Member Reviews
I loved the first book in this series and the second one is even better!
Madison and Nate are heading to Lost Creek to find the person who framed her for murder and to try and find her son.
When they arrive, they discover a teenage girl’s body had been found on the fairground, and it’s not clear if it was suicide or murder.
Madison is dragged into the Police station under suspicion of murdering her ex and thanks to Nate’s contacts, her attorney gets her released.
This is a fast paced crime thriller with lots going on and it really builds to an exciting conclusion.
I was pleased to see Brody the dog was still with them and he definitely helps out in this book.
I loved the way this book ended and will definitely be reading the rest of the series when they’re out.
The characters are so likeable and really make you get behind them, especially with the past that Nate and Madison have had.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Cry for Help is the second instalment in the Detective Madison Harper series. It begins in September 2012 with Detective Harper is tending to her ten year old son, Owen, at her home in Lost Creek, Colorado, when she receives a visit from Detective Don Douglas from Lost Creek Police Department. She opens the door and is quickly handcuffed. She is being arrested for the murder of Officer Ryan Levy, whom she shared a shift with that day, a mere five days into her role as a detective. Fast forward seven years to July 5, 2019 and convicted criminal Ricky Gregor, a maintenance manager at Fantasy World amusement park in Lost Creek, finds the slumped body of a teenage girl in one of the Ferris wheel cars while cleaning. Her arms have been slit right down to the wrists and she sits in a pool of her own blood. Meanwhile, Madison, who had recently finished serving her time, receives a call from Detective Mike Bowers who informs her that her ex-girlfriend Stephanie Garcia had been killed, so she starts the journey from Northern California to Lost Creek, a journey of thirteen hundred miles, after seven years away, with six of those spent imprisoned for a manslaughter she didn't commit. But she's also heading back there to find out who framed her and why. She contacts former death row prisoner Nate Monroe who spent seventeen years inside for a murder he didn't commit and had won a large settlement when his conviction was overturned.
Nate had agreed to help her clear her name and find her son after she aided him in finding a girl missing from a summer camp. He has even given her a trial period working for him as a Private Investigator. When they arrive they get involved in the case involving the murdered teenage girl, Nikki Jackson, as she happens to be Owen's girlfriend. Can Madison and Nate get to the bottom of who and why someone framed her, who and why Stephanie was killed and exactly what happened to Nikki? This is a compulsive and scintillating procedural with an action-packed, complex plot, which features several intermingling threads, and there's never a dull moment as Dranfield keeps you on your toes. Madison and Nate's interesting backstory is fed to the reader in digestible chunks throughout so as not to overwhelm and it works well; I was fascinated with the situation Madison finds herself in and it was a refreshingly original personal story. There is certainly plenty to get your teeth into with a complex plot but it never gets confusing as it is expertly woven. I loved the mix of murder case and personal mission to discover who and why someone framed her for murder. The fact that it's told from various perspectives allows you to become more immersed in the goings-on and makes it fully rounded. This is a high-octane, edge of your seat read made all the more authentic by the research the author has carried out to make the procedures true to life. Highly recommended.
Be ready to loose sleep as you stay up all night to dive head first into this rollercoaster ride of a story!
This is the second book in the series and picks up right where the last one finishes. Madison and Nate are on their way to Madisons home town, but what horrors await her when she arrives?
This is a fast paced, well written story that you just can’t put down. Secrets are unravelled as you progress and you won’t see the many twists coming.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, but I have to say this one is even better, it pulled me in and didn’t let go until the early hours of the morning!
What I also loved about it was how being the second book in the series, it didn’t waste time recapping everything like so many books do, it presumes you have read the first and jumps straight into the next adventure as though you were just starting a new chapter.
I can definitely see this series continuing and can’t wait to see where the lives of Madison and Nate head.
Well done Wendy Dranfield, such a fantastic follow up to Shadow Falls, can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and most importantly the author, for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.
This second book in the Detective Madison Harper series picks up just a short time since the last book. Madison and Nate solved their last case. They are now back in Colorado, in the town where Madison was wrongly convicted of murder and lost her life to what she believes was a set-up. To others, her return is in response to the murder of her former girlfriend, Stephanie. Madison was named in the will to inherit the girlfriend's house, and she is prepared to make arrangements for Stephanie's funeral. Unfortunately, her hometown is not hospitable to her return. The police immediately bring Madison in on the suspicion that she murdered Stephanie, even though she was in CA. From there, Madison and Nate struggle to stay off the police's radar, to endure the locals' hatred, and to find out information about the location of Madison's son. It's a twisty plot with lots of "false" answers, but Madison and Nate refuse to give up. The surprise ending makes you want to know what the future holds for both of them.
