A Passion for
Murder
Book 6 of the Detective Quaid Mystery Series
By Yolanda Stout
BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Deborah Lloyd for Readers'
Favorite
Steven Quaid and his colleagues in the
Anchorage Police Department’s investigative unit are dealing with another
serial killer. The media has called him Killer Clean, due to his routine of
vicious rapes and murders, followed by using bleach to erase all traces of
himself. A new FBI director has been assigned to the area, and he asked a
psychologist/author named Alice Foxx to be a consultant on the case. At the
same time, Steven was dealing with PTSD, as a result of a previous case.
Frightening nightmares and assaults were negatively affecting his marriage to
Sarah who also needed to care for their baby Tiama. A Passion for Murder: A
Detective Quaid Mystery Book 6, penned by Yolanda Renee, is a thrilling,
edge-of-your-seat read.
One of the most unique aspects of this story
is the information about the effects on rape victims, as well as specific facts
about the incidence of rape in Alaska. Likewise, the psychological effects of
earlier traumas on present traumatic events are portrayed well; how these
affect love relationships is also interesting. How these facts are interwoven
into the plot is inventive and flows smoothly. Like all good mysteries, vague
clues are interspersed throughout the chapters; a mystery lover may have to
speculate who the serial killer could be. Character development is well-formed,
and every reader will be able to easily imagine the personality of each
character. Author Yolanda Renee has ended this series of mystery books with a
well-crafted story in A Passion for Murder. A captivating read from the first page
to the last!
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/a-passion-for-murder
Review Rating:
5 Stars
~~***~~
Murder, Just Because
Book 5 of the Detective Quaid Mystery Series
By Yolanda Renee
BOOK REVIEWReviewed By K.C. Finn
for Readers’ Favorite
Murder, Just Because is a work of mystery
fiction in the detective/sleuth subgenre and was penned by author Yolanda
Renée. The work is written for adult readers due to the usage of explicit
language and some graphic scenes of violence and sexual situations. Subtitled
‘A Detective Quaid Mystery: The Return of The Snowman,” in this story we find
ourselves once again with Steven Quaid after his successful capture of Stowy
Jenkins, AKA the Snowman. Ten years later, Jenkins has escaped from prison and
is hell-bent on punishing Quaid by picking off the people he cares about, one
by one. As time ticks on and Jenkins gets closer to Quaid’s wife, Sarah, the
detective must risk everything to put the Snowman to rest once and for all.
After several daring adventures in the world of
serial killers and psychopaths, author Yolanda Renée manages to ramp up the
stakes even higher in this non-stop thrill ride of terrifying situations and
masterful deductions. Steven Quaid makes for a superb central figure with his
sharp wits and well-honed instincts, but it was actually Sarah that impressed
me most in terms of character development and her role in the plot. It’s
wonderful to see an inclusive detective tale where other characters get to be
resourceful and useful in their own right, and the effect gives an even more
realistic and thrilling tone to the plot. Overall, I would highly recommend
Murder, Just Because to readers seeking a thrilling cat and mouse action novel
that bears all the hallmarks of a suspenseful and well-penned mystery too.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/murder-just-because
Review Rating:
5 Stars
~~***~~
The Snowman
Prequel to the Detective Quaid Mystery Series Book 4
By Yolanda Renee
BOOK REVIEWReviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers'
Favorite
The Snowman by Yolanda Renee is a prequel to
the Detective Quaid Mysteries. Stowy Jenkins goes by another name. The Alaskans
call him the Snowman and he is an artist. His medium of choice? Blood. A medium
he is obsessed with, an obsession that leads to multiple murders. Detective
Steven Quaid is a rookie and he draws the short straw to go after the Snowman.
The two are drawn together is some twisted way, a relationship that proves
deadly, and it is anyone’s guess who will come out of it intact. What starts
out as a murder investigation turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse and
Detective Quaid works to stop any more bloody and gruesome murders. The Snowman
doesn’t want to stop and taunts Quaid into a deadly finale.
The Snowman: The Prequel to the Detective
Quaid Mysteries by Yolanda Renee answered many questions. I have read all of
the Quaid mystery stories and this one filled in a lot of the gaps about his
early years. However, it can be read on its own, although I would highly
recommend reading it as part of the series. Excellent story, really
well-written and truly gripping. Ms. Renee certainly knows how to describe a
scene to the extent that you believe it to be real. Compared to the rest of the
series, this is a very dark book, somewhat gruesome, but a fantastic read. The
development of the plot and the characters were second to none, and I would
recommend this to anyone who likes a macabre, bloody thriller – this one meets
all the criteria!
