Kristi BelcaminoReseñas

While Gabriella Giovanni has never had much luck with love, her passion is reporting the news associated with crimes. Her job at the Bay Herald has helped her to deal with the kidnapping and death of her sister at six years old, but she has never looked back at Caterina's case until now when another girl has gone missing. She is brought face to face with Jack Johnson, who claims to be responsible for both crimes. Her investigative instincts turn to obsession, when she meets with Johnson and allows him to manipulate her until she is on the precipice of losing everything.

Blessed Are the Dead takes inspiration from other serial killer stories, but spins them in a way that gives them new life in this first book in the Gabriella Giovanni Mystery series. Ms. Belcamino takes her experience as a former crime reporter and weaves it into a thriller that is almost impossible to put down. Throughout the story, we are in Gabriella's head as we learn about her strengths as a reporter and her insecurities as a woman. Many elements fill out the plot including Gabriella's family, her Catholic upbringing, her love life, and her relationships with her colleagues. Overall, Blessed Are the Dead is not a perfect book but is an amazing story told by a first time novelist.½

Coming for You by Kristi Belcamino is a riveting mystery that is quite poignant.

With their seventeen year old daughter, Kate, about to leave for college, Sofia Kennedy and her husband Jason host their good friends Dan and Gretchen Williams and Alex and Cecile Moreau for an "Empty Nest" celebration. After a fun-filled evening, Sofia awakens to discover Kate did not come home from her evening out with Dan's daughter, Lily. Nor did her normally responsible daughter leave her a message that she is staying over with friends. Kate and Jason notify the police then they immediately begin searching for Kate. When their worst fears are realized, Sofia does not trust Detective Pete Marley to find Kate's killer so she begins investigating on her own. Will Sofia unmask her daughter's killer? And if she does, will she follow through on her impulse to make the murderer pay for their crime?

Sofia has lied to Jason and everyone in their inner circle about her identity and her past. She is very worried that Kate's murder is somehow connected to the life she left behind when she started college. The truth about her parents haunts her and due to her family history, Sofia is certain that when she identifies Kate's killer, she will have no problem exacting justice for her daughter's death. Convinced that her DNA is her destiny, Sofia relentlessly and sometimes, ruthlessly, hunts for Kate's murderer.

Kate's life in the months leading up to her murder are revealed through a series of her diary entries. She is a typical teen looking forward going off to college and beginning the "adult" portion of her life. However, Kate's life is a bit tumultuous as she looks to the future. Her long standing friendship with Lily is a bit strained but she is sure they will make it though this brief rough patch. Kate has been keeping several secrets that are quite troubling but are these undisclosed details related to her murder?

Coming for You is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery. Sofia is a sympathetic character whose family history is very dark and disturbing. Kate's murder is absolutely heartrending and it is easy to empathize with Sofia's need for vengeance. With a viable pool of suspects, Kristi Belcamino keeps the perpetrator's identity and motive for the murder carefully concealed until the breathtaking denouement. An outstanding mystery that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.

4.5 stars.

Border Line from Kristi Belcamino is the latest in the Gia Santella series. This volume not only makes a wonderful addition to the series it also marks even more growth in Gia as a person.

This story touches on some contemporary issues in society yet does so from a very personal level, not a in preachy or didactic manner. Like all large illegal operations, there is plenty of responsibility to go around for it being powerful, much of that responsibility being outside the organization.

If you've read previous Gia stories, you know she is a strong and independent woman. She has grown in every novel, usually incremental steps as she moves further in time from the events that helped harden her. This time she exhibits some major growth in areas that would naturally require time to happen. So while the change (or prospective change) is large it still falls into the realm of natural and believable. It also take her from a well-rounded but somewhat stunted character (I mean that in a good way, trauma stunts us whether permanently or temporarily) to a far more reflective person open to at least considering change. To quote a favorite movie: baby steps, baby steps.

The action, the characters, the writing, the intersecting plotlines, this novel satisfies on so many levels. I would recommend this to anyone interested in a kickass protagonist who is also a lot of fun. If you're new to the series, maybe consider starting from the beginning, but you can probably read this as a standalone, you'll just have to fill in a couple things from comments the characters make. Quite possible, I think, but if you don't like doing so, start with the first volume and work through this one by the time the next one comes out.

Coming for You by Kristi Belcamino is a standalone novel that grabs you immediately and does not let go.

If you're familiar with Belcamino's other fiction (if you're not, you should be!) you already know that her protagonist is going to be a strong woman who will do whatever is necessary to right a wrong or make sure that those who did the wrong pay dearly. This is no exception.

Told from two points of view, Sofia the mother and Kate, her murdered daughter, Coming for You offers a far more nuanced thriller than many others. We not only have the excitement of the hunt but the reflection on what makes a relationship. This book is as much about relationships as it is murder and revenge.

Like many thrillers, going into much detail risks ruining the twists and turns, so I will leave that largely alone. As a thriller it stands with any other out there. I want to talk about how the personal aspects of the story can and will speak to a reader's own life. While we hopefully will not deal with such an extreme reckoning in our own lives we all have secrets we keep from those we love. The fear we usually have is about what would happen if those secrets invaded our currently constructed world.

For most of us those secrets might cause embarrassment, perhaps even jeopardize a relationship. Whatever it may be, this commonality with Sofia and her plight gives both an edge to the story and an avenue for most of us to empathize with her. This connection gives the action of the novel that much more power. In addition to what might happen if our secreted past intrudes in our present we also have to think about how having and protecting that secret may have influenced how we constructed our relationships with people we otherwise share everything. It isn't about right or wrong but about living, plain and simple. And in this case, someone dying.

I highly recommend this to readers who like the white knuckle thriller, especially when revenge is included. This will especially appeal to those who like characters that are intelligent and reflective and, most importantly, relatable.

The story “Taste of Vengeance”, by Kristi Belcamino & Emily Kimelman, opens in the area of the Silicon Valley where two small-town hackers with brilliant ideas have hit it big & now see no limits to their thirsts & ambitions. To say they have “God Complexes” would probably be downplaying the personalities of Damien Thornwell & Richard Zimmer. They play by their Own rules, and expect others to play by Their rules also. They say &believe that one day they will rule the world!

Enter into the story two kick-ass protagonists: Gia, who has her own series, and Sydney Rye, who, likewise, has her own series. I wondered how they would ever mesh two such strong, independent women, but it did not take long to see how the characters developed. I must say, having read all the Gia books prior to this, I was somewhat displeased with Gia's simpering portrayal for most of the book. It was atypical of the character that had been developed.

Most of the story takes place during a vacation to Rio de Janeiro hosted by Damien for a few select people. Gia was actually there to get Damien to sign a contract with her company in the Tenderloin. Sydney, however, was there because she was secretly looking for Alaia Schwartz, the last in a long list of missing women, who was reported to be last seen with Damien. Alaia's father had hired her to investigate. Sydney is concerned though when she sees Damien showing such attention to Gia & realizes that Gia is a doppleganger for Alaia.

I love the way in which the book is written. It goes from one character to another in a manner that will hold you spell-bound. And the landscape descriptions are absolutely breathtaking – you almost feel like you're actually there sometimes. If you truly like suspense/thrillers, you Must go out & get “Taste of Vengeance”, by Kristi Belcamino & Emily Kimelman. I do not hesitate to give it five stars.

Taste of Vengeance from Kristi Belcamino combines one of her powerful protagonists, Gia Santella, with Sydney Rye, another strong independent character from author Emily Kimelman. Together for the first time, they really do complement each other very well.

Both main characters are tremendously strong and driven women with their own personal devils they have to fight. What makes them particularly good together is that they have similar strengths yet fill each other's weaknesses very well. In this case Gia is not on a case or investigating anything, so her personal issues and how she copes with them helped to make her seem more vulnerable than we are used to seeing her. Sydney is strictly on the case and is not even aware that she has as strong an ally in Gia as she does, though she does sense the strength Gia has.

