Jane Reads: Bridges Burned by Annette Dashofy | Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway

The Blurb

Paramedic Zoe Chambers is used to saving lives, but when she stops a man from running into a raging inferno in a futile attempt to rescue his wife, Zoe finds herself drawn to him, and even more so to his ten-year-old daughter. She invites them both to live at the farm while the grieving widower picks up the pieces of his life.

Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams, of course, is not happy with this setup, especially when he finds evidence implicating Zoe’s new house-guest in murder times two. When Zoe ignores Pete’s dire warnings, she runs the very real chance of burning one too many bridges, losing everything — and everyone — she holds dear.

Praise for Bridges Burned:
“The action starts off with a bang and never lets up. Zoe's on the case, and she's a heroine you'll root for through the mystery's twists and turns — strong and bold, but vulnerable and relatable. I adore her, and you will, too!”
~ Lisa Scottoline, New York Times Bestselling Author of Betrayed

Bridges Burned by Annette Dashofy

Series: A Zoe Chambers Mystery, #3

Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press

Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Paperback: 276 pages

ISBN-10: 1941962394
ISBN-13: 978-1941962398

E-Book File Size: 582 KB

ASIN: B00RY9ZW94

The Review

I just finished reading an amazing book, y'all! No fooling! Let me tell you a little about it.

Bridges Burned, by Annette Dashofy, is the third book in her Zoe Chambers Mysteries series, and the best one yet! The writing is first-rate. with many twists and turns in the plot. I couldn't put it down, and finished it in one day. Bridges Burned is a real page-turner! (Can a book still be a "page-turner" if it's read on a Kindle?)

The action in Bridges Burned moves quickly, from the explosive beginning to the climactic ending. I love the ending! I can't wait to read the next book! Annette, write faster!

The events are told from the alternating points of view of the main characters Pete Adams and Zoe Chambers. Pete and Zoe are my favorite characters — both seem real and very likable. They have been best friends for years, but now their friendship seems to be evolving.... Into romance? READ THE BOOK to find out.

All of the secondary characters that I remember from the previous Zoe Chambers books are back. A few are just mentioned by other characters as being elsewhere, in the hospital or out west on vacation, but most have returned "in person." Sylvia Bassi and Mrs Kroll are my favorites among the returning secondary characters. Sylvia, especially, has some great lines in Bridges Burned. If she were real, I think I would really enjoy being friends with Sylvia.

Here are a few of my favorite (spoiler-free) passages:

● As she [Zoe] reached for the roll of stretch gauze, someone extended a hand over her shoulder, beating her to it.

Pete came around in front of her. "Need help?" He had a large bundle tucked under one arm.

"Since when have you become a medic?"

He gave her a crooked smile. "And you've never ventured into my line of work."

● Sylvia, who could pass for the Pillsbury Doughboy's grandmother, had spent years as Vance Township's police secretary before circumstances drove her from the job and into a position on the township board of supervisors. Both jobs offered her abundant opportunity to keep Pete in line, and he adored her for it.

● Sylvia climbed to her feet. "I said let me know what you find out." She shuffled across the room and deposited her empty mug in the sink.

"I'm not the only nosy one around here. Admit it. You miss working for me, don't you?"

Sylvia headed toward the door, but veered back to the table and stood next to him [Pete]. "I do miss being in the thick of things. Knowing what's going on as soon as it happens." She patted his shoulder. "But now that I'm on the board of supervisors, technically you work for me. That part outweighs being one step removed from the front lines." With an evil chuckle, which contradicted her sweet, grandmotherly appearance, she made her exit, snagging her purse from the chair on her way out.

● The coroner tipped his head toward the morgue door. "You looked a little green around the gills in there."

"Oh." The autopsy. She [Zoe] swallowed. "Well, I didn't throw up."

"Good. That's always a start."

● What Zoe knew about these things could fit in a shot glass and leave plenty of room for whiskey. Should she call an electrician? Or a plumber?

FYI, y'all, some exciting news from Annette's blog:

Also, it’s official. I’ve signed on with Henery Press for books 4, 5, and 6 of the Zoe Chamber series! Yay! I’m thrilled… especially since I’m 50+ pages into book #4 right now, and having a blast writing it.

Bridges Burned by Annette Dashofy is a fantastic book that has earned our top rating of Five Kitties! I love this book, and recommend Bridges Burned and the Zoe Chambers Mysteries to all Mystery fans.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of Bridges Burned in exchange for my honest review.

All opinions shared are 100% my own.

Follow the tour, to read other reviews, plus Author Interviews and Guest Posts!

The Author

About Annette Dashofy

USA Today best-selling author Annette Dashofy has spent her entire life in rural Pennsylvania surrounded by cattle and horses. When she wasn’t roaming the family’s farm or playing in the barn, she could be found reading or writing.

After high school, she spent five years as an EMT on the local ambulance service, dealing with everything from drunks passing out on the sidewalk to mangled bodies in car accidents.

These days, Annette, her husband, and their two spoiled cats live on property that was once part of her grandfather’s dairy.

Her Zoe Chambers mystery series includes Circle of Influence (March 2014 — reviewed here), Lost Legacy (September 2014), and Bridges Burned (April 2015).

Her short fiction, including a 2007 Derringer nominee which features the same characters as her novels, has appeared in Mysterical-e, Spinetingler, Fish Tales: the Guppy Anthology, and Lucky Charms: 12 Crime Tales.