Debra Webb has done it again! Deeper than the Dead is a well paced suspense that will keep you guessing until the end. True to form it simply kept me hooked.
This was one interesting family with some complicated characters. I genuinely appreciated all the little clues that pulled me in and made me feel like I had a stake in the outcome & the town. I hope there will be a sequel because there were a couple, tiny loose ends, that left me curious.

eeper than the dead ( Vera Boyet # 1)
by Debra Webb is a real page turner!
Family secrets and lies, mystery, dead bodies turning up, twists and turns and a small town with intriguing characters are the ingredients for a suspenseful read!
Deputy chief Vera Boyet is in the midst of trouble at work when she is called home by her sister because their since many years missing stepmother’s remains have been found in a cave. Vera goes back home to Tennessee and while protecting her family starts searching for answers while the towns new sheriff Bent, who happens to be Vera’s former love interest, does the same. More bodies turn up and more questions arise .
I was immediately drawn into the story, I couldn’t put it down!
I loved the small town atmosphere and the way the author describes the place .It really makes you feel like you are right there with the people in town.
Vera is an intriguing character, you really get to know her and her family ( secrets and all) and I’m looking forward to reading more about her in the next book.
And hopefully that will include some romance because I really like Bent !
I received this arc from the author and this review is my honest opinion.
Thank you Debra Webb for another excellent mystery!

Someone’s found the skeleton in the closet, and it’s not the only one. Wall Street Journal bestselling author Debra Webb presents an emotional new mystery. Crime analyst and newly disgraced deputy police chief Vera Boyett doesn’t visit home often, and she certainly doesn’t venture back into the cave on her family land. But when the remains of her long-missing stepmother are discovered, Vera will have to face a past that threatens all she is. She and her sister Eve had a fairy-tale childhood: good until it was tragic, with a stepmother they never found a bond with. At least they had each other, a baby half-sister, and a mutual devotion that would have them do the unthinkable. It’s a summer in small-town Tennessee, so thick with humidity it could drown you and so rife with secrets it could smother you. And deep beneath the surface, there are more bodies than you’d think…

I freaking loved this story. So many dynamic layers to it. It will keep you guessing until the very end. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

"Deeper Than the Dead" is the beginning of another thriller series from Debra Webb, who is quite renowned for her works in the romantic suspense genre. The story begins with the main protagonist police chief Vera Boyett going through a huge setback in her career, when certain traffic events at her workplace, make the public question her suitability for the job. Just when she thinks things couldn't get worse, they actually do - the remains of her long-missing stepmother are found in the cave on her family land, in the small town of Fayetteville.

Vera, who hasn't been on long visits to her family home since she had moved out, now has to face the ghosts of the past that pervade her big and old family home, all the while helping her sister Eve and half- sister Luna through the many complications this situation elicits. Her past history with the new sheriff of their town Bent only increase her inner turmoil further and make it extremely difficult to hide her secrets from him. To cap it all off, more remains are found within the inner chambers of the cave and the finger points towards one of Vera's parents as the killer.

Is Vera able to resolve the situation without her sisters getting affected by these complications? Who are these murdered people and how do they come to be in the her family cave? If not her parents, who is the murderer?

This book is quite a strong start to the series. The main characters are all quite distinctive and unique. They have all been developed very well; their personalities and attitudes are very much in line with their lived-in experience and their innate nature. Webb's descriptions of the small town are both atmospheric and very interesting. The place and the people in it seem quite real and hence, the events taking place in the book engage the reader's interest and imagination almost immediately. Webb has a crisp and descriptive narrative style, that delves deep into her character's psyche and brings them closer to the reader.

The investigation of the murders, though mostly resolved, has been left slightly open, enough to hook me to the series and make me want to read the next book in the series as well. I liked this very much and would recommend it to lovers of tense, atmospheric thrillers.

First time reading from this author and it was a good/classic who done it thriller murder mystery..the first half was kinda slow but around 50% in I can't put it down.

