Every once in awhile, when the weather's getting cold and plans are getting sparse, I like to stay in bed all Sunday morning and just read until I finish a book. Not too many books deserve that, but this one did - I was happy to stay covered up and cozy and follow this one through all its twists and turns. The narrator had an engaging voice that kept me interested and rooting for her throughout, and the intricate plot really kept me guessing. Plus anytime a thriller can get me to raise my eyebrows all "yo, that's messed up" I call it a win.

Although this book did give me sympathy for people that live on Long Island and choose to drive cars in the city, it did get very repetitive being constantly told about having to get from place to place and then find parking, etc. It also strained credulity that like, every person the MC wanted to talk to was both willing to talk to some rando PI while also carving out time in their schedules to meet up in person to do so that same day or the next. Especially people that are busy as hell with their jobs in Manhattan! These elements combined to create a plot that was basically "drive to a place, meet up with a person" over and over and over again, broken up only by flashbacks to other POVs. I enjoyed the book despite this though, and would read this author again.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. My third novel by this author and it did not disappoint. Great writing. Great domestic thriller.

Lost to Dune Road by K. Thomas, published by Thomas & Mercer is the highly anticipated next book by this outstanding author.
A stand-alone the story follows Lee Ellerin, a reporter that investigates unsolved murder cases. But things go horribly wrong and she has to leave her career behind.
5 years later new victims show up, new cases and Lee is pulled back into the investigation.
A fast paced, complex read that had me in knots, in suspense right from the start till the very unexpected end. Sitting on the edge of my seat, I read the whole book, cover to cover, in one sitting. Fantastic, incredible.

Lost to Dune Road covers an ex-journalist's determination to solve the case that ruined her career. After losing her job, Lee works as a PI and is hired by a mother to find her daughter's baby daddy. The daughter is in a coma after a suspicious suicide attempt, so Lee has little information to start with. As she delves into the girl's life, she finds connections to the years-old case that landed her in hot water.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. It was fast-paced and intense. The author didn't waste time getting to the story's heart, jumping into the plot. Lee was easy to like, with her grit and determination. Since she's slowly putting together two separate cases, there wasn't a lot of meandering and self-reflection for Lee.

The underlying theme was what powerful men can get away with. Lee comes up against several men who have the means to bury their awful deeds and people to protect them. We also see how callously the men handled young girls and the awful underside of the rich. The frustration and anger Lee experienced were what women in the world deal with today.

While I enjoyed the overall mystery, the ending was anti-climactic. There were too many characters that Lee spent the novel chasing, only for them to be irrelevant. I didn't quite understand the actual culprit's motivation; it was revealed too late in the story for my taste. The supporting cast needed to be streamlined; several characters and interactions had little bearing on the overall storyline.

The romance was so weird. Two grown adults being awkward over a five-year-old kiss was too much for my brain to handle. It ended up being a big deal, and I needed the characters to move on. It didn't help that one of them was in a committed relationship and was still pursuing the weird drama.

Overall, this wasn't a bad thriller. I hesitate to call it a "popcorn" thriller due to the heavy topics, but it had the breakneck pace that I often associate with that genre. If you don't mind a cheesy romance with your mystery, check this out.

*Check trigger warnings before reading. Some TWs include statutory rape, violence, abortion, and sexual assault.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is it too early to start screaming from the rooftop about a must read that doesn't release for six months? If you're a Kinsey Millhone fan you need to read this book! Is there any way possible that we could talk Kara Thomas into writing a series of books following private investigator Lee Ellerin? Lee Ellerin was a reporter until an investigation into a young women's murder on Dune road caused her to lose everything. Now working as a private investigator she's hired by a mom whose daughter is on life support. The mom contacted Lee because the daughter had Lee's name written on a receipt. This story kept me from sleeping because it was my nightstand read and I could not put it down.

I was so pleased to be able to read this - Kara Thomas is such an excellent author and this was a great read. This was an intriguing mystery - Amanda was a really well drawn character and her motivations were clear throughout. The flashes back to her were well placed throughout the book.

Like other reviewers, I found the romance sub-plot unnecessary and pretty uninteresting - likewise I wasn't invested in Nelson. I felt there were a few too many characters to keep track off (in particular, naming two of them William seemed an odd choice!). I think for me there might have been too much time dedicated to the narrator's romantic and friend relationships and this squeezed the plot a bit at the end. We were introduced to the key character right at the end and given very limited information about his motivation behind his action. I also expected to be 'shown' not 'told' about Jenna's murder/Amanda's attempted murder. In particular, because we didn't 'see' what actually happened to Amanda, I was expecting a last chapter plot twist where it turned out the key character was covering for his wife. Because we'd had so much info throughout about how unusual Amanda's situation was, it was odd not to have the final puzzle pieces - how did she end up in the bath without any signs of a struggle on her body etc?

Overall I really enjoyed reading this and was gripped throughout, but was a bit taken aback by how quickly the ending wrapped up - it didn't seem in line with the usual complexity/detail of Kara Thomas' books.

This book was nothing short of phenomenal. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down. Lost to Dune Road is the story of Natalee Ellerin, a disgraced reporter turned private investigator. Lee begins the story investigating the supposed suicide attempt of a young pregnant art student. In an attempt to find the baby’s father, Lee embarks on a twisty, layered investigation that leads her right back to the case that ended her writing career. Lee is messy but endearing and the mystery itself is layered, twisty, and unpredictable. I loved many of the supporting characters and felt they added a lot to the story. Chase! Nelson! Even Molly. Also, the ending was fantastic- definitely didn’t see it coming. All in all, this is one of my favorites of the year.

I would give this 3.5 stars. It was fine, but I expect more from Kara Thomas. It was a quick read, but it probably won't stay in my memory for a long time. Still, thriller fans could like this one.

This was a super quick and thrilling read for me! I really enjoyed all of the build up and found the twists to be entertaining and not too predictable. I definitely will recommend in the future!

Lost to Dune Road it's a super tense and fast read!

Suspenseful, witty, and full of surprises - everything I love to see in a great story.

Lost to Dune Road it’s an adult thriller based on a disgraced journalist turned private investigator who is investigating what seems to be a random suicide - except somehow, it seems related to the case that ruined her life five years before. This one is a deeply layered mystery book with deeply troubled women at its heart who are trying so desperately to navigate and survive a world that does not give a fuck about them.

I'm just not gonna give it 5 stars because I was a little bit disappointed with the romance - which personally, I felt was unnecessary. I didn’t love how it was wrapped up and would’ve been happier with either zero romance or a new interest.

Despite that, I loved the twists that came towards the end and had a lot of fun with the mystery aspect of this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted eARC to read and review!

This was my first read from Ms. Thomas and while I admit it was an, “Oooh pretty cover! 😍” insta-grab for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I especially appreciated the first-person POV, (this is rare for procedurals, but can I please have more of it?). The suspense build up was spot on and perfectly paced. I assure you 𝐿𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝐷𝑢𝑛𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑎𝑑 won’t be one of those disappointing cover buys!

Pubs April 9, 2024!

In Lost to Dune Road by Kara Thomas, reporter Lee Ellerin’s investigation into a young woman’s unsolved murder gained national attention—only for her to lose everything due to a tragic mistake.

Five years later, pregnant college student Amanda Hartley lies in a coma. The police say she attempted suicide, but the details don’t add up. And, there’s also one alarming coincidence: Amanda was last seen on Dune Road in the Hamptons—where the murder victim in Lee’s previous investigation disappeared.

Lee sees the chance to amend the mistakes of her past. But finding a killer and unearthing Amanda’s secrets sends her down a dark path.

Lost to Dune Road had good suspense and intrigue. The author presents the twists and turns with interesting characters and plot twists that have you reading well into the night. The ending was satisfying and made sense.

A good mystery, good plot, and well-written to keep me involved in the story and the characters.

#LosttoDuneRoad #NetGalley @AmazonPub

Lost to Dune Road was so good! The plot was extremely well developed - every line of investigation was explored, the pacing was excellent, and the twists were both surprising and yet backed up by previous evidence.

I loved being inside Lee’s mind and seeing how she investigated and analyzed one lead after another. I enjoyed her relationships with Chase and Nelson and how determined she was to not only find answers for Amanda’s mom, but find out who killed Jenna once and for all. Tying the two plots together was genius and I appreciated how the women in the story were depicted. Simply put, Kara Thompson is a mastermind at writing compelling stories that make you completely invested in the outcome. I could not put this book down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kara Thomas reliably writes interesting mysteries. They’re usually complex, somewhat confusing (in a good way) and have a satisfying ending. Lost to Dune Road is not any different. An adult thriller based on a disgraced journalist turned private investigator who is investigating what seems to be a random suicide - except somehow, seems related to the case that ruined her life five years before.

The only place I was disappointed was the romance - which personally, I felt was unnecessary and more than a little disappointing for me, personally. I didn’t love the way it was wrapped up, and would’ve been happier with either zero romance or a new interest.

Despite that, I had a lot of fun with the mystery aspect of this story.

Wow! Some creepy characters! Good book though! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, drugs kidnapping, revenge, a great who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you to the Publisher for the Arc!


this was so freaking good. its super fast paced and I felt this anxiety as Lee uncovered more and more of what happened to Amanda and i couldn't put it down. the ending left me completely surprised and i cried.

this was fantastic 10/10

Five years ago, Lee Ellerin was successfully climbing the career ladder as a respected reporter when she unexpectedly lost her footing due to a foolish mistake. Despite initially gaining nationwide attention for her investigation into a young woman's murder, she was swiftly consigned to the garbage heap of journalism history.

Now, several years after Lee had to abandon her career aspirations due to being publicly pilloried, she is unexpectedly drawn into a new mystery. Pregnant college student Amanda is in a coma - according to the authorities, as the result of a suicide attempt. But there are many unanswered questions around Amanda's lifestyle.

Who was paying for the penthouse where she lived? Why was there a note addressing Lee in Amanda's backpack? And perhaps most importantly, who is the father of her baby?

Not to mention, what is the significance of the location where Amanda was last seen? Especially since it also happens to be the place where the victim of Lee's earlier investigation disappeared from...

Understandably, the last thing Lee wants to be is to be reminded of the case that ended her career. But looks like she doesn't have much choice in the matter. Yet even as she begins to consider that this may be an opportunity for redemption, there is far more at play here, and far more to play for, than she knows...

I was so excited to see that Kara Thomas had a new book out, I lost no time in making a grab for it. And the truth is, she never disappoints. This story carries all of Thomas' trademark storytelling - dark, gripping, and ultimately satisfying. Don't miss it.