by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Ethel Fiona Crestwater is in her seventies, the landlady of a boarding house, and seemingly a clichéd little old lady. She’s anything but. The boarders in her house are generally FBI agents. Ethel used to be one herself. She still has the ability to think on her feet, plan ahead for contingencies, and she knows everyone who is anyone. Calling in a favor sometimes is as simple as reminding someone she knew them when.

Her double first cousin twice-removed Jesse Cooper acts as her sidekick, leg man, and computer geek. He had no idea about Ethel’s past until that first unfortunate case they were involved in. That’s when he saw her transform from a cousinly landlady to a skilled agent.

Now the stakes are even higher. A law clerk has died; another is in a coma. The issue is how will a Supreme Court Justice vote on a case before the court? With the answer unknown, it puts Ethel and Jesse between the target and a killer who has a reputation to maintain and a paycheck to collect.

To say much more would give away too much of the well-executed plot and building tension as you turn the pages. This is one of those books where you want to know what happens but don’t want the book to end. Ethel is someone you’d want for a friend, especially if you’re ever in trouble. Jesse adapted well to her secret life once he recovered from the initial shock. He is a computer whiz with an out-of-the-country girlfriend who is equally nerdy and helpful.

This is book two in the series—book one, Secret Lives, was reviewed in KRL. It’s a series I hope has, like Ethel, a long, eventful life.

To enter to win a copy of Dangerous Women, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “women” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 13, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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You can click here to purchase this book.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.