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Kelly O'Connell #7
The Color of Fear
The Color of Fear marks Judy Alter’s return to mystery fiction and the Kelly O’Connell series after an absence of more than a year. This time, the indomitable Keisha narrates the short tale wherein Kelly and her family live under the threat of infant Gracie’s kidnapping. The story serves as a reprise of many of the previous novels in the series, as Keisha, in her search for the kidnapper, recalls Kelly’s earlier adventures.
Keisha remains outspoken and independent as she balances her need to protect Kelly and her family with her love for new husband, José Thornberry. Some but not all of Kelly’s friends and foes from previous stories appear here, along with such new characters as Clyde, the guard dog, and Cowboy, the homeless guy with a soft heart.
Keisha remains outspoken and independent as she balances her need to protect Kelly and her family with her love for new husband, José Thornberry. Some but not all of Kelly’s friends and foes from previous stories appear here, along with such new characters as Clyde, the guard dog, and Cowboy, the homeless guy with a soft heart.
66 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2017
5 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Judy Alter
146 books132 followersAfter an established career writing historical fiction for adults and young adults about women of the nineteenth-century American West, Texas author Judy Alter turned her attention to contemporary cozy mysteries and wrote three series: Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, Blue Plate Café Mysteries, and Oak Grove Mysteries. She has most recently published two titles in her Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries--Saving Irene and Irene in Danger.
Her most recent historical books are The Most Land, the Best Cattle: The Waggoners of Texas and The Second Battle of the Alamo, a study in both Texas and women’s history. Judy’s western fiction has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Public Library. She was named One of 100 Women, Living and Dead, Who Have Left Their Mark on Texas by the Dallas Morning News, and named an Outstanding Woman of Fort Worth in the Arts, 1988, by the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women
Judy is a member Sisters in Crime and Guppies, Women Writing the West, Story Circle Network, a past president of Western Writers of America, and an active member of the Texas Institute of Letters.
Retired after almost thirty years with TCU Press, twenty of them as director, Judy lives in a small cottage—just right for one and a dog—in Fort Worth, Texas with her Bordoodle Sophie. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of seven. Her hobby is cooking, and she’s learning how to cook in a postage-stamp kitchen without a stove. In fact, she wrote a cookbook about it: Gourmet on a Hot Plate.
Her most recent historical books are The Most Land, the Best Cattle: The Waggoners of Texas and The Second Battle of the Alamo, a study in both Texas and women’s history. Judy’s western fiction has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Public Library. She was named One of 100 Women, Living and Dead, Who Have Left Their Mark on Texas by the Dallas Morning News, and named an Outstanding Woman of Fort Worth in the Arts, 1988, by the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women
Judy is a member Sisters in Crime and Guppies, Women Writing the West, Story Circle Network, a past president of Western Writers of America, and an active member of the Texas Institute of Letters.
Retired after almost thirty years with TCU Press, twenty of them as director, Judy lives in a small cottage—just right for one and a dog—in Fort Worth, Texas with her Bordoodle Sophie. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of seven. Her hobby is cooking, and she’s learning how to cook in a postage-stamp kitchen without a stove. In fact, she wrote a cookbook about it: Gourmet on a Hot Plate.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 30, 2017
The Color of Fear by Judy Alter is book seven in the Kelly O'Connell Mystery series. It is a slim novella packed full of strong characters and a concise and subtle synopsis of the development of the previous tales. And, slim though it may be, it packages a tightly woven cozy mystery.
The central characters include Kelly, her assistant Keisha, her husband Detective Shandy, and her baby Grace. New to the series, this reader found the narrator, Keisha, to be exceptionally engaging and informative. Following her narration is akin to having coffee with a new friend and Keisha does a great job of updating the reader on the backstory of the previous misadventures she has shared with Kelly.
About halfway through the work, author Judy Alter weaves some choice threads of the series history into Keisha's analysis of Kelly's current story and predicament. This is a tremendous help to those of us trying to piece together the history and relationships of the current story. The chatty style of Keisha's commentary draws the reader onto her ruminations and provides a taste of the varied experiences the two have shared, including tangling with deranged serial killer and a sociopathic televangelist.
The current crisis involves a threat to Kelly's baby. The televangelist has escaped from a maximum-security prison and is considered a prime threat. But he is not the only one, and the story proceeds to unravel the possible threats—concluding, of course, with a surprise ending.
