Tainted Evidence

Evidence, Book 10

By: Rachel Grant

Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Some family secrets are deadly....

Inventorying human remains can be difficult at the best of times, without a creepy security guard hovering over Maddie Foster’s shoulder. Nervous about being stuck in the crypt with the strange man, Maddie asks a friend of a friend to drop by and pretend to be her boyfriend to force the guy to back off.

Raptor operative Josh Warner recently moved to Oregon to take over as guardian to his troubled niece and open a new private security branch in the Pacific Northwest. Josh doesn’t hesitate to help Maddie and is intrigued by the brainy museologist. His protective nature kicks into high gear as he discovers she may be in very real danger.

Tensions run hot in the summer heat as Josh’s work puts everyone he cares about at risk, and Maddie’s research into the museum collection raises questions better left buried. As their city teeters on the precipice of violence, Josh and Maddie find themselves embroiled in a deadly scheme that could reshape the nation.

©2020 Rachel Grant (P)2020 Rachel Grant

Not as preachy as advertised

Basically I disagree with every other review.
1) The only reference to BLM and the protests following George Floyd’s murder was in the author’s note at the end. The book itself is focused on fictional white supremacy groups in the PNW trying to undermine tribal rights and treaties, and it was one of the author’s more more masterfully crafted plots, I thought, in terms of who was actually pulling the strings. There is no demonization of police or promotion of looting/rioting. Triggered much?
2) The bisexual piece does actually further the plot; it allows for resolution of a specific insecurity/jealousy that threatens the budding relationship between the lovers and allows meaningful conversation between Maddie and Eva.
I have read plenty of this author’s work and yes, sometimes it gets preachy. This particular book was actually very subdued in that regard, I thought. It is otherwise classic Grant with some real archeology, punchable bad guys, emotionally intelligent heroes, and hot military guys that generally skip the toxic masculinity. Enjoy.

condescending & preachy

I hate quitting a book but I wanted to throughout. The bi aspect of the story just went away & had no purpose other than what seemed to be woke-ism. The police bashing was presented in a completely unbalanced way. Hand-wringing main characters were just another annoying aspect. I hope the this focus is not something Grant continues to incorporate because I’ve been a fan until now.

Glad I didn’t waste a credit…

Story lacked logical cohesion, characters poorly developed. The ‘preachiness’ critique offered by several other reviewers I found less offensive… it was the reliance on the predictable, one dimensional outcomes that brought on the yawn.

Commentary on events ruined this for me

I’ve listened to many of this author’s books, but the lengthy commentary heralding the heroism of George Floyd protesters was distasteful in my opinion. No mention of the hundreds of millions of dollars lost to looting, fires and violence, not to mention impact on small business owners’ livelihoods and additional pandemic spread. I listen to fictional books for entertainment, and the author’s choice to turn this into a commentary ruined this for me. I won’t be back for more.

Very Preachy and Woke

I am a huge fan of Rachel Grant. Love her Hero and Heroine characters who are typically smart and strong, fighting together for justice. However, this story felt like I was being lectured to about sexual orientation, race and privilege. The last thing I want is to be lectured to when I am trying to escape the politics of today's headlines. For me, the underly "preachyness" took away from the story. It was a pass for me.