This was another solid follow through for Chief Deputy King. It was a thorough quick and entertaining read! Kimberly is on a missing child case this time and is paired up again with her sweet but tough partner Sheriff Sam. It’s a good mystery book with a dab of romance which didn’t bother me as it wasn’t too mushy. The build up on the case was swift and The Who dunnit was actually quite a surprise. The way it ended makes me think there will be another book in the series and I will definitely be keeping up and seeing what happens next!

The perfect murder mystery for those who like Law & Order SVU type shows. I can say for both of JR Adler's books I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. Quick read and hard to put down! This one is full of twists and turns.

tw: child abuse and murder

Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing an arc copy to review!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Last Day Alive, the second novel to feature Chief Deputy Kimberley King of the Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office.

Kimberley and her boss, Sheriff Sam Walker, are called out to the disappearance of 10 year old Piper Chase, who vanished on her way to visit her friend Miley Baker. When Piper’s body is found the hunt is on to find a killer, but with no forensic clues it’s down to interviewing to find a suspect. Then Miley disappears.

I thoroughly enjoyed Last Day Alive which is an engrossing read with a well concealed perpetrator. The novel is told from Kimberley’s point of view with the odd short chapter full of the killer’s musings. I’m not sure why these chapters were included as they contribute little to the narrative and, having read to the end, don’t seem particularly in keeping with the killer’s mindset.

The plot is fast moving and filled with tension as the team search for first Piper then Miley. There’s something about missing children that wills the reader to hope for a good outcome and thus get really involved in the read. I think the author exploits this well, cycling through a series of suspects, giving hope then deflating it as alibis pan out and the reader searches for a new suspect. I must admit that I was clueless until the reveal and then really liked that the author went for the mundane rather than spectacular in the solution.

The novel is as much about Kimberley King’s personal life as it is about the investigation. It is here that I warn readers to read the novels in sequence as much of her troubles stem from the events of the previous novel and are referenced in detail. She is a tough character and uncompromising in her views, determined to protect her young daughter at any cost. Her potential love life is hotting up with attention from two men. Which, if any, will she choose? We’ll have to wait and see.

Last Day Alive is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Great follow up to this author’s first Kimberley King thriller which had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page.
King and her boss, Sam are called to investigate the disappearance of 10 year old Piper who has disappeared on the way to visit her best friend Miley for a sleepover. Her grandparents do not realise she is missing until the next morning and so vital time has been lost in the search. The police do everything they can but there are few clues and it really starts to get to them, particularly Sam who has lost his own child in different circumstances several years earlier. When another child goes missing the tension really ratchets up and the race to find the perpetrator is on.
There are also chilling chapters written from the point of view of the kidnapper which shows that the person is completely mad and very dangerous.
There are many twists and turns and I really thought I had guessed the perpetrator at one point but there were many suspects, all of whom could have been guilty and it turned out that I was wrong!
I also enjoyed reading about Kimberley’s private life with her toddler daughter, Jessica and her difficult relationship with her mother, Nicole. There was also a new love interest for her as well as her growing feelings for her boss, Sam. This side of the novel was left hanging at the end so now I’m desperate to read book three in the series to see how it pans out!
This was an engrossing, cleverly plotted thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Definitely five stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Kimberly King is on the hunt for a killer. A killer who has murdered a little girl. The child was found in the woods. She was lying peacefully, almost like she had laid down for a nap.
Detective Kimberly must juggle her home life and her job. Right now her life is on hold trying to solve the murder before another child goes missing.
Interesting and entertaining.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Last Day Alive by J.R. Adler because after the first Detective Kimberley King novel I was more than ready to jump immediately into to second! This novel follows Detective King who has moved to the small, sleepy town of Dead Woman Crossing after leaving her position as a homicide detective for the NYPD in search of a quieter life with more time for her young daughter Jessica, and this story takes place one year after the first book in the series. This story begins with a missing child who is soon found murdered. Detective King and her team begin an investigation with no real leads when another child goes missing as well.

This book grabbed me from the first page and held on until the last. It truly kept me guessing right up until the end of the story. The author certainly had me fooled! This book is well written and captivating with the perfect amount of tension throughout. I couldn't put it down and may have lost some sleep for this one. I hit the last page and wished I could pick up the next one! I definitely need more books in the Detective Kimberley King series and J.R. Adler will now be an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title which did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, J.R. Adler, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Last Day Alive in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Such a good, fast paced read.
The storyline was intriguing and the characters were well drawn and realistic. I was hooked from the start.
Well worth a read.

Piper cycles off one hot Oklahoma evening for a sleepover with her new friend Miley. When she doesn’t come home, her grandparents call the police. Piper 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 important , but with no witnesses or evidence she begins to fear the worst. When they do find Pipers body in a clearing of the woods, it breaks her heart.

Kimberley is terrified that another little girl might be snatched in this small town. Desperate to find the monster who took the life of Piper, Kimberley chases down all the leads she has. The summer camp counsellor, who got a little to friendly with Piper and Miley and lost his job. Or Pipers suspicious uncle...

Whew! Well first off, I loved Detective Kimberley and the dimensions of her character. There is just enough personal life sprinkled in to make this not strictly a police procedural book. The parts of the novel where we hear the voice of the killer is creepy and dark to be eerily believable. I did not see the ending and was super surprised to see how it all panes out. JR Adler writes so well that she keeps you hooked from the get go and does not let up until the end. I can’t wait to follow more of Kimberley and her cases.

Thank you @netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my review.

I’m pretty sure my head is still spinning and I’m still like WHAT right now after finishing Last Day Alive. Yet again another J.R. Adler book that had me guessing literally the ENTIRE book and sitting on the edge of my seat. This was a slow burn, but in the best way possible.

