The Dangerous Edge of Things: Summary and book reviews of The Dangerous Edge of Things by Tina Whittle, plus links to an excerpt from The Dangerous Edge of Things and a biography of Tina Whittle.
The Dangerous Edge of Things A Tai Randolph Mystery
by Tina Whittle
Hardcover: Feb 2011,
250 pages.
Paperback: Feb 2011,
250 pages.
Tai Randolph thinks inheriting a Confederate-themed gun shop is her biggest headache - until she finds a murdered corpse in her brother's driveway. Even worse, her supposedly respectable brother begins behaving in decidedly non-innocent ways, like fleeing to the Bahamas and leaving her with both a homicide in her lap and the pointed suspicions of the Atlanta PD directed her way. Suddenly, she has to worry about clearing her own name, not just that of her wayward sibling.
Complicating her search for answers is Trey Seaver, field agent for Phoenix, an exclusive corporate security firm hired to investigate the crime. Trey is fearless, focused, and - much to Tai's dismay - utterly impervious to bribes, threats and clever deceptions. Still in recovery from the car accident that left him cognitively and emotionally damaged, Trey has constructed a world of certainty and routine. He has powerful people to answer to, and the last thing he wants is an unpredictable stranger "detecting" on Phoenix turf.
Tai's inquiry leads her from the cold-eyed glamour of Atlanta's adult entertainment scene to the gilded treachery of Tuxedo Road. Potential suspects abound, including violent stalkers, vengeful sisters, and a paparazzo with a taste for meth. But it takes another murder - and threats to her own life - to make Tai realize that to solve this crime, she has to trust the most dangerous man she's ever met.
In spite of finding the characters less developed than I would have liked, I did find the mystery both enjoyable and sufficiently complex, and since I liked what I learned of Tai, Trey, Garrity and Rico, I look forward to seeing how this "girl detective," as Tai refers to herself, manages to find herself in the middle of her next mystery. (Reviewed by Cindy Anderson).
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. Tai's next adventure can’t come soon enough. She's adorable, Trey is worthy of her and Whittle's first foray into crime fiction is noteworthy.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Mystery fans will welcome wisecracking characters that aren't trite and a twisting plot that isn't tired.
Library Journal
Starred Review. Whittle provides not only an original, well-constructed plot but also a cast of unforgettable characters all somewhat flawed by life....Can't wait for the next one.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by JeanT Went Off the Edge I seem to be in a distinct minority among the various reviews I have read, but I did not find this book particularly enjoyable or credible. I've done volunteer work with police officers and have been friends with detectives and patrol officers at... Read More
Rated of 5
by JaneN The Dangerous Edge of THings Wow, another strong female crime character!! There is more mystery than meets the eye in this book. First off we have a dead body in the opening scene and the fun begins. Tai Randolph has just inherited a gun shop in Alabama form her dead redneck... Read More
Traumatic Brain Injury
Tai's fellow investigator and sometimes-bodyguard, Trey Seaver, is coping with the cognitive changes resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that he received in a car accident which damaged his frontal lobe. While he has no lasting motor skill injuries, he is unable to display a normal range of emotions, and can be "triggered" into a violent state when threatened. In addition, while his memory of recent events has improved (in fact his memory seems to be near-eidetic), he often cannot think of a particular word, and has trouble remembering anything before the accident, including his own personality. The upside of the accident is that he has developed a new talent - the ability to read people's body language and know whether or not they are being deceptive; and, because he cannot remember what he used to like, or dislike, he has created a new snappier style lifted from the pages of a GQ magazine.
When it comes to a vibrant sense of place Barr has few equals, as demonstrated in her 11th Anna Pigeon novel, set in little-known Dry Tortugas National Park, a small group of islands 70 miles off Key West.
Kinsey's fifteenth excursion into the dark side of human nature.
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