Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Kara Thomas is becoming one of my auto buy authors. This was such a terrific mystery and made even more tense with multiple POVs. Unreliable characters made this even more intense. Highly recommend

i originally wanted this title because of dune road/the hamptons and i live on long island so i figured i'd be interested. while i was right about that, it was mostly confusing going back and forth between jenna and amanda's stories while also keeping up with a list of other characters. i don't usually go for police procedurals but this was a quick read that kept me guessing.

This thriller is definitely darker than Thomas' YA books but just as engrossing. The story focuses on the connection between a cold case from the past and a current injured woman. A former journalist takes on the case in her current role as a private investigator and is determined to find out what happened to a pregnant young woman. This has a strong exploration of women's issues being discussed in our nation and many questions for the reader to grapple with within their own belief system. I really enjoyed how each character felt both sympathetic and untrustworthy in their own ways. I was very invested in the story and was fascinated to find out how the author would wrap up the story (she did it very well). This is one I would definitely recommend. Thanks to Kara Thomas, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

So so so good! I loved hearing from the different characters perspectives! We were able to understand how each main character was feeling and hear from different sides of the story. I will say... I thought I had it figured out and then there a twist thrown at us right at the end that was fantastic!
Highly recommend!

Would recommend for fans of…
🕵🏼‍♀️ Out of the Ashes
🕵🏼‍♀️ The Last to Vanish
🕵🏼‍♀️ A Flicker in the Dark

Kara Thomas is quickly becoming one of my go-to thriller writers! With her second adult thriller, she’s proven she can seamlessly bounce between YA and adult, delivering suspenseful mysteries in each genre.

Dune Road follows Lee, a former journalist and current PI who’s asked to investigate a case that may be related to the one that destroyed her journalism career.

Dune Road shares a lot of similarities with Out of the Ashes — a struggling protagonist, a cold case that society has written off, and a tiny bit of grittiness that adds to the realism of the mystery. Thomas does a great job of building out Lee’s backstory (which really helps the reader understand her motivations) without bogging the plot down with unnecessary details. I thought the premise of the mystery was very unique, and I was kept guessing until the end.

***Minor spoilers below***

The only downside of this book in my opinion was the corruption subplot. While it was essential to the larger mystery I found all of the names and details about the corrupt misdeeds to be a little confusing and it bogged down the larger plot.

***Spoilers end***

Lost to Dune Road is out now. Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, MB Communications & Thomas Mercer #partner, for the advanced copy of Lost to Dune Road in exchange for my honest review.

I first discovered Kara Thomas last year with her debut adult thriller, Out of the Ashes. I was thrilled to see she had another adult thriller and that it was set on Long Island this time!!!

This is another dark, gritty thriller that kept me captivated the entire time. It involves a cold case that is connected to a current mystery, and cold cases just happen to be my one of my favorite tropes in the thriller world and I loved how this plays out. It really kept me guessing as to what would happen next. It is a very tense and suspenseful read, and I felt all the characters were not only so well-crafted but also had me on edge – you just didn’t know who you could trust.

I loved Lee, the main protagonist. Despite all that had happened to her, now a blacklisted journalist turned PI, she didn’t let that stop her from finding out that answers that still haunted her from all those years ago. Little did she know when she takes a case about the girl in the coma that she would uncover so much more.

This book has a ripped-from-the-headlines feel to it, giving it a true-crime feel. There is almost a procedural element to it, mixed with the unsolved murders and all the corruption. And let’s not forget the settings – moving between The Hamptons and NYC, this one oozes atmosphere! There were many unexpected twists and turns, and I definitely did not see that ending coming! It was more than satisfying.

If you like dark, gritty reads with a strong female character, then definitely pick this one up when it releases on April 16th!

This is my new favorite Kara Thomas book, I think. I also have a soft spot for books about reporters and books (loosely) based on real-life cases. I enjoyed both points of view, especially so that we could see what was going through Amanda's head. I also really appreciated the look into women's health and safety sprinkled throughout, from the right to choose to how vulnerable being a woman can be in many situations. There were definitely a few twists I didn't see coming, and the ending felt right. I received an advance review copy for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

Enjoyed as an audiobook, this was an easy book to jump right into. The story starts right off - Lee is picking up the pieces of her life after blowing it up by accusing a very powerful man of abducting and killing a young woman. She was a journalist and now she is a P.I., chasing down potential fraud for an attorney. It's not the life she thought she'd have.

