Monday, August 11, 2014

Book Review: Avoidable Contact & Giveaway


Kerry Hammond joins us today to review Tammy Kaehler's book, Avoidable Contact. After you read her review you might want to go learn more about her Indy 500 adventure earlier this year but don't forget to comment below to win a copy of the first book in this series: Dead Man's Swtich: A Kate Reilly Mystery. US Residents only.

And now for Kerry's review. 


I find that avid mystery readers, like myself, enjoying living vicariously through the characters we read about.  I will personally never be an FBI agent, a New York City Prosecutor, or an assassin for that matter. But I love to read about these sorts of characters and get an in-depth look at what their lives might be like. Along this line, I think several other career ships have sailed. I have faced the fact that I will never be a racecar driver, as much as I may act like one in the mall parking lot.

Reading Avoidable Contact by Tammy Kaehler, allowed me to feel like a NASCAR driver, even if only for a short while. Her main character is Kate Reilly, a young driver who seems to have quite a bit of excitement on, as well as off, the track.  For all you ladies out there, how much fun is it that the character is female? And for all you guys, there is plenty of testosterone at the track.

Avoidable Contact is the third book in the Kate Reilly Mystery series, and has Kate driving the Daytona International Speedway in a 24 hour long race. Each driver takes their turn in shifts behind the wheel of the team’s Corvette and the race goes on nonstop. As the action begins, Kate finds out that her boyfriend Stuart is in the hospital in critical condition, a victim of a hit and run the morning of the race. Kate spends her time on the track racing around the course to keep her team in the running, and her time off the track investigating. She is determined to find out why Stuart was targeted and who is responsible. To make matters worse, several of her long lost relatives are in the running as suspects.

Kaehler really brings the reader to the track with her writing. I was able to picture the whole event as I read along, from the tents to the pit crew. (There’s even a handy little map of the course in the beginning of the book so you can follow along.) She did a wonderful job of writing about both the actual race, and the mystery that was going on alongside it. Her characters are well written and I was able to connect with them as a reader, which is a key element that must be present to bring readers back for more installments in the characters’ lives. 


Whether you’re an actual race car driver, or you just play one at the mall, this book is a fun read.

8 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fun read. I do follow Indy cars, not NASCAR, but sure to enjoy reading about it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This book would be captivating and enjoyable. Thanks for this great giveaway and feature. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I follow both NASCAR and Indy racing so this is right up my alley

    rjprazak6@gmail.com
    Becky Prazak

    ReplyDelete
  4. NASCAR is an interest as is this great book. Many thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks all for the interest, and thanks to Mystery Playground for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  6. A female in a man's profession---I love it! I'll maybe even learn a little about racing.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Our winner is Sue Farrrell! Sue - look for an e-mail soon.

    ReplyDelete