2 detectives Chiara and PJ paired together to solve what seems to be a simple murder but it becomes much more. The plot is very good and keeps you guessing throughout the book. The characters are well written and make for a good story. There is murder, conspiracy and drama throughout. The sub characters make the story complete and really add to the plot.
I recommend this book to thriller readers with a touch of romance.
I just reviewed Legacy in the Blood by Catherine Maiorisi. #LegacyintheBlood #NetGalley

I lovvvvvvveeee this series. Book Four started a little slow but once we were up and running I was enthralled. This book has quite a bit going on in it - there's a few criminal elements within which were really interesting to read and I had no idea how it was going to end. Each book surprises me in that way - we follow along with the detectives while they investigate and then the end result always surprises me. Maiorisi is such a talented writer.

There's one additional element that made me love this novel just a little more than the others - we saw more from PJ's perspective. Don't get me wrong, I love Corelli, but I've always wanted to know PJ a little more in the previous novels. Although we get to see certain aspects of PJ's personal life in Book Four, I still think PJ has many more layers to uncover so here's hoping there's a Book Five.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This is hard for me. I liked the book. A lot. It’s a classic Corelli mystery and you just can’t go wrong! The difference is the focus of this book is on Parker, the partner. I love Parker. She is smart, shrewd, and quick on her feet, BUT she isn’t Corelli. Don’t get me wrong, the mix up keeps the series interesting and I’m sure most people liked the variation. I, on the other hand, felt like my hot teacher in middle school was out sick for the week and the substitute was just as hot, but a stranger and not my hot teacher. Regardless, Maiorisi hit another home run. The intricacies of her mysteries are so well constructed and then deconstructed by Corelli and Parker. This version was poignant but, as expected, Parker and Corelli’s quick wit and actions give you hope that not everyone in this world is a raging jerk.

My first time reading a Chira Corelli Mystery. Legacy in the Blood is number 4, but I was able to pop in without needing to have read the three previous books. A good sign for a series. In this book, Corelli's detective partner, P.J. Parker takes over the reigns of an investigation into the suspicious deaths which turn into a multiple death inquiry focused on a white supremacist's family. The book felt very contemporary and the end satisfying. Loved the focus on so many professional lesbian characters and how they move through the world in NYC. Will definitely go back and read more Chiara Corelli.

Legacy in the Blood, the fourth book in the ‘Chiara Corelli Mystery’ series by Catherine Maiorisi, is definitely a book you want to read. This is the best mystery/police procedural novel I’ve read this year. With each book I read by this author, I’m more impressed with her writing.

In this book NYPD Detectives Chiara Corelli and P.J. Parker are given what they believe is going to be a simple and fairly easy to solve murder. Of course it seems nothing is ever easy for these two. What starts out as a dead body in the park quickly escalates into the discovery of blackmail, political intrigue, more murders, white supremacy, and maybe even a threat to U.S. democracy. As Chiara and P.J. wade into this quagmire of an assignment, they become targets themselves. Now they must solve this mystery before one or both of them become victims.

This is an exciting, fast-paced, too-good-to-put-down thriller of a mystery novel. Once I began reading, I really did not want to stop. I already knew these characters from earlier books in the series. I loved the fact that Chiara and P.J. continue to grow as partners and friends. It is especially good to see how Chiara is recovering from past trauma in the former novels, and that she and Brett (a romantic interest in the last book) are still together. Since we see the story through both Chiara and P.J.’s eyes in third person, we really get to connect with P.J. in this book. It was fun getting to know her better. The different settings are well-described. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing.

This book has my highest recommendation. While I think you could read this as a standalone novel, my suggestion is to read all four books in order. They are all great books.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Cracking lesbian crime fiction, latest in the series, which means that the author can really focus on the story using characters that she has already introduced. I like this kind of writing where we have a selection of interesting people, getting on with their lives and jobs. In this Chiara is recovering from the attempt on her live and lets her partner (colleague) Parker take the lead on the case. Parker is Black which becomes increasingly relevant as they investigate a murder which links to a white supremacist family. The author takes the opportunity to go deep on the family and their beliefs, which are shocking and entrenched. An intricate story well told.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review.

After the last book in the Chiara Corelli mystery series, I wasn't sure Maiorisi would write another, but I am very happy we get to continue our journey with these two detectives. This is book 4 in the series and I highly recommend reading the previous three before embarking on a read of this one. The character development over the course of these books is something to behold.

Maiorisi doesn't shy away from sensitive subjects, not in the previous book nor in this one. In this book, we read about the harsh realities of racism, white nationalism, and family loyalties. To only name a few. The story, as its characters and the mystery, are layered. The author does a great job of writing in new clues, new hints, tying up loose ends, and handling the delicate subjects with care.

I won't say anything about the case, it's much better read about in the book. I will say something about the characters. Where the previous 3 books were all centered around Chiara Corelli in this book we get more of an insight into P. J. Parker. I love how layered these characters are and how they are evolving from book to book. Parker's hesitancy towards the changing Corelli is understandable and relatable. And most of all, everything is just handled with so much care and thought. You can't help but love these crime-fighting ladies.

I can't wait for another book about these detectives, their colleagues and their loved ones.

Even though this is the fourth book in this series, I can’t assure you that you don’t have to read the first book. Ms Maiorisi has done a good job of bringing us, who hadn’t read them, up to date.
Detectives P.J. Parker and Chiara Corelli are expected to work together even though neither seemed thrilled with the order. But they have a job so they try to be a bit more considerate to each other. What at first looks like a simple murder is quickly becoming much more.
Now to try to explain how this all comes about is going to be hard. Bottom line, this is one heck of a good read. Had a very hard time putting this aside so I didn’t. Great characters, interesting fast paced murder mystery. Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

Absolutely brilliant!

Legacy in the blood is the fourth book in the detective series by Catherine Maiorisi. All books in the series have been gripping, exciting, addictive and fresh. You know how you read many books, and sometimes you feel like you've read the storyline before? This is not the case with Catherine Maiorisi books. there original and I'm looking forward to reading more of her stories. I've given ‘legacy in the blood’ a 5/5.

The first 3 books were outstanding. This one was slightly underwhelming. I read the first three books in 2 days because, everything from the story, the action, the craziness, the acceptance, literally everything was amazing.

This one didn't really click the hype, for me, as the first 3 books did. And the book series being called "Chiara Corelli Mystery Series" but the book having only one under-chapter as her POV didn't thrill me. There is just something about Chiara Corelli's character that captivates you in a way that Penelope Jasmine Parker's character doesn't. Yes, P.J. was interesting in the books before but in this one, her POV or character wasn't well exploited to captivate me like Chiara Corelli was. If you read the first 2 books, you can clearly see that.

There are many stories that intrigue me and as a black woman, racism stories don't intrigue me one bit. I just end up being angry about things I can't seem to control. This is a crime series, so it is understandable that this plot was visited. But I wasn't really satisfied. Now that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the wins of the team. That was rather fabulous. And what happened to Ndep, just damn.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review

4.25 stars. This is one of my favorite crime investigation series and I’m so happy to see that it keeps going strong.

Each book in this series has a complex and intriguing plot, which makes them more than interesting in their own right, but what also makes this series a delight to read are the main characters, Detectives P.J. Parker and Chiara Corelli. These characters keep growing throughout the series without becoming repetitive or predictable. In the first three books most attention is directed towards Chiara, she has some very rough edges and it’s interesting to see how she changes and becomes the far more balanced person she is in this book. But this book is all about P.J. Parker who has several personal and work related issues to battle in this book and I was glad to learn more about P.J.. I can only hope that there are many more books to come with these two detectives. I have to mention though, that because of the backstory of the characters these books should be read in order to fully enjoy them.

I’ve mentioned it before, but Maiorisi is not afraid to tackle sensitive topics and this book is no exception, but it is always done with care. I’m not going to say anything about the case, I know information about the case is needed in a blurb, but I was glad I did not read it beforehand, it’s better as a surprise. I will say it’s intricate with several subplots and while I did guess one of the subplots relatively early on there was still plenty to discover to keep me intrigued.

