I was about four chapters into this book when I caught myself wishing the story was on a screen. Cable, movie, doesn’t matter. It has that much potential for a strong visual story. This political thriller, refreshingly set in Canada instead of Washington DC, has the pace of Scandal and the complexity of West Wing and House of Cards combined. The research and details are incredibly smart and realistic. There’s even romance, as well as the expected sexual games within politics. LaBella has a strong grip on plotting, and the characters are luscious. The only reason this is not five stars is that this is not a fast read, plus there is an incredible number of characters to keep up with and many points of view. Still, Capital Strings is so well written and intelligently plotted, I’m surprised this isn’t already optioned for Netflix.

C. Hope Clark, author
The Carolina Slade and Edisto Island mysteries

That’s the kind of review that makes an author swoon, especially when those words are written by an author I consider one of the best in the mystery writing business.

 

I met C. Hope Clark six years ago at a writers’ conference in my Davenport, Iowa hometown. Her workshop on story arcs and an honest critique of my work inspired me to challenge myself as an author. She hooked me up with the editor who keeps my suspense novels and political thrillers from going off the rails. Hope’s writing and her discipline as a writer motivates me to keep going and do better. Her novels pack a punch from the first page.

If murder mysteries are your go-to genre, add a novel from The Carolina Slade or Edisto Island mysteries to your summer read pile!

 

But if you’re more in the mood for romance, check out what’s new in my New Life in Love Series! Let these refreshed covers tempt you to take a look or maybe another look inside!

 

Happy summer, everyone!

 

 

Both books are available on Amazon.com

Heartland on Kindle and in paperback

Love Unlikely exclusively on Kindle