Janice Cantore

Crisis Shot by Janice Cantore (Review & Author Q&A)

September 8, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Tess O’Rourke dreams of becoming the first female chief of police in Long Beach, California. As commander of the East Division, she is well on her way . . . until the night she responds to an officer-needs-assistance call and fatally shoots an unarmed teenager. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, Tess is so hounded by the public that she takes a job in Oregon to escape the bad press.

Winning over the residents of Rogue’s Hollow might be more difficult than adjusting to her new role as police chief in the small, backwater town. Especially when her closest friend, the pastor’s wife, goes missing and the woman’s cousin is found shot. Tess finds an ally in sheriff’s deputy Steve Logan, but as they track down Rogue’s Hollow’s first murderer, she worries that she’s breaking one of her rules and getting too close to him.

Amazon / Goodreads

Catching Heat by Janice Cantore

September 5, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

In the third and final installment of the Cold Case Justice series by Janice Cantore, readers get to catch up with Detective Abby Hart and PI Luke Murphy as they embark on their first case together on a special task force.

Their case brings the two of them near the town where the mastermind behind Abby’s parents deaths, and she is desperate to do a little digging while in the area. Even if Luke doubts the plausibility of her proof.

As both Abby and Luke deal with their growing attraction to each other, they also have to learn to trust each other, to open up. When they are handed one more case to look into, one that they all believe will lead to only dead ends, things get interesting…and dangerous.

While more series authors tend to write stand-alone stories these days, it’s nice to come across one like Cantore’s every once in a while. I enjoyed following Luke and Abby through all three books (Drawing Fire, Burning Proof, and Catching Heat), gives the readers more insight into these two characters. By the end, I was not only wanting the happy ending for Abby and Luke, for Abby to find the answers she so desired, but also felt like I really knew these two characters. Of course, this means that if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, you may as well just purchase them right now.

Cantore offers a book that keeps the action moving along (I didn’t want to put it down) while including her expertise and knowledge of police procedures. Who better to write such a thrilling page-turner than an experienced ex-law enforcement officer.

***Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book via the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

How to Solve a Murder

August 23, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

The other day, someone on Facebook posted this picture:

This actually happens to me more often than I’d like to admit. I’m a bookworm and get immersed in a good book. The latest culprit? Janice Cantore’s first book in the Cold Case Justice series.

Homicide detective Abby Hart has a reputation of being professional and efficient. When she’s the lead on a crime, she will find the guilty party and bing him to justice. But Abby’s biggest case, the one she wants to solve more than anyting, is a twenty-seven-year-old cold case. One that took place when Abby was six: The murder of her mom and dad.

When a local glory-hound PI witnessess someone leaving the scene of a murder Abby has received the call-out for, she is forced to speak with him. Through subsequent conversation, she learns Luke Murphy also has a connection to the Triple Seven case involving her parents.

As the two share information and put their heads together, several dots connect and Abby believes there just might be enough to re-open the case for investigation to search for new evidence…if it’s out there.

Throughout Drawing Fire, I felt like I was working the investigations right along with Abby (questioning how the pieces fit together and that sense of accomplishment and relief when crimes were solved. Cantore’s twenty-plus years of experience on the policy force shines through her writing.

And the connection Abby and Luke are both fighting whenever they’re together is palpable.

But, I will warn you, this book ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger (or two). There are questions left unanswered. While a great way to get readers to come back for the next book in the series, it’s somewhat of a let down to know it will be another year before I’ll be with these characters again.

If you’re one of those people who refuses to read a series until it’s complete, definitely write this on down on your future TBR list. If you’re like me and enjoy a good book in your hands as soon as it’s available, pick this one up today.

Available at your local bookstore or Amazon today.

******Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.