Her self-absorbed news anchor ex-husband careening back into her life was not on this amateur psychic detective’s bingo card. Not only does Griffin Gentry show up unexpectedly at Riley's door—the real shock is that he’s begging her for help. Riley’s hot PI boyfriend Nick refusing to take the job is…well, less of a surprise. Too bad for Nick that his business partner overrules him and takes the lead on Griffin’s case. But when a dead body makes it clear someone really is out to get Riley’s ex, the mile-long suspect list means all hands on deck at Santiago Investigations. Even the wrinkly, retired ones. It’s only a matter of time before Griffin brings the danger directly to their doorstep. And with Riley and Nick busy interviewing suspects, that leaves their elderly roommates to wreak havoc in the surveillance department. Can Riley block out the chaos to focus her psychic visions long enough to narrow down the list of suspects? Or will Griffin Gentry’s bad karma be the downfall of them all?

Each book in this series is so great and gets better each time. These are all laugh out loud stories and such easy reads. You should absolutely read this series - gobble it up in no time at all!

Thanks to NetGalley and That's What She Said Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect if you like a quirky murder mystery read! Riley and Nick are such a cute investigative duo, and this is a hilarious laugh out loud book. You definitely need to read this series in order though, it is not as easily read as a standalone.

This book takes off like a rocket and doesn't stop. It's full of madcap craziness and laughs.

Nick and Riley's house has been overtaken by their elderly neighbors who moved in when the roof on their house collapsed. Griffin Gentry, Riley's ex-husband has hired them to find out who is trying to kill him. Griffin is a rich, self-absorbed, egotist with a vacuous fiancée and lots of enemies. But he thinks everyone loves him.

There is a large cast of characters and the story doesn't slow down until the very end. If you like a fast paced, funny book, with over the top characters, this is what you've been looking for.

Another amazing book in the Riley Thorn series! The Body in the Backyard is a hilariously, quirky romance book revolving around Riley’s ex.

Santiago Investigations is hired by Griffin Gentry to figure out who is threatening him. Riley and the gang go on a wild Goosechase trying to figure out who the suspect could be. Every detail is so thought out to fit all the characters and their personalities.

Lucy does an amazing job hooking you. There are many times you will be giggling to yourself. I’m still waiting on Riley’s middle name though…

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars

Holy crap. This was absolutely ridiculous and not in a good way this time. I had a love/hate relationship with the first 3 books in this series. I was pretty happy with the first one; it had the mystery factor, the relationship, and the comedic relief with Riley's older roommates. But then the other two went a little down hill for me because the comedic parts were getting a little too out there.

Well, this one took it even farther and I was struggling to finish this book. Every single scene is a joke, and every single side character is just moronic to the point of pain. I found myself really hoping for Nick's POV because he had more time away from all these other characters.

This is really a shame because I love Riley and Nick's characters and their relationship and enjoy the mystery portion of these books, but these old fogies were just shoved down my throat on almost every page and it was too much.

I would recommend reading the first book of this series and maybe leaving it at that for your sanity.

Riley's ex, Griffin, thinks someone is trying to murder him and he wants Riley and her boyfriend/private investigator Nick to keep him safe. The answer was a big no until Nick realized he has a large cash flow problem. So, against his better judgement they take the case. They quickly find out that there are a lot of people that have a very good reason to want Griffin dead.

This story is a great combination of humor, romance and mystery. Throw in a bunch of rambunctious octogenarians and there is never a dull moment.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review
Riley Thorne Series by Lucy Score includes:
1.The Dead Guy Next Door - features Dickie the neighbour found dead next door
2.Corpse in the Closet- features glitter bombs
3.Blast from the Past - features the mystery surrounding Kellen’s sisters disappearance
4.Body in the Backyard - features Griffin aka asshat ex

What Its Got
✅Meddling, shining star seniors
✅Banter, humour, wit, apt descriptors, visuals that embed themselves on your psyche
✅Psychics
✅Dogs
✅Mansion/flophouse
✅Police chases, breaking rules and procedures
✅Guys flexing their testosterone
✅Girls flexing their badass selves
✅Sneaking and stalking
✅Asshat ex husband
✅Enemies to lover
✅Forced proximity
✅Found family
✅Disability rep
✅ Free spirits and stick in the muds

Cast of crazy characters
MMC- Nick
FMC- Riley
Burt the dog
PIs - Josie, Brian
Mansion - Fred, Mrs Penny, Mr Willicott, Lily
Psychics- Blossom, Wander, Gabe
BFF- Jasmine and Kellen
Channel 50- Griffin, Bella, Chris

Thoughts
📕 I loved way each book starts off the same way- with a current event depicting a crime/victim - Then - the book shifts to the past building up to the present timeline
📕Score’s characters are epic! I want to be Mrs Penny when I grow up- this book is bursting with cocktails and shit disturbers and profound chaos in the BEST way
📕 Nick Santiago can be my protector anyday
📕 this series feels like a TV show Cocktail - think a shot of Superstore, a shot of Murder She Wrote with a bit of a Reality tv chaser mixed in
📕the reader is so swept up in the characters shenanigans and solving the mystery that the romance takes a back seat- until a carefully crafted burst of sexual energy and activity reminds us that our MCs have needs

Overall
Binged all 4 books in 2 days!!! I would easily
Keep reading more books about these characters

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my digital ARCs in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are
My own!

