Bloodtree River by author Sarah Barrie is a mix of suspense and heart-skipping scenes that had this reader skip a breath or two.
Review copy received from Harlequin MIRA via Netgalley

MS Barrie never fails to disappoint me with one of her stories and if you are looking for a fast paced romantic suspense with danger strong characters and an emotional pull well this is a book that I highly recommend, I was on the edge of my seat, cheering the good guys on, as they went after some very bad guys, the setting is fabulous the Tasmanian mountains, all in all this one is a story not to be missed.

Indiana O’Meara has been through so much in her life and became a cop to help people, to make a difference and she is undercover in Tasmania to investigate woman that have gone missing, never realizing that the main suspect would pull at her heart strings the way he did, his caring way with the animals on his cattle station Calico Mountain had her re-thinking a lot, but with a twist to this case that connects to something even more dangerous Indy is in for some big changes in her life and she needs to keep her head on the case.

Logan Atherton comes a cross to most people as a hard man intent on his job of running Calico Mountain but with young woman going missing he is suspicious of many who arrive to work there and with the rumours that are being spread they are short staffed but when Indy arrives and is hired he feels a pull towards her like never before you see Logan doesn’t trust easy there is something about Indy that he cannot put aside. This family run station is doing its best to prove they are not involved in the missing woman but there are many twists that will be uncovered.

This one had me turning the pages honestly it is a fabulous story twists and turns and danger as Indy digs deeper but there are threats coming from all directions and it had me guessing right to the very end so many fabulous characters that all add to the story and wow so much happens in the explosive end. This one is moving and emotional as well as all of the danger involved in catching the bad guys. I loved Logan what a hero he really is the best and he and Indy so deserve to be together. This is one that I highly recommend truly it should not be missed and I do hope that Connor and Tess get their own stories I would love to revisit Calico Mountain. Thank you MS Barrie for another keeper wow I loved it.

OMG! Absolutely magnificent! Sarah Barrie has written an intense Romantic Suspense story, I could not put this book down. There are so many twists and turns you are going to want to keep reading to find out the what happens! This book it one that I will have no trouble recommending, it is definitely one of my Top reads of 2018!

The story starts with Detective Indiana O’Meara been asked by her boss Ben Bowden to go undercover in Tasmania on a Cattle Station, Calico Mountain Lodge. There have been several girls that have gone missing while working there. Indy agrees to go undercover to solve the mystery of their disappearances.

I enjoyed Indy’s first day in Tasmania where she is at a Cattle Draft looking for the people who run Calico Mountain. She does not know much about horses but she does know when one is not being treated properly and that owner soon finds out!! It is also her first run in with Logan Atherton, the main suspect in the case.

She begins working at Calico, in the stables alongside Logan. She has befriended a couple of the staff, one is Tess Atherton and the other is Jules Miller. Indy knows that things are not what they seem there. Can Indy trust her intuition when it comes to Logan? Are the rumours she hears true?

The chemistry that Sarah has created between Indy and Logan was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, the good guys and the bad guys. It was like I was there in Tasmania with the detailed descriptions of the landscapes and the remote properties.

This is the first book of Sarah Barrie’s that I have read and I must say if this is the quality of the story writing I will be looking for more of them to read! Sarah is an excellent storyteller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a copy in return for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Sarah Barrie’s romantic suspense novels. Her Hunter’s Ridge trilogy are probably three of my favourites in the genre. Although readers of that book will pick this one up and find a couple of familiar faces, it’s not strictly necessary to have read those before beginning this. It helps a bit for some basic background and it’s good to see Indy get her story but if you haven’t read any of the others (which I suggest you do!) you won’t be left behind.

Detective Indy O’Meara is gathering information to bring down a drug kingpin in Sydney when an undercover opportunity in Tasmania comes her way. Girls keep going missing, all seemingly having worked at the same cattle property although only one body has been found. Grave fears are held for the wellbeing of several others and Indy is to go in looking for a job, hoping to gather information and perhaps even tempt the suspect. Most eyes seem to be on Logan Atherton but despite extensive questioning and searches, nothing concrete has been found.

It’s decided that as a part of Indy’s cover she should appear meek, submissive, give off the impression of being alone. But Indy is anything but meek and submissive and she immediately draws attention to herself the moment she arrives looking for a job. Some of that attention comes from Logan Atherton himself and Indy is immediately conflicted. She definitely needs to be wary of him – in most cases he’s the last person to see these women alive and he’s the chief suspect. But even though he can be decidedly difficult, there’s something about him. He’s hiding things and he can be bluntly rude but she’s not convinced he’s some kind of violent murderer. She knows that she can uncover what is going on but if Indy’s wrong….the price could be her life.

