Love this series. This is the second book in the Maggie O'Malley books.

A lot of twists and turns as she trues to solve the murder of the husband of her boyfriend's Aunt Polly. Poor sleepwalking Auntie found her husband at the kitchen table with his throat slit. Add in a detective determined to get her for murder and you have a good read.

Looking forward to the next one.

This is the 2nd book in the Maggie O'Malley series and the 2nd one I have read. I enjoyed it. Maggie has lost her job at the drug company she helped take down in book one and is now working retail. When she sees a fellow employee being bullied by the owner she stands up to her boss and finds herself unemployed again. Which frees her up help Constantine clear his aunt of killing her husband. It turns out that the murder is part of a much bigger mystery and there are lots of twists and turns. I like the relationship between Maggie and Constantine as they work together to solve the mystery. I like that she does try to work with the police. The book is a quick read and will keep you up late reading. This series should be read in order. I am looking for word to reading the next book in the series. Enjoy

An engaging, suspenseful tale that’ll keep you guessing! The characters are relatable & the storyline is perfectly placed - looking forward to more with this author!! Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read & review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Maggie O’Malley tries so hard to do the right thing. Her attempts often make matters much worse for the people she is trying to help including herself. After being fired for being insubordinate to her boss, and getting the person she was trying to help fired as well, she joins her boyfriend as he tries to discover what is happening to his aunt.
Her husband’s throat has been slit in their kitchen and she cannot recall where she was or what she was doing at the time. It seems her health has been deteriorating at the same time she is sleepwalking and has no idea of what she does during her travels. Evidence seems to be piling up against her. Even Maggie has a doubt or two. To make matters worse, the aunt made a deadly enemy of the detective investigating the murder. He is determined to prove Aunt Polly committed the crime no matter what it takes.
The murder is anything but straight forward, if murders ever are, and the deeper the reader gets into the story, the more complex the webs. It takes some time for the story to truly heat up but once it does, it is ramps up the excitement. It also has a nice twist at the end that makes the reader look forward to where the story will go next.
I give it four purrs and two paws up.

I love this series! It’s droll, witty, clever – and has the feel of a cozy mystery coupled with the edginess of a thriller. And while this is the second Maggie O’Malley mystery, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Maggie and her boyfriend Constantine are absolutely delightful together – their interactions wrapped in warmth, humor, and genuine affection and respect. Their banter made me giggle more than once, especially when merged with Constantine’s somewhat goofy side. Maggie’s wry outlook on life adds to the author’s witty writing voice, making this a delightful read in every way. It’s not constantly humorous, though – when it needs to be serious, it is. And Maggie herself is a strong character, despite her endearing flaws. Yet the humor is perfectly placed to lighten the tension and keep this from becoming too heavy a read.

Speaking of tension, the mystery and suspense elements to this novel are spot-on. For every layer revealed, more layers pop up that still need to be explored. Just about the time I think I have it figured out, a new twist sends me scurrying back to the drawing board to rethink my conclusions. The pace is ideal, as well – just fast enough to keep things moving along but not so frenetic that you can’t keep up.

Bottom Line: Sleepwalking. Hallucinations. Cosmetic surgery. Murder. Fraud. A host of suspects and a few cleverly-utilized red herrings that all tie together in the end. In short, my kind of read! 39 Winks is another prime example of Valenti’s skill in weaving together complex threads into an entertaining and fully engaging story. Her characters are smartly drawn and multi-dimensional, and so is her plot. Another excellent read from this author – I can’t wait for her next!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

This really wasn't for me. I kept going to the end - but only to see how it ended up being resolved and how many more plot twists could be thrown in. There is so much going on here - so many tropes, so many red herrings, and it's just too much. This is billed as a gripping page turner, but to me it read like a cozy crime that was trying to be a thriller and ended up not being either. It felt like a bit like the author had played mix and match with mystery tropes and ended up filling out an entire bingo card (see spoiler tags below if you want to see what I mean, but it will spoil the plot for you). I can see that some people have really liked this, but this was not at all what I was hoping for. I've had a lot of previous success with Henery Press titles, but the new series that I've requested recently have been a real let down. I used to be auto approved for them (I'm not any more) but I think I'm going to have to think very carefully about what I request from them in future.

The aunt of Maggie O'Malley's boyfriend Constantine is a sleepwalker who ends up finding her cosmetic surgery husband Howard at home with his throat slit. The police are skeptical about Polly's claims of not remembering her actions and she becomes the prime suspect. So Maggie and Constantine dig into Howard's work. Unhappy clients and a secret former life that Howard kept hidden from everyone are possible motives.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Henery Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Maggie O’Malley is back and she is selling ladies lingerie?? Well, she is when the story begins. She lost her pharmaceutical job after all the drama she was involved in and she has bills to pay. She stands up to her boss and ends up unemployed again, but that is fine with her. Now she can go help her boyfriend, Constantine with his aunt and a murder she may have committed. She has a little sleepwalking problem and she happened to find her husband dead at the table with his throat slit. She has no idea what happened but she is covered in blood and the police’s prime suspect. There are many other people that may have killed the cosmetic surgeon. To prove Aunt Polly’s innocence Maggie and Constantine work to find the real killer. They find the deceased doc had a huge secret that could have led to his demise. Now they just have to make the police believe it.

In this follow up to Protocol, Kathleen Valenti again wraps pharmaceuticals into the story. Constantine’s Aunt Polly is battling Parkinson’s and Maggie thinks one of her medications is bringing on her sleepwalking. So while not only trying to find a murderer, Maggie is striving to help Polly find answers about her health. Her knowledge of drugs and medical procedures comes in handy in solving this mystery. I really enjoy the way the relationship between Maggie and Constantine has moved forward. They are learning to trust each other. Maggie still is unsure about being in a relationship. A little jealousy pops up when Constantine learns that Maggie and Detective Austin dated in the past. They do work well together and taking things slow is a good thing.

The author has created characters that are true to life and she has put them in stunning situations. The dialogue flows well and the imagery created takes readers right into the story.

This plot is very complex. Many threads need to be woven together. Greed, revenge, and vanity played major parts. A detective trying to settle a score, a patient unhappy with her surgery outcome, a doctor on the take, and the corruption goes deeper than could be imagined. Twists and turns kept me guessing and I was surprised by the amazing ending. This book would make a wonderful television movie.

The story ends with Maggie accepting a new job! I am excited to read book #3. Hope we do not have to wait too long.

Valenti’s droll new series continues, with Maggie O’Malley and her hunky boyfriend, Constantine riding in to rescue his beloved Aunt Polly. Those that read Protocol, the series opener, know that Valenti writes with swagger, often with tongue in cheek. Thanks go to Net Galley and Henery Press for the DRC, which I received free and early in exchange for this honest review. This title is now for sale.

What would induce a woman to walk away from her job in order to play amateur sleuth? Maggie wouldn’t know. She is currently unemployed. Her career with Big Pharma tanked after she turned whistle-blower, and now she’s been sacked from her position as a retail sales clerk. Damn. But it’s just as well in a way, because Constantine’s Aunt Polly served as “the woman who fit the mother-shaped hole in her life,” and she needs Maggie’s help. She’s in declining health—Parkinson’s? Alzheimer’s? Bad air, bad water, poisoned food, poison gas? And following the murder of her husband, Howard, who even Polly acknowledges “was a bit of an ass”, Polly is under investigation, a favorite suspect since she is the surviving spouse of an unhappy marriage.

Valenti’s feminist spirit could not be more welcome than it is today, and her dialogue crackles. This is a fast read, part satire, part suspense, and I love the banter that unfolds between Polly and Constantine, reminiscent of the snappy patter of Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis in the 1980s TV show “Moonlighting” (which actually draws a mention toward the story’s conclusion).

Take Maggie O’Malley on vacation with you. It will be better with her than without her. Try not to wake the passenger snoozing next to you on the plane with your snickering, though—unless you’re bringing a second copy to share.

I liked the main character's strong drive to protect others, she won me over early in the book because of that. I didn't like that she had to feel so guilty about almost everything bad that happened to anyone in the story. I really didn't see a reason for so much guilt and for me it dragged down the story a little.

The sleepwalking was so well described it was unsettling, which was great. I also felt as though I could see the house they were staying in and smell all the baked goods. The medical mystery aspect of the story was probably my favorite. The murder mystery was interesting enough. It was pretty easy to guess the murderer early on. Things might have gotten a bit more complicated than they had to for this kind of story. I was able to follow it, but there were a few times I had to stop and try to remember who a character was.

I feel like I would have had a lot more sympathy for the main character and her boyfriend (and their very frequent bad jokes) if I understood what it was in their past that made them behave the way they did. Their past kept being referenced, but I never really felt like I knew what had actually happened, aside from the main character's previous problems with her job. Also, she really needs a sidekick if she's going to freeze in most intense situations.

There was a few things that I might have liked to have seen done differently, but overall I enjoyed the story enough to care about what happens to the main character from here.

39 Winks

by Kathleen Valenti

In the first book of this series, Protocol, Maggie O’Malley gets drawn into a complicated and deadly abuse of power in her job as a pharmaceutical researcher. I assumed that in the second book in the series she would continue her work in the pharmaceutical industry. The author explains what happened: “Blame for the downturn was laid not only at the feet of the guilty but the person who had revealed their culpability. Coworkers stopped collaborating. Managers ‘forgot’ to invite her to meetings. Invitations to after-work drinks dried up and blew away with the prairie wind. It was The Great Corporate Freeze Out.”

As 39 Winks opens, Maggie is working at a lingerie shop when she learns that her boyfriend’s Aunt Polly, found her husband murdered and is asking for Maggie. Meanwhile, Maggie finds herself jobless again as she stands up for a coworker. Free to help Aunt Polly, Maggie is thrown in the middle of an investigation that gets more and more complicated. I couldn’t imagine how the author would tie up all the loose ends, but she does it masterfully. 39 Winks is a really good cozy mystery. It involves many serious social issues as well as medical issues. Maggie’s pharmaceutical expertise, her common sense, and courage are all called into play. She also has help from her computer genius boyfriend Constantine. This is a mystery I did not want to put down.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series and not really dependent on reading the first book in the series

Publication: May 22, 2018—Henery Press

Memorable Lines:

She’d built the Wall, the secret place at the back of her mind where she corralled uncomfortable feelings, when she was eleven. She fortified it at every opportunity. She knew it was getting crowded back there, that she was quite possibly a hoarder of denial. She shoved that knowledge behind the Wall, too.

A look of revulsion crossed her face. “Is that a mouse?” Constantine looked down. Miss Vanilla peered from her tiny fabric lanai, whiskers dancing. “Hamster,” he corrected, “but she thinks she’s a gerbil.” He winked. “We humor her.”

“Another report? What do they plan to do, fend off the bad guys with paper cuts?“

Grateful when this book reached a conclusion. The characters did not appeal to me. The health issues were strange.

Maggie O’Malley and her boyfriend Constantine are summoned to his aunt Polly’s aid when she finds her husband dead, slumped over his breakfast cereal.

Kathleen Valenti has conceived a complex mystery, rich layers, twists and a few red herrings. Aunt Polly has Parkinson’s and a history of sleepwalking. In fact, her sleepwalking adventures are quite advanced and leads her into becoming a suspect as she unearths what may be the murder weapon in one of her evening outings.

The two detectives on the case are an interesting duo: Detective Greely is determined to prove Polly did it because she ruined his marriage by meddling and Detective Austin is an old boyfriend of Maggie’s.

While curiosity keeps the reader’s attention, the writing does not inject the energy and excitement that typically accompanies memorable characters and tense, suspense filled narrative.

I didn't care for the characters enough or the plot to recommend this one. Not right enough writing for me.

