As a fan of her Tracers series, I always welcome a book by Laura Griffin.

In Flight we get to know two new characters: Miranda Rhoads and Joel Breda.

The novel begins with Miranda, a photographer, taking pictures of birds at sunrise. After her perfect shot is done, she encounters two dead bodies arranged on a boat. The coupled looked staged. A feather is found at the crime scene. Miranda, who is a CSI on a break, calls the cops after taking pictures of the bodies to preserve the scene since rain is on its way.

Joel Breda is the lead detective of the small town of Lost Beach. He’s in charge of finding the killer. He knows that Miranda can be of help, Her expertise could be invaluable to the investigation. He will do anything to convince her to join his team.

But the closer they get to the answers, the clearer it is that Miranda’s life is in danger.

Who is trying to hurt her?

Laura Griffith writes great romantic suspense. I’m always ready to jump into the story because I know I will relish it.

The Flight was no different. Enjoyable characters that I wanted to learn more about. Of course, there are always secondary characters that make you think: I want to read about them next!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkely via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Flight is book #2 in the Texas Murder Files series. It was especially interesting to me because it’s my home state and I could relate. Miranda is a wildlife photographer who moved to Lost Beach for a new start from her former career as CSI. The story gets interesting right away when she happens upon a crime scene while taking photos of birds. This puts her in the path of a serial killer. Joel Breda is a detective on the local police force. He hires her as a CSI for Lost Beach. They have a strong attraction for each other right away. And inevitably things heat up for them. This is a fast paced, romantic suspense full of twists. The storyline is is very well thought out and entertaining. I was drawn in from the first chapter. I really enjoyed this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery

Miranda is taking some time for herself. After a case went wrong, she knows that she needs to decompress, take a break, and maybe change her career. While taking early morning photos on the water, she comes across a crime scene. It seems that her past won't let go. She's destined to be a forensic photographer. Being a witness is one thing, but when the local PD realize who she is, they ask if she would like a paying job.

Joel Breda is at a loss. With the bodies piling up, he isn't quite sure what's going on or what's connected. When he meets the witness for the most recent murders, he's instantly taken. Not only with her poise, but with her keen eye and her ability to see what others might miss. Because his department is so small, he'll take all the help he can get and he wants her... maybe for more than her CSI ability.

With the number of potential suspects growing, Miranda and Joel will have to figure out who is behind these murders and fast, before Miranda becomes another body.

This kept me on my toes and I really enjoyed the mystery. I can't wait to see if more books are coming, but these characters were well developed and had great chemistry.

This is my first [author:Laura Griffin|84181] book but, I have already added three (3) additional stories to my TBR. I was intrigued (and freaked out) from the moment Miranda set out on the water. She is an amazing character with lots of conflicting personalty traits. Joel's complements Miranda with his strength - and patience.

From page one until the revealing scene...is thrilling.

Griffin is one of my go-to authors for suspense and this one is no exception. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. Perfect for fans of Allison Brennan and Debra Webb.
4.5 Stars

Miranda, a CSI on hiatus, is spending the summer at the small Texas coastal town of Lost Beach photographing birds for a nature calendar. This is just the respite she needs after particularly tough case that didn’t end well. However, while photographing, Miranda stumbles upon a double murder and she becomes embroiled in the investigation when the police discover her skills.

Miranda’s photography captured my interest, I’d love to photograph birds in the marshes of Texas! Well, maybe not in the summer as I hate mosquitos and unfortunately, they love me!

Flight had a perfect balance between the main mystery/thriller and the romance. It was a little heavier on the romance than a lot of police procedurals, but I was on board with that as I really connected with Joel and Miranda’s romance! That being said, the police procedural part was interesting, and it seems like Ms. Griffin always features cutting-edge techniques. I’ve read several of Laura Griffin’s books, but Flight stands out as one of my favorites!

Much along the vein of her Tracers series, Griffin's Texas Murder Files series always hits the ground running. Miranda Rhoads--taking a break from forensics after a bad case--has relocated to the island town of Lost Beach to photograph birds. A few weeks in, with her typical luck, she discovers two posed bodies in a canoe on the lake where she was taking her dawn shoot. When she reveals her photos of a unique feather, Miranda is quickly drawn into the case--along with a job with the local PD and Detective Joel Breda.

Fast paced and uncomplicated, Flight by Laura Griffin is just the summery quick read that people need right now, and makes a great second installment to a new series.

Miranda Rhoads left a job as a successful CSI specializing in forensic photography because of the anxiety the job was causing her. She is now taking a break in the small Texas seaside town of Lost Beach, taking pictures for a nature calendar when she discovers the bodies of a murdered couple. Detective Joel Breda is already short-handed when his department receives this case. When interviewing her as a witness to the case, Joel notices the investigative skills Miranda has and convinces her to take a temporary job with the Lost Beach Police Department. The summer tourist season is drawing near and things heat up when an unusual clue seems to tie this murder to a double homicide the year before. Things are also heating up between Miranda and Joel even though they are trying to ignore the spark they feel when they’re together.

Flight is the second book in the Texas Murder Files, but this book features different cases and different characters. This is the first book I’ve read by Laura Griffin and I really enjoyed this excellent romantic suspense novel which is part mystery, part romance. I like the intriguing plot of the book and that the parts of the book related to the investigation have all the details of a police procedural. It was nice to see that Miranda, Joel, and the other detectives on Joel’s team could look into different parts of the case on their own, but always compare notes with other team members afterwards. I like that nobody goes rogue and takes foolish risks to try to solve the case. There is still plenty of action and drama and for the most part, I like the way things turn out at the end. I think a few loose threads of the case are left dangling, which is disappointing, but all of the major aspects of the case are resolved.

For the romance part of the book, I think Joel and Miranda make a good couple. Joel is smart, confident, and a great leader, and Miranda is intelligent and talented, but vulnerable. I think they have good chemistry and in spite of Miranda’s misgivings about getting involved with a colleague, they really don’t have an in-depth conversation about it. They give into their attraction right away and it’s clear they each have intense feelings for each other early on in their relationship. I would say the heat level of the love scenes is Sensual to Hot. Overall, this is a fast-paced book with a nice mixture of mystery and romance. I like the characters and the author’s writing style. I would definitely read other books in this series and by this author.

~ Christine

Review: 
This book was so good! I love the whole suspenseful romance genre, like romance and murder, count me in! Flight was just as good as book 1, Hidden, if not better. There were lots of twists and turns. Towards the end of the book, I started to figure out the killer, but aren’t all mysteries that way. Seriously, if you love crime shows with a bit of romance, this book is for you!  
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Rating: 
4.5 Stars

4.5 stars
This is my first Laura Griffin book, and it will definitely not be my last. I really enjoyed how she set the story. It was descriptive without getting bogged down, and intriguing without trying too hard. She balances romance with a suspenseful plot.

Miranda Rhoads is out at dawn trying to get a shot of some wild birds in the wetlands. She’s got a job as a nature photographer and she’s trying to get photographs for a calendar assignment she has lined up. But as she’s getting closer to the birds, she finds something else. Two bodies.

Detective Joel Breda doesn’t know what to think of his witness, but when he finds out she took pictures of the bodies, that bumps her to the top of his suspect list. His town is fairly peaceful, no murders, sometimes petty theft, with the only real excitement being a recent environmental protest. So the stranger taking photographs of dead bodies is instantly suspicious.

But Miranda is a CSI on hiatus. She’s in Lost Beach, TX to photograph birds, not bodies. But she can’t get the image of the entwined bodies out of her head. Something is nagging her about their deaths. This case begins to get dangerous as she looks into it, though. She’s offered the job as Lost Beach’s CSI since they need one and she’s very qualified. She says no at first, but between Joel asking her, and the case not letting go of her, Miranda takes the job.

As the small town police department works day and night, they find another body and start to wonder if they have a serial killer on their shores. Miranda is thinking outside the box though and starts in on their first solid leads…and it leads to their worst fear. A serial killer. When Miranda is targeted, Joel does everything he can to keep her safe. Moving her into his house seems like a smart idea, and he’s going to try to keep his hands off her, but she might put her hands on him.

I enjoyed the two of them and how they fell for each other. They both felt real and organic. The mystery didn’t overshadow the romance; it was well-balanced. I loved this author’s voice and style, and I bought the first book in the series already. I’m very excited to read more by her.

***Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Miranda Rhoads arrives at Lost Beach burnt out from her job in CSI and thinks that turning her sights toward nature photography will be her salvation. Unfortunately, she stumbles upon a boat with a dead, obviously posed, couple in it and her CSI life is rejuvenated, even if she isn’t.

