I've enjoyed this series thus far. Not my typical read but a good, solid cozy mystery, which is rare to find!

I really like this series and am a big fan of Ethel and Jessie. My problem with this book was the characters. There were a lot of them here and none of them were very well developed, which made it hard and enjoyable to keep track. I really liked the narrator in this one as it complemented the story very well.

This was a fun read. I know it's a murder mystery, but it has kind of cozy vibes to it because of Ethel. I love seeing a female MC who is older, experienced, and knowledgeable who takes charge of the things going on. The plot was decent, but for this type of book you really come for the characters.

I enjoy FBI stories. I like to try to figure out whodunit. This book starts with an explosion that leaves one person dead and another in a coma. But then it was a little slow. I’m not sure if I feel that way because of the narrator or if it was the story. I ended up pausing the audiobook because I realized this was the second book and listening to the first book. When I started this #2 book again it started picking up about half way. Then it became more interesting imo
FYI this book could have been read by itself without me pausing to read book #1. You get everything you need to know to understand the characters. And yes it really does remind me of “killers of a certain age” because Ethel is an older lady who is retired FBI, and very knowledgeable.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook. Sorry I waited so long to finish and rate this audiobook. I forgot to download it and had to wait for it to be out. I honestly didn’t care for the narrator, so I think in my case I should have read the book.
The “double cousin twice removed” was a funny touch.

Book: 4.5⭐
Audio Narration: 3.5⭐

A botched mugging leaves one Supreme Court law clerk dead and another seriously injured. The murdered law clerk Robert Finley had been working for Supreme Court Chief Justice Clarissa Baxter who is scheduled to cast the deciding vote for the verdict in a controversial lithium mining case that has several influential people desperate to protect their own interests. Missing from the scene of the crime was Robert’s backpack with important notes on the case. The injured law clerk Brooke Chaplin is the niece of Detective Frank Mancini of the Arlington Police Department and a tenant at the boardinghouse for government employees run by Former FBI Agent Ethel Fiona Crestwater in Arlington, Virginia. Frank is a former boarder and friend of Ethel’s which prompts her to offer to help in the investigation. Joining Ethel in her efforts is her double-first-cousin-twice-removed, Jesse, who also resides in the same boarding house and is a university student.

Though retired, seventy-five-year-old Ethel is sharp and maintains a strong network of past and present highly ranked officers from different branches of law enforcement ( “Ethel’s Army” ). As the bodies continue to pile up, Ethel suspects that not only are people within the system involved, but also the Chief Justice just might be the next target. What follows is a complex web of murder, corruption and conspiracy and Ethel will leave no stone unturned to help unravel the mystery behind the attack and murder and identify the person/people who are targeting the Chief Justice.

With its interesting cast of characters, well-structured plot and plenty of humor, Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique is an intriguing and entertaining read. I loved Ethel and her resourcefulness. Though there are several characters in the story, the plot is not difficult to follow and at no point did I lose interest. The author incorporates several relevant themes such as political corruption, climate change, clean energy, environmental protection and preservation of land into a tightly woven plot. The pacing does falter in parts but not so much that detracts from the overall reading experience. If you don’t mind a little suspension of disbelief, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Overall, I thought this was a worthy addition to the Secret Lives Mysteries series. I can’t wait for the next in the series!

I combined my reading with the audiobook narrated by Patrick Lawlor, which made for a decent immersion reading experience. Given the large cast of characters, I did feel that the audio experience could have been enhanced had there been more than one narrator.

Please note that though this book is the second in a series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the digital copy and ALC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this audio book wonderfully narrated by Patrick Lawler. It's a political thriller with a wise old retired investigator who has still got it and is initially going after the the person(s) responsible for murdering one of her boarders. Follow the intrigue to the Supreme Court, add some seriously bad actors, lots of danger and secrets and the story easily pulls you in. Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this Audio Book.

I was really excited to get approved for this one but I still don’t really know what I think about it. It was different, it was just missing something.

This was an excellent thriller that kept me guessing the whole time! It was unexpected and fresh. I would definitely recommend this book!

Thus book was such a Rollercoaster of emotions, funny, intense, heart wrenching, ect. I was at the edge of my seat every step of the way. Not for the faint of heart, but recommend to thriller lovers of all sorts!

I loved this book. I actually had no idea it was a sequel until afterward which makes me want to listen to the first one, But that also shows this book works as a stand-alone as well. I think the narrator did a fantastic job but with the premise of the book focusing on several badass women I wish there was a female narrator. Overall a fantastic fast paced thriller with a woman I would love to be one day except I’m not an fbi agent so that’s unlikely

I did not read the first in this series but it isn't required to follow along, while the main character is the same the plot is all it's own. Esther is the heroine we all need, she is sharp, funny, and gets stuff done. I really enjoyed this super complex political/murder mystery. It was entirely dialogue and plot-driven, which I appreciate. No touchy feely or deep prose here, just action and layers upon layers of conspiracy. Given the book has a female MC and is called dangerous women, I question the choice to have it narrated entirely by a man. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC! I will definitely be checking out book 1 and any future books in this series.

