Cross Her Heart is the first book I've read by Melinda Leigh and it is a winner.

I love a police drama but tend to avoid American ones as very often American English can come across as a foreign language and you can easily get lost, but this is not the case here. This is the best book of this genre that I have read in a long time.

The characters are three dimensional and the plot is totally believable and it came to a conclusion at just the right point, leaving me hungry for more. I felt anger, frustration and a lot of sadness along the way, just the way you should when a great writer draws you in.

I will definitely be on the look out for other titles by this and hope to meet up with Bree and her family and friends at some point too.

An absolutely brilliant read! This is one of those books you don't want to put down. The story is very well written and the characters very believable.

When Bree was 8 her father killed her mother while she was hiding away with her younger sister and baby brother to try and protect them. It is now years later and her sister is killed maybe also by her husband. Is history repeating itself or are there other forces behind this brutal killing? What happened to Erin's estranged husband Justin?

Bree is now a homicide detective and she vows to find out the truth. Together with Justin's friend and ex-police officer Matt, they start unravelling the truth.

A brilliant start to a new series. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

What a wonderful Book 1 in Melinda Leigh's new Bree Taggert series. Melinda has written numberous books and multiple series. This is a winner. Set in Philadelphia, Bree Taggert is a detective with the Police Department. She has repressed her family's violent family history as a child but when her sister is murdered it brings the memories to the forefront. The story is swift and concise with a perfect ending for book 1 of a new series. Bree teams up with Matt to help solve her sister's murder and her current police partner Dana who is retiring lends a hand. Bree's younger brother Adam also shows up to help. Read this one and get on the wait list for book 2, See her die. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

You will fall in love with Bree Taggert. She is a Philadelphia homicide detective. who came from a horribly troubled childhood. This is a great thriller that will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. She is not terribly close to her younger sister as a result of those childhood traumas, but steps up when her sister is in danger. You will root for Bree's safety and success in solving the mystery and defending her family.

Brilliantly written. Kept me guessing right to the end. This author is new to me and I hope to read more.

Cross Her Heart grabs you from the very first page and doesn’t let go. This thriller kept my complete attention even when there was no action at the moment. The characters and their individual problems are all so believable that you truly feel for what they are going through. It sounds like this may be the first book in a series and I am really looking forward to more of Bree Taggert.

I'm already a big fan of Melinda Leigh, and to say I jumped at the opportunity to review this book on Netgalley, was an understatement.

I've now read it twice, cover to cover, along with the odd page over and over (It's easy to get distracted with the kids at home full-time).

Leigh writes strong women. Thankfully, not the men hating kind, but women we respect and wish were our best friends and will root for till the end. And Bree Taggert is no exception, I'm totally enthralled with her already and her old partner, Dana.
There is a familiarity with this story, that instantly draws you in. This by no means takes away from the novel, but allows you to relax and enjoy the story as it unfolds.
There is not too much relaxing to do though, as the unravels and keep you on the edge of you seat, heart in mouth as you wait for Bree and Matt to make their discoveries and solve the case.
Bree's promise to her family makes you sniffle, it's such a childish act, that everyone has at some point done and can relate to solemnly.

This is a heart and soul book, don't read if you are hoping to sleep soon. As Bree accepts her knew role, I am one who looks forward to how she will handle that choice going and how she will be tested.

If you enjoy a good crime novel but want something a bit extra, then this is not just the book but the author for you.

5/5

I read Melinda Leigh's 'Cross Her Heart' which is the first story in the Bree Taggart series of books. I was immediately gripped from the start. I love a good strong female lead and this had one for sure with Bree.  It's a very fast paced story but easy to follow too. At times it could really be imagined as to being on tv like many popular police and crime drama. 

Bree already has a family history of tragedy and now she is investigating another murder of her sister. There was a lot in this first book but just the right amount of content and it didn't feel overwhelmed. I have seen that the 2nd book is out later this year too so we won't have to wait long to find out what's in store next for Bree!

