Amounting to Nothing by Karis Walsh

Amounting to Nothing
by Karis Walsh
Pages: 264
Date: February 14 2017
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: Tacoma Mounted Patrol (3rd in series)

Review
Rating: 4.35
Read: January 6 2017

*I received this book from NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*

A clash of cultures and society meet up in this book through the two main characters (as in, there are two main Point of Views). Billie Mitchell is a former soldier who suffers from PTSD from her time in the military and her experience watching her best friend explode. Merissa Karr (oddly referred to as ‘Heiress’ in the book description – she’s already inherited, does that ‘title’ ever depart?) is currently super rich, grew up rich, and wishes to make Tacoma into something of a more ‘gentrified’ city.

The story starts, though, with Merissa developing some PTSD of her own – while riding back in a car with her boss Dennis M. (riding from Seattle to Tacoma). They circle a few run down looking blocks discussing their plans to redevelop it. Merissa mentions a vague idea of having the ‘worse’ views be used for slightly more upscale ‘cheaper’ apartments than the luxury condos that will make up the rest of the property, while Dennis immediately shoots her down – indicating something about investors and stuff. Earlier Merissa had dropped a stack of index cards in front of her in the car – while she’s attempting to retrieve one of the cards, she hears what sounds like a rock hitting the car. Next thing she knows, the car is pulling over to the curb and Dennis has trace amounts of blood sliding down him while mumbling something about ‘Karen’ (his wife) before slumping over dead. Here is where Merissa proceeds to be pushed into stress and trauma which might (probably) develop into PTSD.

The two main characters meet up with mounted police officer Billie Mitchell is assigned to drive Merissa around near where the events took place – because, at the moment, Merissa’s responses to questions tend to break down to ‘I don’t know, I didn’t see anything’. Billie, with her own history of PTSD, is good with ‘survivors’.

The Mystery
Who shot Dennis? Is it possibly a friend and or neighbors of Billie’s? Is it connected to the ‘renewal’ of the city? Or was it just a random shooting? And will any horses actually be ridden in this book (since Billie drove Merissa around in a patrol car, not on the back of a horse) – yes . . . yes there will be horses involved in this book.

The Romance
Will the people from two very different backgrounds (and current positions in society) be able to make ‘something happen’? Or: does the feelings both feel come from a well of ‘realness’ or from ‘tragic events messing with emotions’?

Notes
Rachel and Cal, from an earlier book in the series, also came from different backgrounds – what with Cal being super rich and stuff (or from that background – heck, she’s a professional polo player). But immediately the feeling of – yes the differences are real, cultural, societal, backgrounds, foregrounds, etc. – is immediately felt in this book here – the Amounting to Nothing book.

Rating: 4.35

Review Written: January 6 2017