Dead stop by Barbara Nickless.
Sydney Rose Parnell Book 2.
The search for a missing child leads a courageous railway cop down a twisted trail of murder.
A really enjoyable read with good characters. I love Sydney. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.

I really enjoyed this book . This was a new author for me, and she didnt disappoint. I look forward to the rest of the series. Sydney and Clyde are a great team. As Sydney works thru her own battles from the war she fights to find Lucy before it's too late. This book kept me turning the page to find I didnt really know.who did it. Great read!

Sydney is a railway cop and ex marine with more than her fair share of issues. However, her and her dog make a formidable duo and you're rooting for them to find the answers throughout the book.

The plot is fast paced and believable and you want to keep reading to see what happens.

I'll be buying the next book.

This book was provided by NetGalley, the author and Thomas & Mercer, Publishers. Thank you.
It was hair raising scary, educational, and vastly gripping all at the same time. So well researched and written that you lived in the moment with the characters.
The heroine, Sydney, is an independent but scared ex marine who is now with the railroad police. The is a lot of information on railroads and PTSD in this novel, but it is so well combined with her actions and emotions that it is just part of the story. The hunt for a kidnapped little girl and the guilt, regret and fear she feels combined with the violent deaths she must investigate make this a superb read.
Problems with the book were minor. The issue of Sydney's gender was not resolved until several chapters in as 1 person informed me ( apparently spelling is for either gender ) and the background did nothing to clarify. The killer had only recently received the information needed to set him on this path, so not sure where his skills came from and finally it was the sheer amount of time needed to commit the crimes the way he did didn't really seem sufficient. These were passing thoughts as I read which didn't distract from the impact.
Altogether an intense read with descriptions that drew pictures in your head, compelling but very human characters and educational, too.

From start to finish I was sucked into the crazy and tangled web of deceit. I’m not usually wild about crime dramas but this one was great!

Actual Review: 4.5 stars.

Sydney Parnell is a Railroad Cop and a Marine with an unhealthy dose of PTSD and even more guilt. She carries her ghosts with her, quite literally. Dead men she attended while assigned to Mortuary Affairs during the Iraq War, or men she killed herself, appear at the worse possible moments. In Dead Stop, the bulk of those ghosts are the six men our hero tackled in the first book of the series. Don’t let that bother you though. Dead Stop can easily be read as a standalone novel.

In Dead Stop, Sydney is called to a suicide on the line, a gruesome scene, unfortunately, common on the tracks. Only this time, it soon becomes apparent that it wasn’t a suicide and that the dead woman’s family were targeted, two sons dead, a husband in critical condition and a daughter missing. Sydney, along with her canine partner, former Marine, Clyde, must delve into the past, to try and find missing eight-year-old, Lucy. And there’s an extra complication. It’s her railroad, her employer, colleagues and friends of her family, past and present, that are the key to the investigation.

Barbara Nickless does her homework and it shows in the details. Along with an in-depth and accurate look into the inner workings of the railroad, the VA, and PTSD, Ms. Nickless masterfully draws you into the life of all her characters. Sydney, in particular, is an amazingly fleshed-out character, and while you may not understand what she has gone through, you empathize with her and root for her, even when she decides not to wait for backup and races head first into danger. (Why is it that people in books never ever read the books or see the movies that spell out what a bad idea that is?)

You’re not left hanging either. There is no rushed ending, no sudden or unbelievable tying up of loose ends, and while there’s a definite hint at the next in the series, the current case comes to a full conclusion.

I’ll be eagerly waiting for more of the Sydney Rose Parnell series. If I were you, I’d be right there with me!

Clyde makes me want to get a dog! The descriptions of how Sydney Rose Parnell and he interacted were fascinating to me. This book can be read as a standalone, but it is an impressive 2nd book in the series. I am hooked and will be looking for Book #3. I don't tend to read many thrillers but the unique perspective of a war vet and now a railroad cop is one that I have enjoyed so far. I would say this book is just the right amount of suspense without being overdone. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Dead Stop by Barbara Nickless
Sidney Rose Parnell #2

Gripped from the beginning I could not put this book down. I have found a new-to-me author that I admire as a writer and story teller. I felt, learned, was made to think and was kept on my toes throughout the story and even though I had read the last few pages out of order still was surprised more than once while reading this book. I wrote to my siblings recommending it and recommend it to all of you, too. This is a story of a Marine war veteran with PTSD, a K-9 partner, who sees ghosts and has a mind that sees the minutiae of a case and finds her way to answers that others miss. I learned about police for the railroad, heard terms that were new to me, felt for the characters, cared and am eager to read what comes next in this series or anything written by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Another really good book from Barbara Nickless. This is Sydney Parnell book 2 and every bit as good as Blood on the Tracks. Sydney has her demons to face and is haunted by ghosts from her days as a former marine. I love the relationship with her canine partner, Clyde. Starting with three deaths and a missing child, the railroad cop has her hands full solving this case. Some great research in this book and a fine plot. Sydney is a flawed but believable character. I would recommend this book. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads.