4.5★s
Deeper Than The Dead is the first book in the Vera Boyett series by award-winning, best selling American author, Debra Webb. Despite the success of her elite unit, a murder/suicide within her team means the writing is on the wall for Memphis Deputy Police Chief Vera Mae Boyett. Fifteen years with MPD count for nothing when a scapegoat is needed, and Vera is already packing up her personal items when a desperate call comes from her baby half-sister Luna in Fayetteville.

The discovery of her step-mother’s corpse in a cave on the Boyett farm is one of the only things that could induce Vera to return to her hometown, but she and her younger sister Eve need to get their story straight if they’re to avoid incarceration for the murder of the woman who made their lives hell two decades earlier. Twenty-two years ago, Luna’s mother, Sheree Corbin Boyett was a missing person; today, she’s the remains of a dead body.

But there are a few surprises in store for Vera: the old sheriff, a friend of her father’s, has retired and in his place is Gray Benton, aka Bent, with whom Vera has a history; when the cave is fully explored, it turns out that, while Sheree’s was the only body the older Boyett sisters dragged into the cave, it isn’t the only body there; a series of vaguely-threatening anonymous texts, a nasty message painted on their front door, and an attempt to run one of them off the road indicates that the murderer might still be around.

While Vera’s father, Vernon is now in a Memory Facility with advanced dementia, several factors make him a prime suspect for Sheree’s murder and, while her instincts vehemently deny the possibility, she has to consider that he might have been a serial killer.

Needing to know what was found in the cave, Vera approaches Bent for access. But the presence of more victims attracts not only the press, but also the TBI, and then the FBI, who seem to have summarily concluded that Vernon Boyett is the killer.

Bent and Vera decide to work together to drill down to the truth, although Vera isn’t going to reveal the role she and Eve played, but she is distracted by the strength of attraction that still exists between them, even after twenty-three years apart, unaware that he is similarly affected.

This is a very cleverly plotted tale with plenty of distractions, twists, and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The secret that Eve and Vera hold isn’t the only one in town: lies in the name of loyalty feature prominently.

But having her protagonist, clearly a very smart woman, succumb through impatience and a little arrogance, to the temptation to do a very dumb thing that puts her in a life-threatening situation, doesn’t quite ring true, even if it does produce an exciting climax. Nonetheless, more of this cast is eagerly awaited. Addictive crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

This is a fantastic immersive mystery! The ending is really well done and one I did not see coming. I would highly recommend this to those who enjoy thrillers and mysteries with endings that you don't see coming! Special Thank You to Debra Webb, Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story starts out slow but then it picks up the pace and it seems like you're running to catch up to all the little clues and twists and turns. Unfortunately, it becomes a bit convoluted before the grand finale. 
Vera Boyett is seeing her life that she's built crumbling around her when she receives a panicked call from her sister Eve that has her racing to her childhood home where she hasn't visited in a long time.  A body was found on her family's land, the body of her stepmother Sheree, her stepsister Luna's mother who had supposedly left her daughter and husband and disappeared.  Well clearly, she didn't go anywhere since she was found dead and hidden. It's also clear that Eve and Luna have somehow been complicit or know about the hidden dead body.
Then to their shock and dismay three other dead bodies are found, all females. As Vera and the police chief rekindle their romance, Vera uses her CSU skills to help solve the mystery. The siblings have a lot of stress and strain in their relationship, will they figure out a way to be a family again? How will solving the murders of the hidden bodies impact the small town and the people who live there. 
Just when you think you know the answers the author takes you on a pivot that has you grasping at straws, the truth is stranger than fiction and you just have to take it on faith.

