Book Title: Those Empty Eyes
Author: Charlie Donlea
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: March 28, 2023
My Rating: 4.2 Stars!

There are several story lines that are going on in this story but since Alex is the first one, it is the one that got my attention.

Story starts when seventeen year old Alexandra Quinlan was home in her bed the evening her parents and brother were massacred. She outsmarted the killer and wasn’t killed.
The neighbors called the police and they found her holding a gun into her lap, sitting in her parents’ bedroom. They, of course, assume she killed them - thus guilty and they don’t bother to follow up with an investigation.
Alex became a media sensation and was named “Empty Eyes’ by Tracy Carr a reporter as that is the look Alex had when handcuffed after finding her family dead!

In the meantime, Officers: Donna Koppel knew this situation didn’t look right and called her lawyer husband Garrett Lancaster to defend Alex. Alex takes a stand during her highly publicized defamation trial and she gets acquitted, earned 8 million dollars as a result of misconduct and unserved justice!

After the trial Alexandra Quinlan does a transformation and changes everything—name, appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer ‘Empty Eyes’ the terrified teenager but Alex Armstrong a legal investigator who is working tirelessly to secure justice.

As mentioned they are a several story lines going on but I was curious who killed the family.

Whodunit as well as why they were killed were both surprises to me.

This is my sixth author, Charlie Donlea! I have loved all of them.
I am looking forward to his next story ~ Hmmm I am ready for another Rory Moore/Lane Phillips adventure!

Want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 28, 2023

The story begins intriguing when we meet Alexandra Quinlan, accused of killing her family, and later won a highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the nation's attention. Ten years after her family's murder, Alex begins working for Garrett, the attorney who represented her while searching for answers as to what happened the night her family was murdered. From there, many storylines are added and repeated. It felt like the wheels were spinning but couldn't get off the ground. Things do pick up with the story's climax to a rewarding ending.

Through the years since his first book, many Traveling Sisters and Friends have read and loved Charlie Donlea's books, and if you are new to his books, start with one of them. If you are already a fan, this is worth the read it's just not his best. Everyone can have an one-off.

Charlie Donlea is one of my favorite *new* authors and I've enjoyed every single book. This one takes some turns that don't always make sense, but there is continuity if you stick with it. Set in both the western edge of Virginia, then later in DC, the main protagonist (Alexandra Quinlan) is the sole survivor of a brutal home-invasion murder in 2013. Her parents and younger brother are murdered in their home with the dad's shotgun while Alex hides behind the grandfather clock in the hall. The police who show up assume she is the murderer and don't look any further to solve the crime. Fast forward 10 years, and Alex 'Armstrong' is now a lead investigator at the law firm where the named partners were the ones who proved her innocence, and then won a lawsuit against the local PD. In the intervening years, Alex has changed her appearance but never stopped looking for the owner of the one stray fingerprint the killer left on her bedroom window all those years ago.
Here's where the story takes some weird turns: there is a subplot that involves some kids at a summer camp (and a pedophile, of course!), a subplot at a DC University where a prominent son is accused of rape, plus the ongoing subplot of the original TV reporter who first labeled Alexandra Quinlan as Empty Eyes, as she was filmed leaving her house the day of the 2013 murders. Dr. Lane Phillips makes an appearance, but you won't have to read any of Donlea's previous books to make sense of his expertise.
I have to say that I anticipated the final twist well ahead of the ending, but that didn't make the conclusion any less satisfying. If you can stick with the story through the end, it really does come together nicely. 3.5 stars

LOVED IT!!!!! I was excited to read this because I LOVED all of the authors previous books. It definitely didn't disappoint. There are so many twists and turns. I couldn't wait to find out who was behind all the murders. I thought I had it figured out, but was shocked when everything was finally revealed. I was convinced I knew who the siblings were who went to the camp. The reason for the murders was to save children and expose those who hurt them. Why would the person kill Alex's brother and then go to Alex's room to kill her? Loved Leo the Brit. I bet Alex and Leo will get into some interesting adventures. Lane Phillips makes an appearance. I forgot how much I loved Rory Moore/Lane Phillips books. He seems to be able to figure everything out in no time. This was one of the best mystery/thriller books that I read in the past few months. It was AMAZING!!! I can't say enough good things about the book. Charlie Donlea is definitely one of my favorite authors!!!

