I highly recommend this book, it was interesting a great physcological thriller with a fantastic plot. I loved how the dog's and the pet grooming salon was included in the story, I read this book super slowly because I didn't want to miss anything and I didn't want it to end. Although I'd already guessed who the killer was before it was revealed. It was still a great highly engaging read. This book is out now for anyone who is after a highly recommended book. Thank you netgalley and inkubator books for this ARC. All opinions are solely my own. 5/5 stars

I wanted to like this book but it was bogged down with a lot of overly detailed passages on things that had absolutely nothing to do with the plot. A few actions and reactions of the main character didn't add up either. Not a bad read but not an exciting one either.

The characters were easy to relate to. the plot was easy to follow. Really enjoyed the story, cannot wait to read more from the author.

Erin moves to an island and sets up a shop. She is running from a violent ex. She meets the local women, but then her assistant is murdered. Is it to do with Dominic, who tries to sleep with every woman in town? Is it some other town secret?
An excellent novel, you so want things to work out for Erin as she investigates and gets to know her new town. I couldn't put it down, Great plot,characters and setting. Highly recommend!

Dark Domestic Noir,
Hope for a new chapter is dashed in this dark domestic noir with disturbing and distressing themes. Erin has hopes for a new life, having fled from a life of domestic abuse and sheer terror. The remote island that she has chosen seems perfect for her. But, is it? Soon events conspire to make Erin once again fear for her life - she knows that there’s a killer on the island. A slow burn but deliberately so as tension mounts and characters are drawn. Menacing, chilling and gripping.

I could not have guessed where this book was going, a real gripping twisty turning thriller! Handled sensitive topics beautifully. Such a good read

After escaping her abusive ex husband Erin has decided to move to a remote island away from all the troubles of her previous life to start a new one.

Although Erin has moved many miles away and to a remote Island she still fears her ex husband and he returns to haunt her in her dreams. Even though Erin is in therapy and knows Mark is in prison having nearly killed Erin she still cannot escape the feeling that Mark is closer to her than he should be.

Trying to put the past aside Erin soon meets Dominic a true ladies man however Erin picks up similar traits in him to what she saw in Mark. Just when poor Erin seems on edge she discovers that her ex has been released early from prison. With Mark on the lose and Dominic literally round every corner she turns things just seem to go from bad to worse for Erin.

With a Erin feeling on edge with everything going on she is shocked when the body of her shop assistant is discovered not long after a second body is found. To Erin it becomes clear their is a serial killer on the lose, with the local sheriff department being worse than useless Erin decides to face her fears head on and tries to uncover who the killer is, but in doing so she puts herself in terrible damaged.

This book was a great read it had pace, it was twisty, it was entertaining and generally an all around good thriller. I was completely shocked by the ending a great who dun it which took me totally by surprise. Overall a brilliant book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. I’m looking forward to reading more books by Coke Baxter!

The title of this book doesn’t make a lot of sense. There was not a whole lot of dialogue in the book. There was a LOT of talk about pet grooming, which I could have done without. Little snippets here and there would’ve been fine, but it was just too much. The twist was okay, but that’s about it.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Erin is starting a new life after escaping from an abusive marriage where her ex husband tried to strangle her. She finds a small community and sets up a dog grooming business.

This book was billed as a psychological thriller but it mainly consisted of tedious details of everyday life. Erin didn’t act like someone living in fear of her ex. If she was terrified of him, it’s unlikely that she would choose to appear on TV or agree to go on a date with a suspected murderer. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was slow to me at first but then it picked up as I kept reading.
I did guess the twist early on but I really enjoyed the book and I loved how the ending turned out.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A quick fast paced read that was a gripping and chilling domestic thriller. It was unpredictable and twisty and kept me guessing all along. It does contain triggering issues of domestic violence but was handled sensitively.

Started strong and fizzled…I’ve not read this author’s work before, but had high hopes based on the book’s description. The beginning of the book took us down the dark and terrifying alley of domestic abuse and set the reader up to think it would be a strong current throughout the book that would factor into the identification and resolution of the mystery. That didn’t happen, and in fact what we got was one-dimensional characters and stereotypical tropes. Erin Caldwell, fleeing an abusive ex-husband and in-laws, retreats for safety and a fresh start, to Misty Harbor, an isolated island with her faithful canine companion Fenix. Once there, she makes a series of unbelievably questionable decisions that undermine her safety and expose her to personal risk that the average person would just take. I also saw the true culprit coming from a mile away due to the lack of well developed plot and characters. This book was good as light entertainment but didn’t work at any deeper level for me. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

This is an easy psychological thriller, great holiday book. Erin escapes her abusive husband and his family only to land in the middle of a couple of murders. Great whodunnit

I received an advance copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. Although it is a slow burner I liked the way that the character development took place. The book does deal with pyschological abuse and domestic violence however this is dealt with sensitively with a focus on mental health and recovery.

Without giving too much away the book deals with a woman leaving behind an abusive relationship for a fresh start in a new town. Unexpectedly a murder occurs in the close knit community and she becomes involved.

I did guess the twist simply as there were not many other possibilities but thought the book really well written and would recommend the author.

Erin Caldwell is a survivor. Erin has survived horrific abuse and violence and has succeeded in winning court cases to obtain justice. Her ex-husband Mark Knox is in prison for attempted murder but Erin is fearful that one day her ex will carry out the threat he made on the last day she saw him to “find her wherever she was, and finish the job.”

Erin and her dog Fenix have moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a small island named Misty Cliffs on King James Island off the coast of Washington. Hopeful for a new beginning, Erin has purchased a small home within walking distance to her building on Seaview Avenue. By day she has opened a pet grooming business for dogs and cats. But at night the nightmares continue. Is it possible to leave the past behind?

Alicia Andrews is her first employee and has rented the apartment above the shop. Erin is happy that Alicia is an asset to the business and is becoming a personal friend. Erin is also making good business connections with other female entrepreneurs and has joined Martha’s Fishing Club. Dominic Martin, owner of the local guitar shop is bringing drama to Erin’s store almost on a daily basis. Drama is the one thing Erin doesn’t need in her life especially as some of it is a constant reminder of her past.

A gripping psychological thriller that kept me engaged from start to finish. Development of secondary characters was given the same insightful attention as the main character giving each individual a distinct identity and purpose to move the plot forward. With unexpected twists and suspense, it is a realistic portrayal of an abuser and a survivor’s journey in her determination to move forward.

My sincere thanks to Cole Baxter, and Inkubator Books for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

A woman is on the run from an abusive husband who is in jail. She moves far far away and makes a new life for herself. She opens a dog grooming business and it really centered around that. I just thought it was ok. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was my first read from this author, and I was disappointed in many ways. The synopsis of the book led me to believe the plot was about a woman running from an abusive ex, and while that was a small part of the plot, it centered more around the day-to-day running of a pet grooming shop and other tedious details in the main character's life.

It's a common trope in cozy mysteries to have a MC investigating a crime, but this wasn't a cozy. It made no sense for the MC Erin to be caught up in the almost comical situation she found herself in. I think my biggest issue with this book was it was very heavy on passively telling when there should have been more dialogue.

Sadly, this one was a miss for me, but I may check out another from this author to see if it was just this title that didn't work for me. THE BETRAYAL will publish June 26, 2022, from Inkubator Books. I thank them and NetGalley for this early read.

Sadly this one just wasn't it for me. The scene was set beautifully and the characters were all were written and developed. The overall plot..... meh! I just found it lacking and overall it didn't make much sense. The characters made stupid decisions, the prison service/ parole were illogically useless, the twists and the outcome were predictable. Its a really quick and easy read but its just like a million other books you'll have read. It's not terrible by any means but if you are into thrillers and read them a pot then this won't be setting your world on fire. It just tries too hard and fails. If you just want a quick and easy read to pass some time by the pool then this would be a fine way to spend a cpl hrs. Also...... explain to me who was actually betrayed and by whom?! Sadly this just was not for me

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Inkubator Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I didn’t want to put this one down.

Erin is the main character in this book, having survived a brutal attack from her x husband she starts a new life on a island where she thinks she is safe hoping for a quiet life things take a turn for the worse when women start being murdered, This was a hard book to put down a real page turner with an ending I never saw coming