*** I received an e-ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review***

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story is told from the POV of to main characters, Rowan and Amber. Rowan is a detective and Amber is Rowan’s therapist. Both women are unhappily married. Rowan is convinced her husband is cheating on her, and Amber is struggling with a medical diagnosis related to her child.

Women in the community are being murdered, and Rowan takes the lead on the cases. The women appear to have nothing in common, with the exception of having X’s carved into their bodies after death. What does the X mean? Who knows more than they are letting on? How far will Rowan go to honor her past?

This story highlights the fact that everyone has secrets and that your personal and professional lives often become blended. There were several unexpected twist in this story. I read it in one day, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Amanda McKinney, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley.

Thank you to Amanda McKinney and Storm Publishing for this fantastic ARC!

Rowan is a detective working hard trying to investigate multiple murders. What do all the victims have in common? How are these strangers connected? What was the motive for the murders? She works tirelessly alongside her coworker, Kellan, to bring justice to these families- all while also dealing with a failing marriage. Her husband, whom she has known since childhood, seems to be growing distant. Rowan did not have an easy upbringing and she works with a therapist to make sense of her trauma and keep her marriage together. This is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing!!!

This is the first book I have read from Amanda McKinney and I am an instant fan. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat. It is told from a few different POV and has a strong FMC. I thought I had it figured out multiple times but there were so many unexpected twists! I personally loved how it all came together at the end. An easy 5 ⭐️ read for me.

Available March 29th!

Woah. This is my first encounter with Amanda McKinney's writing, and it hooked me from the start. I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Amanda for providing the ARC!

We are introduced to Rowan, a lead detective stuck in a dreadful marriage. This book takes place in a small Texas town unaccustomed to such horrific crimes. When three women are found dead with distinct carvings on their bodies, the question arises: who is responsible and why?

As a fan of true crime, this book immediately grabbed my attention. However, as I continued reading, a few things stood out to me. Firstly, I felt that I didn't have a clear understanding of what was happening in the story. I would have appreciated more insight from the perspectives of the main characters, either earlier in the book or throughout.

I was waiting for the twist ti happened and when it finally did, it had me screaming in the best way. Kudos to Amanda for delivering an unexpected and thrilling experience!

Incredible storyline! This is a page-turner, three women brutally murdered, what did they have in common, and why would that set off a serial killer? I understand self-defense, but not becoming a Judge and Juror! Two unhappy couples, Rowan and Shepherd, Amber and Mark, Emma, Amber's best friend and her small son's School Teacher, and Kellan, Rowan's handsome police partner, are all caught up in something dark and dangerous. Detective Rowan Velky, this is a spoiler, so stop here if you haven't read this yet, she can't be allowed to get away with what she did! She is a victim, yes, however, she needs to be held responsible, losing her police badge, something!
I highly recommend it. Thank you #Netgalley #Storm
carolintallahassee

I wanted to love this, but ended up liking it instead. It was very gripping and I flew through it to find out what happens. There’s a lot of twists & turns that surprised me, just wish the ending would have wrapped things up more.

Two words… Holy Moly!

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Amanda! As soon as I got my paws on this book, I cleared my scheduled. (Hold my calls!) I just knew I would spend my evening gobbling up this book! And let me tell you, I couldn’t put it down!

From chapter 1, I was completely enthralled. Edge. Of. My. Seat. Who was killing these women!? Could it be the seemingly innocent, elderly neighbor? (Lock your doors folks!) And the infidelity, oh my! Was Rowan’s husband cheating? Was Rowan cheating!?

Amanda has a true talent for atmospheric writing. I found myself immersed in the town of Blackbird Cove. I was invested in the characters; I love a multi POV, and a strong FMC. This is a thriller that will not only give you all the twists, but all the feels.

Annnd, every time I thought I had the whodunnit all figured out, in true Amanda fashion she completely shocks me! 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙨 - If you can give me goosebumps, you immediately get all the stars! ⭐️

Don’t even bother reading the blurb for this one; going in blind is the way to go! Clear your schedule, grab a snack, and settle in for the evening… and as always check your trigger warnings

Now excuse me, I’m going to go hop in line for Amanda’s next thriller.

Thank you @Amanda and @thrillerproductions for the #gifted copy! This was everything my little thriller loving heart needed!

When some wealthy women in town start to show up dead, police detective, Rowan Velkey dives in to try and figure out what these mysterious murders have in common. The three women all have the letter "X" carved into their bodies - one on her eyes, one in her hand, and the other in her mouth. But why?

Rowan and her partner, Kellan begin try to put the puzzle together. Not only do they keep hitting road blocks, but Rowan's own life is leaving her feeling disconnected and alone. As a result, Rowan begins seeing a therapist to try and decompress from work, work through her marriage struggles, and deal with her own past trauma.

As the FBI arrive on scene, Rowan begins to wonder if she can handle all of that is going on in her life or if she is starting to break under all of the pressures?

