The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch is not for the faint of heart. The story is intense and gritty, sometimes terrifying, yet filled with hope and redemption. The Garden Girls follows Tiberius Granger, agent with the FBI Strange Crimes Unit, as he faces the demons of his past. A serial killer is kidnapping and tattooing his victims, and has ties to Ty’s past life in a cult. He reunites with his past love, that he thought had died, and discovers quite a few secrets as he tries to stop a killer from striking again.

I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of stories involving cults, but these characters and the storyline sucked me in. Ty’s heart is decimated over and over again, and he picks himself up and fights to save the ones he loves. I’ve loved Ty from some of the other books (Her Darkest Secret and A Cry in the Dark), and his humor and sarcasm bring some light to the dark storyline. Despite the evil and darkness, Jessica Patch paints a portrait of love, redemption, and sacrifice. I’m still thinking about the ending long after putting the book down. I was practically in tears, and I don’t cry easily. But that’s how emotionally invested I was in the story and characters.

If you love dark, gritty, and emotional stories, put this on your must read list. I’m a huge Jessica Patch fan, and you won’t want to miss The Garden Girls.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own

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Tracked Through the Woods by Laura Scott is a run-for-your-life story from start to finish.

Abby Miller is trying to find her father, who has been on the run from his mob family. But FBI Agent Wyatt Kane also wants to find Abby’s father so he can prove there is a leak in the FBI. Wyatt finds Abby and the two run from gunmen who seem to find them at every turn. The pair hunts for clues to put the bad guys in jail before they strike again.

I love run-for-your-life stories. This one is fast paced but there’s plenty of time to get to know the characters. Abby has a lot of spunk and isn’t a damsel-in-distress. I love how Wyatt protects her but she steps up when he needs back up.

Definitely check out Tracked Through the Woods for a fast and exiting story.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Hunting the Witness by Kate Angelo brings readers to the edge of suspense and lets them dangle.  Belinda Lewis is working in the wilderness, on the verge of a scientific breakthrough when she’s attacked. FBI Special Agent Jonah Phillips is supposed to be off the grid, but stumbles upon the attacked and intervenes. The problem? She’s injured and has no memory of who she is. The bigger problem? Someone is intent on killing her.

I love the non-stop action and intriguing premise. But even though the story is fast-paced, the relationship between Jonah and Belle doesn’t seem forced – they have a natural chemistry. I also love the minor characters of Piney Village – I hope there are more books and that this is a series. I especially love Stella. She’s the town vet, but the only one with any medical knowledge, plus she has a search and rescue dog.

If you are a fan of action, plot twists, run-for-your-life suspense and small-town settings, be sure to pick up your copy of Hunting the Witness.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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A Cry in the Dark by Jessica Patch kept me up all night reading. Talk about a suspense story!  Violet Rainwater (readers met her in Her Darkest Secret) is working a case with the Strange Crimes Unit and the team winds up in a middle of nowhere mountain town. A serial killer is targeting women, and no one in the town will talk. But Violet has secrets of her own and has been on the hunt for her own father. When the two cases intersect, Violet turns to detective John Orlando. Together they try to find out the truth and stop a serial killer as more women keep disappearing.

Jessica Patch knows how to write intense and twisted stories. I love the fast-paced nature of the story, but readers get to dive deep into Violet’s past with her. She comes face to face with her own demons and her growing feelings for John. He’s an amazing character too! Strong enough to stand by Violet and not tell her what to do but help her come to her own conclusions about her issues.

The crimes in this story are intense (read: might not be for the faint of heart readers), and there’s plenty of plot twists that kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book for suspense fans who like psychological thrillers.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Critical Threat by Lynette Eason is the third installment in the Extreme Measures series – and this one is extreme! It’s a must-read for suspense and thriller fans.

Grace Billingsley is an FBI behavioral analyst and creates profiles for serial killers. While tracking a killer, he sets his sights on Grace. Sam Monroe is a psychiatrist who specializes in serial killers because his father was one. Grace and Sam team up to stop the killings.

This book as so many twists and turns. Sam is an interesting character because he’s a single dad with two teenagers and must manage a home and a stress-filled demanding job. He also carries a lot of baggage from his father’s actions. Grace also balances her family with her job, and they both feel the pressure of a killer who is so bold to show his many faces to get Grace’s attention.

