ARC Review: Death in the Abstract by Emily Barnes

Death in the Abstract
Author: Emily Barnes
Series: A Katherine Sullivan Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (May 9, 2017)

Description: Retired police chief Katherine Sullivan moved away from Edina, Minnesota to feed her artistic soul in New Mexico. But when she receives an urgent call, her serenity is shattered. Nathan Walker, her best friend and former colleague from her days on the police force, is missing and his crew of security experts hasn’t seen him in days. Now it’s up to Katherine to fly home and track him down.

Meanwhile, Edina is reeling from the murder of a local woman, which looks more and more like it could have a connection to Nathan's disappearance. And as Katherine digs deeper into the investigation, locating Nathan’s abandoned car and compiling a list of potential kidnappers, another body is found--and Katherine fears time is running out for her friend.

Finding herself reluctantly pulled into a new case, Katherine must set aside her artistic pursuits and tear herself away from her darling grandchildren in order to save her best friend in Death in the Abstract, the compelling sequel to Emily Barnes' The Fine Art of Murder.

My Thoughts: This second Katherine Sullivan book has Katherine leaving her artists' retreat in Taos, New Mexico, to come back to Edina, Minnesota, when a friend of her disappears. Nathan Walker is a retired cop like Katherine and is her best friend. He was her husband's partner before her husband died in the line of duty. Now Nathan has his own security firm and a number of very concerned employees.

Katherine is the former chief of police for Edina and the current chief is a little jealous and a lot insecure when she is around. He is also busy trying to solve the murder of a family friend which is consuming his attention. He almost doesn't have time to pay attention to another body that seems like the victim of a hit-and-run.

Katherine and Nathan's employees begin by backtracking the appointments he kept on the last day anyone saw him. Katherine meets a number of quirky, or suspicious, characters as she looks for her friend. Among them are Mr. and Mrs. Larkin who are living in the middle of a construction zone and interested in more security for their home. She also meets Ashley Knight who is a person of interest because she connects with the Larkins and Nathan.

While Katherine worries and searches for her friend, she is also spending time with her grandchildren and her daughter's ex-husband. I like her relationship with her grandchildren and like that she is coming to better terms with her daughter's ex-husband.

This was an entertaining cozy with a nicely complex plot and some really quirky characters.

Favorite Quote:

"Have you ever had a client who just didn't understand the repercussions of what they were saying? It's like Ashley thinks she's not a participant in her own life. Like she's someone outside of it, eating popcorn and watching as everything unfolds."

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.