Review: Hagar’s Last Dance

Hagar’s Last Dance by Maureen Klovers

Hagar’s Last Dance is riveting and enjoyable; with a rich plot, great characters, lots of intrigue, a sprinkle of humor and a little bit of romance, this page-turner will keep you guessing until the end.

Jeanne Pelletier is a contract lawyer by day and aspiring belly dancer by night. Her friend and teacher, Yasmina has talked her into performing at Algiers, a middle eastern nightclub. After her performance, a fire breaks out and Yasmina dies in the flames.

The characters really made the book for me; likable and  unconventional, they added a lot of warmth to the story. I liked ex-CIA spook Jerry most of all; I thought his nicknames were funny and his heartbreaking struggles made him very human. Jeanne is a strong and assertive woman, but also a little awkward and a little clueless sometimes.  I thought the story about Jeanne’s past should’ve come earlier in the book, even if it wasn’t resolved until later (one of my pet peeves is a hint about a tragic past that isn’t revealed until the end.) Jeanne is very  easy to relate to and I really admired her. The victim, Yasmina, proved to be the most intriguing. Although not in the book very long, her presence permeated the book and I enjoyed seeing her layers peeled away bit by bit as the book went on. As  Jeanne delves into Yasmina’s life, she uncovers how little she knew about her best friend.

Yasmina had surprised her.  She was more passionate, more magnanimous, more manipulative and more complicated than Jeanne had ever dreamed.  She was a true performer, a master of illusion, loved by many and understood by none.

Hagar’s Last Dance – Maureen Klover

The gripping plot kept me guessing, with lots of surprise twists and turns.  Part of the plot dealt with Middle Eastern politics, specifically Arab-Israeli tensions, a very timely and potentially controversial topic that was portrayed less as a political issue and more as a human issue.  A steady pace kept the story moving to a satisfying conclusion

Overall, Hagar’s Last Dance is an enjoyable debut to a new series a great book to curl up with.

Hagar’s Last Dance is available at book retailers or on Amazon

I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Series: A Jeanne Pelletier Mystery #1 Rating: ★★★★★ 5 stars Publisher: Chesapeake Books Publication Date: November 25, 2015 Formats: Kindle

Genre: Mystery Language: English ISBN-10: 0692517634 ASIN: B018JEOC5W Reviewer: Tam (Mystereity Reviews)