Although Netgalley says I have received this book I am unable to give feedback as I have unfortunately not received this book

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

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The Body Keeper: Detective Jude Fontaine Mysteries, 03
by Anne Frasier
★★★★★
300 Pages
3rd person, multi character POV; mainly dual character POV

Content Warning: mentions of prior captivity and rape; detailed car accident; mentions of child abandonment, abuse (healed fractures, broken bones, scars, cigarette burns, attempted drowning); mentions of childhood leukaemia, cancer, hair loss, brain tumour; mentions of alcohol abuse; mentions of sex trafficking ring, child sexual abuse, forced child drug use (rohypnol); descriptions of carbon monoxide poisoning, concussion, hypothermia, violence; mentions of suicide watch, historical miscarriage


The Body Keeper is an incredible closing novel to the Jude Fontaine series. Not only is it a great standalone – it recaps the important events in a way that allows you to read it as a standalone, though you would gain a better appreciation for the characters and their pasts by reading them in order – while also being a brilliant end to the series.

A year after Jude escaped captivity, we see a mysterious female POV with four dead bodies in the back of their car. Their car breaks down, and they have no choice but to ditch the bodies into the river under the bridge, before someone stumbles across her broken down car.
A month later, series regular, Elliot is skating at the local ice rink when he falls and discovers a face staring back at him through the ice. A dead child's face. He immediately calls Jude, to come investigate.
Thus begins an intriguing investigation into a 20-year-old missing persons case, and potential trafficking ring, as a second body is pulled from the lake.
Meanwhile, a blizzard hits town, making it impossible to travel far. A woman called Nana has been paid to watch a young boy since he was two weeks old, but after four years, the money has stopped and she doesn't want the responsibility or hassle any longer. She drops the boy outside an apartment building, telling him to go inside and wait for her to return, well aware she never will. But, when her alternative is to kill him, she decides to let him live.
As Jude is walking home, she discovers the young boy outside her apartment building, freezing in the low temperatures. Barely four years old, he can communicate, but doesn't have a name, doesn't know where he lives, and Jude soon discovers a history of abuse across his body.

Now, there are two investigations – one into the poor young boys who have been fished from the lake, and one into the boy's history, to find his family and who abused him. The revelations from both investigations, and the repercussions will shock both Jude and Uriah.

While all this goes on, Jude is battling her own issues, and finally opens the letter that will reveal who her half-sibling is, who has applied for access to their father's estate. Uriah's personal struggle is two-fold, with the second anniversary of his wife's suicide approaching, and his own medical issues taking an unexpected turn.

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Once again, there are multiple POV's that show various characters with a huge impact on the story. As well as Jude and Uriah giving their dual POV, as they investigation, you also have:

Elliot – Jude's half-brother, who is also her downstairs neighbour and an investigative journalist
Nan/Nana – the woman who has taken care of Boy since he was two weeks old, and who has now abandoned him. Only, it seems her biggest mistake was letting him live, and accidentally dropping him into Jude's lap.
Alan Reed – a small time crook from Oklahoma, he sees the public appeal on TV, asking for information about the boys pulled from the lake.
Gail Ford – a mother whose son disappeared 20 years ago
Lori – a foster mother who temporarily takes Boy, for Social Services
Jenny Hill – a social worker, who is young, innocent, and eager to help Boy return to his family, if they can be proven safe to live with.

All of these POV's are needed, due to the events that take place. Some – Lori, Gail, Alan, and Jenny – are single event POV's, while the rest are recurring. I'm not normally a fan of multi-POV stories, but Frasier knows how to use them sparingly, and only when absolutely necessary to the plot events. This way, you get to see all the events going on in the story, so that you can put the pieces together to form your own theories, while Jude investigates. It makes the story a bit more interesting, because you as the reader get to know things that Jude is unaware of, for a brief time, and it adds to the anticipation of how she's going to discover this information and when.

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As with the other books, I won't discuss the plot in detail. There's so many intricacies and twists that it would be impossible to explain some parts without spoilers.

