Book Review: Last Exit In New Jersey by C.E. Grundler

Description from Amazon

Nice young ladies really shouldn't be dumping bodies at sea.

Then again, that isn't stopping Hazel Moran, and she can't figure where anyone got the idea she was nice to begin with. Raised aboard her father's aging schooner and riding shotgun in their old 18-wheeler, there's little on the road or water that she can't handle; it's her people skills that need work. Normally that isn't an issue - behind the wheel of a Kenworth most people tend to leave her alone. But when Hazel and her father become the targets of some unsavory characters hunting for her blue-haired cousin, their stolen tractor-trailer truck and a delivery that never arrived, she knows it's time to heed a lesson learned from her favorite hard-boiled paperbacks: playing nice will only end in tears.

For ten sweltering days Hazel navigates the Garden State's highways and shorelines, contending with a suspiciously wealthy stranger, white trash, Born Agains, appliance salesmen, an unstable stalker and his curiously troublesome companion. It'll take all her ingenuity, not to mention some fishing tackle and high voltage, if Hazel hopes to protect her family and unravel this tangle of greed and betrayal. And anyone who gets too close, no matter their intent, will discover just how dangerous Hazel truly is as she sets in motion a twisted plan to uncover the truth, settle some scores, and if possible not wind up dead in the process.

Review

Overall Feedback: Sit back and let the bodies fall in the Atlantic. From the very beginning this one has you on the edge of your seat and wondering WTF. We find ourselves twisted in plots that are twisted into others and the only way out is no mercy. Our main character must do what she must do to survive, protect and unravel the mystery.

Point of View: Told from Hazel Moran's pov. You follow her and her decisions and actions that must be made or taken to find out what is happening and why. The author does well to make her a very strong female lead.

Voice: What would you do if faced with kill or be killed?

Character Development: Very deep with the main character and perfectly shallow with the supporting characters. This author obviously knows how to develop characters correctly.

Plot: Filled to the brim with mystery, suspense and intrigue. This book takes your imagination on a joy ride but never loses sight of the end.

Dialogue: Natural and flowing.

Pacing: The end comes faster than ever in this book.

Setting: Maybe this has or is happening maybe it isn't but I can tell you one thing. We will never look at women on the East Coast the same way.

Continuity: Not a hole in the whole book. Very tightly written and expertly crafted.

Where to Find
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