I wanted something light to read which would have mystery, murder, and the usual mayhem that went with it. And this book by author Beverly Long just clicked with me.

2 detectives, A. L. and Rena, 1 serial killer who had killed 4 women every 10 days + 1 long list of possible victims + something that happened nearly 4 decades ago = made this a wicked, fun-filled ride.

This was supposed to be police procedural thriller, but I would call it a romantic suspense. There was the thrill to get to the killer. There was a race against time to find out the next victim and protect her. There were sudden twists in the lead detectives' personal lives. There were some intelligent characters who helped the detectives. Everything about this book kept me completely gripped to my kindle. There were some wicked turns in the investigation along with revelations at the right time.

I started with the audiobook, but with the suspense getting ramped up, I was getting short of patience. I needed the truth faster, switched to the ebook and completely enjoyed it. It was what I needed where my brain didn't want to think too much, yet be entertained by the mystery.

Very early into the story I realized the writing just isn't for me.

Thank you to MIRA for providing a copy.

First of all, thanks to MIra Books and NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


Real rating: 3,5 stars.

A homicide isn't common in Baywood, Wisconsin - so you can imagine how the town is shook when four women are killed ten days apart one from the other.
Everyone is scared, everyone wants answers, everyone wishes for the police to catch the killer before he murders a fifth woman.
It's not easy for Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan: the victims apparentely have nothing in common, so guessing who the next target is gonna be is a race against time because they only have ten days before the killer strikes again.

Sadly, not even a connection with a woman named Tess Lyons proves to be the magic piece to resolve the puzzle: a lot is still unknown and those questioned by A.L. and Rena during the investigation aren't exactly forthcoming with their answers and the truth.


"Ten Days Gone" is narrated in third perspective and we read both points of view.
We learn about A.L. and Rena's personal lives, we read how they investigate alone moving inside and out the borders of the State and how they work like a well-oiled machine to put the pieces together.

The book entertains the reader, it has a good rhythm that picks up in the second half when the clock is ticking down close to the day the murder is supposed to take place - sometimes, though, Detectives' personal lives take over the investigation.

I had a theory, but it was proved wrong and I had a suspicion toward a person that was proved partly right - that said, I absolutely had no idea who killer was until the end when it was showtime.

The ending is a little too fast - especially given the topics related to what brought A.L. and Rena to identify the killer - and the reason why the number ten was so important is a little to streched. A couple more pages would have done the trick, but I wouldn't mind reading something more about these two partners: A.L.'s full name is still a mystery.

The story was fast-paced but I found the characters to be flat.
I enjoyed the story and I think i might read the next book but it isn't going to be one that I rush to go buy it when it comes out.

When the fourth woman turns up dead, detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan know they have a budding disaster on their hands. With each woman murdered exactly the same way, with a ten-day spacing in between, they’re in a race against time to figure out the killer’s pattern before he strikes again.

Although this is a romantic suspense, it’s quite a while before any romance shows up in the book, with a potential future victim of the killer identified and becoming a love interest for A.L. We do get to know both A.L. (we never do find out what the initials stand for) and Rena, pretty well, with their home lives deeply examined.

The thing that bothers me here is something I might be wrong about… but I’m finding it deeply weird that with an actual serial killer on what amounts to be a spree, two small-town homicide cops are basically handling the case on their own, with a bit of technical support from the state police. Don’t the FBI get involved in this sort of thing? Wouldn’t there be an entire team of people all over this, rather than A.L. and Rena having to run down every little lead with just the two of them? It seems negligent and frankly, unrealistic.

My favourite character in the book was Tess, the potential victim, a fierce, unapologetic woman coming to terms with a new disability (she’s an amputee). Her anger at the inherent unfairness of what happened to her felt like the most realistic thing in the book, but she was introduced way too late for me to really buy into the romantic sub-plot between her and A.L.

There are a few too many side plots going on and not enough in-depth dive into the killer’s psyche (where was the criminal profiler who should have been on the case?) We never did get an explanation for why the ten-days thing, or the obsession with the number ten, or what got him started on the list he chose his victims from. I was left with just too many questions unanswered, and I’m disappointed, because this had such an intriguing premise. I feel like it’s just wasted potential. Two stars.

I usually read one police procedural for every three psychological/domestic thrillers and discovered a great one here. The first in a new series featuring two Wisconsin detectives A.L and Rena rushing to discover the identity of a killer, murdering women ten days apart, before they strike again. We learn a little of their back stories during the course of the novel and by the end I to really appreciated their working relationship. And interactions. The mystery was pretty good too, and I look forward to the next edition now we and the author have settled into our introduction and develop the characters themselves.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book, but it was just okay for me. The writing felt forced. Everything felt like it was trying too hard to be something that it wasn't. The characters were unlikeable but I ended up liking them anyways. The plot was all over the place. Not an enjoyable read, missed the mark for me.

