This is book 6.
I hadn’t realised that.

So I took the storyline and the crime and plot and put aside that I had no previous information about the Detective or others.

It worked well with me reading the plot for what it was however it fell short for me as I didn’t know certain characters backgrounds.

This authors books have always been enjoyable for me.

I really need to up my research!

Really didn’t get on with this! There were too many characters, keep forgetting who’s who, and honestly felt like only half of them needed to be in the book. And the relationships between the main characters didn’t really build. With Mike and Lena’s story they just all of a sudden kissed and were in love?
& I didn’t understand the mix tape at the end?? Why would he do that?!

This story was tantalizing, juicy and fun! I found myself really enjoying this tale of thrilling twists and turns. A very addictive page turner that I can highly recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get around to reading due to work commitments but it was suspense thriller at its best a def recommendation.

NEXT TO DIE is book 6 in the North Country Crime Thriller Series, by T. J. Brearton, but can easily be read as a standalone story.

Bobbi caught a glimpse of the car, saw the blood splashed across the front seats, and felt the nausea rise up. It should have been her who was working last night, not Harriet. It should have been her.
Bobbi and Harriet resemble each other with their long black hair and both drives the same blue car.

Detectives Mike Nelson and Lena Overton were called to the crime scene of a social worker who had been viciously murdered. This is the first murder at Lake Haven in eighteen years, and community is on edge.

Bobbi, was supposed to be on duty that night, and now is in fear that the murderer will be back for her.

But Mike and Lena soon make the discovery of a link to a missing-persons case and uncover a resentment against social services. It is a race against time to solve the puzzle and apprehend the killer… before he takes another victim.

A well written crime thriller with ample twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture via Netgalley for my digital copy.

I really struggled with Next to Die. I persevered as I hate not reading books to the end but I was just not enjoying it so I gave up. Sorry not for me.

Next to Die

‘A woman is dead. It should have been you.’ What an awesome tag line for a book! I didn’t realise this was part of a series but it works fine as a standalone and you don’t have to have to read the previous books. They are added to my TBR pile though!

The opening of the book was fab and it really grabbed me. A brutal murder, possible mistaken identity and brilliant characters. This is an all engrossing read with twists you won’t see coming. Brilliant! Four stars.

I think had I known this was one of a series of books, it may have been an easier read to have read the five before it. Even without that, it was an enjoyable read!

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this book.
This is the sixth book in the North County series however this book did work as a standalone. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, but really enjoyed this immensely!!!
Highly recommended.

When a social worker, Harriet is brutally murdered, Detectives Mike Nelson and Lena Overton are on the case to investigate. Initially, it seems random but increasingly they begin to suspect that it may be a case of mistaken identity. Bobbi is one of the victims co-workers who should have been there instead of Harriet - she's not long been in Lake Haven, having moved to avoid her violent ex-boyfriend. Could he be behind the crime or is the culprit someone much closer to home?

This is part 6 of the North County series and frankly, it seems that the area is getting all a bit too Cabot Cove like for the resident's comfort. In this story, it's the small towns first murder in 18 years so the detectives are immediately on the backfoot. So much so that I was sat from about 30 pages in wondering why they weren't considering a very obvious motive. But to be fair they are rather distracted from the case by a blossoming romance which seems both a little out of place and yet also very sweet. This is enjoyable however the plot was a little sparse for me so it felt quite stretched at times.

This was a good solid thriller once I got into it, the only problem was, I didn't get into it until at least halfway through. It isn't badly written, but I find it is written without any real feeling for the characters, making it very hard to develop an empathy for any of them, All in all, worth a read.

I found out this was part of a series after I finished reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was an excellent thriller that is enjoyable as a stand alone book. I am going to check out the other books in this series since I enjoyed this so much.

next to die by tj Brearton.
Harriet fogarty a social worker is dead. why?
Detective Mike Nelson and Lena Overton are on the case.
Roberta Noelle should have been in the office instead of Harriet.
was it a case of mistaken identity? but of so who is after Roberta known as Bobbi?
a very enjoyable read. I liked the story and the characters. apart from the bady. What a twister of a read. didn't see that coming. 5*.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, T.J. Brearton, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read an early copy.

Bobbi caught a glimpse of the car, saw the blood splashed across the front seats, and felt the nausea rise up. It should have been her who was working last night, not Harriet. It should have been her.

When a social worker is brutally murdered, Detectives Mike Nelson and Lena Overton are straight on the scene. But with a long list of potential suspects, can they work out who’s next before the killer strikes again?

It’s Lake Haven’s first murder in eighteen years, and the community is terrified – especially Bobbi, who was not only supposed to be on duty that night, but also has the same long dark hair as Harriet and drives the same blue car. Now Bobbi lives in constant fear that the murderer will be back for her…

When Mike and Lena make a link to a missing-persons case and uncover a wide-spread grudge against social services, they know they’re close to uncovering the killer – but can they connect the last few dots and stop him before he takes another victim?

