REVIEW Deathwish by Dana Marton

Another great addition to the Broslin Creek series

Quiet little mushroom capital, Broslin Creek gets its fair share of action. Gabi has come from the city to regroup after being ousted from the Philly PD for her cop partner/boyfriend’s actions and corruption. She really isn’t sure she likes the sleepy little town and community she’s been a part of for the past six months, since she’s more used to the busyness of the city. But the sleepy part changes overnight when Hunter Bing, brother of the police chief, comes home from the army.

Hunter’s been home not even a day and already he’s in a police cell. Way to be welcomed home! Going off from his welcome home party to propose to his long-term girlfriend turns pear shaped when he finds her dead in his apartment.

His apartment.

Shot with his gun.

Taken from his secure wall safe.

With no signs of a break-in.

Bye-bye welcome home party, hello jail cell.

Because Hunter is either related to or friends with the entire Broslin PD, bar one, it’s up to the new girl in town to take lead on the investigation. And it’s up to Hunter to win her over so she’ll see that he’s innocent.

Dana has a brilliant talent for weaving a tale. She takes you into the world she’s created and you are easily immersed within it. There’s action, intrigue and mystery. And as with any good mystery, I enjoyed trying to figure it out with the characters. I did guess the guilty party, despite their so-called alibi, and happily rode along with Gabi exploring all the other possibilities and leads until coming back to who I thought was guilty. But then Dana goes and throws a spanner in the works and gives the whole thing a shake up and a twist or two.

I love that when you think you’ve got it worked out and waiting for the characters to catch up that you’re thrown and extra something to ponder upon. I can’t say too much without giving anything away, so I won’t, but I can say this. The characters are solid. I really like Hunter and Gabi. They make a good addition to the Broslin Creek family. I like the journey each of them takes through the course of the book and their personal growth. Hunter needs to find who he is out of the army, who he is in the real world. And Gabi needs to discover who she is too, but more so her own self-worth and what she can take from life without feeling guilty for doing it.

Guilt stops so many of us from really living and there’s a subtle reminder of this, life is for living and our path is what we choose it to be. So, don’t feel guilty for sitting down and devouring Dana Marton’s latest offering from the Broslin Creek series, join the gang and solve the murder!

Although each can be read as a standalone, these books are best read in order to fully immerse and appreciate the world and the characters’ backstories.