If it was not clear, this was another excellent police procedural and I easily recommend it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars

Detectives Chiara Corelli and P.J. Parker catch a murder case where the body is found in a local park. They quickly ascertain that robbery is not the motive. As they begin peeling back the layers, they find their victim was a well-know investigative journalist who was not what he seemed to be. The journalist had another life in which he amassed a fortune blackmailing people in a clever scheme to keep his identity a secret.

This book doesn’t allow for the possibility that someone who hasn’t read the first three books in the series might be interested in reading this book and the series. That’s unfortunate because Maiorisi gives no background on the main characters other than the occasional throw-away comment. The reader is left to wonder while the author introduces dozens of characters without explaining who they are other than cops, agents, or even if they are important to this story beyond a brief appearance.

This is not your typical LesFic novel in that there is no romance to speak of. The main character Corelli may or may not be involved with a woman named Brett, who is mentioned several times in the early chapters, but never introduced to the reader in any detail. You learn more about the main characters at the end of the book, but by then it’s too late. Many LesFic authors manage to have their characters have interesting jobs while at the same time having a life outside their careers. Unfortunately, Maiorisi is not one of them.

If you want to read this series, you’d be well-served to start with book one and hopefully the author introduces her main characters there. The author, on the other hand, would be sell-served to read authors like Louise Penny, Charles Todd, and P.D. James to learn how they re-introduce their on-going characters in each new book in their series without boring their on-going readers to tears and not having their new readers flinging their books across the room because they’re bored to tears since they don’t know who they’re reading about.

My thanks to Bella Books and NetGalley for an eARC.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Corelli and Parker are investigating a homicide that seems straightforward but when they dig deeper they learn it’s not the case. Parker is leading the charge this time and they learn leads them to groups of dangerous white nationalists and a lucrative black mailing business.

I love how this is good mystery that had the characters holding their breath at every turn and how it all came to ahead. This series could easily be on screen with each book as movie on any of the streaming services if only they would adapt a lgbtqia book as leads not just supporting characters

In this fourth novel of the Chiara Corelli Mystery series, Corelli hands off the lead detective role to her trainee and bodyguard P.J. Parker in what appears to be a simple homicide. Simple and homicide soon diverge as Parker and Corelli find out the victim is an investigative reporter with multiple aliases. The threads they follow lead to groups of dangerous white nationalists and a lucrative black mailing business.

The first sentence of the novel stopped me in my tracks. I reread it a number of times at first trying to understand the meaning and then just reading it for its ingenuity. The sentence brought me back fours years ago to the first novel, A Matter of Blood, when her brothers and sisters in blue were actively trying to end her life. Was Chiara walking toward her own death or a homicide? I was captured once again by Maiorisi’s consummate writing.

Legacy in the Blood is a masterful and complex mystery which never lets the reader breathe easy. Parker is in constant peril with the white nationalists while Corelli keeps looking over her shoulder for blow back from her fellow officers. The mystery expands and reaches outward in many different directions however Maiorisi reigns it all together in a convincing fashion by the end. The only small misstep in the story is a slowish reconning of who was behind the murder when all the facts were on the table. Other than this, Legacy in the Blood is a must read for all mystery readers.

I received an advance review copy from Bella Books and NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Legacy in the Blood is a kick of a novel. With lesbian detectives leading the way, murders are investigated and a conspiracy against the country itself is discovered. The author keeps a good pace with the story, and her characters are always interesting. Men are mostly in the background, but never denigrated. Well, at least those who aren't criminals! There are so many characters to keep track of, along with a steadily increasing plotline, so some patience is required.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC..

A continuation of the Corelli and Parker series. The partnership betwen the two women is evolving into a friendlier, more relaxed situation. Corelli has given Parker the opportunity to lead their next investigation into what is described as a "simple murder". Which of course turns out to be anything but that. The ensuing investigation turns out more complex and with wider repercussions than imagined. Don't want to say too much and spoil it. A good, engaging crime story.