The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score is another fantastic addition to this captivating series. Each book in the series has been truly amazing, and this one is no exception. I have thoroughly enjoyed every installment, and I eagerly anticipate more from Lucy Score in the future. The quality of her writing continues to improve with each book, making the series even more engaging and enjoyable.

The Riley Thorn series is great for anyone who loves a good mystery and romance book! This latest novel has some good laughs, mild action and of course the great characters that have developed through the series. What I like most about the series and this book is that they are light topics and quick reads.

This was probably my favorite book of the series so far. There is a lot of character building in this novel, and it had a lot of unexpected events. The spice in this series is really mild, so if you like a romance/mystery without the spicy scenes, this series and book are for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this great ARC!

"We've been doing this for four months, and every fucking morning, I can't wait to wake up and do it all over again with you.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom for the gifted ARC!

Alright, we are back in the whirlwind of the Riley Thorne universe! This review is going to be shorter, since it’s the same characters and world!!

Looking back, I think this is my favorite book from the series, but I’m just getting a little bored (I’m so sorry 😭). It’s still funny, the characters are goofy asl, and this one was very unpredictable! I just think this series is feeling a little too drawn out at this point and I’m not sure if I’ll want to continue. It’s become kind of repetitive with them babysitting the crazy elders, dealing with insufferable characters, and the slow build up on the actual action.

Lucy’s writing is amazing and this series was so fun, so it’s nothing against her! I’m just not sure it needs to be a 5+ book series! I will say Mrs. Penny had a major redemption for me at the end after how annoyed I was getting with her and gabe is still a cutie 🤭

Nice addition to the previous three books. Body in the backyard focuses more on Riley's whiney ex and his needing Riley's help against hottie PI boyfriend's wishes. You see Nick grow a bit more as well as Riley embracing her powers more. Cant wait for the next one.

Another hilarious adventure for Riley and Nick

Oh my goodness. I love the continuing madcap adventures of Riley Thorn, her boyfriend Nick Santiago and the geriatric circus of their neighbors. Once again, I was sucked into the hilarity and insanity of their life and was lost in the goodness of the story. It is another crazy comedic masterpiece that has suspense and mystery and love and spice. Our heroine, Riley Thorn, is a 34 year old divorced psychic good girl who is living and working with her boyfriend, Nick Santiago. Our hero, Nick, is a 38 year old private eye who loves Riley and just wants to keep her safe. Nick and Riley are together again trying to solve mysteries, catch bad guys, deal with crazy family members, and try to get sexy private time in a house full of continual chaos and interruption. The flow of the story is similar to the other books where Riley is in the middle of deep doodoo danger at the beginning of the book, the first half of the books explains how she once again ended up in that place, and the remainder of the book follows the case (and the insanity) to its conclusion. This story starts exactly where the last book left off, on Nick’s birthday with the third floor of the Bogdanovich mansion next door (full of the weird and crazy geriatric friends/quasi-family) collapsing which results in them all moving into Nick and Riley’s house, at the sane time that Griffin, Riley’s ex, crashes through the gate announcing someone is going to kill him. The case that is the focus of the book is keeping vapid, narcissistic and generally horrible Griffin from getting killed. Sprinkled throughout this beautifully paced story of Riley and Nick’s most recent adventure, there are also a number of secondary characters included. Some are new but many we’ve seen in the previous books. Rather than being overwhelming or detracting from the main love story and the mystery, these characters are central to the hilarity and the continued development of Riley and Nick’s crazy dance of love and passion. I am so happy that there will be many more hilarious stories in this universe.

Riley Thorn, now mostly in control of her psychic visions and spirit guides, is working alongside her boyfriend Nick Santiago in his PI business. They are "helped" by a rag-tag cast of characters, including a horse-sized dog, a begrudging local cop, a super buff somewhat-psychic, and a crazy mix of senior citizens.

Fans of this series will recognize the name of Riley's newscaster, narcissist, Napoleon-sized ex-husband: Griffin Gentry. Someone is out to get him, and Griffin hires Nick, Riley & co to protect him and figure out who's after him. The problem in addition to Griffin's grating personality, is that he has literally hundreds of enemies, making it hard to track down the true murderer.

Like the other books in this series, The Body in the Backyard was laugh out loud funny, a little bit steamy, and a fun mystery. The biggest mystery, though, is still unsolved -- what is Riley's middle name?