There are a couple of flashbacks, which really allow you to see events in a new light compared to just the bare facts of an investigation or conversation might provide. The oldest goes back 20 years, while there are also flashbacks from 5 and 4 years ago. These really provide context and intrigue to the story, as it develops.

I really loved how every book progresses the relationship between Uriah and Jude. I never felt there was a will-there/won't-there thing going on, which I was so relieved by. I never wanted that to happen, as it didn't feel authentic to the characters, so I was happy to see it never happened. Instead, they get so close they can trust each other, rely on each other, lean on each other, and be there in each other's darkest moments. That intensifies in this book, because they're both going through new, unexpected struggles. Jude is there for Uriah, during his medical scare, while Uriah is the emotional support Jude needs, as she begins to bond with Boy, forming her first real human connection in years.

I also loved how Jude began to – grudgingly, at first – come to rely on Elliot. He's been trying to get closer to her for a while, and after all they've been through together, it seemed inevitable that some kind of connection would form, but there was no certainty Jude wouldn't resist it, not wanting to feel reliant or close to someone she'd initially suspected as having ulterior motives. Elliot's job is also a strong sticking point between them.
However, she moved past her reluctance for the sake of Boy. Leaving him in Elliot's care, when she had to work, was a necessity, but I loved how she began to realise it was also a good choice, because Elliot could be trusted with Boy. Which led her to potentially accepting that he could also be trusted, full stop.

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Overall, I really liked the plot, how it came together, and how the characters remained consistent all throughout the series. I thought the final link between the two cases was clever, and I didn't actually see the final big twist coming, about who was involved. I liked that we got all our unanswered questions from the series answered – Jude finding out about Elliot, the truth about Boy's heritage, a resolution to Octavia's fate, and an end to Uriah's immense grief and his medical issues – without it feeling like a ribbon was tied around the whole thing.

I'm sorry to see the series end, but I understand why. Both Uriah and Jude have resolved the issues that began the series, and come to terms with their future. I can see that it's the right ending for the characters, and yet a new beginning as well.

I will definitely be reading more by Anne Frasier in the future.

~

POTENTIAL SPOILER!
One of my few niggles is about the blurb. Odd, I know.
The blurb states:
“But in his unspoken language, Jude reads something horrifying—a connection to the dead boys. Now a four-year-old with no name may be the only key to a twenty-year-old, very cold case.”
However, this is the first time I feel the blurb is misleading, because this statement simply isn't true. For a start, it implies Boy can't speak (or, at least, it did to me) which isn't the case. Then, it says Jude reads a connection to the dead boys, which also isn't true, because she never even guesses the two cases she's investigating are connected. It's Uriah who gets digital evidence back that links the two cases, right at the end of the novel. And, that also makes the claim that Boy is the only key to a very cold case untrue, because they actually have a key witness, and multiple pieces of evidence, to link the two cases, and that witness was involved in the cases, and willing to talk. Which means that Boy really isn't needed to solve the case, at all.
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed about that, only because that's what the blurb promised, and I was expecting something along those lines, that never came about.

The stakes are higher, and nothing is as it seems. Another carefully crafted and simply riveting mystery,

The Body Keeper tells the story of a boy's frozen body found twenty years later in his death. But if that is not enough, two more bodies surface of twelve-year-old boys missing for twelve years.

A boy’s frozen body is found trapped in the ice of a Minneapolis lake. The horrifying discovery leads Detective Jude Fontaine and her partner, Uriah Ashby, to more bodies in the ice, all the twelve-year-old boys missing for twenty years.

There there's the four-year-old left at the doorstep which may connect she needs.

This novel was not as good as the previous ones in the series, unfortunately. The need to suspend the unbelief is quite high.
But I love Detective Fontaine, her brokenness and her courageous coming to terms with her emotional side more and more. Also, there is a good sparring partner for her in Uriah (fingers crossed fot these two to go deeper from being "just" the professional partners!).

The Jude Fontaine series is one of those series that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next. This book was no exception. The third book in this spine tingling series had me wanting the story to never end. While this series touches on some very tough subjects and makes you both love and hate the main character I highly recommend it to anyone who likes suspenseful books. The storyline is always unique and unpredictable which makes for a great read.

