The Reading Cafe: Review of The Empty Bed

The Empty Bed by Nina Sadowsky is the 2nd book in her Burial Society series. I did not read the first book in this series, but once I got used to the multiple POV’s, it did read well as a standalone.  As noted, in each chapter, it was a different POV, which was a bit confusing early on; but about a ¼ of the way in, I knew the characters., though I was a little stumped as to where this was heading.Catherine is the lead in this series, as she runs The Burial Society, who help rescue people in dangerous situations, and helps them escape to sort of a witness protection system.  She has a group of trained members, whom she sends to various missions; in The Empty Bed, some of these missions will tie in. The story starts with Eva and Peter Lombard going on a vacation to Hong Kong to fix their failing marriage, which Peter surprised his wife with.  Eva notices a strange man seemed to be following her, and when she tells Peter, he just brushes it off as her imagination. The following morning, when Peter wakes up, with his wife not in the hotel room; after trying to call her, he decides she is playing hardship with him, and goes out on his own.  Along the way he gets mugged, and when he gets help, he realizes that Eva was right, someone must have been following her and now she is missing. When Peter calls his boss for help, Catherine, who is a friend of the boss, is notified and sends a team to Hong Kong.  Stevie and Jake (not their real names) try to work with Peter to find Eva, as well as protect him from those chasing him.  We learn that Eva has old powerful friends in Hong Kong who are helping her, as she has no idea who is after her and why. As they get close to finding each other, the danger escalates for all of them, as the villain has ties to someone closer to Peter, and Eva might have a picture on her camera that they want.  While Stevie and Jake protect them, it is Catherine who realizes her old friend may have something to do with whatever is going on. Can she trust him?Catherine is also working with a couple of other members to help a woman and her child escape an abused relationship from and powerful enemy.  There is also another POV of an FBI agent who is trying to find the woman and child that are missing. The Empty Bed is an intriguing, exciting, action-filled and intense mystery that had three storylines going at the same time, with two tying in.  There were some twists and surprises along the way, though I will say it at times it was difficult to keep up with. With that being said, The Empty Bed had an excellent premise written very well by Sadowsky, and interesting society protecting those in danger and lots of action.