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Fina Ludlow #2
Identity
It’s been a couple of months since Fina’s last big case—the one that exposed dark family secrets and called Fina’s family loyalty into question—but there’s no rest for the weary, especially when your boss is Carl Ludlow.
Renata Sanchez, a single mother by choice, wants to learn the identity of her daughter Rosie’s sperm donor. A confidentiality agreement and Rosie’s reticence might deter other mothers, but not Renata, nor Carl, who’s convinced that lawsuits involving cryobanks and sperm donors will be “the next big thing.” Fina uncovers the donor’s identity, but the solution to that mystery is just the within hours of the donor’s identity going public, the donor turns up dead.
Fina didn’t sign on for a homicide investigation, but she can’t walk away from a murder she may have set in motion. As she digs deeper, she discovers that DNA doesn’t tell the whole story, and sometimes cracking that code can have deadly consequences.
Renata Sanchez, a single mother by choice, wants to learn the identity of her daughter Rosie’s sperm donor. A confidentiality agreement and Rosie’s reticence might deter other mothers, but not Renata, nor Carl, who’s convinced that lawsuits involving cryobanks and sperm donors will be “the next big thing.” Fina uncovers the donor’s identity, but the solution to that mystery is just the within hours of the donor’s identity going public, the donor turns up dead.
Fina didn’t sign on for a homicide investigation, but she can’t walk away from a murder she may have set in motion. As she digs deeper, she discovers that DNA doesn’t tell the whole story, and sometimes cracking that code can have deadly consequences.
560 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2014
52 people are currently reading
1168 people want to read
About the author
Ingrid Thoft
15 books201 followersINGRID THOFT was born in Boston and is a graduate of Wellesley College. Her interest in the PI life and her desire to create a believable PI character led her to the certificate program in private investigation at the University of Washington. She lives in Seattle with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
July 20, 2017
Fast paced, engrossing and entirely readable, Identity was a simply amazing book that I devoured.
I absolutely love Fina. She is one of the strongest characters I have ever read, and I love her interactions with her family (especially her father.) Some changes happened in her relationship with Christian, and I hope that plot line continues with the next book. The rest of the cast is all excellently written,
The mystery was plotted wonderfully. I didn't really expect the killer until the end, even though there was a limited pool of suspects. I love the dedication Fina has for her job, and I love that the author shows that being a PI is a viable business.
Overall a superb book. I can't wait to read the next one! Highly recommend.
I absolutely love Fina. She is one of the strongest characters I have ever read, and I love her interactions with her family (especially her father.) Some changes happened in her relationship with Christian, and I hope that plot line continues with the next book. The rest of the cast is all excellently written,
The mystery was plotted wonderfully. I didn't really expect the killer until the end, even though there was a limited pool of suspects. I love the dedication Fina has for her job, and I love that the author shows that being a PI is a viable business.
Overall a superb book. I can't wait to read the next one! Highly recommend.
December 3, 2014
"Identity", the second Fina Ludlow novel is a very good example of the classic private investigation novel and Fina is a tough effective detective novel with a good central character, but the novel is somewhat weakened by Ingrid Thoft's uneven integration of the events of her first book in this series into this story. In addition, while the plot set up involving a fertility clinic was interesting. some elements seemed forced.
Fina Ludlow is an investigator at her father Carl Ludlow's law firm. Several years ago, Renata Sanchez, a potential client, became a mother via an anonymous sperm donor from the fertility clinic Heritage Cryobank. In a prelude to the main action, Sanchez wants to force Heritage to disclose the identity of the sperm donor and hires Carl Ludlow to bring an action. Before bringing the action, Carl sends Fina to find the identity of the sperm donor father, which Fina pulls off with a little ingenuity but in no time at all, which this reader found a touch unbelievable given the lengths that these clinics typically go to protect the identity of their donors. Sanchez confronts Hank Reardon, the father, who is, of course, very wealthy and seeks money for her daughter. The meeting does not go well.
It was not clear where Thoft was going here.
But soon enough, Reardon is found dead, and Fina is hired by his wealthy son to find out who killed his father.
There are a wide pool of potential suspects from the male chauvinistic Heritage Cryobank founder, who is clearly hiding something, Reardon's first wife, who needs money for her charity, his young second wife, who is also starting a charity and seems to be an indifferent mother, his business partner, who Reardon had blocked from a new lucrative deal, Sanchez, her daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend, who is another child of a sperm donor. Making matters worse for Fina is the appearance of a mysterious stalker who is following Fina and threatening her. The police are also an impediment to the investigation, as they do not want Fina hampering their own investigation.
Thoft's handling of the mystery and investigation are top notch.
While Fina does not seem to be accomplishing anything, Thoft shows that Fina's efforts and doggedness forces the potential suspects to take actions that discloses their activities. She also expertly plays off the various suspects against each other and reveals a lot of information about their motivations. These are not stick figures. There is depth of character here and, of course, plenty of red herrings.
Ultimately Fina will figure out the killer's identity and many of the other characters' secrets. She will also uncover a bit of fraud. While the killer's disclosure was not out of left field, it was a big surprise. A careful review of the novel will show a few potential clues about the killer's identity sprinkled in, but Thoft does most of the divulging of the killer's motivations in the last few pages, which is always a little annoying.
One of the problems in this novel, however. is the family dynamic left over from the first book. Apparently, as I did not read the first book in this series,Fina discovered that her brother was a pedofile, with designs on Fina's niece. Carl Ludlow has exiled him, but is interested in bringing his son back to the law firm and Fina is against it. Even if her family is forgiving and Carl Ludlow and Fina's mother are in denial, how could they allow someone like that back to the family. This part of the story was not that compelling even if Fina finds a way to get rid of her brother again.
