This is my first book by this author and I was so shocked I had no idea this book would have so much spicy. This was a fast paced, entertaining, romantic suspense read. I did not know that it was part of a series it felt like a stand alone. I really enjoyed Owen and Macey story. I can’t wait to pick up more in the series.

Former San Antonio TV reporter, Macey Burns has been hired by local town officials to film a tourist video to promote their beautiful community of Lost Beach.
While in town, she encounters a handsome police officer and flirts with the idea of a relationship with him. Officer Owen Breda is investigating the murder of a female, whose body was found buried at the beach. Macey stumbles upon some key clues to the murder mystery thru her work on the video. The book takes you through the twists of the investigation and the various characters interviewed. Highly recommend the book, as it really keeps your attention and has a very interesting plot!

Macey Burns has come to Lost Beach, Texas looking for a new start after a scandal caused her to flee her television reporter gig. Macey is making a tourist documentary for the town of Lost Beach, showcasing it's high points. She moves her equipment and things into a rental cottage and then finds out a woman was murdered on the beach nearby . . . and she had also lived in this cottage. Detective Owen Breda is working the case of a missing woman now found dead. Macey's natural curiosity as a former reporter brings her out on the scene where she meets the detective who isn't happy about having her messing around the crime scene. Sparks fly and they feel an immediate connection. However, Owen realizes there's more to Macey than meets the eye. She's hiding something, and he needs to find out what it is.

Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin is the third book in the Texas Murder Files series, and the first book that I've read, but it's easy to fall right into this story with the author providing excellent needed backstory. This suspense thriller is highly entertaining, fast paced and twisted. The blend of romance to suspense is perfect with believable characters and a twist I didn't see coming. Griffin excels at setting a vivid scene that enhances the action from beginning to end. Highly recommended to fans of mystery, suspense and thrillers.

Another solid entry in The Texas Murder Files series!

Ms Griffin knows how to keep readers on the edge of their seats like no one else--honestly, once I got to around 70% in this book I don't think I was physically able to put it down. I. Needed. To. Figure. This. One. Out. I honestly didn't even come close to figuring out whodunnit this time--Owen really had my sympathy here! This case seemed impossible at times--but it all came together in the end.

And *then* there's the romance part of this romantic suspense--again, Ms Griffin is the master here. My biggest complaint with the genre in general is usually that I find it hard to believe that the characters can *really* fall in love in the time frame given--don't they have jobs to do? Aren't they trying to catch the bad guy(s) and/or on the run from danger?--but in a Laura Griffin book, she doesn't cut any corners with here either. Owen struggles with trying to fit in a life with his demanding job. He's attracted to Macey, but ends up having to cancel more dinner dates than he manages to keep with her. Macey's just as busy, and more than a little hesitant to start a relationship this summer, even if she were able to forget about her recent dating disaster. There's no instalove here, just two characters who are attracted to each other but know that they both need to put work into a relationship if they're going to make it work...once they're done dodging danger, that is. ;)

And that ending...swoon-worthy, for sure!

This is the 3rd book in the series, but it should work fine as a standalone. Miranda and Joel from the second book ( Flight ; she works with Owen, he's his older brother) play secondary roles here, though, and some events that happened in that book are mentioned in passing. So to avoid plot spoliers--and enjoy a great series--why not just add all 3 to your TBR now? #sorrynotsorry ;)

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

If you are interested to pick up a romance suspense novel with well-written characters and a high stakes criminal investigation (and love), check out this book.

Midnight Dunes is a romance murder mystery. This is the third book in The Texas Murder Files and this is my very first book by Laura Griffin. I had been wanting to read a romantic mystery and I was thrilled to learn of it.

The story starts off with Macey and it is only as it progresses that we learn how she comes to be working for the tourism board of a small town in Texas. I really like Macey. She is independent and on top of things. She hasn’t forgotten her reporter career – she was so good at it and she brings that same fearlessness into creating advertising for the town. Living in the house where a woman who was found dead lived does not shake her up and she is determined to reach her personal goals no matter the danger. I would have been terrified if I were in her shoes!

Owen is a detective in this small town in Texas, in charge of investigating the murder of the girl. I liked how much background the author provided for the characters – Owen’s history with his brother and the police department was important to understand the stress of the investigation.

The backstories of the characters are harsh, especially for the characters who are in law enforcement. They are all trying to stay afloat somehow. Laura Griffin created a small town where I suddenly knew so many people. I quite enjoyed the progression of the character arcs.

This is a romance thriller so the chemistry between Macey and Owen was depicted very well too. I loved seeing them together and their attraction kindling into something more was not rushed. I enjoyed the true-life nature of the story.

From the crime angle, there was a lot of tension to find the culprit who had murdered the woman as well as the implications of having an unsolved murder and more bodies showing up. I loved watching Brooklyn 99 and I don’t think I have read a romance involving police officers in a long time so I enjoyed this book even more for that reason. I kept coming back to Midnight Dunes. I was curious about what was going to happen next, how Macey and Owen’s paths were going to cross and what new developments would happen on the case. It was like watching a movie that is moving at a good pace with balance between work and home, creating enough action on both sides that I am hooked.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review was first posted on my website, Armed with A Book. Check out my interview with the author there!

