Vendetta, (a Tina Munroe mystery) by Nancy A. Niles

Set in the glamor and glitz of Vegas, and its dark underbelly of danger and corruption, Nancy Niles’ Vendetta introduces a pleasing female protagonist in Private Investigator Tina Munroe. Equally at ease fighting off attackers and spotting gamblers cheating at cards, she promises to help an old friend and finds she’s bitten off more than she’d really want to chew as danger looms.

Tina's brother is a snooty detective who doesn’t believe his sister can do anything right. Her boss is a nice guy tied to a wounded past, and he goes missing. Meanwhile casino owners are dying. But which parts of the plot are connected, and who’s doing what to whom?

Firebombs, gunshots, car-chases and more abound in this exciting novel. Smoothly written, pleasingly descriptive with casino lights as vivid as scenes of desert mystery, and with the sort of fast action that has you waiting until later to ask why on earth did he let her do that? Vendetta’s a well-written thriller with great characters and more than enough background to fuel a series. I hope there’ll be more.

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to “buy” a free ecopy.