Detective Seth Harding thinks it is just a normal double homicide, until he finds the chained boy in the basement. Seth recruits his wife Carly to help with the boy, and races to find out who killed the people looking after the boy, and who the boy is, before the killer comes back.

Melinda weaves a complicated, compelling tale in a short read. I could not put it down! Do yourself a favor, and read this book today!

I didn't realise until now that these titles are by different authors (Twisted Truth, Truth be told.) the first of this series was engaging, interesting and it made me want to read the second. The second one I found hard, I had a lot of trouble working out the characters and the plot just wasn't as absorbing. First one too short, second one unnecessary.

I typically avoid novellas like the plague--they’re too short, story and character arcs are too short and unrealistic, and I’m typically left unsatisfied. Most of the time, the shortest I’ll go is short novels by a select group of my favourite long-form authors. The one exception to my novella rule: Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot’s Rogue novella series; I just love the small town of Solitude, Oregon, and the quartet of characters (Stevie and Zane--written by Ms. Elliot-- and Carly and Seth-- Ms. Leigh’s brainchildren) that star in these short stories of murder, mayhem, and romance. The Rogue novellas are best read in sequence to fully appreciate the evolution of the characters and their relationships, but could technically be enjoyed as standalones; however, they come in sets of two (one by Ms. Leigh and one by Ms. Elliot) that take on and build on the same case from each of the couples’ perspectives and should therefore be read together-- hence why this review covers both TWISTED TRUTH and TRUTH BE TOLD, the latest entries in the Rogue series.

TWISTED TRUTH gives the Carly/Seth side of a chilling mystery that starts with two people shot dead in their beds and a six-year-old boy chained in the basement. Social worker Carly--recovering from a harrowing experience the month before-- is called in to care for the child while her husband, county Detective Seth Harding, investigates the bizarre crime. All while Solitude is battered by a massive storm cloud that completely cuts the small town off from the outside world. The mystery, seemingly solved at the end of TWISTED TRUTH, continues in TRUTH BE TOLD when Carly’s sister, Solitude police officer Stevie, and her new husband, Solitude police chief Zane Duncan, discover two FBI agents murdered in their car on their way out of Solitude. I have to admit I wasn’t Seth’s biggest fan when he made his first appearance in the Rogue series (behavioural double standard with respect to work danger much?), but he’s come such a long way over the course of the series that he’s now one of my favourite people. It’s rare to see romance novels deal with failing relationships, but that’s exactly what Ms. Leigh did with Carly and Seth over the course of the series, and seeing them on absolutely rock-solid footing in TWISTED TRUTH is heartwarming. The plot gets a little outlandish in TRUTH BE TOLD, but Stevie and Zane are such enjoyable characters that I could overlook that and still thoroughly enjoy the ride.

Love these Rogue Justice Novellas that are written with Kendra Elliot. I wish they were full length novels. Great mystery. Fast paced suspense. I enjoy the characters in the story and the residents of Solitude. Make sure to read this book and then read the next in the series and find out the continuing story of Liam.

I love the writing of Melinda Leigh and this book is just another example of the reasons why. I love her characters, including the four legged variety, they each come right off the page and I can just picture them in my mind.

Her storyline is fantastic and has very little, if any, down time. They grab you from the beginning and keep you hooked until the very end, as with this one where you really didn't expect what happened at the end.

I would recommend this book to anyone without any worries at all. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twisted Truth is a short story introducing the Rogue Justice series of which the next volume, Truth be told, will be written by Kendra Elliott, another big name in romantic suspense. Both authors already collaborated on a serie named Solitude, Oregon, and Rigue Justice seems to be the sequel.
In this first volume we meet again Seth, Detective, and his wife Carly, from the social services, together on the same investigation. They were also the heroes in Melinda Leigh’s books in the previous series, but we can read this title without trouble even though there are some references to past events.

You’ll have understood, this is not a romance as we’re used to that the author offers to us, as the heroes are married and apparently well established in their couple (from the blurb the second volume follows the same pattern, with a couple of heroes from the other series). Nevertheless we see the heroes’ emotions and feelings one for the other and for their daughter all through the story.

But the real positive point in Twisted Truth is the plot. Seth is investigating a double homicide, on the scene of which he discovered a mute little boy chained in the cellar (hence Carly’s intervention). The plot begins strongly and goes on as often with this author, and even if the format is short we’re grabbed by the story and we don’t realize it.

The only thing that annoyed me was that it rains nearly nonstop, which is part of the lot, but I had enough of reading they were drenched or they were putting on their raincoats. But that’s not really important isn’t it?

I LOVE Melinda!!!! If she writes it, I'll read it and if her and Kendra collaborate...hell yes!!!!!

I will not go into detail because you can read the blurb for that, but I will say this book has just the right about of everything!!!!

Murder, kidnapping, love, family, awesome characters, beautiful animals...yes, you read that right! If you haven't read any of Melinda's books...shame on you!!!

If you like stand alone, yet part of a series, you need to read all of Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliott Rogue books...they are awesome.

In this novella the author keeps us on the edge of our seat with a duel murder, a kidnaped child, the danger of attack and the mystery of how it all fits together. It is a fast paced, suspenseful read full of exciting action, danger and has great characters. Even though this is the first novella in the Rogue Justice series, it contains many of the characters we have grown to know and love in the other Rogue series’. Seth and Carly’s relationship continues to grow in strength, it is tender and heartwarming. They face problems and fears you can relate to and I loved the surprise at the end of the story. The humour of the sassy goat, mixed with the gripping tension makes for an excellent read. This is a quick, thrilling read and I look forward to reading more in the series. I received an early copy from NetGalley, which in no way influenced my opinion.

