Set in the Pacific Northwest, the police detective is pregnant, working on a relationship with her man, and detecting murders and sleuthing. It is a very linear story and a cute read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

At the start of the story it moved fast for me. I loved the intensity and the mystery surrounding what was happening with the deputy. The call to arms from Maggie’s team pushed the book along. The entertainment from the book was great, but somewhere along the line after the third chapter the book stalled. Once Maggie and Hollis where in the car discussing strategy, the story seemed to be all over the place. There were a number of characters dropped in at this point and the sharing their background, I was confused.

If readers didn't read the early books in the series, it will be great to pick up Desolation Ridge as a introduction to LaVonne Griffin-Valade. Desolation Ridge is a darker story that will causes Maggie to question her past and how to deal with her personal issues with her partner.

The story is well paced and readers who love thriller and suspense stories cannot miss the Maddie Blackthrone series.

This book had kind of a weird storyline, it had light suspense, intrigue, and good police work. It was a decent read but it wasn't really my type of read?! It was just ok for me! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I am enjoying this series. This is book three. Oregon State Police sergeant Maggie Blackthorne is juggling being pregnant, an up coming wedding, and finding the person who killed her prime suspect in a cop killing. Good mystery

Overall an excellent read . I really like this series. . I loved the setting of the book and the main character . I fell this was a good atmospheric thriller.
Thanks for letting me review this book Netgalley and the publisher

Maggie Blackthorne is back in Desolation Ridge by LaVonne Griffin-Valade. This is the third book in this series set in Oregon. It all starts with a simple domestic violence that evolves into a murder and then it is a wild chase with many complications and some developments that wasn't really expected. I have been mildly interested in this series but it gets better for every new book I read and it's a bit different from many others set in a rural small town environment. The dialogue and setting is wonderful and the the way Oregon state police is spread thin is interesting. I do recommend that you try this series and thank @severnriverpublishing @SvrnRvrPublish @NetGalley @netgalley for giving me this advance copy and #LaVonneGriffinValade for writing it.

339 pages

4 stars

Sergeant Maggie Blackthorne runs a very small police force in the Pacific Northwest of Washington State. When one of her officers reports to a domestic situation, he is shot and later dies.

Maggie and her partner Trooper Hollis “Holly” swing into action. A neighbor reports that the woman was badly beaten and an inspection of the house shows a large quantity of blood. But the man and woman involved in the domestic are gone, as is the man’s orange International Scout.

A witness suggests that the escaped man liked to go “mudding.” Basically, running his Scout around in deep mud. The police then head to the hills. At an old abandoned Forestry and Wildlife station, they find the man inside - shot dead.

They find the battered woman, a girl of eighteen, clutching a gun while sleeping in the back of the Scout.

Finding the girl and with the help of the perpetrator leads the police to make extensive connections. The trail leads to Idaho and California. Survivalists, anti-government types, the FBI and sexual abuse all play a part in this book.

The book moved along at a nice speed. The characters were well drawn and likable - well, most of them. I liked Maggie and her love interest. Holly was a great character. The book was well written and plotted. It held my interest. I will look for more by this author.

I want to thank NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Desolation Ridge by LaVonne Griffin-Valade is the first book I've read by this author. Even though I haven't read the prior books in the series, I did not feel I missed out on anything.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The storyline was intriguing and held my interest. There was a good mystery, and I liked the location and scenery. I will read more from this author.

#DesolationRidge #NetGalley @SvrnRvrPublish

I think that this series keeps getting better (and it's good that the Pacific Northwest has a reputation for extremist groups as it provides fodder for many storylines). Maggie Blackthorne is pregnant and a little touchy about the sudden concern her male colleagues exhibit for her well-being (and the best line in the book is when she stated that she had the right to choose and she choose to have the baby!). There are plenty of twists in this story--though Maggie's off-hand acknowledgment that things were starting to seem like a bad movie is a good reminder that sometimes coincidences do happen in fiction and real life.

Thanks to Severn River Publishing for access to an ARC on NetGalley.

Maggie Blackthorne, four-months pregnant, getting married in a couple of weeks, is on the hunt for a murderer. Too many characters introduced in the first several chapters made for confusion and re-reading. However, the pace did pick up and I became totally engrossed with Maggie’s search for a killer. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. The protagonist is a police officer, engaged to be married, and pregnant with her first child. Her cohorts are likable, as is she, and her fiancé is adorable...the plot thickens, after the first murder...when there is another one...she is on the case with the others...there are so many characters that this reads like a television show or real life. The language could be dismissed...but other than that, it is a whodunit written in a linear fashion...I like that...this author is talented and gifted...don't miss this book. I hope there is a part two coming.