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The Bluegrass Files #1
Down the Rabbit Hole
Sonia Vitale is new at the PI game; she’s got a quirky partner; and she’s working with her handsome competition. But can she survive long enough to trust in love again?
What Sonia uncovers as she surveils a small Kentucky horse farm sends her on a journey she could never have imagined. Speeding cars, bullets, secret codes and mysterious voices burst into her life. And the most challenging conundrum of all – two very different men, each of whom enflames her Italian passions.
Come along for the ride as Sonia takes her first steps on a dangerous, action-packed journey that will eventually lead her from novice PI to consummate yet compassionate professional.
What Sonia uncovers as she surveils a small Kentucky horse farm sends her on a journey she could never have imagined. Speeding cars, bullets, secret codes and mysterious voices burst into her life. And the most challenging conundrum of all – two very different men, each of whom enflames her Italian passions.
Come along for the ride as Sonia takes her first steps on a dangerous, action-packed journey that will eventually lead her from novice PI to consummate yet compassionate professional.
- GenresMystery
346 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2018
27 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 18, 2018
Down the Rabbit Hole is F.J. Messina’s first novel and the first in a planned series of mysteries featuring private investigator Sonia Vitale and her business partner and best friend, Jet. The Bluegrass Files series will follow the adventures of the women of Bluegrass Confidential Investigations as they solve big cases in their small town.
This novel is set primarily in Lexington, KY with attention given to Lexington Castle, the sprawling farms, and of course, the bourbon! It is in this small-town setting that Sonia takes on a case to catch a man cheating on his girlfriend and winds up uncovering much, much more than infidelity. At the same time, she attracts the attention of more than one man – both of whom may end up being instrumental in solving her case, ending her recent romantic drought, and saving her life.
Messina’s debut novel has the potential to grow into a well-loved series. Readers who fall in love with Sonia and Jet will forgive the sometimes clunky flashbacks and their weepiness and will revel in the constant action: car chases, shoot-outs, and clandestine night stakeouts. Plus, there is the humor of all the clever traps set for “bad guys” which don’t work out just as often as they do.
I would recommend Down the Rabbit Hole to fans of complicated love triangles who don’t mind a little I Love Lucy-type humor with their mysteries. At times the main character comes off as a bit fragile and indecisive, and that can be annoying for those who appreciate a more assertive lead character. However, the author may have been trying to portray her as a more believable personality.
Messina’s second and third books in this series, The Bluegrass Files: Twisted Dreams and The Bluegrass Files: The Bourbon Brotherhood, are already in the works and planned for 2018 releases.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and Blair Brooke Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
This novel is set primarily in Lexington, KY with attention given to Lexington Castle, the sprawling farms, and of course, the bourbon! It is in this small-town setting that Sonia takes on a case to catch a man cheating on his girlfriend and winds up uncovering much, much more than infidelity. At the same time, she attracts the attention of more than one man – both of whom may end up being instrumental in solving her case, ending her recent romantic drought, and saving her life.
Messina’s debut novel has the potential to grow into a well-loved series. Readers who fall in love with Sonia and Jet will forgive the sometimes clunky flashbacks and their weepiness and will revel in the constant action: car chases, shoot-outs, and clandestine night stakeouts. Plus, there is the humor of all the clever traps set for “bad guys” which don’t work out just as often as they do.
I would recommend Down the Rabbit Hole to fans of complicated love triangles who don’t mind a little I Love Lucy-type humor with their mysteries. At times the main character comes off as a bit fragile and indecisive, and that can be annoying for those who appreciate a more assertive lead character. However, the author may have been trying to portray her as a more believable personality.
Messina’s second and third books in this series, The Bluegrass Files: Twisted Dreams and The Bluegrass Files: The Bourbon Brotherhood, are already in the works and planned for 2018 releases.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and Blair Brooke Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
September 30, 2020
A must read for all Lexingtonians written by a retired Fayette County Public Schools teacher. You’ll want to run to Magees to have an almond croissants, eat lunch at Joe B’s, and drive out to Pisgah Pike. You have murder, romance, drugs, horse farm shenanigans, and more right in Lexington. Fun read! Can’t wait for Book2.
July 17, 2021
Fast paced mystery/romance kept my interest. I loved the Lexington location details as I have family in Lexington. Magee’s bakery is even better than described!
May 18, 2018
I love being able to read a book from my hometown. I was familiar with all the Kentucky traditions and it brought me back to my roots. It doesn’t matter if you are from Kentucky though, you will thoroughly enjoy this mystery! Usually I am one to figure things out, but this was had me till the end!!
January 27, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this new series - the Bluegrass Files. A series which I hope will have many books to come because Sonia is definitely growing as a person with her new job as a private investigator. She's a person I want to read more about and come to know as a "friend".
I love mysteries and I especially love mysteries that have a strong female as the main character. Some of the series I've read include the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and the Kinsey Millhone series (alphabet series) by Sue Grafton. Both of these have female main characters who grow as a person - professionally and personally - as the series progress. I can definitely see this happening with Sonia Vitale in the Bluegrass Files series by F J Messina.
