5-star review - Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite:

Angelina Bonaparte (pronounced Bon-ar-par-tay) is a female private detective working out of Milwaukee. Six years ago Marcy Wagner hired Angie to find out what happened to her school teacher husband, who just disappeared from her life and that of their three children, cleaning out the bank accounts and vanishing. In Honor Kills, by Nanci Rathbun, we find Angie stumbling across a clue that leads her back onto the trail of this long time cold case, which Angie’s professional sensibilities have never allowed her to let go. Hank Wagner was the one missing person case she had never solved, and she was determined to get to the bottom of this, even if it meant involvement with the Mafia and her father’s acknowledged, but never discussed, ties to the mob. Angie, her new intern Bobbie, and friends embark on a dangerous journey to hunt down the elusive Mr Wagner.

This story, Honor Kills, by Nanci Rathbun is a continuation of a series centered on the cases of Angie Bonaparte. Although I have not read the previous stories, it is clear each case is a stand-alone read and, I have to say, I found Honor Kills an extremely satisfying read. It ticks all the boxes of a good detective mystery, and the lead character Angie is extremely easy to empathize with. It’s not often you come across a middle-aged PI hero, who is also female. The plot was intricate and full of twists and turns as befits such a mystery story. I particularly enjoyed the supporting cast; her gay intern Bobbie and her tech genius Spider. The author had clearly done her research and the story line was both credible and enjoyable. The relationship between Angie and her father, the retired Mafia capo, was fascinating and confirmed the stereotype of two different Mafia bosses, one at home and one at work. Having read Honor Kills, I am motivated to read the other books in Rathbun’s series, which is probably as high a praise as a reviewer can give an author.


D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review (this review will be published in the April edition of Midwest Book Review):

Honor Kills is Book 3 of an Angelina Bonaparte mystery series, and takes place six years after Marcy hired PI Angelina Bonaparte to find her missing husband Hank, who fled with all the money in their joint accounts. The fact that Hank is dead doesn't change their interest in uncovering the truth about his actions, but Angie doesn't expect that her pursuit will lead her full circle to confront a threat to her own family.
 
Hank was apparently well-liked by his colleagues and friends. Angie considers him a weasel. Which is the truth?
 
Under other circumstances, Angie's report of the demise of her suspect would conclude the case; but here it only broadens the questions and casts the net of intrigue further. Hank apparently has a number of hidden identities; and each comes with additional complexity and questions.
 
One notable feature of Honor Kills is that Angie is not a superhuman genius; but a human being prone to discouragement and mistakes. Not everything she does is smart or even well-reasoned ("Feeling cornered, I admitted that I’d sent a new message to Hank via S-Mail, one that connected Hank and Beltran. Spider’s eyes rose to the ceiling as he thought about my dumb move."), but these descriptions are exactly what makes Angie likeable and human.
 
Angie is as prone to screwing up delicate situations as she is adept at problem-solving, and this lends a realistic and engrossing touch to her conundrums as she gets closer and closer to a surprising truth.
 
Nanci Rathbun also takes the time to explore why her characters doggedly pursue their objectives; and this too makes Honor Kills a superior read in a genre that too often focuses on the 'whodunnit' over the 'why pursue this inquiry' question.
 
The result is another spirited Angelina Bonaparte mystery that requires no special familiarity with predecessors in the series in order to prove satisfying to newcomers and prior fans alike.