The third book in the series with PI Jessica Shaw. The story is intertwined with the past events in a nice way. The prologue is an important part in the story though I forgot what I read and went back to read it two thirds of the way after guessing the suspense. That doesn't spoil the conclusion and the epilogue which was befitting. The PIs could do well without the romantic relationship which slows the pace. 4.5 stars. A good series.

This is a solid mystery novel. It was a bit confusing at first with the introduction of several victims and suspects during different time frames, but once I got it all sorted out I began to enjoy the story more. Jessica Shaw is a good protagonist as a PI looking for answers and her side story makes for more drama.

A good mystery thriller. Jessica is a strong female PI who teams up with Connor on a missing persons case and what follows is a solid mystery thriller that follows the tale of a number of missing women. There are strands of predictability, but, overall I found it to be an enjoyable, good read and I’d recommend.
The relationship between Jessica and Connor is an interesting one and despite this being the third in a series it’s a strong standalone and I’m grateful to NetGalley and Amazon publishers for the opportunity to preview.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the copy of Dark Highway by Lisa Gray. It’s packed full of suspense that keeps you guessing until the end. Jessica Shaw is a character you want to continue reading about. She’s a character who’s Journey you want to follow, no matter where she goes. I’ve been a fan since Thin Air and love the direction she’s headed in. It’s a book that any ‘mystery/suspense’ reader should read.

I liked the idea, but the whole book unfortunately didn't work for me. And it's mostly my fault.

There are some very specific things about books that I don't really like, and sadly two of them appeared in this book. First, I don't like flashbacks. Very often I simply skip them. Here, chapters about the past events made almost half of the book. And although I tried to read them, I had the feeling that they did not bring anything new to the main story, except maybe adding depth. Which is actually good. It just wasn’t up to my alley.

The second thing is narrating from too many points of view. There is Jessica POV and Matt POV, there are three points of view for each of the three victims, there is mysterious Dea POV, and there is a point of view of a man who might be the murderer. Oh, and in the prologue, we have a scene from another POV, which does not come back later. It was too much for me. These two things made it not a book for me.

But like I said, I like the general idea of the plot. The way the murders were related to each other and how they were related to past events. And although I fairly quickly predicted who the murderer was and why they chose these particular victims, it was an enjoyable and quick read.

I also liked the characters, especially Jessica and Matt. I haven't read the previous books in this series, so I don't know their story that well. But they're fine, although Jessica, in my opinion, took unnecessary risks sometimes. Also, I'm not entirely sure about the relationship between Jessica and Matt, it is so unreasonably complicated. But maybe this thread will be developed more in the next books.

Overall, it's a good book that just didn't work for me. But I may read previous books in this series or the next ones one day.

RECOMMEND fully. Jessica & Connor ( the main characters) both P. I. s, are hired to find one missing woman but turns into three. Well written, with lots of mystery surrounding the case. Enjoyed immensely! First time reading this author but will definitely backtrack to read the first two in the series. Thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Great thriller, with a great storyline and great characters, I read this in 2 days

This is book 3 in the Jessica Shaw series and I think you need to read the previous books in the series to get a better understanding of Jessica and why she’s working in a private investigator office in order to get her PI license. And book 1 in the series actually introduces the reader to Matt Connor, Jessica’s boss at the PI agency and explains their relationship in more detail than this book.
‘Dark Highway’ begins when Matt and Jessica are hired to look into the disappearance of LA artist Laurie Simmonds who was last seen on an isolated stretch of highway, hours from where she lived. As they begin to investigate, Jessica and Matt discover two other women have disappeared who were last seen on that same stretch of highway and who all have a connection to a crime committed 30 years ago.
I found a ‘Dark Highway’ a bit slow to begin with. It took me until 50% in to really get into the book. I also found it s big confusing and hard to follow with the back and forth in time jumps and chapters from multiple characters perspectives. But it all came together in the end for a great conclusion. And a twist at the very end was good, I wasn’t expecting it. Overall a very solid mystery/suspense novel. 3.5 stars from me.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel, particularly the burgeoning relationship between Jessica and Connor, and the plot twist at the end. My two (minor) criticisms are that 1) the story is a bit repetitive at times when the author covers the same events from multiple viewpoints; and 2) though this is a “Jessica Shaw mystery,” many chapters are devoted to other characters, and their flashbacks, making Jessica at times seem like only a secondary character. Even so, I’d definitely continue with this series.

A Solid Entry.....
The third in the Jessica Shaw series and a solid entry. Jessica and Matt are on the trail of some missing persons which all appear to be connected to the same area of isolated highway but further they discover links between the women. With the police investigation not going anywhere, the duo are determined to crack the case. An enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns along the way

An interesting, fast-paced, suspenseful layered mystery…

This is the third book in the Jessica Shaw series that can be read as a stand-alone.

Private Investigator Jessica Shaw has returned to Los Angeles joining up with another investigator, Matt Conner, whom she had met previously, while she works on getting licensed in the state. Experienced in missing persons cases she works on locating a woman whose vehicle was abandoned on the Twentynine Palms Highway two months prior. With the police not having made headway into finding their daughter, Laurie Simmonds, the parents sought outside assistance. Research reveals that Laurie was one of three women to vanish from that particular highway. Are these disappearances related? When Jessica finds the correlation between these missing women she knows she’s closer to learning what happened to them but then the clients cancel the investigation. Why would parents do such a thing? There are secrets being kept and Jessica is not one to give up on a case even if there’s no payday at the end.

This book is an interesting, fast-paced, suspenseful layered mystery with a compelling heroine. There are multiple points of view and different timelines as the lives of the missing women unfold around the time of their disappearance which gives the victims real depth. What is happening in the present truly began in the past and Jessica follows the many threads. She’s uniquely qualified to understand the emotions of those searching for the missing.

Though not a prerequisite, having read the previous books in the series gave this reader a deeper understanding of Jessica who has continued to grow over time as life throws its darts at her, she’s an intelligent, tough woman with relatable vulnerabilities. Jessica and Matt have a shared history before this reunion and there are intense moments between them that could prove challenging, sometimes the line between professional and personal can become blurred. I was disappointed in the character of Matt who I had liked in the first book but you never know what an author will do in subsequent books, perhaps he’s still redeemable.

The start of a cold case concerning three women that have a desert road as the common denominator leads to twists and turns to keep one guessing with a satisfying result. Strong characters, well written tension best read under the doona if you are a sooky-la-la.
An independent review for NetGalley / Amazon Publishing

This is the third in the series and is even better than the previous two.
Easy reading and it will keep you enthralled throughout.

Once again another fabulous book by Lisa Gray. I cannot get enough of Jessica Shaw. She’s spunky, tenacious, and fearless. Everything you want in a lead character, really. Dark Highway offers twists you won’t see coming and really just all all around exhilarating, fun read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

After reading the first two Jessica Shaw books by Lisa Gray, Thin Air and Bad Memory, I was thrilled to be chosen to review the third in the series, Dark Highway. It is due to be published by Amazon Publishing UK on 19th November 2020. I am back reading my favourite genre and particularly enjoy series where you can really get involved with the characters, like I have with Jessica Shaw. She returns in Dark Highway working as an investigator to get her PI licence, and the case is to find a missing girl. Although it can be read as a stand-alone novel there are references to Jessica’s backstory from the previous books that influence her motivation and behaviour. As the story unfolds and more women are discovered missing Jessica becomes more determined to find them and answers to the mystery surrounding their disappearances. This fast paced page turner is full of surprises that keep you enthralled until the very end. Can’t wait for number 4!
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon for the opportunity to read and review this great book.

This book is well written, with excellent characters and a very good plot. The problem is all the jumping back in time, which leads to repetition and could be left out as we learn everything from the investigation anyway.

An interesting, fast-paced, suspenseful layered mystery…

This is the third book in the Jessica Shaw series that can be read as a stand-alone.

