The third book in the Neely Kate Mystery Series, Dirty Money, was such a fast-paced, addictive read. Denise Grover Swank has a way of pulling me right back into Neely Kate’s world, and this book kept me turning pages late into the night. It’s full of tension, danger, and those emotional moments that make the series so special.
Neely Kate continues to grow into her strength here—she’s smart, intuitive, and braver than she realizes. I loved watching her step up, trust her instincts, and prove (again!) that she’s far more capable than people give her credit for. And her dynamic with Jed? Still one of my favorite parts of the series. They work together so naturally, with a quiet trust and steady support that makes every scene between them feel meaningful.
Her relationship with Joe also shines in this book. Their bond feels genuine and hopeful, and I love how he shows up for her in ways she didn’t even know she needed.
This series just keeps getting better. Will Neely Kate ever be free from her half-sister? The mystery itself is gripping without ever feeling confusing, and the stakes feel higher than ever. It’s the perfect blend of suspense, heart, and character growth — exactly what I want from a Neely Kate book.
I still have a pet peeve when they call a gun’s magazine a clip, but it doesn’t distract from the fact that this is a 5-star read! This series just keeps getting better. Unfortunately, this is the last book in this series, and I will miss Neely Kate’s Mysteries. Maybe the author will decide to write another one; I can hope!!
Have you read this series? Give me your thoughts in the comments.
I really enjoyed In High Cotton. Book two in the Neely Kate Mystery Series by Denise Grover Swank consistently draws me back into Neely Kate’s world, and this book was no exception. It offers that perfect blend of mystery, heart, and character moments that always make me want to stay up way too late reading.
A dead body in the basement, another in the trunk of a car—is Neely Kate’s past catching up with her? Joe and Jed will stop at nothing to protect Neely Kate!
What really made this book shine for me were the relationships. I absolutely loved Jed and Neely Kate together; their dynamic is steady, supportive, and brimming with a quiet emotional pull that makes you root for them. I also love Neely Kate’s growing bond with her newly discovered half-brother, Joe. Their connection felt genuine and hopeful, as if she was finally finding pieces of family she didn’t know she needed.
Now, I do have one tiny pet peeve—something I’ve noticed in a few of this authors books. She refers to a gun’s magazine as a clip. It’s a magazine, not a clip. It’s a small detail, but once you notice it, you can’t unnotice it. Still, it didn’t detract from how much I liked the story.
Overall, In High Cotton is a heartfelt, engaging mystery with characters I care about more and more with each book. Even with my minor terminology gripe, it easily earns five stars from me.
While I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, at least I can dive right into book three.
Have you read this book? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Every now and then, a book comes along that doesn’t just entertain me—it opens up a character I thought I already knew. Trailer Trash did exactly that. I’ll be honest: it started out a little slow for me. But once it found its rhythm, I was completely pulled in. By the end, I felt like I understood Neely Kate on a level I didn’t even realize I’d been missing.
This story is emotional in a quiet, powerful way. We finally get to see the pieces of Neely Kate’s past she’s tried so hard to bury—the parts that shaped her, hardened her, and taught her to survive. Suddenly, all her trust issues make sense. All those walls she keeps around herself? You finally see where they came from, and it hits you right in the heart.
What I loved most is that this isn’t a story about running from the past. It’s facing it head‑on, and choosing to move forward. Watching Neely Kate make that decision—knowing how terrified she is of being judged, especially by Rose—was honestly beautiful. It’s messy, it’s emotional, and it feels real.
And Jed… His presence in this book is steady, grounding, and exactly what Neely Kate needed. He doesn’t try to fix her; he just shows up, stands beside her, and helps her carry the weight when she finally decides she can’t carry it alone. Their dynamic adds such a warm, supportive layer to the story. I fell even more in love with Jed. He really knows how to up.
By the time I finished, I felt proud of Neely Kate—proud of her courage, her vulnerability, and the way she chose to stop letting her past define her future.
If you love character-driven stories with emotional depth, healing, and a touch of quiet strength, Trailer Trash is absolutely worth the read. Five stars from me.
Okay, real talk—July was a lot. Between everything going on, my reading time got squeezed down to almost nothing, and I only finished two books this month. If you follow me during the winter, you know that’s basically a slow month for me. But here’s the thing: quality over quantity, right? Because both of these books were easy five-star reads, and I’m still thinking about them.
Both books came from a series that has genuinely become one of my all-time favorites—Rose Gardner Investigations by Denise Grover Swank. Let’s get into it.
