This is the third book in Laura Griffin’s Texas Murder Files series. As usual with Laura’s books, it sucks you in from the very beginning and you can’t leave until you’ve finished. She is a master of suspense and anticipation.

Macey Burns leaves her job as a news reporter to follow her passion and start her own documentary film production business. Hired by the small town of Lost Beach, TX. to make a tourism promotion film, she rents a small house on the beach to relax and work on her new job. When a body is found in the sand dunes not far from her rental, she learns that the dead woman was the previous tenant of the house she is renting.

Police detective Owen Breda is assigned to the case. Putting in hours of work and running into dead ends has him rethinking his abilities and his career. At the same time, Macey seems to appear at every lead he gets. His need to find out what she knows and what she’s seen leads to a mutual attraction that neither of them can resist.

Although Midnight Dunes is the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. Laura Griffin’s books always get a must read recommendation from me.

ARC provided by NetGalley. Review is my own.

Each of the books in the Texas Murder files work as a standalone and features one case and a side of romance. Macey Burns has arrived after a scandal forced her to leave her last job. She’s sworn off men and is working on a documentary for the local tourism board. Her first encounter with Detective Owen Breda was bizarre and left her shaken.

Her seaside cottage isn’t quite what she expected, and the town is in the spotlight when the body of a missing female is found in the dunes near to Macey’s rental cottage.

The case was interesting without many leads, but when someone attempts to break into Macey’s cottage, things heat up. Griffin weaved an interesting case with red herrings and carefully threaded clues that built up the suspense until the killer was revealed. I thought it was well done with a solid motive. The way the author placed Macey in danger felt realistic and I was engaged from beginning to end.

The romance was a slow burn until it wasn’t. Macey has hang-ups from her previous relationship and Owen wasn’t very clear. Their first meet is a prime example, and I found it odd. I felt he should have been aware and advised Macey who he was. Maybe it’s just me? I’d love to hear what you think.

Overall, this was another enjoyable romantic suspense, and I look forward to the author’s next book. Fans of murder-mysteries, law enforcement and romantic suspense will enjoy the Texas Murder Files.

Macy is a documentarion in Texas. Owen is the town detective.
Summer is interrupted when the dead body of the woman who owns Macy's rented house turns up.
The mystery must be solved to save the much needed tourist season.
In the midst a romance blossoms.

A nice summer read

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Midnight Dunes is another solid romantic suspense read by Laura Griffin. This is part of the Texas Murder Files series, but can be read as a standalone. The story follows disgraced reporter Macey and detective Owen. Soon after Macey arrives in the small town of Lost Beach, a body is discovered near her rental. Owen and Macey are thrown together when she gets caught up in the investigation. Owen must try to protect Macey and solve the crime that has rocked his town.

This was a quick, easy read that grabs you right away. I flew through it while sitting by the pool and it is definitely a one sitting read. Macey and Owen were great characters and their romance was sweet. The mystery is complex and I loved the full cast of characters. There is a great balance of the romance and suspense. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

Midnight Dunes, book 3 in the Texas Murder Files by Laura Griffin is a fast paced romantic suspense that will keep you hooked! Macy arrives in Lost Beach, Texas hoping to kick off her new career filming a documentary for the tourism board. Shortly after arriving a body is found on the beach near the cottage she’s rented. Another enjoyable read by a favorite author!

This series has been really fun and exciting! And this book is actually linked to book 2 in the series, though there was no connection between books 1 & 2.

Macey Burns was a successful reporter in San Antonio, but after a scandal that resulted in her losing her job, she's moved to the small town of Lost Beach, TX. She's returning to her first love as a documentary film maker, but first she's agreed to make a series of videos for the tourism board of the town. Soon, she's embroiled in a murder investigation in the idyllic beach community.

Owen Breda is the lead detective on the case of a missing woman, who has now been found murdered, and buried in the dunes. Leads are thin, and they have no idea who they're looking for. He runs into Macey her first night in town, and is immediately drawn to her. But he's busy with the case, and she's only in town for the summer. Getting together isn't a good plan.

The murder mystery is a large part of the story here, and it was exciting and mostly kept me guessing. The chemistry between Macey and Owen was instant and strong. I really enjoyed their banter, and the bit of push and pull they were doing at first. But their personalities really complemented each other well, and it became clear quickly that they couldn't resist their connection.

