Updated October 11, 2016
"This is a terrific, fast-moving story with a savvy main character at the helm. Kate Fox is a detective that has made her mark and will (hopefully) stick around for many more books to come."--Suspense Magazine
Mysterious News's ears started buzzing when two newsies posted highly complimentary Facebook posts about Shannon Baker's Stripped Bare on the same day so I checked their Amazon reviews.
Jeanette Hubbard, author of the Claudie O'Brien novels Secrets Lies & Champagne Highs and Chasing Nathan wrote:
Gripping fast-paced mystery with a heroine you'll want to follow in this new series
It's a hard life working on a cattle ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Kate Fox loves the peaceful quiet of it. But a phone call upends all that. A man is murdered and another one is shot in the chest. And the man who is shot, he's the sheriff and Kate's husband. While he struggles in the ICU Kate begins her search for the real killer. The secrets and betrayals she uncovers destroy her peaceful way of life.
Kate Fox is an intriguing new heroine, resilient and hard-charging, with a witty understanding of the people in her family and community.
This is a fast-paced mystery and fortunately just the first of the Kate Fox adventures.
But what really caught my attention was Stephen Campbell's Facebook post.
Feeling thankful (and one of those emojis). That awkward moment when the book you finished yesterday was so darn good that you don't want to start the next one. I loved STRIPPED BARE from Shannon Baker and want to let it sit with me for at least another day.
I asked Stephen Campbell author of Four Seasons of Reno Hart to elaborate. Take it away Steve.
STRIPPED BARE IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2016
What is it that makes a great new series character for you?
The first character that I truly locked onto as a reader was John D. McDonald's iconic Travis McGee. He was tough, had his own code, and he was unique. But what kept me coming back, book after book until Mr. McDonald's death in 1986 was the combination of McGee and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
As a teenager living in Ohio, Fort Lauderdale was a wildly exotic setting for the series, and I couldn't wait to return to McGee's world with each new book.
There have been dozens, maybe hundreds of series I've enjoyed since then, but for me, a great series always has an unusual character set in his or her unique world.
Think of Cathy Mallory prowling the streets of New York City, or Spenser roaming through the underbelly of Boston with Hawk watching his back. Are you old enough to remember Archie McNalley coolly investigating the wealthy ne'er do wells of Palm Beach? Each of these engaging characters was made more interesting by placing the stories in the perfect location.
Shannon Baker's latest novel, STRIPPED BARE contains many of these elements, introducing a memorable new character, a unique and atmospheric location and a well-crafted mystery.
The series takes place in the Nebraska Sandhills, which to this reader seems every bit as exotic as Fort Lauderdale had all those years ago. Ms. Baker transfers us to a small town world populated with unusual, and richly drawn characters.
In STRIPPED BARE, our heroine, Kate Fox, is married to County Sheriff Ted Conner, but she’s truly in love with the life they’ve built at his family’s ranch. When Sheriff Ted is found shot and severely injured at the scene of the murder of a local land baron, Kate’s carefully constructed life flips upside down as quickly as the early spring weather changes in the Nebraska Sandhills.
Kate Fox is tough and resourceful, has her own code and is unique, but what sets this series apart is the interesting combination of Kate and the Sandhills.
STRIPPED BARE is my favorite book 2016, and I can't wait for the next installment in what I hope will be a long-lasting and much-loved series.
Just heard that newsie Pam Stack of Authors on the Air Radio talked with Shannon Baker, too! (And Jess Lourey. Yes, Jess. I'm in on to the great buzz for Salem's Cipher, too. Don't think you snuck one past me).
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, read this excerpt and let me know if Shannon's as good as everyone says she is. I'm afraid to look.
Boucherconfidential | The Macavity-Barry-Anthony-Shamus Awards and The Lou Berney Conspiracy | Allen Eskens - The Heavens May Fall | Kate Pilarcik - The Damp Fedora | Shannon Baker - Stripped Bare | Upcoming Issues
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