Cobra Pose

Yoga Mat Mysteries

Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
343 Pages
Reviewed on 04/06/2024
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Cobra Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen is part of the Yoga Mat Mysteries series. When Elaina discovers that her father is missing, she turns to the person she trusts most - Ric. They take a trip to Brisbane to investigate only to learn of an impending threat that could be devastating on a worldwide scale. The search for her father sends them on a chase after cyber-attackers that have a disastrous plan in store and seek to uncover Elaina’s father’s involvement. This creates a game of cat and mouse that becomes more dangerous as events unfold. Their trip takes an unexpected turn that makes Ric question how best to keep Elaina safe as her life may be in danger.

Elaina and Ric make a beeline for Australia in search of answers concerning Elaina’s father and become involved in a deeper conspiracy. His disappearance creates an intriguing background for exploring the father-daughter dynamic. The plot is action-packed with suspenseful elements that create a thriller-like structure. The story focuses on cyber-attacks which are an increasing reality, especially with advancing technology providing more opportunities for hackers. Susan Rogers and John Roosen create a mystery that is exciting, ominous, and dangerous. Underneath the suspenseful elements, Australia provides a peaceful backdrop with lights in the sky, tour boats plying the water, and beach scenes. Yoga is a prominent theme throughout, despite Elaina taking a week off from Yoga Boronia.

Elaina uses yoga as a way to keep her mind steady and to remain calm as she is often seen using it to ground her mind and even trigger a deeper breathing pattern. The use of yoga is an interesting way to introduce a peaceful tone to the story and help to ground the plot in the same way it mentally grounds her. The dynamic between Elaina and Ric stems from the sweet chemistry and respect they share. The way they work together to investigate shows how they’ve formed a true partnership. Several moments show this connection with how Ric keeps his promise to be there for her and comforts her when she needs a shoulder to cry on. Cobra Pose is a thrilling mystery that blends suspense, action, and investigation with a gorgeous setting and a plot that is grounded in reality.

Jessica Barbosa

Susan Rogers and John Roosen are back with Cobra Pose, the exciting second installment in the Yoga Mat Mysteries. The trouble starts when Elaina Williams is unable to reach her father. She sends messages and calls but there is no answer. She decides to call in backup in the form of a former yoga student, Ric Peters, for whom she has developed feelings. She has witnessed how smart and observant he is during the tragic case of Mario Vincente and needs him right now to figure out if something has happened to her father, Edward Williams. Ric Peters wonders how things have changed since he left. He is both excited and fearful to meet Elaina again. He wonders if she has met someone else or if his abrupt departure had been too much and erased any possibility of them being together. He does not expect to be pulled into a missing father case and right into another big mystery!

Intense and enthralling, I was swept up in the emotions and excitement of the second book of the Yoga Mat Mysteries. My two favorite characters, Elaina and Ric, are back and their chemistry is as electric as always. Their reunion made my heart melt and the tension between the two added flavor to an already outstanding tale. The intense and clever plotline and sharp-witted characters make for a gripping adventure. The captivating and persuasive dialogue and snappy pace provided me with a suspenseful mystery that was hard to put down. From a simple missing father’s case to a dangerous nationwide problem, Susan Rogers and John Roosen know how to keep me on my toes. The audacious twist was cleverly thought out and I was constantly on the edge of my seat as I followed Elaina and Ric on their perilous journey. With spellbinding suspense, Cobra Pose took me on a hair-raising, heart-stopping roller coaster ride I will never forget.

K.C. Finn

Cobra Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen is a suspense thriller and part of the Yoga Mat Mysteries series. In this thrilling mystery adventure, we follow would-be sleuth Elaina Williams after her father goes missing. Enlisting the dynamic Ric Peters once again to help her locate him, the two find that every step they take uncovers yet more about a deadly plot for cyber-hackers to crash the Australian financial system. If they’re not stopped, their next target will be the whole world.

Susan Rogers and John Roosen know how to stir up all kinds of drama in this thrilling story. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two central characters, and I found Ric to be especially fascinating as we are drawn into his past and the reasons behind the skillset that he has to offer Elaina. Between the two of them, they pose a threat to any ring of criminals, even those as well hidden as the hackers in this plot, and it was satisfying to see the clever twists that led them to uncover everything at long last. Overall, Cobra Pose is a work that adds layers of depth, atmosphere, culture, and suspense to the mystery genre and it will suit cozy readers, action fans, and devotees of more detailed sleuthing adventures.

Anne-Marie Reynolds

Cobra Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen is the second book in the Yoga Mat Mysteries series. Australia has long been the playground for surfers, but this time, it’s nothing to do with water. Yoga instructor Elaina Williams’ father has disappeared, and she enlists Ric Peters to help her find him. Just returned from Indonesia, where a bad experience ruined the trip, Peters throws himself into the investigation, and they both stumble on a plot by hackers to destabilize the world’s financial markets. Can they find Elaina’s father and stop the hackers in their tracks? Peters is well aware of what lies ahead, but how far will he go to save her?

Cobra Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen is a fast-paced and fun whodunnit-style mystery with plenty of humor. Rogers and Roosen have researched their subjects and share a gripping, enjoyable story that is sure to grab you from the first page. It is the second in the series and should ideally be read after the first to get the best sense of the characters and how they roll. That said, the characters are well-developed, with enough detail from the first book to let you get to know them and understand who they are and how they work. This story is full of suspense and mystery, gradually becoming more intense as it races to its surprising ending, which will, I guarantee, leave you wanting to read more. Hopefully, there will be a third in the series, as we need to see more of Elaina and Ric.

Jamie Michele

Cobra Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen is a tech thriller and the second book in the Yoga Mat Mysteries series, preceded by book one, Dead Man's Pose. The book begins with an immediate drop into the tension, with solicitor turned yoga instructor and Yoga Boronia owner Elaina Williams unable to reach her father, Dr. Edward Williams. Elaina reaches out to her 'just back from the holiday from hell' paramour, Ric Peters, and the two crack on to find out what's happened to her dad. All signs point toward the nefarious once Elaina and Ric uncover a possible plot with the potential for crippling worldwide impact, and that Dr. Williams, who is a cybersecurity expert with impressive subset skills, has likely been nabbed in an effort to force him to do what few others are capable of.

I started the Yoga Mat Mysteries by Susan Rogers and John Roosen with this second installment, Cobra Pose, and while it read perfectly well as a standalone I can see how the experience would have been easier to slip into if I had read Dead Man's Pose first. I also kind of did myself a disservice because Cobra Pose is really, really good. There is a genuine feeling of authenticity between Elaina and Ric, mostly through their banter and the smaller interactions that only come from a degree of intimacy. Things only someone you've shared a kitchen with would know. As characters, they work well when their talents are combined, but they are also independently fleshed out thanks to alternating points of view. If I have one complaint it's that the tech talk can be unnecessarily detailed. That said, the pacing, storytelling, and plot points are incredible, and Cobra Pose is a sure thing: “As they say in the St Matthew Episcopalian Church social center on Friday nights – bingo!” Very highly recommended.