3.75⭐

Don't Look nicely kicks off Alexandra Ivy's new series with a story that sees two amateur sleuths Lynne and Kir investigating a serial killer who was once in regular contact with Kir's dad the former sheriff of Pike, Wisconsin; and as stories with amateur sleuths go I thought it was pretty good. Although, I did find it quite slow in places, and I wasn't entirely convinced that two amateurs were the best people to take on a serial killer and win.

But nonetheless, I enjoyed it, and it did have a nice touch of romance, along with likable characters, a few red herrings and plenty of mystery, and it was that mystery in the end that really kept me reading.

Would recommend.

What do you do if what you thought were the mental ravings of your drunk father turn out to be true? Well you must certainly do everything you can to find out who tormented him with sick letters and keep the woman you are coming to care for immensely safe. He may not be the Sheriff his father once was, but Kir is determined to discover the truth, and protect Lynne at all costs.

This story had me excited when I read the blurb. It has the promise of the drama and suspense one loves in a story. For me it just fell a bit short and I struggled to really get into this story. The connection of me to the characters and storyline was tough. While it wasn’t for me I do hope others give it a read. It could be the best story for them.

DON’T LOOK is the first book in Alexandra Ivy’s new “Pike, Wisconsin” RS series. This is an exciting mystery and a solid romance, although the chemistry between the leads is a bit lackluster. While Kir and Lynne are appealing as individuals, and their reasons for becoming involved in the investigation are believable considering the circumstances, their relationship is lacking. Readers are presented with the facts of their attraction, but the reality of it isn't sufficiently tangible.

The serial killer plot is much more compelling. The details of the victims and their murders are well-written without any unnecessarily gruesome detail, and the letters written from the killer's POV add to the tension. It is possible to follow the clues to sort through the numerous red-herrings, and figuring out the villain's identity and motivation is all part of the fun. Good read, fans of Ivy will enjoy.

Dead bodies, red ribbons, and a mystery. Book 1 in a new series, and there was enough mystery, personal turmoil with main characters to make me wonder what road we are going down next. Kir comes home for his dads funeral he hasn't seen him in a while and connects with Dr. Gale the vet and his childhood friend. Bodies pile up and circumstantial evidence leads the woefully bitter sheriff to Dr Gale. We find troubled characters we get snippets of the emotional pain that and take a ride with Kir and Dr Gale as they seek the answers. I love dogs so it was a thrill to have the rescue shelter and Dr Gales vet clinic. Our killer is a twisted soul and even with the red herrings I had him picked, but thats ok, I wanted the whole story on the why. This is a solid read with a little romance. Thank you Alexandra Ivy, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my pwn and I freely share them.

I feel the ideas behind this story had such promise and were very interesting ones but the execution fell a little short. It was okay but it didn't blow me away. I kept wanting more and had to push myself to finish this.

DON’T LOOK (Pike, Wisconsin Book 1) By Alexandra Ivy
This new thriller by Alexandra Ivy is solid, very well written, has characters with chemistry, lots of angst, suspense, mystery and murder. I have read Alexandra’s books for years. This is a 4 star read.

Kir left Pike, Wisconsin a long time ago but he's back for his father's funeral. Unfortunately, he finds himself caught up in the hunt for a serial killer of women who his father had long warned about and Lynne Gale is on the list of targets. She's the local vet and a solid protagonist. This one strains credulity a bit re their involvement in the murder investigation but it did keep me guessing. I liked the relationship between Kir and Lynne. I have to admit, though, that I found Kir's name distracting- I kept thinking about creme de cassis. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre.

Alexandra Ivy is so good at writing these dark murder mysteries. During the bitter winter, the town of Pike set a scene that had me wrapping my sweater around me tighter, and I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. I'm usually pretty good at figuring it out sooner. but the twists and turns kept me guessing. Lynne and Kir were a great team, and I'm hoping they will pop up in more books. A not to be missed book!

This was a clever, well constructed thriller. The characters of Lynne and Kir were immensely likeable and I thoroughly enjoyable their connection. I would have preferred there to have been more of a build up to their relationship though, since they had a history together. I expected more of a slow burn to increase the tension between them for longer.
The tension with the murders however, was their in spades! It was fast paced and twists galore, and the addiction of the killer's perspective added another edge.
I would have benefitted from a cast list though, as there were lots of characters to keep track of.

This was a very good read. It definitely kept me guessing and there was so much suspense throughout the storyline. The thrill of this book took twist and turns I'd not expected. The character development was nice. The story flowed effortlessly and maintained my interest. I give this a 4.5 star rating.

Kit has come home for his fathers funeral and reconnected with an old friend. When the local preacher who spoke at his dads funeral hands him a list with some initials on it. When a dead body is found and matches a set of initials on the list KIR STARTS LOOKING INTO his fathers theory that a serial killer was communicate with him he finds that Lynne’s name is on the list.

A solid four star read. Good premise. Great characters. Enjoyed the writing style. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. It even had a twist that I didn’t see coming. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I am afraid I didn't like this at all. The premise was forced, the writing was very, very clunky and the characters were unbelievable.

3.5 stars!

I liked the premise of this book, though with it being a "small town" novel, I did find it a bit predictable. The writing was good for the most part -- the only bits I didn't like sometimes were the dialogue as I felt that at times they got a bit juvenile.

I really did like the main characters (Kir & Lynne) and related to them both. I liked their stories, and the way their relationship formed and progressed throughout the book.

One thing that I LOVED about this book, and really the main reason I marked up rather than down on the star rating here, is that the climax wasn't over in an instant like it is in too many thrillers. Often, you have this book that builds up to the end, only for everything to come to a head in 5-10 pages. With this book, we got 20-30 pages of wrap up, which I quite enjoyed! Kudos to you, Alexandra Ivy, for being different!

Overall, it's not really a book that I'd read again or continue reading the series, but I did like it. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Alexandra Ivy, and Kensington Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Dr. Lynne Gale is the local veterinarian in Pike, Wisconsin, a small town in the heart of Dairy Country. Other than urgent calls regarding sick or injured animals in the middle of the night, her life is relatively normal until someone begins murdering the women of her town. Kir Jansen returns to Pike upon the sudden death of his father, and while cleaning out his home, the murders begin. Kir is forced to reconcile with the reminder that his father had reached out him about letters that he was receiving from a stranger with dark intentions. As the bodies start to pile up, they realize that a piece of paper with letters on it are the initials of the killer's victims, with Lynne being the final name on his list.

While the mystery was extremely well-written, the romance fell flat for me. There was no tension or build to it, and I felt that some of the language that Ivy used would have been far more appropriate in a Historical Romance. For example, shortly after their first kiss (which was very early in the book), Ivy wrote “Kir lifted his head, struggling to leash his hunger. He wanted to spend the rest of the night tasting Lynne’s honeyed passion.” While I didn't always love Kir or the romance between him and Lynne, I did appreciate his support and understanding of her career.

On the other hand, the mystery captivated me. I was left guessing (I considered almost everyone a suspect at one point in time or another by the end of the book), and I loved sections told from the killer's point of view. Ivy’s incorporation of the letters to Rudolf were downright chilling, and I couldn’t wait to find out who it was. The conclusion to the mystery was extremely satisfying, as it didn't feel rushed, and it was fully fleshed out. However, there were times that Kir was far too aggressive with his investigation, and during one encounter, he even internally agrees that his suspect of the moment had no reason to answer him, as he "wasn't a cop, or a Fed, or a private eye", which definitely bothered me. He also was quick to assume that someone was the killer without any concrete evidence to back it up. Understanding that it is part of his inherent nature, I would have loved to see some of his impulsivity reined in, especially when his search for the killer bordered on the fine line of lawlessness.

I would recommend Don't Look to anyone that enjoys traditional romance writing and books/TV shows about serial killers. This book read like an episode of Criminal Minds (with a romance), and I loved that. Thank you to Zebra Books and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A little bit of small town drama, a little bit of romance, and a whole lot of murder in this jam packed story. Kir returns to his hometown after the unexpected death of his father, former Pike, Wisconsin police chief. At the funeral, Kir is given a letter by the preacher from his father containing a list of letters with not much meaning behind them. Then people whose names are the same initials in the letter start being murdered, one by one. Kir banding together with his childhood friend and local vet, Lynne, launch their own "amateur sleuth" investigation to get answers on what is happening in their quiet town.

This was an awesome mystery read and the character development was so good. Considering Alexandra Ivy is a series writer, I really would not hate if there was another book following this one.

Thank you Alexandra Ivy, Zebra, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the book. The mystery was good and difficult to guess . The romance was slow burn in spite of it being insta attraction .

Wow! What a action packed thriller.
Kir returns home for his fathers funeral. Now he is wondering if his father was correct all along about a serial killer. His father always said a killer was leaving him notes, but no one believed him. Now bodies are turning up and Kir is trying to figure it out. Lynne is by his side helping to solve this before it’s too late.
All the while, you can feel the sparks between the two.
I thought I had it but was so wrong. The ending was definitely a shock.

I absolutely loved this new thriller from Alexandra Ivy! It's not your typical casting for leading characters to solve a murder; a Vet and the owner of a tasking company.

Kir may be a small-town boy but he's been gone a long time, now he runs his own business taking on tasks that people don't have time to do themselves. He always looked up to his dad but when he was injured on duty as the former sheriff, he began to drink heavily and become a nuisance. Kir hasn't been back to town for a while and now he's back for his father's funeral. But did Kir's father have it right; Is there a serial killer targeting the inhabitants of Pike? Has the killer really been taunting the former sheriff?

Lynne Gale took over being the town Vet from her father. She lives for her job, to the detriment of every relationship she's had, and even her own good health. She always had a soft spot for Kir but she always knew she was never leaving Pike and he couldn't wait to leave. But at the funeral, she and Kir connect. Little does she know that they are about to be dragged into the hunt for a serial killer!

This is most definitely a thriller/suspense read with romantic elements. The romance does take a back seat f you will to the action. It's still romantic suspense just a bit lighter on the romance front than I'm used to reading. And that kinda makes sense, who has time for lengthy passion sessions when there is a killer on the loose?

The letters from the killer are totally creepy and chilling. I can sometimes guess who the bad guy is or at least narrow the suspect pool down. Not this time, I had to wait for that final little "clue" to be revealed. Murders in a small town make compelling reading cause you know that the killer is hiding in plain sight. Pike is almost a character itself in the book. Most small-town books are full of happy, smiling residents. Pike's inhabitants seem to be sad, reserved almost as if Pike is unsettling in itself.

Great suspense read and I'm thrilled at the thought of the series continuing!