Laura Griffin again delivers a solid read in Flight, the second in the Texas Murder Files series. The first involved her sister, Bailey in Hidden (you can see my review here.) Amusingly enough, I started my review of Hidden by suggesting you shouldn’t get attached to whomever was at the beginning of a Laura Griffin novel because Laura was going to kill them off, but lo and behold, she fooled me this time because Miranda is the first person we meet on this ride.

Everything about Flight worked so well. I loved the beach setting with Miranda photographing birds for a calendar she was contracted for. I loved her dog Benji and the relationship she had with him and how Laura mentioned a dog sitter because, seriously, we dog people think about those things!

The mystery suspense really works–well, it’s a Laura Griffin novel so you expect it to. While I had an inkling as to the direction of the killer, I did not guess until it seemed that Miranda did. The romance I felt meh about although Joel and Miranda were a likable couple.

Despite the fact that this is a series, Flight works 100% as a standalone.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flight by Laura Griffin is the second standalone novel in the Texas Files, romantic suspense series featuring law enforcement romances and the intense cases they work. A coastal setting, bird feathers, murder, and hot chemistry made for an addictive read.

Miranda Rhoads, a former San Antonio forensic photographer, is renting a cottage in the seaside town of Lost Beach while she works on a wildlife photo assignment. In the early morning hours, while photographing on the water, she comes across a couple sleeping in a canoe… only they aren’t sleeping they’ve been murdered.

The tale that unfolded was suspenseful as leading detective, Joel Breda persuades Miranda to work for the department even as he can stop thinking about her romantically.

I really enjoy Griffin’s novels. The cases are intriguing and feel current. She delivers plenty of suspects, red herrings and twists. Each of the books work entirely on their own and involve one case and one romance.

The romances unfolds quickly as is common in this genre, but Griffin created characters I connected with and their chemistry, background and feelings felt realistic giving their relationship depth.

Secondary characters, and links to other murders delivered a suspenseful case. I liked getting to know the secondary law enforcement characters. I’m hoping we eventually get their stories.

Once I started I was unable to set their story and this case aside. Fans of romantic suspense, murder mysteries and small-town communities will want to add Flight to their bookshelf.

Laura Griffin continues her Texas Murder Files with FLIGHT, and it’s every bit as exciting as HIDDEN. When wildlife photographer Miranda Rhoads comes across a couple sleeping in a canoe, it’s clear something isn’t right. All photographers are observant by nature, but Miranda’s a former CSI forensic photographer, and she sees more. Turns out the couple is part of a string of murders from a serial killer. It’s awful knowledge, but helpful for Detective Joel Breda, who asks Miranda to help with the investigation. Griffin sets the scene in the beginning by delving into Miranda’s thought process for capturing the perfect light. It’s a lovely vision, with “sunlight-saturated air” and a great blue heron meandering through the reeds. She lulls the reader into a state of lassitude before bam! — she wallops you upside the head with a paddle of reality. I’m a journalist, but I’ve never been endangered; my son, on the other hand, is a photojournalist and I worry about him coming across something like this one day. That’s how real Griffin makes her stories. The romance between Joel and Miranda is believable and, well, romantic. The stakes are high; the action fast paced. And even though the killer isn’t a well-kept secret, it’s still stressful. Actually, it’s more stressful figuring it out early because you know. You KNOW. Cross your fingers for more books from the Files.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/march-romantic-suspense-must-reads/

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read Flight.

I think I have a new favourite author. I’ve read book 1 and book 2 in this series in under 24 hours..

Although the characters in this book are loosely connected to the first book, you can def read this as a stand alone.

✔️ I really enjoy this author’s storytelling and writing
✔️ another good romance to go along with the mystery
✔️ I liked the environmental and social media aspects of this mystery

Laura Griffin has written a second strong story in her Texas series. This is my second book to read by Griffin.

This was an interesting who dunnit police book with some great twists added in. I wasn’t myself even sure who had done the crimes until the very end of the book.

Griffin has well developed main characters in Miranda and Joel. Both are likable and I found myself rooting for their relationship.

This is a great fast read that made me keep wanting to pick the book back up. I will be anxiously awaiting more form Griffin.

all thoughts and opinions are my own. I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher and NetGalley.

This is the second book in this series, but there's no crossover to book 1, other than that they are both in Texas. Feel free to dive right in!

Miranda Rhoads moved to the small town of Lost Beach to get away from her problems. She left her job as a crime scene tech and got a temporary job photographing wildlife for an upcoming calendar. She's living in a rental house on the beach, and she's loving every moment of it, even those pre-dawn kayak trips to capture photos of birds with perfect light. But, during one of those early morning jaunts, she finds a murdered couple in a sinking canoe, and she wonders if she'll ever really be able to leave her old life behind.

