Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Afton Tangler, family liaison officer, is back on the streets investigating a shocking murder. On a dark night, a missile shoots through the air and connects with a helicopter. It's discovered that this helicopter was carrying a new heart for millionaire Leland Odin. Who was the target? Those in the helicopter or Odin? The answers to those questions come quickly when Odin is found with his neck sliced open in his hospital room. Who wants the head of a shopping network dead and why? Afton and her partner, Max, take the lead and hit the streets in a search for answers and the killer. As they get closer to the people responsible, Afton also gets closer to putting herself and her children in danger without even realizing it.

There's something likable about Schmitt's Afton Tangler. I'm not quite sure what it is but my thoughts include things like she's tough physically but she's able to be emotionally approachable, she's fearless despite fear, she's a little clueless and that seems to serve her well. Her partner and boss take her ideas into account and I'm not sure, in all honesty, how realistic that is given that she's a woman but I like that Schmitt attempts to make it feel like that could or does happen in some station in America. The story made me wonder, as I often do when I read this genre, if there is a bunch of crime going on all around me/us and we are just largely unaware of it. Currently, this is the last book in the series. If Schmitt authors anymore, and I catch wind of that news, I would pick them up and read them.

After a helicopter is shot down in a busy area, Afton and her partner Max are brought in to investigate. As the chapters unfold we get a good look at things from both the good guys’ and the bad guys’ perspectives. This gives you a first hand understanding of the killer’s motives, but in no way takes away from the suspense or the desire to see Afton and Max bring her to justice.

Shadow Girl is the second book in the Afton Tangler series. If you haven’t read Little Girl
Gone, the first book in the series, don’t let that stop you from picking this one up. I had no trouble jumping right in at this point and getting to know the characters, though I plan to go back and read book one when I get a chance.

Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Shadow Girl. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Family liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, Afton Tangler, is once again teamed up with Max, a veteran homicide detective. Allowed to investigate the murders of two pilots, who were on approach to the hospital with a donor heart for a high profile patient, Afton and Max soon uncover a serious plot with deadly implications. As the investigation deepens, will Afton overstep her boundaries, causing her to put her family at risk?

Shadow Girl is a fast paced thriller with great character development, but the plot itself is a little lacking. Readers are privy to the identities of the perpetrators from the beginning, so the author never really takes the time to completely flesh out their characters. The entire book is based around the evil bad guys getting what is owed to them, but we cannot fully appreciate them without a little background. I like Afton, although it seems a little ridiculous that she puts herself in dangerous situations and barely gets a slap on the wrist by her superiors. Although this is the second book with the same main character, it is not necessary to have read the previous novel. Readers who like police procedural thrillers without the mystery perpetrators will probably enjoy Shadow Girl, for its fast pace and good characterization.

This was my second book by Gerry Schmitt and I am definitely looking forward to the third. As a matter of fact, I can't wait!

This book starts out with a helicopter being shot out of the air with a missile. The helicopter was bringing a new heart to the CEO of Diamond Shopping Network. He was all set to receive it. Well, that didn't happen. But it started this book off with a bang, literally.

While trying to discover if Leland Odin, the CEO, had any enemies or a reason why someone would want him dead, everyone lies. His partner, his wife, his stepdaughter and his rising star from DSN. This all turns out to bite them in the butt because Leland has taken something from a Thai gang leader and she wants it back. The cost is nothing, human lives or the money. She will get her investment back.

This book had me speed turning the pages from the very beginning. I loved the main character, Afton Tangler. She is a family liason for the police department but she has a detective's mindset.

The criminals in this book are ferocious. Human lives mean nothing to them. They are, in fact, pretty scary.

A book I sped through and thoroughly enjoyed the ride! Definitely worth checking out!

Huge thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

A fast paced second book in the Afton Tangler series. I have not read the first but it didn't seem to make much difference. Interesting plot with lots of twists and turns and quite a lot of pretty bloody scenes. I liked Afton Tangler and hope she makes detective in the next book. The end of the book was a bit cutesy especially considering the blood and gore that preceded it. I enjoyed the book. It didn't move any mountains but it provided entertainment.

4 out of 5 stars.

