Last Day Alive is the second instalment in the Detective Kimberley King series, set in Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma. Former NYPD Homicide Detective Kimberley has been working as Chief Deputy for the past 12 months where she had hoped she might see less crime, especially of the murder variety, but one positive is that a relationship may be about to blossom between Kim and single father, Caleb. Once again, though, she and her colleagues are thrust into the middle of a complex investigation when, in the middle of her surprise birthday party at the station in which they are all binging on cake and coffee, an urgent call comes in and they must set aside their moment of indulgence. Kimberley and Sherriff Sam Walker gear up and head to the home of missing 10-year-old Piper who has now been gone for over 12 hours. Her grandparents inform them that Piper had cycled to friend Miley's house for a girly sleepover and they had no clue anything was wrong until Miley had called them this morning looking for her. The team immediately release an Amber Alert, to make other Police in the area aware that they should be on the lookout for her, and they mobilise a series of search parties to scour the area hoping that she may have gotten lost or just wandered off. However, the following evening Piper's body is discovered extinguishing any hope the family may have had of finding her safe and alive. So the missing person’s case has now become a murder inquiry and the Police are hellbent on catching the vicious killer in their midst. They poke around in the private lives of her family for any discontent or dark secrets and look into Piper's absent parents and the story behind their separation from their young daughter.

Although there's no doubting the family is broken everyone questioned so far has a solid alibi. Then, unbelievably, the Police receive a call claiming that Miley has vanished too and they jump into action given the previous horrific outcome hoping they might be able to find her alive given that she hasn't been gone long. They revisit the areas searched when looking for Piper in the hopes of a better conclusion but all they can find is Piper's vibrant pink bicycle. Kimberley soon finds herself in the crosshairs - trapped by a demented killer. Can her team come to her aid before the monster can end another innocent life? This is a compulsive and absorbing police procedural with an expertly hidden perpetrator, plenty of motives, twists that leave you open-mouthed and a series of events that are well woven. Almost solely told from Kimberley's perspective, with some interspersed chapters featuring the deranged killer's thoughts and reasoning, this allows for easy immersion within the story adding to the enjoyment. Protagonist, Kim, is a durable woman who knows exactly what she wants and who isn't afraid of hard work; she is also not sure if she feels more than just platonic love for Sam. Everything moves at a decent clip and there are plenty of tense, heart in your mouth moments as the Sheriff's Office pool their resources to find the two girls. The way Adler assembles each suspect and then slowly rules them out had me clamouring to find out who the culprit was yet despite several guesses I was nowhere near the mark. It's wickedly twisty and the author makes good use of red herrings/misdirection, which fooled me, a seasoned crime reader, on more than one occasion. Highly recommended.

Blog Tour Review: Last Day Alive (Detective Kimberly King #2) by J.R. Adler

One hot summer’s evening, ten-year-old Piper Chase went for a bike ride. She never came home…

Piper cycles off one hot Oklahoma evening for a sleepover with her new friend Miley from summer camp. But when she doesn’t come home, her grandparents raise the alarm. Their little angel is missing, last seen on her pink bicycle, heading towards the dark woods on Black Heart Lane.

Detective Kimberley King knows that the first twenty-four hours in a missing child investigation are the most critical, but with no witnesses, and darkness falling in the small town of Dead Woman Crossing, she begins to fear the worst. She longs to find the little girl with wide blue eyes and an infectious smile, but when her team discovers Piper’s body in a woodland clearing, lying on a bed of moss, something inside her dies.

In a town where people leave their doors unlocked, Kimberley is terrified that another little girl might be snatched, and that night she holds her own daughter tighter. Desperate to find the monster who took the life of an innocent child, Kimberley chases down all the leads she has. The summer camp counsellor, who got too close to Piper and Miley and lost his job. Piper’s shifty uncle, who arrived back in town the day she disappeared…

Then she gets a call that chills her to the bone. Miley has gone missing. Has the killer who stole one little angel just taken another?

