Rula: The Candidacy Party

In the second installment in the Rula series,

Rula: The Candidacy Party, we join Kate Bennett and Anthony Cruz, leaving the hospital after their brush with death. Still no closer to figuring out who is trying to kill them or why. They decide they are not going to give up on what they feel is the story of a lifetime and continue to piece together the clues they have found in her newly purchased Carmel home. Their discoveries lead them once more to London and eventually to the home of Rachel Holmes, the former lover of suspected jewel thief McGuire Tannenbaum. The same McGuire who seems to be pushing Kate and Anthony further down the rabbit hole that is Rula.

Our reporters, in tracking down both Rachel and Chelsea, McGuire’s former assistant and partner, fill in much more of the story they are desperate to unravel. For instance, Rachel tells them the game originated in the court of Henry VIII. It was created by the court jester William, and his family line has kept it going through the years. Though it started out as a simple diversion for a bored monarch, it has morphed into something much more complicated and dangerous. Many other questions are answered but, in the course of their investigation, something altogether unexpected occurs. They receive an invitation from Drew Sommers, the latest jester.

I was beyond thrilled when contacted to review Nicole Parris’ second book in the Rula series, having enjoyed the first so very much. I have been waiting impatiently to find out what had happened with Kate and Anthony and all the other players in the intricate web of the Rula tale. Rula: The Candidacy Party did not disappoint. From the first page I was immediately drawn back into the fast-paced story and quite happy to be putting the pieces together alongside our protagonists.

That said, I give the reader a few bits of advice. First, do not read this book without first reading Rula: The Heist or you will be completely lost. These books were in no way meant to be stand-alone novels, and that is perfectly fine. Read the first, enjoy this one, and eagerly anticipate the ones to follow with the rest of us! Second, I highly recommend keeping a character journal of some sort so that you can keep track of who’s who. It gets a bit complicated especially when moving from novel to novel if you must take time in between to wait for the next.

Trust me, however complicated as the character list gets and twisted as the tale becomes, it is SO worth it! Parris has dreamt up a complex world I love escaping into from the safety of my living room!