I love reading books by Lucy Score because you never know what will surprise you. I really loved this series and I hope it continues. I loved this book. It had a lot of suspense to it, it was romantic, and funny. The ending was really good. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth book in the Riley Thorn series and they just keep getting better and better. While this is a standalone book, reading the previous books will help with the backstory of the characters. If you have read previous Lucy Score books, you know you are in for a treat with the characters and her ability to write a great story.

Riley Thorn’s ex-husband, who is a loathsome man, wants to hire her and her boyfriend Nick Santiago to find out who is trying to kill him. Of course, with the past history between them, Nick really doesn’t want to help him. I loved all the descriptions of Griffin’s spray tan, his height, and his enormous ego.

Riley is living once again with her octogenarian roommates due to a roof collapse at their house next door and they all help Riley and Nick with the investigation. Due to Griffin’s ego, there are many people he has slighted and trampled on to get ahead and there is no shortage of suspects. I felt the killer was a surprise and I loved the ending of the book.

I think readers will be delighted by the characters in the book as well as the banter between Nick and Riley. I love Nick’s competitive friendship with Kellen Weber, his previous partner while a policeman, and Kellen absolutely needs a relationship with Jasmine, Riley’s best friend.

All the Riley Thorn stories are easy to read and a fun time. I love how her books start in the future and then take us back a few days to describe what leads up to that point. I hope there are more books in this series because they are so much fun and laugh out loud funny.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books, and Lucy Score for this e-ARC to read in exchange for my honest review.

Riley and Nick are back in the fourth installment of the Riley Thorn series, and this time, the stakes are higher than ever as they must protect Riley's ex-husband from a murderous plot! "The Body in the Backyard" delivers all the charm and humor that fans of the series have come to love.

Once again, Riley's elderly neighbors bring their hilarious antics to the forefront, making every scene with them a delightful treat. Their quirky behaviors and endearing personalities provide a perfect backdrop to the mystery and suspense that unfold throughout the book.

Lucy Score has a knack for creating a sense of chaos that feels both real and utterly amusing. Riley and Nick's lives resemble a three-ring circus, and their ability to navigate this constant whirlwind is nothing short of hilarious. The dynamic between the two leads remains strong, filled with witty banter and undeniable chemistry.

One of the highlights of this installment is the tension and angst between Weber and Jasmine. Their interactions are charged with emotion, and the anticipation of their potential romance adds an extra layer of excitement to the story. Fans will undoubtedly be on the edge of their seats, eager for the moment these two finally get together.

Overall, "The Body in the Backyard" is a fantastic addition to the Riley Thorn series. Lucy Score delivers another captivating mystery filled with humor, heart, and unforgettable characters. If you've enjoyed the previous books, you'll find all the same quirkiness and charm in this one. It's a must-read for fans and newcomers alike!

Riley Thorn and Nick Santiago star in a romantic comedy mystery. What an entertaining couple who are investigating for Riley's ex-husband who thinks people are trying to kill him. This is the first in the series for me so I had some catching up to do, but I did pick up quickly. I think it would have been best to have read the three in the series before this one.
The dialogue and banter is a lot of fun in this book. It's cute, it's sweet. It's not nitty gritty like a thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another funny romp with Riley, Nick and the elderly sidekicks, although, who am I calling sidekicks when they help set the case in motion? The case being someone is trying to kill Riley's ex husband. He comes calling needing help. I suspect when he was acting like a cheating entitled jerk, he never expected to need her to save his sleazy news caster hide. Honestly, Riley may be a better person than me because as someone with a cheating ex, I would have told him to get out and find someone else to help. However, doing that would not have made for much of a story and would have robbed us of the laughs along the way as Riley and company interrogate the suspects (or perhaps Griffith's victim of his entitled ways.) Either way the suspect pool was large.
With a little bit of physic help and even more geriatric help, Riley and Nick solve the case and learn a little about themselves. I suspect this series is just getting started and we have more stories to tell. Who knows maybe some of the other characters will get their own closed door sexy times. Personally, I've read books 3 and 4 and have had no problems following the story but I plan to go back and read books 1 and 2.
Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Riley Thorn and Nick Santiago are flexing their PI muscles for none other than Riley’s arrogant ex-husband. Through a series of comical but potentially dangerous situations, several possible suspects are interrogated.

Witty and well written, this fourth book in the Riley Thorn series is a must read. While reading the first three is recommended, this book did make perfect sense as a stand alone.

Thank you to Lucy Score, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is book 4 in the Riley Thorn Series and as usual, Lucy Score does not disappoint!

Griffin Gentry is killed and there are plenty of people who wanted him dead.
In comes Riley, her boyfriend, and a group of geriatric people are on the case, which makes for plenty of laughs and a fun read.

I highly recommend this book of you need a good laugh, a stress reliever, an escape!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-book ARC!