ARC Review: THE ELDER by Celia Aaron

Now called Mississippi King: An Azalea Novel

A shocking murder.
A suspicious son.
A dedicated detective.
In Azalea, Mississippi, the only thing hotter than the summer days are the men of the King family.
When the patriarch Randall King is found dead, Detective Arabella Matthews will race the clock to stop the killer from striking again.
Benton, the eldest of the King siblings, has to decide if he wants to cooperate with the feisty detective or conduct his own investigation.
The more he finds out about his father—and the closer he gets to Arabella—the more he wants to keep her safe.
But the killer has different plans . . .

--> This is a full-length mystery with a slow-burn romance. xx

Find it here: Amazon

REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve always been a fan of Celia Aaron’s books, but when I read this line from the blurb, This is a full-length mystery with a slow-burn romance, I knew this book was going to be different from what I’ve come to expect. The romance definitely took a back seat in this plot. The story centered around the murder of a prominent figure in the community and the secrets and lies that brewed within the small town of Azalea, Mississippi. Arabella was the lead detective on the case and Benton was the eldest son of the first murder victim. Did I say first? Oh yeah, the bodies continue to add up the deeper you get into this story. And while these two, along with Benton’s bungling Sheriff brother, his little sister, and Arabella’s partner try to solve the case, the chemistry between Arabella and Benton was on a slow simmer.

The characters were all incredibly easy to like. I even enjoyed the macho fighting between Benton and Logan. I loved the relationship between Benton and his siblings. And I especially loved the little ray of sunshine known as Vivi. So adorable! If you’re looking for a little mystery with your murder, you’ll love this!

Release: Feb. 6, 2018 | Genre: Romantic Murder Mystery/Suspense | POV: Dual - 1st person | Heat: One scene = 3.5 out of 5 | Standalone