It All Falls Down (Rose Gardner Investigations #7) — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trouble Comes in 3s (Rose Gardner Investigations #8) — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why I Can’t Quit This Series
Here’s what consistently draws me to Rose: her growth feels genuinely earned. She didn’t begin as a confident, capable woman effortlessly solving mysteries. Instead, she started timid, sheltered, and with almost no real-world experience. This was a direct result of growing up with an overprotective and abusive mother who — as the series masterfully reveals — never truly loved her. The books gradually uncover the complex reasons behind this lack of love, and it’s far from a simple explanation. Rose spends the series slowly understanding her mother more with each installment, but understanding doesn’t equate to forgiveness. She’s still processing that trauma, still struggling with it, and I appreciate that Swank doesn’t rush her through it for a tidy resolution. It feels incredibly real.
However, what truly won me over was watching Rose actively pursue the life she desires. She created a wish list of experiences she craved but never had, and with significant help from the man next door (yes, that man next door, if you know, you know 👀), she’s been checking them off one by one. This specific, hard-won growth is incredibly satisfying to witness. It’s not just about her becoming “braver”; it’s about her reclaiming her life, authentically and specifically.
What You’re Getting Into
If you’re a reader who loves:
A protagonist you can’t help but fall in love with
A mystery that grips you from start to finish
A truly slow-burn romance that actually takes it’s time
A love triangle that adds genuine tension, not just drama
Forbidden love
Deep, loyal friendships
A heroine who learns to trust herself and others after a lifetime of reasons not to
A character who can’t resist getting involved in a mystery, even when it puts herself and people she loves in danger
…then Rose Gardner is about to become your next obsession.
Books 7 and 8 elevate the stakes in both the mystery and Rose’s personal life. I was completely hooked from beginning to end by both. Five stars!
Where to Start
If this is your first time hearing about Rose, don’t start with book seven. Instead, go back to the very beginning with the Rose Gardner Mystery series. That’s where you’ll meet Rose at her most vulnerable, which makes everything that happens later hit so much harder. Once you finish that series, follow Rose and her best friend right into Rose Gardner Investigations, where these two books live.
Trust me—you’ll want the full journey.
Final Thoughts
A two-book month isn’t my usual pace, but when both books are this good, I really can’t complain. Rose Gardner continues to be one of my favorite characters in cozy mysteries, and this series proves that a slow-burn romance and a genuinely compelling mystery can absolutely coexist without either one getting shortchanged.
Have you read the Rose Gardner series? Where are you in Rose’s story? Let me know in the comments—I love talking about this series with fellow readers. 💛
Catch the quick version of this review on myYouTube Shortsand follow along onInstagram andTikTok @chaptersandlattes for more!
Ooh, if you love a mystery that keeps sneaking up on you, “Trouble Comes in Threes” is going to hit the spot! Denise Grover Swank has such a knack for pulling you into Rose’s world. By book eight, it feels like catching up with old friends, yet she still manages to throw in twists that had me gasping out loud. The mystery itself was layered in a way that kept me guessing right up until the reveal, and I love when an author can do that this deep into a series without it feeling stale.
Rose Gardner is back, pulled into a new case that hits close to home and stirs up serious personal drama. A mysterious box, three dead bodies & a Mysterious vision—what is Rose getting mixed up in this time? This installment perfectly balances mystery and small-town charm, weaving together an investigation with the ongoing relationship threads fans have come to love. Expect new trouble, familiar faces, and Rose once again proving she can’t help but get tangled up in it all.
If you have been following Rose and her antics, you will love this installment, even though it left some ends hanging, which only leaves me hopeful for another installment. If you have been reading other series by Denise Grover Swank, you may recognize someone in this book.
Honestly, if you’re already following the Rose Gardner Investigations series, this one is an easy 5 stars. And if you haven’t started it yet — what are you waiting for?
Whew! Talk about a roller coaster ride. Just when I thought the tension and emotion couldn’t escalate further, It Falls Down cranks it up another notch. I was on the edge of my seat, screaming at Rose to remember she has a baby and to stop putting herself in dangerous situations. But Rose never listens; she’ll fight for the ones she loves, no matter what.
If you’ve been following Rose Gardner’s journey from the very beginning, as I have, then “It All Falls Down” is an absolute must-read. Denise Grover Swank totally knocked it out of the park with this seventh installment of the Rose Gardner Investigations series.
Things kick off with a bang when a body turns up south of Henryetta. Before she knows it, Rose is tangled up with safe-crackers, dangerous syndicates, and Denny Carmichael, who calls in a terrifying favor. With her six-week-old baby and everyone she loves on the line, the stakes have never been higher.
