What a great short story with a twist at the end of the first chapter that hooked me! Bree Taggert is such a likable and compelling character. Fans of the Bree Taggert series like myself will very much enjoy this glimpse into the beginning of her partnership and friendship with Dana.

Her Second Death was a quick and short read that, in my opinion, read like an episode of a TV show. I loved that it was quick paced and really captured your attention. Every single detail had it's place and when that twist hits! Absolute perfection. It was an enjoyable read. I highly recommend.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion] - This book is also available on KU and has the Read and Listen feature. The narrator was incredible as well.

I love the Bree Taggert series and this prequal shows us when Bree first meets her partner and best friend Dana. It didn't add much to the series and I would have liked to have seen more of their friendship growing. However, it does show you how far Bree has come. It's also a short read so the crime wraps up extremely quickly. That being said it was a nice, fun quick and easy read.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a super short novella. Fast reading and suspenseful; gives us a look at Bree in her early days. Thank you Melinda for the galley!

Published by Amazon Original Stories on December 7, 2021

“Her Second Death” is part of the Amazon original short story series. It is billed as a prequel to the Bree Taggert series. The story has the feel of something that was dashed off in a couple of hours.

Detective Bree Taggert, newly assigned to homicide, investigates a shooting death. The victim was found in his car. When she contacts the victim’s wife, she learns that the wife was living apart from the victim and that he had their daughter for an overnight visitation. The missing child is a little blonde girl because of course it is.

Bree has empathy for the little girl because she hid under the porch during her parents’ murder-suicide. Because of course she did.

The police perform a bit of obvious police work that leads them to an obvious conclusion. The story generates no suspense because of course a little blonde girl isn’t going to be harmed in a story like this. Melinda Leigh makes no effort to make the reader feel she’s even at risk.

Nor is Bree ever at much risk, although weapons are pulled on her a couple of times. Her complete absence of situational awareness would be distressing if she were a real cop.

Like most missing child stories, this is a lazy effort at storytelling. If you really want to read about a missing kid, check out the review before this one. Winter Water tells a clever story. “Her Second Death” just isn’t interesting.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Melinda Leigh Novella is a perfect chance for readers to meet their rookie cop they have fallen in love with Bree Taggert and her partner and now best friend Dana Romano. It is only 47 pages but it packs a punch in those few short words pulling readers in fast and hard.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Her second Death.

This was a quick read as part of the Bree Taggert series. You are quickly drawn into the mystery and get to know Bree Taggert and her new partner, Dana Romano. The mystery was handled well and I am looking forward to additional adventures with these characters. Great introduction to the new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This is the prequel to the Author's excellent Bree Taggart series and in my opinion can be read as a standalone

When Bree and her new partner , veteran Detective Dana Romano are called out on a case of a man shot in the head they discover that his young daughter is missing . A murder investigation has now morphed to one of a desperate search for the missing child , time is of the essence ......... just what has happened her and why ?

Bree's struggle with her past comes to the fore and we see a more 'badass' version of Dana in this book which sets the ongoing storyline in place
My only complaint with this entertaining mystery is that it was too ,too short

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Her Second Death by Melinda Leigh is a prequel to the Bree Taggert series. I have not read the series yet so now I can see the story from the very beginning. After reading this I want to continue on with the series! Love the characters and I want to see what happens next.

I love the Bree Taggert series, can't wait to read the next novel. So of course I wanted to read this novella. Here we have a look at the relationship between Bree and Dana when they just became partners. In the present they are best friends but here it is only a beginning of them. Dana now is a soft caring woman but here though she is one badass cop. It was a bit hard to read about Bree. During the series she changed, became more open and vulnerable, but here she is still struggling with her past. The case was interesting, I mean I knew it would be, Melinda Leigh is a great author. My only complaint is that this novella is a bit too short, I would have preferred it to be 50 pages longer.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy of Her Second Death through Netgalley . I enjoyed reading this short tale .
Great characters and very Suspenseful . Gives you a look into Brees past . I recommend reading .

This Short Story was great! I really enjoyed the rawness of the character, Bree Taggert. I read some of the other books with her and really like her as a character. This is WAY too short though. It left me wanting more. Would recommend for anyone looking for a quick read on a rainy afternoon.

Great short story. I love to see how Bree and Dana met and how the dynamic has grown.
Thank you for the advanced copy.

Her Second Death is a quick read, and a great introduction into the Bree Taggert series. Bree is a new Detective with a new partner. They’re thrust into a murder case that quickly becomes a frantic search for the victim’s five-year-old daughter. I enjoy mysteries/police procedurals and Her Second Death captured my attention quickly. I’ve heard good things about the Bree Taggert series, and I can understand why. Bree seems like a dedicated investigator with a haunted past. This new case triggers flashbacks, and I’m very curious to hear the whole story.

The story is available through Kindle Unlimited “read and listen for free” if you belong to that program, a definite positive for me. I enjoyed Christina Traister’s narration and wouldn’t hesitate to listen to the rest of the series with her as the performer.

I'm such a big fan of the Morgan Dane books by Melinda Leigh, so I'm not surprised I fell in love with Bree Taggert from this short story! I really like the idea of a prequel, and since I haven't read anything from Bree's series yet, this was a great starting point. I liked how quick-paced the writing was and how easily I got into the story. Moreover, I love that it's a team of strong women detectives solving crime. I am definitely going to start reading the Taggert series now!

A super quick fast paced read. This is easy to read in a short sitting but still full of suspense and lovable characters. I adore this author so I loved this little short read about one of my favourite literary characters. Well written and easy to immerse yourself in when you only have a small reading window. A great little read

Her second death by Melinda Leigh.
Bree Taggert.
When a man is shot in the head, Bree Taggert and her new partner, veteran detective Dana Romano, respond to the call. They break the news to the victim’s ex-wife and learn the estranged couple’s five-year-old daughter was supposed to have been with him. What starts as a murder investigation quickly morphs into a desperate search for a missing child. The case stirs memories of Bree’s own traumatizing childhood. To find the little girl, Bree will have to relive her own terrifying past.
A good short read. Likeable story and characters. 4*.

I love this series and this didn’t disappoint. More of Bree with some of her backstory when she was first starting police work. My only complaint is a novella is too short and I want more of Bree now!

This is a short story, prequel to the Bree Taggert series. There are four full length novels already published in this series, but I enjoyed going back to the beginning and seeing how Bree started in homicide as well as how she met Dana Romano, a friend/nanny/housemate in the series. This story starts out as a murder investigation, but turns into a missing child case, a child with autism. As Bree works on this case, she has memories of her own trauma from her childhood. Bree and Dana are called to a death, a man shot in the head in his car. When they inform the estranged wife of his death, she asks about their daughter. No one knows where she is and everyone, including the victims father, panic.

I just finished the second book in this series, so was happy to read this prequel to get some background on Bree. I enjoyed the case and the way Bree was thinking, as well as seeing the relationship between the partners. You don't often see two female detectives working together, but this partnership worked. For such a short story, Melinda Leigh packed a punch. A fully solved case, a great introduction to the characters and information about the main character to develop empathy and see her as a real person with baggage. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

HER SECOND DEATH is a “Bree Taggert” prequel short story; to give the reader a glimpse of Bree’s background, from before she came to be a seasoned Sheriff. It’s an early case which she and her partner solved, and it answered some lingering questions about Bree’s haunted past. It also opened up more questions about the dedicated former big city homicide detective, which will hopefully be answered as the series progresses.

Melinda Leigh is such an underrated talent. She writes some of the better Suspense and Police procedurals out there right now. Recommend author and series.