Private Investigator Kelly Pruett has inherited her father's detective agency. Although she's still a rookie, she is determined to make it on her own ... something she's sure her father would approve of. It won't be easy ... she's taking care of a deaf daughter, an ex-husband with control issues, and now her very first case.

The mother of a young woman who supposedly threw herself in front of a train wants Kelley to look into what really happened to her daughter. The police have it down to an accident, especially if she had been drinking .... or suicide, for the same reason.

There was one witness, but his statement seems a little dodgy to Kelly, but when she finds the witness ... someone has silenced him.

The more Kelly investigates, the more she finds the victim was not exactly who or what her family knew. The closer she gets to finding answers, the more suspects she finds, the more motives are revealed .. but someone doesn't want the truth to come to light...and will do anything to keep in the dark.

This is a cozy mystery with an intriguing female sleuth at the heart of the story. Well written, there are a few surprises along the way, with a possible budding romance thrown in the mix. I really enjoyed how the author blended Kelly's' personal life with her professional side.

Many thanks to the author / Epicenter Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is a fabulous book. I knew after the first chapter that I would enjoy it, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Mary Keliikoa has done a great job with this interesting and entertaining plot, however it’s the characters that are the standout, especially Kelly Pruett. You can’t help but like her. I also really enjoyed that I couldn’t guess what was going to happen from one moment to the next.
Kelly Pruett was doing ok as a private investigator after her father passed away and she took over his business. The work wasn’t too demanding, and it was certainly easy doing things like process serving, stakeouts and court document searches. That all changed when Georgette Hanson turned up at her door wanting Kelly to investigate the death of her daughter Brooke Hanson. Brooke had fallen in front of a train and the police were confident it was just an accident. Georgette thought there was more to it, and Kelly had no problem with taking on a case that she could finally sink her teeth into and do some real investigative work. From start to finish this is a fabulous story. Do yourself a favour and read this book. 5/5 Star Rating.

This the debut novel for the Kelly Pruett Mystery series, and my first but not last book by the author. In this book, Kelley has been training to be a PI to work in her father’s business when he suddenly died. She has been doing mostly skip tracing and process serving until she is asked her to investigate a death from falling in front of a moving train. The police have closed the case, but her mother believes it was murder. Kelly and all the other characters are well defined and very real. A female investigator intrigued me, and it was interesting to watch as she pursues the case, and eventually finds out who committed the murder. This is a page turner with many twists. Although it becomes clear about 25 pages from the end who committed the murder, the story is only wrapped up through Kelly’s tenacity. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kelly and her father have a PI business. It is basically process serving. But, when a woman comes in and asks for help finding her daughter’s killer, Kelly is determined to become a true PI. However, this woman and her dad have ties which Kelly is about to discover.

When I first started reading this story, I did not think I would like it. But, the characters grew on me and the further I read the more I enjoyed it. It reads very much like an old Rockford Files show. (I know! I just dated my self!). Between an unusual death or murder via train…yes you heard me…and a host of sleazy characters, this story takes on a life of its own.

The mystery and the characters just keep getting better and better. This is a quick, no nonsense, good read! Grab your copy today!

Mary Keliikoa, author or "Derailed A Kelly Pruett Mystery" has written a suspenseful and intriguing novel. The genres for this novel are Mystery, Suspense, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the author's present and goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. The author describes her characters as complicated, complex, and flawed.

Kelly Pruett has taken over her deceased father's detective agency and is trying to manage as a divorced mom of a deaf child. Kelly finds herself constantly trying to balance and moderate her time with her daughter and life as a single Private Investigator. Her ex-husband is both helpful at times and too involved in controlling aspects of her life.

A client comes to the office looking for Kelly's father. Kelly does find a letter from her Dad asking her to take care of this person if she should ever come to the office. This woman wants Kelly to find the circumstances or witnesses that can account for her daughter's mysterious death.

The more involved that Kelly becomes, and the closer to getting the information she requires, Kelly finds herself being threatened and attacked. When a witness is murdered, Kelly realizes the danger to her daughter and herself. How is Kelly going to manage to solve this dangerous case? Little does she know, that past secrets will affect her and other people. I would highly recommend this edgy and intense mystery.