But then, another girl is attacked. It's near the first one and Lee is sucked back into the life she once was shoved out of - and is worried she'll blow this new, lower status life she's established. But, can she really just walk away from potentially solving that first crime?

This was so good! I really liked Lee, even though she was prickly and protected. I liked the way her mind jumped around, drew conclusions, and she was cautious about who knew what secrets. I found the mystery really compelling too! When the twists and turns finally lead to a conclusion, I was shocked. I had no idea how it would all turn out and I really liked the conclusion. The narrator was great, too!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Lost to Dune Road by Kara Thomas tells the story of reporter Lee Ellerin, whose investigation into a young woman's unsolved murder ended in tragedy, leading to the loss of her career. Five years later, Lee finds herself pulled back into the case when pregnant college student Amanda Hartley is found in a coma under suspicious circumstances. As Lee delves deeper into Amanda's life, she uncovers unsettling connections to her past investigation.

While Lost to Dune Road offers a gripping premise, I found that the book wasn't for me. The story felt politically charged, which might be challenging for some readers in today's climate. Additionally, the constant jumps between Jenna's and Amanda's stories made the narrative confusing at times. With a large cast of characters, it was difficult to keep track of their individual stories. However, for fans of unsolved cases and police procedurals, this book might still be worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley and Kara Thomas for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A former writer for Vanity Fair, and is now a private eye due to a bad choice in an acquisition of someone who committed suicide due to the story. She is hired by a mom who is looking for the father of her daughters baby. Her daughter is being kept alive due to a "suicide" attempt. It ties back to the the murder that led to her loss of her writing career. This was definitely a thriller and the mysteries of what happened and what was really going on kept me hooked. The ending was a surprise, filled with some disappointment and some happy things.

Definitely not for me but that cover is stunning. I fell for the cover but it’s just not the kind of book I like.

This was gifted by Netgalley & the publisher.

Kara Thomas is always a good time, this book was no different.

First of all, the cover is stunning. I loved it right away. We are following a PI who used to be a journalist as they are trying to handle the case that ruined their career. We also follow another timeline of a 20 year old girl.

The premise sounded exciting to me, but once we actually got deeper into the book. I found it hard to keep track of all the characters and the timelines while different, did not feel like we were following separate characters.

I think overall, this book just fell short for me and what my expectations were.

What is it about Dune Road?? It apparently is not a good place for a girl 👱‍♀️ to be alone. Bad area? NOPE… it’s in the Hampton’s and a playground for the very wealthy💰 … but that doesn’t make it safe.. especially for a young girl… 😳…

Paul Brennan has it all… a 12.2 million dollar home… on DUNE ROAD… a wife… highly successful… except… he is the LAST person known to see Jenna… alive… 😳… on Dune Road… Fast forward to another girl… meeting a tragic fate.. on Dune Road… 🤔… What the hell is going on… in the Hamptons??? 😳😳😳

This was a twisted story that kept me thinking the whole time. What happened to these girls?? Holy good ole boys club… 🥃🥃🍻🥂… So many unlikable characters!! I personally enjoy that aspect as I think it makes them extremely interesting. 🤷‍♀️

Our girl Natalee… or Lee as she prefers to be called….was fired from Vanity Fair… this ex reporter is making a name for herself as a private investigator…. Will she get to the bottom of what is going on? 🤔

I loved @karathomaswrites last book Out Of The Ashes and couldn’t wait to read this one. Twisted and dark… this had me up way into the night.

This is my first adult novel by Thomas, and I really enjoyed it. I loved Lee's character as well as how her relationships develop with other main characters, particularly Chase and Nelson. The plot kept me guessing, and the twists all felt pretty believable to me. I will definitely be checking out more books by Thomas soon!

Thank you for this review copy! I enjoyed the book, but honestly it also confused me a lot. There were a lot of (similar) characters and at one point I didn't know who they were talking about anymore. The plot was well written and the build-up to it was also really good!