Told in various points of view, we not only watch the events unfold but also flash back to what helped to make the "bad guy" who he is. These are interspersed throughout so that we begin to realize the extent of the present day danger as we learn the back story. I found this to be a very effective way to provide a more causal explanation for the evil that exists. While it certainly doesn't excuse it it does humanize the person so that we can see that most people become what they are, both good and bad, based on what happened to them and how they coped with it.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone already familiar with either series as well as anyone that enjoys a strong female lead (or two) who is aware of both her strengths and weaknesses and knows that, as a human, she is still a work in progress.

Gia and the Lone Raven is a wonderful addition to Kristi Belcamino's Gia Santella Series. This novella is fast-paced but still manages to pack both action and character development into a short format.

This can easily be read as a standalone if you are not familiar with the Gia Santella series (why aren't you?!?!) and would serve as a nice quick introduction to the main character if that is the case. For Gia lovers this fits nicely into the series with return characters and plenty of Gia's background to keep us learning more and more about her. Gia is not a static character, she is growing and learning with every volume just as we learn more about her.

I would highly recommend this book, and the entire series for that matter, to any reader who likes action/adventure with a strong female lead. She may be absolutely amazing in some areas but, like all of us, she is flawed and knows it. Those flaws sometimes get her into trouble, sometimes out, but they always make her a likable and memorable character.

The Gia series from Kristi Belcamino combines the best of the thriller genre with a character that can vacillate from caring to not giving a, well, I'll just say not caring quickly depending on the object of that attention. Yet this does not represent a person unsure of her beliefs, in fact, it is the opposite. She is so focused on doing what she considers the right thing that what she cares or doesn't care about makes perfect sense from her worldview.

In this, the first volume of the series, we are given more back story than absolutely necessary for this particular story but it all works very well to give us insight into her personality and establish who she is for the following volumes.

The writing moves right along and you are swept up into the action. When something happens and she doesn't have time to do anything except react, you feel the same way. In some novels you understand a character because you can ponder what they think about and even decide casually whether you agree or not. Here, you understand Gia because you feel like you're there and as you inhabit her mind (leave a trail of crumbs, trust me on this) what she does makes perfect sense at the time she does it. Later, well, time to unwind.

I would highly recommend this book and the series to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced adventure with a strong character. Gia is flawed, is more than one way, which really just makes her more human. The world she lives in likely isn't like the one you live in, so enjoy the scenery and the action. You can catch your breath when you've finished the book.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn is the fourth book in Kristi Belcamino's Gabriella Giovanni series.

Belcamino's choice of lead characters opens up a world of possibilities in terms of plots. Gabriella is a crime reporter in San Francisco and her partner Sean Donovan is a police detective.

The past plays a large part in Blessed Are Those Who Mourn. Belcamino provides enough back story that this first time reader didn't feel at a loss at all.

Someone is murdering women - and leaving taunting clues - bible verses - that mirror those left decades ago when Ella's sister was taken. And then the unthinkable - Ella and Sean's daughter Grace is snatched. And nothing will stop Gabriella from getting her back......

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn is an emotional, desperate, fast paced, action filled race to the final pages.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn is written in first person from Gabriella's view. It is her thoughts, her actions and her feelings that drive the book. Family, love and loyalty play a large part. Gabriella is a member of close knit Italian famiglia. Those relationships are explored and filled out, again providing fodder for other stories in the future. Religion and bit of mysticism also factor into Ella's life.

The 'bad guy', although despicable, never really jumped off the page for me. I thought his reasons for his action a bit far-fetched. But then again, who am I to say what crazy does?

Belcamino has written what she knows - she herself was a police reporter, comes from an Italian family and worked in the Bay Area setting she has chosen for her book. Her first Macavity and Anthony Award-nominated book - Blessed Are the Dead - was inspired by her dealings with a serial killer during her life as a Bay Area crime reporter.

