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melindamm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
eedunn18's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Pretty good. I like stories about politics and law etc. a few too many characters to get straight at first. Took me awhile to really get into it.
mottlau's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bethreneereadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
4.5⭐️
This is the second book in a series (#1 can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60394833-secret-lives) but my first book by Castrique. My main takeaway: I LOVED Ethel! A septuagenarian woman who’s former-FBI but still bad-@ss enough to show everyone else in any law enforcement role up? She was perfect, and the whole plot entertaining and filled with suspense and political intrigue. What a fun, quick read! I will definitely look forward to following along with Ethel’s future adventures.
Patrick Lawlor did a great job narrating the audiobook.
Thank you Mark De Castrique, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is the second book in a series (#1 can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60394833-secret-lives) but my first book by Castrique. My main takeaway: I LOVED Ethel! A septuagenarian woman who’s former-FBI but still bad-@ss enough to show everyone else in any law enforcement role up? She was perfect, and the whole plot entertaining and filled with suspense and political intrigue. What a fun, quick read! I will definitely look forward to following along with Ethel’s future adventures.
Patrick Lawlor did a great job narrating the audiobook.
Thank you Mark De Castrique, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
rmarcin's review
3.0
Ethel, a retired FBI agent, and her relative, Jesse, are called to assist on a case where 2 Supreme Court Justice's clerk are hurt one night - one fatally. The other is in the hospital in a medically induced coma, and her uncle and Ethel confer about what happened. The Supreme Court Chief Justice is whisked away to safety after an attempt on her life. Ethel knows that something sinister must be going on, perhaps based on a pending ruling by the court. Ethel and her team need to track down those who want to harm the court, and they are dealing with some high profile politicians and CEOs, in the hunt for justice.
Ethel is a fun heroine!
Ethel is a fun heroine!
judithdcollins's review
5.0
Master storyteller Mark de Castrique returns with his popular Secret Lives Mystery series with #2, DANGEROUS WOMEN —with the sharp and witty 75-year-old ex-FBI agent Ethel Fiona Crestwater involved in a high stakes, highly controversial lithium mining case in this riveting political thriller.
Clean Energy is a Dirty Business.
We met & loved the feisty 75-year-old retired ex-FBI agent/owner of a boarding house, Ethel Fiona Crestwater, and her sidekick, Jesse, a double-first-cousin-twice-removed tech-savvy college student in Secret Lives #1.
Ethel runs a boarding house for federal agents and law enforcement officers in her Arlington, Virginia home. Since Jesse is the only family she has left, she is happy to have him stay with her while he works on his postgraduate degree.
It is the night before the Supreme Court decision with significant implications for the lithium mining industry—which is all but sure to come down to a vote from 48-year-old Chief Justice Clarissa Baxter.
A Supreme Court law clerk is attacked. The thugs get the backpack with the notes for the upcoming highly controversial lithium mining case. He winds up dead.
This is the beginning of a coverup and a string of bodies leaving Chief Justice Clarissa Baxter with a target on her back. The talented Crestwood and Jesse, with all her FBI contacts and skills, are determined to keep her safe, find the bad guys, and help uncover the conspiracy.
We also meet Arlington Police Detective Frank Mancini's niece, Brooke, a boardinghouse resident run by Ethel and a close friend of Frank, who is caught in the crossfire and in a coma. Brooke’s laptop has gone missing.
Ethel sets in motion a masterful plan with her mad skills, and fireworks fly with all the DC politics, conspiracy, and dangers. With the help of her savvy cousin Jesse Cooper (dynamic duo), Ethel breaches more than protocol as she attempts to keep the chief justice–and herself–out of the crosshairs of a very determined killer.
Ethel is not always a rule follower and will bend them to achieve her goal of seeking justice.
The author has created a fascinating, intelligent, highly relatable, witty main character and clever heroine. DANGEROUS WOMEN is fast-paced, action-packed, suspenseful, and timely. What an adventure!
THOUGHT PROVOKING! I enjoyed the author's note regarding climate change, and in response, the effort to convert vehicles from fossil fuels to batteries has become a national priority. The critical battery element lithium is in short supply. Exploration for new domestic sources that can be minded is desirable and essential for national defense.
The author proposes critical questions: what environmental price do we pay to save the environment? What people do we harm in the process? These are complex answers for the courts, politicians, energy companies, and our country.
While DANGEROUS WOMEN can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading SECRET LIVES #1 to get to know Ethel and Jesse!
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Blog Review Posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 24, 2023
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books
Oct Newsletter
Clean Energy is a Dirty Business.
We met & loved the feisty 75-year-old retired ex-FBI agent/owner of a boarding house, Ethel Fiona Crestwater, and her sidekick, Jesse, a double-first-cousin-twice-removed tech-savvy college student in Secret Lives #1.
Ethel runs a boarding house for federal agents and law enforcement officers in her Arlington, Virginia home. Since Jesse is the only family she has left, she is happy to have him stay with her while he works on his postgraduate degree.
It is the night before the Supreme Court decision with significant implications for the lithium mining industry—which is all but sure to come down to a vote from 48-year-old Chief Justice Clarissa Baxter.
A Supreme Court law clerk is attacked. The thugs get the backpack with the notes for the upcoming highly controversial lithium mining case. He winds up dead.
This is the beginning of a coverup and a string of bodies leaving Chief Justice Clarissa Baxter with a target on her back. The talented Crestwood and Jesse, with all her FBI contacts and skills, are determined to keep her safe, find the bad guys, and help uncover the conspiracy.
We also meet Arlington Police Detective Frank Mancini's niece, Brooke, a boardinghouse resident run by Ethel and a close friend of Frank, who is caught in the crossfire and in a coma. Brooke’s laptop has gone missing.
Ethel sets in motion a masterful plan with her mad skills, and fireworks fly with all the DC politics, conspiracy, and dangers. With the help of her savvy cousin Jesse Cooper (dynamic duo), Ethel breaches more than protocol as she attempts to keep the chief justice–and herself–out of the crosshairs of a very determined killer.
Ethel is not always a rule follower and will bend them to achieve her goal of seeking justice.
The author has created a fascinating, intelligent, highly relatable, witty main character and clever heroine. DANGEROUS WOMEN is fast-paced, action-packed, suspenseful, and timely. What an adventure!
THOUGHT PROVOKING! I enjoyed the author's note regarding climate change, and in response, the effort to convert vehicles from fossil fuels to batteries has become a national priority. The critical battery element lithium is in short supply. Exploration for new domestic sources that can be minded is desirable and essential for national defense.
The author proposes critical questions: what environmental price do we pay to save the environment? What people do we harm in the process? These are complex answers for the courts, politicians, energy companies, and our country.
While DANGEROUS WOMEN can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading SECRET LIVES #1 to get to know Ethel and Jesse!
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Blog Review Posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 24, 2023
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books
Oct Newsletter
stevereads61's review
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kiwiknitter's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
juliesinstaricelife's review
4.0
I did not read the first in this series but it isn't required to follow along, while the main character is the same the plot is all it's own. Esther is the heroine we all need, she is sharp, funny, and gets stuff done. I really enjoyed this super complex political/murder mystery. It was entirely dialogue and plot-driven, which I appreciate. No touchy feely or deep prose here, just action and layers upon layers of conspiracy. Given the book has a female MC and is called dangerous women, I question the choice to have it narrated entirely by a man. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC! I will definitely be checking out book 1 and any future books in this series.