Diamonds & Deception (Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 3) by Ellen Butler – Review by Jennifer Gordon

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

This is book three in Butler’s ‘Karina Cardinal Mystery Series’ and having read the two previous novels and having been introduced to Karina Cardinal I was looking forward to this third instalment and was not disappointed. Although book three in a series it can be read as a standalone story, however if read as a series then the reader will have a better understanding of Karina’s backstory.
When a friend of her sister Jillian, Sadira Manon who is a middle school teacher is accused of theft from her moonlighting job as a jewellery store clerk, Karina steps in to help prove her innocence. Karina and Jilly join together with Silverthorne Security to investigate as Sadira is adamant that she is not guilty and that she’s being set up. The more they dig and uncover they soon find themselves amongst the shady and dangerous world of the Russian mob. Unfortunately Karina realises she has discovered too much and that she is in trouble a bit late and so she really only has one hope of rescue and that’s boyfriend and FBI cybercrime’s expert, Mike. However the couple who have had a friends to lovers relationship have hit a difficult patch and so Karina just hopes he will pick up his phone.
The storyline was fast paced and had plenty of drama, suspense and twists and turns in it that kept me guessing and happily turning the pages. I was fully immersed in this crime thriller and I literally could not put the book down. I love Karina, the main character, who really brings the story to life and she is a very relatable and likeable person and I felt fully immersed in the story alongside her. Having read the first two books I felt like I was back with an old friend. I hope there will be further books in this series.

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