A DARK AND TWISTING PATH is the third book in Julia Buckley's Writer's Apprentice mystery series. In this installment of Julia Buckley's contemporary gothic mystery series, paranoia is a big theme. With a kidnapped baby to hunt for, along with the baby's filthy rich criminal father Nikon Lazos on the loose, writer Lena London and her crew of puzzle solvers have lots to occupy their time and mental powers. With a history of henchmen and shady undercover reporters invading the small town of Blue Lake, Indiana, the gang is understandably a little wary of strangers. When a local mailman keels over under highly suspicious circumstances, it's just one more mystery in a stewpot full of tantalizing plot twists.

While reading A DARK AND TWISTING PATH, I suspected everyone -- including Lena's much-maligned and long-suffering boyfriend Sam West. In the midst of all the chaos created by the murder of the mailman and the hunt for baby Athena Lazos, Lena's father and step-mother, Tabitha, make their first visit to Blue Lake. The family visit helps lighten the mood at times and relieves some of the tension. Nikon Lazos is the obvious villain in this story, but trying to decipher clues and figure out how he's connected to everything is a challenge for these sleuths. I like how Julia Buckley sets up Nikon as an almost Professor Moriarty-type villain in A DARK AND TWISTING PATH, and I look forward to seeing where the author goes with this in future books. As with past books in this series, Julia Buckley balances elements of danger and suspense with some traditional cozy mystery staples like a close-knit group of friends, endearing pets, and moments of humor.

A DARK AND TWISTING PATH is a gripping mystery that keeps the reader guessing and hanging on every word. Julia Buckley adds depth and an intriguing side to Sam's former wife, Victoria West. The new characters introduced in A DARK AND TWISTING PATH are interesting and add greatly to the narrative. I look forward to Julia Buckley's next thrilling Writer's Apprentice mystery.

Book Summary

Writer's apprentice Lena London is happily working on a new collaboration with her idol and bestselling suspense novelist and friend Camilla Graham, but her joy is short- lived when a dark cloud descends upon the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana...

Lena's best friend, Allison, is in a panic. On a walk in the woods by her home, Allison discovers the body of her mail carrier, an argumentative man who recently had a falling out with Allison's husband. Lena quickly realizes that Allison has nothing to worry about as the murder weapon points to a different suspect altogether: Lena's embattled boyfriend, Sam West.

Sam was cleared of his wife's murder when she was found alive, and now someone is trying to make him look guilty again. Surveillance video of a break-in at his house shows a shadowy figure trying to incriminate him by stealing the weapon from his desk. Lena and Camilla work on a suspect list, but a threatening note and a violent intrusion at Graham House prove that the devious killer has decided to write them into the plot.