Lewis’s debut, the kickoff to a new series, will intrigue mystery readers from the opening lines. Frazzled and feeling watched, a young business woman leaves her job in Chicago and doesn't resurface until she’s in the mountains of Colorado, set on living a new life, under a new name and identity. Kim Jackson intends to live quietly, far from corporate fraud—and the murder she was framed for while working as an accounting manager for a Fortune 500 company. Her plan for a simple, low-key lifestyle is upended when Jackson finds herself involved in yet another homicide investigation.Fast-paced and diving right into the thick of the plot, A Mountain of Evidence weaves an intricate mystery sure to keep readers engaged and guessing until its satisfying conclusion. Protagonist Kim is smart and well-developed, a fully fleshed out character that readers will root for as Lewis does an excellent job of building up the tension and suspense while teasing out insight into her past and present lives. Kim seems to settle into the small town life quite easily, making friends and discussing literature at the Montrose Community Center, while remaining hyperaware of her surroundings, what she says, and who is watching her—which serves to keep the reader on edge as well. That’s especially true once Kim starts poking around in the apparent murder of a local girl.
Lewis writes with vivid detail, capturing her heroine’s psyche and milieu and fleshing out secondary characters, while the parallel story lines—Kim's backstory and the new homicide investigation—offer enough action to keep things moving. The murdered girl, too, has a singular voice, through her notebooks and poetry. With themes such as small-town murder, corporate backdoor dealings, and starting over this layered, plot-driven story is a strong beach read, building to a satisfying yet open-ended conclusion that will appeal to fans of stand-alones and series both.
Takeaway: A fast-paced, plot-driven, suspenseful mystery thriller offering both small-town murder and corporate intrigue.
Great for fans of: Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Jess Lourey’s May Day.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