Deputy Chief Vera Boyett, is on suspension from Memphis PD, where she headed a special team set up to prevent crimes. Through no direct fault of hers, two of her team died, but as head of the team she has been made to take responsibility for their deaths. When her half-sister Luna calls to tell her a body has been found in a cave on her family’s property, she returns to her family home in the small town of Fayetteville in Tennessee to support her family. The body is believed to be that of Luna’s mother Sheree who disappeared 22 years ago when Luna was a baby. Vera left for college not long afterwards, while Luna’s love of books led to her becoming the assistant director of the library. Eve also still lives in town, working as a mortician, a job she loves as claims the dead tell her what they want.

Vera is surprised to learn that the current Sheriff is Gray Benton. Known as ‘Bent’,he was an Vera’s boyfriend during her last year of high school, until he suddenly left town to join the army without explanation. When the forensic team find more bodies in the cave system Bent has no choice but to call in the FBI, who put Vera’s family under the microscope. Her father is their number one suspect, but his memories are unreliable due to his Alzheimer’s.

Vera’s past relationship with Bent should complicate her ability to get involved in the investigation, but it doesn’t seem to hold her back too much. She’s annoyed to find she still feels an attraction for him and is happy to learn he is still single, but tries not to let it distract her from the case.

The story arc is interesting and suspenseful but drags a little in the middle of the novel with much reflection from Vera and little progress being made in the case. Despite the FBI being in control of the case they seemed strangely absent. The pace does pick up in the second half of the novel, building to a good climax as the killers crawl out from the shadows. Vera uncovers plenty of secrets, long held in the town and in her own family giving the plot several good twists to keep the reader guessing. This is the first in a new series and the depth of the characters and the excellent ending suggests we have a lot to look forward to.

The first in a new series that centers around criminologist, Vera, who finds herself returning home when the bones of her long disappeared stepmother are found.

I think this series has promise, but I did find this first entry a little slow. Part of it was that I think it took too long to really get going into the plot. Additionally, most chapters we follow Vera but sometimes it will just randomly change who we follow. Each chapter had a place and time stamp, so I think it could have been easy to add a character name above that. It just felt odd. I've found with Webb's series that I don't love them equally though. I really like Devlin and Falco, but Finley O'Sullivan is just ok for me. I will definitely read another in this series to see if I like it more!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this mystery well enough with its unusual plot development. We get hints of past events as characters reveal previous actions. There is not much suspense other than of a psychological nature. We wonder who really committed the murders and who is ultimately going to be blamed for them. We are bound by what is revealed to us, often by unreliable characters. I was invested in the heroine and did not want her life impacted more than it already had been.

I was a little disappointed in the ending as it seemed rushed and the resolution to the murders did not ring true to me. People all of a sudden were willing to admit actions they had kept hidden for so long. And Vera made a stupid decision near the end. I don't like it when a character willingly gets into trouble, especially a law enforcement professional.

I think this is the first novel I have read by Webb. I liked it enough to be looking for another from her.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I’m Deeper than Dead bored because that’s what this book is, boring. It’s way to slow and has nothing interesting happening for over half of it, making it near impossible to get into but since I received this as an arc I continued anyway. Once pieces of information actually started to be revealed giving us something to hold onto as we read it got a bit better but then in the end there wasn’t enough. If you cut the first half of the book down dramatically and added more to the end so that it equals the same size book this book could be good, as is I don’t recommend.

Just how many things can go wrong and how many of them can be covered up before you despair and give up? Former Police Chief Vera Boyer is on a collision course with her family’s past, the truth and what she thinks she knows. “FRAUGHT” This story is fraught with everything, dangerous actions, the unknown, people you think you know, anxiety, stress, half-truths and outright lies.

I have always enjoyed Debra Webb’s books but this one was just a little too much of everything. It had me wondering how much can you get away with and how much can you expect a reader to believe?! There is a lot going on and each of the characters has part of the story but the pieces aren’t fitting together and there isn’t anything close to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth being offered. Having said that, the pages kept turning and I kept reading and when I was finished it was - AHA that is how it is going to go.

I enjoyed it even if it stretched my believable meter. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy.

