Book: Colors of Deceit
Author: Sharon Keathley
My rating: 4 Original Stars
One of my favorite things about writing reviews here is getting to support local authors. We have so many talented writers right here in our community. So, I’m really happy to be sharing Colors of Deceit by Sharon Keathley with y’all today!
I am such a sucker for a good police procedural. Think Michael Connely and John Grisham. So this one about a homicide detective who is investigating a mass murder was right up my alley. And as if that wasn’t enough, there is so much more to this story once I got into it. Olivia is a brilliant homicide detective who also has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. This condition allows her to see colors or auras surrounding people and she has discovered that the colors allow her insight into a person’s feelings and whether they’re being honest or not. Then, it turns out that she isn’t even investigating the mass shooting, but actually the death of one of the victims while on the operating table AFTER the mass shooting. I love gray areas like this. How do you know that what happens in an OR is murder and not malpractice or just a tragic accident? I thought it was such an original idea in such a saturated genre! And I was completely invested in the story from there.
On top of the unique storyline, the characters were great too. Including Parker, Olivia’s K9 partner. Y’all know I love when animals are major characters! And Parker stole every scene he appeared in. Olivia and her synesthesia were really interesting and even though I had so many questions, I instantly loved her. Then there was Kraig, the anesthesiologist, who looked like the number one suspect…except everyone loved him (including me). Honestly, Kraig was such a likable guy, my biggest complaint about him was…who spells Kraig with a “K”?
There was so much detailed information about the ins and outs of operating room procedures, it felt hyper realistic and I found it interesting and educational at the same time. And the process of putting all the puzzle pieces together had me fully engaged. At one point Kraig and his brother started putting a timeline together and I couldn’t help but think of this meme:
However, even though the mystery was solved and the bad guys were behind bars, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending. I still had so many unanswered questions about her shady partner, Steven. And also, someone vandalized her car but we just never heard about it again. Who did that? Was it about her investigation, or something entirely different? So, I’m hoping there are more Olivia Samuels mysteries to read, because I need more. Like, yesterday!
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.