by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details at the end of this review on how to enter to win a copy of Delilah West V1, along with a link to purchase the book.

Maxine O’Callaghan’s Delilah West books were among the first contemporary mysteries I ever read, so when I heard they were being re-released I was excited and looked forward to being able to read them again. Her Delilah West was a groundbreaking character as a female PI–coming before Kinsey Millhone, Sharon McCone and V.I. Warshawski.

Delilah West V1 is a collection of short stories and the first two novels that introduced the world to Delilah. Bad News & Trouble is the collection of short stories, and the novels are Death is Forever and Run From the Nightmare.

In Death is Forever, ex cop Delilah West became a PI with her husband Jack, but he was killed investigating a missing person’s case and now Delilah is grief stricken and barely managing to survive. She is also obsessed with finding his killer. Unfortunately, this leads her to being found drugged in a hotel room with the killer lying next to her dead. She has been set up as having killed him for revenge, and to makes things worse she really doesn’t remember what happened. Going on the run so she can be free to investigate leads Delilah and us on a wild ride while she searches for the truth and the murderers who destroyed her life.

In Run From the Nightmare, Delilah is trying to bury herself in her work by taking on mundane and routine cases to pass the time. When thirty-year-old Janet Valek runs off to a small desert town and is never heard from again, Delilah takes on the case expecting it to be a simple missing person’s case, however it ends up being anything but simple. Janet is nowhere to be found and suddenly dead bodies start turning up and Delilah fears the next one will be Janet’s. But the local law and townspeople for some reason don’t want Delilah snooping around and things become dangerous for her as well.

These books are snappy and well written, and Delilah, while dark and grieving, is a great character who it has been a pleasure to become acquainted with again. The stories are all filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing, and while the books are dated due to changes in technology, it takes nothing away from these excellent mysteries. If you are looking for some great mysteries, with a dark edge, and plenty of excitement, don’t miss this collection! I can’t wait for the next book to come out in 2015.

To enter to win a copy of Delilah West V1, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Delilah,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 20, 2014. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.