Anne LaughlinCritiques

Very good - see my review at http://reviews.c-spot.net/archives/38

I really, really wanted to like this book. I've read two others by the author and enjoyed them - particularly [b:Veritas|7571845|Veritas|Anne Laughlin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1263930540s/7571845.jpg|9919895] - but I just couldn't get into The Acquittal.

I couldn't buy into the kidnapping plot at all and the characters just didn't make me want to care much about them. The entire romantic/sexual plot aspects between Josie and Lauren felt wrong to me and really took away from my enjoyment of the book. There were also a few typos...

I will say that I thought the author did a really good job of making me feel it when Josie was experiencing her manic episodes.

I'd probably go 2.5 but I can't do that. I'll rate it a solid three over at Amazon since 2 here and 3 there both mean "It was OK" and that's how I felt about it.

I very much enjoy Anne Laughlin's voice. I'd give it 3.5 stars. You can read my full review at C-Spot Reviews: http://reviews.c-spot.net/archives/3864

Runaway is a solid page-turner of a mystery/thriller in the lesbian tradition, which means there is at least one blush-worthy sex scene. I enjoyed Laughin's writing and think she presented an original plot with a good balance between the thrilling action and the obligatory drama-filled budding lesbian relationship. (Personally, I wanted more thriller and less romance, but that's not the book she wrote.)

Runaway is primarily about Jan Roberts, a Chicago PI who escaped from her father's Idaho militia camp when she was 16. For the last twenty years Jan has been living her life under the new identity she created. Just as Jan and her partner take on a new case tracking down a runaway teen, the firm they work for is purchased by a British company. The new boss is a hot British women with MI6 in her background. Sparks fly between the new boss and Jan. The runaway teen ends up leading Jan back to the militia lifestyle she fled, first to Michigan and then to Idaho.

Laughlin has a great sense of humor, but doesn't overdo it. Here are two bits that made me laugh:

"Catherine appeared to be in her mid-forties, but her breasts appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Jan wondered if she'd have the opportunity to examine whether that was the result of good genes, good lingerie, or good plastic surgery."

And then this from when Maddy, the young runaway, is participating in a militia training exercise in Michigan before her group moves to Idaho:

"Maddy and Kristin were teamed up to learn about stealth movement and sensory awareness in the woods, which Maddy took to mean walking quietly with her headphones off."

I plan on reading more books from Laughlin and look forward to seeing where she takes her writing in the future.

3.75 stars

Though well written, the characters needed just a little more exposition for them to really shine. Otherwise, this is a well written mystery with a romantic subplot that stayed where it was supposed to. There are enough strings left dangling that this could turn into a series if the author wants to go that way, but enough are tied off that the story feels complete. All in all a good read.

Originally posted here at Yaoi Radius.

You might be tricked into thinking that Veritas is a murder mystery that happens to have a lesbian subplot. Or that it's a lesbian romance that just happens to contain a murder subplot. Both assessments would be totally wrong - well, not totally wrong but certainly off the mark. In this one novel, author Anne Laughlin has successfully woven together both romance and mystery into one single work that becomes both genres without being overcome by one or the other. It is a tightrope act of genre balancing that makes the story only that more enriching and interesting. Fans of either genre will leave satisfied and will not feel stifled by the presence of the other genre - and it shows that one can have an enthralling story of murder and intrigue and also have an LGBT romance that isn't stuck-on or cloying.

There's also the fact that the characters are interesting. Sure, some of them are dreadfully annoying - oh hello there, Beth's boss - but not because of poor writing. I find myself drawn to Sally Sullivan's character the most: she's headstrong and outspoken and wonderfully brash in an endearing kind of way. All together, Laughlin was able to bring us a cast of characters with fears and loves and agendas that felt real and moved the story along naturally, not forced at all, which only made reading it more enjoyable than if she had just forced certain moments to happen.

Another point to its credit is that Veritas is wall-to-wall motion, full of murders and drama and scandal and romance and relationship troubles galore, but it is also very fun to read. Never does reading the book become a chore, and the action never drags its feet, only to add more pieces to the puzzle that is the storyline. Every pause in the action only serves to deliver another clue as to what's going on or give more insight into the characters' current mindset. It is a wonderful read and the only time I was ever truly disappointed was when I reached the end! If Veritas is a faithful measure of her skills as a storyteller, I am certainly looking forward to reading more of Anne Laughlin's works - and I think you will too.

Wow, a BDSM novel with both a head and a heart, this grabbed me early on and refused to let go. I loved the development of the different relationships, and the discussion of love merged with a desire for submission. The contrast between the experienced but uneasy Adele and the far more confident newbie, Laura, provided a great perspective.

Sometimes Quickly was a short light read with a plot that has numerous good quality's to it. I found it very interesting how the characters lives were all intertwined together due to one sinister woman. I was definitely intrigued at what was going to happen next and the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. I was enjoying the book immensely when it just came to an abrupt end without really being finished. It appears as the author sets it up for there to be a second book, yet some major parts of the plot were left unfinished. Such as what became of peg's legal situation? That was a sizable part of the story. Up until the end of the book I was thrilled with what I was reading. I give it 3 1/2 stars wanting to give it more but the inadequacy of the ending was a big disappointment for this reader.

