"A lie has no leg, but scandal has wings." (Thomas Fuller)

Sounds about right. Deputy Chief Vera Mae Boyett is trying to slam the door on a bad situation where she was part of the Memphis Police Department. In her position, she had to take the guff for the actions of two members of her team. Waiting out the aftermath of this in-house investigation left her no choice but to return to her hometown of Fayetteville, Tennessee. But maybe, just maybe, she's leaping from the frying pan into the fire.

Deeper Than the Dead is my first Debra Webb novel and it's the first in this Vera Boyett Series. It was floating at 4 Stars, dippin' down to 3 Stars, and then soared to 4 Stars once again. There are good bones here. Debra Webb captures the elements of small town life and a family situation that fully seeps into a scandal if not mopped up immediately......if not sooner. There's an abundance of characters to keep track of as well that float to the surface from the past. And the twisties charging up to the finale were a bit far flung.

Vera and her sister, Eve, were living on the fringes after the death of their mother from cancer when they were teenagers. Their dad remarried shortly afterwards to Sheree, the town's scandalmonger. Everyone knew Sheree's intentions........except their father. The result is a newborn named Luna. Vera and Eve took care of Luna while Sheree drifted into town.

That is until Sheree's driftin' days came to an end. Everyone thought that she hit the road. Instead, her body was found in a cave on their farm property twenty years later. Ol' Sheree didn't get much mileage that fateful day. All eyes begin to turn to the husband who is now living in a nursing home with dementia. Vera wants to clear her father.......until three more bodies are found.

Deeper Than the Dead shows potential for a good series. Debra Webb has familiarity with this part of the country and small town life. It's my hope that the character of Vera Boyett will bring her experiential background from big city Memphis into establishing herself into whatever the future brings. Readers hold believability as key and hope that Webb will encase Vera with exactly that. Check it out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to Debra Webb for the opportunity.

The saying goes, "You can;t go home again." Perhaps the question is should you? For Vera, she will have to answer that question. Once upon a time, she ran away from her home life for college and a career in the city. But she was running from her darkest day and running doesn't make things go away permanently. As Vera discovers, you can run from your darkest day but it will always be there to haunt you until you square your shoulders and face it head on. To Vera, her current life crashes as she becomes the fall guy for something outside her control. It is funny how all of your accomplishments can be wiped away by a single act, especially if you are not the actor. We experience that through Vera. Just as her new world blows up, she is drawn back home, She is drawn back to face that which she ran from.
We slowly learn over the early part of the book, the situation that blew up Vera's family. We quickly learn how her sister's suffered as well. Vera, Eve and Luna each lost something that day and each suffered for it. In my opinion after reading the story, the biggest loss was the feeling of a close family. The girls lost a mother and had an absentee father but they had each other until they didn't. There story is so sad and heart retching. Family is the most important thing in life and watching a family breakdown through these woman's memories is beyond sad. Those of us with close families, will get the feels as we read about 2 teenager girls and the wicked witch who wrecked their lives once and comes back for more.
They mystery was good but as I have spent time taking about family, it almost took a backseat in this story. Years ago, I watched a TB show where they talked about how one single act or one single choice changed everything. I was struck by the line as I read this story. As I read about how Eve lost herself to drink and drugs, I thought about that line. As I read about how Vera ran far from home to a new life, I thought about that line because even her career was shaped by one incident. The same could be said for Bent, he made one decision and it turned him from the town drunk to a good man. Sometimes that one moment can be good and sometimes not but the moral of the story is you can't outrun the past.
The girls and Bent will be back in future books as the girls found a way to rebuild their family in this book. I enjoyed the book. My only complaint was it might have been about 50 pages too long. Debra Webb is a good author but she does sometimes she runs into that issue. Rest assured, this is my opinion so don't let it hold your back from reading a good book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Deeper Than the Dead was the first book in a new series by Debra Webb. This book was cleverly written filled with lots of secrets, dead bodies, and major betrayals. I loved the character of Vera and her interaction with Bent the local sheriff of the county. I didn't really connect with the two sisters, like I did Vera. Lots of twists and turns in the story line, and I most definitely would recommend this book to others.