Review

I enjoyed the first book in this series and have been keenly looking out for updates on publication of the second installment. Needless to say, I was super excited when I saw this stunner on NetGalley. I am glad to say that it is even better than the first one. This is definitely one of the best crime thriller series out there.

Piper went out cycling to her friend’s house when she disappeared without a trace. The police begin a race against time to find the little girl. Experts say that the first 24 hours are important in determining the outcome of the missing children’s cases. Unfortunately, a lot of time went by before Piper was even reported missing. Tensions heightened when a second girl also goes missing from her home.

Dead Woman Crossing is such a great setting. Small town, expansive backwoods, nosy neighbors and a creepy history from which the town derives its name, what is not to love? It is the perfect setting for this mystery. It adds to the complexity of the case as there were so many places where the little girl could have gone. At the same time, it gives readers an interesting pool of suspects.

The case is complex with many red herrings. I couldn’t accurately guess the Perp’s identity until the reveal. I had some guesses along the way but all were all wrong. The narrative style with the POV alternating between different characters made this quite a suspenseful read. I also like how the author included short chapters by the Perp. They felt like little explosions going off at intervals throughout out the story.

Detective King grew on me from the first book. She is a deftly crafted main character. I love how the author portrays her as a no-nonsense detective with a hard exterior at work and then we get all the softness when we see her as a mom. Her portrayal as a mom in this installment was so relatable. I remember driving home with my husband and telling him about Detective King’s daughter who is always unplugging her phone like our little girl does. For a minute there, I almost forgot that Kimberley is fictional. I love this detective and the support characters like Sam and Barb. I can’t wait to see how their story progresses especially since this installment hinted at a change in some of the relationship dynamics.

Last Day Alive turned out to be a brilliant read. Fast paced, twisty with an unpredictable ending, definitely a great installment to the Detective Kimberly King Series. What a stunning read.

J.R. Adler, no pressure, we really do need the third book ASAP.

Another great book in the Detective Kimberley King series.
Kimberley is asked to see the grandparents of missing girl, Piper, and realises there’s no time to waste in looking for her.
Her grandparents are beside themselves with worry but it doesn’t end well, when Piper’s body is found shortly after.
Kimberley and Sam know they need to find the killer quickly but they have no idea where to start.
Kimberley and the team look into various leads but they all lead to dead ends.
Soon Piper’s best friend is missing and Kimberley knows she needs to act quickly to find her.
We also have chapters from the person who is taking the girls, and it’s an interesting insight into their mind.
Kimberley is also having problems at home as her mum is still in touch with her step father and Kimberley can’t understand how she can bear to speak to him. She moves in with Barb until her mum sees sense.
There’s a nail biting conclusion to the book that definitely had me on the edge of my seat.
This is a great series and I’m interested in what happens next for Detective Kimberley King.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Deputy Sheriff Kimberley King and Sheriff Sam Walker are called out to a missing child alert. Piper Chase, who lives with her grandparents, was to spend the night with her friend but Miley’s mother said that she was never there. The entire Dead Woman Crossing police department are searching for Piper, when her body is finally found. When Miley goes missing, several suspects are questioned including Miley’s estranged father. Kimberley is also dealing with personal issues involving her stepfather who is in prison for murdering his mistress. She is upset when she learns that her mother has not yet divorced him and is communicating with him. As Kimberley slowly closes in on the killer, will Sam be able to save her and Miley before it is too late? There was a slight hint that romance might be in the future for Kimberley and Sam, or maybe just wishful thinking on my part. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is the 2nd book in the Detective Kimberley King series and I have to say, I liked this better than the 1st one.
When a call comes into the Custer County Sheriff's department to report a 10-year old girl as missing, everyone jumps into the search. Unfortunately, she has already been missing for 18-hours. The sheriff's department delve into Piper's life, learning that her grandparents have custody, mother is a drug addict, there is no father in the picture and she only has one friend Miley. Then Miley goes missing and it is a race to save her. Could the girls have been abducted by the same person? Where is he hiding them? I did not guess the outcome of this story. The climax had my heart pounding. Good detective work. Also, the chemistry between all of the people at the department make you want to be friends with all of them. (Except Deputy Lodge)
Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and J.R. Adler.

4/5 Stars

This is the second book set in Dead Woman Crossing (here’s a link to the first: #BlogTour: Dead Woman Crossing by J.R. Adler), and I’m really liking this series. Kimberley is a really great character that is totally worth rooting for and that you want to be friends with. And her team is also really enjoyable to see work together. They compliment each other really well.

The main mystery was really intriguing, with a young girl found dead and then her friend reported missing soon after. There’s several directions for the investigation to go from the very beginning, as everyone around them is shady as hell, and it was interesting to see where things went. I certainly did not see the ending coming. There’s a couple of good twists in there that kept me on my toes!

The setting remains such a great part of the story - a small town in Oklahoma, with Kimberley readjusting to life in the Midwest after spending years in NYC. The way the author uses the scenery to integrate into descriptions of people, things, etc. really brings everything to life and makes you feel like you’re standing in the middle of a wheat field in the middle of nowhere, OK. I loved it.

This is a great series and I look forward to it continuing!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Last Day Alive' by J.R Adler.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for J.R Adler, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 20th April 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Detective Kimberley King series' The first book I read is the first one in the series and is called 'Dead Woman Crossing' which I highly recommend!! This book can also be read as a standalone with no issues.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. I loved J.R. Adler's 'Dead Woman Crossing' and am hoping this will be just as good. It also stated in the synopsis 'Last Day Alive is perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Carol Wyer'.
I am a huge fan of Lisa Regan and Carol Wyer so am looking forward to see if it loves up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 41 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Oklahoma, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Detective Kimberley King. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'Last Day Alive' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book J. R Adler discusses child murder, mental health and more.

Well, what an explosive stortline in the second book of an explosive series!! Although this book is the second book in a series it can definitely be read as a standalone. Any previous events from the first book that are mentioned are covered in just the right amount of detail to let you know what happened yet not too much to drag on if you have read 'Dead Woman Crossing', which I also highly recommend. I was sucked straight into the storyline from the very first page. The book is very well written with fantastic descriptions. Throughout the book it gives flashes of the Killer's thoughts to help piece what they are thinking and doing together. These were put in at just the right times in the story and linked well.

The storyline was action packed and filled with suspense, drama and tension. I became completely hooked and couldn't stop turning the pages until I finished early hours in the morning. I am happy to say I was completely shocked when I found out who the killer was. I was very glad of this as I was tvery shocked when they were revealed in the first book so J. R Adler is definitely improving. I cannot wait until the next book in this series!!! I enjoyed that although it was extremely edge of the seat tense at time there were some light hearted moments and the very unexpected sentence 'room for his big swinging d##k.' almost made me spit my tea out 😂.

I loved meeting all the characters again!!! They were all very well developed and there was a good mix. I had mixed feelings with Kimberley when I first met her but she has definitely grown in me and she is a whoop butt female lead. I enjoyed watching the relationships develop further between herself and her team and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about them in the next novel of the series. All the team members are very realistic and I really like several of them, Sam and Barb especially. I cannot wait to see if anything happens between Sam and Kimberley 🤞. They both have history and are both such strong lead team members it would be lovely to see how they work together in a couple.

This book would make a brilliant movie and Jeneva I'd like to welcome you to my favourite author club.

Overall a very well written, suspense filled crime thriller which will keep you up late at night.

Genres covered in this novel include
Crime Thriller, Mystery, Murder and Police Procedural, Domestic Drama and more.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Lisa Regan, Carol Wyer and anyone who enjoys books with a strong female leads.


280 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Ten year old Piper takes off on her bike one night to go visit her best friend and is never seen again. Detective Kimberly King is heading up the investigation and does in fact find Piper. Unfortunately, Piper is dead. As she is still processing the case, she gets a call that Piper’s best friend, Miley, is now missing. Kimberly and her partner Sam chase down lead after lead, hoping to find a Miley before it’s too late.
This was definitely a slow burn for me but there were several huge twists that made me change my list of suspects, which was awesome. And I loved that the main character was a strong, independent woman! She didn’t take crap from anyone and she was well liked and well respected in her new hometown, despite only living there for the past year or so.
Although this is book 2 in the series, I haven’t read the first one and had no issues because of it. However there are definitely some triggers for some people-child abduction and murder, mental health among them. There were some good support characters as well-I loved Barb (although maybe I’m biased lol)
All in all, I liked this one and I will probably go back and read the first one and any others that come in the series.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

A neat story with a plot to support. A missing child and the search leading to the body followed by another missing child. Unlike the previous book the author gets down to business from the first chapter. This is not an explosive thriller but a medium paced one. 3.5 stars

Last Day Alive – J.R. Adler

Another new series discovery for me, thanks to Netgalley & Bookouture.

Kimberley King is a former NYPD Homicide Detective, who’d had enough of seeing women killed, and has taken a job in small town Dead Woman Crossing, OK, where she has been working as Chief Deputy for the last year. She arrives to work to find a surprise gathering waiting to celebrate her birthday. As she and her colleagues enjoy cake and coffee, a phone call comes in about a missing child.

Joviality quickly cast aside, Kimberley & Sheriff Sam Walker immediately head to the home of the missing child, a 10-year-old girl named Piper, where they learn that Piper has been missing for over 12 hours now. Reportedly heading to her friend Miley’s house to spend the night, her grandparents had no clue that anything was amiss until Miley called looking for her this morning. Despite an immediate Amber Alert, and rapid mobilization of search parties, Piper is found dead the next evening.

A heartbroken Kimberley and her team are determined to find the killer and leave no stone unturned in their search, digging up family drama and absent parents, but everyone has a verifiable alibi. Then, another call comes into the station – this time Miley is missing…

As the team re-doubles their efforts to find this child alive, Kimberley deals with some friction in her personal life, and also runs into (quite literally) a single father, with a toddler in tow. Intrigued by Caleb and his son Flynn, Kimberley accepts her first date since moving to Dead Woman Crossing, a date that has to wait until this investigation is over. But Kimberley is also conflicted about her feelings for Sam, which she’s barely begun to acknowledge.

As Kimberley re-visits the search areas in hopes of finding something to lead their team to Miley, she stumbles across Piper’s missing bike, and promptly finds herself trapped at the mercy of a deranged killer. Can her team get to her in time? And will they find Miley??

I’m a first-time reader of J.R. Adler, and I am hooked! I am anxious to go back and read the first of this series to learn more about these characters. Some subtle background information provided in bits throughout the book make me think that the next book in the series is going to be every bit as good as this one, and that old ghosts may not be very far away. A great read!!

3/5 stars for book 2 in the Kimberley King series. The characters are likeable and who isn’t rooting for Sam and Kimberley to get together? The book is a nice mix of a criminal minds episode and a hallmark movie. It was fast paced and I didn’t figure out the perpetrator quickly. However, it is not a mind blowing thriller. If you’re looking for a good, entertaining read this one is for you. If you’re looking for a 5 star, life changing thriller — I would look elsewhere.

I really enjoyed the second book in the Detective Kimberley King series. It was fun watching Sam and Kimberley’s relationship evolve, professionally as well as personally (I hope!!). They are perfection when working together to solve cases, always knowing each other’s thinking, reasoning, downfalls, and serving as the other’s strength, when they can’t do it for themselves. I couldn’t figure out the “whodunnit” and I love when a book keeps me guessing. This one ended in a cliffhanger, so I’m REALLY hoping there’s more Kimberley King coming our way!!

Book two in the Kimberly King series had me even more hooked than book one!
After the quite town of Dead Woman Crossing settled down from the first case solved almost a year ago, we are confronted with a missing child’s case and murder. Time starts ticking when another local girl goes missing.

My poor mamma heart was going through all the emotions along side Kimberly until the very end! I needed to know why this happened and who. Also just the guilt factor of if your being a good parent.

The family drama continues and I keep rooting for Kimberly to be that mamma bear her own mother wasn’t, which felt relatable. Also that slow burn with Sam kept me on my toes, although is there going to be tension with a possible new love interest? Which I also have suspicions about and hope to get answers on in book three.

Pacing in both books were quick which I enjoyed, I also really liked the short chapters. I did get confused a few times going between characters. I think a town map would be neat to have for this series so the reader can keep up with the locations of the characters and crime scenes.

I’m looking forward to continuing the Kimberly King series in the future and can’t wait to read the next case.

This is the second book in the Detective Kimberley King series, but you don’t have to read the first to enjoy this book!

Detective Kimberley King works with Sheriff Sam Walker learn a little girl goes missing and know the first 24 hours are the most crucial. They begin looking for her and interview potential suspects, when her body turns up. Not long after that girls best friend also goes missing and the hunt for her is even more intense as they do not want another dead girl.

I loved everything about this story, the mystery of the missing girls, the potential romantic relationship between Kimberley and Sam that is interrupted by a new comer to the town, and Kimberley’s family drama. There is so much happening in this book that you can’t help but keep reading to find out what’s going to happen next. Even though there is a ton going on the way the story is written makes it all fit together and keeps you engaged.

I have not read the first book in this series, but I will certainly be going back to do so, and I cannot wait for more from Kimberley King and Sam Walker!!

Det Kimberley King knows that the 24 hours are vital for the child who is missing
Piper Chase is found and then another called Milly is missing too
Who does this wicked thing
I had an ARC

4.5⭐

Last Day Alive is an extremely well-written, well-paced and gripping mystery. That kept me guessing until the very end. Although, I was sure I had the killer of ten-year old Piper pegged but boy was I wrong! And with real edge-of-your-seat moments, great characters as well as the intriguing possibility of romance between Deputy Chief Kimberly King and Sheriff Sam Walker this truly was a hard to put down story. And I'm definitely going to check out the first book in the series as well as any future ones.

Would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I felt this was a great follow on from Dead Woman Crossing and a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The characters here are so very likeable and believable. . I love the authors writing style, it is very engaging and drew me in right from the start and held my attention all the way through. When a young girl goes missing Detective King and her boss Sam investigate. A body is found and then a second girl disappears. The story is told mainly through the detectives point of view which I really liked. I thought this book was very well written, and had a good plot line. It had everything I like - murder, mystery, twists and a little hint of romance. I wrongly guessed who the killer was and when this was revealed, wow, what a shock ! Whilst there were references to the first book I think this book can be read on it’s own, although I would recommend you read this series in order. Really, really looking forward to the next book,

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I loved this second book in the Kimberley King series. The author took us on a journey with several options of who could be the prime suspect. I love how she writes as it's suspenseful and really pulls you in! I can’t wait to see what she will do in book #3 in this series. Great job and I highly recommend you read this!

Book 2 in the Kimberley King series. I have to say ... honestly, I'm really not liking the main character. I had to push past my dislike of her to finish this book as I wanted to know what happened. The ending was unexpected so that was a nice change. Not sure if this is a series I will continue as there are others that I enjoy much more.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

This book was pretty easy to get into even though it was the second book in the series.

I typically don’t care for police procedurals, but I did like this novel. Kimberly is about a year into her time as a deputy sheriff in Dead Woman’s Crossing, a small Oklahoma town, when 10-year-old Piper Chase goes missing. Soon there is a second disappearance, and it’s up to Kimberly and her team to save the next girl and find out what happened to Piper. The antagonist also has small chapters from their point of view which make it all the more thrilling.

I’m surprisingly excited to read the next book, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys police procedurals.