This was definitely a non-cozy mystery and definitely suspenseful, but I'm not sure I'd consider it a thriller. It didn't really have the fast-paced story line that I'm used to having in a thriller. It moved along steadily, it just didn't seem as fast-paced as most thrillers I've read. Overall, it's a good book, but it wasn't real fast-paced (tho' it wasn't slow either) and I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic, which is why I only gave it a 4-star rating.

This is my first book in the series and I will be going back to read the first one in the series at some point. I enjoyed the characters a lot. Max and Afton seem to play off of each other well as far as figuring things out. Technically, Afton's not supposed to be doing that type of police work as she's not officially an officer, but they work really well together so Max lets her tag along a lot more than he's "supposed" to. They're both well-rounded and developed characters. I think the more the series progresses, the more complexity we'll see in them.

The plot line definitely was interesting! I was not at all bored reading this book which is a definite plus. It moves along steadily and has some sub-plots going on to help keep it moving along, but as I stated above, I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic for the suspense level throughout the book. I don't want to spoil it though.

Overall, this is a well-written, good book and I would recommend it as a suspense novel if you're at all interested in that genre. If you've read it, I'd love to hear your opinion on the ending!

Shadow Girl
An Afton Tangler Thriller #2
Gerry Schmitt
Berkley, August 2017
ISBN 978-0-425-28178-9
Hardcover

From the publisher—

The brutal murder of a business tycoon leaves Afton Tangler and the Twin Cities reeling, but that’s just the beginning of a gruesome crime spree…

Leland Odin made his fortune launching a home shopping network, but his millions can’t save his life. On the list for a transplant, the ailing businessman sees all hope lost when the helicopter carrying his donor heart is shot out of the sky.

Now with two pilots dead and dozens injured, Afton Tangler, family liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, is drawn into the case. As she and her partner investigate family members and business associates, whoever wants Leland dead strikes again—and succeeds—in a brazen hospital room attack.

The supposedly squeaky clean millionaire has crossed the wrong person—and she’s not finished exacting her revenge. The case explodes into an international conspiracy of unbridled greed and violence. And as Afton gets closer to unearthing the mastermind behind it, she gets closer to becoming collateral damage…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I read the first Afton Tangler book, Little Girl Gone, last fall, I was impressed with the seeming ease —except I’m sure it wasn’t easy—with which Gerry Schmitt made the transition from her Laura Childs persona. I know authors try their hands at different genres and subgenres all the time but, in my opinion, they don’t always succeed. For the most part, I thought Ms. Schmitt did what she set out to do and I have been waiting ever since to see if her second book would be as good; I have to say I think it is.

The emotional hook of a kidnapped baby isn’t here this time but destroying a donated organ has its own brand of pathos, not to mention the apparent disregard for the lives of the innocent pilots. Someone clearly hates the intended recipient, Leland Odin, enough to go to dramatic lengths to kill him and they don’t care about collateral damage. Afton and her partner and mentor, Detective Max Montgomery, are first on the scene of what everyone thinks is a helicopter crash and are immediately involved in the investigation into the crash…and the human heart that landed in a dorm room.

The reader knows from the beginning who did this horrific thing but not why so we’re only a half-step ahead of Afton and Max but there were times I wanted to say, “Look at that!” or “Stop! Think about this!” I don’t often talk to characters and don’t know why I did this time but I suspect it was because I like these two a lot and Ms. Schmitt had me on the edge quite a bit. Anyway, by the time they suddenly figure out who, my nerves were pretty well shot. On the other hand, I took a tiny measure of satisfaction in egging Afton on as she went after her own brand of personal revenge, even if it wasn’t proper protocol.

Once again, Max and Afton prove to be a partnership meant to be and I’m very glad that Chief Thacker continues to recognize Afton’s potential as an aspiring detective. She inevitably makes mistakes because she hasn’t had all the training or experience and, naturally, she becomes a target but Afton is a smart woman and learns from her missteps. Shadow Girl is a tale full of stops and starts, much like most investigations, along with assaults, abductions, a cast of international players and a little dog with the heart of a lion; what more could I ask for?

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2017.