Next to Die is a fantastic mystery thriller with an eerie setting and oodles of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. It had great pacing and characters. It should be known that this is the sixth book in the North Country series, but it is a standalone story. Still, reading in order is better. Next to Die is a great police procedural with a fantastic plot.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I did not realize until I started reading that this is the 6 book in the series and probably feel for a better review I should have read the novels beforehand.

Heart stoppingly good it certainly had me gripped from the get go full of exquisite twists and turns ...I am definitely wanting more from this author.
10/10 brilliant

This was my second book by this author and I have to say that I liked the first one I read a whole lot better. For me, this one kept veering away from the action. I laughed out loud a couple of times while reading this book, which I definitely thought was strange. However, throughout the book, this kept happening (drifting off the subject) into the deep, deep, deep history of the main characters. Things that did not even really help me identify any better with them.

I do have to say, however, that Overton was Johnny-on-the-Spot in this book. One sentence, Mike is asking for something, two sentences later, she has the information.

I loved the location of this book. I've been there and that did help to enhance my reading pleasure.

I also think the profession of DDS (CPS) guides and counselors was an excellent profession to choose for any mystery suspense. A lot of suspects in that instance.

My eyes did roll when the police started looking for parents whose children and their lives were changed by these DSS workers.

In final, while it was a decent read, the author just seemed to leave the chase too many times, giving me an opportunity to look for distractions proving I wasn't totally into this one.

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Next to Die by T.J. Brearton is a mystery. This is a stand-alone novel, although apparently some of the characters and locales are featured in some of his other books.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Synopsis:
When a caseworker from Social Services is brutally attacked in her car outside the office one evening, Bobbi Noelle fears that she may have been the intended target. After all, Harriet was covering for her that evening, and their vehicles were similar. Now Bobbi is living in fear that whoever killed Harriet will be coming after her. But when the police discover another case worker has been missing for months and is presumed dead, things get more confusing.

NY State Investigator Mike Nelson and Lake Haven Detective Lena Overton are working tirelessly to solve this murder. They are trying to find Bobbi’s ex-boyfriend to determine whether he is to blame. But they are also looking into the cases that the two workers had in common. Theories abound. Perhaps the perpetrator is a disgruntled family member of a child who was removed from their care, or someone who has a grudge against Harriet, or Bobbi’s ex. There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle missing, and a lot of information they can’t easily access. When they stumble onto a drug ring, there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

My Opinions:
There seems to be an overall theme of people getting second chances in their life, and what they do with them. Bobbi is trying to start over, so is Mike. Then there are parents who had their children taken from them, and trying to get them back. There are children who grew up in foster care trying to start new lives. Second chances aren’t always ideal, but sometimes it is the decisions made that determine the outcome.

There is a lot going on in this book, and there are areas where a little more detail would have been good. I’d like a little more background on the detectives, and Bobbi’s past could have been explored a little more. However, the pace was great, there is a lot of action, and it’s a really fast read.

I kept going between 3.5 and 4 stars.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I definitely recommend his work.

Good story. Plenty of action and lots to think about. I feel that there was too much happening. Bobbi's life got confusing and in places the plot needed explained a bit better. Overall a good read.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.

Set in Lake Haven, this US based novel raises many issues with themes such as abuse, trust, fear, secrets, the past and a search for justice – to name just a few of the things that will engross you in this novel!

A quiet town in New York state becomes unravelled when the first murder in eighteen years throws the residents and has the local police teaming up with NY State Police on the hunt for a killer. I thought the plot and narrative in this page-turning read was extremely well developed and authentic. The procedural side of things was believable without being over-the-top manual style and clearly the author did some research in this area. I felt this story was more plot driven than character driven and even though I love my characters, I was so intrigued by the storyline, it all just worked extremely well!

The main protagonist: Roberta Noelle (or Bobbi) works in the Child Protection Services and when her colleague ends up dead, she fears that she was the original target. You see, Bobbi has a past and a few secrets of her own and when more bodies are uncovered…you begin to fear for Bobbi too! 😱 I loved her character, she was clever, down to earth and even a bit overly-anxious. Totally likeable and realistic given the circumstances she finds herself in!

For me, Lena & Mike stole the show in this novel. Lena works for Laken Haven police while Mike is a NY state trooper. We see their relationship develop throughout the novel and although they are polar opposites…TOTALLY….they just somehow worked so well together and it was easy to see how they paired. Don’t be fooled though, this is not a romatic suspense novel …I just loved this aspect of the story- Lena being so sassy and roguish almost to Mike’s “by the book” personality! Perfect!!

There are many more characters that feed into developing this storyline, including the killer – I have to say, my detective skills were on fire as I sussed it well before the reveal. Saying that, I was still not 100% sure, and raced through the pages to see if I was correct!

The question is, would I recommend this book? Hell yeah! If you like intense, criminal focussed police procedurals that have you turning yourself into an amateur sleuth, this badboy is right up your street. Not complicated, just a down-right cleverly written story that really kept me guessing! BOOM! 👊🏻