There were some great side characters here in Emmet & Nicole, Owen's fellow detectives, so I hope we see more of them in future stories! We also got glimpses of Joel (Owen's brother) and Miranda, the couple from the last book, so it was nice getting a peek into how their relationship is progressing a year later.

I really enjoyed this book, and this series has proven to be thrilling and fun. I'll definitely be reading more as they're released!

Thank you for the ARC ofMidnight Dunes by Laura Griffin that I read and reviewed.
I really enjoyed the third book in the Texas Murder Files by Laura Griffin. Macey Burns was a character that had some baggage wand was flawed enough that the average reader could connect to her and she was just the type of person you wanted to cheer for. Then there was Detective Owen Breda, he was very interesting as well. He had a lot to deal with but had heart of gold behind his badge and tough exterior. They made a great pair and watching them connect in this book was a great pleasure.
As for the mystery that was a bit tricky for my. When the killer was revealed I did not see that coming at all the person was not in my radar at all. Maybe I was not paying as much attention as I usually do or else Griffin was just that darn good in this book. Whichever it was this book was a great read and I can’t wait to see where this series goes.
Midnight Dunes gets five out of five stars from me!

Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin is the third book in Ms. Griffin's Texas Murder Files series. The storyline is quite interesting. Heroine Macey Burns has moved to Lost Beach, TX for a temporary assignment. She has moved into a house formally owned by a woman who has been missing for a couple weeks. Macey moved to Lost Beach to escape a scandal. She was looking for peace and quiet and a good start to her new business. What Macey found in Lost Beach was danger. Fortunately Macey also found Detective Owen Breda. I liked Macey and Owen as a couple and enjoyed seeing the character development as the murder investigation progressed. I think this book is a good addition to the series.

Midnight Dunes was my first Laura Griffen book but it won’t be the last! I had no idea she has so many books!
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I was hesitant to read the third book in a series, I am usually a stickler for starting at the beginning. But this one didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. I feel like it read like a standalone novel. And it has a lot going for it: a great setting, very beachy vibes which was fun and relaxing to read. A good mystery, a little police investigation but I wouldn’t call this a police procedural. It even has a little romance but nothing over the top or eye rolling.
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I feel like the elements of the mystery unfolded in a very natural progression, and the pacing was very good. It moved along quickly and I was very engaged from the beginning to the end, this was a very well done mystery/thriller. I think with the beach setting this would make a very good beach read, so if you want some thing a little darker for your summer reading, this would be a great choice!
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I received a free digital copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Macey Burns was a popular television reporter until a scandal abruptly ended her on camera career. Macey left a big Texas city and is trying to rebuild her life by going back to her first love of making documentary films. Three months after the big drama, and in order to pay the bills, Macey finds herself in the coastal Texas town of Lost Beach after being hired with an associate by the local tourism board to make commercials that help attract more folks to Lost Beach. Macey rents what turns out to be a rundown beach house in a secluded area where a young women lived who went missing until some gruesome evidence turned up. Macey has to tamp down her reporter skills knowing she no longer has that job to uncover crime details.

Detective Owen Breda heads the investigation to find out who the culprit is and whether it is one of the islanders he grew with or a newcomer. As Lost Beach becomes more popular, crime seems to be on the rise including very deadly ones. Owen crosses paths with Macey while investigating the murder and is immediately drawn to her though he is suspicious of any new residents complicated by the fact of Macey living in a potential crime scene.

Macey and Owen keep ending up at the same places and when he finds out what Macey’s former job was, he is none too pleased. Macey unwittingly involves herself in the investigation while she goes about her job on the island providing Owen and the LBPD with some clues to who the perpetrator is while also putting herself in harm’s way. Owen knows better than to get personal with someone involved in his case: however, he can’t seem to resist wanting more from Macey than professional help. Macey is still reeling from a bad relationship that was the cause of her firing so she is very hesitant to go there again though she is very tempted.