But if you like a strong female detective not afraid to stick her nose and body in dangerous situations to find the killer, this book will definitely be a good read.
Fina Ludlow is an investigator at her father Carl Ludlow's law firm. Several years ago, Renata Sanchez, a potential client, became a mother via an anonymous sperm donor from the fertility clinic Heritage Cryobank. In a prelude to the main action, Sanchez wants to force Heritage to disclose the identity of the sperm donor and hires Carl Ludlow to bring an action. Before bringing the action, Carl sends Fina to find the identity of the sperm donor father, which Fina pulls off with a little ingenuity but in no time at all, which this reader found a touch unbelievable given the lengths that these clinics typically go to protect the identity of their donors. Sanchez confronts Hank Reardon, the father, who is, of course, very wealthy and seeks money for her daughter. The meeting does not go well.
It was not clear where Thoft was going here.
But soon enough, Reardon is found dead, and Fina is hired by his wealthy son to find out who killed his father.
There are a wide pool of potential suspects from the male chauvinistic Heritage Cryobank founder, who is clearly hiding something, Reardon's first wife, who needs money for her charity, his young second wife, who is also starting a charity and seems to be an indifferent mother, his business partner, who Reardon had blocked from a new lucrative deal, Sanchez, her daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend, who is another child of a sperm donor. Making matters worse for Fina is the appearance of a mysterious stalker who is following Fina and threatening her. The police are also an impediment to the investigation, as they do not want Fina hampering their own investigation.
Thoft's handling of the mystery and investigation are top notch.
While Fina does not seem to be accomplishing anything, Thoft shows that Fina's efforts and doggedness forces the potential suspects to take actions that discloses their activities. She also expertly plays off the various suspects against each other and reveals a lot of information about their motivations. These are not stick figures. There is depth of character here and, of course, plenty of red herrings.
Ultimately Fina will figure out the killer's identity and many of the other characters' secrets. She will also uncover a bit of fraud. While the killer's disclosure was not out of left field, it was a big surprise. A careful review of the novel will show a few potential clues about the killer's identity sprinkled in, but Thoft does most of the divulging of the killer's motivations in the last few pages, which is always a little annoying.
One of the problems in this novel, however. is the family dynamic left over from the first book. Apparently, as I did not read the first book in this series,Fina discovered that her brother was a pedofile, with designs on Fina's niece. Carl Ludlow has exiled him, but is interested in bringing his son back to the law firm and Fina is against it. Even if her family is forgiving and Carl Ludlow and Fina's mother are in denial, how could they allow someone like that back to the family. This part of the story was not that compelling even if Fina finds a way to get rid of her brother again.
But if you like a strong female detective not afraid to stick her nose and body in dangerous situations to find the killer, this book will definitely be a good read.
June 26, 2014
4.5 stars
This is one time when I have to say, no matter what is written in the book blurb, it will never do the complexities of this book justice.
"I'm not a battered wife, dumbnuts. I'm in a dangerous line of work."
Wow. I'm not even sure where to begin. In a lot of crime/mystery thrillers you don't really get the opinion that the character does anything other than work. They don't eat, sleep or have any normal life outside of the work they do. That's not the case with this novel. I have to admit, I dislike Fina for one reason...she eats...everything and never gains an ounce. I suppose though, that is fitting for a female P.I. who is always on the move. Seriously though, I have never seen a character with a bigger appetite.
As a main character, Fina can be a bit conceited at times, but not in a way that makes you dislike her. This is the first time I have ever read a novel with a female P.I. that I liked. Ingrid Thoft has a unique style of writing that allows the reader to feel close to the story. Rather than there being a big event and then lots of technical junk that bores you to death, she uses her main character to uncover little mysteries, one at a time until the big resolution happens in the end.
Fina was not obsessed with her love life every second of the story. I appreciated this as it seems it is usually the focal point of the story, often even taking over the mystery/murder. The complicated relationship she has with her family brought another element of realism to this book. When a character has other things beside their job at the heart of the story, I feel like they are much more plausible.
I also liked that Fina gets her butt handed to her a couple of times. The author is clearly not afraid to let anything happen to her main character, even though she is a woman. Loved it.
This novel was not only compelling, but also had moments of laugh-out-loud humour, which made it a lot of fun to read. There are some great descriptions, "Pitney was short and round and always brought to mind an armed garden gnome."
You will also find some passages that just make you want to quote the book to whomever is nearest you, "And she hated all the euphemisms for death; when people passed it was either gas or a test. You die and you're dead. That was that."
I was a little bit surprised by the end of the book, it wasn't the shocking-oh-I-could-never-have-guessed ending that many books in this genre tend to have. Instead, it was a smartly written conclusion to a book that already had a lot of those moments in it previously.
If you like mysteries, sassy main characters and want to live vicariously away from your diet, this is a book you want to read.
Recommended.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
This is one time when I have to say, no matter what is written in the book blurb, it will never do the complexities of this book justice.
"I'm not a battered wife, dumbnuts. I'm in a dangerous line of work."
Wow. I'm not even sure where to begin. In a lot of crime/mystery thrillers you don't really get the opinion that the character does anything other than work. They don't eat, sleep or have any normal life outside of the work they do. That's not the case with this novel. I have to admit, I dislike Fina for one reason...she eats...everything and never gains an ounce. I suppose though, that is fitting for a female P.I. who is always on the move. Seriously though, I have never seen a character with a bigger appetite.
