No Stone Unturned: 8 (Forensic Instincts)

by Andrea Kane Read by Hillary Huber  Audiobook CDs

MeandtheMutts

4 out of 5 starsIntriguing, unusual, with a fast-paced ending

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 April 2020

Format: Kindle Edition

I was intrigued by the premise of the book, so much so I didn't really check to see if it was a series. Fortunately, despite being the eighth in the series (can you believe I missed that many?!), this was easy to read as a stand-alone novel.

The idea of a team of experts with various skills, all coming together to beat the FBI to the solution, is pure joy. When Fiona, a jewellery designer finds the lady (Rose, her mentor and advisor on Celtic symbols) at the antiquities shop dead, it makes sense for her to tell her brother Ryan, the tech expert of the FI team. This leads to a fascinating investigation (can you tell it was my first book in the series??) I loved how Claire could get vibes from simply touching an object, such vibes told her much about the personality of the owner, a useful skill to have when investigating suspects without them knowing.

But who killed Rose? And why? Somehow it all seemed connected to the symbols Fiona was using to make her jewellery, symbols from tapestries handed down to her mother. The mystery woven into those tapestries, each depicting various scenes, kept me rapt: What did the symbols mean? How did the individual tapestries fit together? Is Fiona in danger? Intrigue of the highest order!

As the truth behind the scenes in the tapestries became clearer and the "treasure" was in sight, a fast-paced drama ensued. Who would get to it first?

A compelling read with the perfect balance of mystery and character detail. Given this is book number eight, those character details were invaluable, and certainly allowed me to follow the story without wondering too much what had happened in previous books. There's a blend of historical information with the unravelling mystery, centring on Ireland's violent past, and it all hangs together really well.

What's not to love about interesting characters, forensic techniques, Irish history and a race to the end? I feel obliged to go back and read the others in the series now.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. This does not affect my thoughts on the book in any way.