The Next Widow by C.J Lyons is the first book set for a series featuring Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright, set in the fictional place ,Cambria City in Pennsylvania.
In this first book we get to know Luka and Leah ,when Luka is called in to investigate the brutal murder of Leahs husband, Ian. Leah arrives home from work to discover him and her horror is impacted by the fact her young daughter Emily, has witnessed the act.Luka is charged with finding the murderer and also work out just why they left Emily alive, before it happens again.
I am always overjoyed when I begin a new series. I love a story where I know I can really get to know the characters and stay with them for a while. This book is certainly worthy of being a series beginner. The characters are so well done. Leah, the cool and calm one. The one we all turn to in a crisis, ambitious and clever.Then we have Luka with all the emotional baggage he carries, he needs Leah to even him out!
A story packed with tension and action like this makes for a fast moving read with a fascinating plot. I am hoping Luka and Leah are back soon, I loved this instalment. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC for me to be a part of the blog tour today.

A really good start to a series. I liked the plot and the twists. I would like to know more about Leah and Luka. I feel that I don’t know enough about them yet to form an opinion on them as characters,

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed this quick gruesome thriller. The main character, Dr. Leah Wright is like able and relatable. The story was full of twists although I did figure them out before the cast of characters they still kept the story riveting. On Valentine’s Day Leah comes home to find her husband has been brutally murdered and her daughter is traumatized. Leah is in a race against time to figure out what happened but the police seem focused on her as the prime suspect.

I received an ARC of The Next Widow by CJ Lyons from Net Galley for my honest review. Wow! This book kept me glued to each page from beginning to end. At first, I was a little concerned because it started out with a very brutal murder of the husband of one of the main characters, Dr. Leah Wright, an ER doctor. Right now I’m just not in the mood for anything that intense though I normally read thrillers, mysteries etc. But not to worry, there is an amazing story to this murder that pulls you in.
This is my first book by this author. The Next Widow is the first book in this new series and I will definitely be buying the next book, The other main character is Detective Luka Jericho, he is the one who works the murder case. They made a great pair, very believable and I look forward to reading more about them.

I am thrilled to find another cop procedural series to follow. I'm partial to my favorites - Will Trent, DD Warren, Quincy, Eve Dallas - but Luka Jericho and Leah Wright have managed to power their way in with a stunning thriller.

This is my first book by CJ Lyons, and I am thoroughly impressed. Characters that leap out of the pages and stay with you long after you've turned the final page - can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I always love the excitement of a new series. If this book is any indication, the Jericho and Wright series promises to be quite thrilling, indeed. I liked how the author seemed to have no problem just jumping in and running with the story. The story sort of switched gears through the middle of the book and became very “cat and mouse,” before an explosive ending. There were some things that didn’t ring true and felt forced. But overall, I liked where the plot ultimately ended up. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

Dr Leah Wright returns home one evening after a tough shift at the hospital to find her husband dead and her daughter Emily huddled under her bed. All evidence points to Leah but can she prove her innocence and keep her daughter safe?

The Next Widow is a real whirlwind of a novel! Fast paced, fraught and full of tension. There were also a few heartbreaking moments too, especially as Leah struggles to connect with her traumatised daughter in the aftermath of her husband’s death.

There was a nice back and forth in the POV’s and we get to know the characters of Leah and Luka really well. They both have their own sets of personal problems, even before Leah’s husband is murdered, but both are tough and determined to push through their emotional scars.

I have to be honest I pegged the killer fairly early on, although the entire motive wasn’t clear until the end.

The Next Widow is a gripping and fast paced read, I’d recommend to any thriller lovers out there. I’m looking forward to seeing where this new series is headed.

This first in a new series introduces Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho of the Cambria City Police Department and Dr. Leah Wright, a physician who works at Good Samaritan Medical Center in the Emergency Department. One night, while she was on duty, Leah's husband, Ian, is murdered at their home leaving behind their very frightened 6-year-old daughter, Emily, who had survived the massacre by hiding under her bed. With plenty of red herrings and only a tenuous guess at a motive for this terribly personal attack, the police start an investigation but are still looking very closely at Leah even as she only wants to protect her traumatized daughter. NO SPOILERS.

This was typical crime thriller genre fare that basically sets the stage for future installments. There are hints of backstory to the main characters, Luka and Leah, and though the author tries, I really didn't develop any attachment to either of them at this point. I am not a fan of a lot of angst and tell in a novel, and there's a lot of repetition of thoughts and feelings. I surely hope there will NOT be a romance here between the pair. I was able to guess immediately what was going on so it seemed like a long wait for the action in the story to catch up. I'm not convinced that I will continue on with this series as there was really nothing fresh and new within. It was a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

An excellent thriller, fast paced and gripping. It kept me on the edge till the last page and it's full of twists and turns.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing about the motive even if it's not hard to guess the culprit.
I loved the well thought characters and the setting.
It's the first in a series and I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is the first book I've read from this author.

I quite enjoyed it even though I guessed who was behind it.

I will look out for the next one in the series.

The start of a new series! For some reason, this always tickles me. In this book we have Dr. Leah Wright facing the brutal murder of her husband. She finds her daughter cowering under her bed. Her daughter Emily is unharmed, but certainly is not unaffected by witnessing her father's murder. Leah is an emergency room doctor who always wants to save everyone and fix everything. Detective Luka Jericho is tasked with finding out why her husband was killed, but also why the killer left her six-year-old daughter Emily alive. This book was intense from the very beginning, especially the murder scene.

There were points in the story that turn to something far more emotional for both Leah and Luka when it came to their pasts. This is where the story took a bit of a shift for me as it took me out of the mode of the reason for the murder and how it affected Leah and Emily. But then as I continued to read the book I was able to realize that as this is the first book in a new series, we just had to get to know what drove Leah and also what drove Luka. Thinking of things on that level allowed me to continue to enjoy this very well-written book.

As the story continued to focus on the investigation of the murder, there was a shocking twist that took place towards the end of the book, so much so, that I realized that there was no way to even guess who was responsible for Leah’s husband’s murder. I love it when I am kept guessing and Ms. Lyons did an excellent job keeping me on the edge of my seat. The Next Widow is an effective police procedural that introduces the two characters and I am eager to see what is in store for them as the series continues.

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

A heart-pounding thriller that took me by a storm with its tension filled scenes and swift pace. Author C. J. Lyons could give me a massive adrenaline rush in most of the book, compelling me to read it at one go.

Ian was tortured to death trying to save his daughter. Wife Leah just returned home after a heavy night at the ER. And life as she knew it was over. Detective Luka was the only one to stand by her even when clues pointed to Leah’s involvement. The investigation continued further until evil showed its face again.

What a roller-coaster of a ride this book was. My first read by this dynamic author, the imagery of the words stopped my breath many a time. The writing was brilliant with emotions making the words sing. I could feel every single strand of pain and worry that Leah had for her daughter.

Luka too had his own problems, but his attention to detail and gut instincts never wavered. Being the first book in the series, I liked how their interactions went about. A cop and a victim who was probably a suspect.

With only a few characters and good hints, it was easy to guess, though I didn’t know the motive. Just a tiny niggle or two. The last few pages went a bit haywire and decreased the pitch. The motive too was a bit ‘out there.’ But the overall book was pretty enjoyable. I would love to see how the two work together in the next book.

A thrilling police procedural, I must say.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the chance to read and review this book. This is a very exciting book that left me wondering what happened? Why is her husband's blood all over the floor and why is her daughter huddled under the bed? The author does a brilliant job leading the reader to a surprise ending. Great thriller with lots of twists and turns I couldn't stop reading-I just wanted to find out the killer.. Another good story by this author!

This first book in a new series is a gripping, pulse pounding suspense read. The characters are complex and well written. Leah is so many things it's hard to define her. Jericho has plenty of baggage and is dogged. The case is dark and full of action and twists. I was completely sucked into the story and the ending left me shocked. I can't wait to read the next one. This series promises to be a must read.

This is the first book in a new series. We are introduced to the main characters quickly when Dr Leah Wright's husband is murdered in front of their 6 yr old daughter. Luka Wright is the police detective called in to investigate. CJ Lyons skillfully builds the back story for these two characters throughout the story.

