After a bit of a struggle at the beginning Abby Pearce grew on me. A detective who has returned home to Martha’s Vineyard after a celebrated career with the NYPD sours when her partner is killed on a call with her, she expects a quiet life until the daughter of a famous summer visitor disappears. The book is written in the first person, once I got into it I enjoyed Abby talking directly to the reader. The darkness in her past is slowly revealed as the story is told with twists and turns that tie the two together. I’m looking forward to more in this series, and appreciate NetGalley and the publisher making it available.

⭐⭐⭐.5 -- A solid debut in a new series

I enjoyed this one a lot. It was a quick, easy read. Written well. Paced well. The plot was engaging and had some good twists and turns. A lot of readers will recognize the plot as being quite close to a real life situation that was in the news. I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil the book, but I realized where this story was going as soon as certain aspects were reveled. Abby was a likable lead character, and there were a few interesting secondary characters. The main issue I had with this one (and why it lost some stars) the last chapter (or two?) felt convoluted. I wasn't a fan of <spoiler> Abby drinking again. </spoiler> That honestly made little sense to me after her actions through the entire book. On top of that, there is a lot thrown at us in a short period of time about Abby's past. It just felt rushed and maybe needed a couple more chapters to flesh out the revelations more.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Author Dana Perry (R.J. Belsky) returns with a hypnotic thriller with detective Abby Pierce at the helm. Pierce is a high-profile detective with a decorated and haunting past. Her journey comes full circle in Dana Perry’s latest, Her Ocean Grave, as Pierce grapples with a dark and overwhelming career that leads the crusade for fighting for what is right.
Abby Pierce is an extraordinarily strong independent female star who is weathering her personal battles while trying to juggle the glamorous life of Martha’s Vineyard most elite. Pierce finds herself at a crossroads while trying to find the missing daughter of one of the largest commercial makeup line tycoons in the United States. Pierce’s investigation involves numerous twists and turns and reads like daily New York tabloids headlines. Putting differences aside, she teams up with fellow officers to find the answers and show she is the best detective around.
Perry does a phenomenal job of creating suspense in all the right places while blending the stereotypical opulent lifestyle with the devastating effects of selflessness and loneliness. Abby Pierce is the one I would want to lead the case in trying to find a missing child. This was a really engaging and thought inspiring read that had everything from mystique, intrigue, and self-reflection and I think any thriller fan would enjoy it.

I can’t resist a new detective series even though I am already invested in a dozen or so are at the moment.

Her Ocean Grave introduces us to Detective Abby Pearce. She is a new detective at Cedar Cliff Police Department. Abby was previously a decorated homicide detective at the NYPD. She left New York and headed back to her small-town home after the death of her partner. Cedar Cliff is quite different from the NYPD. There are hardly any major crimes and Abby is the only detective at her precinct. However, this all changes with the disappearance of Samantha Claymore.

It took a while to get used to the first-person narrative style used in this story. Once I did, the story started flowing much better. I didn’t enjoy the case as much as most other readers did (going by the reviews on goodreads). I think its something to do with my not connecting with any of the characters, including the Lead Detective. I did like some of the twists though and the ending. However, I hope to enjoy the second book in the series a little better. Fingers crossed, I will be able to connect with Abby and her team better.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I do not recall ever reading this author before but I will certainly read more of her work. The synopsis sounded interesting so I thought “why not?” since it was the first in the series and I am so glad I requested it.

Abby moves to Martha’s Vineyard to start over. She will be a detective in a much more laid back area than in NYC, or so she thinks. But when Maddie is assigned a case that isn’t at all laid back.

Abby has so many eyes on her including her new boss, her new partner, the mayor and a local journalist just to name a few. And let's not forget the suspense of the case of the missing daughter of a cosmetic mogul.

I found this story to be interesting and well written. Abby is someone I would like to be friends with and certainly someone I would go to in an emergency for help. The characters are well rounded.

Can’t wait for the next in the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, when I started reading this book I wasn’t sure about it. I couldn’t connect and thought I’d just fly through it just to get it done. But about 15% in I became hooked and I flew through it because I was excited to see what would happen next.

