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.

This was okay. Not the most exciting read. I did like the characters, though. Will try the author in the future.

Bloody brilliant! As always. MM Chouinard does not disappoint, a thrilling rollercoaster ride of a story. Read it!

Number 2 in the series and another great read. Nice development in the subplot as we learn more about Jo and a really rollercoaster of a main plot .

The second book in Detective Jo Fournier series begins with Professor Michael Wharton, has been murdered in his office at Oakhurst University. Both detective Jo Fournier and Bob Arnett arrive at the crime scene ready to investigate. Whilst interviewing Professor Wharton’s colleagues and students they find out that he is not a well liked man. Even his own wife didn’t seem surprised at his demise. There are numerous suspects and the body count just keeps going up. Detective Jo Fournier will stop at nothing to find the killer responsible.

Chouinard presents a storyline carved out so intricately with a stream of twists and turns. They just keep coming. The eyes tend to deceive in this one. I mean, really deceive. Yes, it really is that good. I’ve read so many crime fiction or mystery-suspense novels that my senses subconsciously pick up even the slightest of clues, I can normally tell how the book will end before the author does, but Taken To The Grave messed with my head so badly I was all over the place with this one.

The writing is solid and I sunk easily into the flow that moved along at a moderate pace. The characters were all well-developed and multi-layered, in fact they had so many layers they were like an onion, it took a lot of peeling to get to the mysterious heart of them. Short punchy chapters held my attention and made the storyline engrossing and addictive. Taken To The Grave was one of those books that once I started I refused to put down, and managed to read in one sitting.

A spate of murders occur in rapid succession and Jo Fournier is desperate to catch the killer. All of the victims have a link to the biology department of the university and there is no shortage of suspects but alibis and motives prove trickier to uncover, making it difficult to determine guilt.
We see glimpses of the killer’s perspective throughout the book but not regularly spaced so our main focus remains on Fournier and her team’s investigation.
Meanwhile Jo’s father has been diagnosed with cancer and needs treatment. Her antagonistic relationship with her sister develops through the book and we see more of her personal relationships and cultural background.
Jo’s personal life becomes embroiled in the case as one of the supects lost his wife to cancer while researching treatments courtesy of his biology specialism, but was unable to pay for health care because he lost his job.
There are a few grisly bits in the book and we do see the suffering of some of the victims which is desperately sad to read. The choice of deaths have been carefully planned and are very clever. I had no idea on the killer’s identity!
Like M.M. Chouinard’s previous book, there is a big twist at the end. Jo faces the moral dilemma of understanding the reasons for the murders but being unable to condone them: two wrongs don’t make a right!

I found this book a bit of an anomaly. Although I liked the detectives and the identity of the killer was a surprise I didn't feel gripped by the story. I found that I didn't really care who the perpetrator was or even who the next victim would be. Probably because most of the characters were thoroughly unpleasant people. I realise that this is how the author wanted them to appear and for this reason, although I don't know that I would recommend this particular book, I would try the author's work again probably the first book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Taken to the Grave, is the 2nd book in the Detective Jo Fournier
police procedural series. I was lucky to have read the the 1st book in the series, The Dancing Girls, and I thought this book was a well written, clever, interesting and suspenseful follow up.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Taken to the Grave by M.M. Chouinard is the second in the Detective Jo Fournier series. However, the mystery reads well as a standalone. In Oakhurst, Massachusetts, at the local college, a professor is viciously murdered in his office. Jo and her partner have just begun the investigation when another body is found on a local hiking trail. All indications are that the murders are related to the college but no one is forthcoming with information about who can be responsible and why. Again, a third body is found, and, like the previous victims, a tarot card has been left in the vicinity of each body. The police have their suspicions about who the perpetrator could be but are having trouble coming up with anything but circumstancial evidence. And then a fourth violent death occurs. When will the violence stop? What could have caused someone to commit so many atrocious murders, all of them connected to the school? Time is running out and then someone else disappears. This is a fascinating police procedural: it holds the reader's attention throughout and does not disappoint. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Taken to the Grave
(Detective Jo Fournier #2)
by M.M. Chouinard

ebook
Published September 19th 2019 by Bookouture




Goodreads synopsis:
When a girl’s body is discovered in a park in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Oakhurst, local detective Jo is shocked to the core. Because the girl is the second innocent victim to turn up dead in three days. And just like the first, a tarot card has been left by the body. The meaning of the card: betrayal.