Rose has grown so much throughout this series, and I love that she’s still relatable even with everything she’s been through. The mix of mystery, suspense, humor, and heart is what keeps me coming back. I found myself saying, “Just one more chapter,” way more times than I’d like to admit—and before I knew it, I’d finished the whole book.
This installment raises the stakes in a big way. There were moments that had me holding my breath, and a few that honestly left me shocked. Denise Grover Swank has a way of making you care so much about these characters that every decision and every revelation hits hard.
Grab your coffee (or wine!) and curl up with Rose Gardner. I actually recommend starting with the “Rose Gardner Mystery” series so you can meet Rose at the beginning of her journey and see how much she has grown through this series and into the “Rose GardnerInvestigations” series.
“It All Falls Down” is peak storytelling from start to finish. Thank goodness this wasn’t the end of the road for Rose; I am ready to dive into Book Eight.
If you have read this book or any of the Rose Gardner books, please share your thoughts in the comments.
Another great read by Denise Grover Swank! I have been hooked on this series ever since the first book, and I have loved Rose since she was first introduced in the Rose Gardner Mysteries. She has come a long way from that timid girl with no life experience. She may have a bit too much life experience now, and she has a way of getting herself into predicaments, but you can’t help but love her.
In this sixth installment of the Rose Gardner Investigations, the stakes are higher when Rose’s niece and nephew go missing. For months, Rose has been convinced that her late sister’s ex-husband has been involved in criminal activity, but she hasn’t been able to prove it. Now, with her niece and nephew missing and her conviction that they have been kidnapped, she becomes desperate to find them. Being nine months pregnant isn’t going to stop her from saving Ashley & Mikey.
This is the type of mystery that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I found myself wanting to yell at Rose, to tell her she was putting her own unborn baby at risk. But Rose was resilient, and she kept pushing to save little Ashley and Mikey.
I absolutely loved this book! It had me on the edge of my seat at times, and I couldn’t wait to see how Rose would get out of this predicament. I still do not like James “Skeeter” Malcolm; I’m not sure if anything can redeem him at this point. I love that Rose is back with Joe, and I hope they will be together until the end. I am pulling for them! I still have one pet peeve, though: when Rose calls a magazine in a gun a “clip.” It is not a clip; it is a magazine. I still love the book, but I do cringe when I hear “clip.”
Now I can’t wait to dive into the next installment.
If you have enjoyed the other Rose Gardner mystery books, you will love this one. Things get interesting and come full circle for Rose and Joe.
If you have read this series, share your thoughts in the comments
The fifth book in the Rose Gardner Investigations series, Come Rain or Shine is an emotional, high-stakes installment that significantly raises the bar. For those who have been following Rose’s journey, this book serves as a pivotal turning point that will leave you reeling.
Rose finds herself in a precarious position: she has been summoned to testify before a grand jury investigating corruption in the Sweet Branch Police Department. As a woman who knows almost everyone’s secrets in Fenton County, her testimony has the local criminal underworld on edge, and Rose is forced to navigate their desperate attempts to keep their names out of her mouth.
Simultaneously, Rose’s personal life is in turmoil as she cares for her sister, Violet. When Violet’s doctor vanishes amidst allegations of prescription fraud, Rose suspects local drug kingpin Denny Carmichael is involved. Despite her best efforts to focus on her family and avoid trouble, she is inevitably pulled into another dangerous investigation. Just as the tension reaches a breaking point, Rose receives life-altering news that threatens her relationship with the man she loves, forcing her to choose between the safety she craves and the fight she never wanted.
I really love this series and this installment is no exception. This book is Definity the most emotionally taxing in the series. It moves beyond the mystery, to explore the personal stakes that Rose is up against.
The author expertly balances the slow-burn dread of the grand jury investigation with the chaos of Rose’s personal life, Rose has evolved from a sheltered woman and amateur detective into someone forced to make agonizing decisions about trust and loyalty.
In this installment, emotional drama definitely takes center stage, but the mystery of the missing doctor and police corruption are expertly woven into the plot. There is enough mystery and intrigue to keep the story grounded in its roots as a crime series while setting the stage for future installments.
Fair warning: this book might change your mind about your favorite characters! I started out rooting for one couple, but James’s actions left me completely disillusioned. His response to a difficult situation with Rose was, in my opinion, inexcusable. Conversely, I am now fully on Team Joe. He has truly stepped up in the friend department. His loyalty and friendship have proven to be the real highlights of this story, and I’m finding myself hoping for a much different path for Rose moving forward.
