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!

#EliseBurkeBrown #NewOrleans #PrivateInvestigator

My favourite part of this book was the lack of swearing. I rarely ever say this and I was really happy to get a chance to write this sentence. The characters are not children, nor are they all saints that people would need to keep clear of swearing but the author does not relay them verbatim. This did not detract from the narrative in any form or fashion.

Chase is a PI. She was once an FBI profiler. The change that pushed her from one to another is revealed at a later stage. The case she gets handed is not extremely complex to guess ( guessing without repercussions is easy, the detectives in the books don’t have that luxury), it’s the flow of the native and Chase herself that was the draw on this book.

Our leading lady does not take violent cases for a reason, but gets talked into investigating one. She has some help but for the most part she’s flying solo ( or prefers to, even as it endangers her). The surrounding people are interesting to read about and add to the chaos and content.

I really enjoyed this book. If I had not guessed the culprit as early as I did, I would have rated this even higher.

I would recommend this to fans of the mystery genre. This is not exactly ‘cozy’ territory but it is also not in the thriller criteria, falling in a nice middle ground.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing for access to this free ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Chase Harlem is a New-Orleans based private investigator and former FBI agent with some serious trauma in her past. As we meet her she has sworn off violent crime as part of her portfolio, but she gets pulled back in when a potential client wants her help investigating the recent murders of a star college football player and his girlfriend. Chase is sarcastic, independent, and often standoffish, but you can tell that she has a heart of gold.

I really liked this book! I've been lucky enough to visit New Orleans a couple of times, so it was easy to picture the setting. Whether you've been there or not, the city definitely lends its distinct character and atmosphere to the story.

I also enjoyed how the book explored Chase's relationships with her police detective friend Burke, her flirtatious bartender potential boyfriend Deuce, and the teenage neighbor with whom she begrudgingly forms a bond. The mystery plot itself was also compelling! I definitely recommend this one to mystery fans who enjoy protagonist sleuths with emotional depth plus a hearty dose of found family, all set against a magical, gritty New Orleans backdrop.

In New Orleans, Chase Harlem, an ex-FBI officer who had now become a private investigator, was visited by a priest who was asking her to investigate the homicide of an LSU football star and his actress girlfriend. Chase has been avoiding every homicide case, so it didn’t remind her of the fatal mistake she made during her past FBI life. But the priest keeps begging for her to investigate this murder case, then eventually she accepts it. Could Chase find out who the true murderer is?

The story is mystery crime fiction. The story happened in New Orleans and I could feel the strong involvement of culture as the foundation of the characters' personalities. Chase, the FMC, is a bulldozer plus sleuth personality who really loves music and dance. She is working with a grumpy uncle MMC detective. Their Tom & Jerry interaction and the involvement between P. I and the detective in the case, is natural and not being forced.

I love each character’s personality and their development along the way. How they helped Chase by starting a theory, assumption, deduction “Who is the murder” and their thoughts and opinions affecting Chase's analysis. Also, the process of forming a relationship between Chase and her boyfriend is warm and sweet plus still in a realistic way. Of all the characters, Chase is definitely my star, and she is one of my favorite FMC. Plus, Chase Harlem is a very iconic name for FMC.

As for the story, the plot is very smooth, nice and the thriller plus tension is very good breathtaking. This book is very fun to read.

However, this story requires a murder case with a wide scoop of suspects, so this story will be more challenging for reader to guess who the true murderer is. Beside the concerns, this book really has some potential and I hope this book will be made into a series.

Funny and suspenseful, this thriller set in New Orleans is fantastic and brings the life and diversity of the city to the page! Recommend for a “good time” thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this detective novel. The characters, especially Chase, are interesting and well developed. And VERY likeable. The New Orleans setting is richly described, while not cliche—no small task! The plot is interesting and well-paced. I’m hoping this is the start to a series. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RisingActionPublishingCo for the book #ChaseHarlem by #EliseBurkeBrown. Chase is an investigator who is approached by a priest to pursue his son’s case. She is a force to be reckoned with but also a bit quirky and a smarty pants. This takes place in New Orleans and the convicted son is accused of a double murder. This book is such a great ride and I really enjoyed it!

Is this going to be a series? I'd like it to be a series. Can it be a series pretty please? The main character, Chase, is wonderfully snarky and I loved all the popular cultural references. Though I do wonder if an audience younger than me might miss some of them. Too bad for them because they were really gems! This was a super great and quick read! The only drawback is that I felt it could have done a better job with Chase's history. It felt artificially withheld from the reader and I still don't think we got it all cleared up. But, hey, if it is a series there is more time!

It's the setting that makes this book even better. I really enjoyed it despite some trouble with the pacing throughout the book. But the story is so captivating and the writing suits the plot almost all the time so I'll be recommending it to all my reader friends.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

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.”
‌
#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!
‌
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.
‌
The official synopsis gives a great preview of what this gem is like:
‌
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.
‌
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.
‌
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.
‌
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?
‌
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.

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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