Character development is a solid strength for Ms. Alter and the individual voices are surprisingly well developed for such a short work. This brief and satisfying introduction to the series will certainly serve as an impetus to read more of this author's work, particularly more of the Kelly O'Connell books.
by Diane Stanton
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
The central characters include Kelly, her assistant Keisha, her husband Detective Shandy, and her baby Grace. New to the series, this reader found the narrator, Keisha, to be exceptionally engaging and informative. Following her narration is akin to having coffee with a new friend and Keisha does a great job of updating the reader on the backstory of the previous misadventures she has shared with Kelly.
About halfway through the work, author Judy Alter weaves some choice threads of the series history into Keisha's analysis of Kelly's current story and predicament. This is a tremendous help to those of us trying to piece together the history and relationships of the current story. The chatty style of Keisha's commentary draws the reader onto her ruminations and provides a taste of the varied experiences the two have shared, including tangling with deranged serial killer and a sociopathic televangelist.
The current crisis involves a threat to Kelly's baby. The televangelist has escaped from a maximum-security prison and is considered a prime threat. But he is not the only one, and the story proceeds to unravel the possible threats—concluding, of course, with a surprise ending.
Character development is a solid strength for Ms. Alter and the individual voices are surprisingly well developed for such a short work. This brief and satisfying introduction to the series will certainly serve as an impetus to read more of this author's work, particularly more of the Kelly O'Connell books.
by Diane Stanton
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
December 27, 2017
For anyone who hasn't read all the preceding books in this series or for those who haven't read any of them, this nifty little novella (or short story depending on your definition) can fill some of the gaps. Besides the current adventure, Keisha also shares tidbits about past exploits so we're pretty much up to date...although, of course, reading the full length novels will offer much more. Here, we get tiny teasers.
Keisha is the standout character in this particular story, seemingly the only one except Mike, Kelly's police captain husband, who keeps a level head in the current crisis. Threats are being made against a little baby and everyone has different ideas about who could be making these threats and why but it's Keisha who does the most to avoid panic. Her sixth sense comes into play and her love for all these people---well, not so much for Miss Cynthia---sees her through to the end.
That end isn't entirely satisfactory because it's rushed and a bit out of nowhere but that's often the case with short stories and novellas, just not enough time to flesh it out properly. This is a story that will introduce or re-introduce readers to Kelly and those in her circle and I hope to see more of these folks soon.
Keisha is the standout character in this particular story, seemingly the only one except Mike, Kelly's police captain husband, who keeps a level head in the current crisis. Threats are being made against a little baby and everyone has different ideas about who could be making these threats and why but it's Keisha who does the most to avoid panic. Her sixth sense comes into play and her love for all these people---well, not so much for Miss Cynthia---sees her through to the end.
That end isn't entirely satisfactory because it's rushed and a bit out of nowhere but that's often the case with short stories and novellas, just not enough time to flesh it out properly. This is a story that will introduce or re-introduce readers to Kelly and those in her circle and I hope to see more of these folks soon.
August 15, 2017
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
The Color of Fear by Judy Alter was an okay story. I did feel like the story was rushed, but I am sure that is only because it is a short story. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can see myself picking up other books by her in the future. I did wish from time to time that there was more conversation and less of what Keisha was thinking. I felt like I spent more time in her head than actually knowing what was going on in the book. If you are looking for a short story to read and you like mystery books, I would pick this book to read.
The Color of Fear by Judy Alter was an okay story. I did feel like the story was rushed, but I am sure that is only because it is a short story. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can see myself picking up other books by her in the future. I did wish from time to time that there was more conversation and less of what Keisha was thinking. I felt like I spent more time in her head than actually knowing what was going on in the book. If you are looking for a short story to read and you like mystery books, I would pick this book to read.
March 6, 2021
One sided story
This must have been an after thought the author had. All from Keisha's point of view, the brief story was very clipped, no great development and left the reader anxious with no clear win. The other Kelly O'Connell stories are fully developed and very enjoyable. Easy to skip this one.
This must have been an after thought the author had. All from Keisha's point of view, the brief story was very clipped, no great development and left the reader anxious with no clear win. The other Kelly O'Connell stories are fully developed and very enjoyable. Easy to skip this one.
May 20, 2017
I'm glad we are going to have more Kelly O'Connell mysteries!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews