Book Review: Widow’s Might

Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: Window’s Might
   *Series: Liv Bergen Mystery #3
Author: Sandra Brannan
Publisher: Greenleaf Books
Pages: Paperback; 287
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Source: JKS Communications
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Genre: Mystery / Thriller

HDB Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Fans of the series! Liv is back and better than ever in this one!

Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N

With a mind for crime solving and headstrong about protecting her family –
Liv Bergen finds herself trailing a vengeful killer with a crooked sense of justice

The third Liv Bergen mystery picks up right where the second one left off: the murder of Liv’s future sister-in-law has been solved, but an older rancher has been bludgeoned to death in a style eerily reminiscent of a long-inactive killer known only as the Crooked Man. FBI agent Streeter Pierce, still on assignment in Sturgis, South Dakota, must now turn his sights on tracking down the killer—his nemesis from ten years earlier. Pierce doesn’t complain, though; he’s falling in love with Liv and sets in motion an unconventional plan to recruit her for the FBI’s training camp in Quantico as they work the case together. But is Liv falling for the brilliant, exotic agent Jack Linwood instead?

Once again, Liv’s vast knowledge of the Black Hills of South Dakota—territory made famous by the gold rush that followed General George Custer’s expedition—and the novel folk who live there leads her to unearth critical clues about the Crooked Man. But are facts enough to safeguard Liv’s sister Elizabeth and her friend, an elderly woman battling cancer who was attacked just days after her husband was murdered? Will the frail yet feisty widow recover her strength in time to help Liv thwart the Crooked Man’s murderous plans and fatal blows?

Ahhhhh. Once again, Sandra Brannan has totally taken my breath away with her writing. Widow’s Might brings back the Liv that I was waiting for, a completely twisted murder that kept me reading, and a fabulous cast of characters. What I love most about this books in this series are how easy they are to get into. Read a page, and you’re already hooked.

It’s hard to remember that this book takes place only a few short days after the last book ends. My favorite part about Liv’s character has always been how strong she is, and that doesn’t change here. She’s slow to anger, quick to empathy, and a downright wonderful person. As an added bonus, we meet her sister in this book. Elizabeth is like Liv multiplied by ten. I completely adored her! A woman who gives any cause a hundred percent of her time and effort, she is just as strong as her sister, and even more stubborn. The two of them are a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure!

The romance is ramped up a bit in this third book as well, although it still does a fabulous job of staying in the background. Agents Pierce and Linwood are the polar opposites of one another, but Liv finds chemistry with both of these wonderful men. It’s a a breath of fresh air to have a bit of romance thrown in between all the work that goes into solving the mysteries. Let me be the first to say that no matter which of these two men Liv chooses, I’m all for it! I’ll take the other one off her hands any day.

Clues are laid out in bits in pieces, always giving the reader just enough to be on the cusp of solving the murders, but never enough to quite get there. It’s deliciously frustrating. What I most enjoyed about this particular book in the series (and missed in the second book) is getting a chance to see from the murderer’s point of view. Having the opportunity to see into the twisted mine of “The Crooked Man” is a treat. Creepy, yet completely fascinating.

So yes, Widow’s Might gets a huge five starts from me! It brought back everything that I was missing in the last book, and kept me reading well into the night. If you haven’t yet started this series I highly recommend it! Liv is sure to steal your heart, as will all the other characters in this series. Full of twists and turns, Widow’s Might is the stuff of late nights spent reading. I cannot wait for more!

Other books in this series:
In the Belly of Jonah (Liv Bergen Mysteries #1)
Lot’s Return to Sodom (Liv Bergen Mysteries #2)

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.