new-series, first-in-series, Texas, small-town, small-business, class-consciousness, entitled-attitude, local-law-enforcement, con-artist, threats, murder, amateur-sleuth, game-warden*****

Sadie is a skilled con artist from a wealthy family who has move to a small hostile Texas town filled with snobs who disdain anyone "not from around here". A man she had taken exception to is found dead in the water by the state game warden and the locals put her in the frame "just because they can". Sadie is a great character and the others are clearly presented, the plot is like a train just starting up the flatlands and suddenly having to make unexpected twists and turns. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Harbor Lane Books, LLC via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MurderousCONsequences #NetGalley #Sadie Sabatini

I was pleasantly surprised by this murder mystery. The plot building was a bit slow in the beginning, but by the end it was action packed and the story came full circle. The plot building kept me guessing who the suspect would be because of the inevitable timing of Sadie being the first/only suspect until you get deeper into the story. The suspense Nicole Leiren was able to build with Sadie's past life and new encounters in her endeavors to enter retired life made for a surprising storyline that as the layers unfold you will not want to put the book down. It was an easy and quick read which is great for those just getting into murder mystery books. I cannot wait to see if there will be a second installment in the series for us to learn more about the life Sadie left behind and to learn more about Derek Devenhart and the North Dakota job that led to Sadie's early retirement.

This was a pretty fun read that constantly kept me guessing. I loved the characters and the story was well paced.

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.