I received and ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Thomas and Mercer, I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Disgraced police officer Vera goes home after human remains are found in a cave on her families property. This family has secrets that could destroy them. This book grabs you from the first page and you won’t be able to set it down. There are few twists at the end of the story. Debra can always be counted on a good story with plenty of suspense. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Deeper than Dead…Wow. I have read other books by Debra Webb which were good books and that’s what led to my anticipation of reading her new one. The book starts with Vera Boyette (Vee for short) and the current situation with her job as Deputy Police Chief/ Crime Analyst in Memphis, TN. She’s cleaning out her office and headed home to the farm in Fayetteville, Tennessee.
I’ll set the scene for you, a family farm. Several murders stemming back as far as 25 years ago, and one murder as recent as 5 years with a total of 4 murders. Vera & Eve (Vera’s sister) share a secret and may know something about one of the murders. Sheree, who was Vera and Eve’s stepmother and mother to Luna their younger sister. Sheree disappeared, or did she?
Bent, Vera’s old love and the new sheriff, is on the scene (Boyette Farm) at the cave where the bodies are found. Who buries the bodies in the cave with rocks and necklaces?
Vera and Bent team up trying to piece together what happened years ago. Starting with Vera’s Dad who has dementia. Retired Sheriff Fraley and his wife Beatrice and then The Higdons (Charles, Florence, and their son Preston) in addition to other characters who are ties into this roller coaster of a story.
You immediately fall in love with the characters. The author makes it easy to have a clear visual of who they are. It’s easy to imagine Boyette Farm, the cave, the funeral home, cemetery and all the other landmarks in the story. This was an easy and fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out WHO-DUNNIT.

Looking back at my goodreads list, I think I’ve read nearly 20 books by Debra Webb over the years. She is an auto read for me and I was pretty happy to see an ARC available for her latest book on NetGalley.
‘Deeper Than The Dead’ is the first book of a new series featuring former deputy police chief Vera Boyett, who is called back home to small town Tennessee by her sister when the skeletal remains of her stepmother are found on their family’s property. Vera and her sister Eve are now faced with secrets they have tried to bury for 20 years and as more bodies are found on the property, Vera must try and solve the cold cases before the Sheriff does and clear her family’s name before it’s torn apart.
I must admit I struggled with the beginning of this book, I found it a bit hard to get into. I couldn’t connect with Vera and didn’t particularly like Eve. But the story picked up in the second half and became more interesting with the discovery of the additional bodies. Until the final chapters. I’m sorry but I find it hard to believe that a veteran police officer would make such stupid decisions about her own safety knowing she and her family were targets of a killer. And the killer reveal? I found it a bit silly, it made me giggle at how unbelievable it was. That took off a star for me. Overall it was a good, solid read. 3.5 stars

I am a fan of female lead mysteries and this series has just been added to my auto click list! The story was original and well plotted. There was a thread of romance between Vera and Bent, the local sheriff, which did not overwhelm the mystery. I did find the history of the stepmother a bit heavy handed and repetitive. But the twists and the secrets had me committed to turning the pages until the end!

Interesting start to a new series. There is definitely more than meets the eye to this cast of characters. I’m eagerly awaiting to see how this series twists.

First book in a new series! Dead bodies, dark caves, mysteries, secrets and a hot sheriff. What more do you need? Vera goes out on a mission to clear her families name.

This was my first time reading a book by Debra Webb, and it was a good read overall.

It started a bit slow (sure you get the jump start, but then it was setting the scene and that seemed a bit slow to me). It seemed to also repeat a bit, which was hard to keep me engaged on this novel.

This book kept me guessing, but still left me wondering what is really going on, guess that is a good way to get you hooked on a series, right?

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This ticks all my crime novel boxes. I loved exploring this mystery with the main protagonist, Vera. So many twists and turns, with all the characters beautifully conceived and drawn. Finding out who did what and why was utterly compelling.