What a terrific second entry into this unique series featuring an Iraq veteran and her veteran dog. You don't need to have read the first book to appreciate this one- Sydney will grip you early on and the storytelling will keep you turning pages. I'd never really thought about railroad police before meeting Sydney but she's got a role to play in the case of a missing child and she's got the grit and determination for the investigation. She's a complex character who has her faults but she's also got a big heart. Her PTSD does not define her but it is a part of her. The plot for this is complex and twisty- it kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC.

I read Blood on the Tracks last year and I loved it! So, I was pretty thrilled to get the chance to read the sequel, Dead Stop. Special Agent Sydney Parnell is a tough railway cop that together with her K9 partner Clyde has to save the only survivor of a brutal home invasion, a little girl. At first, is it hard to see what made the killer choose to kill everyone in the family, and kidnap the little girl. Is this because of some past transgression by the mother or father? Or likes the answers even further back in time? It seems that Sydney has to follow a trail that leads back in time to find the answers, but she has to do it quickly, a little girl's life is in danger, and who knows if the killer will stop at that...

Special Agent Sydney Parnell may have survived the confrontation in the last book, but she has added a six more ghosts to the list. And, I mean that literally. Her PTSD has resulted in that she sees ghosts. So, yes she has some problem and all this makes her such a fabulous character. Damaged and with pretty bad war memories, among that the memories of her lover, Doug, that never made it home, all that she has left of him is his dog that she has bonded with. Now she has kind of moved on with Detective Mike Cohen, although she's not quite there yet, she has moved in with him, but she can't bring herself to let Dough go just yet.

The case is a hard one, with 3 brutal deaths, but will add more deaths along the way as Sydney desperately tries to find out the truth before the time runs out for the little girl. I found the story engrossing, a sad tale about man's ambitions that crushes lives and have repercussions several years later. The first book story may have gotten to me a bit more, but this is an excellent book that I recommend warmly!

"You cannot carry the dead. But you must honor them."

This is the second book in a series featuring Senior Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell (ex-Marine) with the Denver Pacific Continental Railway along with her ex-Marine K9 partner, Belgian Malinois Clyde.

The author's first book in the series BLOOD ON THE TRACKS was one of my favorites of 2016 and this is one of my favorites of 2017.

The protagonist in this story, Sydney, is an intricately drawn, deeply complex character. And, again, I love her character, her canine companion/co-worker Clyde, and the trains. Oh, I love that the story takes place in and near Denver.

This stellar thriller starts out with multiple, horrific murders and a missing eight year-old girl and Sydney is off and running with railroad police, different city police, county deputies, the FBI, and a bunch more alphabet organizations.

This story ramped up from page one and the tension just kept building. Seriously, folks - this is a nailbiter.

It takes place a few months after the events in the first book and Sydney is still battling demons and ghosts from her tour in Iraq along with the present day nightmares that she has become involved with.

Great, great book and I'm already anticipating the next book in the series.

I was lucky enough to receive this book from Thomas & Mercer through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Barbara Nickless does it again! I loved Blood On The Tracks and the Sydney Rose Parnell is one of the best characters in fiction! I loved her relationship with Clyde too! Satisflying read all the way till the end.

I was excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of Dead Stop because I loved Nickless’s first novel, Blood on the Tracks. A couple of the elements from the first novel are also what I enjoyed about Dead Stop. First, in addition to having a complex character in railroad cop and former marine, Sydney Parnell, her partner and dog, also a former marine, is an important character in the book. Second, Nickless really does her research, and I learned a lot about the dangers of railroad crossings and the complicated world of the railroad industry.
Sydney is called to the scene of what at first appears to be a suicide: A woman on the tracks who doesn’t move and of course the train can’t stop fast enough not to kill her brutally. But upon further investigation, it becomes obvious that this case is much more complicated than suicide. Much, much more complicated.
This is a complex story of a tenacious cop and other officers who help track down both a murderer and a kidnapped little girl. Especially when I got to the end I could easily see this as Hollywood movie. It’s not a breezy read, but if you like imperfect characters untangling a web of deceit of greed and resentment, it’s great fun.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy of this novel.

DEAD STOP By Barbara Nickless book 2 series "Sydney Rose Parnell"
Sydney may not be ready for another case, but when it's a kidnapped child.
Railrway cop and K 9 partner Clyde work together on this case. Which goes back thirty years, filled with violence, and greed. A good story, that will not disappoint readers, it captures you from the first. Given Arc by Net Galley for my honest opinion and my voluntary review.

