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Five-Star Reviewers say of Dragon's Revenge: ~~This is a character-driven book, with a nice balance of slight eccentricity, unusual talents, historical intrigue, and an overall feel good tone. The main character, while slightly flawed, is not full of angst and self-pity as she might be in a lesser novel. The relationships between the characters are healthy and the book ends with a cute feel good episode. Is a quick read, that is quite satisfying, and begs for a sequel, or even better, a series. ~~By the time I finished this book, I love it! The author attempts something difficult, and that always intrigues me. She mixes an almost abrupt telling of a modern day detective story with a lyrical, sometimes even meandering, historical document from a century earlier. At first the combination is jarring, but before long it sort of becomes hot and sour soup, or fried ice cream if you prefer. However you think of it, it works well and the rich tale she has woven from the two very different pieces captivated me. Nearly half the book is a love story between two immigrants, one Italian and one Chinese. It’s told beautifully through the eyes of her young son, and it is both touching and believable. The prejudice shown to so many ethnicities will make you want to scream, and will possibly force you to take a hard look at some of today’s behavior, too. (At least I hope it will.) The other piece of the story involves PI Letty Valdez helping a friend solve a murder that occurs in a university library. Of course the investigation quickly becomes far more complicated, with Letty in danger, a few tantalizing red herrings emerging, and a tie-in to the century-old love story. Ultimately, there is a satisfying ending with more than one unsavory sort getting what unsavory sorts deserve. ... ~~This story is an intriguing mix of history, mystery, romance, and contemporary adventure. It weaves between the present, in which Letty is trying to solve a murder in a library (how classic is that!) and the past, set out in a memoir about a Chinese immigrant in the 1890s. …the charm is in the believable, complex characters, and the evocative Arizona setting. ~~CJ Shane’s books are difficult to put down. The reader is drawn to the characters, story, murder, romance and the history within. ...I felt like I was a participant, it was magical. |
Dragon's Revenge: A Letty Valdez Mystery #2
2018 by C.J. Shane When Tucson private detective and Iraq War vet Letty Valdez is hired to investigate a murder, she immediately finds herself targeted by a violent criminal. To find the killer, Letty turns to an old memoir of life in late 19th century Tucson. Clues in the memoir, with its tale of love between two immigrants - one, an Italian widow, and the other, an exiled Chinese revolutionary - launch Letty on a suspense-filled struggle to find answers, to stop the murderer – and to stay alive!
Letty, a Chicana/Native American, has to deal with a mugging, a home invasion and a shootout on the Tohono O’odham Reservation in her attempts to find the criminal who is targeting her. Letty is helped by her friends and family, plus a new canine pal, Teddy the Black Lab sniffer dog. Like all Letty Valdez Mysteries, there’s excitement, intrigue and a touch of romance in Dragon’s Revenge. 
Dragon's Revenge: A Letty Valdez Mystery was named a 2018 finalist for Best Thriller-Suspense and Best Multicultural Book, New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards
Buy Links
Paperback: $12.99 Ebook: $4.99 |
