Snapshot Barnes, Linda

Carlotta Carlyle — Boston's wisecracking, six-foot-tall, ex-cop-turned-PI — is back, and this time she's diving into a case that starts with a photo and spirals into blackmail, betrayal, and bodies. When a woman hires her to investigate a mysterious snapshot, what looks like a simple domestic dispute turns into something far more dangerous. Barnes writes Carlotta with all the sharp edges and dry humor of a woman who's seen too much to be shocked but still cares enough to dig deeper. The Boston setting feels lived-in, the dialogue crackles, and the mystery unfolds with just enough twists to keep you guessing without feeling convoluted. If you like your detectives tough, funny, and flawed — think V.I. Warshawski or Kinsey Millhone — Carlotta Carlyle is your kind of company.