This book is the third in the Texas Murder Files series; however, it can be read as a standalone. I once again enjoyed being back in the world Laura Griffin has created in a rural Texas beach town. This is a fine mystery thriller with romance although in this story, that aspect takes more of a back seat than the previous two books. As someone who enjoys romantic suspense, I would have preferred more time in the story on their relationship, but all in all, this is a good read.

Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin is the 3rd book in her The Texas Murder Files series. I am a huge fan of Laura Griffin, as she is one of the best at murder suspenseful mysteries, police procedurals, and romance.

Macey Burns, our heroine, comes to Lost Beach, Texas to spend the summer working on her new job, filming a documentary at the beachside community for the Island’s Tourism board. Macey’s job as a tv reporter ended up in a scandal, but she is determined to go back to her love of documentary filmmaking and Lost Beach was her starting point. Macey rents a cottage for the summer, and is shocked to learn that a woman who was found dead in the dunes, was actually the person who lived in her cottage previously.

Owen Brenda, our hero, is the lead investigator in the case of the dead girl, and the police department is under a lot of pressure to solve the case. Owen met Macey the night she arrived in town, and questions her if she saw anything, until he realizes that she wasn’t even in town for weeks after the murder. During her filming of the documentary, she runs into Owen and few times, asking about the case, which he cannot reveal; until she gets attacked outside her cottage, and Owen begins to listen to some things Macey has seen.

Their relationship begins to escalate into a slow burn romance, with Owen deep into the case, and his worrying about Macey. The chemistry between them was great, and I really liked them together. I also liked the other detectives that were working with Owen, in the race to find the killer before they strike again. Macey does come up with some clues for Owen, but that will also place her in danger.

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge throughout, especially as we raced to the climax. Griffin gave us a great couple, wonderful secondary characters and an excellent suspenseful story. The last third of the book was very exciting, as I could not put the book down. I do not want to give spoilers, so you need to read this book to discover what happens.

Midnight Dunes was another excellent mystery in this series, which to no surprise, was very well written by Laura Griffin. If you enjoy murder mysteries, police procedurals, lots of intense action, suspense, and romance, you should read this book. If you have never read Laura Griffin, it’s time to start now, as she is an amazing writer for romance suspense.

This is a romantic suspense title that is third in a series. In this episode, Detective Owen Breda is trying to solve the murder of a woman found buried in one of the area's famous sand dunes. And filmmaker Macey Burns is trying to make commercials to highlight the attractions of the area for the tourist board.

Macey has left her current career as a television personality in disgrace. She's sunk all her savings into her new business as a filmmaker. She has self-doubts and still some guilt about her previous bad choices.

Owen is busy trying to prove himself as a detective and suffering some doubts of his own. He feels he isn't measuring up to the standards set by his older brother who is a successful detective.

Macey finds that she has unknowingly leased the same house that the murdered woman lived in - and it seems someone wants something she might have left there.

Owen and Macey's paths keep crossing as he's searching for clues and she's searching for perfect locations on the island to film. Both are really busy people who have different desires for a relationship. Owen is fascinated with her, but she is hesitant to start a new relationship with memories of her former relationship's implosion firm in her mind.

For me, this story suffered from an overabundance of characters. I'm assuming that quite a few of them were introduced in the previous two books of the series and were here to let readers know what was happening with them. I found it hard to focus on the two main characters of this story because so many other characters kept showing up.

The mystery was interesting and there was a nice amount of suspense both in relation to the crime and to the new relationship. Fans of the previous two books will enjoy this one.

This is not the type of story I was looking for and not a genre I am interested in.
I think I requested this book by mistake.

The low rating is not due to the content of the book (as I did not consume it) but rather to the fact that this was removed from my TBR due to lack of interest.

"When the shocking discovery of a murdered woman’s body disturbs the tranquility of tourist season, the police detective in charge of the puzzling case must work alongside the new filmmaker in town to pursue every lead in the new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

After a scandal derails her television reporting career, Macey Burns comes looking for a change of pace in Lost Beach, Texas. She’s ready to focus on her first passion - documentary filmmaking - and has a new job working for the island’s tourism board, shooting footage of the idyllic beachside community. Her plans for a relaxing rebound are dashed when she realizes the cottage she’s renting belonged to the woman whose body was just found in the sand dunes.

