-Worth Killing for by Jane Haseldine is a 2018 Kensington publication.

This third installment in the Julia Gooden series finds Julia and Navarro back together- but they are keeping it on the down-low.

Her romantic life is put on hold, though, when Julia comes face to face with her long- lost father, Duke. Julia had not seen Duke since she was a child- just before her brother, Ben, disappeared. With his sudden return, secrets of the past start to unravel-

Will Julia finally get the answers about Ben she’s been searching for all these years?

Julia must relive some painful memories, face her father, and some of the shady characters surrounding him- while she continues her work as an investigative reporter. Julia and Navarro have great chemistry- both professionally and personally. I am happy they finally got back together!

This installment is very personal for Julia forcing her to make controversial decisions. I was on the edge of my seat a time or two! If you are following this series, this is an installment you won’t want to miss!!

I can’t wait to see how the series, and Julia’s relationship with Navarro, will progress from here.

4 stars ( )

A sign of a well written series is the ability of any one book in that series to stand alone. Jane Haseldine’s WORTH KILLING FOR is one such book in her Julia Gooden mystery series. Although this is her third book in the series and I haven’t read either of the first two, Haseldine did not leave me in the dark but ensured that I always knew at least what Julia knew. There, again, is a sign of a good mystery, that the reader makes discoveries along with the main character.

Julia is a newspaper reporter. Her parents abandoned her, along with her brother and sister, when she was 7 years old. Her 9-year-old brother, Ben, was kidnapped, and she never saw him again. With the sudden appearance of her father, it now looks like she may be able to learn what happened to Ben. She is assisted in doing so by her boyfriend, a detective with the Detroit Police Department, and they run across all sorts of crooks. But, until the end, it's never apparent who’s a bad guy, who’s a friend, and who’s telling the truth or only part truth.

WORTH KILLING FOR is a sure winner of a Michigan Notable Book Award. The locations in this story are all in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties in Michigan. ( )

Worth Killing For by Jane Haseldine is a highly recommended suspenseful, tense mystery and the third book in the Julia Gooden series.

Detroit newspaper reporter Julia Gooden's editor assigns her to cover the bow-and-arrow murder of Angel Perez, a college student. Detective Raymond Navarro's partner informs Julia that there were similar crimes in the past and this may be indicative of a serial killing becoming active again. After leaving the scene, Julia is shocked when she sees her estranged father at a gas station and she immediately begins looking for him in hopes of discovering answers to explain her brother Ben's abduction that occurred three decades earlier when he was nine and she was only seven years old. At that time her father, Duke Gooden, was a con man and her mother, Marjorie, was an alcoholic. Both parents left separately, Ben disappeared, and Julia and her older sister, Sarah, were thrown into the system.

Julia is sure that Duke's return means she will be able to find new clues to Ben's disappearance. But Duke is back to collect something valuable he's hidden in the area, and there are dangerous men who know he is back and are also looking for him. Now Julia is right in the line of fire for these nefarious characters who would kill her, or her sons, to punish Duke. Additionally, the investigation may jeopardize her burgeoning relationship with Navarro.

From the opening of this well-written, suspenseful novel, we know that Ben's disappearance has a connection to Angel's murder, but it is unclear if Duke's return can provide any information or just cause Julia even more pain and vulnerability. The mystery that unfolds is complex, twisty, and treacherous. Threats seem to be around every corner and the path to the truth is obscure and complicated, full of murder and revenge. Haseldine keeps the pace moving quickly along as more information and new leads are found, which will keep you engaged and invested in Julia's investigation and what she unearths.

Worth Killing For will hold your attention from beginning to end. While this is the third novel in a series, don't hesitate to read Worth Killing For. I haven't read the first two novels and felt like enough background information was provided so that I didn't feel like I was missing a piece of the story.

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Kensington and TLC Book Tours. ( )

"Worth Killing For" is the third in the Julia Gooden Mystery series and is just as good as Haseldine's prior two installments. Must read all in series to really absorb the depth of her characters and understand the complexity of these mysteries. Julia Gooden is a crime reporter who has had tragedy in her family history but has also been blessed with two amazing sons. A good reporter and a mind for unraveling puzzles Julia also has an in with the police department through her boy friend Raymond Navarro. Dynamics of Haseldine's characters and the twining of the plot make this a fantastic series worth picking up. "A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." ( )