The two work together to solve the murder and keep Leah's daughter safe. There are many tense situations that keep the story moving quickly yet it's still the end of the book before you'll guess the killer. The combination of great characters and an exciting chase to the end made this a 5 star read for me.

This is a great crime thriller and a great start to a new series.
Leah returns home from work to find blood all over her house and her husband slouched against their daughter’s bed. He’s been brutally murdered and their daughter is cowering under her bed after trying to get away.
Jericho is called out and can’t believe what he’s seeing as there is blood everywhere.
Leah and Emily are taken to hospital to be checked over and Emily is clearly traumatised by what she saw.
Jericho and the team start investigating but have little to go on until a witness comes forward.
This is a gripping read that definitely took me by surprise when the killer was revealed.
I look forward to finding out what’s next for Jericho and am intrigued that Leah Wright is also mentioned as being in the series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A really good start to this new series. Made me think about the possibilities of mind control in this age of A.I. and technology. Will definitely read the next book.

My first book by C.J. Lyons, who has written a number of other novels.

The Next Widow marks the first in a new series featuring Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright. In this cracking opening instalment, the reader gets to meet the duo when Luka investigates after Leah's husband, Ian, is brutally murdered. Leah herself makes the horrific discovery but her horror is heightened when she realises that her daughter Emily witnessed the gruesome attack. As well as finding out who killed Ian, Luka must also figure out why the murderer left six-year-old Emily alive... before they strike again.

This first book in what promises to be a marvellous series certainly caused some frissons for me! Firstly, I loved the author's well drawn characters. Luka Jericho carried a lot of emotional baggage and Leah Wright, for her part was Mrs Calm and Collected, ambitious and resilient, the level-headed person that everyone needs in a crisis. With its frenetic pace there was plenty of action, with certainly no room for tedium or boredom here. Set in rural Pennsylvania, the plot itself was fascinating and I revelled in the tension of the investigation, and the way everything was eventually brought together. The Next Widow was a quality police procedural, and one I confidently recommend.

I shall be watching out for the next in the series and I'm immensely keen to see where the talented C.J. Lyons takes DS Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright next.

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

If you’ve never read a C.J.Lyons book before you are missing out. New series but same gripping suspense this author is known for.
Leah is devastated by the murder of her husband and will do anything to protect her 6 year old daughter who was a witness. I hope in future books that Jericho who is the detective in charge of the investigation is a stronger lead. He kind of let everyone run over him.
I did figure out who was behind everything before the end but it was still a good read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc for my honest opinion.

The Next Widow is the first instalment in the Detective Sargeant Luka Jericho and Doctor Leah Wright, currently working as an Emergency Room doc, series, set against the backdrop of the fictional town of Cambria City, Pennsylvania. E.R. doctor Leah has grown used to the siren song of ambulances approaching the hospital, but what she wasn't expecting was having them attend to herself one nightmare-inducing evening. It's just struck midnight on Valentine's Day and Leah is returning home from an enervating shift when she comes upon a devastating and ultimately soul-destroying sight; her husband, Ian, has been brutally slain and his blood now paints the room in a sickening shade of scarlet. Her thoughts then immediately turn to daughter Emily and, fearing the worst, Leah proceeds to frantically search the house where she discovers Emily alive and unhurt but in what can only be described as a catatonic state. Cowering like a startled animal under her bed, Emily is naturally traumatised by her experience. When Luka is called in to investigate, he realises finding a motive let alone a suspect is going to be a challenging task.

This is a riveting, heart-thumping police procedural from the opening pages right through to denouement. It's pacy, well written and extremely tense and is one of the most promising beginnings to a series I've had the pleasure to enjoy in a while. As the author is an E.R. doctor turned writer herself, this lends an air of authenticity to the details of Leah's life, in particular. The narrative is told from the perspectives of both Leah and Luka and I appreciated this simplicity as it often is made unnecessarily complicated but here, seeing things from both the victim and investigators perspectives creates a fully rounded experience. The emotional devastation portrayed in this rather shocking and hard-hitting initial instalment is handled with aplomb and comes across as genuine and believable. There is action, excitement, and suspenseful moments aplenty and the cast of characters is relatable with interesting backstories. A thoroughly entertaining and perfect escapist read for these troubling times. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.