• This is one of my way overdue NetGalley reads. I’m trying to catch up on them, I promise!
• This is the first book in the A.L. McKittridge series. There are now three books available to read.
• I must admit that I had a tough time getting into the book, which is a big reason why it has remained unread on my NetGalley shelf for so long. However, I picked it up again recently and once I got a little further into the book I started to get engaged.
• I thought this was a good police procedural, with a good story. There were definitely elements that had me on the edge of my seat, but also elements that were a bit ho-hum for me. I did feel like the characters were very realistic and I appreciated the inclusion of their personal lives along with their professional lives in the story – it gave the characters a bit of depth.
• Overall, I’m glad I gave this book another chance. I liked it and I recommend it to anyone who loves police procedurals.

Four women dead in 40 days ... every 10 days a woman is killed in her own home. All are smothered, their clothes are folded very neatly next to them. Nothing connects the victims..and barely any evidence left behind.

Detectives A L McKittridge and Rena Morgan have been called in to investigate. With very little to go on, they are desperate to find the killer before another 10 days go by.

Who would want these women dead? Looking into each of the victims' only shows them to mostly be single, with grown children. They were all liked and had no problems with anyone. So what is there connection? So how do they find their killer?

This is first in a new series featuring two detectives who are committed to finding justice for the victims. They aren't perfect .. each comes with a little baggage. The blend of their professional lives with their personal lives gives them a realistic edge. I love how they interact with each other... a lot of time with humor. Lots of action swirls around them with plenty of suspects to follow. No cliff hangers here except .... what do the initials A L stand for?

Many thanks to the author / Harlequin / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are my own

The Review

I was hooked from the very first page of this addictive thriller. The shock and intrigue the author created in the book’s atmosphere early on was spot on, and the mystery surrounding this serial killer’s actions was phenomenal to see get fleshed out as the story progressed. What made this such a unique story was how the author utilized multiple perspectives, and yet kept the killer hidden in the shadows until the final pages of this book, never giving them a voice and keeping the focus instead on the investigative process instead.

The character development was superb. The relatability of the detectives and their camaraderie was fantastic to see unfold and to see a realistic perspective that shows both detectives working together without any sexual tension between them, instead of focusing on mutual respect was a nice change of pace from other novels. Getting to see each detective’s home life mixed into the narrative put the mystery and their detective work into perspective greatly, and putting the story in a small town setting raised the fear factor of the people they came into contact with.

The Verdict

Captivating, thoughtful, and entertaining, author Beverly Long’s “Ten Days Gone” is the perfect first novel in a brand new mystery and thriller series. The suspense and action feel natural to the narrative being told, and the edge of your seat adrenaline readers will feel as the killer’s identity is revealed and the race to save the latest victim becomes perilous will have readers hooked on this author’s incredible star power.

3.5 🌟

Ten Days Gone is a solid, well-paced Police Procedural. A detective duo is on the hunt for a killer -four women dead in forty days, each killed ten days apart.

While this genre is not my go-to, I appreciate that the author built a strong mystery while developing interesting character stories as well. I felt Beverly Long did this as you become invested in the detective's personal lives as they hunt for the killer. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I would recommend it to those who love a good thriller.

Police procedural thriller about a serial killer that strikes every ten days. This started off strong and I liked the characters, but it started to fall flat towards the end and didn't hold my attention. I think there were two narratives running parallel and caused the story to lose its way a bit. Had the focus been solely on the killer with the second narrative not as center stage I think it would have been less confusing and a stronger second half. I did do this solely via audiobook and that may have been some of the issue, so it's worth noting but this was a good read overall.

Thank you to Mira Books and NetGalley for the digital galley to review.

This was fast paced and the characters were enjoyable. As usual with thrillers, it was a little too predictable for my tastes, but overall a good read.

A police procedural, great mystery and drama, some romance thrown into the mix. Well written, great characters and development. Worth reading. #.5 to 4 stars.

Review #96



Ten Days Gone (A.L. McKittridge #1) by Beverly Long

Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have worked for the Baywood Police Department for a long time, and they’ve never seen a situation like this. Four women have been found dead in 40 days, each woman was killed 10 days apart. So far, they have little to no evidence, and no way to connect the victims or, where the killer will strike next. The detectives have to move fast, to find the connection before the next victim is targeted.


Ten Days Gone is a fast paced, suspenseful, binge worthy read. I loved the characters, and A,L and Rena’s dynamic, supportive but sassy. The police procedural I found much stronger at the beginning however, it didn’t stay consistent throughout, which I didn’t mind as I still enjoyed the story. I enjoyed that the story focused on their professional life but, included some important aspects of their personal lives, it made them a bit more human. The plot remained engaging, I found it rather unique (it’s all I can say without spoilers).

A perfect cat and mouse game! Catch the killer before he strikes again. Gripping and unputdownable, I loved this book!

In all their years working for the Baywood police department, detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have never seen anything like it. Four women dead in forty days, each killed ten days apart. With nothing connecting the victims and very little evidence, the clock is already counting down to when the next body drops. A.L. and Rena will have to act fast if they’re going to find the killer’s next victim before he does.

But identifying the killer’s next likely target is only half the battle. With pressure pushing in from all sides, a promising breakthrough leads the detectives to Tess Lyons, a woman whose past trauma has left her too damaged to appreciate the danger she’s in. Unwilling to let another woman die, A.L. and Rena will put everything on the line to keep Tess safe and end the killer’s deadly spree once and for all—before time runs out again.

Police procedural is my jam.

This one missed the mark for me. It was ok. Nothing spectacular. It's ok.

