The Dangerous Edge of Things

Starred review from November 1, 2010

If you're wondering who can give Stephanie Plum a run for her money, meet Tai Randolph.

Teresa Ann "Tai" Randolph, barely a week into relocating from Savannah to Atlanta, where she's camping out at her brother Eric's place, pulls into his driveway and discovers a dead woman slumped over the steering wheel of a car. Since Eric had left that morning for a cruise in the Bahamas and Tai had just inherited Dexter's Guns and More shop from her uncle, she becomes a person of interest to the APD, even though she swears she never met the corpse when it was Eliza Compton. Digging through her brother's files, Tai finds business cards for Dan Garrity, senior investigator for the cops, and Marisa Edenfield, executive partner at Phoenix Corporate Security Services, where Eric was doing consulting work. Garrity becomes her detecting mentor, sort of, and Marisa puts her on the payroll to protect company interests (don't ask). But it's former Special Ops/ex-APD guy, Trey Seaver, a total dreamboat even if he's struggling with a little work-engendered brain damage, who's with her every step of the way as the plot ricochets past strippers, senators, another dead body, a boyfriend, a trophy wife, a tail or two, a few gunshots and a kiss that takes your breath away.

Tai's next adventure can't come soon enough. She's adorable, Trey is worthy of her and Whittle's first foray into crime fiction is noteworthy.

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Starred review from December 1, 2010

Tai Randolph, new owner of an Atlanta gun shop, finds a murdered woman in her brother's driveway, but he has fled to the Bahamas, left her to deal with police questions, and hired security agent Trey Seaver to watch her back. Trey is a former police detective and survivor of a debilitating accident that has left him with no long-term memory. VERDICT In this exciting series debut, Whittle provides not only an original, well-constructed plot but also a cast of unforgettable characters all somewhat flawed by life. With comparisons to Meg Gardiner and Karin Slaughter, this will appeal to readers who enjoy unusual approaches to crime fiction. Can't wait for the next one.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2010
The week after Teresa Ann (Tai) Randolph moves from Savannah to Atlantato run a gun shop she and her brother, Eric, just inheritedshe finds the body of a young woman, Eliza Compton, shot in a car across the street from Erics house. The exclusive and secretive corporate security firm Phoenix, for which industrial psychologist Eric consults, attempts to take Tai in hand, offering the protective services of Trey Seaver, a crackerjack agent whose brain trauma suffered in a car accident left him emotionally insensitive but with an uncanny ability to detect lying. But Tai will not be restrained; with both herself and Eric of interest to police, shes in full investigative mode looking for Elizas murderer. The convoluted plot involves money (of course), politics, and some of Atlantas movers and shakers. Whittles debut novel, clearly intended to be the first in a series, boasts a feisty if somewhat foolhardy protagonist whose relationship with the intriguing Trey bodes well for further installments. An overcomplicated story gets in the way a bit, but this has all the makings of a promising series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

Starred review from November 29, 2010
Set in Atlanta, Whittle's tight, suspenseful debut introduces Tia Randolph, a recent Savannah transplant, who has the misfortune to discover a young woman shot to death in a car parked across the street from the house of her psychologist brother, Eric, who left that morning for a cruise to the Bahamas and whose business card was found in the victim's car. Though Tia doesn't know the woman, the police regard her and her brother with interest because they recently inherited a family gun store in Kennesaw. While the cops and a private security firm attempt to solve the murder, Tia investigates on her own. She soon realizes that not only is the Randolph name in jeopardy, but her own life is at stake. Mystery fans will welcome wisecracking characters that aren't trite and a twisting plot that isn't tired.