This mystery is packed full of suspense, twists, and turns. Kelly is a protagonist you really want to root for. She has been through a lot of in her life. We can all relate to trying to keep life going when you feel like you are falling apart inside. The mystery wasn’t at all what I was expecting and kept me guessing until the end. The ending left me entertained and ready to see what adventures Kelly Pruett has in future books.

Rounding up from 4 1/2 stars as I am delighted to read a fresh voice in the PI genre. Kelly Pruett inherited her father's PI firm, but has only been doing skip tracing and process serving. That is, until a woman asks for her help in looking into her daughter's death. As Kelly's father left her a letter requesting that she help if this woman of she ever needed it, Kelly felt she had no choice. Of course, her ex and his mother vehemently oppose her putting herself in danger. Kelly may be inexperienced, but she's smart and committed to finding the truth. Many twists and red herrings keep the plot moving and Kelly's slightly messy personal life make her a relatable heroine. Looking forward to seeing more in this series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Following her father’s death, Kelly Pruett takes over his private detective business. For her first major case, she is hired to discover the truth about a young woman’s death. The young woman was struck by a train while intoxicated. The police have ruled it an accident, but the woman’s mother is convinced it was murder. The deeper Kelly digs into the young woman’s life, the more mysteries she uncovers and the more suspects she finds who had a motive. Kelly also uncovers more secrets in her own life. With the killer after her, Kelly needs to figure out the killer’s identity before she becomes another victim.

DERAILED is a thrilling first novel for the series. Kelly Pruett knows the basics of being a private detective, but she is also learning as she goes. At times she is in over her head, but she refuses to give up because she wants to keep her father’s business alive. The mystery plot is full of twists, turns, and red herrings. The victim is very multi-dimensional, and the unraveling layers of her life kept me intrigued. Kelly is also a great main character. Her personal life adds a compelling secondary plot line. I’m looking forward to the next novel in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

P.I. Kelly Pruett inherited her father’s business, R&K Investigations, upon his death. Divorced from her husband, who cheated on her, they are raising their little girl Mitz together. Eight-year old Mitz was born deaf and is the delight of Kelly’s life. A woman who once knew Kelly’s father approaches her to look in to the circumstances surrounding her daughter Brooke’s death. As Kelly proceeds, a man is murdered adding to the risk she is taking. Obviously, someone doesn’t want Kelly asking questions. As events soon spiral out of control, can Kelly find answers that will prove Brooke’s death was not an accident? How will finding the truth affect Kelly’s personal life? A twisted and entertaining mystery as Kelly proves she is tough enough to survive as a P.I. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

After hearing the first chapter of Mary Keliikoa’s debut mystery/thriller, Derailed, I knew it was a book that I was definitely going to have to check out. Derailed has it all. Not only is the main character a female private investigator, but the supporting characters are also believable and interesting. While the main focus of the book is the investigation that Kelly Pruett has agreed to take on at the request of her late father, there is also the back story of Kelly’s relationship with her ex-husband and his mother, trying to be a single mother to her deaf daughter, and a hunky new love interest. Needless to say, there is plenty of material for Mary Keliikoa to explore as she moves into book two of the Kelly Pruett mystery series, and I for one can’t wait to see what Kelly is up to next!

Derailed is the first book to the A Kelly Pruett Mystery series written by Mary Keliikoa. Starring a strong female protagonist, the murder case in this novel definitely was intriguing. The story follows our protagonist Kelly Pruett who inherits her late father's private investigation agency and accepts her first murder case. We spiral down into the victim Brooke Hanson's dark and complicated life and our protagonist Kelly is racing against time to solve this mystery. Through Kelly's determination, she delves deep into Brooke's web of sinister secrets clouded by questions on her suspicious death.

An exciting page-turner mystery novel, the whodunnitt premise was well-written and kept my interest until the end. As this was the protagonist's first murder case, I felt as the reader I was able to struggle, learn and assist during the investigation. I thought it kept a great balance between well-developed characters and focusing on the investigation. The only thing that strayed away from this great story was the protagonist's ex-husband Jeff. The whole controlling ex-husband character was a distraction, a negative contributor to this thrilling story. Besides the controlling ex-husband, this debut series and the author has potential for many more amazing stories to come. Thank you to NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

Derailed is author Mary Keliikoa’s debut novel. I was fortunate to read a Netgalley copy of this book.