Lost To Dune Road was pretty harsh. Two women were not only lost to Dune Road but taken and used before then, This is a pretty sad story with a flawed protagonist that you eventually connect with. I hope there is another opportunity to read about her.

In today's political climate, what would happen if a woman was to attempt suicide while 6 months pregnant and survive, albeit in a vegetative state? That's a question I have to say I've never asked myself but it's interesting to ponder.

Lee, formerly Natalee, is a disgraced former Vanity Fair journalist. She failed to properly vet a source she interviewed and and got dropped like a hot potato.

Now she's in the private investigating arena and when she loses her current position, she has time on her hands so when the mother of the aforementioned comatose girl, Amanda, reaches out to her, she decides to give it a looksie and it has some ties back to the story that ruined her career in the first place.

Reluctantly, she goes down this rabbit hole with Amanda's mother, who could be suspicious for good reason, or could just be a mother in denial. Either way, Lee's number was found in Amanda's things and it's just not adding up. Who was the father and why was Amanda being put up in a ritzy apartment?

It seems a conspiracy is at hand and using her natural intuitiveness and detective skills, Lee may be the only one with the guts to get to the bottom of it.

I'm a huge fan of Kara Thomas. I'm in my 30's so I should prefer her new stuff, but I miss the YA novels. Thomas is an amazing writer, there's no doubt about it, but in her newest works, she tackles subjects that are more politically charged and as a news junkie, I'm usually reading to escape that world. It's not that I disagree with anything covered, in fact it's often that these stories are preaching to the choir and that bugs me. I didn't care for the racial aspect and felt it was a bit tone-deaf and cringe.

Regardless, it was well-written and a page-turner. I got a lot of Long Island Serial Killer vibes. It was very dark, very heavy and definitely worth a read if you're somewhere at least center left politically.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read ahead of release in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

An exciting mystery about a clever formerly disgraced reporter turned PI.

There are plenty of clever twist and turns as the main character, Lee, attempts to find out who attempted to kill the young woman in a coma with her unborn child (a crime originally determined to be a suicide).

The only loose strand that bother me intensely was the fact that Lee never returned to rescue her friend Nelson's beloved dog, we were left to believe that it died a solitary death in Nelson's backyard! You will have to read the book to learn what I am talking about, but this was a detail on which I kept HOPING for resolution, but it was left unresolved.
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What can I say, as an animal lover, this detail haunted me (I am amazed no one, such as book editors do not notice these loose ends so they can be addressed before a book is released).

However, I wanted to mention that I LOVE STORM publishing; they have kept me busy reading their top-quality books, and they are rapidly becoming my favorite publisher.

Natalee Ellerin, a disgraced journalist after the man she wrongly suspected and disgraced killed himself, takes on the case of Amanda Hartley. Amanda’s mother contacts her because she found her number in her daughter’s belongings. And before she can halt her investigation she’s back on Dune Road again, the place where Jenna Mackey went missing. Sometimes fiction is used to spotlight how an investigation into the truth is mishandled. Corrupt elected officials getting rid of those who don’t fall in line, and instead hire yes men. Lower class women being victimized in the news by calling them trash. A body (or bodies) found in the marsh of a beach.

When I received this ARC they had just announced the arrest of the Gilgo Beach serial killer. It was kind of funny to see the way that this book mirrored the investigation in some ways. I think it shows incredible knowledge and planning for an author to correctly nail down what happens in the aftermath of an investigation. Kara Thomas really knows her stuff. She shows incredible foresight into how the real life investigation would work out.

Even though this was written months before that person was arrested.
Don’t get me wrong. The ending is not something that you can predict. There is nothing contrived or procedural about it. When reading this book, it’s not hard to get Lost to Dune Road.

Lost to Dune Road started as a slow burn and then just *poof* exploded into a truly captivating mystery. A disgraced former reporter turned private investigator gets herself embroiled in the investigation of an attempted suicide that might just have ties to the murder investigation years ago that she lost her career over. I found myself quickly obsessed with this well-plotted and engrossing read showing the dark underbelly of the rich Hamptons elite, with a cast of complicated and flawed characters.