Christy Barritt's Hazardous Duty ~ Reviewed

Hazardous Duty
by Christy Barritt
Published by Kregel Publications
ISBN 0825420164

Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: priceless

On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. “Yeah, that’s me,” she says, “a crime scene cleaner. People waiting in line behind me who strike up conversations always regret it.”

When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe. . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

This book was a page turner from the very beginning. I started the book after church one day and could not put it down. I read three quarters of the book that day and could not wait to get home from work the next to finish reading it. It had me guessing until the next to the last page.

There was just enough romance and religion. The suspense held me spellbound. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes on the edge of your seat suspense.

Reviewed by Wanda McDonald

Another reviewer, Kelly Klepfer says: Christy Barritt makes gore laugh-out-loud funny. With one of the best first sentences ever Christy sucked me in and the story kept me speed reading to the conclusion.

A charming yet twisted novel about life, love and faith that starts with the heroine humming show tunes while she removes skull fragments from a wall and ends with her changing attitudes toward God and life.

Not for the extremely squeamish, though brave members of the Big Honkin' Chicken Club might be able to handle it.

I highly recommend Hazardous Duty. I will be looking for more novels by Christy Barritt and I hope Gabby St. Claire is only the beginning of a gritty series of tales.