This was an excellent mystery, and I look forward to readingmore in this series. There were twists to the plot and the story tookoff in different directions as you read further in the book. While these weren't totally unexpected, they were still highly enjoyable. And it was great fun to read--imagine try to kill someone with an exploding snail! It left me wanting to know more about the characters and ready to read the next book in the series. This is another author that I will be adding to my "to read" list. END

This was the first Elena Jarvis book I have read. I do not know how it escaped me. It has an well defined plot- with very engaging characters. It is not a formula and it keeps you in supense until the end.

I grew up a block or so away from the author, so I'm biased, but I love these books. They perfectly catch the flavor of the Southwest and its culture, friendly, spicy, and yes, a little strange. I must admit it's a little strange reading sex scenes written by someone else's mom (Mrs. Herndon!!!), but these are a great read. The stories and characters are witty, engaging, and lots of fun. I just wish Mrs. Herndon would write them faster so I wouldn't have to wait so long for the next installments!

Monica Ibarra, a Los Santos police officer for under a year, is on foot patrol accompanied by Hope Masterson Quatres, a C.O.P. volunteer. Hope, a mayoral candidate's wealthy wife, wants to help her spouse on his run while doing something she believes in: civilian support to law enforcement officials. C.O.P.s never lost a volunteer until Monica spotted a car thief, told Hope to hide behind a dumpster, and called for back-up.

Hope is found dead and Monica is near death. The incident is a political hot potato handed to the Crime Against Persons detective Elena Jarvis and her partner Les Weizel. The autopsy reveals that Hope was murdered from a bullet fired from Hope's gun. Elena refuses to accept the obvious and begins to look elsewhere for answers. She quickly uncovers a powerful Mexican drug operation partnering with one of the city's most powerful individuals. Now she must prove it before she is unemployed from an internal investigation of her efforts.

There are few guarantees in publishing, but an Elena Jarvis mystery is as close as a reader can get to a sure thing. Nancy Herndon is a colorful story teller, who cleverly imbues her tales with enlightening cultural information, unusual but likable continuing characters, and realistic suspects. Each book in this series has been high quality. C.O.P. OUT is one of the best novels of the collection because there is more insight into the balancing act between the lead protagonist's personal and professional lives. Happily, another Herndon hit for her myriad of fans to peruse.

Harriet Klausner

In this outing, Elena Jarvis, a detective in the Crimes Against Persons squad of the Los Santos Police Department, catches the investigation of the murder by poison of the Hobart University casanova. There are lots of suspects with lots of motives, and Jarvis must narrow the field down to just one. This is an under-read series that deserves a wider audience. If you like your mysteries both cozy and procedural, this is the series for you. The author has well-drawn characters, a strong detective with smarts and savvy, and plots to keep you guessing.

While I usually begin a mystery series with book number one, I picked up Casanova Crimes out of curiosity. I found it completely enjoyable. It's not great literature, but there's interesting characters that we get to know outside of their immediate plot involvement, an intriguing crime with plenty of suspects, and an ending I really didn't anticipate. Elena Jarvis, the detective-star, is likeable, easy to relate to, and has a believable mix of qualities for a far-West-Texas character. The university and one of the professors in the story are somewhat on the edge of believability, but a little suspension of disbelief will suffice to get you through it. It's recommended light reading. I have purchased another in the series already.