The seconds better than the first!
In this follow-up to The Betrayal, we find Olivia called on to help exonerate a family friend who suffers from amnesia after witnessing (or committing?) his mother's murder thirty years ago. Ebby was only thirteen when his mother was killed and is now having vivid memories from that night that cause him to black out. Convinced he must have done it, in a black out state of mind he confesses to it but then has no memory of even doing that. Olivia and her retired detective 'friend' Brian are equally convinced he is innocent.
Then there's another plot that involves Brian and a woman who has her sights on him that may have ulterior motives for getting close to him. And then there's the case of the missing gold sovereigns and their connection to the murder. Just when I thought I had it all figured out and wrapped up in a nice little bow then pow! along comes a twist I didn't see coming.
This one is very well written and all the plot lines are brilliantly brought together in a climax that is both surprising and satisfying. Although this is the second book in the series it can enjoyably be read as a stand-alone. I'm a fan of this sixty something year old protagonist, Olivia, and her surrounding cast of characters and can't wait for the next thrilling mystery for her to solve.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this one.

‘The Witness’ is the second book in the ‘Olivia Sinclair’ series.

Teenager Ebby Engstrom witnesses a murder – and then passes out. The next morning, he wakes in his bed with no memory of how he got there, and is told his mother was stabbed to death the previous night. Thirty years later, the case has gone cold, with numerous suspects but no new clues – until Ebby starts having uncontrollable flashbacks to that night. As repressed memories surface, he questions his own role in the murder, leading to a dramatic confession and Ebby’s arrest. Family friend and attorney Olivia Sinclair is convinced of Ebby’s innocence, but the only way to clear his name is to find the real killer herself. And it seems almost everyone connected to the Engstrom family had a reason to want Cynthia dead…

This is the first book that I’ve read by Terry and it was a great book, seen from multiple narratives, that really hooked the reader in.

The story is about Ebby who saw his mother being brutally murdered but a the killer was never caught. Now, over 30 years later, Ebby is beginning to relive that fateful night with panic attacks and blackouts and is convinced that he is killer. Against, his family’s wishes, he asks lawyer, Olivia Sinclair for her help and expertise as well as Olivia’s former lover and policeman Brian to help find the killer.

This book is a cleverly crafted suspenseful thriller that really pulled me in, so much so that I read it in one sitting. The narratives seen from the alleged suspect as well as police procedural really made for compelling reading. Ebby is a fascinating character, he’s never recovered from the brutal murder of his mother and even though she treated him unfairly, longs for her killer to be brought to justice and for his conscious to be cleared. Ebby’s mother was quite an unlikable character, so there are many suspects into her death and motives behind them.

The main story is about the murder of Ebby’s mother, but another story is included with Olivia and her complicated relationship with Brian, who’s now moved onto a new lover called Leanne, who Olivia has her suspicions about. This is the second book in the series, but it’s written in a way that gives the reader enough background to the series and the characters.

‘The Witness’ is a taunt and fast paced thriller, with complex characters that hooked the reader from the first page.

You can pre-order ‘The Witness’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 23rd April 2021.

This is the 2nd book in the Olivia Sinclair series. In this book, she is taking the case of her family friend, Ebby. When Ebby was 13 he witnessed his mother's murder. 30 years later his memory of that night is starting to come back. He confessed to the murder but Olivia isn't sure he did it.

This book is more like a court procedural and investigation of what happened that night which held my attention. I enjoy stories that include flashbacks from characters so that made this one even more engrossing. A strong and satisfying ending. I will defentialy be looking for more from Olivia and this series.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

Terry Lynn Thomas, the author of “The Witness” has written a captivating, intense, and suspenseful legal thriller. This is the second in a series but can be read alone. The genres for this novel are a mystery, suspense, legal thriller, and fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the author’s present and goes to the past (thirty years) when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, and flawed. There are betrayals, secrets, dangers, and murder. Many of the characters can be suspect, and I enjoyed the stories involving several characters adding to the main story.

