Hell or High Water: A Luce Allen Mystery (Luce Allen Mysteries Book 3)

Luce and Kendra are continuing to build their relationship. In the meantime prejudice still runs wild with the rich trying to control their families. Kendra still has to deal with protesters outside her workplace and a father who blames her for his daughter’s death.

4.5⭐️ The third installment of the Luce Allen Mystery series is another captivating story. A mother and her daughter are missing. Time is running out. What happened? Did she run away or was she kidnapped? But sometimes it's even more complicated than that. Luce and her team are assigned to the case. Luce's ability to read people, her instincts, and her intuition make her one of the most successful detectives around. But often, it's almost impossible to find evidence. Another delicate case needs to be solved, and when it gets personal, nothing can stop Luce. Threats against doctors at the women’s health center, as well as money and homophobia rooted in religious beliefs, pose a great danger to women, their allies, and queer people. Once again, the description and narration of Luce's working methods and way of thinking are fascinating and very exciting. And the author always provides a few twists and surprises. The relationship between Kendra and Luce also continues to develop, and perhaps they will take the next step. They are strong women who trust each other more and more, and know that they can also be weak sometimes, show their vulnerable side, and accept a shoulder to lean on. It is a wonderful relationship that they are building together.

Very good love the storyline the characters the suspense the happy ending of course I can't wait to read the next book

This is another terrific Luce Allen book by the always great Barbara Winkes. Kendra and Luce continue to deepen their relationship and it is charming and heartwarming and adds a note of loveliness to the story. They are well drawn MC's. The main story is awful and very well told. A woman named Catherine has been abused and controlled by her family for her life. The final straw is that she is married to a woman and raising the Bishop grandchild. The child has disappeared and is appears Catherine has kidnapped her. Luce follows all the clues and some interesting threads appear. This book really kept my attention while I kept wondering just how awful it might get. The Bishops are horrible people who will sink pretty low to get what they want and they have the money to get away with it. Janice, Catherine's wife is tortured by having her child disappear. Fortunately, Luce is a great detective. This is a worthy addition to the series.+

This book is brilliant with the contrast of corrupt power versus hope and perseverance; love and light versus despair. It has it all – courage and tenacity, strength and kindness, and a real, greater fear the reader can relate to. Barbara Winkes does the thing that she does so well as the story weaves through the personal and the political with a rollercoaster of tangible relief and trepidation. This series is so relevant and feels necessary. Luce and Kendra are complex, smart, and ever so human – I love them, more each book. And . . . I want to read more.