As a main character, Fina can be a bit conceited at times, but not in a way that makes you dislike her. This is the first time I have ever read a novel with a female P.I. that I liked. Ingrid Thoft has a unique style of writing that allows the reader to feel close to the story. Rather than there being a big event and then lots of technical junk that bores you to death, she uses her main character to uncover little mysteries, one at a time until the big resolution happens in the end.
Fina was not obsessed with her love life every second of the story. I appreciated this as it seems it is usually the focal point of the story, often even taking over the mystery/murder. The complicated relationship she has with her family brought another element of realism to this book. When a character has other things beside their job at the heart of the story, I feel like they are much more plausible.
I also liked that Fina gets her butt handed to her a couple of times. The author is clearly not afraid to let anything happen to her main character, even though she is a woman. Loved it.
This novel was not only compelling, but also had moments of laugh-out-loud humour, which made it a lot of fun to read. There are some great descriptions, "Pitney was short and round and always brought to mind an armed garden gnome."
You will also find some passages that just make you want to quote the book to whomever is nearest you, "And she hated all the euphemisms for death; when people passed it was either gas or a test. You die and you're dead. That was that."
I was a little bit surprised by the end of the book, it wasn't the shocking-oh-I-could-never-have-guessed ending that many books in this genre tend to have. Instead, it was a smartly written conclusion to a book that already had a lot of those moments in it previously.
If you like mysteries, sassy main characters and want to live vicariously away from your diet, this is a book you want to read.
Recommended.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
July 28, 2020
All in all, I found this book to be an enjoyable read. I felt the real appeal of Identity was the interactions between Fina, her friends, and her family. I laughed aloud often as I was reading. I loved how ingenious Fina was. It was definitely far-fetched that Fina was beaten up, strangled, and stabbed so many times ... yet managed to jump right back into her cases immediately because "Cases don't get solved by resting." Some of Fina's quirks, such as her preference for junk food and diet soda, felt a little repetitive. Also, I wasn't wild about her romantic entanglements with two different men (a' la the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich). However! Even though this review seems to contain a lot of whining on my part, Identity was an enjoyable read and I found myself looking forward to picking it up and reading more. I definitely plan on reading the next book in the series!
June 27, 2014
Review originally posted:Traveling With T
This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair review.
Identity
It’s been a couple of months since Fina’s last big case- and if anyone deserves a break- it’s Fina. But a break is not in store. When Carl, Fina’s dad and boss, calls her to the firm- she goes. When she gets there, she finds herself in the middle of a case that she’d rather not be involved with- actually, she’d rather be doing anything else, but this case. The Ludlow’s newest client, Renata Sanchez is a single mother to two daughters- Rosie and Alexa. Renata used a sperm bank to get pregnant- and now, she wants to know her daughter Rosie’s biological father. She feels that all children, regardless of how they are conceived, need to know this information. The problem is: that when you use a sperm bank- you are agreeing to the biological father’s right to privacy- a fact that Fina tries to drive home. Carl agrees to take the case, though, because he says “the next big thing is sperm banks”.
Fina, even though she does not want the case, finds herself in the middle of it- and manages to find out who the father is. As the plan for the next steps in the case are being discussed, it’s discovered that someone has killed the man. So who was it? Was it Renata? Or someone else?
Fina doesn’t like the fact that she feels she played a role in the man’s death- so she finds herself trying to solve his murder. What Fina does not know at the time is that this murder is about so much more- this murder has many twists and turns- and everyone involved in the man’s life- from the fertility clinic to the women in his life to business folks in his life all have a reason to kill. And that’s not even counting all the children that he fathered via the fertility clinic.
Fina’s got her hands full with all that- plus, the fact that her brother wants to come back to Boston- a fact that Fina vehemently opposes and Christian, her friend with benefits, might be moving on. Also, there is a man who seems intent on making his displeasure at Fina’s butting in known every time he sees her in the most physical way.
In IDENTITY, the case moves fast- secrets are revealed and by the end, the reader will feel he/she has been on a wild ride. Buckle up, readers- Fina Ludlow is in charge- and it’s going to be a wild ride!
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
Wowza. This is my second Ingrid Thoft book and I adore her. I adore her character, Fina- smart-mouthed, sassy and fun as all get out. Fina doesn’t just break the law- she does it in such a charmingly badass way that you can’t help but love her (and wish you were riding shotgun!)
The plot- oh snap! The plot was great- the mystery had many layers to it- and just when you thought Fina had all the clues she needed- there was another chapter. The characters- fleshed out; but still with enough secret layers for future books. And the chemistry between Christian and Fina- well…. their relationship is hot.
Are you looking for a book with a good mystery? Do you want a PI who has no problem breaking the rules? Want a story that has a few layers to it? IDENTITY is what you need!
Highly recommend.
*This book was sent to Traveling With T from Putnam Books in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair review.
Identity
It’s been a couple of months since Fina’s last big case- and if anyone deserves a break- it’s Fina. But a break is not in store. When Carl, Fina’s dad and boss, calls her to the firm- she goes. When she gets there, she finds herself in the middle of a case that she’d rather not be involved with- actually, she’d rather be doing anything else, but this case. The Ludlow’s newest client, Renata Sanchez is a single mother to two daughters- Rosie and Alexa. Renata used a sperm bank to get pregnant- and now, she wants to know her daughter Rosie’s biological father. She feels that all children, regardless of how they are conceived, need to know this information. The problem is: that when you use a sperm bank- you are agreeing to the biological father’s right to privacy- a fact that Fina tries to drive home. Carl agrees to take the case, though, because he says “the next big thing is sperm banks”.
