Thank you Netgalley and Author Lisa Gray for this ARC.

This was my first Gray and my first in the Jessica Shaw series. Luckily I didn't need backstory for any of it to make sense.

A handsome serial killer with a 'type,' said killer's wife turns up dead, his girlfriend is missing, and it seems there's either a copycat killer or . . . the man in prison is innocent.

Well-developed characters. Clever stories and plots that intertwine and tangle. This was fast-paced and deliciously mysterious. True crime lovers will gobble this up. Well done, Gray.

Another enjoyable Jessica Shaw PI installment from Lisa Gray! I’ve read Bad Memory an earlier installment and have liked them both.

Jessica is an LA based PI, transplanted from NY. She seems to have her own troubled history, but that doesn’t stop her from digging into other people’s. Lonely Hearts not withstanding. In her search for the wife and child of a notorious serial killer Jessica travels to Arizona coming across a dust storm of monumental proportion. That aside, Jessica arrives in time to save the woman and her daughter from an unlikely killer.

Gray kept the “big reveal” well-hidden until nearly the end of the book pulling off a well-constructed climax. Maybe a bit too nicely tied up, but still a good story.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

There are aspects of this series that I like—particularly Jessica’s relationship with Matt—but I’m not a fan of the constantly changing POVs, and the ending was telegraphed very early in the book, so there was very little suspense. I doubt I’ll continue with this series, but I am appreciative of NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Thank you.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the arc! I loved the beginning of the book and sped through the first half. I took a break, then when I went back could not get back into it.There were so many characters it kept taking me a second to remember who was who. (this was my first book in the series.) I kept reading and eventually got interested again. I think I would have found it easier going if I had read the whole series, The end made it worth plugging on through, though. I plan to read the whole series (in order) now!

This is book 4 of the series and while it’s not essential to have read the previous books in the series they do help with background to the characters and establishment of relationships.
Jessica Shaw is still working her required hours to get her California private investigator license when she agrees to look into an old missing persons case. Nearly twenty years ago a young mother Veronica Lowe goes missing with her toddler Mia. The interesting thing about Veronica though is that she is girlfriend of infamous serial killer Travis Dean Ford. A man on death row for the murders of at least 16 young women. Veronica met Travis through the prison pen pal service the ‘Lonely Hearts Club’.
At the same time, Jessica’s friend LAPD Detective Jason Pryce is assigned a suspected home invasion homicide of a woman who turns out to be Jordana Ford, Travis Dean Ford’s wife.
As Jessica delves into Veronica’s life before she disappeared and Detective Pryce works on the current homicide, the past and present collide in a thrilling conclusion.
The story is told from three different perspectives- Detective Pryce, Jessica and Veronica. It was really interesting to read Veronica’s perspective in the lead up to her last known appearance. And seeing how the current timeline melds into the old timeline was good.
I enjoyed reading ‘Lonely Hearts’. This was a great mystery/suspense book that I read quite quickly. I enjoyed catching up with Jessica and her merry gang of friends, looking forward to more books. 4 stars from me.
** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher**

Some time ago, I tried to read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3203400901">Thin Air</a>, by this same author. I gave up on it because it had one of my most hated things - a road atlas-worthy description of someone driving, for no good reason (i.e., it added nothing to the story) - and because there were a multitude of UK Englishisms that threw one out of the story (hand brake, "that lot", etc.).

I am very happy I took another chance on Lisa Gray, because Lonely Hearts has none of that: it's a taut, well-told story about a serial killer, a missing woman, a dead wife, and relatives rightly pissed off at several books that seem to only be written to line the pockets of the author at their expense.

We start off in 1989, with underaged Devin Palmer waiting for her sister Erika. The plan: to have a couple of drinks, and then for Devin to stay the night at Erika's. Alas, Erika ghosts her sister and spends the night with her boyfriend. Also, alas, Devin - a slightly built redhead with fair skin - is offered a ride home with Travis Dean Ford, AKA the Valley Strangler, so named because he strangles slight, redheaded women who have fair skin with their own pantyhose.