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller. I was hooked from the start until the very end. Loved the characters, story and writing style, so everything about this book. Look forward to reading more books by the author. The next one can't come fast enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you, Charlie Donlea, thank you! I felt that I was on the verge of a reading slump, with multiple meh books in a row. I knew that this author would not let me down, and it was everything that I hoped for and more. His books are always dark and absorbing. I love the small connections between his previous books, but they can easily be read as standalone books.

Those Empty Eyes has so much happening all the time that it is hard to put down. It begins with the massacre of a family 10 years ago. Alexandra Quilan is the sole survivor; her parents and brother were gunned down in their family home. Alex was found by police in her parents' bedroom holding the murder weapon. She is 17 and soon taken into care before being charged with murder. She is eventually proven to be innocent and receives a huge settlement. Now she is known as Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator, but her families' murders are never far from her mind. True crime podcasts still talk about her, and she is known as Empty Eyes.

Not going to say anything else about the storyline, but if you have read any of this authors work before you know that nothing is ever straight forward. You will need to read it to learn more but let me just say that this is my first 5 star read for 2023.

A huge thank you to Kensington Books for my advanced copy to read. Published on March 28th, get it on your TBR now.

Thanks @netgalley for read number 11 of 2023. This book took me longer to read that I thought that it would, but just because I had other things on the go this week. It is incredibly disturbing, also really hard but to put down. There are many different storylines, and I appreciate how the author put them all together in the end. I do wonder if part of it gets resolved a little too neatly. I was somewhat expecting that final twist, but kept trying to talk myself out of this being the case. I’ve read a couple of books by this author, and will definitely be reading more. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read in my books. #avivaandfriendsrecos #bookstagram

2.5 stars.

A messy, unrealistic plot with too many side stories.

Alexandra Quinlan is the only survivor the night her parents and brother are killed in their family home. Alex is labelled “Empty Eyes” by the public for the look she had when she was arrested and charged with their murders. Ten years after being cleared and winning her defamation case, Alex is living under the radar but still searching for who killed her family and why.

Charlie Donlea is one of my favourite authors. I request any book he has written without even reading the synopsis. Unfortunately this novel was a big mess for me and not even close to resembling his usual writing.

The storyline was convoluted as it included numerous far fetched plot points which I’ve never had an issue with in his books before (I’ve read them all). Instead of adding layers to the story, the perspective changes damaged the pace and flow of the book and made a lot of the storyline repetitive. I had absolutely no investment in any of the characters lives including the main character who I found irritating and extremely unrealistic.

The author dives into many heavy topics but I wasn’t invested so they didn’t impact me as they should have.

Sadly, this book was not enjoyable for me. I highly recommend reading ANY of this authors’ previous work because I have loved everything else he has written — The Girl Who Was Taken being my absolute favourite!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

Estimated publication date: March 28, 2023

I blazed through this book, it was really entertaining and dark enough to satisfy my thriller cravings. I had some issues with the characters and the pacing, but otherwise it was a pretty fun read. I'll pick up more from this author in the future for sure.

Alexandra Quinlan (Alex) was seventeen years old when she had her whole world turned upside down when her parents and brother were horrifically killed one evening by a person with a gun. Alex survived but was arrested and charged with their murders. Dubbed "Empty Eyes" by a journalist on the scene, she was tried in the public eye before she was ever tried in court.

Luckily for Alex, Donna, the first officer on the scene of the murder felt things were not right and called her husband, Garrett, an attorney who agreed to represent Alex in court. She is found not guilty, won a defamation suit against the police and changed her name. She is hoping for a new beginning, a new life and to never be called "Empty eyes" again.

Ten years after her family's murder, Alex is working for Garrett while also looking for clues as to who killed her family and why.

Then the story changes gears and delves into a young woman who was raped and a missing college podcaster who went missing while looking into the case. Alex begins to investigate the rape and what happened to the podcaster and finds that there are connections between this case and her own.

Whew! I really wanted to love this one. I have devoured Donlea's other books in the past, always finishing them satisfied and happy. This book took a turn which I didn't feel that it needed and lost its mojo for me. I felt that there was a good mystery in the beginning but then it became muddled and dragged on. Things do come together in the end, but it was a bumpy ride for me.

I enjoyed this but had my issues with it. It felt slow, with unnecessary subplots and left me feeling a little let down. I did enjoy the shocking reveal at the end! I did not see that coming and feel that Donlea did a great job with that. Plus, Lane Phillips comes in at the end (from another Donlea book).

I enjoyed this but felt it was not the author’s best work. I feel that he tried to tackle too much in this book. We can't love them all and this was the case of this book. Others have enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

Although I liked but didn't love this one, I will be reading more of Donlea’s books in the future.

