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Release date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Goodreads blurb:
Secrets and lies can’t stay buried forever in Cedar Valley.
In the summer, hikers and campers pack the small Colorado town’s meadows and fields. And in the winter, skiers and snowboarders take over the mountains. Season by season, year after year, time passes and the lies, like the aspens and evergreens that surround the town, take root and spread deep.
Now, someone has uncovered the lies, and it is his murder that continues a chain of events that began almost forty years ago. Detective Gemma Monroe’s investigation takes her from the seedy grounds of a traveling circus to the powerful homes of those who would control Cedar Valley’s future.
Six-months pregnant, with a partner she can’t trust and colleagues who know more than they’re saying, Gemma tracks a killer who will stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.
Review:
This is the second really good mystery debut that I’ve read this week, I would say I’m on quite a roll! When Chelsea at The Suspense Is Thrilling Me talked of a similar feel to a Karin Slaughter book in her review of this one, I was intrigued. I can definitely see why she felt this way as I could feel a similar vibe, there just wasn’t quite as much violence and gore here. I felt the need to mention this straightaway as I know I have some readers who don’t like that type of stuff and I think this one would be a better fit than some of the darker books I read. (You guys just aren’t as sick and twisted as me! 😜) Keep in mind though that there is still some violence and descriptive scenes, and there are definitely some very chilling moments.
Gemma is a heavily pregnant detective from Cedar Valley, Colorado. I loved this setting, I know firsthand how gorgeous Colorado is and if you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting there, this book will give you a taste of what it’s like. Cedar Valley is a small town, with plenty of small town politics at play. They only have three unsolved murders in their history and both happened in the summer of 1985. A woman was murdered and two young, local cousins vanished without a trace. Gemma is haunted by these cold cases, especially the disappearance of the the McKenzie boys. She’s been tormented on and off by nightmares about them, and when a man who works for the circus that stops by town is murdered, her nightmares return with a vengeance.
There was a nice little twist very early on that pleased me and set the tone for the entire story. This wasn’t the type of book that continuously revealed gut punching plot twists, however it did have its fair share of surprises that kept me absorbed. It was well paced and heavily focused on police procedures which continues to fascinate me. Gemma was a very appealing and strong protagonist, and she had enough interesting quirks (her voracious and hearty appetite was my favorite, I can relate to a pregnant woman’s love affair with food) and things going on in her personal life that makes me think she could carry a series easily. Besides Gemma, there was also a strong cast of supporting characters within the department and the town of Cedar Valley.
This was a solid debut and Littlejohn has a sharp and clever writing style. I’m really curious to see where she takes this series and I’m invested in Gemma’s life, both personally and professionally. This is an absolutely perfect fall read and I have a feeling it will be popping up on many fall must read lists.
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to Minotaur Books for my review copy.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked this one as well!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
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I really did, it had a great vibe to it. I think it was the town that did it for me, it almost felt like Cedar Valley was it’s own character.
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Exactly!! Excellent review btw!
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Thanks sweets!
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I love when books are written so well that the setting is able to introduce you to knew places (granted that you have never been). I also love when there is that element of unpredictability that sets a great pace. This sounds like a great title 🙂
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It was really good! I should add it to the little pile I have for you.
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I am getting pretty excited about this pile. You are such a dear! ❤
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It’s taking me so long because I keep thinking of more stuff to add 😂 I’ll stop soon
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Hehe, by all means, add away 😉 ❤
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Haha I may have to cut myself off then just start a new pile for the next box.
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Ohhhh K Slaughter vibe, I like that! 😀 Keeping an eye on this one ^^
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I think you would like this one Annie.
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This one sounds great! I like that there are a ton of surprises, that’s my favorite in these kinds of books 🙂
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There really was, definitely kept me on my toes.
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Cedar Valley instantly makes me think of Twin Peaks, and if there’s one thing I love, it’s a mystery/thriller taking place in forest-like areas :). Adding a heavily pregnant woman to the mix can only spice things up even more! Wonderful review Amy!
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Thanks so much Anne! This setting was really fantastic.
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I just watched a creepy movie in a woodsy setting just to quench my thirst for this 😉
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Man I haven’t watched a good creepy movie in ages! What did you watch?
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Neither did I! People were insisting on watching a cartoon at our Halloween party last weekend so now I felt like this was my time to shine! 😉 It’s called Hush and was about a deaf woman living alone in the woods and then a serial killer shows up! Not being able to hear him was definitely a nice creep factor ^^
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Oohh that sounds good I’ll have to check it out.
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My hubby’s afraid to go to bed now because of it :’). And it wasn’t even THAT scary. Men…
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😂 they’re such babies! There’s a reason us women have to do the heavy work like carrying babies.
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Tell me about it :’)
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A pregnant detective! What a different spin on a crime fiction detective. While I can generally handle “tough” topics, gore is another thing. Blood makes me queasy, so any super gore heavy scenes usually end with me taking frequent breaks to gather the stamina to continue on lol So I can definitely appreciate a book that is more tame than your typical read lol
We visited Colorado for the first time last year for my older brother’s wedding and fell in love with it! Definitely one of my favorite places now. If you have never visited Wyoming, it is gorgeous too 🙂
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This had a few scenes that were a bit graphic but overall not too bad! I haven’t been to Wyoming but I’ve always wanted to go!
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You and Chelsea and your suspense books! I just can’t read something like that! But I’m glad you both liked this one. 😊
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