Review of A Tainted Mind by Tamsen Schultz

[Barbara Ann RS]

I really enjoyed reading A Tainted Mind. It’s a mystery and romance that builds to a suspenseful climax and has a satisfying ending.  The focus of the story is about finding a killer after Dr. Vivienne DeMarco discovers a skeleton as she’s passing through the small town of Windsor, New York. Vivi decides to work with Deputy Chief of Police, Ian MacAllister, to solve the case. The blossoming romance between them occurs over the course of the story and is cleverly connected to the case itself.

Vivi and Ian meet under unfortunate circumstances when she contacts him about a corpse she finds.  When they first begin working together, Vivi is a reluctant colleague even after Ian persuades her to help solve the murder, and there’s no insta-love or insta-lust in this book.  The romance between them develops gradually over the course of the story, and their backstories, professions, sense of duty and driving need to help others unite them as kindred spirits.

Both are straightforward and honest in expressing their feelings and growing desire for one another. They have the uncanny ability to read, understand, and reassuringly respond to each other even when thoughts are left unspoken. The mutual respect, support, and easy camaraderie between them gradually moves to a deeper level of trust, love, and devotion that make them a great fit together. It was refreshing to read a romance that skips the head games and wishy-washy feelings couples sometimes experience as they find their way to each other.

When Vivi and Ian meet, both are lost and uncertain of the future direction of their lives. Even though they are both in their early-to-mid thirties, their consistent level of maturity, knowledge, and wisdom make them appear older than they are. At the age of 33, I couldn’t believe how much Vivi had already accomplished. She’s a genius who started college at sixteen, and now she’s a police detective, medical examiner, FBI consultant, and adjunct professor. It seems she has spent her adult life solely focused on her career. Her career background was almost too much to be believable –but it’s fiction, right? Her expertise and vast knowledge play a crucial role in solving the case and, although Ian is impressed with her skills, he is never intimidated, jealous, or threatened by her qualifications.

Ian is ex-special forces and new to this line of work. He isn’t even certain he wants his job and feels insecure when faced with his first major case.  Ian isn’t always the confident, alpha male often ascribed to other male characters who work in his field, and I like that he isn’t afraid to reveal his vulnerabilities and self-doubts about his capabilities as the case becomes more complicated. However, Vivi’s unwavering faith in him and her quiet encouragement help enable him to step up and lead his team to solve this daunting case rather than sitting back and allowing the FBI to come in and take over.

The attraction and sexual tension between Vivi and Ian is described is emphasized early in the story, and they have one intense, passionate scene together, but their romance never overshadows their mission to find the person responsible for a series of murdered and missing women.  It was fascinating to watch Ian’s team discover the clues and evidence that lead them to an unsuspecting killer motivated by a surprising obsession. Shultz provides lots of detailed explanations behind this complex, tedious process in contrast to TV crime shows where crimes are solved in an hour.

This was a great story and I look forward to reading more of Shultz’s work in the future.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.