Fina, even though she does not want the case, finds herself in the middle of it- and manages to find out who the father is. As the plan for the next steps in the case are being discussed, it’s discovered that someone has killed the man. So who was it? Was it Renata? Or someone else?
Fina doesn’t like the fact that she feels she played a role in the man’s death- so she finds herself trying to solve his murder. What Fina does not know at the time is that this murder is about so much more- this murder has many twists and turns- and everyone involved in the man’s life- from the fertility clinic to the women in his life to business folks in his life all have a reason to kill. And that’s not even counting all the children that he fathered via the fertility clinic.
Fina’s got her hands full with all that- plus, the fact that her brother wants to come back to Boston- a fact that Fina vehemently opposes and Christian, her friend with benefits, might be moving on. Also, there is a man who seems intent on making his displeasure at Fina’s butting in known every time he sees her in the most physical way.
In IDENTITY, the case moves fast- secrets are revealed and by the end, the reader will feel he/she has been on a wild ride. Buckle up, readers- Fina Ludlow is in charge- and it’s going to be a wild ride!
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
Wowza. This is my second Ingrid Thoft book and I adore her. I adore her character, Fina- smart-mouthed, sassy and fun as all get out. Fina doesn’t just break the law- she does it in such a charmingly badass way that you can’t help but love her (and wish you were riding shotgun!)
The plot- oh snap! The plot was great- the mystery had many layers to it- and just when you thought Fina had all the clues she needed- there was another chapter. The characters- fleshed out; but still with enough secret layers for future books. And the chemistry between Christian and Fina- well…. their relationship is hot.
Are you looking for a book with a good mystery? Do you want a PI who has no problem breaking the rules? Want a story that has a few layers to it? IDENTITY is what you need!
Highly recommend.
*This book was sent to Traveling With T from Putnam Books in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
July 6, 2014
Finished "Identity" by Ingrid Thoft, the 2nd in her Fina Ludlow series, and it was so great and imo slightly better than the first novel!!! :D I loved this one a bit more than the first as we got straight into another case quicker since the first book introduced Fina, her whole family, and friends, so we didn't have too much backstory. Plus there were so many storylines going on besides the case like the sad drama with her family, Fina helping her friend Risa, Fina's personal life, and the love triangle with Fina, Cristian, and Milloy started to get heated. :) I actually changed ships this book as in book 1 I liked her with Milloy, but now realized I like her with Cristian even more. Plus she got so jealous (which she didn't expect) that Cristian started dating, so I can't wait to see where this goes in book 3. LOL The case was really good too and with so many suspects it was nice not easily figuring it out while I read it. Fina is just such a great character too. I can't wait for book 3 hopefully next year.
June 10, 2014
Loved this sequel to Thoft's first book, Loyalty. There were a few parts that I thought could've been hashed out a bit more, but overall I was impressed with this 2nd book. I love how Thoft runs 2 stories simultaneously within her books. It seems to keep me more entertained because I'm curious of 2 endings rather than just the one ending (she did that in Loyalty as well). I look forward to many more books from Ingrid Thoft!! Especially in this series!!
July 1, 2014
Ingrid Thoft is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love this series! Identity does not disappoint. What a great follow up to Loyalty.
July 2, 2014
*I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. This in no way affects my following review.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Identity. As with most books there is a some good things and some not quite good things. Overall though - I (mostly) liked it. It was more complex than I thought it would be with some interesting and unexpected twists and turns. As a mystery it was well done, as a story - it didn't feel finished (I will break this down later in my review). I'd just like to note that I did not read the first book in the series.
The Characters:
Characters can make or break a story for me. I don't particularly have to "like" a character for the book to be a good one in my opinion. Fina, our protagonist is a sharp, (mostly) competent, sarcastic and reasonably intelligent P.I. Okay, so she isn't the best at defending herself but I'm willing to forgive that - for the moment. As a human she's flawed - sometimes likable, sometimes a little baffling. Like with her "romantic/sexual" relationships - I don't get her possessive bent if she's the one that doesn't want anything more from the two men in her life. It's not the sexual thing that bothers me, by all means sex does not equal love but it's the getting possessive thing kind of does.
"Apparently, those two hadn't gotten the memo requesting they be on call 24/7."
Really? I didn't know an occasional booty call meant full-time, drop-what-you're-doing-because-I-need-you're-attention devotion. And don't get me into the first meet with Tyler (after just finding out her brother is a pedophile/molester). In reference to her meeting Tyler, finding him to be a "cute young man";
"Good thing, it was creepy when you started admiring the physical attributes of the underage."
He's 19 - not that far from underage. I'm not sure how old Fina is but this was just a little weird to me. It could be the finding out about the pedophile brother in the preceding pages (though to readers of the first book this is probably not news to them). This was more a personal thing on my part.
So Fina as an investigator worked. As a person, she sometimes lost me, at times I feel I could know her than she talks about spending $450 dollars on two pairs of jeans and going to a plastic surgeon after getting roughed up and I'm like wha…? Though I do wish I had her metabolism - she eats nothing but junk and soda and doesn't gain a pound.
Renata I could rant about for a while. She makes an appearance early in the book, but thankfully fades out a bit as it goes on. She is the most obnoxious, manipulative, holier-than-thou, harpy I've seen in a while. Her attitude grates. And her "cause" still doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense by the end of the book. And it seems the "cause" just poofs as the story unfolds.