Ten year old Piper takes off on her bike one night and never comes home. Detective Kimberley King fears the worst when no witnesses know anything and she was right: Piper’s body was found and she was murdered. And then she gets a chilling call: Piper’s best friend Miley is missing. Kimberley and Sam try to chase down every single lead they have, desperate to find out who this monster is.

Seriously, J.R. Adler, you had me fooled. Again. At one point in the book, I had a mental list of like 5 people that I thought could be the killer. And I was STILL wrong! This was an exciting one. And I love how badass Kimberley King is. I want to be her when I grow up. Last Day Alive gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 from me!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
An absolutely captivating, fast paced, brilliant book!! I love a storyline that involves the personal lives of the characters while not taking away from the story.
I can't wait for the next one. Definitely deserves five stars.

Amazing book two. This book did not disappoint!
Thus book had me tearing through the pages!
The writing is what I loved d most! Amazing job J.R.

Book 2 of the Detective Kimberley King series was just as good as the first, if not better! I was so excited when I got approved for this ARC and jumped right in. I read this in one sitting, I could not put it down. It takes place a year after the first book, Dead Woman Crossing. A little girl, Piper, goes missing and they end up finding her body. They don't have any real leads and then Piper's best friend Miley goes missing as well. Honestly, I thought I had an idea of who did it but I was completely wrong. This book is mostly told from Kimberley King's perspective, but there are occasional chapters from the killer's point of view as well.
I loved everything about this book, and that ENDING. I need book number 3 ASAP!!!
Thank you tons to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc!!

Another Detective King book that I absolutely loved and couldn’t put down!!
Now I have to wait how long for book 3 and to see what happens between Kim & Sam?

Piper, who lives with her grandparents goes missing then turns up dead. Suddenly, her best friend, Miley is missing too and the detectives are searching everywhere and coming up with no leads. The book is mainly told from the detectives POV but also switches to the killers pov.
I’m a thriller junkie and this is the kind of book where you just don’t know who did it, your completely surprised at the end and then left hanging!
I can not wait for book 3.

Definitely put this on your tbr for April!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced ebook copy.

Detective King is back with a new case and new complications in her life. When a little girl disappears, King and her team follow proper procedure and chase what turn out to be false leads. With the typical suspects cleared, they seem to be at a standstill. When the missing girl's body is found, the disappointment is overwhelming, and soon her friend also disappears. The out of the way town of Dead Woman Crossing doesn't usually have this much excitement. Kate and her boss, Sheriff Walker, refuse to rest until the cases are solved, not matter what the risk ends up being. In the midst of the case, Kimberly's life is thrown off the rails, when she discovers that her mother has not divorced, and still sees, her husband -- a convicted murderer. Navigating the waters of family complications and considering a possible entry into the dating world keeps Kimberly on her toes. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

After having read Dead Woman Crossing, which is the first book in the Detective Kimberley King Series, I was more than excited to read this second book Last Day Alive. Let’s just say the author did not disappoint! In fact, I believe I enjoyed this second book from the series even better than the first one!
Detective Kimberley King kept me on the edge of my seat throughout this book and I could not turn the pages fast enough! While there was closure of the case that was being worked on throughout the story, the ending still left a bit of a question pertaining to Detective King’s personal life- which I am now hoping and anxiously awaiting a third book for this series (hurry up please)!
If you love crime and thriller novels, this is the book for you! I highly recommend reading Last Day Alive, and everything else by J.R. Adler.

I would also like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an early release copy!

She’s done it again!! I read this book in 24 hours (68% in the first sitting); it truly is UNPUTDOWNABLE! I love that it picked right up from book 1 but you don’t have to have read book 1 to understand the characters or storyline.

I went back and forth with my theories of who the perpetrator was and I was wrong every time. I absolutely adore books that have an unpredictable ending/perpetrator and this one did just that.

I’m looking forward to another book in the series because there are other side stories that are unresolved (Kimberley and her mom’s relationship AND Sam) and I’m dying to see where things go! We need more Kimberley King!

This is Book 2 in the Detective Kimberly King series and it did not disappoint!

I love that this was a follow-up because it got to jump right into the story. No time spent on a back story, character intros, etc. Just dove right in! And I missed these characters. And, again, as an okie myself, love the Oklahoma setting!

I read along with my book bestie so we got to toss around theories. We were both wrong every time! 😆 Which is the only time I don’t mind being wrong! It just means the ending is so unexpected!

This is book two in the Detective Kimberley King series. Ten year old Piper, who lives with her grandparents is suddenly missing and then turns up dead. It’s a murder with no leads for quite sometime. Every path brings the detective to a dead end it seems, from camp counselors to neighbors, to family, the detective is looking at everyone. Then, Piper’s best friend Miley goes missing...

The POV in this book changes back and forth from time to time. Most chapters are from the detective’s point of view, but some are the killer detailing their acts. As I read the chapters from the killer’s POV, it felt like watching an episode of Dexter when he narrated what he was doing and why, recounting moments. The ending on this book was nothing like the first. I had things pretty much figured out with the first book but not this one! The ending came completely out of left field! Also, with the new introduction of a possible love interest named Caleb, I was left with some serious loose ends questions. I am excited to see what the next book in the series brings!

Another 5 star read! I had zero clue who the perp was until it was revealed and I had several suspects that were wrong. I’m rarely wrong and this is the 3rd time this author has surprised me. I could tell the writing style has evolved from book 1 (which was a fantastic read) that weaved side storylines throughout and kept me 100% intrigued the entire time. I need the next book in this series ASAP bc I need some answers to what’s next for CDKK and hot Sheriff Sam! Bravo! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.