Well this was intriguing and it really made me wish that I had listened to the first book. Yes on one level it is escapism and that works so well, completely got me engrossed in the whole 'spy/political drama' but then I thought about the issues involved, they are real. I never really thought about how my electric car was built just thought it was better but now I have paused for thought. The end note by the author is interesting.

The narration was good and kept me going throughout.

All in all a really good book, different but good.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

UNABLE TO GIVE FEEDBACK AS THE BOOK WAS TAKEN BACK BEFORE I READ IT!
And yes, I DID download it…but it was gone.
Spent the last 10-12 days trying to get it back from NetGalley Support with no luck….
Sorry, but I cannot review a book that I was not able to read.

Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique
I want to start off by thanking the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for my opinion.

Book Review
This book was a little slow at first; however, once it picked up, I was hooked.
I absolutely loved Ethel Fiona Crestwater, and she was a spunky 75-year-old retired FBI agent. She was a total badass! This book was an exciting glimpse into political corruption that turned into murder. Ethel was very well connected to high political figures in the book, such as the director of the FBI. She had an interesting way of uncovering the truth. It was riveting to see the story unfold. It was interesting that the book covered a court case involving the dangerous impacts of environmental mining.

This was the first book I’ve read by the author, and I really loved how well-written it was. I am going to finish reading the rest of the series. I give this book 5 stars and I hope to learn more about the main character.

This is an obnoxious but hilarious mystery thriller that has elements of cozy mystery but it has dark parts as well. It sounds like a hot mess but it was a good hot mess tbh. haha
It was a great companion to my puzzle and i flew through it.

Having never read the previous book in this series, nor realizing this was a sequel, I had no idea what I was in for. Now that I do, I can't wait to read the first book! Don't let this being book 2 deter you: it is fine to read on its own.

Ethel is a pistol and also a damn good aim with one. She is exactly who you want in a main character: smart, determined, brash. Don't let the fact that she is a little old retiree fool you: Ethel could take me out in a minute flat and I wouldn't be able to do a darn thing about it!

The book had tons of intrigue and also heart. I eagerly await any future installments and shall read the first book as soon as I can.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advance copy of this audiobook

I am just delighted with this series! Installment #2 was just as fun as #1, with a new mystery and a good mix of new and returning characters. We're back with Ethel and her web of contacts, trying to figure out who wants information on an upcoming Supreme Court case and why. If you enjoyed Secret Lives, you'll like this one too. It's a political myster/thriller that isn't too intense and kind of feels like a cozy with a twist. I hope there's another installment coming!

The narrator did a great job and was consistent with Secret Lives.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for a free copy of #Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique. All opinions are my own.

Mark De Castrique's latest novel, Dangerous Women, follows former FBI agent, Ethel Crestwater and her involvement in solving the murder of a Supreme Court clerk. Ethel's connections in D.C.help gather information while she orchestrates the action. There are many powerful characters, but Ethel, although 75 years old, is the "dangerous woman". The motive behind the crimes- mining of lithium- is a current topic that the author presents a balanced view of some of the issues being faced by policy makers today. The story also serves to focus positively on the FBI, making this not only a fun read, but current and topical.

I'm still trying to figure out how the title has anything whatsoever to do with the book. Did they accidentally put the wrong cover on? I never understood that.

Beyond the inappropriate title. the book is alright. Fine for an afternoon that suddenly come up meeting roadblocks. But I wouldn't select it over a more favorite auther.

DANGEROUS WOMEN by Mark de Castrique is the latest from a prolific author whose work I have been recommending for years. This mystery is the second in the Secret Lives series and features a retired and extremely well-connected former FBI agent named Ethel Fiona Crestwater. She, along with her much younger cousin, Jesse Cooper, become emmeshed in a botched robbery that leads to two deaths and may be evidence of an attack on the Supreme Court's integrity and confidentiality. De Castrique cleverly ties in a number of prominent suspects, including a couple of US Senators as well as a lobbyist, and employees of the Department of Defense and the Supreme Court. In his author's note de Castrique writes, "the existential threat of our time is climate change. In response, the effort to convert vehicles from fossil fuels to batteries has become a national priority." His characters recognize that rare earth elements like lithium are becoming the new oil with attendant national security concerns. DANGEROUS WOMEN offers a timely, complicated puzzle and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal ("Ethel's adventures will appeal to fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series and Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age”).

We listened to the audiobook and Patrick Lawlor's narration was excellent. He has a variety of audiobooks (including other mysteries, stories about the military, and even the Darwin Awards Chronicles) to his credit. Enjoy!