Okay, so basically I could go on about all the characters but I won't. Most of the characters had their moments of like/dislike both in the characters themselves and their interactions. Some of them didn't make a strong impression (like Milloy). There was a large cast of characters so not all of them could be fleshed out well. A great deal of them were "contacts" of Fina's to help her along the case and were there for a page, gone the next and still others were "suspects", family, or completely random (like Brett Linder). I sometimes had a hard time keeping everyone straight. But for the "regular" characters - I did enjoy watching Fina interact with them, and how they interacted with others.
The Story:
The story was interesting and complex, full of twists and turns and intriguing to follow through till the end. You get several mysteries in one, sometimes leading to more mysteries. At times I think it was a bit much, but I didn't mind it. Most of the writing was enjoyable with a few bumps along the way. Like the fact that Fina (and Carl) were "representing" Renata and Marnie, early in the book - yet Fina mentioned less than 10 pages earlier she flunked out of law school.
My biggest problem was that some things completely dropped off the page and things were left unresolved
This book starts off with the issue of the "cryokids" brought by Renata wanting to find out who her daughter's donor was despite signing an agreement to anonymity and the "human rights issue" as she describes it, that every "cryokid" deserves to know their father (even if they don't want too). This just poofs as the book goes on. Renata is no longer concerned with her "cause" of making it so that "cryokids" will know who their father is and that doesn't make sense with her character, not to mention all her wants (like getting part of the Reardon estate, her lawsuit against Heritage) just disappeared. While I'm on the subject of Renata - what happened with her daughter Rosie and Tyler. Considering they lied to the police during a murder investigation. I know Fina found proof they weren't involved but did anything happen?
We also don't find out:
- Was there a point to Dan Rubin the reporter that pops up in the book and pops back out only to be mentioned in passing toward the end?
- Was the killer actually prosecuted/convicted for Hank's murder?
- What happened with Walter Stiles and Heritage Cryobank and the fraud?
- What happens with Hank Reardon's estate?
- How did Risa's meeting go with Greta?
- What was the importance of Brett Linder? I mean Fina had everybody digging on him and nada? Then he just disappears from the book again?
- And perhaps most importantly, does Fina really think that will keep Rand away forever? (I mean after all he's done, he's been getting a tan, living the good life in Miami - I hope a shark or a croc or an alligator eats him, or maybe a python can swallow him whole.)
So while Fina "successfully" answers her questions and "solves" her cases, there isn't a whole lot of resolution in my mind. I want to know what happens after she gets the answers.
I think what stopped this story from being a potentially bad story was the main characters. I didn't always like them, but I was interested by their interactions and characters. I enjoyed it (for the most part) as long as I don't look too closely or think to hard. I'm not sure I'd read the first book (as this one has spoilers, and from what I've seen I'm not sure I want to read it - icky Rand) but I would give another book in the series a try. 3 stars.
(All quotes were taken from an uncorrected proof and thus subject to change in the final edition.)
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Identity. As with most books there is a some good things and some not quite good things. Overall though - I (mostly) liked it. It was more complex than I thought it would be with some interesting and unexpected twists and turns. As a mystery it was well done, as a story - it didn't feel finished (I will break this down later in my review). I'd just like to note that I did not read the first book in the series.
The Characters:
Characters can make or break a story for me. I don't particularly have to "like" a character for the book to be a good one in my opinion. Fina, our protagonist is a sharp, (mostly) competent, sarcastic and reasonably intelligent P.I. Okay, so she isn't the best at defending herself but I'm willing to forgive that - for the moment. As a human she's flawed - sometimes likable, sometimes a little baffling. Like with her "romantic/sexual" relationships - I don't get her possessive bent if she's the one that doesn't want anything more from the two men in her life. It's not the sexual thing that bothers me, by all means sex does not equal love but it's the getting possessive thing kind of does.
"Apparently, those two hadn't gotten the memo requesting they be on call 24/7."
Really? I didn't know an occasional booty call meant full-time, drop-what-you're-doing-because-I-need-you're-attention devotion. And don't get me into the first meet with Tyler (after just finding out her brother is a pedophile/molester). In reference to her meeting Tyler, finding him to be a "cute young man";
"Good thing, it was creepy when you started admiring the physical attributes of the underage."
He's 19 - not that far from underage. I'm not sure how old Fina is but this was just a little weird to me. It could be the finding out about the pedophile brother in the preceding pages (though to readers of the first book this is probably not news to them). This was more a personal thing on my part.
So Fina as an investigator worked. As a person, she sometimes lost me, at times I feel I could know her than she talks about spending $450 dollars on two pairs of jeans and going to a plastic surgeon after getting roughed up and I'm like wha…? Though I do wish I had her metabolism - she eats nothing but junk and soda and doesn't gain a pound.
Renata I could rant about for a while. She makes an appearance early in the book, but thankfully fades out a bit as it goes on. She is the most obnoxious, manipulative, holier-than-thou, harpy I've seen in a while. Her attitude grates. And her "cause" still doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense by the end of the book. And it seems the "cause" just poofs as the story unfolds.
Okay, so basically I could go on about all the characters but I won't. Most of the characters had their moments of like/dislike both in the characters themselves and their interactions. Some of them didn't make a strong impression (like Milloy). There was a large cast of characters so not all of them could be fleshed out well. A great deal of them were "contacts" of Fina's to help her along the case and were there for a page, gone the next and still others were "suspects", family, or completely random (like Brett Linder). I sometimes had a hard time keeping everyone straight. But for the "regular" characters - I did enjoy watching Fina interact with them, and how they interacted with others.
