Investigating Helen (Murder by the Bay Book 1)

LGBTQ: Dr. Helen Nims, a heart surgeon, finds herself a suspect in her girlfriend’s murder when she turns up dead. Agnes Coates, a reporter for a true crime show, meets Helen at the station before she knows about the murder and is immediately intrigued by Helen. Agnes, too, had a past with the murdered Jolie. Agnes’s boss decides this is the perfect tie-in for a good story and assigns her and Heath to get the scoop. As Jolie’s ex-husband casts suspicion upon Helen, her profession and personal life crumble. She and Agnes are drawn together, and they must see if they can weather, or even survive, the storm.

Benna Bos’s charming and affable characters bring a perfect amount of vivacity to her story. “Investigating Helen” is a quick, refreshing read. With its quickness, several elements both soar and get glossed over in alternating moments. The main characters, particularly Helen and Agnes, are very well developed and unique. Other characters such as Malcolm and Heath are fun additions to the cast, though could use a little extra depth. The story is overall well-paced, but the action portions near the end are rushed at times, telling rather than showing some events. The plot itself is exciting and contemporary, really living in the modern era with the use of podcasts. The romance between Helen and Agnes is organic, given plenty of time to develop and grow. The “who” of the mystery is easy to solve, but enough questions need solving surrounding the “how” to keep things interesting.  For a light, refreshing read with LGBTQ+ couples, readers can’t go wrong with “Investigating Helen.”

Shailyn Rogers