Customer Reviews

Marked By Fate (Jenkins & Burns Mystery)

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For true fans of the mystery genre, I'd like to encourage you to read the third Jenkins & Burns Mysteries by Laura Bradford. As usual, Ms. Bradford sucks her readers into the story through her careful descriptions and her insightful characterizations.

On this trip into the lives of reporter Elise Jenkins and detective Mitch Burns, the reader is thrust into the day-to-day events any of us could encounter, until murder intrudes. And wouldn't you know it, the body turns out to be Elise's teacher. Once again, Ms. Bradford takes the reader on a ride through numerous suspects--twisting and turning until you're not sure who you can trust. Was the killer a man bent on revenge? A shy girl looking for validation? The remnants of a crime thirty-five years old? You can't be sure until all the pieces of the puzzle are laid out. (Lord knows, I'll never tell.)

If you're looking for a straight, honest-to-goodness mystery (in the same vein as a modern-day Christie or a toned-down Paretsky) this book is definitely the way to go. A wonderful book to curl up with, but unless you plan on staying up to read it all, not too close to bedtime.

Laura Bradford has done a masterful job at keeping you guessing in this classy whodunit. Newspaper reporter, Elise Jenkins takes the lead role in sniffing out the killer of a woman who witnessed a crime in her early childhood. The author keeps building the relationship between Mitch Burns and Elise Jenkins, but keeps the pacing perfect to keep the reader engaged.

Another winner from Laura Bradford.

I enjoyed Marked by Fate because it developed the relationships between the characters while moving the story forward. I was hooked by the idea of the writer taking a creative writing class, a point that said to me that everyone can learn something new. I really loved the interplay between Elise and Mitch. And kuto's to secondary character, Dean, who came alive as the snack stealing photographer. Looking forward to Laura Bradford's next book!

This is simply the sort of book you pick up and can't put down until you've finished the last page. I've loved all of Ms. Bradford's work and can't wait to get my hands on her next!

Ms Bradford once again brought the characters of Jenkins and Burns to life in another thriller of murder and suspense! It is a MUST READ after her 1st 2 in the series: "Jury of One" and "Forecast of Evil".

Somebody should stop this woman--preferably her creative writing teacher. Laura Bradford needs to keep practicing her skills as a writer before she publishes again: she needs to work on dialogue skills (a fiance whose love talk consists of "Awwwwww Babe"?), and character development (how can you create a novel where only the villain has a memorable characteristic--that being that he can hold onto a burning match until his arm catches fire?) Bradford could think about plausible plots, too: this novel is based on the story a young child who hides under a desk during a bank robbery, and 35 years later discovers the robber's identity when she sees a scar on his wrist. The robber, now a killer, is discovered when Elise the reporter notices the scar, puts two and six together, lays her finger aside of her nose, and says, "Aha!" Amazing detective skills for a journalist with no discernible personality....