Great followup to the first Afton Tangler Thriller! Wonderful characters and a thrilling storyline made this one a winner for me!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Shadow Girl marks my first time reading a book by Gerry Schmitt. Overall, it was a good book. Shadow Girl could have been great but I felt as if it dragged along longer than necessary. The problem may very well be that I have set a high bar because I read Crime/Suspense Novels every week. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this one, I just wanted more action. The characters were interesting and I did like the plot. Shadow Girl is also the second book in the series so it’s possible that details in the first book may have made me like this one more.

This is the story of Minneapolis PD Family Liaison Officer Afton Tangler and her involvement in an investigation where a medical helicopter carrying the future heart of a rich shopping network executive named Leland Odin was apparently shot down. The motive behind this incident is very difficult to figure out at first. However, for the reader, it’s clear that it’s a simple case of revenge at it’s worst. The person exacting that revenge is an older woman from Thailand who is a crime boss in her own right. She doesn’t get her hands dirty but she does make sure that her orders are carried out to the letter. The hired help that she uses are also just as interesting but not as refined as she is. Needless to say, the criminals play a huge role in this circus. When it’s all said and done, there are at least 5 people that are murdered and the police would be nowhere without Afton’s assistance. Since she is not actually a trained police officer, I found it bizarre that she was always putting herself in danger. She didn’t even have a gun which I could have overlooked if she was a ninja or something but that wasn’t the case at all. She was a divorced mother of two little girls and a dog. How she manages to stay alive throughout several run-ins with a heartless killer, I have no idea.

Overall, Shadow Girl was definitely enjoyable. It had several high points and I would not be opposed to reading another book from this series.

What a spine tingling edge of your seat book this is. I remember reading Little Girl Gone from this author. She introduced readers to Afton and Max. I was so impressed with that book, I couldn't wait for the next one. Can I just say Wow! It's been awhile since I sat and read a book that terrified me with precision action and intrigued me so much it was impossible to put the book down. I know people say that all the time , but this reader literally couldn't pry her eyes from the book. It is one intense high stakes maximum adrenaline rush.

There are moments of violence but I found it to be done with a hint for readers to use their imagination. Simply put, the book is not a cozy mystery, but a well written thriller that grabs you as you gasp at the scene unfolding before you. Afton is still trying to make detective, but her boss isn't convinced she is ready. She is once again teamed up with Max as they pursue a secret team that thrives on pain, violence and a heart pounding ride that takes us into the underbelly of crime in a foreign country that traces back to Minneapolis. The people are ruthless and the author does great justice in giving readers a peek into what greed will do to others.

Afton is one tough person and proves herself several times when danger ascends upon her. I would want her as a partner any day. She is very smart and has a keen sense of looming danger. I have been trying to decide if I read a book that could be a Mission Impossible Movie or a new series on tv called The Afton Tangler files. It is that good folks. We may know half way through the book who the bad guys are, but the brilliance of the writing makes us question why it happened and how deep does it penetrate foreign lands and come full circle to the U. S. I know one thing, money can't buy love and it can't guarantee health. This is one author to keep your eyes on. There is definitely more coming from this exceptional author that will bring her name to the forefront when looking for an outstanding thriller.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escape Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.

Family Liaison Officer Afton Tangler finds herself in the middle of a horrifying investigation. A wealthy businessman, Leland Odin, is in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant. When the helicopter transporting the heart is shot down and the heart is destroyed, Odin’s life hangs in the balance. It’s up to Afton and her partner to figure out who could have been this cruel. Their investigation leads to several different suspects, but only one could be this ruthless.

Afton finds her own family in danger. She races against the clock to stop anything more from happening to Odin’s family or her own, for that matter. She uncovers some shocking developments, but she is determined to find out who is behind these threats.

This storyline has you on the edge of your seat for the entire book. I absolutely couldn’t put it down until I knew how it would all be resolved. It kept me up all night until I finished the book.

The characters are well-developed and realistic. My heart went out to Afton, while the villains were truly vile. The storyline is terrifying and bone-chilling. Some of the violence actually had me cringing in my seat, but I couldn’t stop reading.

This is the second book in a new thriller/suspense series by Gerry Schmitt. I did not read the first one, but that did not stop me from enjoying this one. I didn’t feel as if I missed anything, although I do want to read the first one and learn more about Afton. This is a standalone book.

