Private Investigator Charlotte (Charlie) Winters never expected to be returning home to Salem Island, Michigan, but she came back to look after her uncle’s PI business, A1 Investigations, after he became ill. When Gloria Carmichael requests her help with locating her father’s will, Charlie is keen to help in any way she can. Later, Gloria’s dead body is found following the uncovering of a terrible secret that would break the mystery of her father’s death wide open. Charlie's own sister, Allie, was abducted from the small town when they were teenagers and ever since Charlie has heard her sister's voice in her head. Charlie is determined to grab the opportunity to bring justice to the innocent as she won’t let another family break apart like her own, even if it means putting herself in grave danger and risking everything.

In this second book of an exciting series, the reader meets Charlie who realises she's in the middle of a nasty, perilous situation of treachery, menace, secrets and lies. I liked Charlie’s character who was smart, a bit of a loner and she made a great lead. This was my second book by LT Vargus and Tim McBain and together they made a good team. I connected with the writing style and I liked the sharp dialogue throughout. The inclusion of the late Allie and her witticisms, whose voice Charlie could hear made the story all the greater.

The plot was well thought-out and I enjoyed the progression to the surprising, crazy reveal. This novel - Girl Under Water - was as good as the first in the series - First Girl Gone. Entertaining and attention-grabbing throughout, it will be extremely interesting to see what LT Vargus and Tim McBain have in store for Charlie in the next instalment. Overall, a fantastic continuation of a very promising series that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Favorite Quotes:

“I mean, you’re not getting any younger…. Those eggs of yours are probably halfway to hardboiled by now.” “That’s not how it works,” Charlie grumbled. “Regardless… what are you waiting for? Your AARP card?”

I hope his corpse is rolling around in his grave knowing I won. Just spinning down there like a rotisserie chicken.

I’m just telling it like it is… Being honest, which is a concept I know you have no comprehension of. Is there a class you have to take when you become a politician that removes your ability to be authentic?


My Review:

Book two in the continuation of my besotted love fest for this clever pair of wordsmiths, I adore their snarky humor and dark thriller murder mysteries. This one was lively, eventful, witty, well-paced, and intense with family drama, patricide, and an added kick of taboo. Oh, my! I am hooked on the main character of Charlie who comes replete with the humorous, argumentative, and observant voice of her dead twin in her head. I deeply resented and hissed at any interruption to my perusal and was reluctant to relinquish my beloved Kindle for those pesky interruptions such as a churlish husband’s demands for sustenance, the need for caffeine infusions, and who needs sleep anyway? The phone and doorbell went unanswered as I have my priorities straight. I am eager to see what comes next from this dastardly duo of scribblers.

Hugely page turning, fascinating crime thriller.
Girl Under Water by LT Vargus and Tim McBain is the second of the PI Charlotte ”Charlie” Winters series, set in Salem Island, Michigan. This is standalone. The entire book is told from Charlie's point of view, POV, which I enjoyed. The tone and sub-genre were to me, cozy, slightly humorous; fun. The voice in Charlie's head of her disappeared, supposed-murdered twin, Allie, adds the humour.

The prologue sets the scene with the grisly murder of the seventy-seven-year-old billionaire Randolph ”Dutch” Carmichael at the hand of someone he knows and trusts, in his mansion.

Dutch's daughter, Gloria, hires Charlie to investigate her father's death and his missing 400 million dollars, as she fears the police have stalled on the case. Charlie's interest is understandably piqued; so she enthusiastically starts her investigation. A minor quibble is that Charlie starts her investigation without any preliminary research, and finds herself constantly corrected by Gloria’s four siblings - Brandon, Marjory, Jude and Dara.

They are also more interested in locating his millions than unearthing the murderer, which raises Charlie's suspicion. Then there is a second murder with Charlie as a witness but with no glimpse of the killer.