Today’s literary field is covered with about a half million books a year, and it seems many writers believe all they have to do is sit down at a keyboard and type. They could learn a thing or two from Barbara Nickless.

Her new book, “Dead Stop,” is impeccably researched. From police procedural aspects to railroad facts and even right down to the mental challenges faced by her lead character, Sydney Rose Parnell, Ms. Nickless has inserted more than enough information to breathe life into this novel and make it real. But the list of good things about this book doesn’t stop there.

Sydney Parnell’s character is complicated, and the author allows her to share everything. Some of the minor characters are only in scenes briefly, yet just as when we meet someone in person, readers are privy to a range of personality indicators run through Sydney’s filters. Having well-defined characters, even the ones who are only going to be around for a few pages, wakes the book up and brings it to life.

The plot is intense and very believable. The entire story takes place over a few days, as Sydney hunts for both a missing child and a deranged killer. A second mystery unfolds and Ms. Nickless reveals that there is a tangible back story, with potentially more murders that could be connected with current events. Sydney works desperately, racing against time to unwind all the threads. An interesting twist is Ms. Nickless choosing to give Sydney a canine partner. Clyde is an integral part of the novel, and the interplay between the dog and Sydney ranges from serious to humorous.

If anything bothered me at all about this book, it was Sydney’s battle with her past. A war veteran assigned to Mortuary Affairs, she is confronted regularly by the manifestations of her more haunting experiences. While Ms. Nickless writes with excellence in describing the post-traumatic stress, there are so many other detective authors using this idea – saddling the main character with a physical or mental issue to deal with – that I can’t help but wish for Sydney to find a way through her troubles. Ms. Nickless is a gem of an author, and I believe she can give Sydney other interesting problems to deal with while leaving the PTSD issues behind.

While “Dead Stop” is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. There are a few references to the first story (“Blood on the Tracks”), although little of the main plot is revealed and one could conceivably read the two books in reverse order…though why would you want to? If you’re a fan of detective/suspense stories, you won’t do better than these two books by Barbara Nickless. Four-and-a-half, rounded to five stars.

Barbara Nickless in an author to watch. Flawed and not the average rule follower, Sydney Parnell returns from serving as a marine with plenty of baggage. Her position as "railway" cop brings her into contact with gruesome accidents. The results of one train versus auto are actually the intended decimation of an entire family. Gritty and intense, the Sydney Parnell series is a great read.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

I enjoyed Blood on the Tracks (1st book) very much and the series just keeps getting better with Dead Stop. But this is the kind of book that upsets my dogs and my husband. The dogs .... because I couldn't put it down to feed them at their proper time (so their dinner was 20 minutes "late). My husband ... because I didn't even think to prepare his dinner and he had to settle for a bowl of Cheerios (again).

I did stop a couple of times -- just to marvel about how Sydney's brain functions -- how she manages to figure out various "clues" and how she sees patterns. I need to be hit in the head with a 2 x 4 most times. Great characters, great plot and well researched. And it was wonderful to see Clyde again.

5 stars

Railroad cop Sydney Parnell and her K-9 partner, Clyde, find a woman’s body on a railroad track. It is assumed she is a suicide until evidence to the contrary is found and Sydney learns about the murders of her family and the abduction of her little eight-year old daughter.

Sydney, Clyde and another cop at the scene named Wilson track the little girl to an abandoned site where they discover another body. Duking into a nearby kiln after Clyde signals danger, Sydney screams to back away and a bomb goes off. Before the bomb, Sydney sees two more bodies inside the kiln. Wilson is hurt far more badly than Sydney and is on his way to the hospital.

Since the murdered husband was an employee of the railroad and his father the owner of the same railroad, one theory is that the murders, the bombing and kidnapping is a form of terrorism against the railroad and the men who are currently vying for supremacy in that business.

With the ghosts of her dead comrades from the war and the dead bad guys she killed in the last thriller following her around, Sydney proceeds to investigate the kidnapping of the little girl. I won’t tell you how it turns out, you’ll have to read this book for yourself for that.

This is an extremely well written and plotted novel. I am surprised and pleased that Ms. Nickless is so new at this writing business. She is a marvel. The excitement and action start from the beginning of the book and continue at a fast pace throughout the novel. I truly enjoyed the book and look very much forward to reading the next in the series. I liked the relationship she had with her partner Clyde and the difficulties she had in her day to day life relating to people. The scenes from the war were realistic and well thought out.

I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read and enjoy.

After a terrifyingly encounter with a gang, FBI agent Syd Parnell has lost faith in her abilities as a law enforcement officer. She’s not sure she can continue with her career until a woman is murdered and a child is kidnapped. Syd and her K9 Clyde will trace clues leading back more than thirty years, hoping to connect the dots in time to save a child. I’m a sucker for a well written police procedural, throw in a dog and you have me from page one