Thirty-Six and a Half Motives

Denise Grover Swank

May 2016 · Rose Gardner Mystery Book 9 · DGS

About this ebook

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller!

The final book in the Rose Gardner Mystery series.

Rose Gardner should be celebrating the arrest of her fiercest enemy, J.R. Simmons. But problems are like weeds—pluck one and five more spring up. Rose’s boyfriend is on the verge of leaving her for good, her best friend, Neely Kate, is grappling with marriage problems, and her sister has a devastating secret. To make matters worse, she discovers J.R. Simmons has not been neutralized. His network of allies and henchman extends further than she suspected, and J.R.’s so intent on revenge, his lackeys might just destroy Fenton County to get it for him. 

  

But the girl who once spent her days alone and afraid is now a strong, independent woman with a network of her own, including Neely Kate, Skeeter Malcolm—the reigning king of the Fenton County underworld—and other loyal friends on both sides of the law. Racing against time, they must dig up J.R.'s empire by the roots, unmasking his allies and unearthing his secrets, both the behind-the-scenes manipulation he’s been orchestrating in Fenton County for decades and the dark stains of his personal life. 

  

If Rose succeeds, she tells herself the quiet and peaceful life she once dreamed of will be at the end of the tunnel. But her quest to destroy J.R. will require her to explore the person she has become, what she wants, and what that means for her future.  

Ratings and reviews

Oh My Stars and Garters!!! What a Finale!!! If you have been a fan of the Rose Gardner Series, or a DGS fanatic like me, you are not going to want to miss this 9th book in the series. Everything is wrapped up for us in this instalment. We get so many answers, it's like a cheats book. So much happens with twists and turns, I could not put it down for the life of me. This book starts only five days after the last one finished. And poor Rose is still reeling from Mason needing to take some time to process all that he learnt in Thirty-Five. But unfortunately she hasn't the luxury of curling up in bed and giving herself a huge pity party, there are deadlines to meet. The other characters all have major parts in this conclusion, some I predicted, but honestly, most will give you a gasp reaction. We finally get the insight of Violet's secret, Neely Kate has some sole searching to do, Skeeter, or as I will now be calling him, James takes on a new partner. Joe learns some amazing family secrets and Mason will stop at nothing to protect Rose. There is not too much more that I can add, without giving away any spoilers. Did Denise do a good job on this completion, of course! Are you going to be happy with the outcomes, most certainly. Am I going to read the new series, The Rose Gardner Investigations, hell yes! Thank you Denise for creating a character that has developed so well over the last nine books (plus novellas), thank you for not completely closing off Rose to us, and producing a new and fun series for her and Neely Kate. And thank you for allowing us the chance to dream with Rose. One of my favourite all time series that I am going to read again and again and again. <3

An Explosive Finish to a Masterpiece “It all started when I saw myself dead.” That’s how the Rose Gardner Mysteries began in Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. How could it possibly end well for Rose Gardner and her cohorts? It’s not easy to write a review for such a phenomenal story without revealing spoilers, but I’m going to do my best. I was given the task of summing up this final installment with one word: explosive. Denise Grover Swank is at the top of her game in Thirty-Six and a Half Motives. She holds nothing back, makes some bold decisions, and by the end the fallout is unavoidable. You get the finish every character deserves in the JR Simmons saga that has ruined so many lives. All the dirty secrets and lies come to a head in one heck of a finale. Plans explode. Relationships explode. There’s even literal explosions. Every character’s true colors shine through. While you don’t get answers to everything, there are answers for: Mason’s relationship with Rose The identity of Rose’s father Kate’s real reason for pestering everyone in Fenton County Why Hilary Wilder would follow Joe Simmons to the end of the world JR Simmons’ endgame The identity of Anna and what role she plays in the bigger picture …and much more! I normally give some sort of “MVP” of the book, but in this instance everyone who mattered was most valuable. Skeeter Malcolm is swoon worthy. Jed Carlisle is one heck of a fearless protector. Joe Simmons is the guy you always want at your back. Mason is the boyfriend everyone wishes they could have. Neely Kate is the bestest of the best friends a girl could ever hope for. Maeve Deveraux is the mother all of these characters have been missing from their lives. The pacing is fast. I read the entire book in a handful of hours. There’s even a fair share of surprises that I’m not going to reveal here. I’m keeping this spoiler-free after all! Let me just say that I laughed, cried, and was left in shock MANY times throughout this 117K word masterpiece. One of my favorite quotes expresses just how I feel about the Rose Gardner Mysteries and Denise Grover Swank’s writing as a whole: “She’s taught me life is meaningless without people to share it with.” I want to share this book with the world. Where can a story like this end? You’ll just have to read it for yourself.

I fell in love with this series in Twenty Eight and a half Wishes and have followed Rose's story all the way to to this current book. I have had my heart broken, laughed out loud and watched the character Rose grow from a shy introvert to a strong woman ready to face the world and all it has to offer. Each step of the way has been an adventure I'm glad I didn't miss. Denise Grover Swank brought his character to life for me and many, many readers with her wonderful story telling abilities, excellent writing and the heart she pores into her books! Denise took us through a lot of stages as we followed the story of Rose and her nemesis JR. Introducing us to many fun and endearing character as she wove the tale of JR's depravity. In Thirty-Six and a Half Motives, Denise wraps up this final chapter with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final pages but don't think this will be our last peek into Rose's life because Denise has many more surprise in store for us, and Rose! excellent book, excellent writing and an excellent finale...for now :-)

About the author

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank has released over thirty novels and novellas and has sold over two million books. She writes mysteries with romance, humorous romance, light-hearted young adult romance, and urban fantasy. She lives in Blue Springs, Missouri with her three naughty dogs and six imaginative children. You can find out more about Denise at www.denisegroverswank.com.