The author, also, writes under the name Laura Childs. Under that name she writes several different cozy mystery series, which are wonderful. She has now branched out into thrillers and suspense and does it beautifully. It’s amazing to me that the author has such a wide range of creativity from sweet mysteries to thrilling, action-packed suspense. She does it to perfection with each genre.

I found Gerry Schmitt's first Afton Tangler thriller (Little Girl Gone) to be quite good-- and much more to my liking than the cozy mysteries she writes as Laura Childs. I was eager to read this second book in the series, and I was not disappointed. Shadow Girl is a tense, fast-paced mystery with an appealing main character.

Afton Tangler wants with all her heart to be a detective, but her superiors keep making excuses even though they keep assigning her to work with Max, a seasoned homicide detective. Excuses or not, Afton's family liaison skills come in handy during investigations: she has a knack for calming distraught people and getting them to open up to her.

This case takes us all over the Minneapolis - St. Paul area. We know the identities of the bad guys, the trick is in apprehending them all. Shadow Girl is filled with good action sequences, and although there is violence, it is never graphic. Schmitt knows how to let readers' imaginations do most of the work.

I enjoy the rapport Afton has with Max. It's an important relationship since Max has a lot to teach this wannabe detective. The investigation may be deadly serious, but there are flashes of humor throughout, and Bonaparte the dog has a moment or two in the spotlight.

Something that's said at the end of Shadow Girl lets readers know that things will be changing for Afton in the next book. Afton is a strong, intelligent woman who deserves to be a detective. I'm looking forward to finding out what's in store for her in book number three.

While this is the second book in the series, it's the first book I have read by this author. I was pulled in by the synopsis because I love cop stories. Thrills and twists galore, the action never stops!

This book was very easy to follow even though it was book two in a series. I never knew if I was missing something. Everything just flowed. Plus, it was a quick and easy read.

I love the high levels of activity in the story. Never a dull moment with this one. With plenty of action, the flawless writing pulled you right into the inner workings of the department and straight into the streets. Chasing leads and criminals keeps your heart pounding with this fast paced story.

The plot could have been pulled from the news today and the location was unique and different from the norm. Being a Minnesota gal, I appreciated the local flair of the city and the references in town that seemed so real... many of them probably are! Strong character development and rock solid storytelling makes this a highly engaging read!

For a great read full of the thrills and suspense you expect from an author of this caliber, Shadow Girl is a perfect diversion from the monotony of the day. The ending was a bit abrupt, but hopefully that means there is more stories to tell!

While this may be the first of my reads from this talented author, it will not be the last. Apparently I have over 30 books to catch up on!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Starting on No. 2, I think I may have lost a little of the history of the characters. Probably would be best to start with No. 1.

This was marketed as a thriller, but I wouldn’t characterize it as such. Everything is laid out from the beginning, and while the reader knows the truth, the police don’t. This is a detective story, but not a mystery/thriller. That being said, it was great writing–a straight-forward detective story told from one perspective with excellent character development and dialog.

The book begins with a medical helicopter, carrying a donor heart for a wealthy businessman, being shot out of the sky. From there, the detectives piece together the whodunit. Not much in the way of anticipation as we know the story, and it starts to drag about three-quarters of the way through, but all in all this was a good book to spend some time with. The problem I had with the book is that the narrator is a family liaison officer who longs to be a detective. Throughout the book she expresses this desire, but not once did she indicate a plan of action. I would have liked to see her take that step, which would make her a much stronger character for the remaining series.

This fast-moving and well-written drama immediately grabbed my attention quickly becoming a page turner that I could not put down. The author does a great job in staging this grippingly riveting tale where there was a no holds bar on the part of the villains and when their mission comes a bit too close to Afton, this mama bear takes action that had my adrenaline pumping as fast as I could read to see how this will all play out.

The visually descriptive narrative kept me immersed in all the action as I was rooting for the team of Afton and Max as their pursuit of these ruthless beings took them to a hospital, an abandon building, a chapel, a park and last but not least, the railroad tracks. All the while, this gang continues to wreak havoc on a city that is looking for them.