Joel Breda is a local detective, who was born and raised in Lost Beach. When he catches the unusual murder case, he's curious after meeting the woman who discovered the bodies. She seems relatively unfazed, which makes sense once he finds out about her former job. But, when the photographs she took at the scene are better than any he's ever seen, and her hunch about an unusual piece of evidence pans out, he wants to hire her to help out their small department for the summer. But first, he has to convince her to take the job.

Joel and Miranda had fantastic chemistry from the start, and I loved watching them dance around it, especially once they were working together. Even when Miranda was trying to convince herself that their working together meant they couldn't get involved, Joel was always there tempting her. They had a great connection, and fun banter.

There were a bunch of very interesting side characters in the story, and I wouldn't mind learning more about them in future books. But, since this book held completely different characters, and a different location, from book 1, I'm not optimistic that we'll be getting those stories, which makes me a little sad. There were a lot of threads with Joel's trainee Nicole, his detective brother, Owen, another detective Emmet, and Emmet's Fire/Rescue team brother, Calvin, among others, that felt a bit unfinished to me. Especially assuming that we'll never get to see them again. I really would've liked some of those stories to feel more closed, if this is all we'll get of them. Looking back at my review for book 1, it appears I had similar hopes for side characters' stories in that one, so I guess I need to remember and prepare better for it in the next one. But, a few short stories or novellas with side characters' stories would be amazing!!

The suspense plot here was more fascinating to me than book 1's in some ways, but maybe had a less urgent feel? I was very interested in the case, but I didn't have that pounding, dangerous feeling the whole time, so it was a different vibe while reading than book 1. But I enjoyed each discovery they made toward the killer, and I didn't completely guess who it was until everything started happening toward the end, so that was awesome!

Joel and Miranda were so great, and I really loved this story. I like the author's writing style a lot, so I'll definitely be back for more!

Flight is the second book in the Texas Murder Files series and it can be read as a standalone. After Miranda Rhoads quits her job as a CSI, she takes on a new project as a wildlife photographer. But one early morning, during a photography session, Miranda discovers the bodies of a couple in a canoe. The bodies look like they were staged in an embrace. Detective Joel Breda is the lead investigator on the case and when he finds out that Miranda used to be a CSI, he offers her a job as CSI to assist the understaffed police department.

Flight was a fairly fast-paced romantic suspense, with a solid cast of characters. I enjoyed Miranda and Joel as individual characters and as a couple. Miranda is very reserved and stiff and she has difficulty lowering her walls and opening up emotionally. She worries a lot and overanalyzes everything. Basically, she's me 😂 I related to Miranda so much! Joel is very patient and understanding and he is always there for her. Miranda's guard constantly goes up around Joel, but he is very good at gently coaxing her to open up to him. I always enjoy couples where the heroine has a lot of walls and the hero is patient, understanding, and supportive. It is one of my absolute favourite dynamics in romance novels and I'm so happy I got this with Miranda and Joel 🥰

The timeline of this book is very tight. Miranda and Joel have an instant connection, but they've only known each other for a short period of time. Their romance still worked for me though. The mystery surrounding the case is unique and interesting, but the culprit's identity is easy to predict. What I like about Laura Griffin's books is that she tends to explore very niche careers and I always end up learning new things that I had never heard of before. So I appreciate that a lot. We also get to know several supporting characters, most notably detective-in-training Nicole Lawson, whom I suspect will get her own book later in the series. I am hoping she ends up with Emmet 👀

First off, a disclaimer: I read the bulk of this book while recovering from an injury where I was on a pain killer and muscle relaxer. It didn't make me loopy but it did mess with my focus. I had a hard time focusing on anything. It took me three times as long to read this book as it normally would. I've no doubt all of that affected my thoughts and feelings. I will need to read it again, when I'm not in pain or on painkillers.

Okay, the story. :)

The lead female, Miranda, is the sister to the lead female Bailey, in the first book in this series but you do not need to have read that one. This is a stand alone and not really connected to the first book. Miranda is taking time off from CSI work after a disastrous case, and allowing herself time on her hobby of nature photography. She is intense, dedicated, and a workaholic. So is Joel, the male lead. When a dual murder occurs at the start of tourist season, Joel and the rest of the police department feel the pressure to get it solved, quickly. Miranda gets involved because A) she found the bodies, and B) she's a former CSI who is conveniently available to fill their conveniently open CSI position. They work together with the rest of the police department, looking for clues and motives. The mystery was intriguing and I felt stupid for not figuring out who the villain was. I was stumped. It made sense though and there were clues sprinkled throughout. The motivation too was intriguing and gave me something to think about when my brain clears.