Can you imagine witnessing a terrible murder, and then waking up and not realizing what happened? Ebby Engstrom was 13 years old when his mother was stabbed, and witnessed it but totally blacked out and for the next 30 years has amnesia to any of the events. Now a successful owner of a restaurant, Ebby is starting to have flashbacks, they are frightening and he blacks out when he has them.

There are some supportive members of Ebby’s family that try to help him, and some have betrayed them. Ebby’s mother was certainly not a class act and showed her hatred of him when he was younger. At a party for his aunt, he blacks out, but wakes up with a torn shirt and blood, claiming he killed his mother when he was 13.

The ambulance is called, and the doctor notes that Ebby is dehydrated and in shock. The Police involved feeling they are readers to open what was a cold case. Ebby is forced to ask Olivia Sinclair to help him, not only stay out of jail but find out who the true killer is. I would certainly recommend this edgy story to other readers.

What an extraordinary whodunit! This is a page-turning, can’t put down until THE END book! Ebony, Felicity, Elodie, and Fiona are quirky but lovable Olivia Sinclair is a welcome voice of reason with her PI sidekick Brian Vickery. This book takes turns that if you were driving would miss. It was a roller coaster of suspense! I highly recommend this book if you like whodunnits with some romance mixed with it.

A good murder mystery in both its audio and ebook formats, it kept me occupied for a few hours. Having not read the author's earlier books, I was pleasantly surprised with my peaking interest in this story. I love murder mysteries.

With multiple plot lines, it kept me on my toes with its many suspects. I kept trying to play Detective then got seriously involved in the book.

But in the middle, too many things happened which confused me a bit, and I had to really concentrate.

Overall it was a good read with some unexpected twists.

I haven’t read the first book in the series “The Betrayal,” but I had no trouble immersing myself in this one. “The Witness” turned out to be a gripping thriller with multiple plots, which was entertaining.

The author progresses the murder mystery very nicely, where you don’t know who the suspect is. Each family member, including Ebby himself, is a potential suspect in Cynthia’s murder and acts suspiciously at one point. Moreover, I always enjoy an excellent amnesiac storyline, and the way the author portrayed Ebby’s guilt made the story hard to put down. Some of the scenes that stood out for me were when Ebby makes a scene at Elodie’s party and when Seth shows his true colors at Olivia. Even though Seth only appeared briefly, he is one of those characters who I immediately despised. It would be interesting if he made an appearance in future novels.

I also loved the second storyline revolving around Leanne, Olivia, and Brian. Olivia and Brian share charming chemistry, and it was interesting to see what happened when Leanne entered the picture. Besides, Olivia uses her skills to make sure that Brian isn’t hurt. Olivia is a fantastic protagonist, and I enjoyed her scenes with Brian and Ebby. However, there were times where I felt like too many things were happening when the author could have concentrated on one or two storylines. As much as I liked Seth, I think the author could have omitted him in this book and given more focus on Leanne or Ebby’s plot.

Overall, “The Witness” is a beautiful addition to the “Olivia Sinclair” series and sparked my interest to pick up “The Betrayal.”

I was gripped by this book in the beginning, but then the plot started becoming confusing. The relationships in this book, both family and romantic were hard to keep up with, because there were so many characters to understand. However, I have not read the previous book, so I understand that can be contributing to my confusion. I found myself rushing through to get to the end, which seemed to happen abruptly. Overall, I don't think it was my type of book but wouldn't want to put off anyone else wanting to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review another outstanding book!!

The Witness, by Terry Lynn Thomas is not a standalone novel and can not be read without first reading the first book in this set, The Betrayal (Olivia Sinclair Series).

I knew when I concluded reading The Betrayal, I would yearn to read the follow up, so imagine my surprise when I was given the ability to do just that!

In true set forth fashion for Terry Lynn Thomas, the Witness is equally as suspenseful as The Betrayal was!!!
This was a nail biting suspense novel circling the topic of who killed Cynthia Engstrom and the psychological roller coaster her son is battling as he tries to face his amnesia head on. Did he kill his own mother ? Could he really be capable of killing someone he loved so dearly? Ebby was so young when the murder occurred and he can not seem to make sense out of what has happened. Readers beware! You will not see this ending coming! This is a story of love, loss, twists and turns. Get ready to have your world turned upside down!

I highly recommend buying both novels at once as you will not want to wait once reading the first in the series!

Terry Lynn Thomas writes an entertaining mystery set in California about a divorce lawyer named Olivia Sinclair. In this second book of a series, Ebby Engstrom has started having uncontrollable flashbacks to an occurrence thirty years ago. As a teenager, he witnessed a murder but woke up in bed the next day unable to remember anything about it. His mother died of stab wounds the previous night and now Ebby is convinced he may have played a part in her murder and is arrested. Family friend Olivia sets out to prove his innocence...

Terry Lynn Thomas's novel contains a stirring mix of legal drama, mystery and suspense, and this offering, The Witness is a guilty pleasure type of story filled with various characters, some of whom you will be rooting for such as Olivia who is a great, relatable protagonist. The assemblage of characters all has individual issues that are threaded throughout the story. As the tale unfolds things are not what they appear to be. The author keeps the reader guessing as she spins her compelling tale of haunts, flashbacks and twists, manoeuvring you into a place where questions keep rolling. Olivia and Brian Vickery, an investigator make a great team as they attempt to prove Ebby's innocence, though they have another side story, creating added interest. A rapid read, I'm eager for more in the series and I'm wondering what else Terry Lynn Thomas has up her sleeve for the main characters.

In short, The Witness is a tempting, drama-filled treat.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

3 fabulous mysteries rolled into one story? Doesn't get much better than that! And this book was brilliant! I love Olivia as a character! She's incredible!

Ebby is still having nightmares about his mother's murder 30 years ago and he knows he has to find the truth to put these nightmares to rest. Did he murder his mother? Did he just witness it? Dissociative amnesia made sure he remembers nothing aside from the little clips in his nightmares. He calls on Olivia to help him investigate.

Olivia and Brian decide to help Ebby out and jump on the case. Meanwhile, Brian has a new girlfriend and Olivia has a hunch that she's bad news. So while investigating Ebbys mothers murder, the gold that went missing after the murder and looking into Brian's girlfriends past, they have their plates pretty full. Pretty full plates make this a wonderful story!

I really love reading about Olivia Sinclair and can't wait for more crazy cases to come up!

A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. This was from a new to me and great author. I really enjoyed the book. Will definitely recommend this book.

While it’s the second in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

This is a solid whodunnit. Usually, I can pick up clues along the way but not this one. Lots of legal and courtroom drama. Secrets come out, lies are exposed and there’s lots of turmoil.

This was the second book in the Olivia Sinclair series. I loved all the mystery. I enjoyed the romance between Olivia and Brian as well. I hope the author will continue with a third book in this series because they are well written and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book. I would start with the first book in the series as this builds the characters.

My Review of The Witness, Book Two of the Olivia Sinclair Series by author Terry Lynn Thomas; published by HQ Digital

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Terry Lynn Thomas has once again created a great suspenseful thriller with The Witness, Book Two of the Olivia Sinclair Series. As in The Betrayal, Olivia Sinclair is a breath of fresh air being an older protagonist. She’s smart, full of heart, strong-willed, and determined. There’s multiple storylines to follow in this book, yet Terry does a superb job tying them together flawlessly. Through vivid descriptions Terry was also able to depict how suppressed memories can effect one’s mental and physical capacities in the simplest tasks of just existing. The Witness, Book Two of the Olivia Sinclair Series is a book I highly recommend as it’s a page-turner that’ll have you hooked to the end.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley UK for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

#TheWitness
#terrylynnthomas
#hqdigital
#netgalleyuk

I hadn't read the book previous to this, The Betrayal and did wonder if it would greatly affect the story but I don't think it did. If anything, I would like to know more about Olivia Sinclair and feel the first book in this series would deepen her as a character.

The Witness is an intelligent legal procedural which follows an unusual case of someone witnessing a murder but suffering with dissociative amnesia for 30 years, that is until they start getting flashbacks and their memory begins to return. 