Ten Days Gone is the first in a new mystery series, A.L. McKittridge, by Beverly Long. It’s a mystery series following two detectives (one of whom the series it named after). And it’s also already proving to be a series worth following.

Four women have died so far. Each and every one of them was found ten days apart, with each scene looking nearly identical to one another. If A.L. McKittridge and his partner, Rena Morgan don’t do something quickly, in another ten days, a fifth body will be found.

So far, they’ve found no connection between the victims. But they have plenty of reasons to be concerned since their killer has been smart enough to hide all traces. So far. But even an expert killer must mess up eventually, right?

“The headline after the third murder had been expected. Baywood Serial Killer Strikes Again.”

Warnings: So most of the warnings are pretty (okay, seriously) obvious in this case. There are kidnappings and murders. There’s also a quick reference to animal deaths, and some mentions/implications about mental health. Also worth noting; there’s a subplot involving fertility issues and complications.

Ten Days Gone was a brilliant start to this new series. I found myself enthralled within the first chapter, and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. I just had to find out what happened next – and more importantly, who was behind all of these killings.

The start of this novel intrigued me right away. It’s not every day you pick up a mystery where four bodies have already been found. It established a pattern (or lack thereof, depending on what you’re looking for), but it also jumped the plot farther ahead than I expected. It ended up being an excellent decision, as it clearly caught my attention.

I’ll admit that it took me a bit of time to become attached to the detectives newly introduced in this series; A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan. I love how these two work together, and the glimpses into their lives did make them feel much more human, so all of that helped.

As for the mystery itself? I really enjoyed following it along, trying to figure out how it all connected before the final moment. I love it when a mystery novel leaves just enough breadcrumbs to make it possible – but not easy. I feel like that balance was found here, and is arguably one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much.

On the whole, I really enjoyed Ten Days Gone, and am very much looking forward to continuing the series as more come out. I know that I’ll be adding A.L. McKittridge to my pull list!

Title: Ten Days Gone
Author: Beverly Long
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 4 out of 5

Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have their fourth dead body in forty days: four women, each killed ten days apart, with no sign of a struggle, and nothing connecting them. The clock is already ticking down to the next victim’s death, and they have nothing to go on. When a hail-Mary interview leads them to a list with all the victims’ names on it—exactly 10 spaces apart—they know they’ve found the connection. But they still don’t have any idea who the killer is.

Trying to track down the next name on the list—Tess Lyons—is almost as difficult as finding the killer. Still recovering from tragedy, she’s withdrawn from everyone and everything to nurse her wounds in silence. But when the detectives track her down, she agrees to help them find the killer—even if it puts her own life at stake.

Ten Days Gone is the start of a new series for Beverly Long. I don’t think I’ve read any of her work before, but I enjoyed this suspense tale. The dynamics between the two detectives were entertaining and realistic, without falling into clichés or tropes. Tess was the most enjoyable character, though. Wounded and recovering from something horrifying and unexpected, she’s shut out the entire world to nurse her grief and bitterness, but the connections she makes open the door to getting her life back.

Beverly Long grew up in Illinois and co-authored her first book in the fourth grade. Ten Days Gone is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

A brand new series with two detectives investigating murders occurring ten days apart. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the second one in the series. While the first part of the book felt a little slow, the pace definitely picked up and was action packed. I loved the way the author told us about the detectives personal lives as well as their police work.

It’s a race to find the killer in a new detective series where a female victim is found naked and smothered every ten days. With the fourth victim found at the beginning of the book, can detective partners A.L. and Rena solve the mystery before the next Ten Days Gone occurs?

A.L. is divorced. He and his ex have a troubled relationship. Their sixteen-year-old daughter is rebelling from her former straight arrow path. Rena is dealing with fertility treatments while worrying her husband is losing interest in their marriage.

I really enjoyed the partnership dynamics between the two detectives. They perfectly balance each other. The mystery kept me reading especially the significance of ten days and how the victims were chosen. Ten Days Gone is a good start to what promises to be a great new police procedural series. 4 stars!

Thanks to MIRA, Harlequin and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF 9% - This isn’t my typical genre, but I thought the premise sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. I hoped that this book would depart somewhat from the expected, but even from very early in, I could tell this book was going to follow the gritty police procedural mold. Just not for me.

Note: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this light suspense mystery read, my first book from Beverly Long and absolutely going to keep read her other books especially this A.L McKittridge series.
This book is all about cops at its finest. The searching of a killer, the hardwork of interviewing everyone, finding clues, finding patterns, find the motives, while facing their own personal problems. Love the complexity of the characters and the story, love the suspense that keeps me on the edge of my seat. I found this one a bit slow for me and the suspense is not much as I wanted to though, the personal lives of the detectives took the spot here, but I understand it's all because it's the first book, so we can fall in love with the main characters. Overall I like it and can't put it down, following detectives catching the killer.

If you're looking for a light mystery read, this is perfect for you

McKittridge and Morgan are faced with their biggest case yet. A serial killer has hit the small town of Baywood, Wisconsin. He has a very curious MO. Strike every ten days. Strip the victims of their clothing. Asphyxiate them.
Leave no trace. Despite being murdered in their own homes there are no signs of struggle and no clear connection between the victims. That is until A.L and Rena come across a petition list to restore an historical landmark in their town. Leshia Fowler. Marsha Knight. LeAnn Jacobs.
Jane Picus. All of their names are on the list -- in line spaces 10, 30, 40, and 50. What is so special about the number 10? Can McKittridge and Morgan get to the killer's next intended victim in time?

<b>Ten Days Gone</b> is my first Beverly Long novel. I was glad to see that this was the start of a new series as I really liked the dynamic between A.L. and Rena. Even though they were both hard asses with snarky retorts they had alot of heart. This came through in the care and empathy they gave to the victim's families and each other.

<i>Special thanks to NetGalley, Lia Ferrone from MIRA Books and Beverly Long for access to this book.</i>

Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long is the first the Detective A.L. McKittridge series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin/MIRA, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  
Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

A.L. McKittridge is a Detective with the Bayfield Wisconsin Police Department.  He is divorced, and his teenage daughter Traci is his life.  His sister is an alcoholic.  His partner, Rena Morgan has been married to Gabe for three years, and desperately wants a child.  They have a new boss in Christian Faster, and the verdict is still out.



My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Every ten days, the nude body of a woman is found in her kitchen, clothes neatly folded beside her.  She has been smothered with the pillow from her bed.  No trace evidence from the perpetrator is left behind.  Not even the pillow.

So the detectives know when the killer will strike next.  The hard part is finding him, and preventing the next woman's death.  When they finally get a lead, they also discover the identity next potential target.  Their best chance of finding the killer will be by protecting this target....but they can't find her either.

Meanwhile, A.L. is having problems with his 16-year old daughter, and Rena is starting to question the fidelity of her husband.




My Opinions:  

This is going to be a really good series.  Both the main characters are likable, strong, and determined police officers.  Their personal lives were also interesting.

The plot was good, and although I did guess some of the motive,  I did not see all of the twists that developed.  The book was well-paced and a fast read.  It was written from both A.L. and Rena's points of view, which kept everything flowing smoothly.

Although we still don't know what A.L. stands for, I'm hoping that maybe the next book will shed some light on that.

If you are in need of a new series, you might want to give this one a go.  It may have lacked a little "punch", but overall, it was a good solid mystery.

What I liked

I loved the writing style. The sentences were short, precise and perfect for this genre. I didn’t need more. It was fast-paced, there were very helpful timestamps at the beginning of every chapter and the chapters weren’t too long. Ten Days Gone is a book that you can easily read in one sitting because you cannot put it down.

Another thing I liked was the romance. It wasn’t overwhelming and especially it didn’t take the focus away from the actual storyline. I’m usually no big fan of romance in mystery novels but here it was perfect because it was no major thing in the book.

From the beginning on you can guess with the detectives who the suspect might be. I loved that. Every single time I thought: Okay, it’s him/her. But no, every time I was wrong. The surprise is real and Beverly Long wrote that perfectly. I honestly can’t complain much about Ten Days Gone.

You should also know, that there are multiple POVs in this book. This is very helpful as we get to know the characters a bit better. Especially because it helps us to understand their reasonings and so on. I liked the fact that we got to know the background details of the characters and the details were not too much. Just the amount the reader needs.

What I didn’t like

The only thing I didn’t like so much was the ending. It was a great end but it felt very rushed. Everything came way too fast.

Overall, Ten Days Gone is a great thriller to read in one sitting. If you love the mystery/thriller genre and if you like to play the role of the detective then this is the perfect book for you!

I absolutely love Crime Thrillers, especially with strong female characters. This one didn’t quite meet my expectations but it was in no way a horrible book. We have two main characters, Detectives A.L. Kitteridge and Rena Morgan, who are cast as competent units of the Baywood Police Force but also as two human beings navigating life outside of their careers. There was a huge focus on divorce and marital issues in Ten Days Gone, at times it was a little overwhelming and a downer for me but it clearly served a purpose in the plot line. I did enjoy how the victim been rescued was cast as someone with a physical disability and how it showed her adapting and accepting what happened. We don’t see a lot of that in fiction and it was a refreshing theme.

The character development was solid, but the sub characters popped in and out in kind of a choppy way. It felt a little confusing at times, but didn’t take too much away from the main story. It was clear that the author did her due diligence in research on how police investigations of this severity are handled, it was really interesting to see the Detectives train of thought on what leads to follow and who was a person of interest or not. All in all this was an overall solid 3.5 star read for me. It kept my interest but I wasn’t completely sucked in to the story like some other crime thrillers I’ve read where I obsess over what happens next. The characters were well thought out, and maybe for a reader who is married, or divorced, they will be able to relate more to the story. I have never been either and felt like I was held a distance.

A fourth body has been discovered in the Wisconsin town of Baywood - fourth in forty days. There's the pattern of every ten days and there are other similar details that connect the same killer to the murders. The challenge is to find the killer before he strikes again. As each day passed the urgency was amped up for Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan to solve the case. I enjoyed learning about these two - their work relationship as well as their individual personal lives. A.L. is a divorced father of a sixteen year old and Rena is married and dealing with infertility. They are characters I want to learn more about and am looking forward to the opportunity in the next book. I found this fast paced, tightly written story hard to put down and recommend to fans of author Beverly Long and the Mystery/Thriller genre.

So I almost DNF'd this book before I hit the 10th page. The writing felt a little too stiff and almost cliche - especially when the main character referenced his ongoing fling with the gorgeous medical examiner. But once that first chapter was done everything shifted. It was like the author relaxed or got traction and the book stopped feeling like a cliche of a procedural and the pages started flying for me.



A lot of time characters in police procedural type mysteries are incredibly dysfunctional. Like bottle of bourbon in the desk drawer, haven't had a relationship that lasted for longer then a day in 20 years, are barely keeping a job level insubordinate dysfunctional with a hefty helping of self sabotage. And while Rena and A.L. both have their troubles I found both of their characters fairly relatable and realistic. Rena is struggling with infertility and the effects it has had on her marriage. A.L. is dealing with the challenges of co-parenting with his ex and just having a 16 year old daughter in general. They're both dealing with a change in leadership from a trusted long term police chief to a new guy who is far more interested in image and politics then in actual police work. All of this never overshadowed the investigation but it did make me feel connected to the characters.



As for the mystery - well that kept me turning the pages! We start the book just as the 4th victim is found and just about nothing is known about how the victims are chosen or who the killer could be. I really enjoyed the investigation and the dead ends and the search for Tess. This wasn't a hold your breath in suspense type read but it was definitely one where one chapter became 5 and I just didn't want to put it down. I'm glad I got past page 10 because the remaining 99% of the book were so much creepy fun!

Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long is the first An A.L. McKittridge Novel. Ten Days Gone is a police procedural mystery set in Baywood, Wisconsin. We follow Detective A.L. McKittridge (we do not get to find out what A.L. stands for) and Detective Rena Morgan as they search for a deadly killer. Four women have been murdered in forty days. They were murdered ten days apart with them just discovering the latest victim. Our duo has ten days to find the killer before he strikes again. The killer is smart enough to leave to no forensics. They cannot find a connection between the four women. The detectives work on questioning the latest victims’ husband, co-workers and friends to see if they can find any connection to the other three victims. The point-of-view switches between McKittridge and Morgan. McKittridge is divorced with a sixteen year old daughter who is acting out (dating a man who is over twenty-one) and skipping school to drink alcohol. Rena Morgan is wed, and they have been trying to conceive for years unsuccessfully. It is taking its toll on their marriage. Rena is worried that her husband is cheating on her. The detectives’ personal lives are woven in with the investigation. I thought the detective’s lives are realistic. They work hard which affects their personal lives which are complicated (just like real people). The mystery was representative of a real police case. Television makes police work look exciting, but, in real life, it is tedious. They must ask questions, follow up leads, fill out paperwork and deal with bureaucracy (like a new pompous chief). Identifying the guilty party was effortless. There is suspense and tension especially as they were getting close to their prey. There were some areas of the book that lagged, and I was put off by the amount of foul language (I do not understand why people feel they need to use such offensive words). Ten Days Gone will appeal to readers who enjoy suspenseful police procedural mysteries. Ten Days gone has a mysterious murderer, a conceited chief, disconsolate target, and two determined detectives.