After uncovering a series of threatening messages targeting the girl, a student at the university, and the first victim, her teacher, Jo thinks she’s locked the killer in her crosshairs. The primary suspect is a volatile ex-military student with an axe to grind for failing grades, and the frightened town is out for his blood. But the next day, a much-loved member of the community is found dead in her home, a tarot card in her mail. There’s no clear motive to link her death to the others, and the message on the card this time is even stranger: domestic bliss.

With a fourth body and card appearing the following day, Jo knows she’s running out of time to crack the code and bring the killer to justice. And the pressure only gets worse with heart-breaking news about Jo’s father forcing her to choose between helping her family heal or the victims’ families get justice. Can Jo find the twisted murderer sending the town into a panic before another life is lost? Or this time, will the dangerous killer find her first?


***

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Detective Jo Fournier series by M.M. Chouinard.

A series of murders at a prestigious university is connected only by a tarot card left at the scene. I totally loved this concept and was on the edge of my seat the entire book. I was trying to put the meaning of the specific card left at the scene and the victim and what that could mean for the plot. Of course, I came away baffled and let Jo and her partner Det. Bob Arnett do all the heavy lifting.

The murdered professor looks less and less like a victim the more we get into the plot. This whole story became more of a mind game as we moved to the conclusion. With all this on Jo’s mind plus she is fighting with her sister and dealing with her father’s cancer diagnosis.

We get a lot more details about the dynamics of Jo’s family which I found fascinating. In book one, the police procedural aspect pretty took the lead. Here we see what Jo has to deal with emotionally and how that effects her police life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to every upcoming book in this series. If you love detective fiction or police procedurals, definitely check out this book. This is a winner in my book!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

First off, I am a huge fan of M.M. Chouinard and her fabulously complex detective, Jo Fournier. Jo finds herself seeking answers for the murder of a college professor and other individuals related to him. As bodies keep piling up, the mystery takes twists and turns and the book is un-put-downable! Ms. Chouinard's solid writing takes the reader on an edge-of-the seat adventure with her beloved Jo Fournier, and it won't be long before the reader realizes it's well past bedtime. Such a fantastic installment, I can't wait for the next one!

Taken to the Grave is a fantastic mystery that is well written and has great characters. It is fast paced and gripping.

So I finally get to post my review, i almost hit publish a month early 

Book 2 of the series and the author jumps right in with a body! Oh I do love a good crime scene, even if there are NO CLUES!! How can there be a body and no clues I hear you say, well I was asking the exact same question!

I really felt for Jo, bodies piling up, pressure from above to find the killer before another victim turns up and then news of her Dad….. how much more can she take?!

I loved the chapters that were from the killer, dark and twisted but page turning all the same, a little peek into the darkness.

This is definitely a series worth grabbing and I can’t wait for the next installment.

An impressive read following M.M. Chouinard's recent début - The Dancing Girls.

Over a timespan of three days there has been two murders linked to Oakhurst University and a Tarot card has been left near to both bodies. As the body count continues to rise, Detective Jo Fournier and her fellow worker, Detective Bob Arnett must sift through all of the evidence and eliminate a number of potential suspects. In addition, Jo’s father faces a health battle that brings Jo and her estranged sister together, but this is not without its own set of issues, with past conflicts being brought to the surface and overflowing.

In this second book of the series, I loved learning more about Jo's background. For me, she makes for a near-perfect main character with her inner strengths and vulnerability. Although not without flaws, she showed empathy with the suspects and the bond she had with her partner was rather entertaining. I thought they made the perfect team and Jo's relentlessness in ensuring justice is served was an admirable quality.

I adored Michelle M. Chouinard’s overall style and the wonderfully thrilling plot in this tale of university politics, sexual harassment and murder. Told from both Jo’s and the killer’s perspectives, the chapters from the killer were grossly disturbing for their lack of emotion. I really appreciated Chouinard's ability to not only draw me into the story immediately, but also keep me enthralled until the very last page. The level of tension that built throughout the story was noteworthy. I also marvelled at the way she made me think I had everything worked out, only to find that I was totally off the mark!