When the body of teenager Nikki Jackson's is found at the fairground park where she works parttime everyone believes it's a suicide but there is just one problem no one can find the knife that Nikki supposes to have used to cut her wrists.
Ex detective Madison is back in Lost Creek after serving seven years for the murder of her police partner Ryan, a crime she didn't commit.
Not only is she here to bury her old lover but also to try and track down her son who was taken into care after her arrest.
With the help of Nate another ex con wrongly convicted of murdering his fiance can Madison clear her name and find out who framed her whilst searching for her son and who had wanted Nikki dead?
I’ve found a new series to keep up with! I just read the first book in this series weeks ago and was glued to the book. This one was no different! I could not put it down! I so wanted to know who framed Madison that I had to finish the book from start to finish in one day!!! I feel the characters and the storyline are well thought out. Very entertaining! I will be seeking out her next book!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.
Book two in the series and I would recommend reading the previous one first. The constant references to Madison's past became just a little bit irritating. She teams up with Nate, an ex con, to try and clear her name and reunite with her young son. The book was skilfully written, with plenty suspense and good characterisation. The story flowed well but there was little detective work involved and more about sibling rivalry, although it is unclear as to the reason for this. Overall, a well written story which I enjoyed reading. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
This is the second book in this series, and I LOVED it. This book continues to Follow Nate and Madison and what happens next in their lives. Madison wants to find her son and clear her name. Nate wants to also clear his name, and find who framed him. This book kept me on my toes the entire time. I can’t wait for the next one to be released!
Another great book by Wendy continuing on with the lives of Madison and Nate. A lot of twists and turns in this one as the reader catches up with Madison's life story which now features Nate and Brody. I would highly recommend it but be warned once you start it you won't want to put it down.
Wow. A fantastic read, this series just gets better. The story had me gripped from the first page and had me guessing till the last.
Looking forward to reading more in this series.
Former Detective Madison Harper is heading home to Lost Creek after spending six years in jail for the murder of a fellow officer, a murder she did not commit. Madison needs answers…where is her son, who was ten years old when she was convicted, and who set her up and why? Her friend, Nate Monroe, who spent twenty years on death row for a murder he did not commit offers his help. Her best friend in town was murdered and the police have not found her killer. When a teenage girl is found dead at an amusement park, supposedly a suicide, Madison believes that her death might be connected to her friend’s death. There is evil in this town, from crooked cops, illegal criminal activity, a sister who has hated her since they were children, and someone willing to kill to protect their secret. The author weaves the evidence through this twisted small-town mystery, but will Madison figure things out before it is too late? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
I had really enjoyed reading 'Shadow Falls', the first book in the Detective Madison Harper series by Wendy Dranfield, so as soon as I finished that I immediately started 'Cry for Help'. The second book kicks off exactly where book one ends and so I recommend reading the books in order.
Madison has arrived back at her hometown after a long absence which she spent in prison for a crime she didn't commit. But she's not given an exactly warm welcome back, neither by her ex colleagues nor by the people in town. Everyone believes her to be a cold-blooded killer.
She's back with Nate, her boss and private investigator, who's helping her find out the identity of the person who had framed her. But she's also back to find her son and to investigate the murder of her ex-girlfriend, Stephanie. However, Madison is no longer a detective, she has to leave the work to the local police, her ex-colleagues whom she doesn't trust. So she embarks on her own investigation. But how can she and Nate prove her innocence?
As soon as Madison arrives back in town, a teenage girl is found dead at the local amusement park. Everything points to an open-and-shut suicide case, but certain facts indicate possible suspicious circumstances. Someone was with the girl when she died or soon after. Someone knows what happened to her. But who? And what? Was it an assisted suicide perhaps? Or murder?
Well, there's a lot going on in this book and I found myself fully absorbed in the plot and entertained for hours. A myriad questions invaded my mind. I wanted to know who had framed Madison. Who killed Stephanie. And why. What happened to Madison's son? Was the girl at the amusement park murdered or had she had enough of her short sad life?
The plot is fast paced and suspenseful from start to finish. The author's writing crisp and full of vivid descriptions. Even though we have a number of different sub-plots and investigations going on: Stephanie's murder, the girl's death, the whereabouts of Madison's son and the search for the identity of the person who had framed Madison, the plot is not confusing at all. And that shows this author's skill in seamlessly taking the reader on a complex, intriguing, breath-taking journey full of twists and turns, surprises and red herrings and keep them entertained throughout. The ending made me wince and gasp... literally!
I thought book one in the series was great, but I enjoyed this one even more. It is a fabulous thriller and I highly recommend it! Well done to the author and huge thanks to Bookouture for an ARC of this book.
This is the second book of the Detective Madison Harper series and I have to say, I was not disappointed at all!
So we follow Madison, Nate and Brody on the road trip back to Madison's hometown, Lost Creek. Past memories keep flooding her with her ex-girlfriend Stephanie being brutally murdered. While trying to clear her name and to find the real person who killed Officer Levy, a body of a teenage girl, Nikki Jackson was found in the amusement park. The police ruled it as suicide but gradually it became apparent that it was murder. Then Madison's estranged son Owen known as Mason McCoy is suspected for the girl's death...
This was simply a wow! Quite unputdownable, with twists and turns. I felt like I was watching some action packed filled drama while reading this book and the author actually did a good job bringing the reader into the story! Truly intense as well and you would actually feel sorry for Madison as she tries to clear her name for a murder she didn't commit. I just read this book in one go and I simply couldn't put the book down!!!!
Overall, this book gave me such as roller coaster drive filled with drama, action, thrills and twists. I simply cannot wait for Book 3 to come! Worth five stars!
I absolutely loved the first book in this series and was excited to be told (by the author no less!) that book two was already completed and available to request. I eagerly started reading it as soon as I had hold of it and I was BLOWN AWAY right from the beginning, the opening scene! What a way to start a book! What a way to grab the reader’s attention and interest! This book was jam-packed with so much going on, but in a good way. I just love these characters and love this author’s writing style (not to mention her creative and imaginative talent, too)!
Cry For Help was as awesome as I thought it would be, though I think I still loved Shadow Falls more.
Cry For Help is the second book in the Detective Madison Harper series. Having not read book one did not effect my enjoyment of book two in any way except to make me want to go back and read the first book. Cry For Help drew me in from page one and before I knew it I was reading way past my bedtime. Madison Harper is a very sympathetic character, convicted for her police partner's murder- she loses her friend, her home, her son, and seven years of her life. She is notified of her former lover's murder and must return to back to Colorado to settle her affairs, find her son, and to clear her name with new partner and private detective, Nate. Nate is all too familiar with being wrongly convicted by the police. Soon Madison is drawn into the investigations of her former lover and a teenager's death. Madison soon finds things are not what they seem in a twisted and dark tale of heart pounding suspense and twists that will spin your head around. This book is a fast paced, thrill ride that you cannot put down. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Former Detective Madison Harper has returned to Colorado to clear her name of a wrongful conviction and find her son. Nate is helping every way he can and can not believe the police turned on one of their own seven years ago. When they arrive they are looking for the killer of Madison's ex girlfriend and become involved in finding the killer of a teenage girl at the amusement park. The teenage girl happens to be Madison's son's girlfriend so they are in a race against the police to save him from wrongful conviction as well. There are so many suspects in this one and so many twists that I was glued to my Kindle to figure it out. I can not wait for the next book in the series to see what Madison and Nate are going to do next!
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookoutre, and Wendy Dranfield for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
A roller coaster of a read. Skilfully plotted, teasing you with little snippets of information along the way. I had to say there were so many suspects. People with clear reasons to commit murder. Madison returns to her roots; a place of small town prejudice and a continuous feel of danger lurking. Who are friends and who are foes? It's difficult to tell them apart.
This second venture into the world of Madison and Nate had me glued to my Kindle, reluctant to put it down until the story had finished. They really are becoming like old friends now. And what a story! Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what is coming next.
My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of Cry for Help in exchange for an honest review.
A gripping and twisty read.
Madison returns to her hometown to bury her ex girlfriend and find out who framed her for the murder of her partner. She also hopes to find her son who was put in the system when she was convicted.
Lost Creek is a typical small town full of interesting characters and some despicable ones too. Being labeled a cop killer certainly makes things difficult for Madison.
This was a well written that story draws you in and keeps you turning pages. I'm looking forward to the next one.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
This book is the second of the series, but it gives plenty of back story so it can be read as a stand alone. I liked the beginning of the book better than the ending. The bad guys were so bad and their motives were not convincing enough given the level of violence. I also missed the focus on the dynamic between Madison and Nate which was part of what the first book in this series so good. So it was pretty good but a little disappointing
Cry for Help by Wendy Dranfield is the 2nd book in the Detective Madison Harper mystery series, and another great addition. I enjoyed book one, Shadow Falls: Find My Child so much, that I started reading this book right away. I have definitely found a new author to enjoy. Two people who were falsely imprisoned for murders they did not commit, are now working together as unlicensed private investigators. Nate was on death row, and won a large settlement after his conviction was overturned. Nate now helps other people, and he hates policemen. Madison, a former police officer, asks Nate for help to see who framed her. Madison agrees to help Nate, solve a missing girl case, the first book. Now they are in Colorado to find out who set Madison up. I loved this book with it's non stop action, and range of emotions it brings out. I strongly recommend this book/series if you enjoy a good mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.