Customer Reviews

Where Angels Fear

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I've just finished reading "Where Angels Fear," the sequel to "Fools Rush In," by Sunny Frazier. Sunny kept me turning the pages with her well thought out plot and fascinating characters.
The main character, Christy Bristol, is into astrology. When a new client asks her to "do my husband's chart," Christy finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Her best friend, Lennie, who is training to be a detective, joins in to help Christy locate the missing man. The two young women become mired in a world of sex clubs and violence.
"Where Angels Fear" has all the elements of a good mystery. I highly recommend reading it.

In Frazier's second book featuring Christy Bristol, an astrology reading has her looking for a man she suspects is about to be murdered. Christy works for the sheriff's office and does astrology readings on the side. When she and pal, Lennie,are led to investigate a sex club, scary things start to happen.
While Frazier's first book in this series, Fools Rush In, is a thriller, this one is a mystery and a good one. It'll keep you guessing to the very end. Lots of great characters--Christy's friend Lennie is well developed in this one, and a real charmer.
Frasier's writing strong point is in her characterization. Her criminals are as well developed as her heros, and the situations seem ripped from the headlines. Good stuff and recommended.

Author Sunny Frazier is a friend of mine and I have to confess that I just recently got around to reading her latest book, Where Angels Fear. Why it took so long I can't tell you. Christy Bristol is the main character and sleuth in this tale and at times I had a hard time separating her from her creator. There is a lot of Sunny in Christy. Both work with astrology, both are single, both love cats. There is plenty more--but I'll let you figure it out. As always Sunny does a terrific job portraying the San Joaquin Valley background from the lethal fog to the hazards of the crazy farm roads and their drivers. Where Angels Fear centers around a Sex Club and of course some nasty murders. Christy steps way out of her comfort zone to investigate. The dialogue is crisp, the story fun and for anyone who enjoys a murder mystery with a dollop of humor, this one is for you. To put it in simple terms, I loved it. You did a great job with Where Angels Fear, Sunny, don't you think it's time for another one? (Where Angels Fear is available as a trade paperback and as a Kindle e-book from Amazon.)

--Marilyn Meredith (F. M. Meredith), author of Angel Lost.

Christy Bristol, a quirky amateur detective and astrologer, returns in this sequel to Fools Rush In. Still working for the Sheriff's substation in a small Central Valley town, she continues to gravitate toward mystery and danger.

She doesn't like to wait for others to figure things out, which is why the title of this newest tale is so apropos: Where Angels Fear. Typical Christy hurtles down first one path and then another, always figuring out ways to cut corners and slither through red tape with charm and down-home common sense.

This particular mystery begins with a missing husband and an astrology chart. The horoscope suggests that Christy has only a few days to find Mr. Anders before disaster strikes. So she and Lennie, her former roommate, who imagines herself to be a detective-in-training, charge headlong into the fray in the hopes of finding what connects the missing man with three others who have died; there is, so far, only one common link: a matchbook to a sex club.

Will Christy and Lennie manage to convince doctors, pharmacists, and other bureaucrats to give them confidential information? And once armed with the answers to some of their questions, will the daring duo manage to locate the missing man before it's too late? In the end, what unexpected happenings will totally change the course of the investigation?

One of my favorite aspects to this series is the very real, down-to-earth characters that pull the readers in and invite us to stay awhile. We catch a glimpse of the Central California agricultural environs and the small towns in which the characters live through the eyes of Christy, and we experience her world fully. Her immediate circle is populated, in this tome, by a hunky boyfriend who travels, so he is there only occasionally; her budget is tight, as evidenced by her modest apartment and her thoughts about how she will somehow make it to payday. Yet she is full of fun and life and enjoys her work thoroughly. She constantly overreaches her role in the agency by taking on her sleuthing tasks, and almost always gets into trouble in the process. But I suspect that Christy will keep doing what she's doing despite any setbacks along the way.

The author shares aspects of winter life in the Central Valley through her descriptions of "tule fog," like this one:

"Tule fog visited the Valley every winter like an unwelcome mother-in-law. It came too early and hung around for days, sometimes weeks at a time...." For anyone who has ever lived in this part of California, or even driven through on the way to LA or SF, this is a very true description of life in the middle of the state.

Just as I thoroughly enjoyed the first Christy Bristol mystery, I can't wait to find out what this character will do next, and definitely recommend this five-star read to anyone who loves a good suspense tale, especially the kind where the reader has a front-row seat to the action. And if you happen to like astrology, you'll love this story.

In Where Angels Fear, Christy Bristol works for the County Sheriff's Office and moonlights as an amateur astrologer. Hired by a woman to do the astrological chart of a prominent missing husband, she reluctantly ends up involved in a case of death, sex and the seedier side of life. The chart tells Christy that the missing man's time is short, and she calls on her friend, Lennie, to help her work it out. Lennie, is all too willing to work with her.