This book grabs you from page one and doesn't let go until the last page. It was great hearing from Seth and Carly, Seth responds to a call about shots fired in a house, after finding two dead bodies and searching the property, Seth hears a noise from the celler., Where he finds a young boy, chained up. Seth calls his wife Carly who is on call for cps, and this is when the trouble starts. The little boy won't speak, so he can't help them with who he is, but someone out there knows and wants him. I don't want to say more and ruin the book.. I've read everything that Melinda has written and love the novella that she writes with Kendra, .I very much look forward to reading more from this fantastic author..

I couldn’t put this book down! I started it last night/this morn. And finished this evening. I’m just gutted I had to have a break in between to go to work 😂 I was drawn in straight from the start! I love the series and all the characters. Wonderfully written! I actually said to my boyfriend that I wanted to carry on watching what We watched last night, and then I realised I didn’t watch anything... it was my book 😁👍 definitely a must read and I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Fast paced and filled with tension, Twisted Truth, by Melinda Leigh, takes us back to Solitude, OR and right back into the arms of a killer. Called to the scene of a double homicide, Seth Harding is shocked to discover a young boy trapped in the cellar of the house. He doesn't know what has happened to this child, but he does now that they best person to help the child overcome his trauma is his own wife Carly, a social worker. Unfortunately, with a torrential downpour and flooding all around them, the best place for the child is in their own home. But how to keep the boy...and themselves safe, is a whole different issue.. The extended Taylor clan once again comes into play, with characters that I would love to meet in person. Leigh's meticulous character development makes every book believable. 5 stars!

I loved this book. Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot are two of my favorite authors. I love how they intertwine the characters from the series. These books grabbed me from page one. I always recommend these two authors to my mystery readers and always have pre orders for their books

Another great novella by Melinda Leigh. A young boy is found in a basement and Carly, Bruce and Seth will do anything to help the boy. Suspenseful fast read! loved it!

To be honest, after reading the blurb, I was of two minds about reading this story. While I like Leigh's novellas, and most of the blurb sounded interesting, I was hesitant about reading about a child chained in a basement. I gave it a shot though and Leigh handled it well. She doesn't get graphic though she doesn't gloss over his conditions and she wasn't exploitative.

"Twisted Truth", though only a little over a hundred pages, was fast-paced, exciting, intense, and heartbreaking. Although Liam is a few years older than the children I teach, it was hard not to see them in him and feel for what he was going through. We didn't get to know him well but what we saw was a sweet, strong boy dealing with far too much for a child his age.

The story alternates between Seth's POV and Carly's POV. Although there are earlier novellas featuring them, this story works as a stand alone though you can best appreciate their marital challenges if you've read them. And though the book is marketed as a romance, it's predominantly a mystery with some romance. That worked for me, especially as I'd read the earlier novellas but if you're in the mood for romance, this may not be the book for you. It does have a happy ending however though parts of the mystery are still unsolved. Carly and Seth are working hard at communicating and trusting. Carly is still dealing with the aftermath of a disaster at her job and I likes that Carly was able to recognize that she needed help and was willing to get it, after some denial at first.

Leigh continues her habit of including rules of small town living, such as there's always room for pie, and there's humor too. Prince Erik, the pet goat of Carly and Seth's daughter Brianna was a hoot, and a hero to boot. I enjoyed catching up with some of Carl's family, especially Bruce. I was worried about him after the death of his girlfriend in a previous story.

All in all, "Twisted Truth" was an engrossing story that I didn't want to see end and I've already requested book two, "Truth Be Told" by Leigh's writing partner, Kendra Elliot.

Twisted Truth unfolds much like the new Bookshots, a fast paced mystery that can be read in an hour or so. I find most novellas hit or miss for me but this one caught my attention and held it as I read the book in one sitting. A small town policeman, Seth, responds to a shots fired call with his rookie brother-in-law. Inside the house, they discover a double homicide and a small child chained in the basement. Seth calls in his wife, Carly, a locals CPS worker, still recovering from a previously traumatic case. Quickly, the plot unfolds as they try to discover who the child is and why he was chained. A cliffhanger full of action brings an end to the book but still leaves some unanswered questions. A good, enjoyable read from a new to me author. My voluntary review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Great first Novella to start of the Rogue Justice Series. Suspense packed in to this novella from start to finish. I felt like a member of the town, checking on friends. I really enjoy watching the characters progress, deal with life on top of all the suspense and drama. Fantastic, Fast Paced, Five Stars.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley. Thank you Melinda Leigh for making my day with another awesome read.

Thanks to netgalley, bookouture and the publisher for letting me read this advance copy. When a book starts with a child locked in a basement and murders you just have to dive in!! I read this non stop in a day!!! BRILLIANT is how I'd describe it!! And the reappearance of the goat adds to it!!! People you have got to read it!! Can't recommend it highly enough!!

I'm a big fan of the Rogue River novella series that is written by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. Each author writes alternate novellas in the series.
'Twisted Truth' tells the story of Detective Seth Harding who responds to a shots fired call out only to discover a double homicide and a terrified child who may be a witness. In order to find out what the young boy may know, Seth calls his wife Carly a social worker, to try to get through to the child.
It was great to catch up again with Seth, Carly, their daughter Brianna and everyone else who has been in the other Rogue River Series. 'Twisted Truth' was a quick, action packed romantic suspense read, I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to read Book 2 in the series by Kendra Elliot.

Being a novella this was a very easy read and the speed of narrative made the characterisation difficult but this was an enjoyable, quick read - easily read in an afternoon.

5/5: With this addition to the spine tingling Rogue series, I just want more and more! Small, close knit town, a large loving family and Prince Eric 🐐 this title makes a great addition to the series! Thank you Melinda and Netgalley for the advance read! *on to Kendra's now!