Fans of Tami Hoag and Iris Johansen would enjoy this series.½

Gabriella Giovanni is a crime reporter for a newspaper in the San Francisco area. She is so focused on her job that she sacrifices relationships in order to get to a crime scene and file a story. When a young girl disappears in the Bay area, Gabriella gets involved professionally—and personally. The circumstances remind her of the kidnapping and murder of her own sister two decades ago. She makes a connection with the lead detective on the case and is attracted to him, while also trying to get a scoop for her newspaper by interviewing the suspect. The newspaper/reporter aspects of the storyline ring true, and the insight into the personality of the suspect are realistic. I was, however, totally put off by the reckless actions taken by Gabriella such as agreeing to meet the kidnapper/killer alone at night and not contacting police with her information.½

Blessed are Those Who Weep by Kristi Belcamino is a 2015 Witness Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This series is just getting deeper and better as it goes along. The story starts off with a shocking murder scene which sends the already fragile Gabriella into a tailspin.

When we last touched base with crime reporter, Gabriella Giovanni, she was in a place I never expected to find her. I was curious as to how this all would play out, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find her at the scene of such a grisly crime in which an entire family is murdered leaving only a baby girl as the sole survivor. But, the child's life still hangs in the balance as long as the killer is on the loose.

Gabriella takes this case very, very personally as she is recovering from a heartbreaking loss which has her affected her deeply. This case becomes yet another obsession for Gabriella as she attempts to cope with having lost her edge as a reporter, and with issues in her personal life. She will risk everything to ensure this killer is found and little baby Lucy is safe and in capable hands. But, will she lose everything and everyone she holds dear in the process?

This series has always had a dark edge to it, but this third installment is an all out emotional roller coaster from start to finish. One part crime drama with a race against time quality to it, steeped in a cover up type conspiracy, and one part relationship drama as Gabriella struggles to keep from going off the deep end and to keep her relationship with Donovan afloat, plus deal with her ever present personal demons.
I was really worried about our girl all through this book. She was certainly perched on the edge of the point of no return, and I began to think she was going to sink so far down in her despair she would never climb back out. The only thing holding her together was finding a killer and keep the child safe.
Will she be able to find the killer for the worst can happen? Where will Gabriella go from here?

Although we see Gabriella in the worst shape ever, I felt a sense of relief and a feeling of being unburdened by the book's end and while there are still some really uneasy feelings floating around, I think Gabriella will come out on the other side stronger and more stable than we've ever seen her. I have very high hopes for the future of the series.

If you like dark crime thrillers with compelling and well written characters you really should treat yourself with this series. You will not be disappointed!

One great thing about going to conferences is meeting "new to you" authors. I loved the characters and the plot with crime reporter Gabriella Giovanni and loved "meeting" her family and friends. A great who-dun-it as Gabriella is still searching for the murderer of her older sister years ago and becomes involved in a case where her lover, a policeman is arrested. I'm now going to buy the first in this very promising series by Kristi Belcamino, BLESSED ARE THE MEEK Is preceded BLESSED ARE THE DEAD.

Blessed are the Meek by Kristi Belcaminio is a 2014 Witness Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent installment in this series featuring newspaper reporter Gabriella Giovanni and her detective boyfriend Sean Donovan.
Sean and Gabriella have been together for nearly a year and the relationship is solid enough except for Gabriella's fears of starting a family. But, when a dot.com billionaire is murdered his girlfriend is the first person on the police radar. When Gabriella starts poking around she is stunned to learn that the stricking and cold as ice, Annalisa, was once involved romantically with Sean. This sends Gabriella straight into avoidance mode, even more than usual.
In the background of this high profile murder case, Gabriella is still searching for answers in regards to her sister's death. Once again there appears to be a real lead, but will Gabriella finally get closure or is this yet another dead end?

