Someone is killing women in Fog Harbour, California- women who work at the State Prison there. Suspicion has fallen on Drake Devere, a serial killer held there, because he's written about a killer who manages it from prison. Olivia Rockwell, the psychologist who works with him, doesn't think he's responsible- it doesn't make sense, nor does Detective Will Becker but who is it? Olivia and Deck find themselves on the spot as they work frantically on the case. They'e good characters, the writing flows, and if the plot is a bit unrealistic, it's still a good read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC, This is meant to be the first in a series and I'm curious to see where it goes next.

Fog Harbor, California is a typical small town, peppered with Mom and Pop stores, churches and gossip. It is also home to Crescent Bay State Prison where many of the local residents are employed. Olivia Rockwell, who has returned to her hometown to care for her younger sister, is the Chief Psychologist at the prison.

Bonnie McMillan, who teaches creative writing to prisoners, has disappeared on her way home from a late night movie. At a vigil for the missing Bonnie, Olivia first meets ruggedly handsome local police officer Will Decker. She also encounters him a second time shortly after the vigil when she is one of the first to discover Bonnie’s body. After another killing, suspicion falls on Drake Devere, a convicted murderer and published author. What motive would Drake have to kill his favorite teacher, the woman who helped him get his book published? How would he be able to come and go from a secure prison? Just what is going on behind those prison walls? As Rockwell and Decker team up to investigate, they find the answers to these questions and much more but not before their lives and those of people close to them are threatened.

Watch Her Vanish is the first in a new series. While I look forward to the next Rockwell/Decker installment, I hope to see some slight changes. The first is a small one. I found it hard to believe that Bonnie watched a movie in a theater by herself until 2 in the morning. Same for the second victim who was out jogging alone at 4:30 in the morning. I also think that Ellery Kane should decide whether the series emphasis is on mystery or romance. 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Ellery Kane for this ARC.

An intriguing start to a new series that is a must read. The characters are complex and well written. The plot is intense and full of suspense. Olivia and Will make an interesting team with a very slow burn romance that I look forward to seeing develop. I loved JB. He's more than he seems and adds a needed dose of humor. I was completely sucked into the story and the reveal blew my mind. The ending was perfect and made me anxious for the next one.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book. The comments and review are my honest opinion.

A murder has occurred in the small town of Fog Harbor where Olivia works in the prison as a criminal psychologist. The murder mirrors the handiwork of one of Olivia’s most famous patients, Drake.
But of course that is impossible, or is it? Writing another harrowing, twisted psychological thriller that she has become so well known for, Author Ellery Kane offers her trademark suspense and twists that will keep you guessing.

**This review will be cross-posted all across social media and retail sites on pub day**

Dead bodies are being found, one after another, all posed and staged, all belonging to the female staff of the town Prison. All evidence leads to the most dangerous criminal serving life at the prison, all murders a recreation of his book. But how is he doing it from behind the bars?

This is the first book in a series and it surprises even me to say, I’ll be looking forward to the next instalment. Even for a 400-page book, it was gripping and fast-paced, minus just a few minor lulls. It took me a while to get used to the writing style, the past and present merged at so many points without any clear distinction, but it was great once I got the hang of it. Each character has its own distinct voice, especially the character of JB was great, I loved how it developed, but I think it got a bit over the top. At the end of every chapter, there’s always a small jaw-dropping teaser, and it made me anticipate what’s coming next so much.

My only issue was the romantic banter between the two leads, which filled more pages than it should have, considering this is supposed to be a gritty crime thriller. It was so annoying imo. Idk why all the recent thrillers I’ve read have a detective hell-bent on falling in love, face-first, and that too at work (Hello? One good, old thriller please?). The mystery and plot were great, and it’d have been awesome it the atmosphere was a bit grim too, to suit the story more. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to what’s next to come in this series.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. Pub Date: Oct, 9th.

