Honestly, this is not my favorite book. I would have much rather preferred to start this book at the beginning of the series rather than on the FIFTH book of the series. There were moments throughout the novel where I feel like I needed more background on the characters. There are some moments of intimacy which are fade to black, and the language throughout the novel is clean despite having some death in there. I feel like I was more engaged in two of the characters than the rest, and that kind of took away from the book for me. I felt like the other character's weren't as important.

Another great read! I love the character of Rebecca. McCallister has a special place in my heart as well. This case is fraught with tension and will keep you guessing. I felt like I was right there with the characters. And that ending! The next book can't come fast enough.

Detective Rebecca Ellis has always struggled with her brother's addiction and how he constantly relied on their father to get him out of tight spots, including this last time of getting her brother in rehab rather than serving his full sentence. When she is called to the scene of a body found in the river, she is stunned to discover the body is her brother. Assuming he overdosed and fell into the water, she scoffs at the idea that they are dealing with murder. However, when the autopsy finds evidence of his being suffocated, she has to struggle with finding his murderer. A DEA Agent joins the search when Rebecca uncovers a connection to drug trafficking. As the investigation goes deeper, things are not as they seem, and Ellis must risk her reputation and safety to get to the bottom of her brother's murder. It's an exciting read with lots of emotion.

Robin Mahle (favorite author) returns with her popular Detective Rebecca Ellis (favorite cop procedural) following Leave No Trace #4, The Dead Lake #3, A Frozen Grave #2, and No Safe Place #1, with NO WAY BACK #5 — Ellis' most personal and emotional case yet when her half brother is found dead and caught up in a twisted evil criminal drug cartel corruption in this riveting crime thriller.

"A stunner! NO WAY BACK is a smartly written, emotionally powerful, twisty page-turner. Fans of the Detective Rebecca Ellis series and tenacious female investigators will be well satisfied!"

About...

Catching up with previous books, Detective Rebecca Ellis of the Bangor PD has dealt with her brother Carter's drug problems over the years, and she has been overly protective of her father, Hank, a retired cop in poor health.

CARTER:
When a dead body is found by the Penobscot River, Ellis is shocked to see it is her half-brother, Carter. He was supposed to be in rehab, but there was no evidence of an overdose. Was he murdered? What was Carter involved in?

Her dad would be devastated at his only son's death. No matter how often Carter screwed up or whatever behavior he engaged in, Hank managed to overlook it all. Yes, he was an addict, but he was confined to a rehab facility, so why was he floating in the river here?

DETECTIVE REBECCA ELLIS:
Determined to get justice for her family, Ellis (Becca) begins a relentless hunt for the killer with the help of Detective Euan McCallister and her team. Nothing is as it appears as the case unravels. There was a letter, and Carter was involved in a dangerous drug cartel that had infiltrated the city. Was her brother murdered?

But what if someone from the inside of the DEA is part of the corruption? There is danger lurking around every corner. From the prisons to the halfway houses and in between, Detective Ellis will stop at nothing to get justice for her brother. The only thing that mattered was keeping her dad safe after he had been put in the crosshairs.

DETECTIVE CONNOR BEVINS
Another ongoing thread we pick up from the previous book is the incident during the time as a West Point Cadet with Detective Connor Bevins. Connor's best friend Lance had died, and Connor was in the car. However, it appears it was a coverup, and Connor's dad, Jack Bevins, may have been involved.

Detective Rebecca Ellis is involved in both cases as well as her ongoing complex personal/professional relationship with Detective Euan McCallister. They are all in danger while taking care of her dad as he also becomes involved in helping find justice for his son and what happened to him.

Now grieving over the loss of her brother and the importance of finding herself and becoming a better detective with some difficult decisions to make.

My thoughts...

Emotional, gripping, riveting, intense! As always, Robin Mahle dazzles with her skills in creating complex, well-written crime thrillers, balancing both personal and professional. I adore this author's writing and am a massive fan of the series.

Mahle continues to put her best characters together, which keeps you coming back for more. In NO WAY BACK #5, Ellis does a lot of soul-searching while grieving for her brother, her personal and professional life, and changes in the department. This is Ellis' most personal and emotional case yet.

Another edgy thriller from one of my favorite authors. I do hope this is not the last in the series and hope we see more from Detective Rebecca Ellis. I love her relationship with her dad, Hank, and always enjoy catching up with the fun cast of characters. Will she and Detective Euan McCallister be able to keep their relationship professional? What will happen to Connor? We have seen a lot of growth in this character since the beginning of the series.

This series is too good to end! I have enjoyed all five books in the series. Each is unique and can be read as a standalone; however, I highly recommend reading them all in order.

Recs...

NO WAY BACK and the Detective Rebecca Ellis series is for fans of Lisa Gardner's Detective DD Warren series and Willow Rose's Billie Ann Wilde series.

Thanks to Inkubator Books, the author, and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy for an honest review.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 9, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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This was the first book I read of this series and I have to say that some references to past events kept popping up without explanation.
The story was quite interesting and it was a quick read, but I guess I won't remember it for long.

This is the fifth book in the series and I hope there are more. Rebecca Ellis is called to the scene of a murder and finds out it’s her brother. The book follows the investigation but there is also another mystery involving a fellow officer. I would highly recommend this book and this series.