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize this book was a part of a larger series until I read it, but it definitely made me want to go and read more! I'm a sucker for romantic suspense, as evidenced by my decade-long love of Karen Rose novels. This fit perfectly into that category, and kept me guessing who the main antagonist was until the very end.

Macey and Owen's romance would probably be classified as whirlwind (although to be fair a lot of romantic suspense takes place over a shorter period of time), but somehow still didn't manage to feel insta-lovey to me. I enjoyed the ride with them from beginning to end, and how even through their ups and downs, the miscommunication trope was kept fairly minimal.

I have to say though, as a forensic scientist myself, the part of this that made me insanely happy was the fact that Laura Griffin managed to incorporate some of the forensics into the story in a reasonable and believable manner. I'm a firm believer in "if you don't understand something, research it" and it's clear that Laura Griffin did that here. I could go on and on about the books that do this incorrectly for my field, and I understand this is something that isn't significantly important to a lot of other people reading romances, but for me, it was a big deal.

Anyway, all of that to say that I gave this four stars and fully plan on reading the other books in the series. It looks like Laura Griffin might have become one of my new favorite romantic suspense authors!

Laura Griffin's The Texas Murder Files series is a fun and entertaining group of novels. Midnight Dunes is the third one written in the series. Each novel is a stand alone read with different characters and plots - setting is what binds the series. Each novel in this series are in the genre of romantic suspense. Griffin's characters are all well-developed and relatable. Her settings are very descriptive. This title involves a puzzling murder case and a budding romance with the added bonus of fast paced suspense. It is an easy, fun read and quite the page turner!

An outstanding book! This series just delivers such pitch-perfect romantic suspense. I cannot recommend Laura Griffin's books more highly.

A suspenseful read with an action packed climax, Griffin's novels just keep getting better and better! She finds the perfect balance of suspense, mystery and romance in expertly described settings.

This romantic suspense is an enthralling story that is filled with non-stop action and lots of gripping intrigue and suspense. Ms. Griffin has created a complex plot that hooks the reader in from the very first chapter. She has so many twists and turns that it is difficult for the reader to guess who actually committed the murder.

Owen and Macey, are fascinating characters with strong, independent personalities. Even though they rub each other the wrong way at first, they quickly realize that they have an unusual romantic connection. Unfortunately, the murder that Owen is working on makes it very difficult for him to concentrate on anything else.

Macey is also very preoccupied. She is a documentary filmmaker who is just starting up her own business. The Lost Beach, Texas tourism board is looking to entice tourists to their town. They have hired Macy’s company to come up with ideas. Therefore, Macey is devoting all of her time to taking captivating photographs of this “idyllic beachside community.”

To distract Macey even more, she just finds out that the cottage she has rented originally belonged to the dead woman.

The characters are interesting, normal and three-dimensional. Laura Griffin has another hit!

This is an intriguing story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The numerous twists and turns will captivate the reader.

Lauren Griffin has written another awesome story!

This is the second time I've read this author , the first time it was a miss for me but this series is a big win , once I started reading I couldn't put it down, kept telling myself just one more page but the next thing i knew i was up most of the night reading it .

I definitely need to read more Laura Griffin.

Macey Burns and her assistant have just arrived in Lost Beach, Texas. Creating a commercial to draw vacations to Lost Beach is Macey’s first Job for her new production company which she started after the scandal that caused her to lose her job as a reporter. While Macey isn’t upset about the job change, digging out facts is something that has become second nature. When she sees all the police and emergency vehicles not far down the beach from her rental, Macey goes to investigate.

Detective Owen Breda thinks of himself as second string to his older and more experienced brother, but since Joel is busy, the murder of Julie Murphy has been assigned to Owen. As he investigates, Owen keeps crossing paths with Macey. Owen is drawn to her more and more which is good because someone is trying to scare away Macey, or is the killer now fixated on her.

This was my first Laura Griffin story, although I have looked at several other releases, including Book 2 of this series. There was a nice flow to the story, an interest set of secondary characters and good suspense for a mystery.

I didn’t rate it higher because I felt the romance didn’t build well. When you have to build up and investigate a mystery and give us a solid romance, it doesn’t always work. There were also a few things that I felt weren’t explained well, such as why someone rented Macey a summer lease on a house which was previously rented by the murder victim, who, until Macey showed up, was only a missing person. Julie wasn’t a summer renter, she was a local. I would have hoped that someone investigated the landlord who turned around and re-rented a house where a woman went missing for 2 weeks. Seemed a little rushed to me. There were a few little things like that where I didn’t feel like we tied that up so why bring it up at all.

