Noble Hops

Noble Hops (2019) Layla Reyne (Trouble Brewing)

Nic and Cam are ready to settle down in their relationship but nothing can remain calm for the two of them. In this case, Nic’s estranged father has been found dead, and it’s good odds he was murdered by DUncan Vaughn, the gangster who has been threatening Nic for a year now.

Nic didn’t cry; Curtis wasn’t worth the tears. And Cam didn’t speak; Curtis wasn’t worth the words either. They just held each other, letting the tumult of other emotions run their course.

There is so much I like about this book!

1. Forensic accounting!

“Have you confirmed the other lenders have all been paid off?”

“Last payment cleared Friday,” she answered quietly.

2. Lots of searching through gigs of documents to put pieces together.

Nic looked down the table to him. “Anything else from the raids?”

Cam gestured at the boxes, then at the mess covering the table. “There’s a metric ton of shit here, Boston. Give me the high points.”

“Box ten,” Lauren said, without looking up from her screen.

Cam shifted over to the boxes, uncovering the one with the ten sticker on the end. He lifted the lid and pulled out two evidence bags. He placed the bags on the table in front of Nic, the heavy metal inside making a loud thunk as they hit the wood.

3. Straight-up discussion as to whether Nic and Cam’s relationship is an issue.

“Your partner, who works for the FBI.” Stymied, Bowers had changed directions. “Don’t you think that’s a conflict?”

Nic wouldn’t be baited. He’d been ready for this line of attack for some time. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

Bowers rested his forearms on Nic’s desk, staring him down. “Think the Deputy AG will say the same?”

“Considering Jack met me and Cam for lunch in Norfolk and commended our work on cases together, I’m pretty sure he would.”

Bowers’s face fell and his skin blanched.

But most of all what I liked is that when something happens that looks bad and/or is hurtful, both Nic and Cam TALK about what is happening rather than creating a Big Misunderstanding.

Thank Dog.

The other thing I liked is that all the members of the team contributed–it wasn’t just Nic and Cam, but the friends as well as their co-workers getting things done to get the case ready. Yeah, of course there were action sequences, but that’s in the DNA of both characters, so I’m ok with it.

In other words, this was a fun series that I tore through–barely able to put my book down to do necessary things like eat, sleep and go to work.

Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: 8.5/10

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