Where the book shines is in its portrayal of Harlem as more than just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing character in its own right. Brown clearly has a deep appreciation for the cultural richness of the neighborhood, and that comes through beautifully in her writing.

However, the pacing at times feels uneven, and certain plot points are resolved too conveniently or lack emotional payoff. Some of the dialogue can feel forced, and while Chase is a strong lead, a few of the supporting characters don’t get the development they deserve. These inconsistencies made it hard to stay fully immersed in the story.

“There are three things a woman needs to be happy: good friends, comfortable shoes, and a reliable taser.”
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#firstlinefriday from Chase Harlem by Elise Burke Brown. I have just found a new detective to love! Set in a city I love, New Orleans, with some twists and a lot of fun, I am a fan of this author and this book!
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Chase is a former FBI profiler turned private detective in New Orleans. She only takes nonviolent cases as a rule, but when a priest begs her to look into the murder of an LSU football star and his actress girlfriend, she can’t refuse.
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The official synopsis gives a great preview of what this gem is like:
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In the colorful chaos of New Orleans, Chase Harlem has three essentials for happiness: her trusted red Converse, a reliable taser, and a good sense of humor to survive it all. All she wants is a simple life – morning jogs in cemeteries, jazz that soothes the soul, and enough quirky cases to pay the bills without summoning her FBI past.
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But when a priest waltzes into her office with a divine mandate to crack a grisly double homicide involving an LSU football star and his actress girlfriend, Chase's plans for peace get thrown out like last week's gumbo, especially when the priest's estranged son lands square in the NOPD's crosshairs.
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With her best friend, a "maybe" boyfriend, and a teenage neighbor who's too curious for her own good, Chase dives headfirst into a case that reminds her why she took up drinking in the first place.
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From jazz joints to voodoo shops, Chase Harlem's escapades through the Big Easy are a mix of mayhem and mirth as she juggles clues, cocktails, and the occasional alligator. Can she crack the case before it cracks her, or will she end up as the city's next ghost tour attraction?
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This is so much fun and I thank @eliseburkebrown_author and @thrillerbookloversthepulse for my advanced copy of this fun new book. It comes out June 17th so be sure to preorder your copy and keep it on your lists to watch for this summer!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book for my honest review. I absolutely loved this book so much and all the characters! I felt like I was in New Orleans as the setting just came alive. I enjoyed the mystery and the strong woman vibes this book gives. We need more series like this, so I really hope this turns into a series. I can’t recommend this book enough!!! If you love cozy mysteries this is one of the best! Thank you again for allowing me to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I loved Chase! I really hope this becomes a series because I really thought she was such a fun character! I loved the back drop of New Orleans. While the mystery was great, I really think Chase & her side characters stole the show!

Chase Harlem is a great mystery set in the vibrant action packed series of New Orleans. This was so atmospheric and really transported me to NOLA. I loved the strong female vibes of our quirky MC.

When a priest walks into Chase Harlem's office with a divine mandate to crack a grisly double homicide involving an LSU football star and his actress girlfriend, Chase's plans for peace get thrown out like last week's gumbo, especially when the priest's estranged son lands square in the NOPD's crosshairs. Chase is a former FBI profiler turned New Orleans private investigator. Throw in her flirty bartender, a foster kid who wants to be a PI, and the story takes off from there!

I loved Chase and Reese so much. Chase is sarcastic, witty, sharp, and broken. Reese is driven and broken. It was fun reading how they made each other whole again. I also loved Chase's emotional support ferret, Louis. (Now I want a ferret...) Chase Harlem is an excellent debut, and I hope, hope, hope this will become the start of a series!

Thank you, #RisingActionPublishing, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Chase Harlem has an expected publication date of June 17, 2025.

#EliseBurkeBrown #NewOrleans #PrivateInvestigator

While I enjoyed the story and the characters, the formatting was a big challenge to overcome as an ARC reader and reviewer. I do look forward to more novels by this author and I thought her storyline that embraced the South, blended elements of mystery and fiction so well!

Thank you Rising Action Publishing efor a digital copy of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given.

This is the story of Chase Harlem a PI who doesn't do violent crimes But she is hired by a man to clear her son of a murder that is being investigated by police.

