Secrets and Suspense: With Child — a Kate Martinelli Mystery

P.D. Workman
3 min readFeb 27, 2024

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With Child, the third installment in Laurie R. King’s Kate Martinelli Mystery series messed with my feelings, which tells you that the author is very good at what she does.

In the beginning, there is a lot that the reader is not told about what is going on. You gather that Kate is having personal issues with her domestic partner, Lee, but don’t have enough information to figure out what is going on. Maybe part of that is coming into the series at book 3 without knowing how book 2 ended.

While With Child is primarily a police procedural, it also delves into the emotional and personal struggles of its characters, adding depth and complexity to the story. The dynamics between Kate and Lee, as well as the relationships between the other characters, are intricately portrayed, adding layers to the overall mystery.

What sets With Child apart is its ability to keep the reader guessing until the very end. The initial mysteries that are presented at the beginning of the story are just the tip of the iceberg, with the real mystery slowly unfolding in the background. King’s skillful storytelling and subtle foreshadowing make the eventual resolution all the more satisfying, as…

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P.D. Workman

Writing riveting mystery, suspense, and young adult fiction about real life issues.