Oh, the tension! I was practically clenching my jaws and holding my breath from start to finish. This slow burn psychological thriller is enticing and captured me, utterly and completely, from the first page to the last. I hungrily read the novel in one sitting, ignoring everyone and everything else.

Val’s gut instinct is spot on.
When a woman is murdered in her kitchen Val is hired as a consultant on the case. Can she crack it before the public’s patience is over?
I read enthusiastically as Val worked the case with Brady and her two newfound friends.
Brady seems to blow hot and then cold, I’m not sure if any true relationship will develop between them.
Val seems to be consistent and watch out for the Bear.
I think his voice is all owed to penetrate the narrative and I’m eager to find out what on store!

The second installment in the Val Cosa series picks up right where the first book left off. After retiring from the FBI to care for her mother, Val takes on a consulting role with the Sheriff’s Department and helps investigate the stabbing death of a beloved local teacher. She reunites with Brady, her friend and possible love interest, for another suspenseful and gripping adventure. Val remains on edge, still haunted by the looming threat of the serial killer known as The Bear, which adds to her portrayal as a strong yet occasionally vulnerable character.

The character development, particularly her friendship with two other formidable women in related fields: the Sheriff's Department researcher and the local coroner, adds depth to the story, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the fantastic series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and author H.K. Christie for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Val Costa has left the FBI to take care of her mother. When she is asked to help with a murder in Red Rose County. The murder leads her somewhere no one ever expected. Thrilling crime drama with awesome characters.

This book picks up where Gone By Dawn ends. Valid mother is getting better so Val again teams up with Brady to work a case. This time there's been a murder. A beloved teacher has been stabbed to death. Val and Brady will peel away many layers to find out who done it. You don't want to miss the end.

Don't Make a Sound is book two in the Val Costa series by H.K. Christie.
FBI Agent Val Costa really kept my attention throughout this story.
This book is wonderfully written; a gripping storyline with strong characters.
The characters are well described and portrayed.
I could feel every single emotion just seep off the page.
H.K. Christie built up the twists and turns, pulse pounding, and page turning excitement... and it delivered!
It’s certainly a suspenseful page-turner that’s worth tomorrow’s inevitable yawns...

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

i hadnt realised it was book 2 in the series but i still enjoyed it

Agent Val Costa has retired from the fbi so that she can look after her mom who has had a stroke and is fighting to get back to how she was before. as a fomer fbi agent she has helped the police force in that county with any crimes that need her specialised knowledge

so when Claire Nelson is found murdered val is called in.... claire is a very popular teacher, she is also an active church goer and helps the homeless... so why would anyone want to murder her...

but its not long before val has a whiff of a scent only its proving to be very unpopular with everyone....

its not a bad read and i can see myself getting hooked into this series all the characters are likeable well apart from the baddies so will be keeping an eye out for more from this author they have an easy style of writing that pulls you in and keeps you glued to the pages, a win win for me

This book is totally out of the ball park and took me on quite a wild ride! Val is still looking for the Bear but she has more important things going on namely caring for her mother. When a local teacher is murdered Val joins the case and what she discovers is a monster staring her in the face. I had suspected the culprit but I had no idea how involved the case really is, it is scarily realistic. I enjoyed the budding romance going on with Val and Brady and her new friendships. I am still waiting to find out who the Bear is and once again I am left with questions which has made me excited to read the third book in the series.

The second book in the Val Costa series was even better than the first. A fantastic gripping thriller from beginning to the unexpected ending. Looking forward to many more books from this exciting writer.

Val has left the FBI to remain with her mother who needs special care after her heart problems. She continues to have bad dreams with the Bear who is still roaming free and she is afraid that the notes she has been receiving are from him. In spite of all this, she is asked to work with the local police to solve the murder a beloved school teacher found murdered in her home. The more Val and Jack dig to find the culprit the worse the story becomes as the complexities and crimes involved are huge. Don´t Make a Sound has a great plot, it's easy to read, and will grab your attention from the beginning.
I thank Ms. Christie, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Having read the first book in this series I was eagerly looking forward to book 2

Boy I was not disappointed what a read. I couldn't put it down.

Thanks for the opportunity to review

Don’t Make a Sound is the second book in the Val Costa series. I went in knowing this and have not read the first. This story references the first book several times throughout, so much so that I now want to read it. However, this could easily be read as a standalone. This is a slower paced suspense and at times I felt I was reading a cozy mystery, which felt like a good balance to the overall storyline. I enjoyed the authors writing style and I read it as if I was right alongside Val as she worked the case. The subplot storylines weaved in perfectly. The main characters were relatable and likeable. I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick psychological suspense read.