Final Thoughts: I loved this installment, even though I found myself wanting to yell at a certain character at times. This is a “must-read” for fans of the series—a bold, heartbreaking, and adrenaline-fueled chapter that proves just how far Rose has come and how much she still has to lose. Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster as Rose embarks on her next chapter and discovers where it will take her.
If you have read this book, please share your thoughts in the comments.
This installment was a ride — twisty, tense, emotional, and full of the small‑town chaos that makes this series so addictive.
This is the fourth installment of the Rose Gardner Investigations Series. A mother hires Rose and Neely Kate to find her missing 19-year-old daughter after the local police, evidently not very capable, have seemingly dismissed the case since she is an adult. What sounds like a straightforward missing person case quickly entangles Rose in a mystery far bigger, messier, and more perilous than she ever intended. What begins as a seemingly simple situation spirals into a web of secrets, shifting alliances, and the kind of trouble only Rose, with her signature mix of determination and heart, could stumble into. As always, her instincts are sharp, her courage is steady, and the stakes feel higher than ever.
Rose juggles her landscaping business, her investigative work with Neely Kate, and a relationship with James that is, frankly, getting on my last nerve. It’s a chaotic mix that would drive anyone insane.
James, in particular, tested every ounce of my patience. His hot-and-cold behavior, the emotional tug-of-war, and his inability to decide what he wants are incredibly frustrating. It’s even harder to watch Rose put up with it. She deserves clarity, commitment, and someone who shows up without hesitation. Either he steps up, or she needs to move on, because Rose has earned more than being someone’s “maybe.”
Despite that relationship frustration, the story itself is fantastic—full of tension, humor, and Denise Grover Swank’s signature charm. It’s a strong, engaging addition to the series, and it left me excited for what comes next.
A solid, satisfying five stars.
If you have read this series, share your thoughts in the comments
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another win in the Rose Gardner Investigation Series
The fifth book in the series is just as addictive as the rest. Denise Grover Swank always knows how to throw in a crazy twist at the end, leaving you wanting the next book immediately! Rose and Neely Kate are easily one of my favorite parts of this series. I love their friendship so much; they are hilarious, totally loyal, and watching them handle all the chaos is the best part of the story.
Now I want to talk about the three men in Rose’s life. My opinions are quite varied.
Mason: I used to like him, but I am no longer a fan. His behavior is like a spoiled child driven solely by revenge, and it is really getting old.
Joe: Joe’s journey has been a rollercoaster. I loved him initially as Joe McAlister, but I wasn’t a big fan of Joe Simmons. He was totally under his father’s thumb. Now that his father is dead, I’ve surprisingly found myself liking Joe again! Despite this renewed liking, I honestly don’t want him back with Rose. He was a great first boyfriend for her, but she has outgrown him.
James (Skeeter): I love James. He and Rose are fantastic together—well, except for that whole criminal background part, of course!
In this episode of the series, Rose and Neely Kate are in the middle of another murder investigation. As with the other books in the series, they always find themselves in precarious situations.
While juggling the murder case, Rose and Neely Kate take in an unexpected, secretive house guest. The stranger has a mysterious past and deep connections to an ominous threat looming over Rose. By protecting this person, Rose and Neely Kate unknowingly entangle themselves even deeper into the Fenton County crime syndicate, ignoring everyone’s warnings to lie low.
Rose and Neely Kate navigate a mystery full of twists and turns, piecing together the connection between their house guest, the murdered woman, and a local crime ring. Surviving a dangerous confrontation, they prove once again their capability as investigators, despite their completely unorthodox methods.
We also gain further insight into Neely Kate’s secretive past as it slowly unfolds, piece by piece.
Rose finally has an answer for James. What do you hope it is, and what do you predict it will be?
If I have one complaint about this book—and honestly, the entire Rose Gardner universe—it’s a technical one. The characters consistently refer to a gun’s magazine as a “clip.” Only a total amateur would call it a clip! It’s somewhat understandable why the author has Rose use the term, as she’s still relatively new to firearms. Yet Neely Kate does so as well, and she absolutely knows her guns! Given that Neely Kate and Joe taught Rose how to shoot, they should have trained her to call it a magazine from day one.
Aside from that one nail-on-a-chalkboard firearm error, this book is fantastic. If you love witty banter, great female friendships, complex romance, and mysteries that keep you guessing until the final page, you need to read this series.
If you have read or are reading this series, share your thoughts in the comments.
Chapters & Lattes 