whitneydaniell

by: Pamela Samuels Young, Dwayne Alexander Smith
published: July 9, 2024
genre: Romance
315 Pages, E-Book
Goodreads | Amazon

Summary

Private investigators Jackson Jones and Mackenzie Cunningham find themselves working the same case: a missing woman whose mother is ill and desperate to find her before she dies.

When the two keep bumping into each other, they know it’s more than just coincidence. Both were hired by slick-talking, nice-suit-wearing lawyer Raymond Patterson, and they jump into the case without fully vetting everyone involved. Once they confirm they’re looking for the same mark, they confront Raymond and learn that a third PI, Lance, was also hired to find Ashley Cross.

Jackson and Mac follow every lead and turn over every stone, but when Lance and Ashley are found dead, they realize their case has turned into something much bigger than a missing person. They’re forced to team up to stay alive and figure out what exactly they’ve gotten themselves into.

Character Summary

Jackson knows appearances matter. He dresses the part—flashy suits, a nice car, and an upscale office—even though he’s cash poor. To attract high-end clients, he has to look like he belongs in the room with them. Jackson is very much a “fake it ’til you make it” kind of guy.

Mackenzie—or Mac, as her friends call her—shows up as her authentic self and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. After surviving an unspeakable incident, she takes up Krav Maga and becomes deadly in hand-to-hand combat. She’s the complete opposite of Jackson: not flashy, not trying to impress anyone. Despite coming from an educated, wealthy family, she rebels in every way she can. Mac is truly independent and doesn’t need a man.

My Thoughts

It was just okay. A quick read—even though it took me a few days to finish (I was traveling). The chapters are short. The writing is fine.

There’s a lot of sexual tension between Jackson and Mac, but neither of them really acts on it in this installment (there is a second book). Jackson, by his own account, is FIONE, and he’s just as smitten with Mac as she is with him. Since they meet while technically “working,” I appreciated that they maintained some professional boundaries.

The plot felt all over the place. It starts as a missing persons case, but neither PI asks Raymond Patterson enough questions for my liking. They also don’t do proper due diligence—on him or the mark. Mac takes someone’s word over the phone to confirm that Ashley’s mother is who she says she is? That didn’t track—she seems smarter than that. Both Jackson and Mac are blinded by the money dangled in front of them. They’re cash poor and desperate to get in the green, but that’s a poor way to run a business.

When it’s reported that strip club owner and part-time PI Lance Brooks and their mark Ashley Cross are both dead, Jackson and Mac end up literally fighting for their lives. Again, all of this could’ve been avoided with a few more questions—and a couple more Googles.

Speaking of Google, both Jackson and Mac have to outsource their online sleuthing, which makes no sense for two people who are supposedly broke. Jackson bartering massage therapy for hacking help? Still far-fetched. If you have to outsource hacking, are you even a good PI? That should be the easiest part! Also, what’s the going rate for a PI these days? With the rise of social media, do you even need to hire one?

Anyway. Jackson refers to women as “females”—ick. And Mac is so caught up in how men perceive her that she becomes the worst kind of independent woman—ick again.

Final Verdict

I read this because I plan to continue the series and I enjoy supporting Black authors who write Black stories.

I didn’t hate it, but I’ll reserve final judgment until I finish book #2.