I have read and enjoyed all of the previous Detective Rebecca Ellis books, but this one was a bit more confusing. Rebecca and her partner, Detective Euan McCallister, are called to the scene of a body in the river. She is shocked to find that the body is her brother, Carter. Carter was supposed to be in a drug rehab facility and not released without their father’s permission. Why was he released? Having to tell her father, who is a retired detective, was one of the hardest things she has had to do. When she learns that his death may not have been accidental, what was her brother involved in? Had he become involved with the drug cartel that was moving into the area? As she searches for the truth, one of her coworkers is dealing with an accident that happened years ago that may end his career as a detective, her ex-husband Andrew has asked her assistance in an investigation that could send him to prison and her relationship with Euan is in jeopardy. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This book gives us 2 plots to figure out. I found it interesting in a well written story.
It maybe confusing to some if they haven't read the others. It did keep me interested to the end
pages to figure the murder out. I enjoyed and recommend her books.
Given arc by Net Galley and Inkubator books for my voluntary review.

Liked ✅
- Becca’s awesome
- Light, easy mystery
- Pulled on the heartstrings 🥹

Didn't Like ❌
- 2+ POV’s

Thoughts 💭
I would consider No Way Back an anthology series, the majority of the plot was resolved within the pages of this book. If I had my time back I would have preferred to read the series from the beginning and not jump in part way through. I say that only because there were very small moments peppered throughout that made me curious about the different characters' backstories, and I'm a completionist! 😆

For readers that like a darker, intense detective series like In Death, this is the opposite. The intimacy moments fade to black, the language is cleaner and the death is less gruesome. If that's something you prefer, I would recommend this series!

I enjoyed my experience while reading. There were a few interesting character twists that I didn't see coming, which kept me engaged. Becca has a lot of grit, her instincts are on point and she is very perceptive. I liked reading Bevin’s POV, and getting more out of his story. By the end I was the most invested in Bevin’s and Becca’s storylines. In turn it made me feel like the rest of the POV’s weren't necessary, and overshadowed the two main story arcs.

Book 5 in the Detective Rebecca Ellis series, Ellis and her partner, Detective Euan McCallister are assigned to investigate when a body is found on the rocky shores of the Penobscot River. Ellis is shocked to discover the victim is her estranged half-brother, Carter, with whom she had a contentious relationship due to his drug addiction. Knowing this discovery will devastate her father, Ellis is driven by a fierce determination to seek justice for him and embarks on a relentless hunt for the killer.

The investigation reveals Ellis’ brother's unexpected connection to a dangerous drug cartel that has infiltrated their city. The plot thickens when a DEA agent inserts himself into their investigation, catapulting Ellis and her team into a high-stakes investigation, fraught with peril and deception.

The secondary plot story involves Detective Conner Blevin and a blogger who is threatening to expose the cover-up of an accident Blevin was involved in while attending West Point that resulted in the death of his best friend.

If you enjoy fast-paced mysteries with strong, complex characters and intricate plots, this book is for you.

Thank you to Net Galley, author Robin Mahle and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is book 5 in the Detective Rebecca Ellis series, although it is an enjoyable read it just fell short of the previous books. I do like the characterisation, especially Ellis and the plotting is also good. There are two sub plots running through this book, I found it confusing trying to keep up with both plots and I found it just a little lacking in pace. Still an enjoyable read though and one I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Detective Rebecca Ellis is hunting another killer. This time it’s personal. When a body is found on the rocky shores of the Penobscot River, Detective Rebecca Ellis is called to the scene, and is devastated to discover the lifeless corpse of her half-brother,Carter.! Determined to get justice for her family, Ellis begins a relentless hunt for the killer!
Great book and series!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I highly recommend this book and series! It has great suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, a fantastic who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I can’t wait for more! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!!

'No Way Back' Is book 5 in the Detective Rebecca Ellis series.

Rebecca Ellis is called to a scene where a body has been found in the river, after the body has been pulled from the water, Rebecca realises it is her brother. Whilst Rebecca battles with the emotions of her brother being murdered, she is extremely focused on finding his killer and getting justice for him and her grieving father, Hank. This thriller deals with grief, mistrust, corruption and questionable relationships.

As well as the story with Rebecca Ellis, we follow the story of Connor Bevis who is looking for answers on an accident he was in, that killed his best friend Lance. The accident was covered up, but why?

If you love a crime detective thriller, the Detective Rebecca Ellis series is the one for you.

I really enjoyed this book, it was full of suspense and you could feel every emotion and the plot twist was executed really well. I am really impressed with Robin Mahles writing style.

Detective Rebecca Ellis is called out to a scene, and to her horror, recognizes the victim as her brother.
She is determined to find out how he was released early from the rehab unit he was in, and who killed him and why.

I loved the first few books in this series, but somehow, this one fell a little short for me. It was suspenseful, twisty and in some parts emotional, but I found it hard to keep up with the plot and sub plot. Maybe my concentration was off, but I wasn't as invested in the lives of the characters in this book.

Sorry to have seen one of the characters leave the force though.

3/5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this book.