A Gathering Storm (Dora Ellison Mystery Series, #2) / Dora Ellison Mystery Series (ePub)

A family gathering leads to tragedy, as Jesse Burrell vanishes hours after his family's celebration at his sister, Councilwoman Agatha Raines's, home. Several hours later, he is found, beaten to death, in an alley known as a haven for drug abusers, leaving behind Vanessa, his devastated wife, and their two young sons, Buster and Drew.

Fresh from solving the local corruption, racketeering and "murder that wasn't a murder" case in Not Today, Dora Ellison Mystery Book 1, Dora is struggling though the police academy. Her skills put her at the top of her class, but she is an independent spirit who marches to her own drum, which is not always appreciated by her instructors.

Together with librarian, sister sleuth and intriguing love interest Missy Winters, Dora navigates her own unofficial investigation into Jesse's murder, despite the scrutiny of "the Goose and the Gander" police detective team. She uncovers the involvement of three criminals, each one higher up in the underworld ranks than the last.

But which, if any, is Jesse's killer? And did Jesse commit a drug-related burglary before being killed, and if so, why? The stakes are raised when one of the three criminals is himself mysteriously murdered. Now, a kingpin and his trained assassin's sites are trained on both Dora and Missy. Will Dora survive long enough to bring Jesse's killers to justice?

Fans of Jack Reacher, Lisbeth Salander and Eve Dallas will love Dora Ellison, a tough yet vulnerable woman whose childhood trauma drives a smoldering rage that will not be denied.

If you like strong female heroines, amateur women sleuths or mystery romance, you'll love this gripping, second-in-series literary, detective mystery crime thriller.