do love Mank.

Series Name: Fran and Ken Stein Mystery Book #2
Genre: Private Investigator Mystery
Release: June 4, 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.