The Story:
The story was interesting and complex, full of twists and turns and intriguing to follow through till the end. You get several mysteries in one, sometimes leading to more mysteries. At times I think it was a bit much, but I didn't mind it. Most of the writing was enjoyable with a few bumps along the way. Like the fact that Fina (and Carl) were "representing" Renata and Marnie, early in the book - yet Fina mentioned less than 10 pages earlier she flunked out of law school.
My biggest problem was that some things completely dropped off the page and things were left unresolved
This book starts off with the issue of the "cryokids" brought by Renata wanting to find out who her daughter's donor was despite signing an agreement to anonymity and the "human rights issue" as she describes it, that every "cryokid" deserves to know their father (even if they don't want too). This just poofs as the book goes on. Renata is no longer concerned with her "cause" of making it so that "cryokids" will know who their father is and that doesn't make sense with her character, not to mention all her wants (like getting part of the Reardon estate, her lawsuit against Heritage) just disappeared. While I'm on the subject of Renata - what happened with her daughter Rosie and Tyler. Considering they lied to the police during a murder investigation. I know Fina found proof they weren't involved but did anything happen?
We also don't find out:
- Was there a point to Dan Rubin the reporter that pops up in the book and pops back out only to be mentioned in passing toward the end?
- Was the killer actually prosecuted/convicted for Hank's murder?
- What happened with Walter Stiles and Heritage Cryobank and the fraud?
- What happens with Hank Reardon's estate?
- How did Risa's meeting go with Greta?
- What was the importance of Brett Linder? I mean Fina had everybody digging on him and nada? Then he just disappears from the book again?
- And perhaps most importantly, does Fina really think that will keep Rand away forever? (I mean after all he's done, he's been getting a tan, living the good life in Miami - I hope a shark or a croc or an alligator eats him, or maybe a python can swallow him whole.)
So while Fina "successfully" answers her questions and "solves" her cases, there isn't a whole lot of resolution in my mind. I want to know what happens after she gets the answers.
I think what stopped this story from being a potentially bad story was the main characters. I didn't always like them, but I was interested by their interactions and characters. I enjoyed it (for the most part) as long as I don't look too closely or think to hard. I'm not sure I'd read the first book (as this one has spoilers, and from what I've seen I'm not sure I want to read it - icky Rand) but I would give another book in the series a try. 3 stars.
(All quotes were taken from an uncorrected proof and thus subject to change in the final edition.)
April 18, 2017
This is the third of four in this series I have listened to. Unfortunately, I read the last one first, and have now finished the first and second. I will read the third next.
In my opinion, there are maybe four people in this series I like, and this does NOT include the main character. I will not spend the next three paragraphs describing in detail these books. It makes me nuts when reviewers/publishers tell the entire story in their synopsis. But I will say that this is one of the most dysfunctional families I have come across in fiction literature. While the plot lines are more than interesting, I have a hard time believing parents can be this awful. Who in their right mind would treat family members this way? Makes me wonder where authors come up with these ideas.
So I would recommend this series, with the caveat that this will not be every readers cup of tea.
In my opinion, there are maybe four people in this series I like, and this does NOT include the main character. I will not spend the next three paragraphs describing in detail these books. It makes me nuts when reviewers/publishers tell the entire story in their synopsis. But I will say that this is one of the most dysfunctional families I have come across in fiction literature. While the plot lines are more than interesting, I have a hard time believing parents can be this awful. Who in their right mind would treat family members this way? Makes me wonder where authors come up with these ideas.
So I would recommend this series, with the caveat that this will not be every readers cup of tea.
August 16, 2024
Had read the first book in this series featuring PI Fina Ludlow. The first novel was good and this one was better! Really taking a liking to Fina as a character, and her unorthodox, borderline illegal and forward approach to getting the answers she needs to get. The interactions she has with her family, friends, “frenimies”and close confidants are…how shall I say…”unique”. The novel is well written and puts you right into the mindset of Fina and she finds all the pieces to puzzle, yet still leaves you one step behind Fina’s thought process…so you are still able to try to figure things out on your own. Looking forward to reading more books with Fina as the main character to see how she matures as a person and a PI, but hopefully she doesn’t change her style…but she may want to make some better dietary choices though as she ages 😉
July 20, 2016
Spunky P.I. Fina Ludlow makes a shining second appearance (after Loyalty) in a mystery about cryobanks and the families they help create. Identity refers to not only a single mom's quest to discover the identity of her daughter's father, but also identity refers to Fina's quest to find the identity of a murderer (who killed a sperm donor, and why?), and Fina's mission to help friend Risa discover the identity of the woman who claims to be her aunt. There is also thought given to what makes up a person's identity - family? friends? illness?
One of the things I liked about "Identity" is the abundance of action on more than one level (there's more than one case Fina tackles, but there aren't so many the reader is confused about what's happening). There's action regarding Fina helping her family, her friends, and clients she doesn't particularly like. There's also action and progress made for Fina personally - she has to face and deal with her older brother, Rand, (Rand has committed a horrendous crime against his daughter, Haley, and Fina discovers this crime and does everything in her power to protect Haley - all of which is explained in the first book, "Loyalty,") and his threat to make a triumphant return to the family business. Fina also has to define her feelings when cop Cristian becomes involved with a woman who could prove to be someone special. Massage therapist Milloy is present in this second adventure, and I love the guy but wanted a bit more depth or connection between him and Fina: I missed hearing a bit more of his wit and his thoughts. He's present, yet muted (Cristian, however, does have a good voice in "Identity").
