Widow's Might

The characters are well thought out and ones you want to know better. I had not yet read the first two books and initially I felt like the story picked up where book two ended. I was able to catch up and read this as a stand alone mystery; however, Liv Bergen is a character I want to know better so I will go back and read the first two books in the series.
The story moves at a great place and keeps you wondering what will happen next. A very enjoyable read.

I'm so glad I didn't have to wait to read WIDOW'S MIGHT. This, the third book in the Liv Bergen mysteries, picks up right where the second book ended. You did read the second book, right? If you didn't, I recommend that you read it, and while you're at it start at the beginning. These books are fast reads because they are hard to put down while you're busy turning pages.

I will allow myself the teeny, tiniest of spoilers here. When I finished book two, I was so satisfied with the ending that I completely forgot about the cold case Streeter Pierce was brought in to solve. When I started reading this, the third book, it was a forehead-slap duh moment almost on the first page.

Along with the mystery, you will be treated to a bit of history about the Black Hills. I love to learn new things, and, lately, I am intrigued by what I never learned about American history. I have long known that much was sanitized (or just plain old left out). Along with the history, I have a goal of visiting all 50 states before I die. The northwestern states are the ones I have missed so far. Sandra Brannan's descriptions make me want to visit even more.

The all-important backstory gets some added flesh on its bones as we meet more of Liv Bergen's family. This large family of nine siblings, along with Mom and Dad, has maternal Catholic roots and paternal Norwegian Protestant roots. All of the titles might lead you to believe that these books are heavy on religion; however, the religion seems to be more on the part of the sinners rather than the saints. I understand the whole lapsed religion thing. Some of us start asking the hard questions (like who did Cain marry?) earlier than others. The religious references are pretty much matter of fact things to which most of us can relate.

There is a little romance in just about all works of fiction. After all, the birds and the bees are what make the world go 'round. One way to keep romance at bay is to have perfectly intelligent people have all kinds of self-doubts about themselves and about what their interactions with someone to whom they are attracted mean. This is both a good and bad technique. It is good that it keeps the reader focused on the plot… the murder, the case, the clues. It is bad because intelligent, attractive people, who are strong-minded in every other aspect of their lives, look a little foolish self-deprecating when it comes to the opposite sex.

At the end of WIDOW'S MIGHT, there is a Reader's Guide that is definitely worth reading. The book deals with some pretty profound questions with which anyone might have to deal. To quote the Reader's Guide would be to give too much away, but to the very last question, "Which of Sandra Brannan's books is your favorite?" I would have to answer, so far, all of them!

Review: WIDOWS MIGHT by Sandra Brennan (A Liv Bergen Mystery #3)

This third installment of the Liv Bergen Mystery Series follows directly and immediately from LOTS RETURN TO SODOM (Book 2), while Liv is preparing to leave Rapid City, South Dakota, to return to home at Fort Collins, Colorado, and employment as Division Manager of the family quarry. But seemingly fate (or Liv's unconscious plans) has other ideas. Tapped by FBI Special Agent Streeter Pierce to become the new handler for Liv' s late friend's FBI trailing (manhunting) dog, Liv has also been tentatively asked to consider applying to the FBI.

While Pierce is assigned temporarily to the Rapid City FBI Office, he is tasked to consider a long series of cold cases attributed to a perpetrator tentatively labeled "Crooked Man." Turns out, the trail isn't quite cold, because the killer isn't finished, and this one directly endangers Liv' s family, and Liv. The plot is immensely convoluted, and clearly demonstrates the famous dictum of historian George Santayana:
"Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it."

Thanks Netgalley for a copy to read and review.

Wow, this one had me in tears. What an ending....I'm reeling. So this is Liv's third puzzle as the FBI pushes her toward interviewing for Quantico. The crooked man is still out there and his mystery from the last book is still unsolved. As Liv is helping her brother Jens go through the funeral for the woman he lost, Liv is still being caught up in mystery. Her sister Elizabeth is pulled into helping the widow spend her last few days of hospice at home. After an attempt to kill the widow though Liv is diving in again to murder and mayhem. Liv is just an amazing character, and with the added bonus now of her dog Beulah. I'm reading enjoying this series. Five stars of entertainment!!

This is the third book in the Liv Bergen series and she's getting better at solving the crimes with sharp instincts and a cheerful spirit.
Someone is killing people and taking ownership of their land and the deaths have earned the label of "Crooked Man."
The pace here is good; it alternates between steady and fast and you can feel the thrill when Streeter, Linwood and Tate (the FBI Agents) are closer to catching the perpetrator. If you are looking for a read that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, then I'm sorry this won't completely do that, but it'll keep you guessing and chasing trails until the very end.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

Liv Bergen slips into this next mystery right after the last one ended and this one feels a little too close to home. Add in some relationship drama, and this book is another great one by Sandra Brannan.

With a little historical lesson involved, I loved how these FBIers slowly but surely unfolded all of the clues to find the killer. It felt like a real progression of facts and clues, which I think is a hard thing to do when there are so many things that are trying for the reality of crime. I was excited to read that Liv would be trying to join the FBI and hope that this is a sign of many more Liv mysteries to come!

The third in the series and with a gap between reading this one and the second book, it may have taken me a moment to get into the swing of things, but once I was reaclimated, I loved how she unfolded the story. Once again, the killer came out of left field, but not too far out where I felt duped.