As I read through this, I found myself desperately trying to piece it all together and failing miserably. The plot twists were so good and not once did I see the end coming.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publish for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very enjoyable if you love psychological thrillers. Every marriage has secrets - some secrets are deadly. Unexpected twist near the end. Lots of suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc. One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read! You will not be able to put his book down until the end…filled with twist and turns along with an ending that is shocking and very unexpected. Several of the characters have volatile and fragile relationships….the tension, animosity and distain is very evident. Amanda writes an amazing story which at first had me a little angry at Rowan, her husband Sheppard and work partner Kellan. The other characters in the book are also going through a trying time. The relationships are interconnected in the story…but stopping there to not give anything away. Such an amazing read that will have you guessing “who did it” the entire time.

I wanted to like this more than I ended up liking it. While the writing itself is good, the story ended up feeling shallow and implausible. It went from slowly working on the murders to “solving” them with no through line. Also, the switching between characters was not smooth and there were holes in the plot. Especially around Amber and how and why she ended up with Shepherd. I was really disappointed in how it unfolded it seemed almost stitched together to make the ending work. As if the author came up with the end plot twist first and wrote around it. .

I couldn’t put this book down!

This was a great weekend read, that had me captivated from page one. When a woman’s body is found by her neighbor, Detective Rowan takes over the case. Was it the husband, the neighbor, or, after more bodies are found, a serial killer? We meet Rowan, a workaholic who is also dealing with her cheating husband. We also meet others in Rowan’s life, her partner, Kellan, who lends an empathetic ear. Amber, Rowan’s therapist, who is also dealing with her son possibly being on the spectrum,, and Ella, Ambers friend, and her son’s teacher.

While the story is present day, there are a few chapters that go back in time, though the story flows wonderfully. Twists and turns throughout the book, with a surprise ending.

So, I know that I am in the minority with my 3-star rating but nonetheless I stand by it.
First, I want to mention that this is my second book by this author, and I loved the first one. My 3 -star rating has nothing to do with her writing style, as there's no doubt that Amanda Mckinney can produce a stellar thriller.
Having said that let's get into it!
In the beginning I was invested, the author does an amazing job building up to the tension and suspense-I couldn't look away.
My interest was piqued as to how all these people were tied together, but in the end it all came together seamlessly.
Another thing I loved was how fast paced and completely bingeable it was, and the short chapters are always a plus for me.
However, where it fell down for me was the predictability. I was a little disappointed by the ending because I had already pieced it together. I honestly was hoping I was wrong because after such an amazing build up, I thought it would've been a little more mind blowing.
Also, the ending was a little too fairytale and I'm not a fan of that in the thriller genre.
I would still recommend this book to a friend though, because as stated before I know I am in the minority and my rating all comes to down to my personal preference.

Thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda for my eARC of this book.
All opinions as 100% my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

What a fantastic thriller! I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put this book down. Every time I thought I had it figured out the author threw in a new twist and I was back to square one.

A must read if you enjoy several POVs, troubled marriages, a murder mystery and a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved most of this book, but felt parts were slightly unbelievable for a supposed detective and therapist to get themselves into. Some good reveals and plot twists though.

Aaaahhh!!

This thriller is incredibly captivating! Just when I thought I figured it out, something else came up!!! It keeps you questioning everything. Highly recommended!

Thanks for the ARC!

What a gripping thriller! Everytime I thought I had it nailed, another piece of information emerged and I was back to the begining again trying to work it out! It has you questioning everything. A great read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC copy.

This book was good at first, then several characters kept being introduced with no background on how they are connected to the story until chapters later, which made me confused. The plot was interesting but I did not like the ending. It did not have the jaw-dropping affect on me that I think was intended. The ending left me with questions also.

What a page turner! This book had me hooked right the way through to the shocking end. Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed

This book was AWESOME! It was my first by McKinney and wow did she deliver!

I loved the use of multiple narrators, flashbacks, and some bits of mixed media. Rowan was a complex character with a troubled past and sordid relationships. She was an excellent detective and I could feel her exhaustion and stress as she worked her investigation, tried to salvage her marriage, and take care of her ailing aunt. Her therapy sessions with Amber sometimes made me chuckle and sometimes made me cringe but every page brought something new and something important to the story.

I loved that this book kept me guessing, even when I had some pieces figured out. It starts out with a bang and the thrill doesn't let up! One twist had me saying "wait, what?" while another made me think "there it is!" and I absolutely loved how everything played out.

Based on the title, I expected this to be a domestic thriller and while there are elements of that, there's also so much more. I could totally see this spinning off into a series and I would be so here for it!

If you're like me and new to McKinney, this is certainly a stellar place to start! I'm excited to check out her other work! Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions and Storm Publishing for the copy. This one releases March 28, 2024.

You are married to someone you know but are you sure ? We are all in the same boat … enough trust but also enough the grey zone … where is the border between the love , trust and fear from the unknown parts of the person we believed to know very well ? She nailed it !