At first I was worried that Abby would be the stereotypical detective. Although female this time, she was a recovering alcoholic running away from her past; you know the type. However, I became endeared to her. I can’t really explain why, to be honest, but she made this a series I want to continue. That was in contrast to the bad guys in this book that weren’t as exciting as they should be, if truth be told.

The story isn’t full of major twists and turns, although they are there. What I liked most about it was that it was fast-paced and stood strong to the plot of finding Samantha. I don’t really like when the author tries to put in too many side plots. In addition, I liked how the author cleverly planted clues along the way, but not so many that the outcome was too easy to guess.

Caveat: I'm a big fan of this author's books, both the Clare Carlson series written by R.G. Belsky and the Jessie Tucker series penned under Dana Perry. Would I enjoy this book, the first in another series, as much as I have all his previous books?

Her Ocean Grave checked off many boxes of what I enjoy in a book.

√ The story flowed, along with the captivating suspense, from page 1 to the last word.

√ The setting description, within the narrative, was so vivid that while sitting on my deck reading, I felt as if I had been transported to Martha's Vineyard.

√ The characters were both believable and lifelike. I could picture them as they came alive in my mind.

√ Short chapters meant that I would tell myself just one more chapter because the story was so engrossing and then realized I had read 10.

√ Enough twists and turns that had me guessing how this tale was going to end.

√ And just when I thought the case had wrapped up, BAM! I didn't see that one coming!!

Now to answer my question. YES!!! I definitely devoured this read!!

And what's more exciting for me now is that I have 3 sequels to look forward to!! No pressure but keep these books coming and make it quick, please!!!!!!

4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

Excellent with a well-thought plot. Some books leave little question marks and don't tie everything up but that's not the case with this one--every thread is stitched up neatly. I really liked the "voice" of Abigail Pearce, the main character and her way of thinking. Whenever I put this book down (well, because of life) I looked forward to picking it back up again. It had a satisfying ending, but I was a little disappointed in one choice Abbey made near the end. I'm not going to spoil it by saying what that was--or even say it hurt the book. If I'm being honest, it actually paints Abbey more human.

I'd recommend the book. I received an advanced reading copy of this book for honest review. Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley.

Just wonderful. Heart thuddingly suspenseful. Loved loved loved this one. The characters come alive on the page and you find yourself riveted. Action packed and thrilling. Do yourself a favour and read this one.

My thoughts First off I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher Bookouture , the author Dana Perry, and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it. There's only a few words that I will say about this book and I hope you give it a try for yourself and they are :secrets , lies , drama , twists and turns that will have you asking yourself who do you believe , and a female character that knowns she has a problem , which is one of the reasons why i liked the main character so much , she didn't try to hide it , and while she does have flaws and demons that she battles every day , to me that just makes her stronger .

I hardly ever read detective books because I don’t usually enjoy them, but I thought I’d dip my toe in the crime pool and see if I changed my mind. Her Ocean Grave was so gripping and twisty and I enjoyed every minute. So much so that I’m looking forward to reading book 2!
Detective Abby Pearce is back in her hometown and ready to start over. Abby enjoyed her job as an NYPD detective but when she tragically looses her partner and takes up drinking she knows she must make a drastic change or lose the job she loves. Detective Pearce is called to the Clayton mansion to investigate the disappearance of Samantha Clayton. Samantha’s mother reports that she left to ride her bike into town and never came home. As a seasoned detective Abby can spot holes in Mrs.Claytons story immediately. With not many leads to go on Abby starts to investigate the boating accident that killed Samanthas father and finds many concerning details that coincide with the alleged kidnapping of Sam. So many parts of this investigation feel all too familiar to Abby as she recalls memories from her years in high school. Abby has made so many changes to better herself and these memories will take her back to a painful time in her life. It’s Abby’s job to find out what happened to Samantha but the truth will bring justice for herself as well.
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Her Ocean Grave is the first book in the Detective Abby Pearce series, Dana Perry is a new to me author. I really enjoyed this first book that I have read by her, I found it to be very well written. Action packed with plenty of twists and turns. This book contains a little bit of just about everything lies, secrets, jealousy, corruption you name it for the most part it can be found in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for a fair and honest review.

