Monday, June 22, 2015

Book Review: Destined for Trouble by Claudia Lefeve

Destined for Trouble (A Jules Cannon Mystery Book 1)
By Claudia Lefeve
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: June 23, 2015
ASIN: B00SBZFHTU

Amazon Synopsis:

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, FBI crime analyst Jules Cannon flees to her hometown of Trouble Island, Texas, to nurse her wounds. All she wants to do is unwind, forget about her failed relationship, and work on her tan.

But when the owner of the local crab shack is murdered at Jules’s welcome-home party, she is forced to scrap her rest-and-relaxation plans. Now her best friend, Abby Lee, is the prime suspect, and her high school sweetheart, Deputy Chief Justin Harper, is working the case. Even though Jules knows she shouldn’t, she just can’t keep herself from getting involved in the investigation—and entangled with handsome Assistant District Attorney Hartley Crawford. While an old flame threatens to rekindle and a new one sparks, Jules must find a killer and prove her friend’s innocence. But will she put two and two together before trouble catches up with her?

Book Links

 My Thoughts:

This was a fun cozy mystery read that’s perfect for the summer. When Jules Cannon flees home after being dumped by her boyfriend, her mother insists on doing the socially expected thing and throws her a welcome home party. Unfortunately the small town’s crab shack owner is found murdered there and her best friend Abby Lee is the main suspect.

I liked Jules’ family which was just as quirky as most of our families are. Her mother feels she has to keep up appearances or “what will the neighbours think!” Her great aunt who runs a local clothing store and ropes Jules into working for her while she’s home is a bit of a meddling old lady who’s a pretty good shot with a rifle even though she’s been tippling.

I liked that Jules grew in her recognition that friendships are important to keep and maintain. She came to realize just how important Abby Lee’s friendship was to her and decided to make an effort to stay in contact with her in the future instead of letting that friendship fade away as she had done in the years that she had been away from home. Theirs seemed to be one of those deep friendships where you can just pick right up from where you left off even if you’ve been separated for quite a while.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns that developed as Jules became involved in the investigation. It seemed to follow her rather than her seeking it out.

Jules’ personal life becomes complicated too as she considers what she wants to do with her career as an FBI crime analyst, and her love life takes on a life of its own.

Destined for Trouble was an entertaining read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes cozy mysteries. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.


Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

Claudia Lefeve was born and raised so far down the Texas Gulf Coast she has to pull up a map to show people it’s nowhere near Houston. Now living in Northern Virginia, she is taking a temporary hiatus from a civilian career in law enforcement in order to write full-time. She lives with her husband and three dogs. 

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