The mystery. the characters, the pieces of story - were all interesting and well presented at a good pace. Fina's magnetically drawn on the page and she lights up every avenue of the story with her spark and zippy personality. (Maybe not zippy. What's the right word? She's fun, loves a good verbal sparring; yet she's thoughtful and caring, as well). I'm addicted to Fina's cases and know I'll be back for any future adventures.
One of the things I liked about "Identity" is the abundance of action on more than one level (there's more than one case Fina tackles, but there aren't so many the reader is confused about what's happening). There's action regarding Fina helping her family, her friends, and clients she doesn't particularly like. There's also action and progress made for Fina personally - she has to face and deal with her older brother, Rand, (Rand has committed a horrendous crime against his daughter, Haley, and Fina discovers this crime and does everything in her power to protect Haley - all of which is explained in the first book, "Loyalty,") and his threat to make a triumphant return to the family business. Fina also has to define her feelings when cop Cristian becomes involved with a woman who could prove to be someone special. Massage therapist Milloy is present in this second adventure, and I love the guy but wanted a bit more depth or connection between him and Fina: I missed hearing a bit more of his wit and his thoughts. He's present, yet muted (Cristian, however, does have a good voice in "Identity").
The mystery. the characters, the pieces of story - were all interesting and well presented at a good pace. Fina's magnetically drawn on the page and she lights up every avenue of the story with her spark and zippy personality. (Maybe not zippy. What's the right word? She's fun, loves a good verbal sparring; yet she's thoughtful and caring, as well). I'm addicted to Fina's cases and know I'll be back for any future adventures.
July 13, 2014
A smart, fun and fast-paced thriller. 2nd in the Fina Ludlow series. The author deftly fills in the relevant backstory in the first two chapters so you need not have read the first in the series, Loyalty. But it is a great book and I recommend it as well. A great character is a great character and it should not matter whether male or female. I only bring that up because in this genre, it is rare to have a great female lead. Fina is smart as a whip, complicated, tough and has a great twisted relationship in the family firm. The side characters are fleshed out and believable. The plot twists are not contrived and truly keep the reader hooked. A great summer read as you want to keep turning the pages. Well, a great read anytime of the year. If you like a who-done-it, wildly paced, intense thriller that you really cannot put down....you won't go wrong with Identity and then you'll want to back up to Loyalty. Fina is truly one of the new great characters in thrillers. Cannot wait to meet up with her again. Loved it.
July 16, 2015
I loved this book just as much as I loved Thoft's first, "Loyalty." Not only is the story great and 'can't put down', I used to live in downtown Boston so the locations brought back many fond memories.
Fina is up to her ears in murder, getting beat up/attacked, a rich recent widowtrophy wife w/a child she doesn't really want, a first wife w/issues, and friends w/kids who were the result of sperm donated by a wealthy murder victim. On top of that a friend who was adopted is hearing from her alleged aunt and asks Fina to dig into that issue and Fina's brother, Rand, is trying to get back in the family business (see "Loyalty" for the background on him).
If you read "Loyalty", you will love this. If you haven't read "Loyalty", get it, devour it, then read this one. I am on my way to the library to get the 3rd Fina novel!!!
Fina is up to her ears in murder, getting beat up/attacked, a rich recent widowtrophy wife w/a child she doesn't really want, a first wife w/issues, and friends w/kids who were the result of sperm donated by a wealthy murder victim. On top of that a friend who was adopted is hearing from her alleged aunt and asks Fina to dig into that issue and Fina's brother, Rand, is trying to get back in the family business (see "Loyalty" for the background on him).
If you read "Loyalty", you will love this. If you haven't read "Loyalty", get it, devour it, then read this one. I am on my way to the library to get the 3rd Fina novel!!!
June 25, 2014
Those readers who love a strong female character will enjoy Fina Ludlow, the female detective in Ingrid Thoft's new series. Fina is a combination of Stephanie Plum, Kinsey Millhone, and Nikki Heat! She works as a detective for her father's law firm and along the way meets characters from all walks of life. She has a love-hate relationship with her family as well as several on again, off again romances. The character is well drawn out and we keep learning new things about her as the story unfolds. I was a little confused about the many characters and how they related to Fina, so perhaps a little more background as new characters are introduced would help the reader. I am looking forward to reading the next in this series!
March 15, 2015
This is the second in the Fina Ludlow series. Fina is a PI working mostly for her extremely wealthy and successful family law firm in Boston. This investigation has Fina looking into a cryobank, sperm donations, genetics and ultimately a homicide. I really like Fina and the cast of characters around her. This story like the first has many different tracks going on. These are relatively quick reads (if you don't take a 9 day vacation in the middle) and highly entertaining. Recommended, but definitely start with the first, Loyalty, as there are spoilers in this one for the first.
November 3, 2014
This is the kind of mystery novel I like. It's filled with humor and a strong female character who takes after my own heart -- she loves junk food. One of the plots from the previous novel is carried over here; the continuity was nice. This time, I didn't figure out the mysteries, which was a plus. Fina still reminds me of Izzy Spellman, but that's not necessarily a negative.
July 14, 2014
Ms Thoft writes a damn good classic PI novel.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
June 5, 2017
3.5* A satisfying series. I like that, while Fina is hard nosed, she also has very realistic conflicts with and loyalties to family and friends arising from deep-seated feelings and concerns for them. However, I have to wince at the author's effort to make us believe that Fina exists on relatively nothing but diet soda and various forms of sugar, like Nutter Butters and Reese's peanut butter cups, yet still is apparently a svelte, muscled, attractive woman. However, I get that this is part of the hard-boiled tradition where PIs have better things to do than concern themselves with designing and consuming a 7-course dinner. (Nero Wolfe excepted, although he is not hard boiled: more like flambéed in cognac.) I do have a couple of minor quibbles with Thoft's plot, though: loose ends concerning clues (or non-clues) involving the use of security cameras in different locations. But the continued development of series characters, including the carryover of their history from the plot of the first book, more than makes up for minor plot negligence.
