I have not read any of the previous Gray and Shepard books, but the plot of this one was easy to pick up even without prior knowledge of the earlier stories.

When a criminal defence lawyer is found dead, it looks like a suicide. But Sheriff Billie Gray swiftly reaches a different conclusion. In order to prove her theory though, she will need the help of a trusted partner.

Unfortunately, the person Billie wants to work with is licking his wounds after a vicious attack, and is not particularly keen to rejoin the world of criminal investigation. Fortunately, Solomon Shepard is too fond of Billie to turn down her request, so somewhat reluctantly, he agrees to be involved.

The problem is, neither Solomon nor Billie are aware of just what they have signed up for, and how much danger is involved - let alone how close the killer could be to the two of them...How else is the murderer so often managing to stay one step ahead of them?

This is a well-told story, and I found myself quickly drawn into the suspenseful plot. The attention to detail was noteworthy when it came to the police investigation, which was definitely a plus

The characters - including many of the supporting characters e.g. Mazie - are both likeable and relatable, and Solomon and Billie are an excellent team. So fans will undoubtedly be awaiting the next installment of the Shepherd and Gray saga with eagerness. Overall, an enjoyable read.

**slight spoilers**

This was my favorite book in this series so far. I love Solomon and Billie's relationship and it seems to be getting stronger. The supporting characters were fun - Mazie and Einstein, etc - and I enjoyed not figuring out the mystery for once. This was a suspenseful, well-written legal thriller with lovable characters that just left me wanting more - more of their partnership and more of their inevitable romance. My only issues are that there was a three year time jump between books 2 and 3 that seemed to come out of nowhere. It wasn't hinted at during book 2, and also, the issue of Solomon's missing cat, Russ, was still left unresolved. In fact, Russ wasn't even mentioned. Not sure if this was an oversight, or we were just supposed to assume that after three years the cat is just simply gone forever. Makes me sad. Otherwise, I loved this one, and the ending makes me want book four already! Hopefully the plans discussed will come to fruition in the next book. Highly recommend this series for lovers of a good legal thriller or a fantastic character-driven suspenseful novel. A little graphic, but not as graphic as book 2. Five stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid third installment of the Shepard & Gray series from an author that really draws you into these police procedurals/thrillers!

Solomon wants desperately to be left alone to heal from his traumas in isolation. But he cannot say no to Sheriff Billie Gray, especially when the case she delivers to his doorstep harkens back to deeply personal moment from his past. The deeper he gets involved, the more likely it is he is putting himself in lethal danger yet again, but he is past the point of no return. Billie is dealing with her own demons during this book as well, including her struggles as a stalking victim, which nicely illustrates the gaps in the law when it comes to protecting women being harassed by former partners -- even when they are in law enforcement themselves.

We get introduced to a new cast of characters in this book, including new officer Mazie who I hope will play a central role in future installments! Just a thoroughly engrossing read that is executed very well with no plot holes, and just enough of a cliffhanger to make me anxious for book 4.

I had not read the first two in the Gray/Shepard series but that was not too much of a handicap as I soon got into this compelling and brilliantly plotted mystery. I loved the two main characters and the way that their relationship developed and the ending came as a total shock to me.

I will soon be catching up with the first two books.

Highly recommended.

This is a terrific story which goes down a path you might not expect. There are many characters to get to know and I hope they will feature in more books, especially Mazie. The writer has a clear and engaging style and clearly knows about legal processes and police procedures as he presents them with such credibility and detail.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Deceiving Look by Victor Methos. This is book three in a series and I loved book one, but didn’t love book two. I’m not sure I will ever love anything as much as I loved book one, but this one was close. It started out great but then slowed down for me as I lost the thread of the story because so much was going on. I finally found the rhythm of the book again and got so engaged I couldn’t stop reading. I liked Billie and Solomon’s relationship and how they support each other even if they don’t always agree with how to proceed with the case. Their relationship is really growing and I can’t wait to see what happens next. The reveal was a huge surprise and actually somewhat touching in the midst of so much action. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.