One great thing about going to conferences is meeting "new to you" authors. I loved the characters and the plot with crime reporter Gabriella Giovanni and loved "meeting" her family and friends. A great who-dun-it as Gabriella is still searching for the murderer of her older sister years ago and becomes involved in a case where her lover, a policeman is arrested. I'm now going to buy the first in this very promising series by Kristi Belcamino, BLESSED ARE THE MEEK Is preceded BLESSED ARE THE DEAD. ( )

Blessed are the Meek by Kristi Belcaminio is a 2014 Witness Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent installment in this series featuring newspaper reporter Gabriella Giovanni and her detective boyfriend Sean Donovan.
Sean and Gabriella have been together for nearly a year and the relationship is solid enough except for Gabriella's fears of starting a family. But, when a dot.com billionaire is murdered his girlfriend is the first person on the police radar. When Gabriella starts poking around she is stunned to learn that the stricking and cold as ice, Annalisa, was once involved romantically with Sean. This sends Gabriella straight into avoidance mode, even more than usual.
In the background of this high profile murder case, Gabriella is still searching for answers in regards to her sister's death. Once again there appears to be a real lead, but will Gabriella finally get closure or is this yet another dead end?

Gabriella is so human with her insecurities, her fears, and her “die before you cry” mantra. She is pitted against Sean's former lover, Annalisa, who is intent on luring Sean away from her ,plus for kicks and giggles, both she and Sean are under investigation.
The San Francisco locale is the perfect setting for this moody crime drama that packs a lot of emotional punches along with the shoot outs, murders, and plot twist, yet it still manages to pull all the elements together to give our characters more strength to deal with the past, the present, and what looks like a promising future despite the issues Gabriella and Sean will still have to work through.
The characters here have made strides in dealing with their problems with the ever present lesson that one can't run from life, can't continue to keep secrets, and to make relationships work they must face their fears and take changes. While the crime drama and all the twist are in the forefront of the story, the complications and implications of the crimes reek havoc on Gabriella on all levels. I felt like I was going through every emotion right along with her.
A few times the author tended to overuse gestures or phrases, but other than that this was a solid mystery, well plotted , and I simply loved the ending. This one is 4 stars. ( )

Gabriella Giovanni, crime reporter, is back on the case. This time what starts as a traffic accident turns out to be one of a number of homicides. How many are actually related? Can she continue to keep her professional focus and still tell the victims' stories while continuing to investigate personal mysteries?

Multiple mysteries layer and entwine throughout the tale adding depth and flavor. A colorful, pleasantly detailed narrative allows readers to sense some of the scenery and situations characters encounter.

Characters are interesting, caring, authentic, and continue to develop.

Overall, a fun read. ( )