The suspenseful nature, the intrigue, the intensifying need to capture their prey and the pivotal role of the key players, including Bonaparte, all came together in a wild and frenzy ride where time did not stop for the wicked as the aftermath was vividly captured on the page. Boasting a wonderful cast of characters with engaging dialogue, the author did an outstanding job in telling this dramatic story and I can’t wait to see what new opportunities await Afton in the next book in this terrific series.

Looking for a just-plain-good murder mystery with no female histrionics, flashbacks or chapters that flip back and forth from the perspectives of seven different characters? By golly, this one fills the bill. It's the second in a two-book series, and I must say I didn't feel at a disadvantage for not having read the first. Still, this one's good enough that if I could do it over again, I'd start at the beginning with "Little Girl Gone" (always my advice to anyone jumping into a series, BTW).

This one begins with an horrific scene in Minneapolis: Out of the blue (or perhaps more accurately, IN the blue), a helicopter is blasted out of the sky. Turns out it was delivering a donor heart to multi-millionaire Leland Odin, head of a popular home shopping network who's at the brink of death and waiting for a transplant. Needless to say, the pilots were killed, and the fallout resulted in dozens of injuries on the ground. Also not surprisingly, the police hit the ground running - most notably, family liaison officer Afton Tangler and her partner Max Montgomery.

Early on, it becomes clear that someone is out to get the ailing Odin; as he clings to life in his hospital bed hoping a new heart will become available in time to save him, someone manages to sneak in and slit his throat (thus rendering moot that new heart). Now, the investigation centers on who wanted the guy dead and why.

Could it be his business partner, perhaps hoping for a big payout by selling off the shopping network? Could it be his obscenely rich wife, looking for a big payout through inheritance (or possibly payback for his cheating heart)? Or could it be that his illicit business deals have crossed a powerful someone who then put Odin in his or her crosshairs?

There's a fair amount of violence that turns personal for Afton, who keeps following clues that bring her closer to the truth (despite warnings from her partner and other department officials to back off a bit, reminding her that she's not a "real" police officer and doesn't even carry a weapon). Of course, she doesn't listen - and the chase is on to catch the killers before they catch her.

In short, this is a perfect book for beach reading, or any time you simply want to get lost in a fast-moving, interesting story. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

With this second Afton Tangler Thriller, Ms. Schmitt has successfully crossed over from the Cosy Mystery genre to full on thriller mode!

Afton dreams of being an actual detective instead of a liason between the police and victims and their families and in the meantime she plays one pretty well!

In this second book, a mysterious woman and a young Asian man just shot a medical chopper out of the sky right over the medical center. But why? The only people aboard are the pilot and co-pilot. Is this an act of terrorism or something more?

When out of the blast a cooler is shot into a dorm room containing a human heart, things start looking more personal. The heart was going to Leland Odin, owner of one of the largest home shopping networks and up to his ears in money and a big secret.

Afton and Max don't waste time trying to figure out who did not want him to have the heart and why.

Afton and Max are really good characters. The bad guys were dispicable and the good guys were really good.

I am sure there will be many more Afton Tangler Thrillers!

Gerry Schmitt is a great story teller. The first book in the Afton Tangler thrillers, Little Girl Gone, was amazing. Couldn't put it down amazing!
Shadow Girl is the second book in the series and I have to admit the story line moved along well and you were never lost in the writing but I was not to thrilled with the actual story line. I feel there was so much more that could have been done with this story line and the ball was just dropped.
I won't give up on Gerry Schmitt because I know after reading Little Girl Gone that there is talent in this author and sometimes the second book isn't always as great at the first one.

Home shopping channel founder Leland Odin may have billions of dollars, but what he needs can’t be bought. If he doesn’t get a heart transplant soon, he’ll die. When the donor heart he so desperately needs finally becomes available, the helicopter carrying it is shot down, killing the pilots, injuring others and leaving Leland back at square one – until someone enters his hospital room and kills him. Why would someone target a life flight helicopter and take out the worlds nicest rich guy? Minneapolis Police FLO Afton Tangler and her partner want to know and it’s not long before they discover that Odin wasn’t the man people thought he was, he ticked off the wrong person…and she’s not done getting her revenge yet. I first read about FLOs, Family Liasion Officers in British crime dramas, and didn’t realize that American police forces had adopted the practice.