Review of A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl

I have completed reading the first book I've read by this author Lis Wiehl, A Matter of Trust.  This novel is a fast paced thriller mystery that I found to be pretty interesting. After the death of her husband, Mia Quinn is thrust back into her role as a prosecutor in an effort to support her family. Massive debts and the constant struggle between work and her two children is more than enough reason for Mia to be overwhelmed as if it weren't enough, her good friend Colleen is murdered while they are on the phone. Stunned, she listened to the sound of death.

Mia is back in the saddle investigating the death of her close friend as well as Colleen's case. Colleen was working on a case of teenagers who bullied a fellow classmate to the point where it's criminal. It's obvious that both cases hit home for Mia since her son Gabe is around the same age as the dearly departed and of course the other involves her friend. There's actually a lot of death that Mia deals with around her but she is strong and passes each obstacle in a real and believeable manner. I think she's a great character and I'm sure the future novels featuring her will go deeper into her character.

What I liked most about this read was the plot twists and turns. I thought I had her love interest figured out but I didn't. For that I am happy- whew! There were actually a few things I didn't see coming which I really appreciate because I read a lot of mysteries but when they start becoming too obvious, the thrill is gone for me. Wiehl also throws in a lot of information that makes it obvious to the reader that she knows what she's talking about. Information such as how to read a witness, police procedurals, and other investigative techniques.

Although Mia is a well-developed character that I believe we've only scratched the surface with her. Her storyline so far is pretty intense and I don't think this book goes into her grief for the death of her husband the way it could have. That may be something the author is waiting on jumping into especially since I find there are many things left wide open regarding his death and other circumstances. One other thing that really had me a little frustrated was that this book had so many discussion worthy topics mentioned such as gun control, cyber-bullying, miscarraiges of justice, and death but never really focused on either in great detail.

In conclusion, this was a great way to introduce a new series character.  The writing was good, the characters all interesting, and there were enough holes (not the bad type) left to be filled with future installments. This author's fans will not be disappointed.***