Caught Off Guard by Kristi Rose [Review]

Caught Off Guard (Samantha True Mysteries #4) by Kristi Rose
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 17, 2021

Samantha True Mysteries
1. One Hit Wonder
2. All Bets Are Off
3. Best Laid Plans
4. Caught Off Guard - Paperback | Kindle
5. Two Time Loser
6. Dodged a Bullet

Kristi Rose
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

There’s no rule book for this deadly game

When Samantha’s friend and sometimes boss AJ Gunn is accused of murdering the star quarterback for the Oregon pro-team she knows three things:

No way is AJ guilty even if he doesn’t have a solid alibi
This is not a one gal PI gig, she’s going to need help
Rich people are crazy

If Samantha thought she was out of her element in Wind River, investigating in a new town is like working in a foreign land. Looking for a real suspect, Samantha meets a host of powerful characters with deep pockets and dark secrets. They’re dangerous and strike fast. And Samantha knows too much. She’ll have to watch her back.

If not, AJ will go to jail for life and Samantha could end up paying the ultimate penalty.

Thoughts on Caught Off Guard: Samantha's trying at this PI gig and she's well aware of her shortcomings when it comes to investigating. She's also terrified she's going to get one of her friends hurt and that hobbles her a little. So when AJ asks for her help, she sort of freezes up. Which isn't to say she doesn't try to help him, but she stumbles along blindly at times and doubts herself a lot.

But Sam's also dogged. So after a pep talk or two from Precious, she starts moving in the right direction. She has a solid team and a good gut instinct, but the people she's up against are...well, (a) they're not nice people and (b) they have a vested interest in making sure she doesn't turn up any connection between the murder and them.

As you can imagine, things get a little dangerous for our budding PI.

Like I said, though, she has a solid crew and a desire to not end up dead. Which goes a long way in making her push forward past dead-ends and threats.

I'm 100% not sure how I feel about the potential for the mystery person that keeps popping up. Sam's still gun-shy after uncovering all the lies she was told and...I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL. I'm firmly on the team of the stoic police detective who keeps dragging Sam out of danger and I want to see how that plays out. Also, I'd like to meet Hue more than just in passing, but that's another story for another day.