Although Charlie's police friend, Zoe, is on hand to help or provide advice from time to time, Charlie is often off interviewing potential murderers on her own. What happened to a PI wingman? As expected, Charlie herself is soon in danger. Who is the girl under water? You'll have to read Girl Under Water to find out. This is a hugely page turning, fascinating crime thriller. I would happily read further books by the authors. This review also appears in Goodreads and readersvault.blogspot.com
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed revisiting Charlie, I love her character. And I love the concept of her sister speaking to her. Something with this story just didn’t do it for me. Maybe more Frank too.

This is book two in the series to feature private investigator Charlie Winters. I really tried to like this book but failed miserably. It started off with the brutal murder of Duke, a wealthy man, and his daughter hires Charlie to find the killer. it's all about greed, family rivalries and a missing fortune. I was constantly annoyed by the voice of Allie, the twin sister of Charlie and I just could not warm to Charlie's character. I enjoyed the first in the series but this, not so much. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

My review could have been “Had a lot of fun, go and buy it” but as this post is for a blog tour I think I must write something more.
I loved the first book in this series and I was wondering if the second one would as good as the first.
I had high expectations and I’m happy I wasn’t disappointed.
This series is becoming a favorite as I love Charlotte, her dialogues with the dead sister, and her complex family dynamics.
She’s a complex character, damaged and strong at the same time. An excellent detective as she’s able to see what other can’t see.
This book is a page turner that kept me reading till late in the night and it was sort of “just one more chapter”.
It’s fast paced, gripping and highly entertaining. There’s a lot of humor and there are some heartbreaking moments.
The mystery is full of twists and turns. A dysfunctional family, greed, secrets. It reminded me of some darker Golden Age mystery: everyone can be the culprit and you don’t know what the next twist will be.
An excellent story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

'Girl Under Water' is detective Charlie Winters journey for finding the will of a dead Billionnaire Dutch carmicheal. This takes her on a more sinister journey leading to discovery of secrets, lies, and affairs and something much bigger.

His eldest daughter Gloria hires Charlie to uncover her father's missing will. This leads Charlie to meet the Carmichael siblings each with a mystery. She has this feeling of something not right in the family and suddenly, her client meets with an accident right in front of Charlie's eyes. She just determines to follow the clues and wants to make right the death of father and daughter by solving the mystery.

The story is a part of the Charlie Winter series by the authors but can very well read as a standalone. The story is intricate and nothing is seemingly as is, Along with the case, Charlie is also preoccupied with her mother's illness. I liked Charlie's character and her personality. Even more lovable is Allie, her twin sister who apparently talks to her in her head. their banter is fun and insightful The case progresses along with other parallel stories of Paige, her secretary and her uncle's illness. The case per se presents a lot of red herring and I found it difficult to guess the actual story till the end. The language is easy to understand, with a lot of descriptions. I felt the ending got a bit stretched out. All in all I enjoyed the story

I would recommend this book to all those who like mystery thrillers with a female lead detective with a quirky guardian angel for a sister.
i thank Bookouture and Netgalley for approving my request to read the book and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. This is the second book in this series but they could be read as standalones. I really enjoyed the first book so I was excited to see where Charlotte went next.

This book was less personal than the first one. I found the case was for me less interesting. I didn't really care who killed Daddy and took all his money. It just seemed like spoilt rich kids fighting over who got the most money.

I did however really like Charlotte. She is very good at her job and has that gut feeling. I am very excited to see where the series takes her next. She has now had 2 big successes as a private detective so she is definitely going to be getting some really juicy cases coming her way. Charlie also puts her life quite literally on the line. I was very very nervous for her during the book. She gets herself into some really scary situations that I just did not see a way out of.

Charlie's friend Zoe is a favourite character of mine so I hope we see more of her as the series progresses. I also really hope that we eventually find out what happened to Allie.

The book was well written and pulled me in despite not actually caring who did it. The authors have a way of making you forget your surroundings and really feel like you are right there next to the characters. The book is full of suspense and action and I can't wait for more!

REVIEW

Girl Under Water by L.T. Vargus
Detective Charlotte Winters #2

Charlie Winters has a new assistant and a new case. She is hoping her uncle Frank will get good feedback from his oncologist and is eager to find a good way to care for her mother while she works in her uncle’s place at A1 Investigations. Meeting Charlie in book one I found the conversations she had with her sister, missing twenty years and presumed dead, interesting. I just reviewed my previous review and was reminded that Charlie left a job elsewhere to return too Michigan and was conflicted about that move. As in book one, the prologue sets the stage for the case Charlie will be working on and within the first chapter or so we meet the main characters and potential killer.


What I liked:
* Charlie: seemed intelligent, focused, and a good person. She cared about her mother and uncle and…heard the voice of her long gone sister.
* Frank: didn’t see much of him but did like Charlie’s uncle and hope to se more of him in book three.
* The way the story was presented…the time line and slow presentation of tidbits was intriguing
* Who Charlie called on for assistance – would like to hear more about Zoe, Mason and Paige in future books
* That it is set in Michigan
* The way Charlie pursued the case
* That I was not sure who the killer was till near the end – and then there was a twist
* The other twist, or two, or more…hmm…
* That the killer was revealed and dealt with
* knowing there will be another book to look forward to and hoping to learn more about the cast of characters in book three.

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that family dynamics can be “bad” and that dysfunctional families exist as they did in this book.
* The lengths some of the characters went to for the reasons they thought were justifiable
* Having to wait to read book three…am curious.

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Girl Under Water is the first book from the Charlotte Winters Series that I have read and I found it to have a really interesting storyline. I definitely need to read the first book in the series because I have a lot of questions and I feel like I’m missing a lot about Charlie’s past. I like the fact that Charlie is a strong character and I found it to be very intriguing that she can hear the voice of her murdered sister in her head.

The twists and turns throughout the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I never saw the end coming at all and I was shocked.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Girl Under Water is the second instalment in the Detective Charlotte ”Charlie” Winters series, set in Salem Island, Michigan. It begins with an intense prologue featuring seventy-seven-year-old founder of wildly successful hedge fund, Carmichael Investments, and self-made billionaire Randolph ”Dutch” Carmichael and an unnamed relative seemingly patching things up and agreeing to let bygones be bygone. They hug it out in Dutch's lavish mansion. He leads the way down to the kitchen, in front of his guest, so they can have a bite to eat, but no sooner has he reached the top of the stairs and he's smashed over the head with a piece of glassware sending him tumbling to the bottom where his motionless body now lay. Private Investigator Charlie Winters arrives at A1 Investigations bright and early on a mid-May morning when a tall blonde wearing Gucci sunglasses walks through the door and introduces herself as the affluent and prominent socialite Gloria Carmichael. Gloria wants to hire Charlie as the police have deemed the death a murder but haven't managed to make any progress with the investigation. She claims to also have found that about four hundred million dollars is missing from her father's estate and his will has vanished. Charlie accepts the case but fails to realise what she is letting herself in for.

Most of Dutch’s supposed loved ones, including Gloria’s four siblings - Brandon, Marjory, Jude and Dara - are more interested in locating his missing millions than finding out what happened to him and who was responsible, which troubles Charlie from the outset. The family members begin to argue and fight between them and in the worst case of sibling rivalry she's ever witnessed she realises she's in the middle of a very nasty and very dangerous situation packed with peril, treachery, secrets and lies. Who is the wolf in sheep’s clothing? This is a compulsive, exciting and entertaining addition to the series and I must admit to adoring Charlie’s late sister, Allie’s witty retorts. It was at Allie’s funeral that her voice had first appeared, beamed into Charlie’s head. She's now used to it and it's one of the most satisfying aspects of the story, allowing the interspersing of no-nonsense humour throughout to break up the dark crimes. They say ”money is the root of all evil,” and that is certainly true in this case of a family at war with one another over inheritance with the murder of their father being a mere afterthought. It's a rapid-fire domestic-based thriller with a plethora of twists, a large suspect pool of those who had motive, means and opportunity and one thing’s for sure they'll gladly kill again if it gets them what they so intensely desire. Highly recommended.

Every bit as good as book one, this one is full of intrigue and interesting characters. Charlie is back and investigating the murder of Carmichael patriarch.
The mystery surrounding the murder is full of suspense and crazy family members. The Carmichael children are all so extreme and it's impossible to turn away from the trainwreck. There is a lot of action and twists that keep this story moving at a fast pace. I was blindsided by the conclusion. It was fitting for this family and the tale of betrayal.
I love Charlie's character. She's intrepid and engaging. The voice of Allie adds some much needed humor to the tense situations. Uncle Frank has his shining hero moment as well and I look forward to seeing more of him. These two could find so much trouble together. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Girl Under Water is the second book in the Charlotte Winters series and it did not disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and was so glad that this second addition to the series was even better.
In Girl Under Water PI Charlotte Winters is trying to solve the mysterious murder of billionaire Dutch Carmichael and hunt down his elusive will. During her investigation, Charlie investigates Dutch's six spoiled children, suspecting that any one of them may have killed their father for his fortune. This novel has a hell of a twist and was completely captivating. I read the second in one sitting because I just could not put it down! Highly recommend, regardless of whether or not the potential reader has read the first of the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Oh this is a great read that totally had me gripped.
Charlie is asked to help a family find out what happened to their father and where some missing money has gone.
It starts off well with Gloria, but when Charlie meets the rest of the family, she realises they all have their own secrets.
One of the family is killed in a shocking accident that Charlie witnesses, but she doesn’t see the killer.
Bad things then start to happen, one after the after and with Charlie being at the centre of it, her life is soon in danger.
Zoe is on hand to help solve this one but when Charlie is alone with the killer, there’s no-one else to help her, other than herself.
Allie is still in Charlie’s head and adds some humour to the story which I liked.
This is a nail biting crime thriller that well and truly had me hooked.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed the previous book and this one was just as enjoyable. I love the main character and the story was gripping and suspenseful.

Girl Under Water by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain is a highly recommended investigative whodunit.

After her wealthy father, Dutch Carmichael's death is determined to be murder, his daughter Gloria Carmichael, as the executor of the estate, hires Charlie Winters to investigate her father's death. She can't find a will and it appears that millions of dollars from the estate are missing, as well as some art work. Her four siblings, Brandon, Marjory, Jude, and Dara, aren't thrilled with someone looking into the family's secrets, but they appear to be cooperating as Charlie begins her investigation. Then Gloria calls because she has uncovered some information that she wants to discuss with Charlie immediately and is coming right over to her office. Gloria is killed in a hit and run right in front of Charlie's office and it seems that her death may be tied to her father's death. Charlie's determined to discover the truth, but this could put her life in danger.

The plot takes off at a good pace and it is interesting as Charlie meets all the Carmichael siblings. Obviously one of them is probably guilty, but it seems that all of them may be suspects, might have a motive, and likely have secrets. Charlie has to make her way through the misinformation and distracting sibling dynamics between all of them to try and piece together what likely happened. She also has to get creative to track down Dutch's long-time mistress/girlfriend and discover what she has to say. Once the novel introduces all the players, it starts to pick up speed, with twists and turns along the way and is un-put-downable.

Charlie is an interesting character, both intelligent and intuitive. Charlie also hears the voice of her murdered twin sister Allie in her head. (Allie was murdered twenty years ago.) Allie and Charlie keep up a running dialogue between them, although much of it consists of quips and sarcastic comments from Allie with Charlie replying. I need to say right from the start that I found Allie's voice to be intrusive and distracting, and for me it detracted from the actual investigation. I had to actually concentrate on setting her voice aside so it didn't keep diverting my attention from the actual plot. For me it would have worked better to make Allie an actual real sidekick helping with the investigation rather than a disembodied voice.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Charlie is working on her next case in book 2 of the series. In this case rich family patriarch Duke has been murdered. His daughter hires Charlie to find out who killed him. Lots of family drama in this one. The killer could be anyone of the six children out for his money or many other people as well. Charlie's twin sister is once again the voice in Charlie's head keeping her company along the way. I loved the first book (First Girl Gone) and loved this one as well. Very easy and enjoyable reads.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the arc

Girl Under Water by LT Vargus and Tim McBain is a great crime thriller that will have you wondering what happened until the very end.

Gloria hires Charlie to investigate the death of her father, Dutch Carmichael. Dutch is a billionaire, but after his death nobody can find the will or where his money is kept. Gloria’s siblings do not want to know what Charlie snooping around and uncovering their secrets. There are many secrets revealed early on, but the secret of what happened to Dutch isn’t revealed until the end of the book. Gloria discovered a major secret and is on her way to tell Charlie when tragedy strikes again.

I loved Girl Under Water. Charlie Winters is an excellent character. She is driven and will do anything to solve a case. Zoe, Charlie’s best friend is still working in the sheriff’s department and helping out with the case. Zoe worries about Charlie and makes sure she takes care of herself. Charlie also takes care of her mom when needed. Charlie’s assistant, Paige is dealing with family problems that Charlie helps solve. The Carmichaels all have so many secrets and try different things to keep Charlie away. I was constantly wondering what they were hiding and what would be revealed next.

There is so much suspense in Girl Under Water. I kept trying to figure out what I thought happened. Charlie was confused and so was I. There were so many things that didn’t add up. I also was really worried for Charlie throughout the book. The ending was so crazy and a great conclusion to this book.

Girl Under Water is second book in the Detective Charlotte Winters series that I have been waiting for since I read First Girl Gone. This book can be read as a standalone. The reader will miss the connection to Charlie that builds up in the first book, but anything necessary for the story is briefly explained. However, this series is excellent so I highly recommend starting with First Girl Gone.

I recommend Girl Under Water to crime thriller fans.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for Girl Under Water.

A straightforward case it appeared to be when a socialite asked a private investigator to search for her father’s will and find his millions. The other relatives didn’t seem quite so keen as there were a few of the family secrets. But when the socialite too was found dead, all bets were off. Charlie went investigating.

I was tired of reading police procedural, so reading a murder mystery from the POV of a PI was a breath of fresh air. She was bold and brassy and treaded where men rarely did. The voice of her dead twin egged her on, supernatural or delusion was anyone’s guess. The banter between the sisters was humorous and sarcastic and gave me some fun moments.

The lies and secrets made the path to get to the truth quite twisty for Charlie. I liked how she applied herself to each moment, trying to get to the killer before another murder. The story had its highs and lows which added to the confusion of the plotline. Action was written in and had me flipping pages to reach to the conclusion.

Quite a fun read, a true murder investigation with suspense and family drama.

Duke Carmichael was a father of six and a billionaire. He lived on Salem Island in a beautiful mansion with his children close at hand until someone sent him on his final fatal journey down the main sweeping staircase.

Charlie Winters also lives on Salem Island near her mother and Uncle Frank who is the local private eye. When Frank fell seriously ill he asked Charlie to take over the running of his agency, at least temporarily, and it is she who Gloria Carmichael asks to help find her father's missing will and the millions in profits no longer where anyone can find them.

With her very dead twin sister, Allie, chatting away in her head Charlie begins the investigation with both help and hindrance from the six heirs. When another member of the family dies right in front of her Charlie knows she has to move quickly to find out what the Carmichael's are hiding before she too joins the rising number of fatalities linked to secrets she can’t begin to imagine.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book it seemed to struggle to decide which section of the murder and mystery genre it wanted to be a part of. The small town location and stereotypical family of suspects lean towards a cozy crime but there is nothing cozy about the denouement or the reasons behind it. Thankfully, this time I found the presence of Charlie’s murdered sister far less annoying and she added humour throughout.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. Even with the problems of genre this is a good, entertaining, read and well worth taking a chance on.