Thank you for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a decent thriller/mystery, but something definitely kept it from being a favorite. It was an easy read, but at the same time almost too easy. I didn’t feel as invested in the mystery as I would have liked.

My thoughts
With Netgalley it's always a little party when you get accepted to read a book. I was so excited to start reading this books. It's definitely a genre that I usually enjoy, so I was getting into this book pretty easily. I had to get used to the writing style at first, but after that I just rushed through. I think it's a really good start for a new series and I'm definitely excited to read book 2!


Pros
Writing style: The writing style was one that I had to get used to. It's written with short sentences, and that was something I had to adjust to. Once I was used to it, I just rushed through! It's really easy to read it so fast when the sentences aren't too long. It was just lovely written with not too many hard words. Nice job by the author.
Thrilling: Once the information started pouring in I couldn't stop reading. The ending was SO thrilling. I just devoured 30/40% within two days, I just wanted to read and read and read. I could not imagine this book not having a good ending. I'm not going to tell you if I was right or not...
Characters: The characters were so interesting to get to know. It's always fun to start a new series and to get to know the new characters, and it's definitely a pro when they're interesting. You know that once you like the series, you'll spend more time with them! My opinion on the characters is that they felt very real, with real personalities and real struggles and real lives.

Cons
Characters: The main characters were so clear and lovely, but some of the side characters got all mixed up for me. They spoke so many witnesses in this investigation, and some of them have multiple last names. It all got a bit jumbled and mixed up for me.
Ending: The ending was so thrilling and amazing and then the book just ended a bit abrupt in my opinion. I would've loved another chapter, just to close things up more. I will definitely try to make time to read the second book, because I just wanted more.

Overall
Definitely a must-read for lovers of thriller and crime books. It was easy to get through, and I did not know who the Perp was. The characters and story felt real and I also loved how the personal lives of the main characters were a part of this story as well. I will definitely keep on reading this series, because I just love crime thrillers where you have no idea who did it!

Thriller aren't my go to, but I must say I really enjoyed this ride. I was captivate by intriguing story and the twists of this plot kept me engaged. Now I will say it fizzled out a bit in the middle, but it wasn't enough to turn me away from the book. Thank you, publishers for this gifted copy.

DNF'd- it was too mechanical, I couldn't get into the MC's or the story line. I usually love mystery/ thrillers where the police are trying to find a serial killer, but this story didn't spark my attention (the synopsis sounded interesting which is why I requested it).

A serial killer is loose in Baywood and detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan know they have just ten days to solve the murders before another woman is killed. Nothing apparent connects the victim, nothing besides the way they are discovered. Following every little potential breadcrumb leads them to Tess, a woman with enough demons on her plate, a woman who has little care for her life already. McKittridge and Morgan need to protect Tess even if she won't and stop the killing one and for all.

A third person police procedural novel told from multiple perspectives, Ten Days Gone is the first novel in the A.L. McKittridge series written by Beverly Long. Starting at day 1, counting down to the day an expected fifth killing will occur, McKittridge and Morgan are tasked with pushing their frazzled personal lives to the side to discover the killer and stop them. I really liked the personal stories of both detectives mixed in with the investigation work, as well as the perspective of the potential next victim. There's a lot of plotlines to follow, which kept me on my toes and paying attention to every word. No skimming here. I couldn't guess who was involved and who wasn't and it was just creepy enough. The tension is high in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Part procedural, part romance, Ten Days Gone was an engaging, interesting read for me. I loved the mix of perspectives, the uniqueness of the crime, and both detectives are solid characters. Well written and a for sure five star read for me, Ten Days Gone is definitely recommended for fellow crime fans.

I am late to the game on this one, but wish I had read it sooner! I sometimes find detective novels can read a bit dry - too much like a procedural- or they just read too predictably. This was neither, in my opinion. The detectives were likeable and human, dealing with their own everyday stuff like the rest of us. Some of their investigation was dumb luck - turning over stones until they had something - with enough dead leads and false hopes to keep you guessing, but there was a persistence and a passion as well. The pace was perfect, lending tension and intrigue while keeping you vested in the outcome. I enjoyed it and appreciated the dash of romance for A.L.

This is my kind of book! I love reading this genre and I think that Long created a great mystery. The pacing was fantastic and the two characters at the forefront kept me reading!

This book was archived before I was able to download it. I contacted NetGalley to see if something could be done and I was told to contact the publisher with this information. HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing (US & Canada) I would be very interested in reading and reviewing it if it's possible to send me the book again.

This book was archived before I was able to download it. I contacted NetGalley to see if something could be done and I was told to contact the publisher with this information. HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing (US & Canada) I would be very interested in reading and reviewing it if it's possible to send me the book again.

I had to mark stars or I couldn't send this message. I'm marking 5

Wonderful read!! The twists and storyline had me turning the pages very quickly. Will reread and recommend to other readers.

3 stars.

Started off a lot stronger than it ended.

Two detectives are on the case to track down a serial killer who has been murdering his victims every ten days. He has killed four women so far leaving the police department nine days before they know another victim will be found.

This police procedural started off strong. I really liked the main detective duo. They complimented each other well and I found myself laughing at their sarcastic humour. The mystery and suspense was gripping from the start and had me feeling strongly invested. The first 60% of the book focused intensely on the police investigation which I enjoyed.

Around the 65% mark, the plot focus shifts toward the personal stories of the main characters instead of the crime investigation. There is an unexpected romance thrown in that didn’t work for me and took away from my investment in the storyline. The plot seemed to unravel from that point on and lost my interest. It almost felt like the end was written by a different author.

Overall, this had a lot of potential and I would definitely try out other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!