Charlie Donlea’s latest thriller, THOSE EMPTY EYES had me turning pages late into the night, then getting up early to get back to the story. You know those books; the ones you only put down because your (empty) eyes are crossing and your eyelids won’t stay open. I found myself racing to finish only to be sad that it was over.
Alexandra Quinlan escaped the night her parents and brother were massacred in their home but is found in her parent’s room holding the shotgun that killed them all. While the media dubs Alexandra with the dubious name of Empty Eyes, the first officer on the scene is not convinced that the police have the right person in custody and contacts Garrett Lancaster, her lawyer husband to come to Alexandra’s defense. When she is proven to be not guilty, a defamation lawsuit nets her millions but the case is never solved.
Ten years later, Alexandra has re-invented herself into Alex Armstrong, a dogged investigator in her own right, working for Lancaster and Jordan but still trying to piece together what happened to her family that night.
Meanwhile, a journalism student, Laura McAllister at nearby McCormack University who has had some great success in the world of podcasts is ready to release an explosive episode about rapes occurring on campus. When the son of a potential nominee for the US Supreme Court is to be implicated in the rapes, Laura disappears and is later found murdered. As Alex digs into the case to clear Laura’s boyfriend she finds information that returns to her own family’s murder years before. WOW! What a ride.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this book and I sometimes wondered what one thing had to do with another but in Charlie Donlea’s expert hands, all comes full circle and, as always I found myself shaking my head and wondering “How does he do that?”

Alexandra Quinlan gets her life destroyed one night as her parents and brother are brutally murdered. She is accused of the crime. The media ruins her reputation and gives her a nickname of “empty eyes” with one picture no one will seem to forget.

Alex eventually gets her name cleared but she is tormented that the killer has not been found. She sets out on her own investigation to find out who killed them and why.

First book by this author and I will be looking for more. I loved all the different stories and watching them all come together to find the killer.

A messy plot that ends with a surprising twist!

When she was 17 years old, Alexandra Quinlan's parents and little brother were ruthlessly shot and killed inside their family home. Accused of the crime, she becomes a media sensation dubbed "empty eyes (which is a stupid name, IMHO).

Ten years have passed. Exonerated from the crime, Alex is now an investigator for a prominent law firm, searching for the killer.

It seemed like the plot was heading in one direction, but it abruptly changes direction with a time jump, linking Alex’s story to several other mysteries.

Alex is the main narrator, but random chapters told from the perspective of minor characters are thrown in. It seems like these chapters were added to make everything connect but were not needed. What results is a chaotic plot moving in competing directions, some over-the-top moments, and characters I couldn’t distinguish.

Alex is the most fleshed-out character, but with that being said, she isn’t quite multi-dimensional. All one knows about her is that she has spiky hair and a colorful lipstick fetish, she is searching for her family’s killer, and she is very particular about the coffee she drinks. Outside of these details, there isn’t much to her.

In the last 20%, Lane Phillips steps in. He is one of the main charactrs from the Rory Moore/Lane Phillips series--see Some Choose Darkness for reference. I wish this had been a Rory Moore/Lane Phillips novel vs. a random bunch of characters trying to hold together a chaotic plot.

There are some good things about this book: A lot is going on, but I was never bored. While I couldn't connect with Alexandra's character, I was interested in learning who killed her family. The killer’s identity took me by surprise in a good way, and even better, the final chapter reveals another surprising twist that threw me for a loop.

Those Empty Eyes has plenty of flaws, but it has some good things going for it. I have loved Donlea's other books, but this one was a mixed bag.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

4.5. The book opens with the following quote: “ Follow the evidence, wherever it leads, and question everything.” That sounded like this was going to be a good procedural book to me. What follows is a murder in the first chapter of a mom, dad and son. The 17-year old daughter escapes from the gunman but most people think she killed then. The book follows the daughter as she tries to figure out the who and the why. I absolutely loved all the little stories within this book - knowing they were all going to come together at one point. There were a few “are you kidding me?” moments in the book for sure. This was such a refreshingly smart book though so I let the little “no ways” go by the wayside. The gal in the book reminded me a lot of the girl in The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo, another fantastic book. She was smart and fierce and determined. I thought this book was fantastic and keep me quickly reading to the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Charlie Donlea for this great ARC.

Every. Single. Time.

I love reading Donlea. He always start explosive and with a bang.

