The Elder

By Celia Aaron

Synopsis

A shocking murder.
A suspicious son.
A dedicated detective.
In Azalea, Mississippi, the only thing hotter than the summer days are the men of the King family. When the patriarch Randall King is found dead, Detective Arabella Matthews will race the clock to stop the killer from striking again. Benton, the eldest of the King siblings, has to decide if he wants to cooperate with the feisty detective or conduct his own investigation. The more he finds out about his father—and the closer he gets to Arabella—the more he wants to keep her safe. But the killer has different plans . . .

–> This is a full-length mystery with a slow-burn romance. xx

Review

Firstly, the cover of The Elder I really love.

The Elder is a slow and steady build-up to a fast-paced conclusion. This whole story takes place over a few days. With this in mind, the first 70% of this story is all about the mystery of who killed The Elder “King” and other members of the town.

I struggled with the pace of the chemistry between Arabella and Benton. There were moments that I hoped we would see a turn but Arabella was so closed off.

Porter, Benton’s brother was actually one of my favourite characters in this whole story. He provided humour and helped connect the two main characters. HIs whole team was great including a stand out being “Santa”.

Interesting that I did not pick all the main players in this mystery until the last few chapters.

When Benton and Arabella finally unite it was wonderful and so I am left disappointed in a way as they are a great couple.

The Elder is definitely more of a mystery/suspense with only a light sprinkle of romance.

My Rating: