Review: WHISKEY FLIGHT by Violet Howe

Today, Violet Howe starts a new “chapter” in her Cedar Creek world, by releasing her first Cedar Creek Suspense novel, WHISKEY FLIGHT. Review partner Amber was SO EXCITED to check it out, and wasn’t at all surprised when she loved it.

Author: Violet Howe
Series: Cedar Creek world, Cedar Creek Suspense (#1)
Release Date: January 12, 2021
Pages: 212
Review Copy: ARC provided by author*

Blurb:
She returned to Cedar Creek to escape her mistakes, but the past followed her home.

Dani moved to Chicago to pursue her dreams, and one by one, she achieved them all: an exciting job, a beautiful house, and a handsome and adoring husband. But when his early morning arrest reveals that she’s really married to a Mafia hitman, Dani’s perfect life is shattered.

Divorced, unemployed, and almost bankrupt, Dani returned home to Cedar Creek, always looking over her shoulder in case the Mafia followed her home. But after two years have passed without incident, she’s finally started to believe she can let down her guard.

Then one fateful Friday night, she wanders into a bar, intent on forgetting her problems, if only for a night. But there are two men in the bar who make that impossible. One is her high school sweetheart, the one she left behind to chase her dreams in Chicago. The other is a stranger with an ominous grin that sends chills down her spine.

As Dani’s past closes in on her, she must fight for her own life and the lives of those she loves. Can she do what it takes to ensure their survival, even if it means sacrificing herself?

Welcome to the small town of Cedar Creek! Get to know the families, solve the mysteries, and prepare to fall in love…

Initial Thoughts/Expectations:
The first thing that intrigued me about Whiskey Flight was that it was a Cedar Creek SUSPENSE book, which fans of Violet Howe will recognize as a new addition to her Cedar Creek family of stories. I know she does romance well, and her mysteries are addicting so I was excited to delve into a new suspense series. I expected to see some familiar Cedar Creek residents from past stories and hopefully some Whiskey!

What I Loved:
There was so much to love about this book. Danni, our Whiskey loving heroine, was down to earth and her backstory broke my heart. I could feel her hopelessness and anguish over marring a man she hardly knew and all the chaos that she had brought upon herself. I appreciated that she never once played the victim and took responsibility time and again for where she was at in life. Alone, embarrassed, broke, and having to constantly watch her back for an attack.

I was happy to discover Whiskey Flight wasn’t lying about being a suspense novel! From the opening scene Dani suspects she is being watched, and from the moment she receives a call from her mafia boss ex-husband we, along with Dani, don’t know what’s the truth and what could be a trap. This book had my head turning in so many directions while trying to figure out who to believe and what Victor’s end game could be.

While we’re talking about Victor let me say that Violet Howe wrote an exceedingly dynamic Villain. He was immensely successful at manipulating Dani’s feelings and twisting the truth. He was so convincing when professing his love for her that he even had me feeling sorry for him at times. How an author can write a character that makes your skin crawl as well as tug at your heartstrings is beyond me, but Violet Howe made it look easy!

What I Didn’t Love:
There honestly wasn’t anything not to love about Whiskey Flight. I would have, selfishly, liked more scenes with Dani and Seth together, but having them separated added to the overall suspense so I can’t fault it for that.

Final Thoughts:
Whiskey Flight was a suspenseful and whiskey fueled book that had me feeling so many emotions as Dani’s past came back to haunt her. I loved getting to revisit Cedar Creek, and running into old friends, too. If you enjoy small town books mixed with a second chance at love romance, topped off with a healthy dose of a dangerous mafia crime family then Whiskey Flight is book for you!