A apparent house invasion killed 3 of a family 4. The surviving daughter is later blamed and the investigation is botched. With the help of an arresting officer and her lawyer husband they fight for Alex Armstrong. To give her justice and 8 million dollars. By the media, she is dubbed Empty Eyes and her life continues to be an upheaval. She is determined to find out why her parents and brother were killed and with the help with an unlikely FBI, she discovers more than what she bargained for.

Books like this I don't want to give to much because the pull is the element of surprise and the twists and turns. I also like that he bought in characters from previous books Some Choose Darkness that gave the connecting dots for Alex. Alex is character that you are drawn to. Her strength in tragedy. Her resolve and how she connected with others even though she was a loner for good reason. A thriller with meat and vulnerability. Loved it!

A special thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

An original and absorbing plotline. A likeable heroine, a survivor of a massacre that killed the rest of her family. We follow her struggle to live beyond this and figure out what happened. Other plots come together over time to show their connection to the crime. I figured it out partway through but it didn't take away from my interest in the book. He writes strong female character really well as well as multi-layered plotlines. 4.5 This book is also called the Survivor

Ten years ago Alex’s family was murdered and she was the only survivor. Everyone at the time thought she was the killer but was later proved to be innocent, although after all these years some people still believe since nobody was ever convicted of the crime. Alex works at a lawyer’s office as an investigator and still trying to find out what happened to her family that night. This book had so many twists and the shocking ending I did not see coming. Thanks Netgalley for this Arc.

Alex's family was murdered when she was a child. Now she works with her mentor / surrogate father at a law firm as an investigator while looking for clues on who murdered her family. This book has so many twists and turns and from the very first pages the author just captivates you. I love when you start a book and it's so good that you can't put it down. I knew from the first couple pages who was involved in Alex's parents murders but it didn't deter me from wanting to see how the author comes to the same conclusion. Absolutely recommend if your looking for a fast paced mystery. Loved this book!

3.5⭐
Was it shock? Or something darker that gave Alexandra those “empty eyes.”👀

Alexandra Quinlan woke to a living nightmare. Her family being gunned down in their home.

Now the sole survivor, Alexandra quickly becomes the prime suspect, and the police see no reason to look any further. They probably should have…as Alexandria was a victim too.

With the help of her lawyer Garrett, she’s slowly piecing her life back together. But of course, she’ll never forget that day, and it’s up to her to find justice for her family. No one else seems to be searching.

I’ve struggled with this author’s books as of late. While I did enjoy this one more than his two previous, I was left with so many unanswered questions.

There are multiple storylines mingling through this book, which I normally love. Unfortunately, some were left underdeveloped leaving me frustrated with a jigsaw puzzle that didn’t fit together completely.🧩😕

This was a buddy read with Susanne who loved this one more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books

You can't blame the police for thinking they had an open and shut case when they find 17-year-old Alexandra Quinlan at the foot of her murdered parents' bed, holding the murder weapon. Alexandra seems to be in shock when the police first arrive. Unfortunately, a TV news crew is also on the scene and gets footage of a dazed Alexandra being led to the police car. Her "empty eyes" are mentioned by the reporter, and the description sticks. After a sympathetic cop calls her husband (a high-powered defense attorney) to represent the girl, the police must stop questioning her. Since there is little evidence to show that Alexandra is the killer, and due to the fact that some conflicting evidence was found at the scene, she is eventually released. Her attorney, Garrett Lancaster, helps Alexandra to sue the local police and district attorney for her treatment and subsequent lack of investigation into the case. She wins millions of dollars and then disappears. Alexandra tries desperately to stay out of the public eye, eventually changing her name and appearance so she can remain anonymous despite media and "true crime sleuths" attempts to locate her. She eventually becomes an investigator for Garrett's law firm but never stops trying to figure out who was behind the murder of her family.

The story is very suspenseful and has lots of twists and turns. There are several other stories and characters that pop up and seem to have nothing to do with Alex and the original murders, so it's interesting to try to figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. There is one final twist waiting at the end of the story. This book is a very thrilling read that will keep you guessing!

In “Those Empty Eyes” by Charlie Donlea, seventeen-year-old Alexandra Quinlan is accused of killing her entire family. She was innocent of the crime and fought to have her name and reputation cleared. Ten years later she is still looking for the killer as she hides behind a new identity. But when a college student goes missing “Alex” sees something connecting her disappearance and the murder of her own family. But as she gets closer to the truth her own safety is compromised and the people around her finally show their true selves.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book, and this is my honest voluntary review.