Time Under Tension: A Kelsey James Fitness Mystery

Kristina Fox offers up a fresh take on the amateur sleuth genre with her debut novel Time Under Tension: A Kelsey James Fitness Mystery. Kelsey James is living her best life; a spunky go-getter with energy that just doesn’t quit, she spends her days coaching clients at her private gym in gorgeous Oakview, California. But when one of her clients comes to her for help after finding her mother brutally murdered, Kelsey makes it her business to find out who the killer is, after all, she is the Chief of Police’s daughter, and Tina is more than just a client: she’s a friend. Things get extra complicated when Tina is kidnapped right out of Fox Fitness’ doors shortly after her mother’s murder, and Kelsey takes it upon herself to find her friend, and the killer, before it’s too late. Fox delivers an immensely satisfying amount of intrigue and mystery into every chapter, driving the fast-paced storyline forward to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. While I was definitely expecting some twists and turns, the complexity of the story, the dead ends and fake-outs, calculated suspicions, and innocence revealed honestly left me guessing until the end of the book and definitely didn’t end up where I thought it was going. The thing that really sold the story, though, as action-packed as it is, was the genuine and completely relatable way the characters reacted to all of the danger and intrigue. It was immensely refreshing to see a group of characters acting like real people in a dangerous situation rather than the often overblown and exaggerated manner that often accompanies the amateur sleuth trope. I would even go so far as to say that this novel could be slotted into the cozy mystery section without looking amiss. The ride-or-die yet somehow still platonic companionship Kelsey has with Justin and the close-knit circle of friends that have her back at every turn absolutely radiates a found family motif. When you add in the actual family drama that Fox deftly weaves into the plot, it adds an extra dimension to an already solid story that completely knocks it out of that park. Time Under Tension would be perfect for cozy mystery readers who want to dip their toes into something more along the lines of a psychological thriller. Fans of Gigi Pandian’s elaborate plots or Laurie Cass and Lila Dare’s strong female leads will love this book!