Guest Review: Late Fees (A Pinx Video Mystery #3) by Marshall Thornton

It’s Thanksgiving, 1992 and Noah Valentine is late picking his mother up from the airport. When he arrives he discovers that she’s made a friend on the flight whose also waiting for her son. When women’s son doesn’t show up, they eventually take the woman home for breakfast with neighbor’s Marc and Louis. Soon after, they learn that the woman’s son has overdosed—or has he? Noah and his motley crew investigate over the holiday weekend; which includes a fabulous dinner, a chat with a male stripper, a tiny little burglary and some help from Detective Tall, Dark, and Delicious.

Reviewer: Annika

About a year ago now I picked up the first book in this series. For the most part I wasn't sold on it and was going to leave the rest of the series and was satisfied with just reading that one. Then the ending happened and I was hooked, needed to know more. Now? I'm totally addicted and in love with this series and keep hoping for more books.

It's almost Thanksgiving and Noah's mother, Angie, is flying in to spend the holidays in Los Angeles. Only he's late picking her up from the airport, and during that time she made a friend who's also waiting for her son. Noah offers to drive Joanne to her son's apartment on his way home. But when they arrive, there's no son in sight and they soon finds out he's died during the night in an apparent suicide.

Only Noah and his gang of friends aren't so sure, so they start investigating. Noah is more than reluctant to get involved with another murder investigation. Especially since his mother is determined to partake in it - but that makes it all the more fun for the reader.

The series has this strange combination of gritty, but also the cosy mystery feel to it. The action is (very) low key and the pacing is not this intense can't breathe and nonstop action kind of thing. On the contrary, it feels real, not only because it's life, but also because it really fits with the 90's where that stress of doing and being everywhere at once isn't as pronounced as it is today. Nothing is instant - the coffee or flow of information.

There's still no romance near this series, maybe the fantasy or wishful thinking of one, but I honestly don't mind that. This series is good as it is, and I do see something happening down the line, but there's no need to rush it. Noah isn't there yet, he's still got a lot to work through and this book sees him start that journey. And one I'm so looking forward to be part of.