Book Review: The Innocents by C. A. Asbrey

The Innocents - Mystery Series book 1
(and thank goodness there’s more coming!!)

Blurb:
Pinkerton Detective Abigail MacKay is a master of disguises—and of new crime-solving technology! But she’ll have to move fast to stay a step ahead of Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy.

Nat and Jake are the ringleaders of The Innocents, a western gang that specializes in holding up trains carrying payrolls—and Nat is pretty savvy when it comes to using the new sciences of 1868 in committing his crimes.

Charismatic Nat and handsome Jake are on the run, and they’ve always gotten away before—before Abi. But when Abi is caught by another band of outlaws during the chase, there’s no other choice for Nat and Jake but to save her life. Abi owes them, and she agrees to help them bring in the murderer of a family friend.

The web of criminal activity grows more entangled with each passing day, but Nat, Jake, and Abi are united in their efforts to find the murderer. Once that happens, all bets are off, and Abi will be turning Nat and Jake over to the law. But can she do it? She finds herself falling for Nat, but is that growing attraction real? Or is he just using her to learn more about the Pinkertons’ methods? Abi always gets her man—but she may have met her match in her “best enemies”—THE INNOCENTS.

My review:

If you're looking for a mystery to twist your mind, awesome dialogue that makes you legit laugh out loud, and characters to fall in love with… Look no further!!

The Innocents, the debut novel by C. A. Asbrey, fully delivers!

From the first page I was immediately captured and drawn deep into the story. My curiosity on who and what and how and when ensured that I remained tightly intrigued and invested. As it were, having to close the pages and be present in real life was difficult to accomplish. So... it didn't happen often. Ha! And even after the last page was complete I was diving back in to re-experience some of my favorite scenes.

Abi is quite the leading lady, with her wits, her strength, her passion, and her vulnerability. I'm not afraid to admit that I want to adopt some of the same tricks and traits that make her her. Especially that hair pin...

Nat. (happy sigh) Nat’s sense of honor, compassion, and humor endeared him to me. And whoever said being smart isn’t sexy? They haven’t encountered Nat. The way that man adored and pursued the challenge of being around Abi and taking on what he did had me melting… even through the few rough moments. He sure knows how to use his mind and turn up the charm and… never mind. If I say too much more I'll ruin it. Just trust me.

Jake. The muscle. Haha. Oh, Jake! His claim to loyalty, family, and his soft under the gruff scary exterior won my heart over. He had his own unique charm about him that made him the perfect partner to Nat, and one of the most adored characters in the story.

I loved how the words flowed off the page, weaving the world around me and bringing all the characters to life. I was laughing as much as I was sifting through all the clues to determine what was happening and who was going to do what next.

The Innocents is a delightfully unique story that will appeal to all readers. Whether you love a western or a mystery, with just a dash of heat thrown in, this will most definitely satisfy.

I was delighted to discover that it’s the first book in a series and that Abi, Nat, and Jake’s story is not over yet. I am most anxious to get the next book in my hands to see what journey C. A. Asbrey takes me (and you!) on next!

What are you waiting for?  Grab your copy here!