I especially was looking forward to reading this first book by F J Messina because I'm familiar with his work as a musician from many years ago. And I wasn't disappointed. He is just as talented as an author as he is a musician. I loved that he used his adopted hometown of Lexington, KY as the background. I've never lived there, but being from Louisville, I've been there quite often to visit friends and know some of the places he mentioned well. For me, this always makes a book more interesting.
Good work! And I look forward to the next book in the series - Twisted Dreams - and many more to come.
I love mysteries and I especially love mysteries that have a strong female as the main character. Some of the series I've read include the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and the Kinsey Millhone series (alphabet series) by Sue Grafton. Both of these have female main characters who grow as a person - professionally and personally - as the series progress. I can definitely see this happening with Sonia Vitale in the Bluegrass Files series by F J Messina.
I especially was looking forward to reading this first book by F J Messina because I'm familiar with his work as a musician from many years ago. And I wasn't disappointed. He is just as talented as an author as he is a musician. I loved that he used his adopted hometown of Lexington, KY as the background. I've never lived there, but being from Louisville, I've been there quite often to visit friends and know some of the places he mentioned well. For me, this always makes a book more interesting.
Good work! And I look forward to the next book in the series - Twisted Dreams - and many more to come.
April 20, 2023
Sonia Vitale and her friend Joyce Ellen Thomas (aka 'Jet') have a newly-opened Detective agency, Bluegrass Confidential Investigations, in Lexington, Kentucky.
When they are hired to check if a boyfriend is cheating events spiral out of control, so much so that Sonia seeks help from another local detective - the sometimes pleasant but often dour Brad Dunham.
There's also the problem of Sonia's attraction toward Brad, but also towards local policeman Det. Sgt. Johnny Adams.
"Down the Rabbit Hole" is a competent but unremarkable P.I. novel. The characters are somewhat one-dimensional and the plotting is forced - rather than following the story I got the feeling that I was being led from one set piece to the next.
It's a first novel so it is only fair to cut it some slack - I'll definitely read more in the series.
3 Stars.
When they are hired to check if a boyfriend is cheating events spiral out of control, so much so that Sonia seeks help from another local detective - the sometimes pleasant but often dour Brad Dunham.
There's also the problem of Sonia's attraction toward Brad, but also towards local policeman Det. Sgt. Johnny Adams.
"Down the Rabbit Hole" is a competent but unremarkable P.I. novel. The characters are somewhat one-dimensional and the plotting is forced - rather than following the story I got the feeling that I was being led from one set piece to the next.
It's a first novel so it is only fair to cut it some slack - I'll definitely read more in the series.
3 Stars.
December 28, 2022
I enjoyed the premise of this book. LOVED that it is based in my Lexington, where I currently live and a few other places like Versailles (where I grew up) I found a few grammar mistakes which kind of drove me crazy, but I could overlook, but the character development was lacking. It was weird how things worked out the way they did without any true arc to get us there. Either way, it was enjoyable and I’ll probably try out the rest of the series!
April 21, 2020
Slow start. Surprise ending.
July 31, 2021
I absolutely loved this book❣️
Can’t wait to read the next one!
Can’t wait to read the next one!
August 2, 2022
A must read!!! mystery abounds in this book set in the bluegrass!!!
May 6, 2018
This is the first book in a series. Two females run a private investigators office in Lexington, Kentucky. Sonia is investigating a cheating boyfriend when she thinks she has seen a murder. This throws her into a whirlwind of adventures with the PI across the street. There is some romance included for Sonia.
April 5, 2018
This is a fun mystery set in the heart of Bluegrass Country in Kentucky.
Sonia is an investigator, but an unlikely one at that. It is through surveillance of a suspected cheating boyfriend that she uncovers something much more sinister than adultery. Knowing it is out of her league, she approaches the 'competition' in town which leads to a few close calls as they seek to uncover the truth.
Overall this is a delightful read with plenty of scenes in a local bakery that had me wanting a coffee and pastry. There's romantic tension in the book on top of the mystery of what is really going on behind closed doors at the horse farm.
Sonia is an investigator, but an unlikely one at that. It is through surveillance of a suspected cheating boyfriend that she uncovers something much more sinister than adultery. Knowing it is out of her league, she approaches the 'competition' in town which leads to a few close calls as they seek to uncover the truth.
Overall this is a delightful read with plenty of scenes in a local bakery that had me wanting a coffee and pastry. There's romantic tension in the book on top of the mystery of what is really going on behind closed doors at the horse farm.
April 8, 2018
The Bluegrass Files: Down the Rabbit Hole is the first book in a new mystery series set in Kentucky. The beginning of the book was at a bit of an idle for me but when the action started the book was full speed ahead of Kentucky action with hints of humor for a story I could not put it down. A private detective that makes a living catching cheating exes, Soria stakes out a farm to catch a cheater. Days of surveillance bring some weird going ons to light and then a mysterious death happens at the farm. When the death is ruled a suicide, Soria heads across the road to recruit the competition. Ex-marine and ex-NCIS, Brandon agrees to help Soria take on the case and they quickly uncover a drug operation and a penchant for finding dangerous situations. The main characters produce good chemistry and toss in an extra love interest for some added conflict. The story just gains momentum all the way until a sweet little HEA and a twisty ending. This book is good start and gives you a hankering for more Soria. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews