Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long is what is called a police procedural. It focuses on catching the criminal rather than from the point of view of the victim. It used to be that most mysteries and suspense type books were from the eyes of the detectives/police or from a legal perspective, a courtroom drama but then the shift was towards domestic suspense. This books swings us back to the detectives and Ten Days Gone sets the stage for more cases with the character of A.L. McKittridge.

They know exactly when he’ll strike… They just have to find him first. 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.

A great fast-paced book with a very intriguing mystery and plot. A must-read for fans of police procedurals!

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There is a serial killer on the loose in Baywood, Wisconsin. Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have ten days to find the killer before he or she strikes again. Finding the link between the victims isn’t going to be easy, there don’t seem to be any common threads.

Beverly Long has a prolific resume of mystery novels with strong characters. This is the first book in a new series starring A.L. McKittridge. A.L. is a strong male detective with a soft heart. He has an independent teenage daughter and a difficult ex-wife. He is devoted to is daughter and will do anything to both protect her and stay in her life. His relationship with his ex-wife is tenuous, but for the good of their child, they try to be civil.

Rena Morgan is A.L.’s longtime partner. She’s happy to be partners with someone as experienced and thorough as A.L. Rena and her husband Gabe have been trying to have kids. They’ve pretty much tried everything, and it’s straining their marriage. Gabe feels that Rena’s job is getting in the way. Rena has no intention of leaving a job she loves.

Long has set us up for a plenty of action following these detectives as they solve new crimes. This book handles the serial killer story very well. Leading us on a path that gives us several possible suspects, one definitely stands out. However, with her expert writing, you are not certain of the criminal until the end.

I enjoyed this novel enough to want to keep following the story into book two. While I have not read any of Long’s series before, I think that she does write enough elements of mystery into the book to keep you coming back for more. I would recommend this as a good but not too gory or heavy mystery series to read.

3.75 stars


This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 4 Feb 2020 .

Quality of Writing: 7/10
Pace: 8/10
Plot Development: 5/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyability: 8/10
Insightfulness: 5/10
Ease of Reading: 8/10
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was really good in some areas, and not as well written in others. I quite liked the main character, A. L. McKittridge. He’s gruff in all the right ways, but it’s not over done. He’s a softy at heart and Long does a good job of showing that.
I wasn’t as fond of Rena Morgan. While she seems like a solid cop, she is a mess in her personal life. She’s not trusting. And she seems worried about all the wrong things. I also didn’t like her husband. It seemed like his issues were just added drama. Totally unnecessary.
The core story of the novel, the murders, was complex enough that I didn’t immediately guess who the murderer was, but it also seemed too clean to be an actual murder. It read like it was fake, not something you’d encounter in the real world. Entertaining, but not believable. The whole narrative seemed a bit forced.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but I don’t think I’ll read the rest of the series.

10 Days Gone by Beverly Long is the 1st book in her new A.L. McKittridge detective series. We meet our two Baywood detectives, A.L. McKittridge and his partner Rena Morgan, as they are desperately trying to find a serial killer, who has killed four women in forty days; killing one every 10 days. They are both stumped, as the clock is ticking down before another woman will be murdered. Finally, they discover a clue that loosely ties to all 4 victims, and the race is on to find the next targeted victim before the killer does.

In every new series, we get to learn more about our leading characters, and I found myself liking both A.L (have no idea what those initials mean) and Rena. They have worked together for many years, and make a great team. The POV is mostly between A.L. and Rena, as we also discover more about their personal lives. Rena is married, and when her husband has been coming home late, she begins to worry that he is having an affair. A.L. is divorced and worries about his daughter, as well as having secret sex with the medical examiner. While their personal lives play a big part of the story, it is the investigate that dominates.

When they find whom they think is the next target, both A.L. and Rena continue to investigate those that have close ties to the past, and at the same time protect and hide Tess (the possible next victim), until the timeframe the murderer will attempt to attack (10 days). While A.J. stays at a safe house with Tess protecting her, Rena will keep researching clues. A.L. slowly finds himself attracted to Tess, but does his best not let his feelings take over. Rena learns the truth about why her husband has been out late often, and fortunately for her, all is well. Now she can solely concentrate only on protecting Tess.

What follows is an exciting thriller, with additional focus on the two detectives that will lead this series. The last half of the book escalates the excitement and action, as things go wrong and both A.L. and Rena are desperate to find the killer before he kills again. To tell too much more would be spoilers. I did enjoy the story, and it was well written by Long. I look forward to the next addition to this series.

What could the significance of ten days be for a serial killer?

For this serial killer, ten days is the time frame between murders.

How can they find the next victim before it happens?

Detectives McKittridge and Morgan are on the case with slim leads until they find one sheet of paper that might be their main clue.

The investigation moved forward but always had some setback, and they were running out of time before the next ten days were up.

If you enjoy an intense, difficult investigation and last-minute tension, TEN DAYS GONE needs to be in your TBR stack.

TEN DAYS GONE will keep you on the edge of your seat as all the clues come together for an ending you won’t forget. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A well written police procedural featuring a new dynamic duo! The plot was well paced and had some timely twists. I was thoroughly perplexed by this mystery and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. The case was dark, disturbing, and adrenaline inducing. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to continuing their stories in this series! 4⭐️ Thank you to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

It started slow but it does pick up at the story on how to find the serial killer. I didn't see the twist coming but it was really good. I enjoyed the police procedural and there was a bit of romance.

First off I want to thank @netgalley, @mirabooks & Beverly Long for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I am so surprised that I actually devoured this book so quickly. I am usually not into procedurals and kind of cop mysteries but this one worked great for me and kept me hooked.
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The case builds up slowly and you do have an idea of who the perp is but it's still so well done and elaborated. The research that was put into it to make it seem like such a real story was great. There was so much suspense, action and non stop thrill throughout it all, such a well written book. The multiple POV was also very easy to follow and flowed perfectly from one to the other. This is the first in a series so there was a lot of focus on the background stories of the detectives, I am hoping that the next one's focus a bit more on the crimes committed and give us a little bit more crime then people description. But overall this is an amazing start to a good detective series.
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Great story, great procedural, great characters, if you're looking for a mystery with non stop suspense add this to your TBR !

I read a lot of books in this genre, and this was a bit too slow for me. I did have some key things figured out, but there were a few interesting twists. I would've preferred less romance, but it was an okay story overall.

A little slow in spots, but the story picked up and finished with a bang. A who-done-it, the story strays into the personal lives of the detectives. All in all, a good story, all though l figured the bad guy out almost from the beginning. Good read.

TEN DAYS GONE by Beverly Long is a police procedural and the first book in the A.L. McKittridge series. It is largely set in Wisconsin with a couple of scenes in Minnesota and Illinois. The two main characters in the story are Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan. The book starts with the death of a fourth woman in forty days. Each was killed ten days apart and so far, the clues to the identity of the serial killer are eluding the Baywood, Wisconsin police department.

The characters are compelling and felt three-dimensional and very relatable. The author gave enough background of the two protagonists to set the stage for future novels in the series. Identifying the next person slated to be a victim gave a sense of urgency along with the ten day deadline. Therefore, there was enough at stake to keep me engaged throughout the story. There are a number of themes running through this novel including murder, family relationships, friendship, physical abuse, divorce, alcoholism, lies, communication (and lack thereof), and even a hint of a romance.

Overall, this is the best first book in a police procedural series that I have read in a long time. The plot was intriguing, suspenseful, ominous and well-paced. I would recommend it to those that enjoy police procedural novels and want to get in on the first book of the series. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thanks to Harlequin – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) – Mira and Beverly Long for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Ten Days Gone introduces two detectives, A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan, as they search for a serial killer. What they know so far: someone dies every ten days, the victims are all left naked with no obvious signs of struggle, nothing seems to connect these women, and the clock is ticking. They need to find the killer before another body is found.
When the detectives uncover something all the victims have in common, the search is on the find the woman destined to be next. Can they keep her safe and find the killer? No spoilers, but all will be revealed.
This is the first book in a planned series. There is a lot of background information provided about A.L. and Rena, and I can only assume that when the next book is released, the author will focus more on the crime and less on the detectives. Of course, I may be wrong, but the serial killer story seemed to take a back seat to create fully fleshed-out characters(the detectives) who we will see again. To me, this was a good, not great read. I enjoy trying to figure out whodunit and why, and I found myself focusing more on what was wrong in the personal lives of the detectives. I will read the next book in the series to see what the author has planned. 3.5 stars.

I had not read any of Beverly Long's books before but I've now added her to my list of authors to look for when choosing my next read. TEN DAYS GONE starts with a bizarre murder scene and two dedicated police officers working against the odds to stop a serial killer's next crime. When describing this book as a psychological thriller, they were right on target. Small clues add up to a list of suspects far too long yet add to the OMG factor when the killer is revealed. A great read

AL is divorced, his sister is an alcoholic who won't stay in rehab, his partner may be hiding something. Let's not forget he just got a new boss who has the only qualification of being a yes man to politicians. Women are being murdered every ten days. Women who have zero connection to one another. When a thin thread of connection leads them to Tess the largest issue may be that she really does not want to be saved. This has all the hallmarks of a great suspense series.

A good solid thriller read that kept me interested with a mix of suspense, personal backstories, with well written characters and plot. The two detectives are real people, each with their own personal problems which make them relatable. The characters worked well together and didn’t take away from the other character. I didn’t have the serial killer figured out beforehand and certainly not the reasoning. Looking forward to the next book.

A really great true crime read! I'm obsessed with thrillers right now and this checked most of my boxes. Strong characters, a good mystery, and a satisfying ending. I won't say much, because spoilers. But this is a creepy read and perfect if that's what you're looking for!

In total transparency, I had a difficult time getting invested in this book.
It was choppy and andI had a hard time keeping up with the story. If you choose to read it, I hope you have a better experience than myself.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley
#twndaysgone

This book is about two detectives, A.L. and Rena who are desperately trying to track down a serial killer in their town. They not only have to solve several murders, but also have to stop the next one from happening. The killer is killing a woman every ten days and they still can't find a pattern. I won't go too much into plot since half the fun is finding out what is going on yourself. I will say that I liked how not only did we get a police procedural/mystery, we also got a glimpse into A.L.'s and Rena's personal lives. Sometimes that is overlooked in a story.

However, be forewarned,this is also put out by Harlequin so there is some romance. No, there is nothing graphic. I thought that part of the story was a little far fetched but for those who like the romance genre, it shouldn't be any issue.

I liked the police/mystery part. At first, when all was revealed, I had to think about how I felt the whole thing wrapped up. I realized that this was actually a creative reason behind the killings. I wasn't too surprised at who it was but was more surprised at the why. I thought the author gave a creative spin to what could have been a typical run of the mill mystery.

I see that this is first in a series and even though I am usually not into the romance genre, the author kept me engrossed enough in the story and the characters to make me want to see what becomes of A.L. and Rena.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this opportunity. I enjoyed it!

A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan has just been handed a case that needs to be solved immediately... four women have been found dead in the last forty days, and they are likely not to be last. With no real leads, and a race against time these detectives have their hands full trying to catch a killer... and also maintain some control on their demanding personal lives too!

Ten Days Gone is a well penned thriller that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end! This one drew me in instantly, and demanded my full attention, the words were so absorbing. There was a lot going on between the pages here, not only do you get acquainted with the killer, but little by little you also get an in depth glimpse into the lives of the detectives. The moment I met them I knew I was in good company, they drew me into their world, made me feel at home, and put on quite an spellbinding little show! I really enjoyed what I found waiting for me between the pages, and I imagine you will too if you give it a chance... it's downright enthralling!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

Well we never did find out what the "A.L." stood for in A.L. McKittridge. Never mind.
Crime Fiction is a big, competitve genre and the Nesbo's, Rankin and Robotham's lead the field so Beverly Long has a tough job tossing "Ten Days Gone" into the mix.
Nevertheless she makes a fair fist of it posing a scenario where we know the nature of the crime, the MO and the when of it. The issue for me being the significance of the 10 days and every tenth punter on a rather nondescript list becoming a victim. It just doesn't seem clear( Maybe I missed something as no other reviewers mentioned it).
Curiously, the work finishes with a bang, as if she run out of room on the page, no wind down, no wrap up..just Goodnight.
Oh and the naughty boy's identity wasn't too difficult to work out ahead of time.

Apart from that it kept me interested with the required mix of suspense and personal backstory for the main protagonists. I will read the next A.L. McK gum biter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to review.