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-snowman
~~***~~
Murder &
Obsession
Book 3 of the Detective Quaid Mystery Series
By Yolanda Renee
BOOK REVIEWReviewed By Deborah Lloyd for Readers’ Favorite
The
wilderness of Alaska is the setting for the third mystery novel in the
Detective Quaid Mysteries, Murder & Obsession by Yolanda Renée. An
Anchorage detective, Steven Quaid, renovates his wilderness cabin into a
honeymoon retreat, preparing to bring his new bride, Sarah, there for a quiet
honeymoon. After his work was complete, he set off on a hunting expedition.
Upon his return, it appeared a murder had occurred in the cabin, and Sarah was
missing. Being the primary suspect, Steven flees and the adventure begins. Not
only does Steven have to fight the weather, wild bears, injuries, hunger and
thirst, he is on a quest to find his beloved. Steven finds aid through the
support of his uncle, and eventually his friends on the police force.
Murder & Obsession by Yolanda
Renée offers many thrilling and suspense-filled moments. The reader becomes
part of the breathtaking adventure, never quite sure which characters are on
the side of honesty and justice, and which ones are corrupt and vicious. Ms.
Renée presents a cast of many characters, some with dubious motivations and
others with unwavering integrity. But, it is not always clear in which category
some of these characters belong – making for an intriguing story. The romance
of Steven and Sarah has not been a smooth road, and there are references to
earlier times. It seems that reading the books in this series in order may be
advisable, so that the history of their relationship is known. The many twists
and turns in this novel create an enjoyable and entertaining read.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/murder-obsession
Review Rating:
4
Stars
~~***~~
Memories of Murder
Book 2 of the Detective Quaid Mystery Series
By Yolanda Renee
BOOK REVIEWReviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers’ Favorite
Memories
of Murder by Yolanda Renée is book 2 of the Detective Quaid Mysteries. Sarah is
still having nightmares, only this time they are more real. Steven needs it to
stop before it takes Sarah down. Caught up on another case, this time trying to
prove himself, he shuts Sarah out but doesn’t like it when she takes up an
offer to go on an art tour. Sarah is receiving roses but thinks they come from
Steven – he knows better. Lucifer is out there, looking for his Lilith, but she
is safe for now so he turns his attention to Sarah. She paints her nightmares,
foretelling what it is to come, but will anyone believe her or will they
continue to treat her as a disturbed and fragile woman? While the bodies
continue to mount up, Lucifer is closing in on his real target – who will stop
him, Steven or Sarah?
Memories of Murder (Detective Quaid
Mysteries Book 2) is another example of how fine a writer Yolanda Renée is. I
thoroughly enjoyed book 1 and could only hope that the second was as good – I
certainly wasn’t disappointed. The mystery from book 1 continued in a similar
vein with plenty going on to keep a reader’s attention. The old characters were
developed a lot more and new ones introduced which kept the storyline fresh. I
must say this was a deep plot this time, a little terrifying if I am honest,
and it must have taken some time to weave all the threads of the different
stories together. I hope that there will be a book three in the series although
I’m not sure where it could go this time – maybe a different story altogether.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/memories-of-murder
Review Rating:
5
Stars
~~***~~
Murder, Madness
& Love
Book 1 of the Detective Quaid Mystery Series
By Yolanda Renee
BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers’ Favorite
Murder,
Madness & Love (Detective Quaid Mysteries #1) by Yolanda Renée is a tale of
murder, mystery and suspense. There’s a killer on the loose. A clever one.
Sarah Palmer has earned herself the name of 'the black widow' after her husband
died in a car accident. She flees to Anchorage in the hopes of making a new
life for herself, but people are dying. Women who look like Sarah. Each one
dies on the 14th of the month, a date that is well known to Sarah. Detective
Quaid is in charge of the investigation and he has already made up his mind
that Sarah is guilty. But he has to do his job and, together with a security
firm, he does his best to protect Sarah while trying to find the culprit. He can’t
work out if Sarah is genuinely innocent or if she is a mastermind at
manipulation, but the bodies are piling up and Sarah’s nightmares are getting
worse. Steven Quaid can’t take the chance that he has the guilty party – in
case he doesn’t.
Murder, Madness & Love
(Detective Quaid Mysteries #1) by Yolanda Renée is pure genius. I fell into
this story right from the very first page and I genuinely could not put the
book down until it was done. Yolanda Renée has woven a tale of sheer suspense,
a story that is wound tight and runs like clockwork. The characters are
extremely well developed and the details of their lives and their backgrounds
seep out throughout the story. By the end of the book, you know those
characters as if they were people you met with on a daily basis. The plot is
ingenious. I thought I'd guessed who it was but, no, the story went off in a
completely different direction and I don’t believe anyone will be able to guess
the ending of this one. Excellent story, I'm really looking forward to the next
one.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/murder-madness-love
Review Rating:
5
Stars
~~***~~