Vera Boyett returns home to Fayetteville, Tennessee after a fall from grace at her Deputy Chief Job in Memphis. When a body is found in a cave on Vera's property, it sets off a mystery as to who is the body and how did it get there.

I'm not going to say much more about the plot since this is a mystery, domestic suspense sort of story. Making things interesting is Vera's ex-boyfriend who is now Sheriff. When more bodies show up in the cave, things do get interesting.

The first half was a bit slow, but the action picks up about halfway through. I would have liked a more evenly paced treatment as it took some time to get through the first half. But I did like Vera. She's is a complicated character who doesn't always follow the rules, and that makes her interesting.

Overall, an interesting start to a new series from Debra Webb.

Crime Analyst and Deputy Police Chief Vera Boyett, is cleaning off her desk, expecting not to return, when she gets a call from her youngest sister Luna.
A skeleton has been found in a cave on the family property – it’s Luna’s mom, Vera and her sister Eve’s stepmom.
Vera rushes to the family home that she hasn’t been to in more than 2 years. Ready to bury the skeleton, but more show up! She knows who the first is but who are the others, and how did they get there, and how can she keep her family safe, and family secrets safe.
Excellent first book – looking forward to book 2

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery highlights sibling relationships and delves into a childhood which was happy and then not - culminating in the discovery in the present day of the sibling's long-ago disappeared step/mother's body. It's atmospheric and a slow burn, but the downside is that there's a huge load of repetition and lack of pacing in the first half. Another pass by an editor would not have been amiss. As often happens in cases that go back many years, old relationships, in this case between one sister and the now-sheriff, are warmed up - which f0r me was an element that was not successful. Overall, an okay read, but not something I would actively seek out.

Sometimes people need a reason to stay.

For Vera Boyett, the small town of Fayetteville, Tennessee, was instead always the place from which she wanted to run away. Too small, not enough to challenge her….and that was before her mother died when Vera was 15, setting into motion a series of catastrophic events. First, her grieving father got entangled with the much younger Sheree Corbin, a young woman with a bad reputation, and married her within months of his wife’s death. When she gave birth to Luna six months later, the reason for the hasty marriage became obvious (as was the fact that their affair started while his cancer-ridden wife was still alive). Next, as Vera and her younger sister Eve grieved the loss of their mother they had to deal with a nasty stepmother who left the household work (including ultimately caring for their baby half-sister) to them. Their father was too infatuated with Sheree and busy dealing with his own grief to apparently notice. Finally Sheree disappeared, apparently abandoning her marriage and baby for a more exciting life elsewhere, never to be heard from again. Vera escaped to college and eventually a storied career in law enforcement as soon as she could, leaving Eve behind. Eve quickly slipped into a pattern of abuse of alcohol and other substances, barely graduating from high school and heading in and out of rehab. She still lives in Fayetteville and ultimately has found a career as a mortician, which seems oddly fitting as she often claims that the dead speak to her. With their father suffering from dementia and living in a care facility, Vera and Eve stay in touch through occasional phone calls. All that changes in a single day. First Vera has to leave her job as head of a law enforcement team within the Memphis PD that utilizes predictive analytics to prevent crimes before they happen after a scandal which left two team members dead and for which Vera, as head of the unit, is being held accountable. As if the implosion of her 15 year career isn’t bad enough, she then gets a call from Luna….a dead body has been found in a cave on the Boyett family land and it looks like it is Sheree. Vera heads back to Fayetteville to get a handle on what is going on, and to protect her family from the accusations that are sure to come their way. Things get exponentially worse when additional bodies are found in the cave. Vera and Eve know more than they are willing to share, and may have good reason to fear being named suspects. Sheriff Gray Benton is both the person who broke Vera’s teenaged heart years ago and also a solid investigator.. As Vera inserts herself into the investigation, Bent can sense that she is holding back information from him. Has a serial killer been at work in their town, or is there more than one killer behind the dead bodies? Who but a member of the Boyett family would know the location of the cave and use it as a place to stash their victims? Can Bent get through the secrets and lies that have compounded over the years to identify the killer(s), and if he does what will happen to what remains of Vera’s family?
After a slowish start that works to set up both the current scandal which is possibly ending Vera’s career as well as the backstory to the events in the Boyett family before and after the disappearance of Sheree, the story kicks into gear as Vera and Bent delve into identifying the other victims found in the cave as well as possible killers. Vera tries to keep Luna calm and get Eve to level with her about what is going on as someone seems to be threatening the three of them, and also struggles with her still-present attraction to Bent while she works to lead his investigation away from some painful truths with which she doesn't trust him enough to share. Small southern towns have more than their fair share of secrets, and although everyone thinks they know one another’s misdeeds and skeletons some are buried deep enough to avoid detection, at least for a while. Vera is a strong, smart woman whose traumatic adolescence left scars with which she still struggles, including her relationship with her sisters. Bent’s childhood was brutal and no one thought he would amount to much, although Vera’s mother tried to set him on a better path. Twenty years in the military made him a better man, and retuning to his roots provides him with the opportunity to repay some debts to those who had helped him. Deeper Than the Dead is the first in what looks to be a series featuring Vera as she begins a new phase in her professional life. With much of the background established in this installment, hopefully the next book will be able to launch right into the mystery at hand. Readers who enjoy a good small town police procedural or those with a strong female lead should check this one out, as should readers of authors like Allison Brennan, Melinda Leigh and Tracy Clark. Many thanks to NetGally and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me early access to this intriguing start to a new series.

