Midnight Dunes is another well-paced romantic suspense from Laura Griffin that results in a quick, enjoyable read with a red herring tossed in to keep the reader guessing.

Macey Burns is changing careers after a dazzling mistake in judgment gets her fired from reporting news. Now she’s doing what she’s always wanted to do, create film. She’s thrown all of her assets into making a production company and the pressure is on as she goes to Lost Beach, Texas to begin filming tourism spots for the small town. On her first morning, a body is discovered in the dunes not far from her rental, a rental which she discovers was used by the missing–now dead–woman.

Macey and Detective Owen Breda meet after she tries to stealthily investigate why there’s so much activity on the nearby dunes. Sparks fly and the rest is history.

Laura Griffin always writes a satisfying mystery. This one seemed sorted out until she threw in a wrench.

The only gripe I have seems to be one I frequently have about romances in thrillers or suspense, but this time it’s a little different. The couple aren’t in danger when they decide to do the deed, but her face is banged up from an assault. Having had a fat lip coinciding with a banged up nose, I personally couldn’t have imagined having relations (like all of the euphemisms?) like that. It’s like huge ouch squared. I guess that’s why this is fiction. 😉

Regardless of that, Midnight Dunes is another excellent addition to the Texas Murder Files series. I look forward to more!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Griffin does it again with book 3 in her Texas Murder Files book. Griffin writes romantic suspense and is one of my favorites. Her characters are well developed and multi-dimensional. The plot lines to her stories keep you turning the pages to find out exactly what is going on with her favorite characters.

Macy has embarked on a new job, doing a documentary film about a small tourist town in Texas. Unfortunately, she’s rented a house that was rented prior to a newly found murder victim. Her continual run ins with the officer investigating the murder, Owen, has Macy a bit off balance.

The story will have you wanting for more. Truly a great read.

Thank you to #netgalley and #berkleypublishinggroup for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Griffin is an auto-buy for me and never disappoints. The third in the Texas Murder Files kept me engrossed from beginning to end.

Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin is the third book in the thrilling romantic suspense The Texas Murder Files series. As with a lot of series in this genre the characters in each installment of the The Texas Murder Files series change with new lead characters and mysteries to be solved so each book can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so.

Macey Burns has come to Lost Beach, Texas trying to make a new career for herself after leaving her television reporting career after a scandal. Macey is now trying to take up documentary filmmaking which is a passion but as she moves her equipment into a rental cottage things in Lost Beach don’t seem to be quite right.

Detective Owen Breda has been called in on the case when the body of a missing woman is found right near Macey’s rental. Macey coming along the scene can’t help but be curious but when she finds out that the victim was living in the very same place she is now she definitely wants to know how and when Owen will solve the murder.

Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin is actually the first book that I have read in The Texas Murder Files series myself and so I can say first hand this reads fine as a standalone. This wasn’t my first book by the author however so I was familiar with the ease I get pulled into her writing and stories and Midnight Dunes was no exception. Loved the locale and the characters as the story flew by waiting to see how the mystery would all turn out and I will definitely return to Laura Griffin’s work again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Laura Griffin is an expert guide to the uncomfortable tension between doing one’s job and having a personal life. In the island community of Lost Beach, Texas, navigating tricky conflicts of interest comes with the territory. It’s another gritty and imaginative romantic thriller in the Griffin canon.

Midnight Dunes is the third in Laura Griffin’s Texas Murder Files series. The modus operandi is the tension that arises from police investigations that intersect with civilians’ jobs, with more than a soupçon of romantic attraction in the mix. In Hidden, the series debut, investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads is stymied in her ambition to solve the mystery of why a female jogger was methodically and precisely executed with a military-grade knife. Standing in her way is Detective Jacob Merritt, a lawman unaccustomed to collaborating with a reporter. Bailey Rhoads’s sister Miranda is the heroine of Flight, the second Texas Murder Files book, which is set in idyllic, off-the-beaten-track Lost Beach, Texas (fictional but representative of beach towns everywhere facing unprecedented real estate development). Miranda is a forensic photographer transitioning to a new career as a nature photographer. Muscle memory takes over when she stumbles over a dead body early one morning and she takes countless photographs of the scene. Detective Joel Breda, once he interviews Miranda, instantly realizes how much he wants her on his team.

Macey Burns, like Miranda Rhoads, comes to the island of Lost Beach in search of a reset. A scandal shut down her promising on-air television career but no matter, her first love is documentaries and that’s her plan for her second act. The Lost Beach tourist board hires her to produce compelling commercials that will entice tourists to visit but reality intrudes on her plans. The charmingly run-down beach house she’s renting was the home of Lost Beach’s latest victim, Julia Murphy. Even before that grim news, her work partner Josh is appalled by her living quarters. Why isn’t Bailey living in town like him?

“It’s a dump,” he said.



She shot him a look. “It lacks curb appeal. So what?”



“You really rented this place? Like, you signed a contract and everything?”



“The inside is nice.”



“Right.”

Detective Owen Breda (brother to Detective Joel Breda) oversees the Murphy case and to his surprise, finds himself encountering Macey at every turn. It’s not a problem until his personal feelings for her bleed into his investigation, particularly after she’s attacked. Does the murderer have her in their sights? Has Macey inadvertently uncovered a secret that the murderer would kill to keep hidden? Owen’s professional responsibility is clear—to tell civilians as little as possible while trying to solve a murder case—but that doesn’t work so well when the civilian is fully capable of connecting the dots.

“I want to know why you didn’t mention any of this last night when you showed up with all your questions.” She huffed out a breath. “You gave me some BS about talking to residents on my street.”



“I was talking to residents on your street. I told you last night, we’re canvassing the area.”



She shot him a look. “Don’t act like it’s the same. You should have given me a heads-up. As a safety precaution if nothing else.”



Something flickered in his eyes. Guilt? She hoped so.



“You’re right.” He nodded. “I apologize.”



Macey drew back, surprised. She hadn’t expected an apology. He’d seemed a little too arrogant to admit to a mistake.



“What would you like to know?” he asked.



She watched him silently. The apology had taken some of the wind out of her sails, and she tried to remember all the urgent questions that had been swirling through her mind on the way over here.



“Well . . .” She cleared her throat. “Can you confirm that the police were in my house after Julia went missing?”



“That’s correct.”

It’s hard to imagine continuing to live in a rented apartment that is riddled with smudges from fingerprint powder, but at least Julia wasn’t killed there. Macey draws on her inner Nancy Drew and falls back on her background as a professional journalist. Why not poke around? Her video camera is the perfect camouflage. Julia was a popular gal who hung out with some affluent folks in her off time—like real estate developers, for example—so when Owen abruptly cancels an evening date, Macey does some sleuthing at the marina. She talks her way past security and checks out the boats, ending up at the Annabel Lee, where she’s serenaded by the easy sounds of Texas singer George Strait.

She wouldn’t have expected a real estate developer to name his boat after an Edgar Allan Poe poem. But, hey, she’d never met the man. Maybe he was a literature buff.



“Hello?” She rested the toe of her shoe on the side and leaned forward to peer into the cabin. “Anyone home?”



George continued crooning about his exes in Texas, but apart from that—silence.



Macey sighed. Maybe she should try his office tomorrow.



“Stop right there.”



She turned to see a man behind her.



In his hand was a gun.

That’s Midnight Dunes all over: wry humor riddled with gut-clenching terror. It’s part career re-boot, part criminal investigation, and part burgeoning relationship, all overlaid with some ripped-from-the-headlines corruption vibes. As Macey and Owen discover, there’s big money to be had turning a sleepy beach community into a go-to tourist destination and the bad guys aren’t looking for an organic evolution on their watch. “Show me the money” slaps up hard against the investigation of Julia Murphy’s tragic death.

Macey Burns has left her career as a television reporter in the rear view mirror as she looks for a change of pace in the town of Lost Beach, Texas. Documentary filmmaking has always been her true passion, leading Macey to take a job with the island’s tourism board. When a local woman is found dead in the sand dunes, Macey’s hopes for relaxation are dashed. Detective Owen Breda is determined to solve this murder and protect his town and the new documentarian who keeps popping up in his life.

