Item: The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out
Rating: 5
Author: Gina

The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out (Ben Ames Case Files #1) by Gayleen Froese | Review

Book Details

The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out by Gayleen Froese
Series: Ben Ames #1
Published by DSP Publications on 06/14/2022
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Detective/Sleuth, Mystery, LGBTQplus
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 273

Can a disillusioned former cop track down a missing girl before it’s too late?

Seven years ago, criminologist Ben Ames thought he’d change a big city police force from the inside. He failed. Now he’s a private detective trailing insurance frauds and cheating spouses through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Like police work, the job would be easier if he didn’t have a conscience.

When university student Kimberly Moy goes missing, her sister begs Ben to take the case. But before Ben can follow up on any leads—What does the Fibonacci series have to do with Kim’s disappearance? What do her disaffected friends know? And where is her car?—chance and bad timing drop his unexpected ex, Jesse, into the mix.

Ben doesn’t have time to train Jesse into the junior PI he seems determined to become. Amateur sleuths are always trouble. Unfortunately, this is turning out to be the kind of case that requires backup, and his intuition is telling him Kim’s story may not have a happy ending....

The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out is the enthralling first book in the Ben Ames Case Files, a mystery series with a distinctly Canadian flavour. Author Gayleen Froese, winner of BookTelevision’s Three Day Novel Contest, delves deep into the flaws of humanity and delivers an immersive story fraught with twists and danger. If you like private detectives, bickering partners, and vividly drawn settings, you’ll love The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out.

Source: Received from the author or publisher for review.

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Purchase Links for The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out

Amazon – OneLink for all countries.

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My thoughts on The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out

The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out by Gayleen Froese is the first in the Ben Ames Case Files series.

I loved the murder/mystery aspect and was pleased that the romance between Ben and Jesse focused much more on the emotional bonds than physical ones. Don’t get me wrong, the sexual sizzle between the two is intense, but I enjoyed all aspects of the book.

The second chance at love trope is uniquely portrayed throughout the story. The M/M romance is handled with care and love, never sensationalized, which is difficult when one of the partners is a rockstar.

While I felt like I had parts of the mystery figured out fairly early (the clues are there for you), the suspense was high all the way to the end of this entertaining tale.

Ben’s thoughts are interspersed with the dialogue, making the reader feel like they are part of the story. There are a couple of moments where I wanted to shout at Ben for making dangerous mistakes in his investigation, but that simply proves how engrossed I was in the story.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I believe once more people hear about this book, Gayleen Froese will have a hit on her hands.

I received a digital copy of the book from the author or publisher to review. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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About Gayleen Froese

Gayleen Froese is an LGBTQ writer of detective fiction living in Edmonton, Canada. Her novels include The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out, Touch, and Grayling Cross.

Her chapter book for adults, What the Cat Dragged In, was short-listed in the International 3-Day Novel Contest and is published by The Asp, an authors’ collective based in western Canada.

Gayleen has appeared on Canadian Learning Television’s A Total Write-Off, won the second season of the Three Day Novel Contest on BookTelevision, and as a singer-songwriter, showcased at festivals across Canada. She has worked as a radio writer and talk-show host, an advertising creative director, and a communications officer.

A past resident of Saskatoon, Toronto, and northern Saskatchewan, Gayleen now lives in Edmonton with novelist Laird Ryan States in a home that includes dogs, geckos, snakes, monitor lizards, and Marlowe the tegu. When not writing, she can be found kayaking, photographing unsuspecting wildlife, and playing cooperative board games, viciously competitive card games, and tabletop RPGs.

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