Emily O'Connell and Stone Spencer seek to find out what is going on when ladies start ending up dead. Thought to be suicide, but was it?

The story was laid out well and each page was devoured in search for truth. Engaging.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher and Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

A string of staged deaths forces Texas Ranger Emily O’Connell on a covert mission to investigate a governor’s connection to the deceased women. She doesn’t trust anyone—including crime scene cleaner Stone Spencer. But when Emily’s questioning makes her the serial killer’s next target, she must turn to ex-ranger Stone for help. With threats at every turn, outrunning a merciless villain could be the last thing they do.

Emily has serious trust issues. A lot of it stems from her job as someone who is task with investigating crimes committed by supposedly upstanding citizens. She has also just found out that her father has led a secret life for years. Stone and his brothers operate a crime scene cleaning service after their sister committed suicide. Emily and Stone has got the attention of a serial killer. Every time they turn around someone is trying to kill them. Along the way her trust issues get in the way of her trusting Stone and his brothers. This book was a good book that kept me guessing all the way to the end.

I was given this book by Love Inspired Suspense via NetGalley for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Holy cow I could NOT put this book down!! This is my first book by this author, and it will definitely NOT be the last! This story was suspense filled every step of the way. When reading suspense books it is fun when you do figure out who the bad guy is but the books where you are spinning back and forth on who is the murderer/cause of chaos is even better. Jessica did just that with this book. I LOVED Stone -- his patience, his sacrificial love/care/devotion for his family, his wit/flirty banter, his loyalty to Emily despite her traumas and fears that she needed to over come. Emily was a headstrong woman, determined to seek justice for the women killed and willing to sacrifice herself to get there. Their growth throughout the book I loved and the author had just enough chemistry that had your rooting for them in the end. This novel is a perfect combination that focuses on a relationship, its' growth, and chemistry as well as figuring out/solving the high crime case. I love all the side characters and would love more that would continue on with some of Stone's brothers and sister too finding love.

The author does a great job incorporating so many emotions from start to finish -- I couldn't recommend this book enough!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) for the ARC copy!! I am posting my honest review.

I enjoyed the characters in the story, especially Stone, Emily and Marisol. I would have liked a little bit more time to get to know the characters in between the crimes. The mystery and suspense definitely had me interested and surprised up until the end.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. Thx opinions are my own.

"Crime Scene Conspiracy" by Jessica R. Patch is a pulse-pounding romantic suspense novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This Love Inspired Suspense book introduces us to Texas Ranger Emily O'Connell, a tenacious investigator with deep trust issues, and Stone Spencer, a former ranger with his own mysterious past. Because it is through Live Inspired it is not as dark as some of Jessica’s books.
The story kicks off with a series of mysterious deaths that seem far from accidental. Emily is determined to uncover the truth, even though her relentless pursuit of justice puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer.
Emily's inability to trust others is rooted in her personal history, making her a complex and relatable character. Her trauma and past experiences have left her skeptical, even of seemingly trustworthy individuals. Honestly I struggled with her at times. However when I read the author’s note at the end; she did have a point. But while reading the story you do get frustrated that Emily cannot trust Stone. Stone's character is equally well-drawn, and his involvement in the investigation adds a layer of intrigue. The reader is drawn into the push and pull of their evolving relationship, adding a touch of romance to the suspense.
The suspense in this novel is masterfully executed. The killer's ruthless determination to avoid capture creates an atmosphere of constant danger. The numerous attempts on Emily and Stone's lives keep the tension high, and the complex web of characters and potential suspects keeps readers guessing. It's a whirlwind of a mystery with twists and turns that make it a compelling and engaging read.
One aspect to be aware of is the large cast of characters, which can become slightly overwhelming. This can occasionally lead to some confusion as the reader tries to keep track of each person's role in the story.
"Crime Scene Conspiracy" is a clean suspense thriller that seamlessly weaves faith into the story. The characters learn not only to trust each other but also to put their trust in God. This faith element adds depth to the novel and provides readers with a message of hope.

Jessica R. Patch's storytelling skills shine in this electrifying narrative. Her ability to keep readers guessing until the very end is a testament to her talent. This novel is a must-read for fans of inspirational romantic suspense, combining elements of faith, suspense, and romance in a gripping and satisfying way.

Overall, "Crime Scene Conspiracy" is a compelling start to a promising series. I am assuming the future books will be about Stone’s brothers. Jessica gives us enough information about them that I am anxiously awaiting their stories. It delivers a suspenseful, action-packed plot with likable characters and a thought-provoking exploration of trust and faith. I highly recommend this novel to anyone seeking an engaging and thrilling read.

Fast passed and action packed. Women are mysteriously dieing and Emily is tasked with finding the killer. With a history of trust issues, she has to work with Stone, a former co-worker that she's falling in live with, but is having trouble trusting, although she wants to. She also needs the help of his siblings, who she also doesn't completely trust and none of them make trust an easy thing. Meanwhile, the closer Emily & Stone, the more deaths & attempted deaths there are including them. Plus the suspect list keeps growing. Throughout the story, Emily & Stone learn to trust God and each other.
I received an ARC copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Description, i.e. the blurb …
Texas Ranger Emily O’Connell has reasons why she doesn’t trust ex-ranger Stone Spencer. In fact, she doesn’t really trust anyone. But a serial killer is out there killing women. She is on a covert mission but her careful investigating has made her a target as well. There is a reason that Stone is involved but can she trust him enough to stay alive and put the killer away?

My review …
“Crime Scene Conspiracy” is a Love Inspired Suspense book from Harlequin and so far, I’ve found these to be good reads. Having read one of her suspense books giving it a five-star read, I was happy to receive the approval from NetGalley and the publisher to review this DRC (digital review copy). And I wasn’t disappointed.

The killer is determined and so far has eluded law enforcement. Be ready for multiple characters, perhaps a touch too many. Since I couldn’t sit down and read this in a couple of hours, I found myself having to check several times who was who — and how the relationship to other characters. But despite that, I *HAD* to keep reading. I mean the killer was ruthless. The more Emily and Stone learn — well, their lives are in almost constant danger despite taking precautions.

So, hang on prospective readers — this is one whodunit that I don’t think you will guess the killer. And yes, I recommend it. It’s a clean suspense – thriller. Oh, and this is the first book in a new series, Texas Crime Scene Cleaners.

I’m rating it at four (4) stars for two reasons — the many characters mentioned previously. And secondly, I got a bit tired of Emily’s trust issues as understandable as they are. But you may feel differently.

I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of “Crime Scene Conspiracy” via NetGalley from the publisher, HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada), Love Inspired Suspense. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 4 stars
Cover: Great — love covers that actually occur in the book.
Pages: 224
Series: Crime Scene Cleaners (book 1)
Publish Date: 24 Oct 2023
#CrimeSceneConspiracy #NetGalley #JessicaRPatch

"Crime Scene Conspiracy" is a Christian romantic suspense. Emily's job is to uncover corruption, so she's already skeptical about seemingly upstanding, trustworthy people. After not realizing her father had lied to her and her mother for years, Emily struggled to trust anyone. Add in a case where a rich, powerful person is buying off law enforcement to hide murder as suicides and accidents, and she doesn't want to work with anyone for fear they'll betray her, too. Besides, anyone involved in the investigation is immediately in danger of dying. She's willing to work with Stone because he saved her life and became a target as well. And yet someone's still leaking information about their whereabouts and whom they suspect...

The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from many, many attempts to kill Emily and Stone and from the danger to anyone who helped them. Emily and Stone generally worked well together, but the lack of trust was a big issue that Emily realized she needed to deal with....but how? There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.

I enjoyed this suspense that weaves through the political system and keeps us guessing. I liked the slow burn romance aspect too. There was a high emphasis on family and faith and those lessons were woven in also. The serial killer aspect was also something that took us down a few winding roads. This was my first book by this author but I’ll definitely be reading more.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Crime Scene Conspiracy by Jessica R. Patch is an electrifying start to a thrilling new series! This book showcases the author's extraordinary talent for crafting suspenseful narratives that keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this must-read Love Inspired Suspense novel. I was drawn into the complex and riveting world of Stone and Emily. Their intricate dynamic, as they grapple with trust issues while pursuing a relentless serial killer, is brilliantly portrayed.

I was genuinely mind-blown by the revelation, a testament to the author's skill at keeping her readers guessing until the very end. I found myself unable to put the book down, reading well into the night until I reached the heart-pounding conclusion.

As the first installment in this captivating miniseries, Crime Scene Conspiracy sets a high bar for what's to come. The characters are beautifully developed, their struggles and triumphs making them feel like genuine individuals. The subtle but meaningful thread of faith adds depth to the suspense, making this book a must-read for fans of inspirational romantic suspense.

Calling all fellow bookworms who live for clean, inspirational suspense that clutches your feelings and never lets go -- Crime Scene Conspiracy is an absolute must-add to your TBR stack! Jessica R. Patch has crafted a phenomenal narrative that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next book in this series.

I received an eARC of Crime Scene Conspiracy from Harlequin - Love Inspired Suspense and NetGalley. I am neither obligated to write a positive review nor compensated for doing so. What you have just read reflects my genuine assessment and authentic sentiments of this inspirational romance and suspense novel.

Always, always read an authors comments! I finished this book thinking like many, man Emily come on. And I read the authors note..... and I knew, I understood. Love that Emily is a Texas Ranger. Enjoyed the twists and turns and thought this must be what it feels like for the police, going down the rabbit hole when investigating. I so want to find out about the rest of Stone's family. Hopefully they each will have their own book and we need to hear more on Emily's family now that we all know about the reason behind the lack of trust, Sorry no spoilers. I will be looking for more books by Jessica Patch as that twist, well I did not see that coming. Thank you for the arc! I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions, #CrimeSceneConspiracy #TexasCrimeSceneCleaners #JessicaRPatch #Harlequin #LoveInspiredSuspense #NetGalley

