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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
FMC: Noelle Marshall
MMC: Max Rhodes
Pages: 337
Tropes: Suspense, Thriller, Investigation, Murder Mystery
Setting: Bend, Oregon
Thoughts: There was a lot of background to set up in this book. The beginning was slow, laying out the foundation for Noelle’s husband’s murder 13 years ago and setting the scene for all the twists in the later half of the book. I thought it was a great first book for this series and really left no stone unturned in Noelle’s past. I liked the glimpses of Max at the end and the way it set up the two of them for the rest of the series. The second half of the book was suspenseful and mysterious. After the 50% mark I found it hard to put down. I ended up really enjoying this book and can’t wait to see the trouble Max and Noelle find in the future.
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I absolutely adore Noelle and her confidence, intelligence, determination, and strong moral compass are some of the definitive character traits that make her good at her job and a fan favorite. I found it very interesting the way the timeline jumped from current day to past to more distant past (definitely got some LOST vibes from the timeline jumping) that gave little nuggets of information about the events and people that helped to shape Noelle and her interactions within her family and friend groups. cannot wait to see what she does in the next book. I love that we finally get an explanation about the super fancy heels with her pantsuits.
challenging
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence
Minor: Addiction
fast-paced
We're going back to Deschutes County, Oregon with this new mystery series. This time the enigmatic and mysterious Detective Noelle Marshall is getting the spotlight treatment.
We learn so much more about Noelle in this book and I was blown away just how far her character has come. From poor but loved beginnings, getting her degree, falling in love with the rich boy and then watching life fall apart.
It's been 13 years since the death of Derrick Bell, Sacramento politician, but it would seem that his death is coming back to haunt Noelle once more. Between his rich, snobby, elitist family and the new FBI investigation into the death, there is no way for Noelle not to involve her new colleagues into her backstory.
Noelle's fragmented memories, dreams and amnesia have delayed her true healing from this trauma and it looks like the killer still thinks that she knows more than she does and is out to silence her, and her family, for good!
Noelle gets to show off some of her softer side in this book. She's usually full of confidence, sass and don't-mess-with-me-attitude, but this time around we see the coping techniques she has designed to cope, the worry she constantly has that she has "forgotten" something. Her family is her everything and the bond between them is so tight but even that will be rocked!
The attraction between her and a certain FBI agent is instant but neither of them are exactly in a position to do anything about it. However, as the story unfolds, it looks like love could definitely be in the air for these two!
It was nice to see some of the characters from the Columbia Rivers stories filter through the story to keep the whole "universe" cohesive. There are some great new secondary characters introduced in the book, including Noelle's mentor. There are two distinct timelines within the story itself but I never got lost in which timeline I was in and the twists and turns from one story ease seamlessly into providing new information for the current timeline.
Fab new series and my feminist little heart is so happy that it's Noelle's series and not a double act with her potential new beau!
We learn so much more about Noelle in this book and I was blown away just how far her character has come. From poor but loved beginnings, getting her degree, falling in love with the rich boy and then watching life fall apart.
It's been 13 years since the death of Derrick Bell, Sacramento politician, but it would seem that his death is coming back to haunt Noelle once more. Between his rich, snobby, elitist family and the new FBI investigation into the death, there is no way for Noelle not to involve her new colleagues into her backstory.
Noelle's fragmented memories, dreams and amnesia have delayed her true healing from this trauma and it looks like the killer still thinks that she knows more than she does and is out to silence her, and her family, for good!
Noelle gets to show off some of her softer side in this book. She's usually full of confidence, sass and don't-mess-with-me-attitude, but this time around we see the coping techniques she has designed to cope, the worry she constantly has that she has "forgotten" something. Her family is her everything and the bond between them is so tight but even that will be rocked!
The attraction between her and a certain FBI agent is instant but neither of them are exactly in a position to do anything about it. However, as the story unfolds, it looks like love could definitely be in the air for these two!
It was nice to see some of the characters from the Columbia Rivers stories filter through the story to keep the whole "universe" cohesive. There are some great new secondary characters introduced in the book, including Noelle's mentor. There are two distinct timelines within the story itself but I never got lost in which timeline I was in and the twists and turns from one story ease seamlessly into providing new information for the current timeline.
Fab new series and my feminist little heart is so happy that it's Noelle's series and not a double act with her potential new beau!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I enjoyed the first book in a series by one of my favorite authors. This book alternates between three different timelines. I am usually not a fan of this but I thought it was handled well and made sense for the story telling. The book revolves around the reopening of a cold case. Deputy Noelle Marshall must confront hard things for the past. The book moved quickly, and I could not put it down. I liked the characters and want to learn more about them so I am glad that there will be more books in the series. I would recommend this book.
I was not a fan of the timeline jumping. That's just not my cup of tea. I also had a lot figured out pretty quickly, but I thought this was a good start to a new series.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes