Kiss the Bricks: 5 (Kate Reilly Mysteries, 5) - Softcover

Keeping readers turning pages without putting down their work is the ultimate goal of all Mystery Writers, and Kaehler certainly succeeds with Kiss The Bricks. Kaehler intertwines a believable pool of suspects and realistic scenarios that kept me guessing right up until the murderer was flushed out. Whether you are a fan of mystery novels, strong female leads, or a racing insider, Kiss The Bricks...is a must-read...

Chapters depicting PJ's struggles in May 1987 against blatant and near-violent misogyny should make readers shiver, a testament to the author's talent at deftly conveying the sexist attitude in the male-dominated sport. It's an attitude that seems so outdated, and yet still persists today. Even more ironic is that one of Kate's greatest foes is another female competitor, one who would rather push other women down instead of pulling them up. The latter half of the novel following Special Team Kate's exploits is far more enjoyable, as are the details behind the Indy 500 spectacles of parades, press-conferences, sponsor showcases, media blitzes, and fan meet-and-greets. Readers will be on the edge of their seats during the final race, with nuanced details made comprehensible and every turn a moment of success or at the precipice of disaster. The mystery behind the estrangement of Kate's father from her family leads into the next installment of this outstanding and original series, leaving readers anxiously waiting for Kate's next turn on the racetrack.

I very much enjoyed this complex and detailed perspective on the Indy 500. I found Kiss the Bricks to be another step up in Tammy Kaehler's writing skills, bringing us closer to the action and everything that makes up the Indy 500. Definitely recommended.

Smartly plotted and very engagingly written (likable Kate is a great series lead), the novel works very well as a stand-alone: readers unfamiliar with the series can jump right in.

Kaehler knows auto racing and describes on-the-track action extremely well. She's also adept at character development and a reader soon comes to adore and respect the strength of her main character. Reilly is a strong woman, but also cognizant of her weaknesses and the general fickleness of success in the racing world, giving her a believability that outweighs the general oddness of having a touring racing driver solve murder cases. ... The series is just out and out fun to read.

Kaehler handles the mystery well enough, but the main interest for readers is watching Kate and her entourage painstakingly comb the list of suspects while also experiencing the pre-race hoopla, which is both exhausting and thrilling. Kate herself is a charmer, and so is this book.

As usual, Kaehler combines a credible group of suspects with some detailed racing lore. Even readers who don't care about cars may well be hooked by the feminist angle.

At the end of the first practice session for the iconic Indianapolis 500 race, Kate Reilly is stunned to discover she was the fastest driver on the track. She's even more surprised to learn she wasn't the first woman to top the speed charts in the race's 106-year history. That feat was accomplished in 1987 by PJ Rodriguez-steady, dedicated, immensely promising-who shocked the racing world and the wider one by committing suicide ten days later.

When the press, bloggers, and social media go crazy over the connection between PJ and Kate, Kate begins to lose her identity-suddenly everyone's comparing Kate and PJ, calling Kate PJ, and wondering if Kate will kill herself, too. Under siege from various trolls live and digital, Kate feel PJ's story deeply. So she's impelled to listen to PJ's family-which claims PJ did not jump, but was murdered. And she agrees to help them find PJ's killer and restore her reputation...30 years after the fact.

PJ's death was a great tragedy; Kate feels it in her bones and believes she is the best person, perhaps the only person, to investigate PJ's story. What evidence is there? She can interview people at the track who were there in 1987. She can consult the press coverage. And she can marshal up help from "Special Team Kate." They work in an atmosphere of prejudice and chauvinism, the same that surrounded PJ.

But Kate is at the Indy to run the biggest race of her career. To prepare she fills her days with driving on the track for practice, fulfilling sponsor obligations, promoting the IndyCar Series and as ever, playing peacemaker between the warring sides of her maternal and paternal families.

Before long one suspect in PJ's death turns up dead, all but confirming PJ was killed. So as Kate prepares to run the biggest race of her life she must narrow down the clues to not one but two murders, all while fighting for her own voice and identity through the storm of media attention. Will the past stay buried? Or will history repeat itself and leave Kate dead?

Kiss the Bricks is the 5th Kate Reilly mystery and takes its title from the Indy winner's tradition of kissing the track's Yard of Bricks in tribute to its legendary history.