This was, in many ways, clearly a debut novel, with a bit of a creaky narrative, but it was mostly entertaining nonetheless. The least believable aspect of it is that so few characters are intertwined in so many diverse ways, despite the small-town setting. But the author does a good job of masking the culprit until nearly the very end. Not a bad read.

Really good story. I enjoyed this story, and it kept me interested throughout. Good characters and plot.

Unfortunately, I could not get interested in this book so I was unable to finish. I thought it was strange how everyone thought the husband killed the wife, but there was really know reason why or back story. I found the characters uninteresting, so it was hard for me to relate.

Well this one took me a really long time. ugh.... I had a hard time getting into the book and have to admit the only reason I requested this ARC is because the book was based in Wyoming. I'm from Wyoming.... I also went to school for psychology. Despite those things I struggled to focus on the book. I kept going back and forth. That is sometimes me or sometimes the book. I liked the writing and thought there was good character development so it may have just been me. Once I finished the book I was surprised by the ending and like the twists. I would definitely give Doucette another try on a different book and wouldn't mind trying another book from the Dr. Pepper Hunt series.

I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the book would focus on Dr Pepper as the main character, however Detective Antelope seemed to have the limelight. I think this will enable Dr Pepper's character be developed over future books. This was a classic who done it, with several possibilities but it seems nobody is who they seem. I would definitely read future books in this series.

Last Seen by J.L. Doucette
Dr. Pepper Hunt Book #1
Publisher: She Writes Press

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher She Writes Press for the ebook ARC of Last Seen, by author J.L. Doucette in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Pepper Hunt, psychologist, moves to Wyoming after having a hard time dealing with the murder of her husband. She becomes a consultant for the police after her new patient, Kimi Benally goes missing after her last therapy session. She has diagnosed Kimi with dissociating which is caused by extreme psychological stress. Kimi will disappear for days at a time, but this time she has been gone to long. Her husband Kevin does not believe Kimi nor the diagnosis, he thinks that she is having an affair and is lying. Pepper Hunt may be the last one to see Kimi.
Detective Beau Antelope has been put on the case to find out what has happened to Kimi. Everyone is wondering what has happened to this Native American reporter.

This is J.L. Doucette’s debut novel. This was book 1 of the series Dr. Pepper Hunt. This was a good book, I didn’t find that Pepper played that big of role in the novel that was supposed to be based on her. I found near the end of the book, the points of views were hard to differentiate between each of the characters. I did rate the book 3 stars though. It was a good mystery to read, and I still can’t wait to read the second book in the series when it comes out!

I started this book several times over and just couldn't get into it. I thought I'd like the Western scenery and Wyoming setting, but I didn't fall in love with any of the characters. I gave up at about 20% of the way through. I did not post the review because I did not finish the book. It simply was not for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Last Seen is a delightful thriller with personable, realistic characters. Doucette does a wonderful job of providing insight into the characters without simplifying them. I thoroughly enjoyed Last Seen and would highly recommend it.

Set in the harsh Wyoming winter, Dr. Pepper Hunt is a therapist who is trying to start over after her life was turned upside down by a horrific personal tragedy. She is reluctantly drawn into a missing person's case that hits too close to home for comfort. The writing is taut and engrossing and I found the book to be a very satisfying read. I am looking forward to reading more about Dr. Pepper Hunt.
I received a copy from She Writes Press via Netgalley for free in exchanged for my honest review.

I received an electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, J. L. Doucette, and She Writes Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

A who-done-it set in Wyoming winter, this was an interesting read. I was thrilled to read it in the glowing warmth of a New Mexico spring. Ms Doucette takes us there in mid-to-late December, and shares with us the people who live, play and work in the tiny town of Rock Springs, Wyoming. No, there are no springs, this town is set in the high plains desert of Wyoming. There is definitely weather, however. Very cold, always snowing, very icy, very dangerous.

The people involved in this mystery are all quite well defined. The bad guys have a sprinkling of humanity and the white hats are far from perfect. I enjoyed meeting them all, and the excellent way they are presented adds to the the difficulty in picking out the bad guys.

A good police procedural. I will want to follow this author and enjoy the sequels.

I had a hard time getting into this book. There were a lit of characters and I wasn't able to really care about them. So, even though the story starts out with a mystery that made me curious, I didn't develop any concern for the characters, Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this before publication.

Kimi Benally was Last Seen after her therapy session with Dr. Pepper Hunt. What happened to the Native American newspaper reporter? Is her disappearance linked to a story about a serial rapist she was working on? Or is it something closer to home? Did Pepper gain any significant information from her therapy sessions with Kimi that could help find the woman?
Leaving her own personal tragedy behind, Dr Pepper Hunt is still a relative newcomer to the small Wyoming town she relocated to in order to start afresh. Pepper is hired as a consultant in the investigation into Kimi's disappearance working alongside Detective Beau Antelope. Pepper and Beau are both interesting characters.
This is J.L. Doucette's debut novel and the first in the Dr. Pepper Hunt Mysteries series. I was expecting Pepper to play a larger part because of that. But there was actually more focus on Detective Antelope, which was fine because he's pretty appealing, but it was a bit baffling nonetheless.
But the series has potential. Although there were some repetitive parts that could have been better edited, and switching from Pepper's first-person perspective to third-person for the other characters wasn't my preferred style, it is generally nicely written. The descriptive passages about the harsh mid-Western winters and the atmospheric locale are particularly well done. The dialogue felt authentic. In future installments, it would be good to see more character development with regards to Pepper and perhaps more focus on her work as a psychologist. This was quite a slow burning mystery, the suspense was limited, but the characters and the plot were intriguing enough to keep my attention throughout. It wasn't until quite late in the game that I worked out who was behind Kimi's disappearance.
Overall, a good mystery and a decent debut. I look forward to reading more about Pepper and Beau. Better than 3 stars but not quite 4 stars.