Gabriella is so human with her insecurities, her fears, and her “die before you cry” mantra. She is pitted against Sean's former lover, Annalisa, who is intent on luring Sean away from her ,plus for kicks and giggles, both she and Sean are under investigation.
The San Francisco locale is the perfect setting for this moody crime drama that packs a lot of emotional punches along with the shoot outs, murders, and plot twist, yet it still manages to pull all the elements together to give our characters more strength to deal with the past, the present, and what looks like a promising future despite the issues Gabriella and Sean will still have to work through.
The characters here have made strides in dealing with their problems with the ever present lesson that one can't run from life, can't continue to keep secrets, and to make relationships work they must face their fears and take changes. While the crime drama and all the twist are in the forefront of the story, the complications and implications of the crimes reek havoc on Gabriella on all levels. I felt like I was going through every emotion right along with her.
A few times the author tended to overuse gestures or phrases, but other than that this was a solid mystery, well plotted , and I simply loved the ending. This one is 4 stars.

Gabriella Giovanni, crime reporter, is back on the case. This time what starts as a traffic accident turns out to be one of a number of homicides. How many are actually related? Can she continue to keep her professional focus and still tell the victims' stories while continuing to investigate personal mysteries?

Multiple mysteries layer and entwine throughout the tale adding depth and flavor. A colorful, pleasantly detailed narrative allows readers to sense some of the scenery and situations characters encounter.

Characters are interesting, caring, authentic, and continue to develop.

Overall, a fun read.

Blessed Are the Dead by Kristi Belcamino is a 2014 Witness Impulse Publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by the publisher and Edelweiss.

Gabriella Maria-Grazia takes her job very seriously. She is a crime reporter for a Bay Area newspaper. She has news in her blood. She lives it, breaths it. She is currently coping with yet another break up and an ambitious newbie who isn't beneath trying to a few underhanded tricks to make Gabriella look bad in front her bosses.

But, when a missing persons case involving a young girl is making headlines, Gabriella takes it personally. She has lost a sister at a young age and this case is hitting her hard. Everything else is on a back burner while she joins in the search to find the missing girl.

Told in first person, this taut suspense thriller follows Gabriella as she follows a creepy serial killer down a dark, twisty road in hopes of finding out what happened to a missing girl, but also in hopes of finding out about her own sister whose killer was never brought to justice. As the suspect, Jack Dean Johnson, plays games with Gabriella she will remind you a great deal of Clarice Starling. Gabriella is spellbound by the suspect as she finds herself feeling some kind of empathy for the trauma he suffered in childhood, and he dangles information in front her making her think he knows something about her sister. But,is he the real killer? Oh, yes , he's killed before, many times. But, is he the one that kidnapped the most recent victim and does he really know anything about what happened to Gabriella's sister? Or is he just toying with her?

Also, on the case is a veteran detective, named Donovan who has a bad reputation, but who also finds himself drawn to Gabriella and she to him. However, the relationship appears doomed from the start as their respective careers clash.
The atmosphere is dark and gritty, and this crime thriller is not for the faint of heart. It is always tense when a child is involved in a crime and this book is not only riveting but heart wrenching as Gabriella begins to remember the sadness and grief she and her family suffered when her sister died. Plagued by vivid and horrendous flashbacks of her sister's funeral and her own sense of helplessness and guilt, this case has Gabriella throwing caution to the wind and stepping out into some really dangerous territory. I liked Gabriella from the start to the finish. She was often hard on herself and took blame when she shouldn't have, but she is very easy to understand despite keeping herself closed off to people. Donovan is also a dark and mysterious character that I didn't quite know how to take. Was he using Gabriella? Was he a rogue cop? I just couldn't get a good read on him.
The secondary characters fleshing out the story with Gabriella finding out just who her real friends were and a big dose of karma will see Gabriella coming out a winner in the end. There are lingering questions about some things, but since this is a series I think we will probably get the answers to some of these questions sooner or later. In the meantime, I have found a new mystery/ thriller author to add to my “Must Read” list.
If you like dark suspense thrillers be sure to check this one out. Five stars!

A child kidnapper is on the loose. Time is running out. The case is bringing back painful memories for reporter Gabriella Giovanni. Will justice be served?

A fast paced, detailed narrative laden with mysteries, and a hint of romance, lead the reader and characters through twists and turns.

Characters are passionate, varied, develop as the tale progresses, and caring.

Overall, a thrilling read.½