Phoenix Review

Title: Phoenix

Author: Kimberly Packard

Date of Publication: November 21, 2012

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Synopsis: After a crazed gunman destroys her office and the man responsible for her indictment skips town Amanda Martin finds herself alone and running from the law. When she boards a bus in Chicago with no luggage and no place to go she finds herself in the small town of Phoenix, Texas. With a new identity and the need to rediscover herself she intends to stay in Phoenix, until she's ready to extract vengeance on her ex-boyfriend for involving her in his illegal securities scandal that is. When Amanda discovers there's an unsolved murder hanging over Phoenix she knows she must find the culprit, even if it drives a wedge between her and the handsome cop, David, who she feels a growing attraction toward. However, this puts her in the line of fire of two people who want nothing more than to keep the details of the murder a secret, and will do anything to keep Amanda from finding out the truth.

My Review:

I was drawn in by this novel from the first sentence and by the end of the first chapter I was completely captivated. Following three different characters; Amanda, as she struggled to reinvent her life; Shiloh, as she hid the secrets behind her best friend Katie's murder; and Alex as he struggled to find Amanda and save his career. With a small town vibe, wonderfully crafted characters, plenty of intrigue, and a budding romance Phoenix was a fantastic mystery novel.

My favorite part of this novel was the three different perspectives from each Amanda, Alex, and Shiloh. I always love being able to see into different characters heads and it really worked well for this novel. It was fun to watch how they all grew more and more connected as the novel went on even though Amanda and Shiloh hated each other and Alex was hundreds of miles away.

Throughout the novel the mystery constantly kept me on my toes. Each of the characters had something to hide and each of them seemed suspicious in their own way. Shiloh's secrets about the night of the murder and her relationship with the creepy Dr. Brown, David's older brother's involvement with Katie, and Mr. Foster's overwhelming need for Amanda to find the murderer.

Amanda was a great main character, starting off as a fierce business woman she transforms into a vulnerable small town girl. Likewise Alex and Shiloh were also strong characters, each with their own flaws and quirks weather it was Shiloh speaking in Spanish or Alex's over confidence. Amanda was by far my favorite character, scared and lost she discovers more about herself during her time in Phoenix as she solves Katie's murder and spends more time with David.

With an ending left open for a sequel and a few unanswered questions I'm definitely anticipating more from Packard. Mystery fans on the lookout for a great new author should definitely check out Phoenix; this novel will not disappoint!

4/5

*Note: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review and received no monetary compensation.*