Title: Family Jewels
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Series: Rose Gardner Investigations
Location: Fenton, Arkansas
Main Character: Rose, Neely Kate
Other Characters: James, Jed, Brice Wayne, Raddy, Levi, Rayna, Buck, Homer, Kip, Hugh
Pets: Muffy
Rating: 4
Family Jewels” is the first book in the Rose Gardner Investigations series. If you’re familiar with the Rose Gardner Mystery Series, you’ll recognize many of the beloved characters from that series. In this installment, Rose and Neely Kate launch their own investigation business while Rose also juggles her landscaping company. As always, Rose has a knack for finding trouble and getting into precarious situations, making this series no exception.
Rose Gardner is eager for a “normal” life. She’s leaving her past in the local underworld behind to pursue a peaceful career in landscaping. However, when she’s approached with a request to locate a missing family heirloom, Rose is drawn back into the chaos of the underworld once again
With her best friend, Neely Kate, by her side, Rose embarks on a search that soon reveals the necklace to be much more than mere jewelry. As they delve deeper, the duo discovers they have unwittingly entered a perilous world of buried secrets. To uncover the “Family Jewels,” Rose must confront a crucial decision: is she prepared to leave her old life behind, or is her talent for solving mysteries her true destiny?
I enjoyed the first book in the series. I have liked Rose since the very first book, and I really like Skeeter (James); he adds a unique element to the story. I’m starting to think a romance might develop between him and Rose. I guess we’ll find out in future books. I hope so, as I believe they would be great together.
I love how Rose has evolved from a sheltered girl who was abused by the woman she believed to be her mother into a strong woman who solves crimes and has formed a friendship with the local crime boss, who vows to protect her.
If you enjoy the Rose Gardner Mysteries, I recommend continuing with her story in this series. I’m eager to see where her journey takes her next and whether a romance will develop between her and James.
cozyrombooksandcoffee.com 