One thing I liked was that rather than waiting until late in the book to get the romance started, Griffin brings them together earlier on. The books of hers I've read, though marketed as romantic suspense, tend to be heavy on the mystery and light on the romance. In "Flight", the romance was better developed and more central to the story, though the emphasis is still on the mystery. I did feel the HEA was too fast, an HFN seemed more appropriate, but I had no trouble believing they would be together.

I found the book easy to put down, but that may have been my lack of focus and not the story. While I enjoyed it, it wasn't compelling enough to break through my brain fog. Take that as you will. I will be back for book three. :)

4.5 stars

Miranda Rhoads left her career as a well renown forensic photographer looking for a new start in the Texas coastal town of Lost Beach. Taking beautiful nature shots of birds for a wildlife calendar is soul cleansing after leaving a job she loved but in which she experienced dual heartbreak, both personal and professional. While out on an early morning assignment hoping to capture a moment of ephemeral beauty, Miranda comes across a young couple who are seemingly sleeping in a canoe in the rushes. They are not merely asleep but are rather very dead. Using her CSI skills, Miranda takes photographic evidence knowing how crucial it will be to the local police since they are on the water.

Detective Joel Breda is the top on his force working in the small island town police department that is low on resources, but high on skilled men and women. He is determined to track down the culprit especially when things continue to take a deadly turn. Joel feels an immediate connection with Miranda while realizing she could be an invaluable help to the investigation. Miranda at first resists both the job offers and Joel’s other attractions. This detective is a patient pursuer, an ability that goes with the territory of a skilled investigator. After Amanda reluctantly agrees, Joel knows he wants more from her than just professional help.

As Miranda and Joel work together tracking down unusual evidence and possibly related cases, it becomes clear that the hunters might also become the hunted. Someone deadly and determined may be hiding on the island possibly connected with an eco-protest group that has some questionable practices. Joel and his people are under pressure to solve this crime before the big tourist season starts on which the Lost Beach community greatly depends on for their economy.

While the main story features Joel and Miranda, there is a third POV from a detective in training, Nicole Lawson, who plays an important role in the tale as well. I enjoyed this well-crafted romantic suspense story and not just because I am a Texan who is familiar the actual area where it is set. The pacing along with the action, adventure, and romance will keep readers eagerly turning the pages the see how it all plays out. This book is the second in The Texas Murder Files series that features Miranda’s sister; however, it can be read as a standalone.

Flight
Laura Griffin

NY Times bestseller Griffin’s (Hidden) second in her new Texas Murder Files novel, Flight, is full of everything fans love about this author, a timely edge of your seat storyline, fast paced interesting and very readable narrative, police procedural attention to detail, always a strong female protagonist, a steamy romance and a murder mystery in her home state that will make the audience’s hair stand on end.
This novel features San Antonio forensic photographer Miranda Rhoades who after a calamitous case left her with burnout has temporarily settled on the Texas coast in the small touristy town of Lost Beach. There she’s using her talents to photograph birds instead of crime scenes and literally stumbles on a pair of dead bodies then gets drawn into this baffling case because of her expertise by local detective Joel Breda who she can’t seem to say not to or stop thinking about. Breda and his team are under pressure to solve this grisly case before tourist season starts but keep coming up with dead ends until they finally get a break because of a feather Miranda found at the crime scene. But Joel knows that he’s up against more than solving a crime because he’s way too attracted to the beautiful CSI and needs to decide how to handle wanting her and working with her at the same time.
Griffin, a master of the dangling carrot leads her readers on a roller coaster ride as they find themselves speeding through the pages desperately seeking her well placed and often just out of sight clues to solve the puzzle. Along the way they’re gifted with interesting character observations, backstories that fill in all the what’s, where’s and why’s and an electric dynamic between Miranda and Joel that makes it almost impossible to put the book down.
Get ready for some eye-opening findings as Laura expertly dots all her I’s and crosses all her T’s and puts the bow on this perplexing crime drama. And be prepared for a sleepless night because once you begin reading this soon to be bestseller that stands well on it’s own you won’t want to stop until The End.