Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PI Jessica Shaw gets a visit from a new client, Christine, whose beat friend Veronica and her young daughter went missing almost 20 years ago. Christine is afraid that Veronica is in danger because of the recent murder of someone indirectly related to her.

I really love this series. It is one of the best ones going right now, in my opinion, and I was not at all disappointed in this latest entry. I like this author's writing style. It is just very easy to read and the stories are very engrossing. I never get bored, there are always twists and turns and new info being discovered. I like the Jessica character and Pryce and Connor and am interested in seeing where Jessica goes from here. I blew through this book in one day and can't wait for Jessica's next case. Excellent series.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me an advance copy of Lisa Gray’s fourth installment in the Jessica Shaw series, Lonely Hearts, in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Shaw is a private investigator who handles missing persons cases in Los Angeles, California. She slugs Scotch whiskey, is unapologetic about her eating or smoking habits, and may or may not be in love with her partner, Matt Connor. This sums up all that a reader needs to know before diving into Lisa Gray’s fourth book in the series, #LonelyHearts.

The story begins in 1989 with a serial killer who is on the loose and strangling young, red-headed women with their own pantyhose. Just as the killer is about to claim his latest victim, the author switches timelines and brings us closer to the present; specifically, 2019. That is when Matt instructs Jessica to take a meeting with a prospective client: a woman looking for her childhood friend who also used to be the secret lover of the notorious, “Valley Strangler.”

Christine tells Jessica that her friend Veronica has been missing for over 15 years and is now worried after the Valley Strangler’s actual wife is murdered in what appears to be a copycat killing. She fears Veronica will meet the same fate if she has not already. Jessica begrudgingly accepts the case, which Matt had led her to initially believe would be a quick open and shut missing person’s case.

The story alternates between the past and the present, continuing through the nineties and early aughts all the way up to 2019. Unlike the previous three books, Jessica’s presence does not seem as strong as some of the other characters and storylines. There is Christine, young Veronica (pre-disappearance), Bibi, and various other women who were at one point or another connected through the pen pal service for women and inmates, the Lonely Heart Club.

At the same time Jessica is searching for Veronica on behalf of Christine, her friends from the LAPD, officers Pryce and Medina, are trying to solve the murder of the Valley Strangler’s wife, Jordana. Jordana was a former member of TLHC and rose to fame by marrying the Valley Strangler, championing his innocence, and becoming an author. Her latest novel was supposed to reap the most profits, but someone murdered Jordana in the exact same way her husband’s victims were killed in the past.

The novel continues at break-neck speed and keeps the reader engrossed the entire time. This one was definitely more plot than character-driven, with the exception of Dacre who was oddly intriguing. Although there is no shocking epilogue to wrap up this case like in the last book, there is a nice little twist at the end, which will hopefully be explored in the fifth installment and further develop Jessica Shaw’s character.

Overall, bravo once again to the author for keeping readers up all night and turning pages. If you are looking for a purely, entertaining mystery novel, this is it.

I have read other books in this series and have liked them, though one could read this as a stand alone . the detective is flawed, smart and gutsy. She is trying to find a woman who has been missing a long time, a woman who had a child with a serial killer. It is told both in the past and present times and was an easy read, but an interesting one

This was definitely an interesting story! This book had suspense, action, intrigue, and a great who done it! The storyline flowed nicely, it kept my attention and was a good read! It wasn't one of my all time favorite but definitely worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!