Reviews

Never Come Back by Joe Hart

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lbuening's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

shaymarie90's review

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challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

So good. Better than the first book in my opinion. The plot twist at the end was great. Never saw that coming.

lagadema's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

I made one mistake, I started reading before going to bed...I stayed well past my bedtime because I had to read it. The story kept me guessing, and I turned pages as fast as possible. Just when I thought that I figured it out, I was wrong... It is a well-written story, it is not just a murder story, it has more layers beneath. I just have to read the first installment to have the whole background of the main character.

booklovertamisha's review

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mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sgvalleroy's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

christine_readsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The twists kept me guessing until the end.
Really enjoyed this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Never Come Back by Joe Hart.

shauntelle_reads's review against another edition

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5.0

Nora McTavish is back! I couldn't wait to dive into this one. In the second book in this series, we see Nora working for herself as a family advocate. Nora gets a call from an old friend, Tess, that she hasn't seen in over 20 years. Tess needs Nora's expertise as a CPS agent/family advocate when her husband petitions her for full custody of their daughter Kendra.

I loved this one more than the first book in the series. It was fast paced and very entertaining. Hart does a great job at developing characters. I felt like I knew them. The plot was written in a way that kept me guessing right up until the end. I was definitely wrong about the big twist at the end. There was a mix of throwback scenes mixed in with the current scenes, which helped to provide background knowledge.

I really hope there are more books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

kelseylitsliftsanddips's review

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4.25

Big thanks to @joe_hart_author for allowing me to read this propulsive second installment of the Nora McTavish series in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this. From the first chapter I was hooked. Ya know how sometimes the “second book slump” occurs in a series? Not this time. This hooked me way more than the first book, and I couldn’t put it down. The pace was fast, the plot was intriguing, and getting to spend more time with Nora was such a treat. I can’t wait to see what kind of situations Nora finds herself in next.

cj_mo_2222's review

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

This book has elements of a procedural as well as a domestic thriller. What makes it different from other crime thrillers is that it's told from the point-of-view of a family advocate. Nora McTavish used to work for Child Protective Services, but is now self-employed as an independent family advocate in Oregon. A childhood friend she hasn't talked to in years contacts Nora for help with a tricky custody case - Tess thinks her husband is guilty of murder! Nora has doubts about parts of Tess's story, but falls in love with her young daughter, Kendra. Nora gets very involved in this case, so much that her own life is soon in danger.

Nora's willingness to fight for her clients is shown in a side custody case where the system is failing a young couple with developmental disabilities. Nora gives an impassioned speech in court to the judge defending the couple's right to raise their daughter. This is the second book in a series, but worked well for me even though I didn't read the first one. There are times it gets a little melodramatic, but I still enjoyed this engaging story. I was kept guessing until the very end about who could be trusted and who couldn't. I would be interesting to read additional books if this series continues.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

laceybananareads's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Never Come Back is a mysterious thriller full of action, drama, secrets, and lies. I was completely hooked on this story and these characters! This book has very binge worthy writing and set the scene perfectly. I felt like I was there in that tense house.

Nora is a family advocate who is visiting a childhood friend to help her with a custody case. She’s willing to offer her support but starts to notice that everything is not as it appears. Her main goal is to help her friend’s young daughter safe, but she gets way more than she bargained for with this case.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Joe Hart, and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this on April 2nd!

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