After trained to become a police officer in the Police Academy in New York, Detective Abby Pearce has worked hard and become a decorated, highly praised NYPD homicide Detective. Abby had been in New York for a decade, but after witnessing the death of her partner Tommy Ferrero who tragically died in her arms, Abby begins to self destruct.

Looking for a change, and a much slower pace to her life as she attempts to recover and heal from the trauma she experienced, Abby is relieved when she is contacted by Peter Randall, the Mayor of a small town Cedar Cliffs offering her the job as the only Detective within their small community, and she gratefully accepts the offer. Returning back to Martha’s Vineyard, where she grew up, brings some rather unhappy memories to the surface for Abby, but she is somewhat determined to move past them. The area has a relatively low crime rate, so Abby is hoping this will allow her to stay on track with her recovery from alcoholism too.

But then 16 year old Samantha Claymore goes missing. She is heiress to the Claymore Cosmetics Company, and vanishes whilst on holiday after going for a bike ride which she never returned from. This is a high profile case for Detective Pearce to solve, and she knows this will play a pivotal role in her career. With Samantha’s mother Valerie, the CEO of their company acting rather cold and distant, Abby is certain she isn’t being told everything, but with little else to go on she is left chasing shadows.

As Abby begins to delve deeper in to this mysterious case, it comes to light that Samantha isn’t the first young girl to go missing on the island, and things quickly begin to take a rather dark and sinister turn as secrets from the past are dredged up, leaving Abby questioning whether there is more at play here..

This was one of those books that has you fully captivated to the very last page. Detective Abby Pearce is a fascinating character who is carrying some baggage from her rather troubled past. But despite all of her flaws, she is a determined woman who gives her job everything she’s got and strives to bring justice to those who seek it. The storyline itself has so much depth and drive throughout, it keeps you on your toes and desperately trying to fathom out the case alongside Detective Pearce as she races against the clock to bring Samantha home safe.

The book flows effortlessly, taking the reader along on a journey full of twists and turns alongside the characters. This book went above and beyond all of my expectations, and I cannot wait to read future additions to what looks to be a marvellous series.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Her Ocean Grave' by Dana Perry.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Dana Perry, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 2nd June 2021.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Detective Abby Pearce' series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beaitiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Gregg Olsen'. I am a huge fan of Lisa and Kendra so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. 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 a prologue, 61 chapters and an epilogue. 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 the USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonist is Detective Abby Pearce. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

Wow!!!!! What did I just read!!! Mind blown!!!! Absolutely shattered after being up all night reading but boy was it worth it! Absolutely unputdownable!! Clear your schedules before picking this book up as you will not be able to put it down!!! An extremely well written novel with vivid descriptions that suck you into the storyline. The cover, title and synopsis suited the storylime perfectly!!

There are very few male authors I know if that can pull off a female lead in a novel but boy oh boy did Dana do it perfectly!!! I was actually shocked to find that this book was written by a male as unfortunately when female leads are written by men they tend to make them very sexualised, this was not the case at all!!! In fact I can't even remember the last time I read such a page turner by a male author, not for a very long time!!! The storyline was fast paced, addictive, breathe taking, nail biting, suspense filled and had me completely absorbed!!! It was filled with crime, mystery, lies, murder, friendships and deceit. Absolutely everything you need to make a fantastic crime thriller!!!! Everything tied in perfectly at the end, I absolutely hate loose ends!!! What an absolutely fantastic and explosive start to what promises to be an addictive new series. Dana has most definitely done his research into past crimes along with police procedures and it absolutely shines!! A pet hate of mine is reading crime novels and having so many small things being obviously wrong due to authors not doing any research. This would make a heart racing movie and I for one would absolutely love to see it!! This book was filled with twists, turns, shocks and surprises and there's no way I would have guessed about half the bombshells that were dropped. Yet another well done Dana you not only managed to shock me once but several times which is not an easy feat after reading so many crime novels!!!

I always worry when starting a new series about whether I will connect with the main protagonist. I had absolutely nothing to worry about!!! I clicked and connected with Abby immediately!!! I loved her kick a**e personality and she is definitely not someone to be messed with!!! She has a dark oast but rather than lay down and take it she has stood up and become a fantastic Detective. I also enjoyed meeting many of the other characters including Lincoln, Teena and many more. Each character was well defined with their own backgrounds and personalities. They were all realistic and the team dynamics were intriguing. I'm definitely looking forward to meeting many of them again.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Dana on an explosive new series and for making a new fan. Welcome to my top authors club of which there are very few male authors!! I cannot wait for your next promising success!!!

