Twenty Five Years Ago Today - Stacy Juba (review)

Genre:                           Mystery, Crime
Year:                              2009
Pages:                            262
Followed by:                Sink or Swim                                  
Where to get:               Smashwords, BD, Amazon,
Author's Website:       Stacy Juba
                                       Stacy's Goodreads Page

     Kris Langley has always been obsessed with murder. She blames herself for the violent death of her cousin when they were kids and has let guilt invade every corner of her existence.
      Now an editorial assistant and obit writer for a Massachusetts newspaper, Kris stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling "25 Years Ago Today" items from the microfilm. She grows fascinated with the case of a young cocktail waitress who was bludgeoned to death and dumped in the woods.
      Determined to solve the case and atone for the death of her cousin, Kris immerses herself in the mystery of what happened to Diana Ferguson, a talented artist who expressed herself through haunting paintings of Greek mythology.
     Not only does Kris face resistance from her family and her managing editor, she also clashes with Diana's suspicious nephew, Eric Soares - until neither she nor Eric can deny the chemistry flaring between them.
Kris soon learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday's headline is tomorrow's danger, for finding out the truth about that night twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris's present, costing her love, her career, and ultimately, her life. 

(goodreads.com)

Kris skimmed a paragraph about Zeus, the Greek king of the gods. He'd cheated on his wife, Hera, changing his shape to seduce women.
"If Zeus were my husband, I'd get a divorce", she told Chipmunk, scanning ahead.

Kris inched toward an oil painting on the wall. A young woman grasped a bow, feet poised as if running. Her delicate hands and flowing brown hair were turning to leaves, her ankles to branches. She looked terrified. Kris noticed the girl's pursuer, a golden-haired man clutching a lyre. Two solemn stags in the distance, near a thicket of trees. 

How haunting.

     Twenty Five Years Ago Today is a solid and intriguing contemporary mystery by Stacy Juba.

     Kris Langley is an aspiring newspaper journalist, working as an editorial assistant and obit writer for a Massachusetts newspaper. She is also in charge of a "25 Years Ago Today" column, and one of her duties is researching the archives. One day she comes across an unsolved murder mystery, that happened exactly 25 years ago. The murder victim was Diana Ferguson, a 21 year old cocktail waitress. Her body was found dumped in the woods. Unfortunately, despite various suspects, no one was ever actually charged with her murder.
     Kris knows how it feels to have someone close to you brutally taken away, so she sympathizes with Diana's family. She decides she wants to try and solve the case and bring peace into their lives.
Kris starts to investigate the case on her own, without the approval of the managing editor, who surely wouldn't like the idea. She gets close with the victim's family, winning their trust and affection. With every moment she grows more and more desperate to solve the case.
     Things get even more complicated when she meets Eric Soares, Diana's nephew, as the two of them are undeniably drawn to each other.

     You won't regret picking up a copy of it. It's a fast-paced and engaging read, with just the perfect blend of mystery, drama and romance. It's definitely a page turner, I had trouble putting it down and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
     Stacy Juba did an excellent job immersing the reader. She kept me guessing who the murderer was till the very last pages , and just when I thought I had it all figured out, there came yet another twist, completely throwing me off! The ending caught me by surprise and was absolutely unpredictable!
     I especially enjoyed the occasional sprinkle of Greek mythology, it most definitely added to the whole story, making it even more captivating. The main characters, Kris and Eric, were very likeable and real. The chemistry between them was simply fantastic, yet the romance didn't take over the book. It was just a perfect amount of sexiness to keep me interested, but not enough to make me frown - just the way I like it :)

     To sum it all up: I had a great time reading this book. It is a perfectly balanced novel, that has it all: action, unsolved crime, thrilling twists, interesting mythology facts, romance, family drama and more! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy it!