by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of Chaser, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

I have to admit that I don’t typically read books about biker bounty hunters, but when I learned about the book Chaser, it drew my interest and I decided to give it a try. The thing that caught my attention was the fact that the main character is transgender, something you don’t see enough of in mystery fiction. But there’s so much more to this book and this character than the fact that she is transgender. She is a kick ass, capable woman and a wonderful main character.

Jinx Ballou is a bounty hunter who is well respected in Phoenix. She has been doing the job for several years, and was a cop before that. When she gets outed by a reporter as transgender (a fact that only those close to her knew), her world turns upside down. The company she had worked with for years turns her away calling her awful things—even though as she keeps pointing out she’s the same person she has been all of these years. Finding herself blackballed, she puts her career on the line when she is given a one-time chance to locate a big bounty in only five days. She must capture a teenage girl who has been charged with murdering her mother and has disappeared from her aunt’s home.

As Jinx searches for the girl with the help of her boyfriend, fellow bounty hunter Conor, she begins to uncover secrets that show this case isn’t as simple as it appeared. Will she be able to bring the girl in on time and save her career? Will she be able to get past the discrimination she now faces for being transgender?

This book is filled with wonderful and complex characters. Jinx is tough, beautiful, smart and a damn good bounty hunter. Seeing the things she faces by also being transgender breaks my heart, but also gives cisgender readers like myself some insight that we wouldn’t otherwise get by giving us the chance to see things from her perspective. Jinx is a survivor and she is also surrounded by other interesting and wonderful characters.

The mystery in this story is filled with some great twists and turns—it’s not just about catching the girl but also finding out the truth about what really happened. This is the first book in the series and I can’t wait to read book 2 (Extreme Prejudice), and then book 3 (A Broken Woman), which comes out in December.

I highly recommend this book! Even if you don’t typically read bounty hunter books, try this one you won’t be disappointed. Keep in mind though this is not a cozy—there is strong language and sexual content. However, if you let that stop you, you will be missing out on a great book!

To enter to win an ebook copy of Chaser, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “chaser,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 5, 2019. U.S. residents only. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode went up this week and this one features a mystery short story told by a black cat-perfect for Halloween! Chaser will be featured in a podcast in 2020.

You can use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. 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.