I have never thought that i would be giving another 5 stars 3 books down the series.... with each book the plot kept on thickening... with each book more secrets are revealed and even though i did manage the guess most of it, the ending still had me laughing in disbelieve.
I really loved the characters and how their personalities and little traits were unfolded, it was easy to connect with them even though knowing that these horrors were true in real life.
hopefully this is not the last book in the series and that there would be more of the white haired detective ^^

Ok, well first let me say that had I read the 2 previous books in this series I might have understood the main character more. Or atleast gotten to know her better. Not that it matters in this one at all, I just like to form an understanding of the types of people the writer is trying to convey to the reader of how the characters act in certain situations. This one was a little hard for me because it really was not realistic in some scenes. I did have sympathy for the police woman And felt a connection while reading the story but on the flip side you think of the police as strong willed and physically strong as well as being taught how to defend themselves in certain situations. I wanted to help find the killer/kidnapper myself throughout and got it wrong a few times. So with that said, Frasier does a great job at keeping the suspense going. I will certainly read the other books to see if that might help the understanding of how the characters have come together but this is not necessary at all.

I would particularly like to thank Thomas & Mercer and the Netgalley website for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted by the pretty cover of this book where you can see a woman from behind walking towards a bridge in snowy weather.

I have just learned that it is a volume three which gives me even more to read the two previous books.

It features Detective Jude Fontaine discovering a frozen body of a boy in Lake Minneapolis and that's not all other bodies are going to be discovered. All boys who have been missing for more than 20 years.

During a freezing wind followed by a snowstorm, a four-year-old boy is abandoned on Jude's doorstep. This child is lost and knows nothing about him. Jude will make the connection with all his dead children.

A book read in one go so I immediately hooked on the story so moving, captivating, addictive and full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters. Can't wait to read the two previous books.

Gripping and well worth the read. Good characters with a strong and steady storyline. Would highly recommend reading this series to anyone interested in this genre.

This is apparently part of a series and I think it would be best to read them first as this didn't completely stand alone.

Did like the plot and very much the characters. Did enjoy it. Just had a little trouble since I hadn't read the previous books.

I wanted to like this book. In fact, I was planning on reading the whole series. The story is about a policewoman who gets kidnapped and tortured for 3 years, and then escapes and tries to return to some kind of normal life. Her PTSD type reactions to the most common activities like getting hugs from a friend, not wanting to social with people, being hypervigilant and aware (the body reader), and having serious issues reestablishing her old relationships are dead-on behaviors. My problem with the story is two fold: 1) it reminded of a Dave Chappelle joke about the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping (the kidnapping seem to have happened a taxi ride from the police officer house); 2) it just doesn't seem probable that a police officer could go 3 years and not escape. And it's not that I didn't have sympathy for the character being kidnapped, raped and beaten -- it's just the character was too one dimensional for me to invest time reading a whole series of books about her being a victim.

This was a bit of a different story for Jude. She's struggling to still fit in but now she needs to form actual relationships and bonds. She knows she should but doesn't know how to start - how to trust or let her guard down. In the midst of all this, bodies are showing up under ice. There is also an intermingled story about Boy. There are multiple POV and ones that were sometimes confusing. The plot felt a bit muddled and I didn't feel as connected to Uriah's current moment of struggle. There was a lot less Jude's new skills and a lot more drama about the ugliness of the world. This story felt different than the previous ones. Not bad, per say, but just pulled me in less than the others. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the next one, though, because I'm curious where it will go.

