Hazardous Duty
Christy Barritt
Gabby St. Claire has chosen an unusual career path. The forensic investigator wanna be owns a crime cleaning business. Almost completing a degree in forensics science, Gabby continues to dream of participating in a high profile case where she collects damaging evidence.
Her dream comes true during a cleaning job where she finds something the police missed. Unfortunately someone doesn’t want the police to connect this evidence back to them, so as Gabby is on her mission to expose the real killer, the killer wants to permanently wipe her out.
As she gathers more facts, Gabby receives help grudgingly from the Brad Pitt look-a-like, Detective Parker, who is not to pleased about her meddling in his investigation. Gabby’s new neighbor, Riley Thomas, proves to be quite a mystery himself as he jumps into helps Gabby through some pretty sticky situations. Along the way Gabby becomes more curious about Riley as well as his faith.
Christy Barritt created one lovable and unique character. Readers will fall in love with Gabby from page one with her laugh out loud scenes and sarcastic humor. This mystery was fun to read as well as to solve. Up until the very end, I wasn’t to sure who the real suspect was in the book. I’m not sure if Gabby St. Claire will morph into a book series, but I’m sure readers will want to meet her again at future crime cleaning scenes.
Reviewed by Tyora Moody
chbookshelf January 14, 2007
Title: HAZARDOUS DUTY
Author: Christy Barritt
Publisher: Kregel Books
October 2006
ISBN: 0-8254-2016-4
Genre: Inspirational/suspense
Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: priceless
Gabby St. Claire is forced to drop out of college before she earns her forensic science degree, but that doesn’t keep her away from crimes. In love with the scene, and the mystery surrounding it, Gabby opened up her own business as a crime scene cleaner.
When a prominent senator’s wife is murdered days before she was to testify in court about a crime she witnessed, the first suspect is the man guilty of the crime. After all, he did threaten Gloria Cunningham’s life. But when Gabby is cleaning the Cunningham’s residence after the crime, she uncovers the murder weapon—evidence the police missed. But someone seems to know Gabby will find the weapon, so the house is torched with Gabby inside.
Gabby’s new neighbor, Riley Thomas, seems willing to help Gabby to a certain extent, so Gabby plays detective to find the real murderer. But the attempts on Gabby’s life multiplies. Will she find the killer before the killer eliminates her?
HAZARDOUS DUTY is Christy Barritt’s first book, and I certainly hope it isn’t the last. Written in first person, the reader is instantly in Gabby’s point of view, making us almost a part of the scenes. I loved Gabby, and the secondary characters in the book, even though at times I wanted to knock Riley’s head for being slightly less than heroic.
I loved HAZARDOUS DUTY and highly recommend it to anyone who loves suspense. A truly delightful read from beginning to end. $11.99. 240 pages.
Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton