Poison Butterfly

by Lo Monaco

Eloise disappeared 25 years ago. She left a five-month-old baby with its father. In the Second Terry Strong, PI, novel, Terry has been hired by Martin Oldfield to find his wife. His wife, Eloise, had disappeared 25 years ago, leaving Oldfield with the five-month-old baby. After searching for Eloise, Terry finds her, but she is now Louise Kingley. Terry arranges for Oldfield and Eloise/Louise to meet. The day after the first meeting, Eloise/Louise is found dead. Oldfield is arrested. Oldfield hires Terry to clear him of the murder, sending Terry on an ever-changing whirlwind search to discover who Eloise/Louise truly was and who, in fact, killed her. A surprise ending brings the investigation to a shocking close.

200 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2018

About the author

A native Californian, I have recently returned from Italy, where I lived for almost 16 years. I am a former judge for the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Awards. I am a former editor of Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, both print and online versions. My first novel, “Lethal Relations”—(self-published) was Short Listed for the 2018 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards for Mystery and Mayhem section. (It was subsequently republished by Level Best Books.) My second novel “Poison Butterfly,” was also self-published. My third novel, “Suddenly Deadly,” (self-published) was Short Listed for the 2022 Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards for Clue section.

Reviews

[Lisa Gillette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo Monaco’s sophomore effort proves that her excellent first book, “Lethal Relations,” was no fluke. This second effort featuring female private eye Terry Strong is a twisty mystery that starts out as a search for a long-missing person. Terry is hired by a man to find the wife who’d left him and their young son 25 years prior, after he receives a postcard from her completely out of the blue. As Terry and her charming young partner Jack begin to do the legwork, they find the case isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Then, when their search suddenly turns into a murder mystery, they find a tangled web of lies and half-truths that had me guessing at the culprit until near the end, when Terry makes a shocking discovery that causes everything to fall into place.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book, as with the first one, is Lo Monaco’s non-flowery way of writing the character and her observations about the case and her life. Terry is smart and funny and, like most of us, carries baggage from previous relationships. She lives with her mom — who is a great cook and very patient — and her dog, Tim, and focuses on work to avoid thinking about her failed marriage or her feelings for the local police lieutenant.

I would like to learn more about Terry’s family in future books; not only her mother but also her two sisters, who are briefly mentioned. Perhaps some kind of long-buried family mystery could emerge that would allow some exposition/exploration of these characters. And I love Jack — they have a great working relationship, and I always find myself wondering what he does with his down time.

”Poison Butterfly” is another enjoyable page-turner, and I can’t wait for the release of the next installment in the Terry Strong series.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of mind blowing twists. It is a
fast paced, filled cover to cover with action, lies
uncovered and secrets revealed. There is quite a
tangled web of clues to weave through plus an
unexpected conclusion.
Terry Strong is a private investigator. She is hired
by Martin Oldfield to find his wife. It seems Eloise
Oldfield left her five month old baby, emptied her
husband’s bank account and disappeared. It is
25 years later and Martin has received a postcard
from her. So he hires a Terry to find her.
Terry finds her but the Eloise is now known as Louise
Kingley. Although she never divorced Martin, she is
married again. Terry arranged for Martin and
Eloise/Louise to meet.
Then Terry gets a call from a Martin that he found
Eloise/Louise dead. He has been arrested. He claims
he is innocent. Martin requests her to investigate and
get him a lawyer. She needs to prove his innocence.
The plot is uniquely complex with intrigue, tension,
drama, suspense, plenty of chills plus many twists and
turns.
The characters are well rounded, well developed, three
dimensional, interesting and cleverly crafted.
A good read.
I volunteered to read Poison Butterfly. Thanks to the
Facebook Cozy Review Crew for the opportunity and
for introducing me to this author. My opinion is my own.

[Sara Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poison Butterfly is the 2nd book by Lo Monaco in the Terry Strong PI mystery series, it was an average book, not awful, but I also didn't fall in love with it. I think I would only recommend it to someone who likes this kind of story, not someone I am introducing to mystery novels. I enjoyed the premise of the story, but I might have liked it better had I read the first book. Terry is a young, beautiful, divorced, former model, turned private investigator, who lives with her mother. Her investigative partner is an equally attractive, even younger Do Jang owner and Tai Kwan Do instructor. They've been hired to find Martin Oldfield's wife Eloise, she left her husband and 5 month old son 25 years earlier, but not until after cleaning out their bank account. I immediately disliked Eloise. Anyone who would do such a thing to their baby, deserves nothing but contempt. Upon Terry and Jack finding her, my opinion of her did not improve, in fact, I cheered the fact that she would be the victim in the story soon. Poor, sweet, somewhat pathetic Martin, is excited to see his wife, I feel terrible for him, he never chose to divorce her, and still had hope she would come back to him. Upon their second meeting he finds her dead in the parking garage and is arrested for her murder immediately. Terry and Jack are back on the hunt, hired again by Martin, but this time to prove his innocence. I didn't care for the fact that nearly all the characters were described as exceedingly beautiful or handsome, it is unrealistic. I also think the story could have done without the romantic aspect between Terry and Lieutenant Carl Black, it felt really forced to me. Even though the story had quite a few possible suspects (it started to feel like people were being added in as fluff, but I guess they were all at least somewhat necessary), it was not hard to keep them all in order and determine who the killer was before the end of the book. All in all I don't feel that I am interested in reading this series further.

I received this book for free from the author or their publisher to read and review, being given this book at no cost has in no way had an effect on my review.

[Mona Garg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy via The Review Crew in exchange for an honest review.

The title and premise of this book intrigued me. Also, I enjoy discovering new-to-me authors.

Martin Oldfield’s wife, Eloise, went missing...twenty-five years ago. She took the money and left behind, not only him, but their infant son. Life went on, but Martin hasn't moved on. Suddenly, after years of no contact, he receives a postcard
from her and sets out to track her down. He hires Terry Strong, PI, to take on the case. PI Strong is good at her job and it’s not long before she, along with her
associate/martial arts instructor, Jefferson Jackson, find her. But, she is now married and goes by the name Louise Kingley.

Ecstatic, Martin goes to meet with her. The first meeting goes well, but the second one, not so much. Eloise is dead and Martin is arrested. Strong is recruited by Martin once more, this time to clear him of murder.

The story moves along at a steady pace, neither too slow nor too fast. The writing style is very readable, with simple language, good character development, vivid descriptions, and short chapters. The intermittent humor(some laugh-out-loud) and romance helped lighten the mood.

I enjoyed this book. It was short(only 192 pages) but, to-the-point, with a good story and an unpredictable satisfying end.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poison Butterfly by Lo Monaco is a fast-paced, entertaining cozy mystery that features Theresa (Terry) Strong as the 33-year-old protagonist who runs a small private investigator's firm along with her intern Jackson (Jack) Jefferson, who is 23 and her Taekwondo instructor who is putting in hours to become a private investigator. She lives with her mother who is also single, because it makes sense; also because her mother cooks, cleans, and does laundry. Terry has been divorced six years from a man 25 years her senior who cheated on her but still occupies her thoughts too often.

Martin Oldenfield arrives at Terry's office wanting to hire her to look for his runaway wife. Problem is: she ran away 25 years ago. Knowing it will be a futile effort she promises him a week and accepts his $1500 retainer because he seems like a nice man. She and Jack locate her almost immediately but it does not end well as the next day, as he was meeting her for the second time, Oldenfield is arrested for her murder. Terry thinks he's innocent and so we meet another interesting character: Rance DuBoise, a lawyer and friend of Terry's who is a Southern gentleman and decidedly gay, much to the consternation of the female population to whom her is exposed.

Poison Butterfly is an entertaining story with some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next in the series.

I was given free ARC of Poison Butterfly in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Raychel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Lo Monaco and it didn't disappoint. Terry Strong is a PI who's hired by a man to find the wife who’d left him and their young son 25 years prior, after he receives a postcard from her completely out of the blue. This book is second in a series however you can read it as a stand alone.

I loved the way the author wrote. She has a way of making you fall in love with the characters. Each character is well rounded and developed. Making it for a fast read and enjoyable read.

I thought several times I knew who did it only to be shocked at the end. There are plenty of twists and turns. Keeping you on your toes the entire read. I'll definitely be picking up more books by this Author. I highly recommend this book.

[Anneliese Grassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me from the first page. It was suspenseful, with its twists and turns, and I loved the characters. Their interactions were relatable with one another. I just can’t imagine anyone doing this to people, treating them this way, and toiling with their emotions like that but I know it does happen. The only thing that got me was that I figured it out pretty quickly who did it and then that was running through my head the whole rest of the book. But I would highly recommend reading this little nugget. It is an easy, enjoyable read.

[Caitie Deranek · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Terry Strong is hired for what appears to be a simple private investigator job - find a missing wife after 25 years of separation. She is successful, but when she arranges a meeting for the estranged couple, the woman is murdered and the man accused of committing the crime. With conflicting stories and multiple potential suspects, Terry is forced to examine the crime from all angles while considering that her client might indeed be guilty.

While I did think that much of the story line was somewhat trite - for example, the victim was a black widow type character which has thoroughly been explored by more skilled authors - I liked Terry as a character. She was tough, but not perfect and had to explore her own shortcomings at least at a superficial level. Having not read the first book, I know there was some context missing, particularly around the drama with a potential suitor. Poison Butterfly nicely balanced pursuit of the mystery and Terry's personal life so neither was overpowering, a strong endorsement for sure. Even without the context from the first book, I think this is a light, easy read and could recommend it to someone who has a passing interest in mysteries and/or the idea of the black widow character trope. Beyond that, I'd likely skip this one.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Poison Butterfly is the second book in the Terry Strong P.I series by Lo Monaco. I believe it can be read as a stand-alone , I have not read the first in series and was able to follow along easily.
I enjoyed the quick pace of this book. The plot twists and turns and multiple red herrings kept me guessing right up to the very end.
I loved the quirky characters. I got a kick out of Terry and her Mom.. the relationship between them was not only believable, but relateable as well. But my favorite character was Jack, I would love to see him play a bigger part in the next book.

I would recommend this book to cozy mystery fans, particularly those that like P.I.’s

I received a copy of this book from the author, the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! This is the first book that I have read by this author & I will be searching for more. This was a well written mystery, you will be surprised at the ending. Terry Strong, PI is hired to find Martin Oldfield’s wife who disappeared 25 years ago. Terry finds her and arranges for the two to meet. The day after the meeting Martin is arrested for His wife’s murder and claims he is innocent. He hires Terry to find the real killer. There are many twists and turns before the surprise conclusion. Pick up a copy and make sure you have time to read it all because you will not want to put it down.

[Cyndy Bailes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poison Butterfly by Lo Monaco is the second in a series about PI Terry Strong and her young assistant Jack. As Terry works to solve this case she also interacts with former boyfriend Carlson Black who is a police officer and to whom she is still attracted. I found myself quickly and thoroughly engrossed in this mystery that focuses on characters. Terry is hired by Martin Oldfield to find his long ago wife. Although the wife is quickly found that is only the beginning of the story which includes a murder. There are not a lot of descriptive words about the setting or location of the story, but I enjoyed the many twists and turns of the plot. The ending was definitely a surprise, although it made sense once it was revealed. Monaco’s writing style is very enjoyable to me as she creates a well fleshed out story about the people involved. I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terry Strong private investigator lands a case where a husband is looking for his missing wife of 25 years. Terry's sleuthing leads her to Louise Kingley the missing wife. Louise has moved along with a new husband. She regrets leaving her husband with her five month old son. A meeting is setup where she is murdered and her husband is arrested. Terry now has to prove that the person who hired her to find his missing wife is not a murderer. The clues are sometimes elusive but Terry doggedly hunts them down to reveal the true killer. I liked the characters, the plot lines and the story moved well. The killer was an unexpected twist. The meaning behind the Poison Butterfly is also revealed. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced book with many twists and turns and Terry and Jack investigate the mysterious life of Eloise/Louise. It definitely held my interest and kept me guessing. This is the second book that I have read by this author and I really enjoy them. They are well written and the story line keeps you guessing.

Thank you to The Review Crew and Lo Monaco for a copy of this book. This did not influence my review in any way.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Poison Butterfly” is the first book I have read written by Lo Monaco. I really enjoyed the twist and turns and how fast paced it was I read it in one night. It was action packed and every time you thought you knew who did it there was another suspect. I did have it figured out before the end of the book. The book kept me interested and had me turning the pages to see where it would lead me. I would like to read the first book in this series and am looking forward to reading more books in this series. Thank you Facebook Cozy Crew for my copy of this book and giving me another new author to read.

[Vicki May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Poison Butterfly grabbed me from the start and I didn't want to stop reading. With relatable characters, humor and never ending twists, it's a great mystery. I recommend Poison butterfly to all mystery lovers.

[Gregory Stout]

GOOD DETECTIVE WORK

Poison Butterfly is the second entry in the Terry Strong private detective series written by Lo Monaco (following Deadly Relations). In this installment, PI Strong is hired to find a woman named Eloise Oldfield by her husband, Martin. The catch is that she has been missing for twenty-five years, and unbeknownst to her erstwhile husband, during her quarter-century in the wind, she has undergone several name changes and married several subsequent husbands without ever bothering to inform the first one that she had obtained a quickie divorce in Nevada. Things get a lot more complicated when Eloise turns up dead in Newport Beach parking structure. Worse, the dead woman’s distinctive wristwatch has been found by the police in Martin Oldfield’s jacket pocket. Now, what began as a simple missing persons investigation, has turned into a homicide case. Terry, of course, believes Martin is innocent, but proving it turns out to be quite a different—and complicated—matter altogether. Readers of Deadly Relations, Ms. Monaco’s debut novel in the series, will find Poison Butterfly every bit as engaging and entertaining as its predecessor. It’s a good read and I recommend it.
--Gregory Stout, author of Lost Little Girl, Gideon’s Ghost, Connor’s War and The Gone Man.

[Lo Monaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Second Terry Strong, PI, mystery. You might think you know...but you don't. You'll have to read to the end to find out.