Kelly Pruitt is a strong female protagonist who has taken over her late father’s private detective agency. She’s also a recent divorcée struggling with a deaf daughter, a controlling ex-spouse, an interfering ex-mother-in-law, and a blossoming romance with a sexy cop. Her dog steals the show as he becomes a character himself. Ms. Pruitt is hired by a grieving mother to investigate the death of her daughter, which the police department has declared accidental. As the new PI delves into the victim’s life, she’s plunged into a steamy underworld. Her personal and professional lives begin a collision course that she never anticipates. The red herrings are cleverly planted and the ending a surprise.

This is a great debut novel, the characters are likeable and the story had me hooked.

Look forward to more of Mary Kelilkoa novels.

Overall impressed with this author’s first novel! I left the book feeling attachment for the both the main character, Kelly, and her deaf daughter Mitz. It had a plot that kept me interested, and a few plot twists I didn’t see coming.

Well written and with great characters, this is an easy book to read. The problem for me is that the main character isn't very smart, and although this makes the plot for a full novel, it could have been better and faster.

Hooked from page one. Well written plot and well developed characters. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Let’s talk about secrets which is abundantly featured in this riveting tale of suspense and intrigued. There was plenty in this well-written and action-packed drama to keep me immersed in all aspects as the heroine honored her father by taking on his last wish. The author did a great job in executing this tightly woven, multi-plot mystery where the author left nothing to chance as to who the suspects were. Strengthening the core of this drama, there were plenty of false starts by this reader until the pieces fell into place and when I thought I had a handle on the person responsible, the author changed direction with a few strategically placed twists and turns that kept me entrenched in all that was happening. In between all of the heroine’s PI professional responsibility, we got a glimpse into her home life which was fraught with trepidation and a few secrets as well. The ending was exquisitely done with a few upturns that I hope come to fruition. There were a few scenes that gave me pause, but overall, this was an excellent beginning in this debut series and I can’t wait to see where we go next, again, especially with how this book ended.

Derailed is a detective mystery that revolves around Kelly, a detective who tries hard to manage between her personal and professional life. Kelly notices weird things around her (like phone calls and feels that she’s being followed), after she takes to investigate a case bought to her by a mother who lost her girl in an accident... the story starts here.. the plot is interesting, full of twists and turns. A true page turner, not because of the story, but because of the writing of the author. You know who have predicted something, but the plot turns out entirely different!! I was amazed to learn that Derailed is a debut novel by the author. Couldn’t ask more from a mystery plot!
Thank you NetGalley, Epicentre press and Mary Keliikoa for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way!

Mary Keliikoa's debut novel, Derailed, is a page-turner you'll want to read until the end.

Left with her late father's detective agency, Kelly Pruett is determined to juggle work, caring for her daughter, and her personal life. When a woman comes in asking for Kelly's help to find out what really happened the night her daughter was struck by a train, Kelly can't turn her away. After all, Kelly's father left her a letter telling her to help this woman out if she ever needed it.

As Kelly begins uncovering the shocking secrets about her client's daughter and her mysterious death, Kelly starts receiving hang-up calls and someone snooping around her house. The more she investigates the longer her suspect list gets, and the more danger she's in. With the help of a sexy cop and a canine sidekick, Kelly won't rest until the case is solved, even if that means losing what's most important to her.

Filled with a lot of mystery and featuring a strong protagonist, Derailed was a joy to read. The twists and turns had me turning the pages and doubting my predictions. Just when you think you have the story figured out, there's a new twist. I love that the story has a deaf person because I'm all about representation in literature. All of the infidelity was a little much. Overall, the story was a gripping read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series! 3.8 stars!

Mary Keliikoa's enticing plot grips the reader immediately. The story winds along with enticing plot twists and solid character development. As a good book does, this one doesn't stay down for long. I found myself returning to it quickly and enjoying every minute.