Play Date

Publisher: Blove Publications

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Pages 303

Synopsis
Navigating her way through a messy divorce, community leader Charmaine Keaton, the daughter of a prominent Congressman, knows the importance of keeping a smile on her face and pain off her sleeve. Until a high-profile dignitary is found dead in the Chicago River…with Charmaine as the leading murder suspect.
Sales Executive, Tommy Howard, finds himself crossing swords with Charmaine when he is brought in to negotiate a deal on a notable community center in the inner city on behalf of his organization.
Attraction aside, both maintain professional focus until Charmaine’s world is turned upside down and Tommy becomes the object of her affection and her most trusted confidant. Can their blossoming love survive implications of murder, corruption, and deceit in spite of secrets too impossible to ignore?

Book Review
Play Date introduces us to many characters as the author sets the stage for this mystery/romance/drama storyline. However, our co-protagonists are Charmaine Keaton, a daughter of a prominent politician, and Tommy Howard, a sales executive. The two cross paths while Charmaine is dealing with the effects of a messy divorce. The two are brought together for business and their attraction takes hold. However, when the unthinkable happens -murder- and Charmain is the prime suspect their burgeoning love affair hits a rather sizeable bump in the road.
Mason opens this story by incorporating a bit of Chicago's rich history his father shared with him by weaving it into a murder the sets the stage for this drama. A key witness in a federal case is murdered and it is labeled suicide despite the victim being shot in the back of the head. I know! How could that happen? Right? As the story unfolds, the author provides us background on Tommy, Charmain, and the supporting cast. There were twists and turns that kept me guessing as to who did what?
The author did a good job of creating tension that any good mystery must have within the confines of its storyline by introducing characters like Tembo, who shows up to meet Bruno and who presses Charmaine's soon to be ex about money. Or Archie who speaks with an old mafioso tone when he handles "job" for people You'll have to read it to find out more on that front. There was solid character development, good chemistry, very little romance, but relevant content for the most part.
I would have liked the story to be a bit less wordy so that I wasn't bogged down with flowery language to pretty up. Leave it gritty and leave it as raw as the murders committed by the many criminals in the story. All in all, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to those who like crime/mystery fiction. Mason really found his footing with this story. Please get your copy below and support the author by leaving a review.