This book gets all the stars from me!
Finally, there's something to look forward to... I love this new series and can't wait to see where it goes.

Deeper Than The Dead by Debra Webb is the first book in the Vera Boyett Series, and it captured my attention right from the start. It's a suspenseful read full of twists and unexpected turns that kept me guessing until the last page. This book was unlike any other thriller I've read, which made the reading experience even more enjoyable.

Crime analyst Vera Boyett rarely visits her family's home, and she never ventures into the cave on their land. However, when the remains of her long-missing stepmother are discovered, Vera must confront a past that threatens everything she holds dear. She and her sister Eve may not be entirely innocent of any wrongdoing, but they are puzzled when numerous bodies are discovered in the cave on their farm.

I found the writing style to be unique and engaging. This book kept me guessing the whole time. I enjoyed how the story was laid out so well and with intricate detail, placing me right in the scene with the characters. The action was non-stop, the chapters were riveting and flowed seamlessly from one to the next, making the book difficult to put down. The story is told through a series of flashback chapters and different perspectives, which are easy to follow and work well together.

The characters are all likable, especially the main protagonist Vera I found her character very interesting, she is smart and fearless, I love her direct approach to difficult situations, even though sometimes her decisions become questionable.

Webb's descriptions of places and people are, I believe, peerless. Even the good people in the story have significant flaws. She delves into the grit and grime of what human nature can do. The story is primarily set in Fayetteville, Tennessee, a small town that the author describes brilliantly and with personal affection.

The ending was satisfying, almost all loose ends tied up. However, there is unfinished business regarding the real people involved in the crime and what Vera will do to protect her family. Will revealing the secret destroy her relationship with her sisters and ruin any chance of love with the town Sheriff, Ben?... This is a fantastic, must-read family drama set in the summer with small-town secrets...perfect for a summer read. It will be available on August 6th. I Highly Recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Vera Boyett returns to her childhood home after her career implodes. If that isn’t bad enough a secret shared with her sister rears its ugly head and complicates life even more. Debra Webb’s new book lays the foundation for a series that has me looking forward to the second installment. I enjoyed the complicated characters that make up Vera’s world and I liked the small town setting where secrets don’t stay hidden forever. Recommended to fans of the author and mystery/thrillers.

This was a family drama and romance mixed in with a mystery of how did all these bodies get into the cave on their land. It was a bit long, slow at first with a more old fashioned style, it did get more interesting as it went on and was overall a fast read

This was your typical cop novel. Nothing too exceptional to set it apart from others but it was entertaining and a quick easy read.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

It’s been a while since I read anything by Debra Webb and now I’m wondering why. This is the first book in a crime thriller series, and this book had lots of twists and people with secrets. Vera heads back to her hometown when she’s told her missing stepmother’s body has been found and there are lots of theories about how she ended up where she was found. Vera and her former boyfriend who is now sheriff work together to find out what actually happened. The crimes were committed by unlikely people and the end of the book is certainly not what I expected. This was an excellent book and I’m looking forward to reading the entire series. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved this first book in the new Debra Webb series!! Debra Webb never disappoints.
The story is gripping and engaging and full of twists and an unexpected ending. I wanted to race through it, and take forever to read it at the same time.

This story started out a little on the slow side but after it gained momentum it was off like a freight train. Lots of twisty turns I never saw coming. So many secrets and lies. This is the first book in a brand new series and I’m waiting to see what happens next.

Deputy police chief Vera Boyett returns to her childhood home after an incident within her department left her disgraced and jobless. But home isn't the haven she was looking for as family secrets keep getting unburied. Her only hope to keep her sisters safe is to unravel the twisted threads and solve the mysteries herself....but are things really as innocent as she thinks? Some skeletons just won't stay buried!
This book has a lot of twists and there are some really dark corners that you really don't want to peek around! Debra Webb has a way of keeping you on your toes while twisting a tale of intrigue all around you as you read. In Deeper Thank the Dead you have to wonder how Vera is going to keep all the balls in the air as she juggles family loyalties with justice. If this is Book 1 I can't imagine what she has instore for us in Book 2!