If Anything Should Happen

This book proved to me that everyone has a secret that they don't want the rest of the world to know. Even if you're perfect in every way, there is something you'd like to stay hidden. This is the first of a new series by the author, and I feel privileged to read it. We meet Kit Doyle, radio host. Kit's mother gives her a letter, with the ominous words, "if anything should happen". Considering that her mother is perfect, Kit doesn't regard this as important. Until the next day when mommy found dead. The contents of the letter shocks Kit, and she has to deal with her perfect mother's secret life. The ending of the book left you with a WOW feeling, and I couldn't get enough!!! Thanks netgalley!!

Kit has a radio show and a blog about unsolved crimes. When her mother dies one day after telling her about a letter in her safe if something should happen, she starts searching for the reason why. A nice read with lots of suspense . This is also a story of a young woman coming to grips with a surprising past.

Kit Doyle is a radio talkshow host and amateur detective, she uses her radio show and her blog to try and help solve crimes. At the end of a visit with her mother she find out that her mother has a letter for her in case anything were to ever happen to her. She finds the whole thing very cryptic and dramatic but doesn’t think much of it…until the next day when she finds out her mother died. What she finds in the letter changes her life forever and sets her out to solve her greatest mystery yet. With the help of her friends she sets out to discover the truth but when someone turns up dead she realizes that someone may do anything to keep her from discovering the truth.

As you can tell from my little summary this book promises a ton of mystery and drama which instantly drew me in. For a long time lately I’ve been reading a lot of YA…the stories of young love, fantasy, and magic sucked me in but my love of reading started with mysteries. I just loved trying to figure out what happened and who the “bad guy” was before it was revealed in the novel. If Anything Should Happen was the PERFECT book to get me back into this genre! Not only does Kit Doyle have to figure out the mystery of the letter from her mother but she’s also trying to figure out the truth behind the death of the brother of the woman who funds her radio show. Who can argue with a double mystery!?

I must say that I didn’t get sucked in from the very first page, it took me a little longer to get drawn in than usual. We find out pretty quickly that the story is going to be told from two different perspectives, which I don’t always enjoy. However, I quickly realized that I couldn’t imagine the story being told without both of these perspectives. Also, the fact that Kit Doyle was looking into two pretty major mysteries had me worried that the story would become muddied and I wouldn’t get a chance to become invested in either storyline. The author weaves these two plots together beautifully and all my reservations were quickly lost as I found myself frantically reading on to find out what happens.

As I said, it took me a little longer than usual to get drawn into this mystery but I’m glad I kept reading because by the end I was completely invested. I found myself slowly being drawn into this world and the pace really worked. The best sign of a great mystery, for me anyway, is if I am surprised at the end. With If Anything Should Happen I had two chances to be surprised by the outcome and I’m happy to say that I was. I also love reaching the end and realizing that all the little things that happened throughout the book suddenly make complete sense. Even though I do love being surprised at the end of the mystery and really hate when the murderer, bad guy, etc. comes out of nowhere…I hate thinking Where the heck did this person come from?! They didn’t even exist until the last 20 pages?! Happily, that was not the case here and I finished reading feeling completely satisfied with the ending. It seems as if this book will be the first in a series of Kit Doyle mysteries which makes me very excited because I feel like we’re just starting to really get to know some of the characters. If you don’t enjoy reading a series I wouldn’t let that keep you from picking up this book because the ending is quite satisfying and won’t leave you feeling like the story is unfinished. I am so happy to have read this book and rediscovered my love of mysteries!

This is a fascinating new addition to the mystery genre. After her mother's death Kit, who writes a blog and hosts a radio show covering unsolved crimes, finds out that she was adopted. In alternate chapters we also see the life of Rena, Kit's birth mother. Kit then begins a search to find her birth mother at the same time that she is looking in to the truth behind the murder of Alex Brautingham. It is the Brautingham family that is funding her crime show and when Kit uncovers evidence they were trying to hide they fight her at every turn. Her search for her birth mother is all consuming, leading to tragic consequences. I was hooked by this story from the first page and highly recommend it.

No one wants to hear the words “If anything should happen to me…”. Especially when it is someone they love. When Kit Doyle says goodbye to her mother at the airport that is exactly what she hears. Her mother tells her of a letter that she must read if anything happens to her. And… tragically, the very next day her mother dies.

Kit is a blogger and radio talk show host. Her radio program deals with unsolved crimes. Based in Sacramento, California, Kit and her co-host, Farley Black have a successful program sponsored by an influential family. Kit is separated from her veterinarian husband, Richard, but still has feelings for him. She seems neither happy nor unhappy. When she learns of her mother’s death and goes home to Seattle to find the letter she mentioned, everything she ever thought about her life is turned upside-down. For it seems that the woman she always knew as her mother was not.

Kit is disillusioned with her past which she now realizes was based upon a foundation of lies. But will her quest result in the truth? or, are the myriad secrets in her family going to color her future as well? She yearns to have ‘roots’.

Kit uses her radio presence to help in the search for her birthmother. Her co-host, Farley – and Tamara, her best friend from the station, help her in her quest. When a promising lead necessitates a trip to Tuscon, Arizona for Kit, Tamara goes in her stead. It is ratings week and Kit must stay ‘on the air’. When Tamara’s body is found Kit realizes that someone doesn’t want her to find her birthmother and will do anything to prevent that happening… Now Kit is grieving for the woman she considered to be her mother AND her best friend.

This mystery series debut is told from dual perspectives in alternating chapters. In Sacramento we come to know Kit Doyle, and in Tuscon we come to know the woman named in the letter as her birthmother, Kendra Trafton. We also meet her birthmother’s friend, Rena and her dysfunctional family.

The novel touched upon some difficult themes. Family violence, homophobia and gay conversion therapy to name but a few.

A sound mystery series debut, “If anything should happen” has likable and realistic characters, family secrets, social commentary, and a satisfying ending.

Interesting series but once you start it you have to stay up until it's finished