Definitely check this book out if you like action-packed, intense stories.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Crossfire by Lynette Eason starts out with a literal bang. Julianna Jamerson is a hostage negotiator and from page one, she’s negotiating with a madman threatening a courtroom full of people. Clay Fox’s sister is one of the trapped victims. But things take a terrifying turn when a killer uses hostage situations to threaten both Julianna and her sister, Dottie. Clay steps in to protect them both, but it’s obvious that someone from Julianna’s past wants to make her suffer.

This story is intense. But despite meeting during extreme circumstances, Julianna and Clay’s relationship is sweet. Clay helps Julianna unpack her past from a time when she was on the flip side of a hostage situation. This story has the right balance of action, romance and drama. This is definitely a must for suspense fans!

I received an ebook review copy of this book through Revell and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Her Darkest Secret by Jessica Patch definitely brings the creep-factor. Fiona Kelly has made it her life’s priority to catch a serial killer dubbed Rhyme, based on the nursery rhymes he leaves with his victims. Fiona, a former victim, became an FBI Special Agent to catch this killer, and has given up everything in pursuit of justice – including her relationship with colleague Asa Kodiak. But Rhyme has an obsession of his own: Fiona.

This is a must read for thriller fans. Fiona hunts a serial killer while he hunts her. The intensity is high and the plot twists are endless. But readers will also find Fiona and Asa’s relationship an emotional rollercoaster as they both have past secrets they are hiding. The rest of the team of agents also make an impact on the pages. Tiberius Granger and Owen Berkley add a bit of comic relief with their camaraderie. Violet Rainwater is a mysterious and serious character – I have no idea what to think about her. It looks like Violet’s story is next in the series.

If you are a fan of intense and even a bit creepy stories, this book is for you. Definitely a fast-paced and intriguing read with characters readers will fall in love with.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Free Fall by Nancy Mehl continues the story of Alex Donovan and Logan Hart, agents with the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). This time they face insurmountable danger as they discover multiple women have gone missing and they all have the same look. A killer is on the hunt, looking for a specific woman and abducting anyone that looks like her. But while Alex gets closer to finding the taken women, Logan deals with serious life-altering issues of his own, not to mention his growing feelings for Alex.

I’ve been a fan of the entire Quantico Files series. Free Fall brings danger and suspense on every page. But this story has more of a spiritual arc to it. Both Alex and Logan face their biggest fears and the story deals with more personal issues as well as solving a heinous crime. If you like stories where the characters grow and change by the end, definitely check out Free Fall. I recommend the entire series.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Hollow Point by Lisa Phillips brings the action!  Remember FBI Agent Stella Davis from Point of Impact? She’s back with her own story. While this is the third in the Last Chance Downrage Series, you could probably read this out of order and be ok. (I’m not ok with reading out of order, but the choice is yours.) Stella is on a mission for justice and is thrown together with police officer Eric Hummet on an interagency task force. Eric’s family is bad news and are also the target of the investigation. Eric and Stella work together to track down some missing bombs. But the explosions might be real or could be from the romance heating up between the two.

If you like suspense, action, plot twists, quirky characters and plenty of bad guys, this book is for you. The entire series is chock full of intensity, but this story is quite a treat for suspense fans. But you won’t have to wait long for more in Last Chance Downrange as Terminal Velocity releases June 30^th.

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Nancy Mehl’s Dead Fall is over-the-top intense! First of all, Kaely Quinn is back! If you haven’t read the Kaely Quinn Profiler series, it’s one of my favorites. But Dead Fall follows the FBI Behavioral Analyst Unit team. A killer is on the loose, targeting members of the BAU, and Alex Donovan and Logan Hart team up with Kaely to create a profile of the serial killer. But they can’t seem to get a read on their UNSUB, who continues to go after the team.

I loved this story! So many twists and turns. I couldn’t figure out who the killer was. Nancy weaves an incredible spiritual message as she dishes out the suspense. Readers get to know more of Alex’s story and of course there’s the budding romance between her and Logan. I highly recommend this novel to suspense fans, but caution that it is intense in some scenes.

Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)

Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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