Diamonds & Deception (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 3) by Ellen Butler – Review by Angela Hayes

Diamonds & Deception by Ellen Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Diamonds & Deception is the third book in the Karina Cardinal Mystery series by Ellen Butler. It is a great mystery- with drama, danger, intrigue, tension, action, suspense, and more. Even though this is the third book in the series it can be read as a standalone without feeling like you are missing part of the story. But by not reading the first two books, you would be denying yourself some really great stories- and some recurring character introduction, backstories, and other information that would enhance your overall reading experience.
Karina Cardinal is a lawyer turned lobbyist in Washington D.C. She’s smart, controlled, spirited, independent and hard-working. She and her old college friend, Mike, turned their friendship into a relationship, but they’ve hit a bit of a rough patch of late and things start off a bit grim. So, when Karina’s sister Jillian calls her to help out a friend, the two sisters are drawn into a mystery which has them both questioning what is really going on. And when trouble comes calling, and you know it will, because Karina seems to attract it- will she call on Mike for help? Or is this the beginning of the end for them? With a diamond heist, danger, secrets, lies, multiple layers, surprising developments, and so much more to the whole situation than they ever suspected- you know you are in for a very intense ride.
As with the other two books, this is a really great story- but started off a little ‘slow’ in the beginning and I felt my attention wandering a bit in the first third of the book. But once the pace picked up, things really started flowing and the ‘action’ drew me in. Again, the characters are really well developed, crafted into fully realised individuals with their own personalities, quirks, and flaws. And all added to the overall storyline.
There is a “heavier” topic highlighted in this book, which I won’t go into here because I don’t want to spoil the story- but Ms. Butler definitely shone a light on it in a realistic and informative manner- but also with some sensitivity. I can imagine writing about such things would be easy- but again Ms. Butler doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects. She proves time and again what a great storyteller she is.
I am definitely looking forward to more from Ellen Butler!

Thank you, Ms. Butler!

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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