We then go to Christine and Veronica, looking at a pamphlet for the Lonely Hearts Club, a way for people outside to write to people locked up in prison. Veronica writes to Travis Dean Ford, and eventually winds up in a "relationship", or as much as one can have with someone on death row.

Flash forward, and we're with Jessica, trawling through trash bags, hoping to find evidence of a man's infidelity. While she's doing this, Christen Ryan walks up to her, asking her to find an old friend, Veronica Lowe, and her daughter Mia - Travis Dean Ford's daughter, that he had with Veronica somehow.

Jessica takes the case, working it alone without much contact with Connor. It seems somewhere between book one, which I did not finish, and the end of book three, they apparently hooked up. But he's now seeing an exotic dancer, and Jessica is avoiding him.

It isn't easy to track down someone who willfully vanishes. But Christine gives Jessica quite a lot of information, including a couple of photos. Christine says it's very important to track Veronica down, because Ford's wife has been murdered in her own home. Struck on the head, then strangled with pantyhose. Interestingly, Detectives Pryce and Medina find they are not Jordana's: they were brought to the scene by the killer, deliberately. Copycat?

As we go along, bouncing between timelines and POVs, the mystery becomes ever deeper. Jessica continues to track Veronica, talks to the owner of TLHC business, her husband (who tells Jessica to stop looking for Veronica), several witnesses, trawls through newspaper archives and signs up for TLHC so she can get into the forum and research there, as well.

By now it's fairly clear that Veronica doesn't want to be found. We then get several chapters from Jordana interspersed, plugging her book at a bookstore, and feeling as if someone has been following her.

Meanwhile, Jessica helps out Pryce by providing what she's found, and she's now on the scent, which leads to another location entirely. It's just before the end that we get Jordana's last POV chapter, and then the end is rushing at us.

Although I figured out the killer fairly early, it was still a very good read, capturing not just the characters of Jessica and the people immediately around her, but also the families who suffered at the hand of Travis Dean Ford. One character - the father of one of the victims - complains bitterly to Pryce and Medina that they don't know the names of the 15 girls and women Ford killed. They only know Ford's name. I thought that an astute observation.

There are no laggy parts, and there isn't anything that rips the reader out of the world Gray has built. The plot is sensible, and no one does anything that is out of character. I'm glad I took the chance on the series again.

A five star read.

Thanks to Amazon UK and NetGalley for the reading copy.

What a great suspense/thriller - kept me turning the pages and guessing throughout.
Jessica is a PI hired to find a missing childhood friend who is believed to be in danger. The friend, Veronica, is the ex of a convicted killer whom she has a daughter with. When the current wife of said convicted killer is found murdered, things start to slowly get pieced together.
Loved the characters, the sub plot about women writing to men in prison was interesting, and the suspense was great. While part of a series, it was easily read as a stand alone book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good thriller/mystery and this did not disappoint.
For me, a sign of a good mystery is one that I struggle to solve the crime. I’ve read so many books and I find many far too predictable.
I was pleasantly surprised when I had only guessed the “who” but not the why. This is one to get the brain working!
I struggled slightly at the beginning with so many different characters but then realised that this was not Private Investigator Jessica’s first novel, it didn’t affect the storyline but I may have known some characters better if I’d have read the first in the series.
I will now look into reading any previous and future books featuring the PI Jessica as she’s no ordinary PI.
A great read with a little humour thrown in, I will certainly be on the look out for this author in the future #NetGalley #LonelyHearts

This is the 4th book in a series about a private investigator. I had not read the previous 3, but i had no problems catching up - the author does a great job of giving you information you need.

This is a missing persons case. Someone wants to find an old friend, because she thinks she is in danger and so hires Jessica Shaw. But wait,,.. the missing person was pen pals with a notorious serial killer who was in prison. Oh wait - they were more than pen pals...

I loved the mystery, and the action. I thought the premise was great and loved how it gave us some insight into the women that write to men in prison. I found that part really interesting.

I kept the pages turning - I just had to keep reading. However, I do admit that i saw the ending coming from a mile away, which disappointed me.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. In fact, i am going back to read the first 3 books in this series.

