As rough around the edges as Charlie is, Gigi is all pastels, rainbows and sunshine and has no experience as a private eye at all. Charlie figures she can give Gigi a few of the more unpleasant tasks, such as posing as a burger joint’s mascot to catch an employee embezzler, or an all-night stakeout without the warning not to drink much ahead of time.

Though Gigi causes near catastrophes with both her assignments, catches fire and breaks an arm, she gets her man and soldiers on.

Charlie’s current case involves a woman who gave birth at sixteen and gave her daughter up for adoption. She has never told her husband and is shocked when a baby is left on her doorstep with a note that the baby is her granddaughter. A DNA test proves that the baby is her granddaughter, but she wants no part of her or her daughter and hires Charlie to find the birth father so he can take responsibility for the baby.

Charlie uses a hand-crafted baby blanket to follow the trail to Elizabeth Sprouse who is found dead before Charlie can contact her. At the funeral Charlie finds a woman who has contracted with Elizabeth to adopt the baby, but something about the woman’s story isn’t ringing true. Charlie also meets Elizabeth’s mother and her second husband, a religious zealot who was mentally abusive toward Elizabeth and someone from whom Elizabeth was trying to escape.

There are plenty of possible candidates for baby Olivia’s father, and also for Elizabeth’s murder, but Charlie isn’t satisfied and doesn’t give up until all her i’s are dotted and t’s crossed.

Swift Justice is a fast-paced mystery with a smart, wise-cracking detective and her somewhat bumbling, but oh-so intrepid assistant. Charlie is very reserved and only reveals little bits about herself whereas Gigi is very forthcoming and tells all to everyone. The two women’s styles complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses and they forge an odd but workable relationship.

The mystery has many layers and is quite complex, though Charlie’s investigation is straight-forward enough. She meets many odd characters along the way and has good initial instincts about almost everyone she encounters. With the spiritual guidance of next-door neighbor hunky Father Dan and the legitimate police help she receives from Officer Montgomery, Charlie is well on her way, perhaps even to her next date. This is a fun, face-paced debut with an unusual, but very likable pair of private eyes.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry