Santa Fe Mojo

I fast read this book and even doing that I enjoyed it. I love the locale, the storyline was good and I look forward to seeing the characters again. If you want a quick, interesting mystery this ones for you.

Who doesn't love a "washed up investigator"? This makes the MC more enduring to the reader. And Vincent was very enduring to me. I loved how he just happened upon this crime/mystery. Vincent was a very flawed man who you could tell deep down he wanted to not be that flawed man anymore. To me, that makes a very good MC. This is a fast paced story that never lags...not one single page felt unnecessary and obligatory. Everything was important to the story being told and there was no filler. Filler annoys me in books. Mr, Clifton does a terrific job of keeping this one moving along right up to the perfect ending.
I do hope that we see more of Vincent in the future.

I would like to thank Netgalley and PurpleSage Books LLC for a review copy of Santa Fe Mojo, the first novel in a projected series to feature PI Vincent Malone.

Through a series of poor decisions Vincent has lost his business as a legal investigator in Denver so he decides to pack up and head for Albuquerque but on the way he sees an advert for a driver at the Blue Door Inn B&B in Santa Fe and, on a whim, applies for and gets the job. When a local sports agent is murdered suspicion falls on five of his clients whom he had assembled at the Blue Door Inn and when one is soon arrested it's not long before Vincent is working for the defence.

I thoroughly enjoyed Santa Fe Mojo which is an old fashioned mystery with a lighthearted feel to it. It is narrated in the third person, mostly from Vincent's point of view with a few other points of view interjected when the plot details require some fleshing out, but it has a first person summation at the end of many of the chapters where Vincent voices his thoughts on the preceding events. As he has a quirky, self deprecating voice these thoughts add a little light relief and intimacy to the novel and as such I think they are unusual and add much to the read. I love the summing up at the end of what happens to the main players after the novel ends. It settles any curiosity the reader may have and gives a vicarious sense of satisfaction when the not so good guys get some comeuppance.

The plot revolves around Vincent talking to witnesses and suspects in attempt to clear his client. As he is a take no prisoners kind of guy it doesn't always go smoothly but usually works. I enjoyed the friction and the pitting of wits against unwilling interviewees. I found it to be an absorbing read, and, no, I didn't work out the real perpetrator or motive until they were revealed. It is cleverly done.

The characters are mostly fun. Vincent is jaded and world weary but, somehow, the very nice people he meets in Santa Fe restore his mojo and zest for life. It is uplifting without being corny. The lawyer he ends up working for, Peter Tucker, is another unusual character. He comes out of retirement for the case and also gets his mojo back. Their relationship is initially sticky but mutual respect grows as the case goes on and they become friends. I hope he is in the next novel.

Santa Fe Mojo is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Vincent lost his wife, his practice, and all of his respect due to a drinking problem. He's not drinking anymore, but he's looking for a cheaper place to live so he decides to move to New Mexico. Before he reaches his destination, he sees an ad for van driver for a new hotel. He applies and gets the position.

Purple Sage Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can grab it now.

The new inn's first guests are meeting on finances. When the money man tells them all their money is missing, all hell breaks out. No one is happy and some even give him death threats. When he's found dead the next day, the most vocal of the group gets picked up by the police. They have him on camera fighting over a baseball bat with the man. However, he was shot and it's Doug's gun that did the deed but there are no prints on the gun.

Vincent finds himself helping the defense attorney and making enemies of the local police. He doesn't think Doug did it, so he's checking the others out.

The killer amazed me. I liked Vincent as a character. I'll be watching for another in this series.