Tea Time Tuesday

Happy Tea Time Tuesday all! Tonight’s Gem is in this little black box? Let us open it and peruse the contents. Ahhh..it is a diamond ring. A small engagement ring. Nothing fancy. Something a working man would buy for the woman he loves until he can get her a nicer one on down the road. See the diamond, small but polished so that is captures the eye? The gold has also been polished to catch the glimmer of the sun. How beautiful. How lovely. How dangerous… This is Gem Maker Trish Butler’s Ctrl+Alt+Deleted. A tale of suspense worth the reading.

If Trish’s name sounds familiar to you, it is because she has also written the Redway Series. I reviewed the first one in the series a few weeks ago. Those are historical romance, this is anything but. This is the first in her “Rockmond PD Mystery” series. This is the tale for Jaso Mateo. Hard working officer in a Missing Person’s Unit. He has a lovely girlfriend, Charlotte McBain. Cool blonde, knows her computers. They make a lovely, if fiery couple. Jaso is a great guy. He loves Charlotte, but he also loves his friends and family. And he protects those he loves.

Charlotte also works on the Missing Person’s Unit. Sharp, smart and a bit quirky Charlotte holds a secret from Jaso she is sure will ruin their relationship. She wants so very much to tell him, but is terrified that it will end their love.

Early one morning, after a late night argument and make up sex (the sex in this book is explicit, though not over the top, Jaso gets a call. It is from his friend Jimena. At one time they were engaged, but Jimena threw Jaso over for her now husband. She is crying, telling him her husband has left her for the last time. She needs him, she is along and afraid. Charlotte is understanding and tells Jaso she will not stand in the way if Jimena is who he wants. He doesn’t want her, he stopped loving her a long time ago, he wants Charlotte, but he goes to comfort Jimena as a friend and to make sure her daughter is alright.

When he comes home, there are police officers everywhere and Charlotte is no where to be found. Where is she? How does one find the person who finds Missing Persons? What if she doesn’t want to be found, what if she’s dead? The list of suspects grows with friends, enemies, lovers and exes. It is a deadly game, but someone has to play and Jaso wants to so very badly, but he has a bad temper and a drinking problem.

I really liked this novel. It is a good, solid story and fast paced. There is a lot of time jumping here with flashbacks, resent and old and the main story. I believe it could have done with a few less flashbacks, but this barely detracted from the story.

If you are looking for a good psychological romp, Ctrl+Alt+Deleted is for you!

Until tomorrow I remain, your humble Book Dragon, Drakon T. Longwitten

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.