I bought this book as a gift to myself many months ago. I had heard plenty of chatter on the message boards that it was fantastic and everyone should read it. I heard from others that it was good but the lack of sex left them wanting. I looked at it every time I finished a book or online fic and thought, “should I read this now?” Obviously, the answer was always, “no, not right now. I’ll read it soon.” I’m a dumb ass, because I should have read it a long time ago.

In a nutshell, there’s a murder at a small college and there are a few potential suspects. There are also lots of great characters in this book. I just know that my review isn’t going to do it justice because I’m a bit tired and in a moderately bitchy mood. But I also know that if I wait another day to post the review, I won’t do it and then I’ll feel bad because this was a very, very good book. Oh, and both main female characters had girly names. I just thought that was worth mentioning because it happens so rarely. Sally and Beth. And I liked them both. Sally is a former Chicago homicide detective who moved back to her small hometown and is now the chief of police. Beth is the dean of the college. Sally is a solid, responsible woman who doesn’t sleep around and is just nice and honest. Beth wants nothing to do with commitment but enjoys having sex, as long as it’s completely without attachment. I’ll give you one guess about what happens between the two of them…

But their relationship isn’t the main focus of the book. It’s not just thrown in, either, but it’s the murder investigation that drives the story. Oh! But you’ll enjoy Beth’s mom, too. I have to say that I figured out who the murderer was just after the act took place but I still enjoyed every minute of the ride. I’m very competitive when it comes to figuring out who the bad guy is – or any other plot related thing – and keep track of how quickly I figure it out. I tend to drive my wife crazy with that because there has to be a witness to my genius and it’s usually her.

Anyway, Veritas is a very entertaining, very well written book that I highly recommend. I can’t wait for more from Ms. Laughlin.