"Live, Local, and Dead" By Nikki Knight: Review/Giveaway

 Review by Cynthia Chow

 Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

After accepting a buyout that allowed her to leave her life as a New York City DJ behind, Jaye Jordan has returned to Vermont to take over the local station that gave Jaye her first job in radio. The previous angry conservative host Edgar Anger is not going out quietly, though, living up to his name by encouraging his followers to engage in hostile protests. And that was before she inadvertently shot the rage monster, whose body was already deceased but hidden in a snowman. With his fanbase TruthTellers not living up to their names by declaring her guilt, Jaye is determined to protect her daughter and her new life even as alarming Nazi symbols are painted on her doorstep.

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Image Source Crooked Lane

Jaye and her daughter Ryan have a refreshingly fun and supportive mother-daughter relationship, with Jaye known as Ryansmom by the pre-teen’s friends. Ryan doesn’t even resent Jaye’s blossoming relationship with Governor Will Ten Broeck, a former crush whose flirtation is quite spicy and advances quickly into adult territory. Using his executive powers to place protection around Ryan and Jaye, the radio host is unwilling to sit out on the sidelines and be intimidated by hate speech or be incriminated in a murder. While Jaye’s protective parents call-in from their retirement home in Florida to check in on their offspring, the owner of one of the few remaining local radio stations continues her broadcasts while maneuvering through the labyrinth of local politics.

This first in a new series has a unique breezy narrative style that quickly immerses readers into Jaye’s vibrant life. Jaye is not your typical cozy amateur detective, with a biting sense of humor and a very active sex life. 

She maintains an amenable relationship with her ex-husband David, whom she still admires as being a great father to their daughter. Jaye and David’s marriage survived his treatment of cancer but withered after his recovery. Things said during the stress of an illness could not be forgotten, and his remission also had them both rethinking and reassessing the goals for their lives. This very timely novel is not shy about its viewpoints, and while most agree that they are rational, it wouldn’t be surprising that they could also be seen as “too woke” for the mystery genre. This introduction of the very likable, vocal, and vibrant character of Jaye promises a lot of exuberant fun for readers who love their reads to be filled with suspense, humor, and romance.

To enter to win a copy of Live, Local, and Dead, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "live,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 26, 2022. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. BE AWARE THAT DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS THERE MAY BE A DELAY IN SHIPPING THE WINNING BOOK. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

 Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.