Twenty-eight and a half wishes by Denise Swank ***

Twenty-eight and a half wishes by Denise Swank carries the subtitle of Rose Gardner Mystery much like the books of Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton. In the opening novel of this series, Rose Gardner is the prime suspect for the murder of her nasty mother. With the help of her mysterious neighbor, her married sister, and her unreliable visions of the future, the mystery is solved, but not before there are more murders, and more accusations.

While the book is billed as a mystery, much of the book reads like a romance with Rose Gardner more concerned about her relationship with the mysterious neighbor: what does she think of him, what does he think of her, does she want to lose her virginity with him, why won't he make love to her, etc. This lady is no Stephanie Plum or Kinsey Millhone.

Either because of the romance or not, Rose Gardner is more passive than might be expected for a 21st century female protagonist. She does have her moments, but more often than not she is an observer and a victim while others take action. When she does take action, it is too often shopping and dressing.

This month I also reviewed Irreparable Harm by Melissa Miller. Ostensibly both these book are of the same genre, but Melissa Miller's protagonist kicks serious butt. Both books currently offer the first Kindle volume in the series free.

If you're looking for a fast moving mystery with twists and turns and surprises, this is the book for you. I got this first book in the series as a free Kindle book. I expect you can do the same.