Elizabeth Gunn (1) (1927–2022)

First Line: The party was big and very noisy at first, two or three groups that didn't mix very well and laughed at everything so they'd know they were having fun.

Tucson police detective Sarah Burke is called out to a double homicide in a wealthy neighborhood. While the property developer husband is away on business, his party-loving wife winds up dead in bed along with the boy toy of the hour. While the crime scene investigators are hard at work, the teenage daughter sneaks in the house and show more walks into the bedroom where the murders took place. Who's going to take care of her? Where is her father? Why isn't he answering his cell phone? And who's going to get in touch with the son who's in boarding school?

While Sarah is trying to find answers to all these questions, she's also got a lot to deal with in her private life. She is caring for her substance-abusing sister's little daughter, whom Sarah loves very much. Sarah wants to become the girl's legal guardian, but her sister's going to make that a very tricky proposition. The man she loves is definitely a keeper, but her little niece refuses to let down her guard around him. Sarah's mother is a terrific help, but now Sarah can see that something's not right with the older woman.

Elizabeth Gunn has created a series in which the character's personal life is every bit as interesting as the mystery-- and like the man in Sarah's life, this mystery is definitely a keeper. From a wreck on Interstate 10 to a very shifty batch of caterers to the final reveal of the identity of the killer (I can't believe I didn't figure that out!), I found this book very difficult to put down-- which is exactly the way I felt about the first book in the series, Cool in Tucson. This series is definitely one to be savored for its Tucson setting, its fully fleshed characters, and its engrossing plots. I'm torn between wanting to gallop through the books as quickly as possible so I can keep up with what's happening to Sarah and her family... and wanting to space out each book very carefully so I won't be impatiently waiting for the next. Decisions, decisions! show less

Every summer, I attempt to (1) get current with at least two of my favorite mystery series, and (2) continue one or two that, for some unknown reason, became abandoned along the path of my reading life. Elizabeth Gunn's Sarah Burke series is one of those abandoned ones, and for the life of me, I don't know why. I love the Tucson setting, I enjoy the mysteries that Gunn creates, and I certainly like the character of Sarah Burke. So as I sank into the pages of Kissing Arizona with a show more pleasurable sigh, I mentally kicked myself for taking so long to pick up this third book in the series.

The apparent murder-suicide of the prominent Tucson couple, although not difficult to solve, was still interesting as it navigated through a quagmire of family dynamics, and the drug case highlighted some of the problems all border states in this country deal with on a daily basis. What really grabbed my attention were two young girls: Sarah's twelve-year-old niece Denny and Vicky, a fifteen-year-old illegal immigrant.

Sarah's sister is a drug addict incapable of caring for her child; consequently, Sarah has become her niece's guardian. Since Sarah is an incredibly busy police detective, this only works with the help of Sarah's mother and Sarah's boyfriend. Seeing the world through Denny's eyes ("It was worth doing a lot of chores to live with Aunt Sarah.") can be heartbreaking, funny, and illuminating. Watching Sarah, her mother, her boyfriend, and Denny work together to make themselves a family is one of the best parts of Kissing Arizona.

The other "best part" is fifteen-year-old Vicky's story. Vicky was born in Mexico while her younger sister was born in Arizona; therefore, when Vicky's mother is deported, so is Vicky while the younger sister gets to stay in Tucson. At first, readers may not feel much sympathy for Vicky. She's the mouthy, rebellious one who fights all authority while the younger sister is studious and obeys all the rules. But as the story unfolds, Vicky's true character emerges. No matter what it takes, this young girl is determined to get back across the border to her Tucson home. How she deals with the trials and tribulations along her path makes her very special indeed.

If you like mysteries in which the lives of the characters are every bit as important as the mysteries themselves, do yourself a favor and pick up Elizabeth Gunn's Sarah Burke mysteries. Due to the character development, I would suggest beginning with the first book, Cool in Tucson (one of my Best Reads of 2010). show less

Every summer, I attempt to (1) get current with at least two of my favorite mystery series, and (2) continue one or two that, for some unknown reason, became abandoned along the path of my reading life. Elizabeth Gunn's Sarah Burke series is one of those abandoned ones, and for the life of me, I don't know why. I love the Tucson setting, I enjoy the mysteries that Gunn creates, and I certainly like the character of Sarah Burke. So as I sank into the pages of Kissing Arizona with a show more pleasurable sigh, I mentally kicked myself for taking so long to pick up this third book in the series.

The apparent murder-suicide of the prominent Tucson couple, although not difficult to solve, was still interesting as it navigated through a quagmire of family dynamics, and the drug case highlighted some of the problems all border states in this country deal with on a daily basis. What really grabbed my attention were two young girls: Sarah's twelve-year-old niece Denny and Vicky, a fifteen-year-old illegal immigrant.

Sarah's sister is a drug addict incapable of caring for her child; consequently, Sarah has become her niece's guardian. Since Sarah is an incredibly busy police detective, this only works with the help of Sarah's mother and Sarah's boyfriend. Seeing the world through Denny's eyes ("It was worth doing a lot of chores to live with Aunt Sarah.") can be heartbreaking, funny, and illuminating. Watching Sarah, her mother, her boyfriend, and Denny work together to make themselves a family is one of the best parts of Kissing Arizona.

The other "best part" is fifteen-year-old Vicky's story. Vicky was born in Mexico while her younger sister was born in Arizona; therefore, when Vicky's mother is deported, so is Vicky while the younger sister gets to stay in Tucson. At first, readers may not feel much sympathy for Vicky. She's the mouthy, rebellious one who fights all authority while the younger sister is studious and obeys all the rules. But as the story unfolds, Vicky's true character emerges. No matter what it takes, this young girl is determined to get back across the border to her Tucson home. How she deals with the trials and tribulations along her path makes her very special indeed.

If you like mysteries in which the lives of the characters are every bit as important as the mysteries themselves, do yourself a favor and pick up Elizabeth Gunn's Sarah Burke mysteries. Due to the character development, I would suggest beginning with the first book, Cool in Tucson (one of my Best Reads of 2010). show less

The fire starts on Labor Day. Live embers left by Careless campers catch the wind and burn brush and trees. Soon all of Meredith Mountain is ablaze. Below the mountain in Clark's Fort, a rookie newspaper employee gets a lucky break. Stuart Campbell is sent to cover the fire. He spends days on the mountain with the fire crews sending back photos and notes on the emergency. His Aunt Alice edits his notes into stories. The local weekly paper, the Guardian, runs with the story, gathering show more national accolades for its coverage of the huge forest fire. When the last of the fire is out and the mountain is just smoking, firemen make a gruesome discovery - an expensive athletic shoe hanging halfway up a tree. Below it under some burned logs, a charred body. When the autopsy report points to murder, Alice and Stuart find themselves investigating a mystery. Who is the dead man? And who killed him?

At 182 pages, this book is a quick read, but a really enjoyable suspense story! I spent 10 years as a small town reporter, so I totally identified with the two main characters. It's hard to keep up with front page news when you are also selling ads, editing copy, taking the photos, and getting the paper printed on time. Alice is feisty, standing up to her boss, interviewing people for info on the murder and editing the stories for the Guardian. I really like her character. Stuart is tenacious and has that new reporter wild excitement to him....he loves taking photos and covering the fire and murder case. His Aunt is his strong support, editing his notes into strong stories and helping him with interviews and ideas. Great characters! This story definitely kept my attention from beginning to end. It moved at a perfect pace with plenty of interesting clues and investigation.

This is the first book by Elizabeth Gunn that I've read. I enjoyed this story so much that I will definitely be reading more of her books!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less