Overall an addictive page turning unputdownable crime thriller that will keep you up all night!!

Genres covered in this book include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural and Crime Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of anyone and everyone looking for a page turning, heart racing, unputdownable crime thriller!!!


314 pages.

This book is just 99p 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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This is my first time reading the author. I read a lot of fiction with female detectives. Thrillers and mysteries so I was on familiar territory with this book. I enjoyed the book a lot but some elements didn’t quite work for me. At points, the prose came across a quite stilted rather like reading reported facts rather than a narrative to help build pictures and a story in my head. This didn’t happen all the time and was quite jarring. Her Ocean Grave has most of the elements I expect from the kind of book; well written characters, twists, turns, tension and lots of suspense. I did enjoy the book.

Detective Abby Pearce features in this début instalment in a brand new series from Dana Perry. Abby returns to Martha’s Vineyard for a more peaceful life than she had as a homicide detective in the NYPD. However, some resent her experience that clinches her the only detective position in her hometown and she also struggles with her complicated past on the island. When a teenage heiress, Samantha Claymore goes missing after a bike ride to Edgartown where she had planned to go shopping and eat lunch, Abby is on the case but the more Abby digs, the more complicated everything becomes. The mystery kept me guessing, with just enough twists to muddy the waters.

Abby has her demons that she battles, but she’s a determined detective who doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Abby discovers Sam is not the first girl to go missing on the isolated island and a pattern emerges. The body of Sam’s friend, Bridget Feckanin is found beneath a cliff after a search is carried out when she fails to turn up for work.

Her Ocean Grave is an absorbing start to the series packed with twists as well as deeply buried secrets about to be brought to the fore. Written from Abby's perspective, she seems to be getting back on track and winning the fight against the trauma she's endured in the past. A compelling, deeply enjoyable read. I'm curious to see what's in store for Detective Abby Pearce in book two.

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

A great start to a brand new series. Abby Pearce is a flawed but tenacious detective who I've loved getting to know.

The plot was full of twists to keep you turning the pages.

I look forward to reading the next book.

First, I want to thank Dana Perry, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Her Ocean Grave by Dana Perry is unlike no other missing child case that I have read before-and I have read a lot of them. Even in the prologue you get the strong vibe that this isn’t your typical book.

This is the story of missing Samantha Claymore. Things I found odd about this case was her Mother “said” she was close with her but honestly knew nothing about her daughter when questioned. The Mother got defensive about her late husband (Sam’s Father) and well the current husband was a jerk in my eyes. Just things didn’t add up and seemed shady on that front.

My heart went out to Samantha on learning how her Dad passed. However, even that story seemed fishy.

I loved how Dana chose Martha’s Vineyard to be the backdrop to his storyline in Her Ocean Grave. I have been there once as a teenager and it is beautiful.

The story about Claymore Cosmetics and how it came to be I found very interesting.

I commend Detective Pearce for standing his ground and not being tempted to have a drink.

Suspenseful, detective story that keeps you thinking about where it’s going. So many twists and turns!
Detective Abby Pearce has a lot going on in her life. She decides to leave the NYPD and return to her hometown.
I found Her Ocean Grave to be a well written police procedural.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Her Ocean Grace is the first in a blockbluster new series featuring feisty, determined Detective Abby Pearce, a recovering alcoholic who has relocated from New York City to her childhood home on Martha’s Vineyard.

The case load for a Detective on Cedar Cliffs on the Vineyard is traditionally light. Missing dogs, Summer break-ins…until now. Sam, the sixteen year old daughter of cosmetics tycoon, Valerie Claymore, has gone missing. At first, Abby thinks she’s with friends and will return. Then comes the ransom note. While Abby is investigating the possible kidnapping, she uncovers a series of crimes that may be related to Sam’s disappearance. Evil may have been hiding on the peaceful island for a very long time.

Fast-paced, full of twists and turns, Her Ocean Grave leaves you wanting more. The island setting, well developed characters and a plot full of surprises makes this a 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Dana Perry for this ARC.