I do have a copy of her next release, Vanishing Hour, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I don't know how to pinpoint exactly what works for me with this series, but Griffin's romantic thrillers really just tend to do the trick for me every time. This time around, I'll admit I was a little more invested in the mystery than the romance, BUT these are the kind of books that hit the spot for me in terms of light, easy beach reads — stories that immediately infuse you with sense of place before sending you off into the mystery full-tilt. (The romance was pretty hot too, all things considered, and I am incredibly guilty in finding the whole trope of "one of us was just in a dangerous situation and needs to FEEL something afterward" ridiculously appealing. )And I am STILL hoping we get the romance about that one female detective character and the overly flirty co-worker she can't stand; we've had them building in the background for two books now!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
A satisfyingly predictable thriller/romance.

I absolutely love Laura Griffin! She never fails to write a a good mystery with just the right amount of romance. I also really love that though this is book 3 in a series, it could be read as a standalone, no problem. This was a fast paced book, easy to get lost in.

Welp, here's another author I'm late to finding! When I cracked up Midnight Dunes I was certain this was Laura Griffin's first novel, for genuinely no other reason than I hadn't heard of her (don't worry, I'm rolling my eyes at myself). There truly was nothing debut about her novel at all. Midnight Dunes was captivating and the characters were well-developed and complex. I enjoyed the plot and found myself wanting to know more. I read another book since then by a different author and I had such high hopes, because I saw some of the same mapping as Griffin, but it was a let down. Do yourselves a favor and get yourself one of her books. Mystery/Thriller combined with romance is an epic win for me!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of Midnight Dunes! partner}

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 5.24.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Well, this was a surprising read! I have never picked up a romantic suspense or read any of the other Texas Murder File books from Laura Griffin, but now I want to read the other two immediately.

I started Midnight Dunes yesterday and devoured all 328 pages in less than 24 hours. I was utterly sucked into the storyline and the chemistry between Macey and Owen. I'm also a sucker for a good police procedural. So the whole book was precisely what I needed. My only issue is that I wish I had read it while at the beach because the story's setting would've been perfect!

Once the story took off and Griffin took her readers along for the ride as Owen, Macey and Nicole tried to figure out who the killer was, I was flipping back and forth trying to figure out what I'd missed from the story. Because I genuinely had no theories on who the killer actually was (which is shocking because I love to spoil all surprises).

🚔 Police procedural
🕵🏽‍♀️ Murder mystery
🔥 Character chemistry
3️⃣ Multiple POV (Owen, Macey & Nicole)
🏘 Small seaside town
🤨 Kept me guessing until the end

As I said, I plan to go back and read the previous two books from Texas Murder Files (I didn't feel like I missed anything by jumping ahead, btw). I highly recommend checking this book out if all of the ☝🏼appeals to you!

I love that Owen finally has his own story.

Simply put, every story I have read authored by Laura Griffin has been the perfect mix of suspense with a building in anticipation romance thrown into the storyline as well.

Midnight Dunes was no exception. I will continue to read everything Laura Griffin writes that comes my way.

Lost Beach, a sleepy little beach town in Texas becomes the scene of a grizzly murder. I was excited to read Laura Griffin's newest book, Midnight Dunes because she knows how to write a suspenseful story, with just the right amount of romance. Laura Griffin is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints me when I read her books.

The two main characters in this story, Owen and Macy, are brought together when Macy is hired to film a tourism film for Lost Beach. Owen works as a detective in the small town and is working on the case of the murdered woman. From the moment they meet, Owen and Macy have sizzling chemistry however, their careers leave them little time for romance.

I liked everything about this intense story. It drew me in and never let me go. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. The characters are believable and likeable. There is tension whenever they are together and I enjoyed all of their interactions. The dialogue is realistic, the pacing is perfect and the plot is intriguing and has many twists and turns. This story held me spellbound and I was quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. I could feel the tension as Owen and his team race to discover who killed the murdered woman.This story is a exhilarating and hard to put down.

There are a few special writers that you know when you start their new book you will be getting exactly what you want and need from them for an enjoyable reading experience.

Right from the start Midnight Dunes by reliable author Laura Griffin gave me what I wanted with a fierce independent heroine, a handsome gruff hero and a too close for comfort murder mystery.

Macey leaves her TV reporter job in disgrace from a scandal and decides to follow her dream and start her own production firm with loyal cameraman Josh. Hoping to someday afford to make documentaries she takes a job filming tourism ads for a sleepy beachfront community.

If there is trouble Macey finds it. Within 24 hours she literally stumbles into a murder scene when the body of a local missing woman turns up on the dunes near her home. What's scary is the dead woman was the former tenant in her rental cottage.

Enter grumpy good looking detective Owen who feels Macey needs his protection despite her arguments. But when Macey is attacked all bets are off and Owen will stop at nothing to find the killer.

This fast paced murder mystery thriller has a few surprises but slows down just enough for some steamy get to know you time between Macey and Owen that is definitely blush worthy.

I enjoyed the side characters from clever medical examiner Miranda, Owen's adrenaline addict brother Joel and Owen's desperate to succeed new partner Nicole (who deserves her own story). These and a few more characters make up a fun Scooby crew.

Midnight Dunes is the third book in The Texas Murder Files but is very much an easy standalone novel. The story flowed evenly and I never felt I was missing any past details. I did download the first two books because, well you know, Laura Griffin wrote them!

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own