Happy Pub Week to Midnight Dunes!! This was my first romantic suspense and I loved it! Two of my favorite genres in one book? I’ll take it! Midnight Dunes is actually the third book in The Texas Murder Files series, but can be read as a standalone. Macey was so well-written and I loved the way her mind worked! She always seemed to be one step ahead and asking the right questions. Owen was another favorite character of mine and I loved seeing a more vulnerable side to him, it made him more relatable. I really enjoyed the pace of this book and how engaging it was! Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing, Laura Griffin, and NetGalley for my gifted E-ARC.

Macey Burns has embarked on a new career as a documentarian. She was a journalist, but due to scandal, has lost her job. Now that she is in Lost Beach, Texas, she is hoping to make a really nice documentary about the destination town. Macey hopes that this film will be first of many. However, a woman's body has been found on the beach, definitely upsetting the idyllic setting. It doesn't take Macey long to discover that the victim was actually living in the house that she is now renting.

While Macey is curious about the murder, especially with her journalist instincts kicking in, Detective Owen Breda has a professional interest in the case. He must solve it as quickly as possible because the rise of crimes in the gorgeous small town are sure to upset prospective tourists. One of the people he interviews is the newest member of the town, a woman he finds equally annoying and attractive. Quite naturally, Owen must remove her as a suspect, and perhaps the two can work together to solve the murder.

Sadly, there are more murder victims, creating a true race against crime to restore order to the one peaceful community. Pairing together might get the case solved, but it also might create danger for Macey as she and Owen get closer to catching the culprit.

While Midnight Dunes is the third book in the Texas Murder Files series, it works perfectly fine as a standalone novel. The story is interesting and the romance between Macey and Owen develops at a nice pace. This intriguing book by Laura Griffin was quite an enjoyable read and I hope there are more books in the series to come.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/Pk3b4Mu4aCI

Macey Burns needs a fresh start after a scandal ruins her career as a TV journalist, so she takes a job making ads for the Lost Beach Tourism Board. She thinks this will help her budding film company, but her plans are thwarted when the body of a local missing woman is discovered near the beach house she rented in this small coastal Texas town. Detective Owen Breda is leading the investigation, but he can’t help being a bit distracted when Macey keeps showing up with more information about the case.

I enjoyed this romantic thriller so much that I read it one sitting! Although Midnight Dunes is the third book in the Texas Murder Files series, it can definitely be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the previous books, but I want to now! Macey was a great heroine and I really admired her strength. She went through a lot and just kept on going! Owen was also extremely likable! He was intuitive, protective, and caring. He and Macey had major chemistry, and their relationship flowed well throughout the course of the investigation. The story was also full of suspense, action, and twists and turns to keep me guessing! As usual, I couldn’t figure out the identity of the killer, but luckily Owen is a very good detective! This was a fantastic blend of mystery and romance!

I am pleasantly surprised with how much I have really come to enjoy the Texas Murder Files series by Laura Griffin. This series has proven to be great when I need a break from my normal genre of choice (fantasy). They are quick, easy reads and I can usually finish them in about a day. Each book in this series can be read as a standalone which is something that I have really come to appreciate. When I first picked up this book I didn't know that it was part of a series. It just looked like it would be a fun and entertaining read. When I realized it was book 3 in a series I was quick to pick up and read the first two books prior to starting Midnight Dunes. Turns out, I really didn't have to. The only thing I really would have missed by not reading the previous books 1st would have been the introduction to some of these characters (Owen, our male lead, was a side character in book 2).

Griffin's fast paced writing has me staying up way to late just so I can see what is going to happen next. I also really enjoy her characters. They aren't just one dimensional. There is almost always some depth hidden under the surface. They are flawed and not afraid to show it. I look forward to more books in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the digital copy.

4.5 Stars
Macey Burns is in Lost Beach, Texas for a fresh start after her TV reporting career derailed. She’s hired by its tourism board to film commercials to attract visitors to their beautiful island. Unfortunately, things get off to an unsettling start when a woman is murdered, and Macey finds out she’s renting the woman’s former beach cottage. Detective Owen Breda is lead in the investigation and somehow, they keep bumping into each other, their paths cross over and over.

Owen is drawn in by Macey from the start, but the murder makes pursuing her difficult, especially when they need to keep a tight lid on the investigation. However, they’re thrown together through the investigation and Owen grows more attached with every encounter, their chemistry is palpable, but he’d like to keep Macey out of harm’s way.

Even though Macey’s out of the investigative reporting gig, it seems like she’s in the middle of this murder case left and right, and she can’t shake the eerie feelings she has staying at the dead woman’s cottage. Macey’s vowed to make her film production company her priority, making a success out of the business she’s sunk her savings into, and having a romantic relationship is a distraction she doesn’t want to have, and yet… Every time Macey thinks to rebuff Owen she doesn’t. She’s so attracted to him despite her intentions.

Midnight Dunes was the perfect combination of police procedural investigation and steamy romance! One didn’t overtake the other and I enjoyed the balance. I was hooked from the first chapter as I tried to figure out the identity of the killer right along with Owen and Macey! The suspense and danger picked up in the latter half of the story and I was on the edge of my seat worried about these characters as the killer became more and more bold. I loved how it all turned out and wonder if we’ll be getting more mysteries from Lost Beach. Nicole certainly deserves her own story with Emmett, maybe? I look forward to whatever Ms. Griffin has to offer next!

Midnight Dunes is my fourth book by Laura Griffin and I have enjoyed each one.

Her fast-paced writing style keeps me flipping pages, her plotlines are interesting and demand attention, and her characters are strong and multi-dimensional.

Macey is a former reporter turned documentary filmmaker who is in Lost Beach to film a tourism video for the travel board. She has a bit of a rough start once she arrives and quickly finds herself caught up in a missing person’s case.

Owen is a detective on said case and when it turns into a murder investigation, he leads the force in tracking down her killer.

His attraction to Macey is immediate, but he’s good at reading people and knows that she is hiding some things about her past. Let’s just say, sparks fly in more ways than one.

I really enjoyed heading back to Lost Beach and seeing all of the gang back together again to solve another crime. Each book in this series is a standalone with overlapping characters, so there’s no fear of jumping in and being lost.

The storyline is suspenseful and I didn’t guess the twist before it was revealed. There’s a lot of action to keep the plot moving quickly, but there are also quiet and passionate moments along the way.

The scenery is beautiful and vividly described, the main characters are smart and independent while being caring and protective, and the killer is not easily guessed. That makes it a winner in my book!

Wow! I completely devoured this book. It is fast paced and contains a little bit of everything, suspense, romance, thriller, and a tantalizing tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are charismatic and captivating. Macey and Owen will keep you mesmerized and flying through the pages. The story is solid and has many twists and turns that will keep you second guessing yourself. It is the third book in the Texas Murder Files series, and I had no issues reading it as a standalone.

Laura Griffen's setting for this book shines through. Who doesn't want to be transported to Lost Beach, Texas? A small-town island where the dunes, the lighthouse, and the ocean are stars all of their own. Macey Burns is shooting a commercial for the local tourist board. On her first day on the island, she stumbles across not only a murder scene, but a stunningly handsome local cop, Owen. From that point on Macey and Owen's stories become tangled and the chemistry is off the charts. I do not want to go into too much detail and ruin the book for you. Thank you to Laura Griffin, and Berkley Books for this oh so satisfying read. I am off to add the first two books to my cart!

Book #3 in the Texas Murder Files series is an awesome mystery. The plot is well developed and the characters are likable. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! It’s full of suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from beginning to end. Never a dull moment! *this honest review is based on a complimentary copy*

This is my fourth book of Griffin's. And this is the fastest, more exciting and intriguing read out of the books I have read of hers.

I really enjoyed reading about Macy and her new adventure. I have been following this series as each book has released. I will continue to do so. Anyhow, I found the setting and characters in this book perfect. I truly don't have enough positive words for this book.

The imagery in this one was quite vivid. I could see the island as Macy was seeing it. I think that this was a big part of why I enjoyed this one so much. The locale descriptions were done just right. Griffin showed us everything with her words, without over doing it.

