No Time to Breathe by Lori Duffy Foster

The third in the Lisa Jamison series, No Time to Breathe is an action-packed mystery/thriller that leaves you wondering who to trust right to the very end. When Lisa, an investigative journalist, finds her friend, Ricky, dead at the gym he owns, she becomes a suspect as well as the next possible victim. Eager to clear her name and find Ricky’s killer, Lisa’s investigation leads her to Ricky’s brother, a gambling addict. Was he involved in his brother’s death?

At the same time, Gloria, her boyfriend Patrick’s former FBI partner and lover, shows up to re-establish their friendship, and Lisa is suspicious of her motives. A strong, independent woman, Lisa centers on solving her friend’s murder while setting aside her emotions in dealing with relationship concerns and issues from her childhood. Author Lori Duffy Foster draws on her years of experience as a journalist in creating a realistic main character for her series, with enough of Lisa’s history referenced to allow No Time to Breathe to be read as a stand-alone mystery. The challenges of being a journalist in the changing newspaper industry are well-portrayed as they affect Lisa’s career and her choices for the future.

The suspense builds throughout the book as Lisa’s life is in danger and she continues to actively investigate the people she suspects killed her friend despite being warned by the police to let them do their job (which they don’t seem to be doing). Lisa proves herself as a tough investigator and a worthy counterpart to the male crime fiction characters who have traditionally dominated the genre. As the plot progresses, the pace quickens and the pages flip faster with each twist and cliff-hanger, leading to powerful revelations and an explosive conclusion. A great read for lovers of the traditional mystery genre!