MY REVIEW:
I was unfamiliar with Alison Stone’s novels when I agreed to review “Pointe and Shoot” but its description sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. I was pleased to find it to be a well-written book that held my attention throughout with its fast moving and suspense filled plot. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more books by this author.
I particularly liked Jayne, the primary character. Her devotion to her family, especially her mother, was admirable. Giving up on a career she had dreamed of in exchange for helping her mother with her dance studio was a pretty big sacrifice. I also thought that Danny was a good match for Jayne and enjoyed reading about how their relationship grew from a renewed friendship to love. When one of the dance instructors dies in a mysterious car crash, Jayne suspects it was more than an accident and is determined to prove it despite the doubts of nearly everyone else. Even Danny is unsure of her suspicions but because he cares, he tries to help. Adding the perpetrator’s thoughts to the story was a brilliant idea that gave me some insight into the warped mindset of the killer without giving too much away. By the end, I did have an inkling of who this person was but was never 100% certain.
Lots of danger, mystery, and suspense as well as plenty of personal insight fill the pages of “Pointe and Shoot”. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and learning about the dance school. I also found the subtle message of faith to be just the right touch. I would recommend this novel to all who enjoy a good contemporary suspense.
A digital copy of this book was provided by the author through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jayne Murphy has always put family first. That’s why she abandoned her dream of joining the police force to run her ailing mother’s dance studio.
When one of the studio’s most talented instructors dies in a car crash, Jayne isn’t convinced it was just an accident. Relentlessly pursuing her hunch, she teams up with Officer Danny Nolan, the best friend and partner of her brother Patrick, who died in the line of duty. Haunted by Patrick’s death, Danny has begun to question whether he should still be a cop at all.
As Jayne digs deeper, suspects emerge, including the victim’s clingy ex-boyfriend and a jealous foe from the cutthroat dance world. Her evolving insights into the case rekindle Jayne’s passion for police work. Danny, too, feels a renewed sense of purpose…and a definite attraction to his unofficial partner, which seems to be mutual. Now, if Jayne can only keep herself out of harm’s way, she and Danny both might get a second chance—with their careers and each other.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
With a degree from Georgia Tech, Alison Stone was an engineer in several industries before trading her corporate career for motherhood shortly after the birth of her second child. She became a novelist in a roundabout way, first trying her hand at writing children’s books and articles for local publications before eventually discovering her love of romantic suspense. Stone lives with her husband of twenty-plus years and their four children in western New York, where the summers are gorgeous and the winters are perfect for curling up with a good book—or writing one.