Anne Frasier has been one of my favorite authors for years, so any time I get a chance to review one of her books I jump at the chance. She truly knows how to spin a tale and this book is no different.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book in the Jude Fontaine Mysteries and the books should be read in order. Anne Frasier is one of the best authors in the dark thriller/crime fiction genre.and I find her books addictive. Jude and partner Uriah Ashby are investigating the frozen body of a young boy found in the ice of a Minneapolis lake, that leads to the discovery of more bodies. It soon becomes apparent that the boys have been dead for at least twenty years. Jude and Uriah must unravel the mystery of their deaths, where they have been and why they are turning up now. Then, in the middle of a snowstorm, Jude finds a boy abandoned on her doorstep. Who is he and why was he left there? Both Jude and Uriah are damaged from previous tragic events in their lives which allows them to have a deep understanding of each other and a partnership that endures.
Frasier's writing style is very descriptive and emotive. Her characterization of Jude and Uriah is complex, at times a little disturbing, The author does an excellent job at building suspense and tension in this complicated story with a gratifying conclusion. I hope there will be more books in this series, I am not ready to say goodbye.

Intense, atmospheric, excellent, disturbing... just a few adjectives that kept popping in my mind while reading this book!

My thanks to Netgally, the publisher Thomas and Mercer and author Anne Frasier for providing me with an e-Arc of the book.

The Body Keeper is the third book in the Jude Fontaine mystery series by Anne Frasier. Released 4th June by Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer imprint, it's 300 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a thriller/suspense procedural based around a flawed and fragile female detective with a horrific past. This is the third book in the series, but there's enough backstory given that it could be read as a standalone. I recommend the previous two books in the series for the strength of the writing and for the richness of the multi-book background. According to the author's website blurb, this is to be the last book in the series. I hope she reconsiders, or starts a cognate series. These are good books.

The author is exceptionally adept at plotting and characterization, but really shines in her control of dramatic tension. I can't think of very many authors who have better control over tension driven plot mechanisms. She's a very adept writer, especially in the technical aspects of her writing. Ms. Frasier has a very cinematic style of writing and I could easily see this (possibly toned down in the violence depictions) as a movie franchise.

I recommend the series enthusiastically to devotees of procedural thrillers. Fair warning, the language and depictions are rough. The violence and brooding threat of violence are pervasive, so for readers who prefer 'cozy/light' mysteries, it could be a bit much. This would also make a perfect book club selection and there are even sample questions included at the end of the book to facilitate discussion.

Five stars for the series and five stars for this entry. Checking back over my recent review threads, it seldom happens that I find a series this consistently outstanding.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I loved this book! It had so many twists and I didn't see any of them coming. I'm from MN so I enjoyed reading about familiar places. This is the first Detective Jude Fontaine mystery I have read and now I plan to start at her first.

Detective Jude has survived some terrible events in her life and is trying to get her life back on track again. Uriah is her partner in the force trying to maintain ‘business as usual’ while coping with a serious health issue.
When a little boy’s body is discovered in a frozen lake it appears to be a missing child from 20 years ago. As information come to hand they discover horrendous crimes have been committed and race to apprehend the evil minds behind it all.
The author has a way of making you feel you know the characters as you learn details of their private lives and events which have made them the people they are now. I had to remind myself that just because someone has money it doesn’t make them a better person!
I thought this had a great plot but call me naive it was still a struggle to accept someone comfortably off would do what they did to their own child even though I’m sure it does happen in the real world. Nan made a particular impression on me. I couldnt decide if she was just plain evil, a victim of life or someone unstable showing signs she was still human. Uriah was my favorite character and I felt for him as he coped with his health issues and police work.
From chapter 48 on I started to think ‘oh no, this cant be happening, forget to breath, someone get help, that poor little boy’. After the suspense of the last few chapters I upped my rating from 4 to 5.
This is the third in the Detective Jude Fontaine mystery series. Although I feel reading the earlier books would have added to my understanding of the past this remains a captivating read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Intense...

This book literally had me stressed, I feel so sad for Detective Jude Fontaine, she’s forever altered by what happened. For me, she walks through life in a bit of a fog.

And I’m really worried about Uriah...

I’m very invested in these characters, and Jude is brilliant. All I want is for her to find some joy. And I am still upside down about...boy. This author weaves dark tales like a boss. Twisted and intertwined are her foray. I’m a little worried about what comes next...and all I want is for Jude to find a bit of HEA. (Sue me I’m a true romantic)

**I am told that this is it for the series...I am sad. It was not enough for this gal. I needed more for the finale, to vague.**