Detective Owen Breda is under intense pressure to solve this murder. Violent crimes are rising in his small town, and he can’t stand to see anyone else hurt...especially not the beautiful documentarian who keeps showing up at the precinct.

With the clock ticking, cameras rolling, and body count climbing, Macey and Owen must use all their resources to find the killer without getting caught in the crosshairs."

Love and murder in Texas!

Midnight Dunes
Texas Murder Files #3
Laura Griffin

Book three in the Texas Murder Files, Midnight Dunes, is full of surprising twists and shocking turns that will keep readers on their toes trying to discover whodunit and once more proving that Laura Griffin is the Queen of Romantic Suspense.
Laura’s narrative is informative and intense bringing her audience right to this beautiful Texas resort town in turmoil and her dialogue is concise and comprehensive and will intimate her readers to all her players. The attraction between Owen and Macey is credible and palpable and they are the definite standouts in this novel, but every other character in the novel is also crucial to the story. One really interesting situation was housing Macey in the dead woman’s beach house that leads to other interesting developments. Readers will find themselves rooting for this couple while they’re simultaneously following the clues that the author is drip feeding to learn the culprit’s identity. This as in all the Texas Murder File novels can be read as a standalone. Fans of romantic suspense, the novels by Lisa Gardner or Lisa Jackson and this author will find this a hard to put down stay up all night read.

After sabotaging her career as a TV journalist Macey Burns feels extremely lucky that the town of Lost Beach Texas has hired her fledgling film company to make commercials for the tourism board. She’s determined to use this summer to do a good job for the town and make a new start for herself and might even be able to fulfill her once upon a dream of becoming a documentary filmmaker. But that start is being hampered when a local woman turns up murdered on the site of one of her planned shoots and a very sexy detective keeps turning up asking questions.

Owen Breda has his hands full after being named lead detective when a local missing woman is found murdered. He’s got few leads and is getting heat for a quick solve from his chief because murders and tourism just don’t mix well. Plus, he keeps running into a beautiful filmmaker he just can’t stop thinking about and he can’t afford distractions.

4 Hearts
SJ, Romance Junkies

In MIDNIGHT DUNES, the newest romantic thriller from NYT bestseller Laura Griffin, a woman's body is found in the dunes during tourist season, and a filmmaker helps the local police solve a murder. The suspense is topnotch. The mystery keeps you guessing until the very end, but the romance lacked some, as we never really got to know the hero as well as the heroine. Yet the story is engaging and moves at a fast pace, keeping you turning the pages.

Macey Burns has quit her job as a television reporter due to an unfortunate scandal and has reinvented herself as a documentary filmmaker. The last thing she expects to find at her new job is a dead body.

Detective Owen Brada is good at his job and under a lot of pressure to solve this shocking murder. His attraction to Macey is unexpected, especially because she's not only beautiful and smart, but helpful on this case. And he wants to protect her from the violence he's afraid will escalate. As the clues build, new suspects keep presenting themselves. But when the real murderer comes to light, it might be too late for Macey and Owen to build any kind of future.

A page-turning thriller long on danger and intrigue if a little short on romance, MIDNIGHT DUNES is sure to keep you guessing as you read this gem in one sitting.

Two things I love about this series: it’s set in Texas and they can each be read as standalones. While each of the books is linked through certain characters, the stories are all completely different and it’s not necessary to read the previous books to get to know our main characters. However, it is fun to see how characters change throughout the stories. While book 1 was set in Austin, both Midnight Dunes #3 and Flight #2 are set in Lost Beach, Texas, which is a coastal town. Making the second two books great beach mystery reads.

Book #3 in the Texas Murder Files follows Detective Owen Breda and Macey Burns. While Detective Breda is working to find a local missing girl, Macey has just arrived on the island to create a new tourism commercial for the town. They cross paths immediately when Macey gets a flat tire arriving on the island. As the two work to solve the mystery, their budding relationship feels organic and genuine.

Griffin does a great job of balancing the mystery/investigation with the romance in these books. Sometimes these romance mysteries, focus too little on the mystery, that it’s more a side story. Griffin makes sure to keep the mystery center stage and actually enhances the suspense with her lead character’s interaction.

This was a fast and enjoyable read for me. Can’t wait for more in the series.

