by Sharon Marchisello

This week we have a review and giveaway of Diversion by Cindy Goyette, along with an interesting interview with Cindy. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Diversion by Cindy Goyette
Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

Diversion is book three of Cindy Goyette’s acclaimed Probation Files Mysteries featuring Phoenix probation officer Casey Carson. Although I have not yet read the first two books in the series, I had no trouble enjoying this one as a stand-alone and becoming invested in the characters.

Point of view alternates between Casey, the main protagonist, told in first person, and Betz, her ex-husband and still smoldering love interest, told in close third person. Interspersed are some chapters from the POV of Marcus, her other love interest, also told in close third person.

In this story, Casey takes time off from her regular job for a side gig: helping her cousin Hope, who has been hired as a counselor in a diversion program for troubled teens, on a wilderness adventure. Casey is looking forward to the time away to sort through her conflicting feelings about the two men in her life, Betz and Marcus. Also, she suspects she’s pregnant and isn’t ready for whatever life changes that might bring.

Everything that can go wrong on the trip does. The teens don’t get along. Rico, fighting with another boy, throws his backpack off a cliff. Except the backpack Rico threw away actually belongs to the group leader. It contains their satellite radios and most of their essential supplies for the trek. The next morning, Rico is deathly ill from altitude sickness, and Hana, another of the campers, gets stung on the foot by a scorpion. Neither teen is in any condition to continue the journey. The leader makes the decision to abort the trip and separate the group. Hope and Casey (and Casey’s faithful dog, Felony) stay behind with Rico and Hana while the others hike out to call for help.

Trouble continues to find them. The author is ruthless to her characters, and they barely survive one catastrophe after another. Adding to the danger, an escaped killer is wandering the area where the group is hiking, and he happens to be one of Casey’s charges.

Meanwhile, Betz and Marcus have to put aside their rivalry and team up to try to rescue Casey; their quest is also fraught with peril.

This was quite a page-turner, yet it took time to examine complex human emotions and relationships. The ending was satisfying. Highly recommended!

Sharon Marchisello is the author of the DeeLo Myer cat rescue mysteries published by Level Best Books: Trap, Neuter, Die (2024) and Trapped and Tested (January 2026). Her other mysteries were published by Sunbury Press: Going Home (2014), Secrets of the Galapagos (2019), and Murder at Leisure Dreams – Galapagos (2025). She has also written a nonfiction book Live Well, Grow Wealth (2018), travel articles, and short stories. She earned a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is active in Sisters in Crime. Sharon lives in Peachtree City, GA, where she does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, the Fayette County Master Gardeners, and the Friends of the Peachtree City Library.

Interview with Cindy Goyette:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Cindy: A long, long time. I was in middle school when my friend and I started writing and exchanging short stories. I didn’t start my first novel until my early twenties when I found myself unemployed with nothing to do. On a word processor, I wrote a long, rambling family saga that will stay in the closet where it belongs. My first published book took over 20 years from first draft to the finished project. Life kept getting in the way and I would shelve it but always came back. I’m glad I didn’t give up.

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Cindy: Obey All Laws, the first book in the Probation Case Files Mystery series, debuted in January 2024. The series follows probation officer Casey Carson as she deals with her clients and the world of probation in Phoenix, Arizona. When I started and finished it, I held that job. There’s no shortage of material to draw from, and there isn’t much out there with a probation officer as the protagonist. Some of the feedback I’ve gotten was to thank me for introducing readers to a little-understood profession. The Public Safety Writers Association awarded that book second place for best suspense in 2024, and it was a finalist for Left Coast Crime and Killer Nashville for best debut mystery.

KRL: That’s awesome! Have you always written mysteries/suspense and if not, what else have you written?

Cindy Goyette

Cindy: My first several books were women’s fiction. I learned to write with those books, and I’ll never try to publish them. I packed away the printed copies, and my daughter can deal with them someday.

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Cindy: When I started writing the series, I was a probation officer in Phoenix. So, I set the books in the real world of Phoenix and the probation officer profession. Although it’s fictionalized, I brought in the job’s atmosphere, including other agencies that I worked closely with. Casey is a tad autobiographical. I was about her age when I started the series, but she is a bit more reckless, brave and better-looking than me! To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never had two men fighting over me!

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Cindy: I started out writing to entertain, but readers have told me how much they’ve learned about the job of a probation officer after they’ve read my books. I’ve tried to weave in snippets that give a glimpse into that world. Even my uncle, who’s known me my entire life, admitted that he really didn’t understand what I did for a living until he read my books.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Cindy: That depends on where I am in the process, what book I’m working on, and what else I have going on in my life. I retired in 2021, which gave me more time to write, but my employer keeps bringing me back to temp, which causes me to readjust my schedule. I’ve also recently become a grandmother and babysit two days a week. So, I don’t really have a schedule and haven’t exactly figured out how I’m going to fit everything in yet.

