Keep Your Family Close

by Annette Dashofy

With murders and multiple disappearances, this mystery will keep you turning pages. You’ll have to pay attention to figure out who did what to whom. Once you figure something out, you may need to double check your work, just as the detectives had to, because you may not have it right. Also, there is always the issue of who is telling the truth and what motivations the characters have for what they say and do. There is one egotistical, abusive man that the detectives (and I) would like to pin a murder on, but they have to stick to the evidence. If he did commit the murder, can they prove it? 

Emma was a potential romantic interest for Detective Matthias Honeywell in the first book. She reappears in this book, and her focus is still on locating her sister Nell who has been challenged with drug problems since the death of their parents. Both women have found themselves in difficult, abusive situations. In this book we meet their childhood friend Eric who will do anything for them. Also returning is Kari, a yoga instructor, who becomes a good friend to Emma. Emma puts herself in dangerous situations by going to some seedy bars and a homeless tent area looking for Nell and following leads on the murderer. 

I enjoyed Keep Your Family Close and look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Fiction, Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Detective Honeywell Mystery Series. When I read the first book in the series, I suspected I would see some of the characters again, and happily I was right. You could read Keep Your Family Close as a standalone, but I felt more grounded having read the first in the series.

Publication:  12/8/2023—One More Chapter (Harper Collins)

Memorable Lines:

Carlisle turned his fierce glare on Matthias, who met it with the one he’d mastered long ago. No twenty-something with a trendy haircut could outlast Matthias where intimidating looks were concerned.