Renée Pawlish

There's just something about Renee Pawlish's Dewey Webb series that manages to send shivers up my spine every time I read one and "Secrets and Lies" is no different. The streets Dewey walks seem a bit meaner than the ones his contemporary counterpart, Reed Ferguson, does. Maybe it's because the life and times seemed harsher during that time period. Or maybe it's simply that Renee manages to evoke those times and "mean streets" so well in her writing. Whichever it is, it's a formula that show more works exceedingly well, and in "Secrets and Lies," Dewey finds himself once again crossing paths with darkness. This time, however, it hits closer to home when his long-absent father shows up asking for his help. And Dewey finds himself so entangled in this mystery that when he faces the shadows of the night, it's ultimately to save himself. show less

What happens when you take an independently wealthy man with no job experience and a love of classic detective movies? You get Reed Ferguson in This Doesn't Happen in the Movies by Renee Pawlish.

Reed is in his early thirties and although he was educated to be an attorney, he has never kept a job for long. It doesn't help that he has just enough inheritance monies that he doesn't really need to work. Reed is also an avid classic noir detective movie fan. After helping his father's friend with show more a small investigation he decides to hang his shingle and open a private detective office. It helps that in Colorado one isn't required to be licensed. What would any classic detective movie be without the endangered femme fatale? Enter Amanda Ghering with a sob story about her missing husband. Quickly Reed learns that life doesn't mimic the film arts and he acknowledges he doesn't have a clue about what he's doing. He also quickly learns that Amanda has lied to him and there is a lot more to her "missing husband" story than initially thought. A cat-and-mouse game quickly follows between Reed, Amanda, the faux FBI, the real FBI and the nefarious and a secretive group known as the X Women.

In a lot of ways this is a coming-of-age story mixed with a mystery and filled with dark humor. Reed has never had to grow up and assume much responsibility, but now he becomes responsible for the lives of a friend, his family, and his client as well as himself. This Doesn't Happen in the Movies isn't a typical mystery/detective story and that makes it rather refreshing. It is precisely because Reed doesn't know what he's doing, makes several mistakes along the way, but grows as an individual and professional that made me want to continue reading to see what's going to happen next. I laughed, I cringed and I enjoyed this fast-paced mystery. I look forward to reading more about Reed Ferguson's shenanigans in the future. show less

So many series can get stale book after book. Happily, this is not the case with Renee Pawlish's Reed Ferguson series. Each book manages to be fresh and exciting, and each case Reed gets involved in is unique and interesting. Reading this series is like meeting up with old friends. You just can't wait to get together again and find out what's been happening with them. There's a lot of detective fiction out there to choose from, but Reed is in a category of his own. This book has humor, show more suspense, a touch of romance and of course, mystery. But the characters are what keep me coming back time after time. Renee has come up with a winner in Reed and if you read one of these books, they're like potato chips, you can't read just one. show less

Non-stop action and adventure abound in Renee Pawlish's YA adventure novel "The Emerald Quest." Featuring likeable boy sleuth Noah Winter, and his parents Frank and Riley, along with their young assistant Anthony, this book has it all. Who doesn't like sunken treasures, maps hidden in spyglasses, lost emeralds and a rip-roaring trip on an airboat through the Everglades? This is the stuff young dreams, and many old ones too, are made of and you'll be pleasantly surprised with this story, show more which will suit adults just as well as a younger audience. This book was very reminiscent of the books I loved growing up, such as Rick Brant, Christopher Cool and the Hardy Boys. Renee is known for her outstanding Reed Ferguson and Dewey Webb mystery series, but don't do yourself a disservice and overlook this series. You'll be glad you checked it out. show less