Book 4, which comes out in February 2027, poured out of me, and I worked on it for long hours, seven days a week. The project I’m working on now isn’t going as well, and I’m having to force myself to put my butt on the chair!

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Cindy: Pretty much all day, but I don’t do well at night. My brain shuts down.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Cindy: I wish I could outline. I keep trying, but it doesn’t seem to work for me. I write down ideas for what could happen in a notebook or on index cards, but I rarely stick to it or even look at them. I know it sounds hooky, but my stories happen organically. My characters do stupid things, and I write up the incident report.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Cindy: Both finding an agent and a publisher were very difficult. I was about to give up and self-publish when I finally found a publisher for Obey All Laws.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Cindy: I probably received almost 100 agent rejections for Obey All Laws. In 2015, I pitched to an agent at a conference and sent another one a query, and both offered representation. I thought after signing with an agent that I was well on my way to publication. But after a few years, she was unable to sell the series. The feedback was good. They loved the voice and the story but didn’t see where a book about a probation officer would fit with their lists.

My agent and I parted ways amicably, not because she didn’t sell the series, but because we had different visions for my writing future. In one last-ditch effort, I sent the book to Level Best Books. The editor’s experience during her practicum at a probation department sure helped. She offered me a three-book contract. I was so excited to get Casey’s story out in the world.

KRL: Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Cindy: I’ve been lucky. Nothing outrageous has happened—yet! I love connecting with readers at book signings and events. Book clubs are my favorite!

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Cindy: I have two series out now. There will be at least four books in the probation series, which are done. There will probably be more as I can’t seem to put Casey aside. She’s part of me!

My second series is a cozy mystery series, The Wiggle Butt Manor Mysteries. Book one, Diamond in the Ruff, came out in the summer of 2025. Book 2, Dashing Through the Show, will be out summer 2026, and I’m working on book 3.

I have a new agent who is looking for a home for a domestic suspense I’ve written, and I have an idea for another standalone suspense. I hope I can break into that genre.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Cindy: I have so many. When I started the probation series, I was a huge Janet Evanovich fan. People have compared my books to hers. I’m not worthy, but I’m not surprised that her style rubbed off on me.

I have met so many writers who have been so helpful and gave their time and experience. Among them are Mary Keliikoa, Lee Goldberg, Audrey Lee and Tori Eldridge, but there are so many others. The writing community is very supportive!

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Cindy: My research was limited, as the probation series stems from my experience as a probation officer. I’m lucky to know a lot of people in the industry who I can contact when I have questions, but mostly, I look things up on the internet. Every time I go to Arizona, I drive around places I plan to use in my story, so I can lend authenticity to my books.

My current project deals with kidnapped dogs – don’t worry – I’d never let an animal be harmed even if they are fictitious. This morning, I emailed an animal control officer with a few questions. Hopefully, he’ll answer me!

KRL: What do you like to read?

Cindy: I read a variety of things, but mostly mystery, suspense, and thrillers. I sometimes read women’s fiction, romance, and some nonfiction.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Cindy: My husband and I binge a lot of series. Right now, we’re watching Shrinking and The Pitt. We watch a lot of documentaries, and I love true crime stuff, like Dateline. I always say I watch that for ideas, but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a story idea from watching TV.

KRL: Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Cindy: Don’t give up. People ask me if I knew how difficult it would be to get published, if I would have continued writing. Well, I wrote for most of my life without being published, so I guess the answer is that I’d write regardless of the outcome. I’m thoroughly enjoying being published and the world it has opened up for me.

So, finish your story. Revise, revise, revise, and when it’s as good as you can make it, send it out. Forget about it. Write something else. Just maybe, you’ll get that email from an agent or publisher. The one that stops your heart and changes your world. Or you can always self-publish, which works well for a lot of people.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Cindy: I never meant to go into law enforcement. I’ve been a cop, an immigration officer, long before it was ICE and a probation and parole officer. I applied for my first law enforcement job Phoenix Police Officer because I couldn’t find a job after I completed my degree, and I stuck with it. I’m glad I did because I don’t think I could have written my books without those experiences.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Cindy: Yes! Right now, I have two dogs. An American Cocker Spaniel named Jax, and an English Cocker Spaniel named Ranger. There are 2 dogs in my Wiggle Butt Manor series, which were my dogs when I started that project. Unfortunately, they’ve passed, but they will live on in the series. I keep ornaments with their photos above my computer screen so they’re with me when I tell their stories.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Cindy: Just to say thanks for reading about me and my books if you’ve gotten this far! I love connecting with readers, so feel free to reach out to me via my website or social media. I’d love to hear from you!

KRL: Where can our readers find you online?

Cindy: My website is ccgoyette.com. And I’m on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and Bluesky as Cindy Goyette.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Diversion, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “diversion” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 28, 2026. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

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