It is tightly plotted, fast-paced and full of interesting legal know-how. Whilst not a shocking thriller it does have some exciting twists and curveball that keep you wanting more. It's so very cleverly written that you easily turn the pages without realising and it certainly kept me hooked.

Another spine tingling thriller by Terry Lynn Thomas. The second in the Olivia Sinclair series and I certainly hope not the last.

This one takes off with a bang. Who killed Cynthia Engstrom. It's been many years since her murder and her youngest son has been living with suppressed memories of that horrible night. Did he do it? Or was it someone else. Someone he loved? What caused his many years of amnesia? Ebby was only thirteen when it happened and he does not remember a thing except he heard arguing. He saw something but can't seem to make it come to light.

Could Ebby have murdered his own mother. This book is so full of twists and turns you won't know who did it until you read it. I was taken by surprise and that does not happen often. I tend to figure these things out. Not this time.

This is like reading two stories in one. Olivia and Brian's story continues as does Olivia's search for justice for Ebby. Ebby hires Olivia to help him when he thinks he may have committed the murder. Olivia and Brian work hard to find the truth. There is also another somewhat minor story of sexual harassment and a touch about a rape going on. This book truly has a lot going on and it's an excellent second addition to the Olivia Sinclair story.

The characters are all, most all, very likable. Realistic and endearing. The aunts, Ebby, another family member, they are all ones you will root for. While there are always a couple of characters to dislike in most books they are there for a reason. To make you dislike them and you will. I didn't like Ebby's older brother and I didn't like Brian's "girlfriend" at all. So that makes another story going on during this book. It's a lot of good stories all in one and will keep you turning the pages. It's a very intense story of family. Love and loss. Truths coming out and lives being turned upside down. You don't want to miss this one.

Thank you to #netgally, #hqdigital and #terrylynnthomas for this ARC. This is my own true review.

I gave it 5/5 stars and a high recommendation. It published today!!

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for allowing me to read an arc of The Witness. I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it. This book had the same writing and I still liked Olivia. I didn’t connect to the story though. For some reason I couldn’t care about Ebby, I’m not sure why. But then the ending was great! I was shocked which made the book totally worth the read.

The Witness is the second book in this series by Terry Lynn Thomas. The series first book is The Betrayal, and I loved it. The Witness is almost as good. I love that the Olivia-Brian connection that continues from the first book. Fast-paced and filled with lots of twists and turns. The main plot is a thirteen-year-old boy, Ebby, who sees his mother murdered about six months after his father died. Ebby has dissociative amnesia and cannot remember what happened. There are many sub plots involving Brian and Olivia. This book is a quick read and perfect for a rainy day or a day at the beach. I am looking forward to a third book in the series! My thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

A truly enjoyable thriller, I read it really quickly in 2 sittings (if only I didn’t need to sleep).

Through amazingly fluid writing and a great story line, you get engulfed in the mystery until the end! A steady pace, nothing slow and nothing rushed. Perfect!

This story is so much more than just a chase after a murderer from a 30 year old case. Terry spoils us with gripping side stories that perfectly tie in together in the end!

Who stole the mysterious gold coins at the time of Cynthia Engstrom’s murder? Where did they disappear?

The protagonists are really well rounded and full of secrets. Everyone has something to hide and you never know who will surprise you next.

Through the clever flashbacks and following Ebby, you are discovering the truth alongside him and you get involved in the story, rooting for him to remember.

What is his family hiding? What are they protecting him from?

What is Mark guilty off? Ebby’s awful brother is certainly not as innocent as he wants us to believe!

Who is this mysterious Leanne in Brian’s life? As Olivia and Brian’s relationship is evolving, has a new threat arisen?

Olivia is such a refreshing protagonist, she’s an attorney, she’s clever but she’s no action woman and doesn’t try to be, she’s authentic, genuinely nice and a great person ! We all want her as our friend if we’re ever accused of murder!

Really great story with all the required ingredients: suspense, romance, betrayal, secrets, family drama.

Another success for Terry Lynn Thomas which should delight the fans of whodunnit stories!