Charade~Kristy Douglas | Review

Title: Charade (Sabby Carlyle #1)
Author: Kristy Douglas
Genre: Contemporary/Mystery
Length: 364 Pages
Release: March 2015
My Rating: 4/5 Stars

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Review

Sabine "Sabby" Carlyle's life is turned upside down when her grandmother, the woman who raised her, is murdered. Sabby refuses to accept that the man might get away and begins investigating the murder on her own. 

This story was fast paced and fun. Sabby is into fashion and dreams of becoming an actress. The novel is mostly a third person narrative that follows Sabby, but there are occasional jumps to other characters in the story. I think the story really benefited from this style. It kept it moving and fresh. Sabby could be annoying at times and I found her obsession with her clothes and accessories-even in the face of extreme danger-to be a bit unrealistic. But maybe that's just me. 

All of the other characters in the story were interesting and added in a nice perspective. Nathan, the FBI agent assigned to the case, was strong, supportive, and loyal. Nightengale, a new guy on the Upper East Side with great fashion sense and good looks, is fun and exciting. Lolly, Sabby's best friend and roommate, is energetic and supportive. Carter, the concierge to the building where Sabby grew up, is full of surprises. 

The mystery itself was somewhat predictable, but kept me interested nonetheless. The romantic element was a but much at times with Sabby unsure of her feelings regarding two different men, but it was never the main focus so it never bothered me too much. I would have preferred more development of Sabby's skills in research or investigation (since that's what she was trying to do), but at the same time I it was nice that she wasn't just some brilliant detective from the start.

Overall I found this fast, fun, and intriguing. I will definitely be picking up the next installment in this series. I'm interested to see where Sabby goes next and how many of the characters roll over into her next adventure.