So this was a first in this series for me and I really enjoyed it! I loved the main characters feisty and determined nature.

This story has two time lines between the past and the present, it's fast paced, engaging had me from the beginning to the end will defiantly be checking future books in this series.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and had me breathlessly turning the pages to the thrilling finish. Even though this is the fourth book in the series and the first I had read by the author it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The previous stories were hinted at in a tantalising way that had me buying book one as soon as I finished this one. This is an author I will be eagerly looking out for in the future.

PI Jessica Shaw sure keeps things moving along! Jessica was hired by Christine to help her find her long lost best friend, Veronica, who dropped off the face of the earth, or so it seems, after they both joined a pen pal club to correspond with prisoners. The Lonely Hearts Club was a very popular way to have a pen pal who may or may not ever get out of prison. Jessica does not seem to be afraid of anyone or anything and this story sure takes a lot of twists and turns. This book was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end and I really enjoyed it. This was book 4 of the Jessica Shaw series but the first one that I have read. It works fine as a stand alone and I am going to go back and read the previous ones since I enjoyed this book so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this every exciting page turner in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Shaw is back in book #4. I have loved this series from the very first book and book #4 is just as thrilling! Jessica is on the hunt for a missing women and her child. What goes from a simple missing person case intertwines with a case Detective Pyrce is working on which involves a person seeking revenge.This book has many twists and turns and kept me reading into the night! LOVED!

His book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review…the protagonist, a PI, is an intriguing character who sometimes makes unwise decisions…. That being said, she is a likeable character who gets into difficult situations…murder and mayhem…intrigue…family dynamics…romance…all in this mystery novel with twists and turns…a quick read…I do not enjoy the different time periods, but that seems to be what authors are now doing…

Jessica Shaw is a private investigator in CA. It’s 1989 and a killer is on the loose and he always kills thin, young women with red hair. Christine comes along and hires Jessica to find her long lost friend who she hasn’t seen in many years. Many twists and turns throughout the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Lonely Hearts is out 11/9/21, and I just received the ARC. Lonely Hearts is the 4th Jessica Shaw book anf I've been lucky to read all of her previous books through NetGalley. I've come to care for Jessica and interested in her cases as a P.I.

Jessica is avoiding Connor since she found out he is engaged to Rae-Lyn, an exotic dancer. She accepts what seems like a straight forward case, a woman named Christine looking for a long lost friend Veronica Lowe. Christine encouraged Veronica, back in the late 1990s to join the Lonely Hearts Club, a correspondence club with prisoners. She is initially resistant but is captivated by the looks and charisma of Travis Dean Ford, a man on death row convicted of killing 15 young women in the late 1980's to early 1990's. His type? Redheads, thin, pretty, sweet. We get a flashback of Devin Palmer accepting a ride in 1989 after her older sister ditches her for a date, then taking her to a different location and strangling her with her own pantyhose.

Jessica's search takes her to Arizona, and we also see Pryce and Medina investigating Jordana's murder, who was married to Ford a few years before he was put to death. So who killed Jordana? And are they after Veronica, who disappeared with the young daughter she had with Ford.

The book had some interesting and clever twists I didn't quite see coming. And that ending! ;) looking forward to more Jessica Shaw.

No mention of the current times other than Jessica using a disposable face mask a few times, for the work she was doing.

4/5☆ out 11/9/21

Jessica Shaw keeps getting better and better. She takes on what should be an easy missing persons case. The story goes back and forth in time and includes a storyline of women marrying prisoners. Quick enjoyable read.

I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was full of suspense. Kept me guessing. So many twists. Thanks for giving me a advanced copy. Was worth it can't wait for next one

This is an excellent suspense novel! This was the first book I read from this author but had no problem catching onto the various characters and their backstories. It’s written so well that you basically blow through the chapters wanting to read more. Lots of twists and turns made this a very satisfying read for me. 5 stars, highly recommend!!!

I received an advance copy of, Lonely Hearts, by Lisa Gray. This is a good thriller. Where did Veronica go? Is she and her daughter still alive?