THE P.I. CONTEST

Author: C. J. Carmichael ISBN: 9780373716173 2/2010 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: HARLEQUIN

Kate Cooper cut all ties to her NYPD precinct and dumped her cheating fiancé. Jay Savage has gained custody of his teenage nephew and needs a stable job yesterday. When both are offered the only available position at the Fox & Fisher Detective Agency, the obvious solution is to pit seasoned pro against amateur sleuth. And may the best investigator win. But what happens when this professional competition gets personal? There's no denying the attraction between these adversaries, but they have different dreams for the future. There's more on the line than a simple career change. In this contest, they're playing for the heart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

C.J. Carmichael’s THE P.I. CONTEST is a fast, fun read! Pure escapist romance, this tale of turning fate around to one’s advantage is both uplifting and entertaining. It shows that behind every black cloud is a silver lining—and that sometimes that lining is in the form of tall and handsome!

When Kate is made to look the fool in front of her co-workers by her louse of a fiancé, she seeks employment at a detective agency. The only problem is, the job she hopes to secure is also being sought by a man with his own set of personal issues. Both need the position, but only one can have it so they are pressed into a no-holds-barred rivalry. Their mission is to find a man who fathered a client years ago, in order that the client learn of her medical history. The premise is intriguing, and I was fully interested in seeing who would find the father first—all the while watching Jay and Kate find each other.

A perfect short read, this story made a gloomy afternoon fly by. I enjoyed THE P.I. CONTEST, and I believe others will, too. Nicely done!

Kay James