The past is a mysterious thing. While many often try to live a life not defined by the past, that same past often finds a way of rearing its ugly head, often becoming a haunting specter in the present of their lives, and it is only by confronting the past can they find a way to move forward in their life.
It is through the past that author Ruth Cherry, Ph.D., brings readers back to the crime laden world of Something’s Going On Here: A Farewell to Harm – Book 2.The story brings back protagonist Nick Sanders, a retired English professor who continues to find himself embroiled in a series of mysteries in his coastal hometown of Los Osos. After uncovering connections between a criminal and organized criminal cartels, Nick and his family are forced to flee to Mexico. While there, he teams with an elite drug enforcement agency to uncover these criminal ties, while also traversing the complex waters of romance and the emotional crossroads when someone close to him gets caught in the crosshairs.
Heart-pounding and complex, this is an incredible crime thriller meets espionage mystery. The author found a way to open up the world of Nick Sanders in a whole new way, taking his adventure international and introducing new elements into the series such as spies and assassins. The intrigue and the atmosphere the author is able to weave into the narrative was astounding, allowing the reader to feel totally immersed in the setting and the culture which the protagonist found himself engaged with and creating an almost cinematic quality to the author’s writing thanks to the use of imagery in bringing these settings to life.
For readers who enjoy fictional tales of crime thrillers, mysteries, international espionage, and suspense, as well as sequels in a series, this was a great read to choose. The heart of this narrative rested in the character development, as I was able to not only relate to the protagonist and his family and friends who found themselves caught up in this nightmare, but the introduction of international players in a geopolitical setting and the ways in which governments have a hand in organized crime to begin with elevated the characters and the overall narrative. The rivalry and the cat-and-mouse element of protagonist Nick Sanders and antagonist Chase Slate made this story shine, and a series of shocking twists in the book’s climatic finale will leave readers eager for the next entry in the series.