Having never read anything by Debra Webb before, I went into this one with a completely open mind and really enjoyed it. This book started out a bit slow for me but really picked up in the last half. I couldn’t wait to flip the page to find out what happened next. It kept me guessing right up to the end. That’s exactly what a want from a good “who done it” mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Headline: Finely crafted police procedural-cum-family drama thriller!

Book Review: Deeper Than the Dead (Vera Boyett, Book 1) by Debra Webb
Published by Thomas & Mercer, August 1, 2024

★★★★★ (4.5 Stars rounded up!)

// "....Secrets only stayed hidden if you buried them deep enough."
. - From "Deeper Than the Dead" by Debra Webb //

Writer of 170 novels and recipient of numerous prestigious award, Debra Webb, introduces her new strong female protagonist, Vera Boyett, in a finely crafted, gripping police procedural-cum-family drama thriller that spans decades.

With themes and a writing style reminiscent of a favorite "Upper Peninsula" coastal family drama thriller writer, I did quite enjoy reading this book, my first of the author's, and it got me to add Ms. Webb's "Finley O’Sullivan" series on top of my TBR.

// Deeper Than the Dead (Vera Boyett, Book 1) by Debra Webb (2024) //

Fayetteville, TN, about 250 miles east of Memphis

Memphis PD Deputy Chief Vera Boyett finds herself packing up back to her childhood home in Fayetteville to preempt the adverse outcome of an investigative incident in Memphis which may have cost lives and summarily jeopardize her position in the department.

Thus, after an absence of years, she gets reacquainted with her younger sister, Eve, now a mortician by profession, and, half-sister, Luna. But even before the sisters could relish their refreshed companionship, neighborhood boys exploring a hidden cave in the Boyett family property find the bones and remains of bodies long dead, buried in shallow graves.

Flashback to that dreary night more than twenty years removed when two young girls were fated to be tasked with a deed that would forever haunt them.

The burial of their stepmother.
In that very same cave....

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley.

Lies and deceit steal the show in this nail biting suspense! Debra Webb always has a way of endearing a character to her reader's heart at the same time that she weaves an intricate plot of secrets for us to uncover. Vera is a new character for Webb and gave the reader a lot unravel. Most of the characters were well developed, but there was a lot happening behind the scenes to keep straight with several moving parts so you really have to pay attention throughout. I enjoyed the book a lot and look forward to seeing Vera in the future. Attention grabbing storyline and relatable characters.