A phone call brings Katherine Sullivan back 'home' to Edina, MN from her retirement mecca in Taos, New Mexico. Frankly, I enjoy the Minnesota setting, so I checked this out. The mystery is a light police procedural, with her family and other characters sprinkled throughout.

She's living in New Mexico now that she's retired and she loves it. She paints at an artist colony that she has reserved a home in and life is good. Then a phone call comes in from a friend's office saying that he's missing and hasn't shown up for work...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published May 9th.

Nathan Walker is an old friend and someone she's even thinking of romantically since they are widow and widower now. She doesn't want to lose him so she heads back to where she was police chief before and starts searching for him.

As they try to follow his movements, they eventually locate his car but it doesn't tell them anything. Even his cell phone doesn't help much. But his security company and Katherine don't give up, they just keep digging.

The police chief is a bit distracted because a woman was murdered and they found a dead man who had been run over. A missing case doesn't take priority with him. So Kathleen is free to snoop on her own.

When she finds Nathan (who looks like Denzel), he's not in the best shape but he's OK. The mystery isn't over yet. There's bad stuff going on in town and it takes them to run it down.

This was an interesting mystery and I like the two main characters. All Nathan's employees are "different" and I enjoyed that, too. I hope to read another in this series.

Whew! That was a fun ride I didn't want to end. We meet Katherine Sullivan at her artist community in Taos where she gets a call that a longtime friend and colleague has gone missing. Now I love a missing persons case and this one had me at the edge of my seat. Just what could have happened to Nathan? The clues are scarce and the motives even more so. And just how is this not so simple missing persons case connected to two local murders?

I really enjoyed the characters in this mystery. Katherine is an interesting mix of practical and creative. I enjoyed seeing her interactions with her daughter and her grandchildren and it was especially enjoyable as she tried to find her footing with her daughter's ex-husband. Her experience in law enforcement makes her an able and intelligent investigator in addition to being very good at reading people. As well, I enjoyed her work with Nathan's security team and all of their different strengths and skills. E.T., Brock, Rosie, and Polly all have interesting back stories and are characters I'd really like to know more about.

The mystery is complex and well done. It focuses more on the whys and hows than the who which is something I always enjoy. This is the 2nd book in the Katherine Sullivan series and while I definitely plan on reading the 1st book I had no problem jumping in here. This was an entertaining and interesting read that kept me thinking. I'm looking forward to more of this series and this author.

I had not read the first book but no matter- this is a neatly plotted and written mystery/procedural. Katherine is a determined women; she wants to truth. I liked the Edina setting even if there was an unrealistically large number of bad things happening. This is a quick read and a step above the usual cozy, in large part because Katherine, even if she is retired, is a law enforcement professional. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This second Katherine Sullivan book has Katherine leaving her artists' retreat in Taos, New Mexico, to come back to Edina, Minnesota, when a friend of her disappears. Nathan Walker is a retired cop like Katherine and is her best friend. He was her husband's partner before her husband died in the line of duty. Now Nathan has his own security firm and a number of very concerned employees.

Katherine is the former chief of police for Edina and the current chief is a little jealous and a lot insecure when she is around. He is also busy trying to solve the murder of a family friend which is consuming his attention. He almost doesn't have time to pay attention to another body that seems like the victim of a hit-and-run.

Katherine and Nathan's employees begin by backtracking the appointments he kept on the last day anyone saw him. Katherine meets a number of quirky, or suspicious, characters as she looks for her friend. Among them are Mr. and Mrs. Larkin who are living in the middle of a construction zone and interested in more security for their home. She also meets Ashley Knight who is a person of interest because she connects with the Larkins and Nathan.

While Katherine worries and searches for her friend, she is also spending time with her grandchildren and her daughter's ex-husband. I like her relationship with her grandchildren and like that she is coming to better terms with her daughter's ex-husband.

This was an entertaining cozy with a nicely complex plot and some really quirky characters.

Thanks Crooked Lane Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Emily Barnes makes her characters so human and real that you are drawn into the mystery and into their world. This series will leave a big impression on you until the next one which I'm anxiously hoping will be soon.

This is the first ever book I requested on Netgalley and I have postponed reading it until now due to the release date.

Katherine Sullivan is a retired police chief who returns to her old stomping ground to investigate the disappearance of an old and dear friend. With the help of her friend's employees she investigates his disappearance and its links to two recent murders.

I started off really liking this story. It is very easy to read and I consumed it quite quickly.

However, this is part of the problem with the book. It is a bit 'Fifty Shades of Beige' and was a bit dull. Nothing hard-hitting happened and it lacked 'oomph'. The whole premise didn't really add up either. I have no idea why Nathan would have been kidnapped - it really made zero sense.

I think I may have appreciated this book more if I was a bit older.

This was a crisp and engaging mystery that grabbed my attention from the very first and didn't let up until it's satisfying conclusion. Katherine Sullivan is a fascinating character, and the surrounding cast was realistic and likeable. Death in Abstract was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it!

Although it got bogged down sometimes with all the ancillary family matters - the story of a grandmother who is a retired chief of police rescuing the kidnapped partner of her deceased husband who now runs a surveillance business is engaging if sometimes over-ripe. Too many scenes with the drunken daughter of a wealthy man who has fallen into partnering with a dead beat who becomes a tool for a rich couple trying to hold their lives together. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen and while all the divorced daughter and ex-son-in-law scenes got a little long as we get to know their children, and grandma (Katherine Sullivan herself) is more virtuous and stout-hearted than anyone could ever be - it is leisurely at times but full of good feeling.

I totally enjoyed this delightful mystery, the second in the series by Emily Barnes. A light, engaging read. Maybe it's my age, but I loved retired police chief Katherine Sullivan, retired from the police force in Edina, Minneosota to beautiful Taos, New Mexico where she pursues her dream of being an artist.

When Nathan Walker, the partner of Kate's late policeman husband, disappears, his devoted staff call Kate in New Mexico and Kate comes flying (literally) to the rescue. While investigating Nathan's disappearance, Kate also visits with her daughter Lizzie and her two grandchildren, Chloe and Cam (who has Asperger's syndrome).

The mystery is not complicated but it is more than serviceable as a vehicle for being with the characters. I very much enjoy this type of light mystery and intend to read the first book in the series.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Emily Barnes for providing me with a copy of this delightful mystery.