September 14, 2020
I heard about the first book in the Fina Ludlow series, "Loyalty", while reading another author's book! I though I'd look into it, and I'm really glad I did! "Loyalty' was pretty intense and action packed and portrayed a story of a rich Boston family that is not so pretty. This book continues the story but at a less grim, gritty pace.
I like Fina's character and feel she does a great job as P.I., in spite of the lack of support from her family. Even though she was raised in a wealthy family, she has a good understanding of the everyday people in the world. I feel concerned that she takes on too much and gets into a lot of scrapes because she is trying to prove to her family she is capable of earning her own keep. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series, "Brutality", but hoping it isn't as rough as it sounds. :D
I like Fina's character and feel she does a great job as P.I., in spite of the lack of support from her family. Even though she was raised in a wealthy family, she has a good understanding of the everyday people in the world. I feel concerned that she takes on too much and gets into a lot of scrapes because she is trying to prove to her family she is capable of earning her own keep. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series, "Brutality", but hoping it isn't as rough as it sounds. :D
December 31, 2018
I raced through the four Fina Ludlow books (Loyalty, Identity, Brutality and Duplicity) and cannot wait for the fifth! Ingrid Thoft has created a strong, complex PI and a surrounding cast of interesting characters. The storylines in each book are intense and absorbing, with threads of humor and clear-eyed observations of relationships and emotions. And the best part of all is Thoft’s writing. She has a good ear for conversation and a keen eye for interpersonal relationships- and the result is that both read true and genuine throughout the four books. The action is consistently paced in such a way that it pulls you along but doesn’t beat you up with too much action/anxiety all at once. I highly recommend all four books! Ingrid Thoft is one my favorite finds for 2018!
June 8, 2021
I read book #1 of the Fina Ludlow series a couple years ago and thought it was a pleasant read…fun and kinda fluffy. The heroine is a P.I. along the lines of Stephanie Plum without the crazy wackiness. However, book two (at 454 pages) is about 100 pages too long. Constant references to the junk food she ate, the clothes she wore, and numerous 5 minute conversations with far too many characters that lead nowhere, were irritating after awhile, and I found myself skimming whole chapters. Plus the author wove in all the characters from the first novel, but really didn’t need to. Most of that went nowhere.
I won’t be reading the next book in the series…
I won’t be reading the next book in the series…
October 31, 2023
There are numerous storylines in this book. Pay attention. Fina is the same as she was in book one: basically lives on junk food and diet soda—the descriptions of them get old very quickly. There are glimmers of humor along with brief bursts of violence and lots of “detecting.”
It is a quick read. The author leaves a few loose ends, but you can guess that justice will prevail. Thoft’s writing isn’t as slapstick as the Evanovich books which became increasingly over the top. I prefer Fina.
Her family is interesting and not as dysfunctional as many “real” families. If you enjoy mysteries, this is a good one.
It is a quick read. The author leaves a few loose ends, but you can guess that justice will prevail. Thoft’s writing isn’t as slapstick as the Evanovich books which became increasingly over the top. I prefer Fina.
Her family is interesting and not as dysfunctional as many “real” families. If you enjoy mysteries, this is a good one.
August 25, 2021
I read identity by Ingrid thoft last week. I gave this book a generous three stars. The writing was good. I loved her style but I couldn't keep up with the story. It just didn't leak an interest in me. There was too much going on and very difficult to follow. Fina storyline was amazing everyone else's. Not so much. I did finish the book! And the ending was a little rushed.
I would try another book by Ingrid thoft
I would try another book by Ingrid thoft
February 16, 2017
Read the second book by Ingrid Thoft....the series with Fina Ludlow as private investigator. After reading the first book, I enjoyed this one even more. Fina is quirky, tough, and the books moves along at a good pace. I like that characters from the first book appear in the second book along with a different story line. Would highly recommend for a good read.
August 26, 2019
This series with Fina Ludlow PI is somewhat repetitive and it was hard to tell one book from the other. But I like some characters and although long it moved pretty quickly and held my interest.
She drinks a lot of diet soda, it came up again and again so that was annoying.
Might try one more but not the best.
She drinks a lot of diet soda, it came up again and again so that was annoying.
Might try one more but not the best.
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July 2, 2024I am so happy that I stumbled upon the Fina Ludlow series. She is a great character and one that you want to see succeed. The family dynamics of the Ludlow family keep things interesting. I love that the same characters are used throughout Ingrid Thoft's books - I feel like I know them. Would definitely recommend this book as well as the other 3 in this series!
July 10, 2019
A decent mystery, but I still haven't bonded with the characters. These are great 'filler' books but I can't imagine waiting with baited breath for the next installment. Will keep on with the series the next time I'm waiting for a library book to come in.
July 12, 2021
Enjoyable. Fina’s personal relationships continue to trouble her. The latest death needs investigating. The story jumps quite a bit, with short moments along Fina’s investigation. I suppose it all came together.
May 10, 2025
Probably a 3.5 for this because I’m really enjoying these books - but the strange family dynamic of the Ludlows is off putting. I won’t spoil it here but it’s a strange acceptance of an obviously terrible brother that goes beyond reason.
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