August 14, 2014 - fundinmentalfundinmental

AVOIDABLE CONTACT
by Tammy Kaehler

Avoidable Contact: A Kate Reilly Mystery

Book I of Dead Man’s Switch Series
Cozy Mystery
Poisoned Pen Press (August 1, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1464202384

SYNOPSIS

Racecar driver Kate Reilly is suited up and ready for the start of the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona. But what’s ahead will test her will and nerve more than any other endurance race.

Even before the green flag waves over Daytona International Speedway, Kate receives word her boyfriend Stuart is fighting for his life after a hit-and-run earlier in the day. Still reeling from that news, Kate must absorb other shocks in the race’s opening hours, including an on-track accident with tragic consequences and an eyewitness who claims Stuart was run down deliberately by someone from the race paddock.

Alternating stints behind the wheel of her Corvette racecar with stretches of quizzing colleagues and searching for clues, Kate taps every possible source—friend, foe, and family—to find out who’s after Stuart and why. As the race clock counts down to zero hour, Kate must come to terms with her own fears about the past anddecide who she’s willing to trust. Only then can she identify who’s willing to kill to keep a secret buried—and stop them before they lash out again.

MY REVIEW

Avoidable Contact by Tammy Kaeler is about the twenty four hour Daytona endurance race. Anyone that knows racing, knows that Daytona opens the racing season with a week long celebration. I love Nascar racing, so I was excited to have the opportunity to read for review the ARC of Avoidable Contact.

Kate Reilly had a bad feeling as the police officer approached her. He asked if she knew Stuart Telarday very well. He was her ex boyfriend and the Series Vice President of Operations. He had been in a hit and run car accident. Was it deliberate? Who, or better yet why, would anyone want him dead?

The Daytona endurance race consists of the car, drivers and pit crew running for twenty four hours straight. There are four drivers that alternate. The team stuck together and supported her, concentrating on the task at hand. Kate was third in the car, so it was important for her to say and help her team. Imagine how grueling this can be for all involved.

Avoidable Contact covers much of the sport in plain, easy to understand, language, even the uninitiated can understand. Tammy talks about the teams, cars, sponsors, parts, tires ( different tires for different situations), safety devices (safety barriers and the Hans device) and people (each has their specific function).

We ride around the track with Kate her as she races, brakes, dodges and weaves, even talking about the dip in the track that causes a wiggle.

THEN, the big wreck. Are we ghouls, sitting and waiting for it? Wanting it? Wishing for it?

Someone died. Is a penalty for ‘avoidable contact’ penalty enough? The penalty is called a ‘stop plus 75’ – the driver must stop in the penalty box plus they are held for 75 seconds, which equals a lap at the Daytona Race Track.

How about the women in a sport that has been traditionally know as a man’s sport? Are they treated differently? Of course, just look at the flak Danica Patrick gets for being too sexy. Who care? It’s all about the driving.

I love Nascar racing and have been in tracks from Michigan, Alabama, New York, New Hampshire and Maryland. I have even worked some events for the IHRA and my husband has worked for Dirt Motorsports. I love the noise, the smell, the sounds and the feeling of the roaring engines vibrating through my body. The action is nonstop.

Avoidable Contact by Tammy Kaehler is a cozy mystery for a sport that I have not read fiction novels for before. I was not on pins and needles as I read through the pages, waiting for the murderer to be discovered, but I did enjoy all the racing details and the mystery was a bonus. Tammy’s writing kept the story flowing smoothly and I think I was more interested in who would win the race, than who wanted Stuart dead. I would definitely consider reading more of Tammy’s work.

3 Stars – Would Recommend To Others

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tammy Kaehler’s career in marketing and technical writing landed her in the world of automobile racing, which inspired her with its blend of drama, competition, and friendly people. Mystery fans and racing insiders alike praised the first two Kate Reilly Racing Mysteries, Dead Man’s Switch and Braking Points, and she takes readers back behind the wheel for the third time in Avoidable Contact. Tammy works as a technical writer in the Los Angeles area, where she lives with her husband and many cars.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N

OR you can click on the cover below to pick up Avoidable Contact by Tammy Kaehler.