Finished February With Those Who Walk In Darkness by Joyce and Jim Lavene

I sat down to read Sunday evening just a few chapters of Joyce and Jim Lavene's Those Who Walk In Darkness and I did not get up until the last page was read. The cover of this mystery did little justice for the story that was waiting for me inside. From the cover, the story I expected I was going to read was nothing like the story I did read. It was so much better. I did not pre-read what this story was about and was only going on the cover alone and the reputation of the amazing writing duo that is Joyce and Jim Lavene's work. I was not at all disappointed by what I found inside.  Below is the description of the story from the Amazon website. 

"Three years ago in 1867, Julia Jackson was a well to do young woman from Boston whose fiancé, Jonathon, was killed right before her eyes. Obsessed with finding the killer, a man whose face she saw only in a flash as he walked up and shot Jonathon, she leaves her family and her life behind. She starts a new life as ‘Jacks’ Jackson—a cigar smoking, dead eye, female Pinkerton agent…pretending to be a man. Now Allan Pinkerton needs Jacks to find the man who kidnapped the wife and son of a railroad official, David Boyd. Their only clues are the severed finger from the man’s wife, complete with wedding ring, and a map of the Qualla boundary, the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina. Jacks doesn’t like the way the whole thing sounds from the beginning. David Boyd isn’t important enough to target for a kidnapping. And why travel so far with two hostages? But Pinkerton tells her that he believes the man responsible for the kidnapping worked with Jonathon’s murderer in a train robbery five years ago. Jacks agrees to go after the kidnapper with hopes of catching him before he can reach his home grounds. Pinkerton insists that Jacks bring three men with her—Boyd, her new partner, and a Cherokee guide named Running Wolf, who’s always watching her, like he’s trying to figure it out. Can Jacks catch the kidnapper with her secret—and her life—intact? "

Always in awe of how I feel awe of I feel at the end of a Joyce and Jim Lavene story. Through there broad spectrum and sub genres of mystery stories, I often find myself so involved with what is happening that I simply can not put down what I am reading. There are so many wonderful lessons in each story I have ever read from this duo, so many gems.  Their stories feel so alive, as if they breathe as we do, existing as we do. There is something so very special inside each book. As I closed my eyes last night I replayed the story in my head and my dreams. I feel truly blessed to have found Joyce and Jim Lavene's work, been lucky enough to find myself lost in the pages and come out better for it. It was a pleasure and an honor to read this story and I hope you find as much enjoyment in this story as I did.
Out March 8th, you can order your copy by clicking here for the Amazon listing.
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery Review that makes 13 books read and reviewed for February not too bad! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com