The bodies of three men have been found with a red matchbook in their possession. It appears they've had heart attacks, but that may not actually be the case. This red matchbook is the key to entering this world of S&M, and the two women use it to gain admittance after someone slips them one. Unfortunately, they decide they need to appear in costume, and Christy's glasses disappear along with her vision, and maybe her good sense.

She learns that people she never would have suspected might be leading double lives, and she learns secrets that she would have preferred not to. Christy and Lennie may set this town on its ear by the time they're done investigating.

The character development in this story is skillfully presented, and the humor is delightful. The mystery is well-written and will keep the reader interested. The relationships between Christy and her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend and her friend, Lennie, are unique and enjoyable.

Sunny Frazier has outdone herself, and I look forward to reading the next installment.

One needs only to look at the cover of this novel and know that Christy Bristol, the heroine of Where Angels Fear and its predecessor, Fools Rush In, will have her work cut out for her in this tantalizing mystery thriller.

Christy is a fascinating character, a practical desk jockey for the sheriff's office on the one hand, and a mysterious astrologist with telepathic powers on the other. Smart as a whip, (no pun intended from the cover image), but sorely lacking confidence, she's not your typical beautiful mystery heroine.

In this entertaining and always-keep-you-guessing adventure, Christy tries to solve a disappearance that may or may not be a murder, and ends up cleavage-deep in the world of S&M sex clubs.

And just when you think you might have it figured out, you find out you really don't. A page turner for sure, and I can't wait to see what misadventures Christy finds herself facing next. Kudos to Sunny Frazier.

'Revelers writhed to the discordant music. Masks covered many of the faces, leaving identities to the imagination, but not much else. Conversation was confined to body language.'

"This is the main dance area so people can get acquainted," Connie-the-tour-guide explained. "There's a small stage up front for exhibitionists, and smaller rooms for shy types. They're wired for close circuit TV for voyeurs. The torture room is still under construction on the second floor."

Christy Bristol chided herself for agreeing to make a house call. All she needed was the birth date to do a horoscope. But the client insisted on a "face-to-face meet." And as Christy finds out, the horoscope isn't for her client but for her husband... who is missing. Thus starts Christy's voyage into the world of S&M, through a secret club called the Knights of Sensani. Admittance to this club is through a red matchbook, three of which were found on three different men that ended up in the morgue. Christy was given her matchbook by her client who's husband it turns out is a member of this elite group. And according to his horoscope, his time to be rescued is running out. Will Christy find him before he turns up in the morgue? Or will Christy end up there herself? Travel with Christy and her ex-roommate Lennie as they take on this after dark world of erotic sex and torture in their attempt to save her client's husband.

When I read Fools Rush In, which was the first of the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries, I thought Frazier had peaked in her writing and that there was no way she could top Fools Rush In. I have to admit that I was wrong. Where Angels Fear is even better and will keep you wondering who and why all the way to the end.

Where Angels FearThe book is a testament to the writing talents of Sunny Frazier. Her writing voice is her own and yet, at times, I thought I was reading a J.A. Jance novel. The lead character, Christy Bristol, is clever and devious, but with a refreshing touch of innocence that stays with her even when her fervor to find a man in life-threatening danger pulls her knee-deep into mischief, a little larceny, and a lot of fabrication. If you've read her first book in this sequel, I think you'll notice that her sister, Celeste, is evolving into an interesting and necessary character. Sunny brings Celeste, with her telepathy skills, into the story at just the right times to bring in information or a needed opinion. Something tells me that Celeste will show up again in her next novel. I can't wait.

From its dark, compelling opening, 'Where Angels Fear' is an intriguing mystery. Christy makes an appealing and resourceful heroine, with many tangled relationship issues we can all identify with. Her friend Lennie is equally engaging and there are many nice touches of humor when she is investigating. The story moves with great pace, yet at the same time the colors, culture and cuisine of this part of California are excellently described, and overall the novel has great atmosphere. The ending is truly gripping. Christy's relationship with her lover also develops and 'Where Angels Fear' rounds off with a lovely scene between Christy and Rod.

I enjoyed, 'Where Angels Fear' very much and I look forward to reading more of this series.

It is rare for me to read a novel that is so entertaining I have to finish it in one day. WHERE ANGELS FEAR, is the second in a cozy series set in California's Central Valley. It features Christy Bristol, an amateur astrologer who works as an administrative assistant for the sheriff's department.

Christy and her fearless friend Lennie are asked to investigate the disappearance of a prominent member of the community. When their search intersects with an official homicide investigation involving a secret sex club, Christy discovers that people around her may be leading secret lives.

It is not often I discover a mystery by a new author that combines the perfect blend of humor, romance, captivating descriptions, and an intriguing plot. The astrological insights provided in WHERE ANGELS FEAR are the icing on a three-tiered winner. I can't wait for the next book in this series.