Book two in the 'Marked For Retribution' series of mysteries featuring Kate Weller. Kate is hired to investigate the death of a very wealthy socialite found dead on her luxury yacht. The investigation takes Kate back to her hometown with a whole other thread of storyline. An enjoyable and engaging read, well written with credible characterisation.

have been looking forward to reading this book and it sure didn’t disappoint, with two separate murder investigations going on all at once, there is never a dull moment.
Answers do come, but surprises abound and once you think you know, don’t be too sure.
This is the second book in this series, but some of the characters I have come to care about from previous books, that being said, this is a read alone, but let it tempt you to pick up the previous.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Severn House, and was not required to give a positive review.

When we last left Kate Weller in Charleston, her boyfriend Eric's car had just exploded, and she was forced to explain how she knew it was going to happen and was able to spare his life. Now Kate is on her way to Pensacola with her friend Beth to see her brother in Santa Rosa prison in Milton. She hasn't seen Liam in sixteen years. But she knows that the person who has been following her, making strange phone calls and who now has blown up Eric's car is somehow connected to Liam and the reason he is in prison. Kate was only ten when Liam supposedly robbed an armored truck with a gang and was left to take the rap by himself. He pled guilty to the charges and went to prison without a chance of parole for twenty-five years.

While in Pensacola, Kate's employer, Nate Price of Price Investigations, calls with a case that she can work while trying to make sense of what is going on with her brother. Very wealthy Agnes Westin is found dead on her sailing yacht, and her daughter doesn't trust the police to find the murderer. Lainey Westin enlists Price Investigations to assist in the case. Kate jumps at the chance to get her trip and time here funded by a client while looking into her own personal problems with her brother. Can she find Agnes's murderer and the real ring- leader of the gang and heist Liam was involved in?

SWEET TASTE OF REVENGE is the second book in Mary Ellis's Kate Weller Series. Ms. Ellis does a great job of weaving the back story of book one into this book, so the reader is not at a loss. It makes a good stand-alone cozy mystery read. The storyline moves at a very fast pace, taking many twists and turns to a surprising conclusion. Kate is a very strong-willed, tenacious heroin with many equally strong supporting characters. She is determined to find Mrs. Westin's killer, but even more determined to unravel the real truth behind her brother going to prison for a crime she believes he did not commit. SWEET TASTE OF REVENGE is a quick read that will bring a few chuckles along the way. Don't miss it!

To be honest, Kate is more interested in clearing her brother Liam, who has been in jail for 16 years, than she is in solving the murder of Agnes, a not very nice wealthy woman. That's understandable given that she's been getting threats and her boyfriend's car was blown up (!) Taking the case of Agnes, allows her to go back to Pensacola and poke around. Kate's an interesting character, if at times, less than convincing as a private investigator. I kept waiting for the two cases to mesh but ....While I didn't read the first one, I felt I was completely up to date in this installment. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Nicely written and entertaining.

Two engaging mysteries that don't intersect other than with the protagonist. She is entertaining. Her friends and boyfriend(?) are intelligent and capable. Some exciting moments, some humor, some surprises.

A good mystery, full of twists and turn. It's entertaining and fun to read.
The plot is engaging and it's hard to put this book down.
I liked the cast of characters and the setting.
The plot was good, no big plot hole, and it keep you guessing.
This is the second installment in this series but I had no problems in understanding the plot and the characters.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC

Kate Weller is a PI who's attempting to rid herself of years of threats by visiting her brother, Liam, who has been in prison for16 years. He became the fall guy after being involved in a robbery that left one person dead. Kate hasn't talked to him since this happened, but she continually has received threats saying that she needs to keep quiet about what she saw.

Though her brother was not aware that Kate was at the scene of the robbery, she has blocked everything from her memory. However, when her boyfriend's car explodes (he is unharmed) she feels she has to go see her brother and find out what's going on. Fearing for her boyfriend's safety, Kate breaks up with him and heads to Florida to see her brother. Since he cares deeply for Kate, he follows her using the pretense of looking for a restaurant to purchase. Her office assigns her a case to work in Florida so that she can spend some time with her brother and still work.

Kate finds herself in Florida trying to discover who set her brother up, as well as solve the death of a woman who was most likely poisoned on her yacht.

This is the second book in a series, the first being Hiding in Plain Sight. However, I wasn't aware of that when I read this book, and I didn't feel like I was missing anything.

My Thoughts

What Concerned Me: Unlike some books, I had no trouble finishing this, but I did feel that it jumped from here to there without fully fleshing out the story. The reader is supposed to feel that Kate is a trained PI, yet she flits around being impulsive without any concern that she might be on someone's radar.

While the reader is supposed to be concerned for her safety because of the boyfriend's car exploding and her threatening phone calls, basically nothing happens to cause concern in Florida. Yet her friends are extremely concerned for her safety.

I think it might have been better to stick to one mystery and make it a little more complete.


What I Liked Most: While the story itself felt like it could have been improved, it wasn't hard to continue reading. The sentence structure and writing were very good.

PI Kate Heller hasn’t had any contact with her brother in 16 years. Liam is in prison for a robbery that went bad. Now Liam has requested Kate visit. For years Kate has moved around, changing her name. Someone has been watching her to make sure she doesn’t remember what happened the night of the robbery. Meanwhile she is hired by a socialite to investigate the death of her Mother. Besides investigating her new case Kate decides to try and clear her brother. Someone isn’t happy that Kate is looking back at the robbery.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I would read more by her, I liked this one. It was also the 2nd book in a series but I don’t feel I missed anything by not reading the first. It has a good cast of characters, good plot and plenty of suspense. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

SWEET. TASTE. OF. REVENGE. Mary. Ellis.
Kate wondering about her brother Liam, having spent sixteen years in prison, now she has come see him. Saying, someone is stirring up the past. Her friend, Beth replied, threatening you, blowing boyfriend car up is more than stirring. Both of the woman were roving PI ‘s and wearing guns. For Kate she was tired of running and wanted her real name back. Now meeting Liam, asking what is behind the message " tell your brother to keep his mouth shut” He was the only one, of the gang that was in prison, the rest still free, the truth was never known. Good intriguing plot,, what was the last heist the gang did. The characters were good,, Beth with her humor.. Her so called partner -
boyfriend had a good part when he follows her to Florida. A good mystery that keeps you trying to figure it out, and who was behind
the plan. Given ARC by Net Galley and Severn House for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.