All in all, this is most certainly a romantic suspense I would recommend.

It's an island dream. It's also hiding some dark secrets. In Midnight Dunes, Laura Griffin takes us back to Lost Island, Texas, where a resident has gone missing--and her ties to the community are both vague and clearly dangerous.

Reformed bad-boy Owen Breda (readers will recall from Flight), the Lost Island PD's new lead detective, has been saddled with a missing-persons case that stagnated for weeks until all hell broke loose. Now there's a body buried in the dunes, very few viable clues, and a disgraced journalist-turned-videographer who seems to have aggravated the murderer. Even worse, Owen and Macey are fighting an immediate attraction that doesn't bode well for the goals of either party.

I liked both the main and peripheral characters, who are all individual and flawed--almost entirely the same cast as the last book. However, there is no reason why this one can't be read alone. Though the interpersonal relationships Midnight Dunes abound, Griffin has woven a story that makes it simple to place each person easily.

It's a character-driven story, which is good, because the whodunnit aspect fell short. Unfortunately, the romance between Macey and Owen was frequently a little flat and confusing as well, but the setting and all of the personalities somehow make up for what the book lacks.

This is my second read by the author and in the series. Yay me, I’ve actually not gone in blind, but this could easily be read as a stand alone. It’s the same world as the other books, but focuses on different characters.

I really like the balance of suspense and romance that leans more towards romance and I liked Owen and Macy. Note. Their flaws make them relatable and real. I was really rooting for them while they followed the clues. I also liked the setting. It was a little like a supporting character.

I really think contemporary suspense fans will love this book.

Midnight Dunes was a very quick moving, easy to read romantic thriller. Told from two points of view we very easily feel the connection our main characters feel, as well as all of the other emotions each scene unveils. Macey was a really easy character to like. Smart, independent, and beautiful, it’s no wonder Owen can’t stop thinking of her. He also is an intriguing character. Tall and handsome, he has an instinct for questioning people that helps him get answers he needs. Funny enough, I think he and Macey are pretty similar to each other although she’s outgoing and he doesn’t seem to be. I liked them for each other a lot, so it was easy to root for that side of the story.

The mystery was really good and not too easy to anticipate who did what. I like being surprised and this story had a few that kept me on my toes and reading until the end. I was a little worried about this being the third book in the series but it seems that the series, although connected, has stand alone stories so don’t be afraid of picking this one up, you can jump right in without missing any intricate underlining stories. It was a very fast, fun read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Midnight Dunes is the third book in The Texas Murder Files series by Laura Griffin. It's a pulse-pounding mystery filled with a well-developed cast of characters. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This is the third book of The Texas Murder Files series but it can be read as a standalone.

I went into this book completely blindly and I ended up really enjoying. It was a fast-paced murder mystery that takes place in Lost Beach, Texas.

Macey is staying the summer working on a job for the tourism board. A dead body is found close to where she is staying, and she soon finds out that her rental is where the dead woman lived. Owen is the detective on the case. They both join forces to solve the murder.

The story is told by Macey and Owen. The two are trying to solve a murder, but along the way they fall in love. So, the story is filled with suspense with a sprinkle of romance. I really enjoyed the plot and trying to figure out what really happened to the woman that was murdered. It was a quick and entertaining read!

Thank you to Berkey and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Midnight Dunes is the third book in Laura Griffin's Texas Murder Files series but can be enjoyed as a standalone with no problem. This story follows Macey Burns as she starts down a new path in her life as a film maker. Starting with a tourism commercial set in the idyllic town of Lost Beach. But her inquisitive nature from being an ex-reporter is brought back to focus when the body of a local woman is found and Macey finds herself caught up in not only the mystery, but the life of lead detective Owen Breda.

Macey was a great heroine to read about and I loved the way her mind worked. Asking just the right questions about the crime without getting too involved that it distracted the actual investigators. I also really loved those moments of vulnerability from Owen about his career and the investigation. It's not often you see a hero in these types of novels show that side of their character but it really helped connect to him.

The mystery was really fun to try and solve along with these characters as well. It made for an intriguing story and I couldn't put it down once I started.