This was such a rollercoaster of a ride! I absolutely loved the setting – good to see Indy heading out of the city of Sydney and to Tasmania. I don’t read a lot of books set in Tassie and the landscape is just perfect for this type of story. Thick bushland, remote properties, it lends itself well to the sort of undercover type of work that Indy was doing. Armed with a good resume, she gets herself a job where she needs to and sets about observing the goings on and trying to figure out whether or not someone really is either kidnapping these women and keeping them somewhere, possibly torturing them, or murdering them. In such terrain, bodies could go unfound for decades.

Indy has seen and experienced a lot in her life and she brings that with her, in some ways. She’s supposed to be a bit pliable, perhaps easily charmed or persuaded but instead she finds herself unable check her nature, engaging in arguments, standing up for herself and not exactly blending in. The place is so desperate for help though (unsurprising, considering most of them keep vanishing) and although they are also suspicious about newcomers, especially with the rumours swirling around since the discovery of a woman’s body, Indy is capable enough that she is able to slot in quite easily, working in the stables with Logan.

Ah, Logan. Look, I’m going to be honest, I spent an awful lot of this book not really liking Logan. He seems deliberately antagonistic just for the sheer pleasure of it, he’s a bit too much of a smart-arse who seems unconcerned about the women that have disappeared and the fact that he’s in the gun for it. And also he manhandles Indy in a scene that really annoyed me. It’s not a particularly great picture to paint and although it was meant in kind of tongue in cheek play or comeuppance for Indy, I didn’t really feel as though she warranted it. Actually, no one really warrants that. Indy is for all intents and purposes, an employee and should be treated respectfully. Not tossed around like a child’s toy.

Logan did grow on me, the further into the book I got but the strength was the suspense portion of this book and the way in which Sarah Barrie wove that together. The more Indy uncovered, the more complicated everything became and the more intrigued I got. There were so many things that I didn’t suspect – and people that I didn’t suspect of being involved. When things were revealed though, I could see how there had been a throwaway line here or there or something that made sense in hindsight. I had no idea things were going to escalate to such a degree and it was so clever. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story and how Indy managed to put things together. She was figuring things out on the fly, including some pretty insane plans once things hit the fan and there was just so much she managed to cover. Her and Ben are a great team and even though he’s managing from Sydney, you get to see them as a cohesive unit who back each other. An awesome example of a platonic partnership.

This is a really well paced, clever story that had me unable to put it down. Already I cannot wait for Sarah Barrie’s next book.

9/10

I’ve been eagerly waiting for Sarah Barrie’s new book to be released and was certainly not disappointed. Readers of her previous ‘Hunters Ridge’ Trilogy would recognize Detective Ben Bowden and Detective Indy O’Meara from those books. This is really Indy’s story and can absolutely be read as a standalone.

Indy goes undercover in the Tasmanian Hinterland to discover why girls have been disappearing from the Calico Mountain Lodge. The main suspect is the owner Logan Atherton but she’s not prepared for the attraction between the two of them. As Indy delves deeper into the investigation, she realises there is much more involved then she first believed.

Once again I really enjoyed everything about this book. I loved the character interactions, the good ones and even the snarky ones. The suspense kept me on my toes and I really felt invested with the family at Calico Mountain, there were certainly some nasty characters around.
I think Sarah Barrie has cemented herself as my favourite Australian Romantic Suspense author, if you love this genre, then I certainly recommend all of her books.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC copy to read.

Another fabulous read from Sarah Barrie, I couldn't put this down, I needed to know what was going to happen right up to the end. The story was great, the suspense surrounding the disappearances of the girls had me hooked, I loved the chemistry between Indy and Logan. I definitely recommend if you are looking for a romantic suspense to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a copy in return for an honest review.

When Detective Indiana O’Meara’s boss approached her about going undercover on a remote property in Tasmania, Indy was at first reluctant. But learning of the missing girls who had all worked at a cattle station called Calico Mountain Lodge before disappearing, Indy agreed while at the same time confirming she would be pulled out at the first sign of danger.

The cattledraft was her first introduction to life in the rugged Tasmanian bush – Indy hadn’t had much to do with horses but was fascinated by their power and skill. Her arrival at the Lodge and subsequent hiring saw her working in the stables alongside the owner, Logan Atherton – and the main suspect in the case. She befriended a couple of the women, while making enemies of at least one more. But Indy knew there was something strange going on – there were people with secrets; rumours were rife; and danger was on the horizon.

As Indy’s intuition, which she’d always trusted, told her there was much more going on than met the eye, her thoughts about Logan confused her. With everything pointing towards his guilt, Indy’s boss was skeptical about her reticence. But Indy’s searching was taking her to places that shocked her. Danger even bigger than Indy realized was looming – what would be the outcome? Was Indy about to become another of the missing girls, never to be seen again?

Wow! Absolutely breathtaking! Bloodtree River by Aussie author Sarah Barrie is another gripping and intense thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s classified as romantic suspense, but the suspense definitely outweighs the romance – Sarah Barrie never disappoints! Twists galore, the book is littered with good guys and bad – and the bad are really bad! Bloodtree River is an entertaining, highly readable novel which I have no hesitation in recommending highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.