For me, Taken to the Grave has is all - a plot chock full of mystery, suspense with so many twists, as well as family drama, characters that are real and believable and a reveal that blew me away. Michelle M. Chouinard may well become one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait to see what's next in this magnificent series.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

No bones about it, this was an excellent crime thriller. From the first bloody killing to the reveal of the killer I could not stop turning the pages of this book. I loved the relationship between Jo and Arnett – their working relationship rang very true. The mystery killings that are at the heart of the story are unique and for once I wasn’t able to figure out who the killer was early on. I really appreciated that as well as the final twist that I did not see coming. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of the book.

Detective Jo Fournier is finding rather strange clues. When she happens upon a dead body, a tarot card was found. This happens again and again, and each card says something a bit different, leaving clues for Jo and her team to figure out.

Before long, there are a total of four victims, all found with different tarot cards. Furthermore, as Jo digs deeper into the murders, she gets news about her father and is torn between the fact that he needs her. What is Jo going to do? No doubt she doesn't want yet another victim, but she has a responsibility towards her father.

In this fast-paced book by M.M. Chouinard, there was no shortage of clues, twists and turns. This is the second book in the Detective Jo Fourier series. This was an intriguing book, especially as the message in the tarot cards was offering sharp clues for Jo.

This is a great series that dealt with both Jo's professional and personal lives. I loved that I was kept guessing until the end. I am looking forward to reading much more in this series, and would love to learn a bit more about Jo and her past.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

M M Chouinard delights again with her second novel featuring Detective Jo Fournier.
With murders popping up on the university campus the mystery becomes entangled with the addition of suspects who have reason to want the victims dead.
Jo and her team work tirelessly to apprehend the right perpetrator but have they got it right.
Simultaneously Jo's father is diagnosed with prostate cancer and this obviously divided her attention from the murders.
Will they be in time to stop the final murder.
A busy book with a lot of characters and potential suspects but still an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and M.M. Chouinard.
This is my first book from this author and loved it. I’m also a big fan of police procedural stories.
Suspenseful story that kept me on the edge of my seat. One section even made me cringe.
Fast paced, could not put my book down. Highly recommend 4 ⭐️

I read The Dancing Girls, the first book in the series four months ago and enjoyed it. I wanted more character development with Jo Fournier and the author really stepped it up.
Detective Jo Fournier and her partner Bob Arnett are called to a murder scene at Oakhurst University.
The victim is Professor Michael Wharton. Brutally stabbed in his office, with the tarot card Death left near his body.
Because of his unethical behavior, the victim was despised by many, leaving them with an abundance of suspects.
When three more murders occur, all with tarot cards found near them, Jo must follow her instincts. She must read what the clues are telling her and find out how the crimes are related.
While she is investigating, Jo gets a call from her mother that her dad has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Her family relationships are complex, she and her sister have never gotten along. With her father's health issue, Jo begins to understand how important her family is, and she hopes this will bring them closer together.
This was an excellent mystery, police procedural with and unexpected ending.
Jo is an engaging, interesting character with many layers to her personality.
This works well as a stand alone novel, but I suggest starting with the first book.
I'm really looking forward to the next one in the series.
Thank you to Bookouture for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

This is #2 in the Jo Fournier series by M M Chouinard, but can very easily be read as a stand-alone.

Jo is a detective and with her partner, Bill Arnett they are called to a suspicious death at a university. Professor Michael Whorton has been stabbed, a tarot card is found at the scene. They talk to many colleagues and students and find he was not a likeable man, a bully, a philanderer and a sex pest. So many suspects, but one stands out….Greg Crawley. He believes he was victimised by Whorton, his grades deliberately low so he lost his funding, he also has mental health issues.

But, then more bodies are found, all with links to the university and Michael.

Jo is such a likeable character, well developed and her family problems are so relatable …a father diagnosed with cancer and a sister on ‘the fast train to martyrdom’, all the while she is investigating multiple murders.

A tale of university politics, sexual harassment and a disturbing murderer. The chapters from the killer perspective are disturbing for their lack of emotion, so blasé about taking a life, real goosebumpy moments. A fast paced, gripping thriller, with a twisty plot. Totally compelling.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.