A well written, intense novel, this is the first in the proposed series Rockwell and Decker featuring Dr. Olivia Rockwell, a prison psychologist and Det. Will Decker, a shunned San Francisco detective who has moved to Fog Harbor, Ca. to try and escape his past and broken family. Both of these characters are carrying a boat load of past “issues” that are weighing them down. As they try to move forward in life, they each keep large areas of their lives walled off from anyone with whom they come in contact.
This book was compelling to read, and at the same time I didn’t really enjoy it. It is filled with broken people in addition to the two main characters. There is a convicted serial killer, a psychopath, suspected of the current string of murders. There is also a prison guard who is known as “Handsy” because of his familiarity with the remaining prison staff and the warden who seems to be involved in something illegal at the prison. Additionally there is the husband of the first victim who has been stealing money from the psychopath, a hard as nails chief detective, a set of twins who are employees at the prison whose mother is suffering from dementia. All this angst surrounding this group of unpleasant people leave me wishing for some warmth and friendliness somewhere. While there are a few glimmers of hope and some relief in the form of Will’s partner, J.B., even he is presented in a negative light at the beginning of the book.
When I first began the book, I didn’t like it at all and considered putting it away without finishing it. As I read more, I began to get somewhat caught up in the story, and became interested in how everything was going to work out in the end. That put me in somewhat of a love-hate relationship with the book. The writing is excellent, the characters are strong; those are the good things. The atmosphere is cold and almost hopeless, which is a huge negative for me.
Readers who enjoy intense, fast paced book and who don’t mind multiple pointless murders committed by someone who has no sense of remorse may enjoy this book. The relationship between Rockwell and Decker explores some interesting possibilities, it just isn’t enough to entice me to read the next in the series which leads us to the other negative.
This book ends with a major cliff-hanger. That is a plot device which I personally dislike. The few times I’ve read books like that, it seems that the long-term story is a never-ending one. This is not to be confused with books that have long through stories that are running simultaneously or in the background. Those complete the current story and in some cases the reader may not even be aware there is a bigger story until further in the series. This book, on the other hand, leaves you with the absolute certainty that the story has just begun.
If any reader is enticed by this type of book, it will be essential they start from this beginning novel and move forward in order to fully understand what is happening. Even with that said, the reader doesn’t learn until the epilogue some of the details that lead to the dynamics between Decker and the psychopath.
My thanks to Bookoutour and Net Galley for providing me an advanced digital read copy of this book. This review an these opinions are entirely my own.

A promising start to a series. Some interesting characters and a good twisty plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Small town coastal setting, check.

Lots of spooky fog, check.

High security penitentiary full of murderers and general bad sorts, check.

Serial killer doing the rounds, check.

Characters with complicated back stories, check and check.

Fantastic read, big check.

Now that I’ve ticked of my list of things I enjoy in a good murder mystery lets look at why I enjoyed Watch Her Vanish. The small coastal town of Fog Harbor, California is home to sisters Olivia and Emily Rockwell, Olivia has returned to the town from San Francisco and has found her self a good position as chief criminal psychologist at the local prison. Her life is thrown in to disarray when the body of a colleague turns up and the MO and evidence points straight to one of her patients, one who is safely locked up behind bars, Drake Devere.

Devere aka The Vulture is in prison for multiple counts of murder and the man who put him behind bars is the newest detective at FHPD. Will Decker has left his big city life behind, leaving behind a troubled past he joins up with his seasoned partner JB. JB is an old school cop and the two have a slightly rocky start to their blossoming partnership. They are tasked with solving the case but before they get answers another body turns up and they worry they may have a serial killer on their hands.

This is book one in the Rockwell and Decker series, the story is really good but I was worried there was going to be some unneeded bedroom action with Rockwell and Decker as its very obvious they are attracted to one another, I’ve read books before when it happens and quite frankly I’d rather hear more about the crime, thankfully it is just a sprinkling of chemistry. They do both have complicated pasts but I would imagine a lot of people in these types of jobs have seen some things they’d rather forget.

The one thing I was a bit put out by was the fact a serial killer was on the loose and the local women were still driving about, leaving their houses in the middle of the night like it was a normal day, maybe its just me but I would be behind a locked door with a bread knife just in case!

I’m looking forward to reading book two, I enjoyed my visit to Fog Harbor!

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the Decker and Rockwell crime thriller series and the first I have read by this author, but it will not be the last. It is a thrilling read with lots of red herrings, plot twists and intrigue. Olivia Rockwell is working as chief psychologist at Crescent City Prison, in Fog Harbour, California. Detective Will Decker moved there from the SFPD for a fresh start. Both have scars and secrets from their past, but when a killer starts to target women working at the prison, they find their paths converging. Things become even more complex because the prime suspect is an incarcerated serial killer that Olivia counsels, and that Deck has history with. It is a well constructed murder mystery with a compelling plot that leaves you guessing until nearly the end of the book. It has a twist at the end and sets the stage for the next book well with a bit of a cliff hanger in both the thriller and the romance areas. Even though I liked the idea of a romance between the protagonists, it did seem a little immature and unrealistic in parts. I liked the touch of humor in the story, how the author slowly developed the characters and that they all had strong personalities. I especially liked the development of Drake’s character, he is devious, manipulative and creepy. Overall, this is an entertaining story with a well-developed plot. I will look forward to reading the future books in this series.

If that opening doesn't grab you and make you want to keep reading then I don't know what to tell you because that opening was epic!

This author just keeps getting better with her new book that comes out. I can see so much improvement from her YA trilogy! But enough about that, let's just talk about this fast-paced read, shall we?

Olivia and Deck are our main characters and boy do they both harbor some deep secrets that we get to slowly uncover. We get to watch them try and figure out who is killing women that work at the prison before anyone else gets killed. The book rally speeds up towards the end and makes you feel like the killer is waiting in the shadows.

Overall, I can't complain, this was amazing! Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the chance to read this great book! It's a perfect read for this time of the year!

Will go live in my blog: 10/10/20

A mysterious murder of one of the workers at the prison opens the narrative. Ms. Kane has developed characters that are both engaging and exasperating. Heap that on a prison system with type A personalities and both officers and inmates jostling for position and control and the plot develops.

Olivia Rockwell is a Doctor of Psychology who strives to rehabilitate these hardened convicts. A mysterious murder of one of the workers at the prison opens the narrative. She and her younger sister Emily are working at the prison and trying to make the prisoners lives better and more productive. Law enforcement and the wardens at times seem to be on the opposite end of this rehabilitation tug-of-war.

Will Decker is a career law enforcement officer who is attracted to Olivia and is charged with finding the killer or killers. The prime suspect is a career criminal who has written a best-selling novel.

Crescent Bay State Prison set in northern California’s north coast is the place where dangerous killers and hardened career criminals reside. The other residences are career prison workers who have been washed out of other California prisons. Add to this the dregs of Bay Area gangs like The Oaktown Boys who wield tremendous influence in all prisons and the plot matures.

I wondered why intelligent and highly trained women would devolve into situations which led them to being at risk. Foggy and cold nights on the northern California coast are not really inviting times to be on the backroads at night.

The twist at the end of the book caught me unprepared. I appreciated the lack of gratuitous hot sex scenes. Rather, this author made the characters more believable by pointing out their insecurities.

This tale isn’t one you can take all at once—at times moving at a rather slow pace. I had a few problems with the protagonist and Detective Decker is a bit cliché. Be aware of the cliffhanger ending. A good pot of coffee or a glass of wine will help. 4 stars – CE Williams

The book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When a woman who works at the local prison goes missing, the town is in shock. Then her body is discovered and Dr. Olivia Rockwell, who also works at the prison meets Detective Decker, "Deck". Olivia and Deck work together, sort of, to solve the crime, as the body count rises.
I enjoyed this story. Olivia and Deck are good together. They work well together, and try to hide their feelings for each other. I look forward to the next adventure.
Thank you NetGalley, Ellery A Kane and Bookouture. This book will be released on 10/9/20.

I just could not connect with the characters in this books. And I’m not sure why. I have a feeling it’s me. So I will definitely give the next book in the series a try.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand it was a suspenseful psychological thriller and on the other hand I found the main characters cliched as well as their love/hate relationship.

Prison psychologist Olivia Rockwell's most dangerous and volatile patient is serial killer Drake Devere. As well as being sinister and totally creepy he is very intelligent and loves to play mind games with her and the other prisoners. He's also written a book about a serial killer in prison who's able to kill women on the outside. When murders of women employed by the prison occur in the local town, Drake becomes the number one suspect, although there is no evidence that he is able to get out of the prison.

While the plot makes for an unusual setting and suspect, I struggled to like the two main characters, Olivia and Detective Will Decker. Both have tortured pasts and trust issues which I found a bit too stereotyptical of this genre. Their love/hate relationship, where they can't stop thinking about each other but then snipe at each other when they meet, also had them acting like teenagers rather than mature adults. In fact none of the characters seemed 'normal' as they all had some sort of issue. The local cop 'JB' was particularly vile with his possessiveness of Olivia and his sexist comments that no one seemed to jump on. Likewise the prison guard in the psychology unit nicknamed Handsy Hank (for obvious reason). So overall, points for a good plot and a creepy suspect but points off for too much cliched angst in the main characters. Unlike some other readers, I also didn't mind the unusual cliff hanger ending signalling a sequel to follow up unfinished business, although my dislike of the characters means that I'm unlikely to read it.

First of all thank you so much to Netgalley, Ellery Kane, and Bookouture for my ARC of this book. What originally drew me to it was that it’s about a Psychologist and it’s in California! The book followed Olivia, a woman who moves to be close to her sister. Olivia is in charge of mental health at a prison, and women who work there start getting murdered.

Thoughts: I personally do not like thrillers that include romance so that was a drawback for me. There were a few cliches in this story and it felt immature in dialogue. Instead of focusing on the case, this story was more like a teen romance book. While I did like the premise, I couldn’t get into the story because of how cliche and overdone it was. This was a DNF for me.

Watch Her Vanish by Ellery A. Kane is the first book I have read by this author and a wonderful read. It starts with Olivia Rockwell returning to Fog Harbour as head psychologist of the Cresent Bay Prision. Her sister, Emily, also works at the prison and lives with her. The story opens with a woman, who works at the prison being murdered and her body found right as her memorial was occurring. Head detective, Will Decker, moves to Fog Harbour, and takes over the case along with his annoying partner, JB. Tensions rise as the bodies of women who work at the prison pile up and their main suspect seems to be a man who is behind bars. As the suspect list starts to increase Olivia and Will are thrown together to work the murders. As this happens there are increasing romantic underpinnings between Olivia and Will. The characters in this book are real, fully developed and likable except for the evil ones who are easy to hate. This novel is face-paced with some unexpected twists which made it a fun ride. The only downside was, even though I loved the story, I was disappointed by the last page and the ending. It seemed more like a set up for another book than a good ending. If it had ended a few pages earlier I would have liked it better. This opinion is mine alone. I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Ellery Kane in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great read. Unpredictable , engaging and completely one which I highly recommend.
I absolutely cannot wait to read more by this author.

This is a good read. Olivia Rockwell is a Psychologist who returned to Fog Harbour, California to keep an eye on her younger sister, Emily. She is in charge of the Mental Health unit at Crescent Bay State Prison. But she has secrets that she wants no one to find out. Detective Will Decker has also moved to Fog Harbour from the San Francisco Police Department, in the hope of getting his career back on track, but why did he have to leave SFPD in the first place? It seems he has secrets as well. Now women who work at the prison are being murdered, why?

The story is filled with a mix of characters some nice and some not so nice, could the Murderer be one of the inmates from the prison? things start off looking that way, but is that too obvious? How would a prisoner in a maximum security facility be able to get out to kill people in the first place? Drake Devere is in prison for murdering women, plus he has written a fiction book about a serial killer escaping and killing, could someone be setting him up?

The tension gradually ramps up as the story develops Deck working hard to catch the killer, and Olivia is also determined to find the truth. Leading to an explosive conclusion.

Will initially isn’t keen on Olivia, and it seems the feeling is mutual but gradually the walls start to break down between the two, and a different attraction begins.

This is a good crime thriller, mystery thriller, psychological thriller, if you like any of those I would say you will enjoy this, there is some clever plotting, a good mix of characters to love and hate, a bit of romance.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Bookouture for an eARC of this in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Watch Her Vanish is a book of two halves. First and foremost, it’s a well-constructed thriller with strong characters. There’s a lot I liked about it. Kane is certainly a good writer as the concept is brilliantly explored and I enjoyed how the story progressed, but there were a few qualities that disrupted my engagement with it.

My main issue was with the romantic subplot. I like thrillers that have a more emotional core, but the relationship between Will and Olivia felt very immature. With the use of the Dr Smarty Pants and Mr Wise Guy nicknames for each other, which were said more times than necessary, their connection often felt childish. It almost felt like the story was set in a schoolyard rather than during a murder investigation at times.

Even during the darker revelations, Will and Olivia were daydreaming about each other rather than dealing with the more interesting topic at hand. I wanted to know about the gritty details of the case, not about how they can’t stand each other yet were secretly pining to kiss each other. It just felt out of place, so I couldn’t buy into it.

The trouble was that so much about these characters felt cliche. The schoolyard quips, the “funny” nicknames that most characters gave each other, the typical laddish banter in the police station: these conversations were just so immature that it felt like the characters were spending more time sticking their tongues out at each other instead of putting their energy into the case.

On top of that, every character had a stereotypical flaw. Most of the women had been abused either sexually or mentally, and all of the men were either perverts, murderers, a brute, or sexist. Having a dark past certainly gives characters a motive to feel or behave a certain way to relate to this case, but there wasn’t a single character who broke the mould.

JB, especially, was really unlikeable. He thought that every woman who liked him fancied him and that every woman who didn’t was on her period. His comments were constantly inappropriate, stopping talk of the investigation to joke about getting his sergeant a vibrator for Christmas. I know this is how some men still behave in an office environment–or anywhere, for that matter–but when the female sergeant doesn’t put him in his place and he isn’t called out for his disgusting attitude towards women, his outdated stereotype isn’t used with any purpose.

There are a lot of good qualities about this book and the characters all have strong personalities, but it was just their traits that didn’t sit well with me. And although the plot is a well-developed, there were many scenes that felt slightly ambiguous or inconsistent. Descriptions often felt choppy which interrupted the flow of the story for me, as I found myself having to glance back at the previous chapter a few times to see if I had missed something.

However, the final few chapters certainly deliver in a more concise and fast-paced read with a satisfactory conclusion. The final twists did come as a surprise, but there were so many other suspects hinted at whose actions weren’t explained that I was still left with some questions at the end.

There is obviously going to be a follow-up, though, so maybe some of these loose ends will get answered eventually. And who knows, I may even be tempted to give Rockwell and Decker another go now that the pigtail pulling is all out of the way.

A taut fast paced thriller in every sense of the word. Dark and oozing with suspense. Well plotted and stunningly written. Loved it!