This is the first book in a series about Dr. Pepper Hunt, whose client has disappeared. Pepper is still recovering from her own traumatic past, and a relative newcomer to this small, unhappy Wyoming town.

There are some interesting things in this book, like the relationship between the Native Americans and non Natives. Kimi, the woman who has disappeared, is a Native American. There is much made about what she overcame (and what she gave up) to become a reporter at the newspaper.

Unfortunately, for a thriller, there really isn't any sense of urgency. Kimi's husband is more upset that he's alone on Christmas. Kimi's cousin, the detective on the case, is sad, but not frantic. And Pepper herself upholds the confidentiality of her client's life for a surprisingly long time. I think it only dawns on her halfway through the book that yes, Kimi's life is in danger.

For a book about Pepper, she takes up a small space in this book, and doesn't take much of a role in the investigation. I also didn't get to know her very well. I'm all for slow burning detective novels if the character development is good, but here everyone seemed flat.

I also think a bit more editing needs to be done. The ending was especially confusing, with POVs switching back and forth, but no real delineation of when the voices changed.

This is a good start to a new mystery series featuring psychologist Pepper Hunt. Pepper is a new transfer to Wyoming. She's had a harrowing past, and went there for a fresh start. She does therapy, but also works with prisoners and sex offenders. One of her patients goes missing after their appointment and Pepper looks deeper into her life.
The tension is good and so is the actual mystery. The characters were well-written. I have to say that the person who turned out to be the one responsible came as no surprise to me. I guessed who it was quite early on. But I liked the different viewpoints and the method of the investigation.

Not bad for the author's first book. I had the mystery figured out pretty early on but I liked the characters and was compelled to read to the very end. My only complaint really is that the series is supposed to be about Pepper Hunt but it felt like she was a minor character. Seems like the series should really be under the detective Antelope's name as much more time was spent reading about his experiences than about Pepper's. I look forward to the next book in the series, though!

Well written and set in Wyoming. Dr Pepper Hunt is a psychologist drawn into the search find a missing reporter. Her past memories come back to haunt her as the body count rises. A good plot and plenty twists and turns. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads.

Last Seen is a fantastic novel. The book has a great plot, characters and setting. The plot is fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat.

A easy to read story about who is responsible for Kimi's disappearance. A race against time to find what has happened to Kimi and a hope that she is still alive. An easy to read detective story.

I picked up this book not really knowing to much about it. The cover interested me so I gave it a shot. Right away I was pretty confused about what was happening because the chapters are told from different people's perspectives and I wasn't really sure who anyone was at first. I feel it would have been easier if the chapters were labeled as the person whose point of view it was being told as. There were two characters at first I thought were the same person but actually weren't so that threw me off at the beginning. I also just felt like the author got repetitive with the information she gave us. I did enjoy the ending because I didn't see it coming. I thought that was enjoyable. Overall I felt myself trying hard to enjoy this book but it just didn't do it for me.

“Last Seen” is a vivid example of writing about what you know. J.L. Doucette, the author, has a doctorate in counseling psychology and is in private practice in Rhode Island. In her novel, set in the merciless winter environs of Wyoming where she lived for many years, she explores the world of disturbed minds, including that of her protagonist, Dr. Pepper Hunt. It’s her first book so I’ll make allowances for her overabundant reliance on the tenets of her profession.

Dr. Hunt, suffering from the death of her cheating husband, resettles in Wyoming and resumes her practice. Suddenly one of her new patients disappears in a blizzard and the secrets she shared with the doctor could hold clues to what might have happened. Dr. Hunt, in her professional dedication to client privacy, refuses to reveal any information, is inexplicably hired by the Sheriff’s Office as a consultant, and joins forces with Detective Beau Antelope in the search, all the time keeping mum about her own knowledge. It gets confusing and is somewhat unrealistic.

The author liberally sprinkles psychotherapy theory throughout the read and repeats herself many times in her descriptions of the thought processes of the many characters. There seems to be a tendency in modern writing to have the main characters immersed in troubling pasts. Doucette has followed that fashion.

The author’s writing, however, is very solid. Her dialogue exchanges are well executed, the action is tight and terse, and, best of all, her description of the chillingly brutal weather of the Wyoming high desert is wonderful. I’ve been there, and no method of turning the cold aside seems to work; not heating systems, clothing, nor roaring fire can keep icy tendrils from creeping around the body. Doucette portrays this discomfort very adeptly.

I can recommend this book as an entertaining read with much to like about its story and backdrop. As the author gets more comfortable with her writing skills she won’t need to rely so heavily on scientific background that, to me, slowed down her pace.