Ball and Chain by Laura Garner is definitely a hit with me. PI Maddie Maxwell is hired to find a missing person. Not just any missing person but, the most boring woman in the world, Jane Blake. However, Maddie finds more than what she bargained for. She found her ex, some dead bodies, and a little girl who is sure to steal her heart. Sounds great so far right.? The blurb definitely gives you enough to say that the premise is intriguing. Maddie must shuffle through family dysfunction as well as the issues in her own personal life. Maddie’s ex is hoping for reconciliation but his past endeavors has her feeling some trepidation. There are many reasons to find this missing woman. The little girl won’t speak until Jane is found and so Maddie must step up her game. This book has it all, murder, mystery, love, happiness, and disappointment. Sometimes the protagonist, Maddie, was overdone to be a baddass but then a few chapters before or after she was weak. I do wish there was more consistency in which they interacted with each other. Other than that it was written with a good amount of past and present. The writer did not add to much with regard to the characters flaws or personality’s.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this mystery. This is the first book I read in this series but I will be going back to read more. Maddie is a PI hired to find a missing woman. The family only wants her back because her disappearance is an inconvenience. Maddie's personal life is a mess and she is doing a lot of soul searching to maybe help her make better choices. Her personal and professional life cross while solving the case. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery. Despite the the subject matter there is still a lot of humor. I liked Maddie despite all her faults. The mystery was good with a few twists and turns. I was able to solve it at the end. I do think this series should be read in order. Enjoy this good mystery