3.50 Stars. This was another solid read by Doyle. This is the fourth book in The Cassie Tam Files. I have read them all and think they all are a strong 3.5 stars. The best way to describe this series would be futuristic mysteries. You can put the sci-fi tag on this but futuristic is a better tag. It’s about 50-60 years in the future and the world has plausible tech for the times. I do want to stress that I think reading this series in order is really important. If you have to skip one, I would only skip the first because books 2, 3, and 4 are very connected.

This series is about Cassie Tam who is a professional PI. Cassie knows how to stay on the good side of the police and also the illegal underworld, while still being able to close cases that make her clients happy. With a gargoyle this is half guard-dog, half pet, and all robot to watch her back, and a girlfriend named Lori by her side, Cassie uses the newest tech and her brain to solve any mystery that comes her way.

This fourth book was a little different. It was actually broken up into two novellas. One shorter one called A Week in New Hopeland and a longer novella that was called Shadows of the Past. I actually liked having the two novellas. It was two cases, both were interesting and I actually think I enjoyed this more than reading just one story.

The first story A Week in New Hopeland was a real treat. This story was actually in Lori’s headspace. As I mentioned Lori is Cassie’s girlfriend. I actually like Lori a lot and was bummed she wasn’t in the third book all that much. So for her to get her whole little story, it was great and I would love more from her POV. Lori is a tech shifter. Think about if you wanted to be a werewolf, or in Lori’s case a werepanther, and think of how you could be one in the future. Well it means tech and robotics that plugs into your actual body so you can become this animal. As someone who loves paranormal and sci-fi, I love this mix of both called a tech shifter. It is super well imagined and it makes Lori sometimes even more interesting that the main character of Cassie. Doyle, if you read this, thank you for the Lori story and please more Lori in the future.

Shadows of the Past was the second and main novella taking up about two-thirds of the book. We are back in Cassie’s POV as we take on a case of her becoming a bodyguard for an acquaintance that is being stalked. While I enjoyed this story I do have to mention I was a little confused. I actually had to go and skim from the previous books because I was having trouble remembering a few things. And this right here is the big reason why I say read this series in order. You will just be too confused otherwise. Once I refreshed my memory more, things fell into place. I didn’t think the mystery was as strong as in many of the other book, but it does open up some possibilities for future books that make me interested for the next.

While I have to be honest and say that I don’t love this series, I do think it is solid and entertaining. The characters have really grown on me so I can’t see me not reading these books unless Doyle stops writing them. If you are looking for something completely different, futuristic mysteries with a very light romance, than this series might be worth a try. Just don’t start at this book if you are new to the series.