One Fell Swoop (Renata Radleigh Mystery)

Renata Radleigh is a renowned mezzo-soprano opera singer with a troublesome brother. The past year has her trying to prove her brother Don’s innocence after he is accused of murder. Now Don shows up claiming to have turned over a new leaf, but Renata is unconvinced. She enlists the help of her boyfriend Peter Lombardo to see what her brother has been up to. Peter digs into Don’s activities and finds that he is acting as a proxy for an Indian businessman who claims he wants to gentrify a slum in St. Louis, Missouri. Peter and Renata race to uncover the identity of Don’s shadowy boss. Will they discover the man behind the money and save Don from himself? Or will Renata’s bumbling brother get them all killed?  

Intriguing from the start, "One Fell Swoop" is fast paced and action packed! The second novel in the Renata Radleigh Opera Mystery series brings the drama! Readers will love these characters. One can almost hear the lilt of Renata’s English accent. She is loyal to a fault and not nearly as cynical as she's described. However, one often feels the urge to shake her awake to the obvious realities of her brother's involvement. Peter's determination to suss out the truth is admirable. His no-nonsense approach to Don is in stark contrast to Renata’s desire to believe her brother’s innocence. The drama, the secrets, the scandals and the unfolding of the mystery are so sublime, one will want to read the book again and again! 

Chantel Hardge