Her best friend is a detective investigating this murder and she pulls all the strings to help her client and solve this case.

Throw in her bartender and his sister who watch out for her on a personal level, and the neighbor, who is a foster kid that wants to be a PI.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Sometimes when you get towards the ends of books and what you think needs to be wrapped up is and you just want to read the last word? I didn't have that with this book. I was disappointed it was over. I was left thinking there is a second book coming, and I really hope that is the case

I really enjoyed this book! Chase is sarcastic, witty, sharp and flawed. She is a former FBI agent and is now a private investigator in New Orleans that prefers her cases to not involve murder. But when she is approached by a local priest to take the case of a double homicide, she can’t say no.
This is a solid mystery that also has emotional depth to it and one I definitely recommend. I am hoping we get a series out of it!

3.75 stars.

This was a good mystery read involving a quirky, tough former FBI profiler now a private investigator, Chase, and a police detective, Burke, set in New Orleans. The secondary characters, especially Reese, added to the story as did Chase’s emotional support animal, Louis.

This was an easy, quick read that slowly revealed Chase’s past and her coming to terms with trauma from her FBI past as she worked to solve the murder of two college students. I thought some of her past could have been revealed earlier on in the story to aid in context setting. In addition, some of the past was not fully revealed which I presume will be revealed in the next in the series.

Overall, fans of mystery reads with strong females will like this one.

Thanks to the publisher for this comprehensive copy. All opinions are my own.

Chase Harlem is a former FBI profiler turned private investigator in New Orleans. NOPD is investigating the murder of a football player and his girlfriend. When a priest’s son is suspected of the murder, Chase is hired to work the case. This is a fast-paced mystery set in a vibrant city! The author made me feel like I was walking down a sidewalk lined with jazz bars.

This one was so much fun to read, with a damaged heroine, and some amazing side characters and great dialogue. I can’t wait to read the next book ( I’m just assuming there will be one based on the epilogue!)

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Here’s an amazing debut that all of us over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse can’t stop raving about. Thanks @eliseburkebrown_author and @thrillerbookloversthepulse for an advance copy!
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Joanna Chase Harlem is a former FBI profiler turned private investigator in New Orleans, and what a character she is. She’s sharp, witty, and full of attitude. From the very first page, she pulls you in, and the vibrant cast of side characters adds even more richness to the story. I especially loved the relationship she builds with her teenage neighbor, Reese. The New Orleans setting was amazing and felt so authentic.
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Now working insurance fraud cases to pay the bills and teaching self-defense classes at a local church, Chase has firmly left her profiling days behind, or so she thinks. When she’s reluctantly pulled into investigating the murders of a local college football player and his girlfriend, things take a darker turn.
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I absolutely loved Chase. She’s tough, but there’s a quiet vulnerability beneath her rough edges. She doesn’t always recognize how much people care about her, and watching her navigate those relationships, damaged as she is, adds real emotional weight to the story.
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I wish we got a deeper look into why she left the FBI a bit earlier in the book. It’s explained eventually, but I found myself wanting to know sooner because it helped me understand Chase and her fears and motivations so much more.
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That small detail doesn’t take away from what is an incredibly engaging read this is. Such an amazing debut! I sincerely hope this marks the beginning of a long-running series. Chase is a character I definitely need more of!

Thank you ThrillerBookLoversThePulse #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Chase Harlem in exchange for my honest review.

Mark your calendars…we over at The Pulse – @thrillerbookloversthepulse – have another fun police procedural type mystery we can’t stop buzzing about! ⁣ There is nothing I love more than a debut, especially when it is the potential start of a new series! You all know how much I love my series & this one is definitely one I’d love to get more of based on the setting, the characters and the mystery we were given in this 1st installment. ⁣
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Chase Harlem is a former FBI profiler turned private investigator and right away, I was charmed by her quirky personality. While we have to wait a bit for her backstory to be revealed – mainly why she left the FBI – I quickly became invested in her character and didn’t care how long it took to find out. And I still think, even though we do get some answers, that we have only scratched the surface on all that makes her tick. ⁣
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I love her no-nonsense, abrasive, sarcastic attitude at times. While she prefers to take on simple cases, like insurance fraud, against her better judgment, she agrees to investigate a double murder. ⁣
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The murder mystery definitely kept me fully engaged, but this book is so much more than just that. It’s also got an emotional depth I wasn’t expecting. That side story about the kid in Chase’s apartment complex really surprised me the way it turned out and I’d love to get more of that storyline. ⁣
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I also loved the way the author incorporated the local culture and setting into her writing. New Orleans is on my list of places to visit, so I always love reading books set there, especially when it comes alive like it does in this book! ⁣
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As you can see, I really enjoyed this one – in fact, I binged it during my flight home from Ireland! I really hope this isn’t the last we see of Chase!