This plot had me intrigued as I am a big fan of romantic suspense, especially stories that potentially feature serial killers! Is that weird? Sorry, not sorry. Accidental deaths or suicides that could potentially be murders is an interesting concept and I was anxious to see how it played out in this story. Sufficed to say this wasn’t my favorite. Emily was absolutely impossible to like or identify with in my opinion. I felt like she was unprofessional and rude and constantly allowed her personal prejudices and her own life experiences cloud her judgement with her investigation. I struggled to find the moments of suspense in this book as well. After many, many, many attacks, the characters still continued to put themselves in harms way almost carelessly, which was predictable and took the suspense factor away for me. Emily and Stone’s relationship was hard to root for. She absolutely was incapable of trusting him or anyone she came in contact with. I wanted her to be kinder to Stone’s family, and professional to the people she was investigating. Stone seemed to have little to no family loyalty even though he stated he is the reliable rock of his family. Many times over Emily would insult a family member, cause a scene, stomp from a room, and he continued to defend her and turn a blind eye to how she treated his family. I was confused with the amount of characters and who everyone was and how they connected to each other. Honestly I felt like for the large majority of the book they had no actual evidence to support her theory that someone had staged these deaths as accidents or suicides. I just really wanted more from this story. More of the serial killer angle, more from the characters relationship, and more twists. This just wasn’t the book for me.

Crime Scene Conspiracy is the first story in a new series by Jessica Patch. I thought the premise of this story sounded really good. Mysterious, staged deaths with little to no clues? A secret investigation involving the Governor? Sign me up!

Sadly, I really struggled with this story. My main issue was Emily. I did not like her, at all. Not only did she have major trust issues, which I could understand to a point, but even after Stone and his family proved themselves over and over again, she still didn’t trust any of them. She was just downright rude to everyone. I didn’t understand why Stone was attracted to her. While I think I could have overlooked most of the other issues that I had with this story, I just couldn’t get past Emily’s character. She also had no character growth. It made it really hard for me to root for her. I also felt their romance was just thrown in at the end. It was too much too soon with not near enough apologies from Emily. I did like the writing style and the ending was a total shocker. One that I never saw coming. I’m sure many will enjoy this story, it was just not for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was such an amazing book that I read it in a few hours. It was captivating and held my attention and literally had me guessing until the last minute. A great clean thriller as well as romance.

Crime Scene Conspiracy by Jessica Patch had a pretty good storyline. Firstly, I liked the unique job description for Stone and his family. Second, I found his brother’s scars and background had made for interesting stories, and I hope to read more of them. Third, Stone's patience with Emily put the romance into this romantic suspense.

Emily had great quips and was a strong female lead, but I found that she wasn’t able to back up her words as well, giving a blood-curdling scream when cornered in her boss's home, for one, and then her decision to let Cara leave after the revelation about the girl who fell down the stairs. I know that wasn’t a fighting moment, but suggesting some sort of coverage or protection (and then Cara could decline it) would have made her a more thorough and thoughtful investigator. These little suggestions would have made me tip my cowgirl hat to her.

I love the reader's note at the end of the book and appreciate the faith woven into the story.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

Emily's a Texas Ranger thrown into a mission where the investigators are ending up dead. She carries hurt from her past that doesn't allow her to trust easily, even when she comes across a former colleague, Stone, at a crime scene. The mystery is not as cut and dry as it would seem as they gather evidence, so I found my curiosity held until the end, which isn't typical for me with this line of story.

I appreciated the side characters in the book, which were Stone's brothers. They have all kinds of miscommunication and conflict with Emily, but you'll watch how relationship is slowly and honestly restored. I think this is an important skill to note, particularly in our cancel culture these days.

I've enjoyed Jessica Patch's other novels and I'd recommend this one if you enjoy the Christian mystery/suspense genre.

*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

emily is a Texas ranger looking for the person responsible for several women being killed . and she must turn to her ex to help her . without any of them getting hurt or worse. if you like suspense you will want to read the book, it is well written and a page turning story to the end i was given a copy by netgalley but this is an honest review

A story that captured my attention from the beginning until the end!
A lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming either! Just wow!
I finished this in one evening because it was so good!
I loved the protagonist Emily. She was good in what she did. She continued to amaze me throughout this story with her bravery and determination.
And add a little romance and a bunch of secrets.thrown into this story what's not to love?!
My favorite thing was how the author wrote these characters so life like. Even with all of their flaws and misgivings. No one is perfect.
I love stories like these because they remind me of puzzles that need to be put together in order to solve a picture or in this case a crime. I love puzzles and this is a different kind of puzzle that was very intriguing.
Patch kept me glued to my seat until the very end.
This author is awesome in this genre.
Her writing is wonderful and realistic.
Better than any TV crime show!
5 stars for this wonderful hair raising roller coaster ride. I highly recommend it!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to HARLEQUIN and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was the first book I have read by this author but I will definitely be looking for others by her.

I really enjoyed this book. romance, intrigue and a little faith all mixed into one story.

I really enjoyed this book!

A new author for me. Jessica rights a story that captured me right from the start. I can’t wait to read her next story.