loribonesscaswell

Emma-Joy Ferris (EJ) was serving her country in Iraq when shrapnel from an IED blast mangled her knee and lower leg and got her medically discharged and sent home. Her dream is to work for any police department stateside but all she has received is rejections. The only job similar that she now has is being a mall cop for Fernglen Galleria just outside of Vernonville, Virginia.

Most days are spent deterring shoplifters, giving directions, and cruising the mall on her Segway. Today is much more interesting, vandals are painting bible passages on vehicles in the parking lot, someone has liberated all the reptiles from the Herpetology Hut, including Agatha, a 15 foot python, and oh yes, a dead naked man was found in a boutique window.

EJ's feathers get ruffled when an arrogant police detective brushes her off as just a mall cop. There are snakes loose in the mall and a killer on the loose in Vernonville and EJ plans to round them all up by herself if necessary. With her military experience and the help of her grandfather who is retired from the CIA she knows she can solve the case before the police and is determined to do just that unless she gets herself killed first.



An pleasing debut to what should be a very interesting series. I love EJ, and could feel her pain both internal and external as she fights for what she wants but has to settle for what her body allows her to do. This resonates very personally with me. I am very interested in where the author takes this character in the future. A mall can be ripe with possibilities.

As for the mystery and the plot, they were both very good and while very entertaining were needing more depth, which I am sure will come as the author grows more comfortable with these characters and setting. This is definitely a series to watch, the foundation has been set and the possibilities are endless.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”