A hard-boiled detective mystery with a bit of romantic tension thrown in for good measure, Pipeline is a 2007 Golden Crown Literary Society Award finalist in the Lesbian Debut Author category. It tells the story of Jo Carlisle, a fifty-something woman who's far from over the hill. A photojournalist by trade, Jo is content to think that she's come home to retire to a quiet life on the family ranch in Texas only to find that life is far from relaxing when her ex, Cate Hammond, shows up pleading for her help. It seems the couple's son, Kyle, has almost gotten himself killed over a story he's writing about illegals from Mexico, and Cate wants Jo's help getting to the bottom of it all.

Jo is a reluctant detective until the murder and mayhem comes too close for comfort - then she wants revenge. Calling on some old friends from her days in the reporting business, Jo starts to wade through the underworld of gangs, illegal border crossings and some underhanded dealings at a meatpacking plant. Her old pal and ex-cop, Pauli, is enthusiastic and delighted just to get back into the thrill of the hunt. His expertise proves to be Jo's most valuable asset.

The plot twists and turns as characters are introduced and bits of information trickled to Jo like bits of confetti swirling in the wind to be recognized and interpreted. While trying to get to the bottom of some very frightening events, Jo battles her feelings for Cate and her regrets for what she left behind when their relationship ended 15 years ago. She also must deal with Kyle's rejection and anger while trying to keep him out of danger.

The final turn of events is surprising - but the best part of the story is the mostly off-again love affair filled with sexual tension between Jo and Cate. These are women filled with misgivings for a past that they knew they couldn't avoid. If they had it to do over again, there's no telling if they would do it the same way, but we are pulling for them to realize that they were meant to be together in spite of the odds.

It is wonderfully refreshing to find a woman character that, in spite of standing on the precipice of her golden years, is still feisty, vibrant and sensual. The story is classic gumshoe with a perfectly executed climax. The adventure, along with the undercurrent of sexual tension between Jo and Cate, leaves us wanting more Jo Carlisle mysteries and since this is Adcock's first book, we can only hope others will follow. She certainly has a winner in Pipeline.

If you're not hooked from the very first pages of REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, Brenda Adcock's electrifying thriller, honey, you MUST be dead. Who could resist turning the page when the book opens with a shocking description of a female highway sniper taking aim, especially when that description comes from the point of view of the very damaged character herself? This is only the beginning of a deliciously tangled web of secrets and lies. A definite page turner, adroitly written, REDRESS is one to chill you all summer long...and beyond.

A Good Beginning for a New Mystery Series

Brenda Adcock is beginning a new mystery series featuring Harriett Markham, a defense attorney in Austin, Texas. Years before she won a case that had tragic consequences and resulted in her fleeing from a very prosperous law firm in Dallas where she was the rising star and leaving behind her lover. Now, she's living a very quiet, but successful, life raising her niece Lacey and has left all of that behind.........she thinks.

The book has a startling opening as an anonymous sniper kills an unsuspecting victim and the reader is allowed to listen inside the head of the shooter to the thought processes that are going on. That is juxtaposed with a scene of Harriett delivering her closing summation in a case that reflects the type of lawyer she has become. The story then opens up when Harriett receives a visit from her former lover, Alexis Dunne, who has a request. The sister of a prominent state senator has been accused of shooting out car windows on the highway and causing a series of deaths. The evidence against Sharon Taggart is pretty conclusive and now she needs an attorney who can save her from the death penalty. Because Alexis' law firm represents the senator, they want Harriett to take the case. She is reluctant to do that because it will drag her back into the life she left behind, but then she meets Sharon and realizes that she may not be responsible for her own actions. Despite the consequences to herself, she is determined to save this woman's life. What she doesn't realize at first is that her own life is in danger. When Harriett begins to receive death threats, she is brought into contact with Jess Raines, a police officer who works in the Sex Offender Office. Jess's job is to figure out if Harriett and Lacey are in danger because of what Harriett is finding out about Sharon's past or if the threat is from a totally different source. Neither of them knows that Jared Wilkes, the man she never should have gotten acquitted the first time he was tried, has been released from prison without the warning Harriett was promised she would receive. And Jared has an agenda of his own. Harriett will also find herself having to make a choice. Does she let Alexis back into her life or does she follow the new possibilities that are being opened to her by Jess?

Redress of Grievances is considered a mystery, but it also qualifies as a psychological study. Sharon's story involves rape and sexual abuse when she was younger and manifests itself in multiple personalities and homicidal behavior. Unraveling how she thinks and what motivates her is one of the most interesting parts of the book. Harriett has her own difficulties though dealing with her role as an attorney and the people she is called upon to defend. The Jared Wilkes' case left her damaged in ways that could end up costing her life. Adcock weaves these characters' stories together in a story that flows well. Unlike some books that try to deal with two stories, there is no jerky feeling to the action or story telling. Incidents flow from page to page in a way that keeps the suspense building on two fronts. There is a growing realization of what kind of person Sharon Taggart really is, meanwhile the stalker is moving closer to Harriett all the time. There is a hook in Sharon's story that comes completely from left field and adds a terrific punch to the story. Then there is a climatic ending involving Harriett that is guaranteed to cause chills.

This is the first book in the Harriett Markham series. If they all deliver on the mystery and suspense like this one does, the readers should be able to anticipate many future volumes.