Devil in Profile

DEVIL IN PROFILE is a delightful, twisty read featuring a clever heroine with heart that absolutely refuses to quit! Billie Levine--like so many of us--faces challenges in her professional, family, and social life. Unlike the rest of us, she has to deal with an international art heist and mobsters. Although the pacing is flawless, Giarratano truly shines with her characters, writing them so well that you'll finish this book believing you know each of these characters and would recognize them if you passed by on the street...right down to the grumpy detectives. She sensitively handles discussions of mental health, terminal illness, and the impacts both can have on families. There are also some incredibly memorable quotes that feature beautiful writing at the line level. This is easily one of my favorite mysteries so far this year

Billie Levine is back! The wise-cracking, resourceful and loyal-to-a-fault, unlicensed PI Billie Levine was looking for low-risk, bread and butter work, serving divorce papers and lawsuits so she could support her family, both financially and emotionally. When she stumbles on a dead body trying to serve a litigant in a civil case, she becomes enmeshed in a nasty art theft ring with a Nazi past and dangerous international criminals.
DEVIL IN PROFILE is the sequel to Giarratano’s DEATH OF A DANCING QUEEN, and this book is every bit as twisty, dark and nuanced as the first book. Billie is a heroine you will root for from the first pages until the perfectly-plotted ending. You don’t need to read the first in the series before DEVIL IN PROFILE, but when you finish this book, you’ll find you probably want to go back to it, just so you can hang out longer with Billie.
Thank you to NetGalley and Datura Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Datura Books @daturabooks and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-book. All thoughts are my own.

Billie is trying to make some extra cash, so she picks up some hours at another investigative firm. It’s there that she finds a dead body, an art collector who just so happens to have ties to Nazi Germany.

When the cops start to focus on Billie’s boyfriend, as a potential suspect due to his ties to art, Billie starts to dig. Turns out that his stint in Israel left him with more than just a scar…the woman he screwed over wants revenge.

With the detectives focused on her boyfriend, Billie is determined to stop the killer before all the loose ends are tied up, including her.

What a fun book! I read the blurb for this book and hoped that it was okay if I didn’t read the first. Would it have been amazing if I had? Yes, but also, was it amazing even though I didn’t? Also, yes! But now I am going to go back and read the first book in this series. I think that it did take me a little longer to get into because I had some catching up to do, but once I was brought up to speed, boy was it a wild ride! This book had some many great things going for it, and it kept me guessing until the last minute. Literally because it ended on a note that made me want to read the next book in the series, and I don’t know if it has a release date, and I’m not a series reader usually! The writing was very immersive and drew me into the story. Once I was hooked, I didn’t want to put this book down, I even delayed eating dinner for everyone because I was so immersed. I loved everything about this book!

I've been waiting for the chance to revisit Billie Levine, and this follow-up to the excellent DEATH OF A DANCING QUEEN was every bit as clever, witty, and emotionally nuanced as the book that introduced us to the plucky New Jersey P.I. Kimberly G. Giarratano excels at exploring real-world issues with respect and heart, making Billie at once relatable and a character you admire. When faced with a case involving art of dubious origins that bleeds into her personal life, Billie throws herself into the task of righting terrible past wrongs -- danger be damned. This is must-read crime fiction for those who love mysteries that deliver a perfect balance darkness and light.