A great thriller that kept me interested. Really liked the main character Bree Taggart and will be looking out for future Bree books by Melinda Leigh.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning. It’s a fast paced, edge of your seat police mystery/ thriller full of suspense and intrigue. It held my attention throughout and kept me wanting more. A definite read for fans of thrillers and/ or crime novels.

I absolutely loved this book. A well written murder mystery. This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely will not be the last

Melinda Leigh does it again! Another superb book! This is a start to a new series and I can't wait to read the next books.

Omg! I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Such a great thriller to occupy my time.
This is gonna be an excellent series. The main character Bree has to find out who murdered her sister. She already has had so much trauma in her life and now her world has been uprooted again.
Can’t wait for the next book in this series to be released.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

This is a great read. I really liked the main characters; Bree Taggart was a character that I would like to read more books about especially her interaction with Matt and the rest of the characters. Lots of action, little bit of a thriller, and kept me guessing right up to the end.

Bree gets a voicemail from her sister saying that she’s in trouble and she knows it instantly something iswrong because her sister wouldn’t call her if she didn’t need her. She leaves to go to her hometown that holds nothing but trauma for her. When she gets there she finds she’s too late and her sister is dead, and her ex husband is missing, is he the killer or is he also a victim? Together with Matt, a deputy who was injured and is no longer on the force, and best friend of Justin, her sister Erin‘s ex-husband they try to sort out this case and find the killer. But will they find the killer before the killer finds them?

I always enjoy this authors books and look forward to the next one.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! A good old fashioned crime novel with a heart felt story running through, and leaving you wanting to know what happens next... Roll on Book 2!

Bree had a very disturbed childhood after her father murdered her mother and she was separated from her 2 siblings . Many years later she has moved away from her hometown and has joined the police becoming a murder detective . She receives a phone call telling her that her sister has been murdered so she heads back home to look after her sisters children . It appears that the killer is her ex Justin as the body was found at his house and he is missing along with his car . Bree is unhappy with this conclusion made by the local police and teams up with an ex policeman Matt to find out what really happened ..Will Bree remain in her hometown with her nephew and niece or will she return back to her original job ? This is a thought provoking good story with many twists before the truth is uncovered .

Ooh I love a good police procedural and this is one!

I love the main character, she’s likeable and good at her job and I enjoyed reading her perspective.

Having a third party point of view helped to keep the book moving and it was a really good read.

Wow, Melinda Leigh really knows how to write an exciting read! This was a great start to an exciting series! I am a new fan of Melinda Leighs and will be reading more of her work. I can not wait to read more of her work! Huge thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this opportunity!

I really enjoyed “Cross Her Heart” a suspenseful murder mystery that will keep you turning the pages late into the night! Thank you #netgalley for the gifted copy of this heart pumping mystery in exchange for an honest review.


Bree Taggert is no stranger to violence and tragedy. When she was eight years old, both of her parents were killed in a domestic murder/suicide. Determined to keep history from repeating itself, Bree becomes a murder detective. When she learns of her sister Erin’s brutal murder she heads for her hometown to take care of her niece and nephew and joins teams with her sisters husband Justin’s best friend to solve the murder and absolve Justin of the murder. Who killed Erin Taggert and where is her sisters husband, Justin? This page turner will keep you guessing until the very end!

Bree was only 8 years old when her father killed her mother and then himself. She had sworn to always protect her younger siblings, a sister and a brother.
Years later, Bree is a homicide detective. When her law-abiding sister Erin calls her, sounding scared and asking for help, Bree knows something must be really wrong. But when she arrives at her sister's place, it turns out that she is too late. Her sister has been murdered. And Justin, her estranged husband, the only suspect, is missing.

The story follows Bree's 3rd person account of the events and is interspersed with the killer's perspective as well as the one of Matt, a friend of Justin's and a former sheriff's investigator and K-9 handler. As Bree teams up with Matt, she vows to find Erin's killer, and they both set off on their own investigation.
It was a well-paced, steadily progressing story that hooked me pretty quickly, but I found it lacked tension.
The killer's identity was a surprise, however, the motive for the murder seemed too far-fetched.
Nevertheless, it was a good enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.