Midnight Dunes comes out May 24, 2022! Huge thank you to Berkley Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

Macey Burns was involved in a scandal that completely derailed her Job as a TV reporter. Macey moves to Lost Beach, Texas in an effort to start over as a documentary film maker. Her plans are soon derailed when a body is found in the sand dunes and it turns out to be the owner of the cottage that Macey is renting. Detective Owen Brenda is on the case to solve this mystery. With violent crimes on the rise in this small town, so is the pressure on Detective Brenda to solve the case.

I thoroughly enjoyed MIDNIGHT DUNES by Laura Griffin. This is book #3 in The Texas Murder Files series. I have not read the first 2 books in the series, at least not YET! This one can be read as a standalone without missing any backstory. I thought the balance between mystery and romance was perfect in this great story. The author did a fantastic job of including both genres. This book deserves each and every star!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

3.5 stars
In this third book in Laura Griffin’s Texas Murder Files series, we see our heroine Macey, a former news reporter, making her way to Lost Beach, TX for her new beginning in life. She’s started a production company and she’s been hired by the tourism board of the small town to help create some new branding. There’s been a rise in crime lately and as Macey joins the small beach town, she winds up in the middle of a murder investigation. It turns out, she’s rented the victim’s home.

The next morning, she sees a lot of commotion down the beach at the dunes and jogs over to check it all out. The victim’s body has been found, officially escalating her from missing person to homicide victim. And the super hot detective who wants to know who Macey is and why she’s at his crime scene isn’t going to scare her away. Since Macey used to be a reporter, she still kind of has those reporter instincts and asks about the case a lot. But then gets mad Owen can’t talk about the case. He’s a detective. In an open murder investigation. Of course he can’t talk about the case!

Meanwhile, Owen has fallen hard for Macey from the moment he saw her jogging up to his crime scene, however every time he tries to spend time with her, his case needs him, or a new lead pops up. For her part, Macey has left the world of television reporting in disgrace after a scandal, so she’s all business. While on one hand she definitely wants the sexy detective, on the other, she needs to focus on her new career. But once she starts hearing noises and weird sounds outside of her rental, things escalate. She’s not sure it’s related to the murder case or not until something big happens, and she and Owen both realize she’s very tangled in the threads of his case.

Now this is the biggest thing that bothered me: we know nothing about the hero. Nothing. Anything you know about him comes from previous books. We learned more about Nicole, one of the other police officers, than we did about Owen. Now that doesn’t mean you’ll be confused at all, the book is able to fit as a stand-alone, however it shows how little detail was given to Owen. We don’t hear about his past, about why he feels like he isn’t in the job that’s right for him, his feelings about his older brother…we don’t get answers. I feel that leads into my second thing: the romance. There wasn’t much. I’m all for inst-love, I’m 100% in for love at first sight, but the romance aspect of this book wasn’t very romantic. There was very little getting to know each other. Macey shared more of herself, but Owen was quiet and didn’t really talk about himself. It was kind of unusual for this author.

The mystery kept me gripped, but the romance wasn’t her best. This author has a talent for hooking the reader instantly and keeping the mystery fresh, she leaves you with a vivid image of her location, and you can’t turn pages fast enough! I am greatly looking forward to the next book.

***ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. This romantic thriller will pull you into the story from the beginning pages. Macey Burns is hoping to make a living as a documentary filmmaker, which is what she is passionate about leaving a successful career as a journalist in the rearview. She arrives at Lost Beach, Texas to make pictures and film for the island's tourism board. Her plan for relaxation is immediately marred when she realizes she is renting the cabin of the young woman whose body was recently recovered on the beach. Can you say creepy? Detective Owen Breda wants to catch this vicious killer, and he has to decide if he can trust Macey to help him find this killer and keep her safe at the same time. Her background as a journalist makes him a little leery of her intentions. The author does a great job of tossing your mind around when you are trying to figure out exactly who the killer may be. She provides multiple red herrings and the ending will be leave your mouth agape. This is a good police procedural with romance built into the story as well. The plot is gritty and the characters are very likable. You can almost visualize the photos that Macey is making because the author does a great job of describing everything without giving too much information. If you like a romantic thriller, you will not be disappointed with this book.