For Richer, For Danger (A Broken Vows Mystery) [Paperback]

Lisa Bork (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Broken Vows Mystery | Publication Date: September 8, 2010

In this second book of the critically acclaimed Broken Vows Mystery series, Jolene Parker and her police-deputy husband Ray have found new love in their life together. They're foster parents for Noelle, an adorable baby whose fugitive birth parents hightailed it out of their touristy Finger Lakes-area town. Jolene and Ray want to make their parenthood official, but the adoption hits a mysterious roadblock when the given name of Noelle's mother traces back to a dead girl. As Jolene races to find the true identity of the birth mother, she discovers an unsolved murder . . . and learns that her family may be in extreme danger.

The first book in the series, For Better, For Murder, was a finalist for the 2009 Agatha Award for Best First Novel

Praise:

"Bork juggles multiple puzzles deftly in the witty For Better, For Murder."-KIRKUS REVIEWS

"In this promising series debut, Bork has created an interesting cast of complex characters that readers will enjoy getting to know."-BOOKLIST

 

 

 

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Agatha-finalist Bork's winning second Broken Vows mystery set in New York's Finger Lakes region (after 2009's For Better, for Murder), Jolene Parker and her police deputy husband, Ray, have survived near divorce, but may lose the infant daughter they hope to adopt, Noelle, because the bank-robbing fugitive birth mother, who called herself Abigail Bryce, was using a 17-year-old dead girl's identity, rendering all the adoption paperwork worthless. Jolene eventually catches up with the false Abigail in a parking lot, where she's holding a broken beer bottle over her dying boyfriend, who's bleeding from a neck wound. Meanwhile, Jolene must strive to keep her floundering sports car boutique and repair business afloat. When a millionaire summer resident promises a substantial finder's fee for tracking down a specific car for his wife's grandfather, the need for cash outweighs the weirdness of knowing the car will be used as the grandfather's coffin. The various plot lines wind neatly to a bittersweet conclusion.
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From Booklist

In this second Broken Vows mystery set in the Finger Lakes area of New York, sports-car-boutique owner Jolene Parker and her deputy-sheriff husband, Ray, have not only reconciled but they’re in the process of finalizing the adoption of their foster daughter, Noelle. Then a routine check on the birth-mother’s name, Abigail Bryce, traces to a dead girl. When Jolene tries to track down information about the real Abigail, she witnesses the murder of Noelle’s birth father, and it looks as though the girl calling herself Abigail is the killer. As Jolene continues to investigate, she also faces Ray’s possible infidelity with a gorgeous attorney; financial trouble with her business; and the possible loss of Noelle, who has become Jolene’s symbol of hope for her marriage. Bork combines the mystery with domestic situations, romance, and sports-car lore in a book that comes across as less a cozy and more a family drama. --Kat Kan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (September 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738719528
• ISBN-13: 978-0738719528
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Bork is a member of The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. The first novel in her Broken Vows mystery series, For Better, for Murder, was an Agatha Award Finalist for Best First Novel. For Richer, For Danger hit the shelves September 2010 and In Sickness and In Death will be released September 2011. Lisa resides in western New York with her husband, children, and the family dog.

For more information, visit www.LisaBork.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid follow-up to an entertaining debut, August 20, 2010

By 

T. Riggle (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: For Richer, For Danger (A Broken Vows Mystery) (Paperback)

After having thoroughly enjoyed Lisa Bork's debut novel, For Better, For Murder, I was excited to see that the next installment of the humorous mystery series was out. Jolene and Ray are back and they are taking care of a sweet baby girl whose parents have skipped town. This scenario is not only the set-up to an interesting and tightly-plotted mystery, but also sets the stage for a lot of growth and conflict in Jolene's relationships--particularly her and Ray's.

Lisa Bork seems to have a knack for creating memorable and likeable characters. I particularly like how complex Jolene is --she's strong, independent, compassionate, and funny, yet she is all too aware of her own flaws. Ray is a great counterpoint to her, a strong, alpha type male who sometimes can't help but wear his heart on his sleeve. But my favorite character is Cory, Jolene's plucky and outgoing mechanic/part-time actor. Bork has created a very unique and likeable character in him, one you're unlikely to find in other novels of this genre.

This book is a fun, breezy read, with enough plot twists to keep you guessing. The cast of characters are always engaging, and the bittersweet ending really tugs at the heart strings. Can't wait for the next installment!

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a Typical Cozy, October 11, 2011

By 

John O. Raab "Editor of Suspense Magazine" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: For Richer, For Danger (A Broken Vows Mystery) (Paperback)

"For Richer, for Danger" is the second in the Broken Vows Mystery Series. Not only is this book a good mystery, it's also a lesson in relationships and what can happen when good friends and life partners keep secrets from each other.
Protagonist Jolene Parker and her police-deputy husband Ray love each other deeply. But their marriage is rocky because Ray wants children and Jolene, for reasons I can't divulge here, does not. They become foster parents for an adorable baby girl and the experience draws them closer together as a couple. They want to make their parenthood permanent, but the adoption proceedings hit a roadblock when the given name of the baby's birth mother traces back to a dead girl.
Lisa Bork's characters are richly drawn and complex. "For Richer, for Danger" is not a typical cozy with frothy fun on every page. Rather, it makes a reader care about the characters long after the book is over. In this book, as in life itself, no one is ever guaranteed a happy ending. You have to work for it.

Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of "Moving Can Be Murder" for Suspense Magazine

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex and enjoyable, February 4, 2011

By 

C. Wong "Book worm" (Allen, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: For Richer, For Danger (A Broken Vows Mystery) (Paperback)

This book did not have the ending that I was expecting. This is the first mystery that I have read where the the main characters' stories overshawdowed the mystery so much. 'For Richer for Danger' was more a story of relationships, trust issues, and all of the characters had flaws except for cute baby Noelle. I still enjoyed it, got involved in it and it made me think about whether or not it is good to tell everything to the ones you love. The characters were complex and well developed and I think I would like to read the previous book in this series, 'For Better For Murder'. I have gotten to know the characters so well that I don't want to close the door on them.