Private Investigator Jessica Shaw has returned to Los Angeles joining up with another investigator, Matt Conner, whom she had met previously, while she works on getting licensed in the state. Experienced in missing persons cases she works on locating a woman whose vehicle was abandoned on the Twentynine Palms Highway two months prior. With the police not having made headway into finding their daughter, Laurie Simmonds, the parents sought outside assistance. Research reveals that Laurie was one of three women to vanish from that particular highway. Are these disappearances related? When Jessica finds the correlation between these missing women she knows she’s closer to learning what happened to them but then the clients cancel the investigation. Why would parents do such a thing? There are secrets being kept and Jessica is not one to give up on a case even if there’s no payday at the end.

This book is an interesting, fast-paced, suspenseful layered mystery with a compelling heroine. There are multiple points of view and different timelines as the lives of the missing women unfold around the time of their disappearance which gives the victims real depth. What is happening in the present truly began in the past and Jessica follows the many threads. She’s uniquely qualified to understand the emotions of those searching for the missing.

Though not a prerequisite, having read the previous books in the series gave this reader a deeper understanding of Jessica who has continued to grow over time as life throws its darts at her, she’s an intelligent, tough woman with relatable vulnerabilities. Jessica and Matt have a shared history before this reunion and there are intense moments between them that could prove challenging, sometimes the line between professional and personal can become blurred. I was disappointed in the character of Matt who I had liked in the first book but you never know what an author will do in subsequent books, perhaps he’s still redeemable.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was definitely the best of Lisa Gray so far. She is really evolving into a great story writer with great characters and plots and lots of twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really look forward to reading the next one,

I’ve mentioned a few times, or maybe more…. that I don’t love series. I read the Kinsey Milhone books by Sue Grafton and that is one of the few series I ever read and looked forward to the coming novels. But Lisa’s series about Jessica Shaw have been excellent and somehow she crafts suspense in every chapter that keeps you turning the pages quickly.

Once you begin reading, you don’t want to stop and that’s the best kind of book. Dark Highway is the latest story and its a must-read.

Check it out:

LA-based artist Laurie Simmonds disappeared two months ago, her campervan abandoned on the isolated Twentynine Palms Highway, miles from anything—or anyone. With the police investigation stalled, her parents put all their faith in private investigator Jessica Shaw to find out the truth of what happened.

Jessica and her partner Matt Connor discover that two other women are missing, their disappearances connected to the same highway. When a link emerges between these women and a group of former college friends, Jessica feels certain they’re closing in on their target.

But no sooner do they follow this up than Laurie’s parents get spooked and drop the case. Jessica is blindsided but determined not to give up: three women are missing, and many more may be at risk. She can’t turn her back on them. But the more she pulls at the threads of the truth, the closer she comes to danger. Can she find out who’s behind these crimes before they come for her?

Though the Jessica Shaw books are a series and this is number 3, you don’t have to read the other books ahead of this one. I think they can be read out of sequence and you won’t be totally lost. Since this comes out on November 19, you have time to read the first couple of books in the series if you want!

Pre-order it here.

Dark Highway by Lisa Gray.

When a young artist, Laurie Simmonds, goes missing and her camper van is found abandoned at the Twentynine Palms Highway two months later, Jessica Shaw and Matt Cooper are brought in by her parents to investigate what happened. They discover two other women have gone missing with similar connections. When the identify of a body is discovered in a shallow grave off the highway, this story takes a sharp turn and secrets begin to unravel.

Dark Highway is a fast paced, mysterious thriller with twists that kept me guessing right up until the end! This story is centred around revenge and grief but all is not what it seems. This novel is told through alternating perspectives and different timelines. I enjoyed the engagement between the different character stories, it was well scripted, overlapping but not confounding.

The characters are excellently portrayed, well drawn and distinguishable. The story line was full of suspense and I loved watching the stories come together, I couldn’t put this book down! It has everything you want from a gripping, mysterious read.

I have to admit that this is my first book from the Jessica Shaw series but I will most definitely be adding the first two books in the series to my list!

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me to read and review Dark Highway.