Hooked by Caitlin Rother

 

Hooked is Caitlin Rother’s newest book and the start of what is to be a new fiction book series.  Let me tell you, I am here for it.

 

While true crime books comprise most of her library (and excellent ones at that as I feel she is California’s version of Ann Rule), Hooked proves that she can solidly enter the police procedural fiction marketplace as well. 

 

Hooked is about San Diego homicide detective Ken Goode, who is fond of surfing and of newly back in town investigative reporter Katrina Chopin, who has pulled up just in time for the questionable deaths of a local cosmetic surgeon and his daughter.  Were they accidental deaths, suicide and murder, murder and suicide or murders?  It’s up to Goode to find out, while attempting to keep his romantic interest in Katrina in check – not easy to do while she is sniffing around what is to be a banner story to signify her return to her hometown. 

 

What did I love?  I loved that San Diego itself was very much a character in this story.  As someone who used to live in San Diego, it was very gratifying to read of locations and streets that I was very familiar with; it made me connect with the story that much more.  I loved the multiple POVs.  Most of the story alternated between Goode and Katrina and took place over the course of a week.  The chapters were relatively short, which kept me turning the pages and interested in returning to the prior POV to see what was going to happen, while also still invested in the current POV.

 

Ms. Rother’s background as a journalist is very evident here, as I got to see the man behind the curtain, as it were, in 2015 newsrooms.  Also evident are her connections with actual detectives, as Goode reads as a real character.

 

Additionally, I was very satisfied with the resolution and found it to be an excellent wrap-up to the story.

 

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the author’s note at the end, where Ms. Rother detailed the long labor and delivery to get the book written and published. Thank you for sharing, Ms. Rother.  I will definitely “stick along for the ride.”  

Was there anything I didn’t love?  Just personal preference but I would have been happy with the relationship between Goode and Katrina being solely platonic – at least in this first installment of their series.  I think the mystery of the deaths was enough to keep my interest without any romance thrown in.  But again, that is simply my personal preference and it didn’t lessen the story for me in any way.

All in all, I found Hooked to be a positive read and leaves me looking forward with great anticipation to the next book in the series, as well as hoping that we get more answers on Katrina’s family!

 

  

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Caitlin Rother for sending me an advanced copy of the book for review.

For more information on author Caitlin Rother, please visit her website.  

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I was neither paid nor compensated for this review.  The provision of the book had no outcome on my opinions in this review.

 

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