Maggie O'Malley is an ex-pharmaceutical researcher who was basically forced out of her job after exposing a company scandal. She's now working for a high-end lingerie company as a sales clerk - that is, until she confronts the owner with a wrong and loses her job.

Things go from bad to worse when she receives a call from her boyfriend Constantine telling her that his aunt Polly has had a bad sleepwalking incident and found her husband murdered in the kitchen of their home. While Maggie doesn't want to get involved - she's had enough of murder, thank you very much - she really has nothing to prevent her from going to Polly and seeing if she can help.

But Maggie's 'help' only puts Polly in more danger and higher on the suspect list of a cop who already hates Polly for a perceived wrong done long ago. Now she has to find out who really killed Polly's husband because if she doesn't, Polly is going to be on the wrong side of a jail cell for a really long time...

Maggie O'Malley is back again trying to put some order in her life and figure things out. Unfortunately, before any of that can happen, she finds herself smack dab in the center of another murder. And this one, unfortunately, hits closer to home when it's her boyfriend Constantine's aunt. It's not long before Maggie's curiosity gets the better of her and she knows there's more to the death than what appears. Maggie's medical knowledge leads her to questioning why Polly has been sleepwalking, and the past of Polly's late husband.

Soon Maggie discovers that Polly's husband Howard had a previous life before Polly...a previous life with a different name. Once Maggie and Constantine start to dig into Howard's past, Maggie starts learning that Howard left his past behind for very unsavory reasons. And those reasons might be what got him killed. But proving it is something entirely different, especially when the detective in charge of the investigation hates Polly, and by extension, Maggie; and is determined to see Polly convicted of Howard's death.

The one light in the tunnel is that Maggie's ex-boyfriend Austin is also on the case and seems (sort of) willing to listen to her. But it's almost too late when Maggie discovers that what she knows might get her killed, too, if she doesn't get someone to believe her.

This is the second book in the series and just as suspenseful as the first. Maggie is an intelligent, independent woman who wants to do things her own way, and sometimes she doesn't realize that she just might need help to survive. But she never backs down, and through her own perseverance manages to find all the pieces she needs to complete the puzzle before it's too late.

I liked this fact most of all - that she wasn't a weak-willed woman who just 'happens' upon things but actively looks for answers; and while she at times can be a little too independent and put herself in danger, she never does so with others.

The plot was extremely well done, the story filled with subplots that while at first seemed to be separate from the death pulled together in a nicely woven tale of murder, fraud and revenge that left surprises right until the end. Ms. Valenti is a skilled writer who is able to keep her readers involved from the first right up until the end.

When the ending came and the murderer was revealed, it all came together nicely and made for an engrossing mystery that is well worth reading. There was plenty of suspense and intrigue, and even a revelation that shows how far some people will go to achieve their ends. Quite nicely done. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

This second in the Maggie O'Malley mystery series picks up with the same depth and tension as in 'Protocol', Kathleen Valenti's outstanding debut novel. I literally could not put this book down, finally finishing in the wee hours of the morning. Maggie is a complex character with a penchant for leaning into negativity. This aspect of her personality is what brilliantly drags us into the story and the desire to see how things will turn out for Maggie. I am completely satisfied, and looking forward to more.

Maggie O'Malley's intelligence about all things pharmaceutical is impressive.
This second encounter with Maggie threw me off initially when the character was now a lingerie sales clerk and lost in the weeds. This did become an integral part of solving the murder of Aunt Polly's husband.
I am happy that I persisted when the story became interesting and eventually quite thrilling. Maggie's scientific knowledge of medical issues including medications played a major role in solving a murder as well as crimes against young women. There many twists and turns in the novel.
Maggie has personal trust issues she needs to work on, especially as it relates to romance.
The next life-opportunity for Maggie may involve staying in Hollow Pine while putting her love of science and pharmaceutical to good use.
I rate this 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Maggie O’Malley is back disrupting crime. This time it’s more personal, it involves Constantine’s aunt. The book has twists and turns and multiple crimes all linking together. The storyline kept evolving as time went on. I enjoyed this book immensely! Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.