"If you dig it, do it. If you dig it a lot, do it twice." (Jim Croce)

And that's exactly what Tracy Clark is presenting in her second installment of her PI Cass Raines Mysteries series. We were introduced to Cass in Broken Places which shook out PI Raines onto the pavement of Chicago in a grabber of a mystery. No worries. Each book reads as a standalone.

Borrowed Time opens with Cass munching down on a stack of pancakes at her favorite restaurant down the street from her office. Deek's Diner is manned by Deek himself, a Vietnam Vet who cooks what he pleases to the delight of his customers. To offset Deek's grumpiness is Muana, a waitress with a memory like a steel trap. Nothings gets past her.......nothing.

In walks Jung Byron, a University of Chicago student, who mascarades as both student and delivery guy for Deek. Jung slides into Cass' booth and slams down a wad of crumpled money. He aims to hire Cass to look into the death of his friend, Tim Ayers. Tim's death was ruled a suicide by the Chicago Police. But Jung is more than adamant that it was murder.

With little more than lip service and promises, Cass assures Jung that she will check it out. Her friend, Detective Marta Pena, was in charge of the case and tells Cass that it was a flat-out suicide. The case is closed. But nothing closes when it comes to Cass.Raines. She's open 24/7 for business.

It appears that Tim took out his luxury yacht at the marina one night on Lake Michigan and threw himself overboard. Tim was terminally ill with stage four cancer. No amount of money was gonna buy him an extra day. From all indications, he wasn't asking for one. But as Cass digs deeper into the case, she notices that some things just don't add up. Our gal Cass is known for pokin' the bear once too often. And someone wants the pokin' to stop immediately if not sooner.

Borrowed Time and the aforementioned Broken Places are reminiscent of Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) and Kinsey Millhone (Sue Grafton) with lead female private investigators. This series has that vibe. But unlike the others, there's so much grit with Cass Raines. The setting of Chicago gives her her bones and sends out the feel of some hard gravel beneath her feet. No guts. No glory.

Tracy Clark knows this city well and the vibrations of its streets and people can be felt throughout. It's encased in a smart storyline with multiple threads that add heft. Even the cover of the book is ingenious like looking through a windshield on a rainy Chicago day. The dialogue is sharp and witty with some zingers thrown in just because. Humor hits here and there. And there's nothing like a satisfying read......now is there?

I received a copy of Borrowed Time through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to Tracy Clark for the opportunity.

This fast-paced and action-packed drama quickly became a page turner as I had to know how this was all going to turn out. I love how the author set the stage with great aplomb that had me immersed in all the minute details in this tightly woven mystery. A mystery consumed with suspense as to what is going on and who is behind it all and intrigue as to why it is happening.

The author knows how to tell a story that starts out on an even level and as the story progresses, the intensity builds as Cass tries to gather the evidence needed to bring the case to the police’s attention. The story creates many opportunities for Cass to show her grit as she powers through forces determined to stop her. As the pieces fall into play, the drama unfolds and the why became clear and the frenetic pacing ratcheted up a notch as it all came down to Cass, the person responsible and the ocean.

Loved this books so much. Couldn't pit it down. I wasn't sure if I missed a book before this one but overall loved the characters and knew what was going on. Loved that it was plausible, heart pounding, edge of your seat, and you loved the characters so much. Can't wait for the next book.

BORROWED TIME by Tracy Clark is the second book, my first read in her Chicago Mystery Book series. It is written in a style reminiscent of hard boiled detective fiction. Cassandra Raines is a tough as nails private investigator, former Chicago Cop, who has experienced her share of danger in previous cases and has a “dog with a bone” attitude toward her latest case which she is convinced was murder although the police investigation determined it was suicide.
As Cassie moves through her investigation, building her case against her prime suspect, her life and home is threatened, but she pursues, even though she is haunted by a previous investigation and her thoughts frequently highlight memories of a family who were her tenants but are no longer there, the risks she incurred on a rooftop, and various other demons from the past. These are not explained, leaving the reader to draw conclusions as to what happened to her before. It is possible these issues are covered in the first novel, and if that is the case, the reader may be more satisfied reading the series books in order, beginning with the first book.
This is not my style of book, as it has more of an edge and more violence in it than I typically read. It is not violence that is overdone, however, and as the case builds in Cassie’s mind, the pace of the book increases and the overall story becomes more compelling. There is little doubt that Cassie is drawing the correct conclusions about the case being murder and about the guilty party. As she builds her case, it is totally believable on the part of the reader, right up until the end of the book.
As the book is reaching its conclusion, Cassie performs some physical feats that pushed me beyond the bounds of believability. The writing seemed to veer toward trying to create a story that might ultimately become either a movie or an episode of an action adventure television show that builds to a blockbuster type of ending that would be visually engaging and have the viewer hanging on through that final commercial.
I would recommend anyone who likes the more hard-hitting type of action adventure books give this book a try, particularly if they are looking for that type of book that is anchored by a strong female protagonist. There are some secondary characters who appear briefly and who have potential to add to Cassie’s world if they continue to make appearances in future episodes. I particularly liked Whip, the ex-con who has finally gone straight and is now a successful cook, but is still tough enough to help Cassie when she needs a strong assistant. In addition, there is a neighbor who seems to be the “old, wise woman who doesn’t stand for any nonsense, a semi-antagonist who is a hard-nosed female cop who resents Cassie butting into her cases, and another cop who is moving toward being a possible love interest.
My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me an advanced digital read copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.