"Thank you NetGalley for letting me give an honest review"

Ex-cop Josie Harper was kicked out of the police force for propositioning her lady commander. After a bipolar diagnosis and regular therapy and medication to control it, she opens a private investigative office. As luck would have it, she lands a major murder case on her first day at work. The case involves a publishing heiress and CEO, Lauren Wade, who was arrested, tried but eventually acquitted of murdering her girlfriend because the jury thought the prosecution was unable to prove it 'beyond reasonable doubt'. Josie is being hired to find out once and for all if Lauren was indeed guilty or not.

The book is mainly about Josie's life as she goes about her day as a bipolar PI and Lauren's life and her continuing trials after her acquittal. We get a good idea of what it's like to be bipolar and how Josie copes (or not) with the stresses of daily life. Josie is actually a pretty good PI--thorough, assertive and very perceptive. Neither is she too perfect. The investigation is actually quite realistic, as it also shows the limitations of a PI working solo. But like most cop/PI shows on TV, Josie is just as gung-ho when the more appropriate action should be to let the proper authorities handle it. But of course, where would the fun be in that? Josie is also a bit of a cad when it comes to treating women. Add to that a pair of highly dysfunctional parents and barely-controlled bipolar swings, and you have a very interesting albeit flawed protagonist.

So, if we're following the usual romance formula, we expect the two lead characters who have POVs to cross paths and eventually to hook up together, because, otherwise why spend so much book-time on them, right? Except that things don't happen at all the way we expect. I applaud the author for veering away from the usual, predictable route, but..and this is a big BUT... Unfortunately, I can't say anything more without revealing the various twists. As readers, we have to be invested in the main character(s) in any book for us to want to finish it. How would you feel if a book spends so much time making you fall in love with a certain character and then eventually removed them from the romantic pairing? This happened not just once, but twice in this book. Granted, two of the characters eventually got back together. But still, I felt really bad about the one who got offed. Like..all that build-up and this is what we get in return? :) Also, some things in the book just don't make sense. Why would Lauren's parents fire her after everything she's done for them? And just over 3 dismal quarters? or haven't they noticed that she was highly distracted by their kidnapping? Why would Josie attempt to rescue them at all when all she needed to know was their location. They obviously can be better rescued safely when the bad guy isn't there. If her itching-for-action bipolarism is the explanation for that, then she has no business being a PI, because she is a danger to herself and others. But don't worry, there is an HEA. It's just that the route takes quite a roundabout way to it. Also the single most important mystery in the book--who killed Lauren's girlfriend is never actually solved, lol but by the end of the book, we couldn't care less who did it because all the possible suspects are either dead or locked up anyway. :). In conclusion, I must admit I enjoyed the book, but it leaves a bit of a bitter aftertaste in the mouth.

This book is hard to describe.

It's set in an and around Chicago and the main character is named Josie. She's a newly minted PI. She was a cop in the property division, but had some troubles a year before the book starts, and left the force. Those troubles were mostly caused by the fact that Josie's bipolar.

She's been getting better for the past year, and I sorta wish that we'd seen more of that. But, overall I thought that all the mental illness stuff (not just with Josie, but with other characters as well) seemed real enough (although I don't have any personal connection with Josie's particular illness).

Josie's first case as a PI is a doozy. Someone comes to her from the publishing company a woman named Lauren runs and since Lauren has just been acquitted of the murder of her partner Kelly, this woman (Sarah) wants Josie to find who the real killer is.

And as if that's not enough, we get introduced to Tim, Lauren's brother and between he and their parents (not to mention Josie's parents) there seem to be an endless supply of wicked subplots.

Finally there was Lucy. She didn't come into the story right away, and wasn't a totally main character, but she was my favorite character in the novel for sure.

I do have to say that it was hard to get through. Not because of the craft of the writing, but the plot and themes. They were just so very intense.

I was also a little disappointed with the end. It seemed very herky jerky compared to the rest of the book.

Still, it was a very interesting book that definitely had me guessing all the way to the end.

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

This novel was just not my cup of tea. I love the other novels written by the author under a different pen name. The story was very well witten and I am sure true to the life style protrayed. I guess maybe I am to old to enjoy this type of story.½

Moord, de academische wereld en een verraste politiedetective

Another great read by Ms. Laughlin. I had a little bit of a hard time with the start of the story but when things started to happen I just could not turn the page fast enough.

Give this one a try and I do not think you will be disappointed, also if you have not read her other work do yourself a favor and read them too.

I am not very good at writing reviews but I do know what I like and I enjoyed this book very much. Anne writes a very good mystery. I have read both of her books and found both to be very good. I do not think you would be disappointed if you gave it a try. Very entertaining read.