The star of this story is Chase Harlem, a former FBI profiler turned private investigator. A priest hires her to investigate after his son is arrested for murder. Chase is a force of nature—the sort of no holds barred, kick butt female character you want as a lead in a well-plotted murder mystery. It was apparent she had something in her past that she was evading, and I enjoyed the suspense building up to the unravelling of her story. The setting in New Orleans was also immersive, filled with culture and details that made me want to vacation there even more. Fans of well-paced crime, detective, or murder thrillers will enjoy this one.

Chase Harlem, private investigator, ex FBI profiler is running from her past in colorful New Orleans has been tasked by a priest to investigate the arrest of his son in a murder of a college sports star. 


Throw in a handful of colorful characters including a ferret name Louis and you've got yourself a proper Southern whodunnit. 


I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to continuing Chase Harlem's New Orleans stories. The writing was quick and captivating. The characters were interesting and well rounded. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime novels.

When I saw this cover I jumped at the chance to an early copy. I’m originally from New Orleans and love reading books that take place there. I loved the descriptions of the city and love how the culture was incorporated into the story (it definitely made me want to plan a trip soon!)

Yes this is a great murder mystery and I definitely enjoyed trying to figure out whodunit, but there is so much more to this book. I really liked Chase - she is smart and funny but she also has a past…and her days as a FBI profiler were tough.

The side characters are quirky and interesting and I really liked the author’s writing style. There some good twists and turns too - I am hoping this isn’t the last we see of Chase!!

I really enjoyed this book that has the feel of a classic detective novel. Chase Harlem, investigator and former FBI profiler, is everything I want in a detective. Gruff, no-nonsense exterior with a soft, goey center and scars from her past that make her want to keep everyone at a distance. She is smart and determined and if I needed an investigator I would hire her in a heartbeat. The rest of the characters are quirky and interesting and added depth and heart to the story. The setting is New Orleans which is the perfect backdrop for the story. The mystery had enough twists to keep me interested and reading. I hope this is the start of a series and that we see more of Chase Harlem and her friends. I recommend this to readers of detective stories or anyone that enjoys a good mystery.

Everyone at @thrillerbookloversthepulse is so excited about this one! Thank you for the digital arc!

Chase Harlem is a private investigator and former FBI profiler that is solving cases in New Orleans and trying to forget her traumatic past.

What an excellent debut thriller! It was fast-paced and entertaining and really brought the feel of New Orleans to life. Chase’s snarky and sarcastic personality added that extra spark to this mystery and I loved the supporting characters that are there for her through all her antics. I’m looking forward to reading more of Chase Harlem and her friends!

Rating 4⭐️

I absolutely loved this book and am excited that it’s the first in a new series! This book brought me to New Orleans and gave a tough, damaged and loveable new female PI, Chase Harlem! Chase has a past as a profiler for the FBI but is currently a self-employed PI trying to make ends meet.
Hired by a local priest to help with the defense of a young boy accused of the murder of a popular college football quarterback (football in the south – you know how serious this is!) The author has given us an interesting murder mystery but even more intriguing are the characters who are the soul of this novel! Chase, herself – witty, smart, scrappy yet vulnerable! Burke her contact of the force, and as Chase describes him, a surly noir detective from another time period! Reese the determined and broken kid from next door. And Deuce – smooth and rough; tough and soft and an accent and tattoos to swoon over. Brown even gave us a ferret for additional amusement!
Also, atmospheric in setting, I could feel and smell the vibrancy of New Orleans! You know the author nailed it when you start envisioning a trip!
Bits and pieces of Chase’s history are revealed and I look forward to getting to know her better in future books!!