Tender Mercies Psychiatric Hospital is one of the darker places in the Sunshine State. So no one is really surprised when beautiful college student Elena Santos dies while under its care.

Though Elena’s death is the result a severe allergic reaction, the family asks PI Addie Gorsky to investigate. Addie takes the case, expecting to find evidence of neglect or malpractice, not murder.

But then the inconsistencies start piling up, with the tight-lipped hospital staff blocking the investigation at every turn. When Addie discovers Elena is not the naive college freshman her family described, but a woman with a haunted past, Addie takes drastic action. Risking her life and career to unlock the secrets of the Tender Mercies.

As the body count rises, Addie finds herself in a deadly chess match with an unseen opponent. A grand master of murder who is always one step ahead.

Somehow Addie must find a way to defeat this ruthless psychopath before another life is lost!

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Come to Elysium is a gritty murder mystery set in Florida. PI Addie Gorsky runs The China Rose restaurant and bar. When her colleague Moss loses his great-niece Elena to an allergic reaction while in the care of the Tender Mercies psychiatric unit, he asks if she could look into it. Even more concerning, is the lack of alarm from anyone at the Mercies that a patient has passed away under its care.

On the face of it, a girl died after ingesting a chocolate bar that had been in contact with peanuts. A tragic accident. But upon digging deeper, Addie uncovers a dark world to the psychiatric unit. People dying in seemingly innocuous situations, an atmosphere of corruption and incompetence pervades the unit. Clearly, something isn’t right. A deceased patient with a dark, troubling past crosses paths with a nurse affected by his crimes. It seems nothing is straightforward in Elysium, and that the Tender Mercies is a dangerous place to be.

It seems that I have a soft spot for Florida based murder mysteries, having enjoyed the works of Steph Broadribb in the past. Murder Comes to Elysium firmly scratched that itch for me. The female lead is strong, without the need for a male character to prop her up. Addie Gorsky is driven, determined and strong of mind, willing to do whatever she needs to to get the answers for her client, business partner and friend Moss. Even if that means crossing a line and committing federal crimes to do so. She is certainly not shy when it comes to getting her hands dirty.

I love the way that she is not a character set on rails. She has her views and opinions. She has her thoughts regarding the case. But they aren’t rigid. As she uncovers more, she accepts the ebb and flow of the case and how her views on it change. Often I see an investigative character dead set on their view of a case, unmoving until proven undeniably right or wrong, which can be quite jarring. Addie on the other hand is open to accepting that her suspicions are misplaced with each new detail that she uncovers. It makes her a more real, believable character. The story is filled with plenty of misdirection without feeling over the top, and the conclusion is just, though not necessarily the most satisfying form of justice. With good pacing, fantastic characters and a case with plenty of intrigue, Murder Comes to Elysium is a satisfying, fun read.

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