"He saw the lights in the master bedroom go on, then saw the stranger at the bedroom door with a gun."
Canyon Road by A.P. Greenwood Sunstone Press
book review by Maria A. Hughes
Neil Larsen, a well-liked philanthropist admired by many and loved by his family, seemed invincible until a silenced pistol stares him point blank in the face. The sensational story, speculations, and unexpected nature behind his death causes Neil's widow to seek out Rhett and Toni, a married team of aspiring private investigators. Neil's widow is desperate to clear her husband's name and redeem his tarnished reputation. Unable to resist a case that may launch their career, they eagerly take on the case. Their investigation leads Rhett and Toni through the haunts of Santa Fe. Before they know it, they're on a hot trail involving art forgery, adultery, and human trafficking. The couple begins to wonder if they'll ever solve this case, and if, by chance, they have finally gotten in over their heads when it comes to sleuthing.
Canyon Road is the next installment in Greenwood's series that involve Rhett and Toni as sleuths solving baffling crimes, except this time around, they are trying to make a professional career of it. The story has a smooth balance between humor and realism, giving it the edge that it needs to be suspenseful with comedic timing as it pertains to the subject matters at hand. Greenwood crafts believable protagonists in Rhett and Toni. They are clever but not infallible. They make mistakes and are quick to learn from them. They have a tangible chemistry and make realistic compromises that help the reader identify with them. The reader finds themselves rooting for them, and before they know it, sorely misses their banter and fun by the end of the book. This is an engaging, fast-paced novel that is quickly over, leaving the reader wanting for more Rhett and Toni adventures.