This series will have you gripped, serving up a mystery/case to be solved in each book with a continuing storyline that flows through in the search for a serial killer known as the Bear.

I requested the ARC of this book not realizing book 1 was also available to review so read book 2 first and since they both release on the same day, make sure you read this series in order as book one 1 sets the scene and there is the continued story that will flow through this series.

The Bear still has not been caught and it appears his MO has changed, a fixation on FBI Agent Val Costa.

After retiring from the FBI to look after her mother, she provides her assistance again to the local Sheriff's office after a local woman is found murdered in her home. A much-loved member of the community, the team are struggling to find a motive behind this brutal murder. As they dig deeper into the family, the community will be left reeling as the grizzly details that led to the attack come to light.

Looking forward to book 3 in this series.

Our eyes lock, and I know my life is about to end. The desperation and determination in their face sends a shiver down my spine. But it’s not until I see the glint of the blade, that I realize how quickly it will all be over…

When beloved local teacher and devoted mother, Claire Nelson, is discovered murdered in her kitchen, stab wounds covering her delicate pale skin, FBI Special Agent Val Costa is drawn out of retirement. Claire’s two children are devastated, and Val won’t rest until they have the justice they deserve.

Battling nightmares about the serial killer she escaped just weeks ago, Val has her work cut out for her. A church regular, Claire was adored by her neighbours and spent her spare time helping the homeless. Who would want to hurt this beautiful soul? The killer took Claire’s car and wallet, and left traces of blood at the scene, but Val’s instincts tell her the attack wasn’t random.

Interviewing Claire’s students and the people she helped at the shelter, Val thinks she’s hit another wall. Until DNA results from the blood at the crime scene turn the entire case on its head; Val’s assailant was a woman. Who is she, and why would she do this?

With more questions than answers, Val battles one of the toughest cases of her career. But when the trail leads her to a monster hiding right in front of her all along, will she catch them before another precious life is taken?

Great fellow up to the frist book , and I'm definitely glad that I've read this series in order . This book shows how much more the characters has grown, and just Like the first one, this one was hard to put down, which each turn of the page I wanted more wither it was from the Unknown serial killer to the Interaction of the main character's themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of Don't Make A Sound by H K Christie.

Former FBI agent Val Costa has given up her career to nurse her mum back to health after she suffered a stroke, but with her now on the mend and surrounded by her best friends, Val is encouraged to put her skills to use working for the local police department to solve a murder that has shocked the small community.
This is a can't put it down book, so don't make any plans once you start reading it.
I'm already looking forward to the next book.

You absolutely MUST read this series, Val Costa, from H.K. Christie! What a page turner! I wasn't sure she could top book #1, but this book #2 was even BETTER 👌👏🤩
Calling this an "addictive crime thriller" is an understatement - you better put aside some time to binge this one.
As a huge murder/crime/thriller fanatic I have to say this author may have to be one that joins my upper tier of writers. The writing is smooth as butter and the story flows wonderfully with many surprises and great suspense.
So far this series is not only gripping but addictive and suspenseful, stringing the reader through fantastic character development, mystery, and wonder.
By continuing to leave us readers hanging on a thread of suspense with regard to the mysterious serial killer who we vaguely learn more and more about, starting with the 1st book as an aside to each book's story, the author leaves you hooked on needing to know more.
I truly can't wait for more of this series! And that says a lot from me.
Brilliant 👏
This book seemed much grittier and suspenseful than the first, and I live for that style - I often read even more intense, descriptive murder thrillers, but I was pleasantly pleased by the engagement and detail here.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'s!
Make sure you grab a copy of this page turner (along with book #1) to round out your thrilling summer reading list.
Thank you for the opportunity to read the Advanced Copy #netgalley and #bookoutour!

AMMMMAZING! Once again H.K. Christie does it in this book! This was so well written, so perfectly described, Sooo many twist and turns that I did not see coming! I can not WAIT for Book #3!!!

Book 1 was good. Book 2 was fantastic. I’m really enjoying Val, plus all the surrounding characters as well as the continuing thread that is through this series. I am looking forward to book 3.

Val is relaxing and enjoying spending time with her mother, while her mother recuperates from a stroke. She gets a call from the local police asking her to be a consultant for them. A local teacher has been brutally murdered in her home and they could use her help. Thus begins another strong mystery, full of great characters and suspense. Piece together the clues as Val and her team interrogate everybody that knew her and investigate all avenues to find the killer. Was it the husband, one of her kids, one of the kids from school, or a random stranger. There is more to her death than first thought. Another fantastic story from the creative mind of H K Christie.