When Victoria Marsh goes missing from her family's plush resort, Detective Megan Carpenter wastes no time traveling to Whatcom County to find her. Even though it's out of her jurisdiction, she isn't going to take no for an answer when it comes to joining the investigation, no matter how hard local detective Mike Lucas tries to keep her out of it. After all, Victoria Marsh isn't just another missing person. She's Megan's partner Ronnie's mother.

With a slew of sketchy characters and a family with enough secrets to rival Megan's own, she and Ronnie have a list of suspects and lies to untangle before they can find Ronnie's mother. Stumbling on another case that's eerily similar to their own across the country in Cincinnati, they have to wonder if they have a serial killer on their hands... or if it's more personal? After discovering Victoria wanted a divorce before she disappeared, as well as the existence of an ex-con brother who Ronnie and her sister knew nothing about, there are enough twists and turns in the case to keep the detectives dizzy. But time's running out. When Victoria's severed finger arrives in the mail, followed by her hand, they know her life has an expiration date in the near future if they don't find her.

A propulsive, edge-of-your-seat, ultra gripping mystery, "Cougar Point" by Gregg Olsen grabs you from all directions and doesn't let go. Fast-paced and vividly descriptive, the story is told from three different perspectives: Megan's in the present day, Detective Lucas in 2023 around the time of the Cincinnati case, and Victoria's as she endures abuse and torture from her unknown abductors. At once, it's a high stakes police investigation and creepy thriller that'll make you put your hand over your mouth and gasp through the twists and turns.

"Cougar Point" has all the elements needed to make it can't-put-it-down reading, including a cast of colorful characters who are so suspicious their own mothers would doubt them. There's Victoria's husband Jack who seems uninterested and unaffected by it all, her brother Vinnie whose addictions keep him in need of money (and lots of it), and Vinnie's ex-con buddies who have a long list of crimes, but not one redeeming quality between them. That's not to mention the employees at the resort, as well as Detective Lucas. He might not be a bad guy, but he's determined to hinder Megan's investigation every chance he gets. Megan and Ronnie have their work cut out for them, that's for sure. It's a good thing they're brilliant detectives -- and completely likable characters.

"Cougar Point" is the fifth book in the Detective Megan Carpenter series. Not having read the first four books, I worried I wouldn't be able to sink into this one. I was wrong. There were definitely details I was missing that were found in the other books, but they had to do with Megan and her past, not with the current investigation. Those details didn't hamper my enjoyment of "Cougar Point" -- not in the least. I got hooked on the prologue, and I stayed that way until the end. That's not shocking, though. The author's Gregg Olsen. Trust me when I say that it doesn't matter if he's writing true crime, police procedurals, or thrillers. All of his books that I've read are mind-blowingly good. He's a highly talented writer and a brilliant storyteller. He deserves five stars as much as "Cougar Point".

Cougar Point is book five in the Detective Megan Carpenter series by Gregg Olsen.
I was completely hooked from the first page until the last. It is rammed full of suspense, lies, secrets and tension.
Twists and turns and chilling revelations keep your heart racing. The characters are well developed and the story is fast paced and full of suspense.
An addicting crime thriller with a shocking twist.

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

Cougar Point has so much going on! I mean, soooooo much! And, so many characters! Pretty gruesome too!
It was nice connecting with Detective Megan Carpenter once again. She is certainly one onto herself. She doesn’t act like any other detective I have ran across in my book reading journey.
I liked the dynamics between Megan and her partner, Ronnie. Once they get drawn into the mystery of Ronnie’s mother’s kidnapping, you can see how well they work together and like each other.
Lots of family secrets going on for sure.
Lots of twists and turns for sure.
Lots of dark, gruesome situations for sure.
I did like that the author added information about Megan from the previous books. It had been awhile since I read book 4 and I felt lost at times. I really enjoy the authors writing style.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Megan Carpenter does not fit the usual profile for a Police Detective, she has no qualms in speaking her mind, her thoughts precede what she says and most times they are quite the opposite of what she lets known. Cougar Point is the home of her partner Ronnie whose mother has been kidnapped, father and daughter do not have a close relationship and it seems like the marriage also wasn't doing well. The Police in town also wasn't doing much but it was not clear if it was because of the father's wishes for them to not get involved or if it was because of the Detective in charge. Families have secrets by those held by the Marsh family were at a par with Megan's, and the kidnapp has a lot of similarity with another crime that happened in the area. Megan and Ronnie will tear both cases apart and find the culprits. Be prepared for many twists and turns and lots of action.
I thank Mr. Olsen, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Once again, a nail biting thriller by Gregg Olsen. This was a fast paced read that kept you on the edge of your seat and it describes each character well. I have not read the other books of this series but after reading this, I am going to get them now!

Cougar Point tells the tale of a woman who is kidnapped and held captive for ransom. There are alternating chapters descriptive of her ordeal with chapters about her family— husband (an attorney), two daughters (an attorney and a police officer and the police officer’s friend/partner.) Along the way, there are territorial conflicts of authority between various factions of law enforcement, family conflicts as well as a murder which seemingly occurred 2000 miles away. The story is interesting but what I enjoyed most was the dialogue — not necessarily what was actually said but what was thought and wanted to be said.
I thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Good read

This was a fast, enjoyable read, although there were some gory parts. When a wealthy woman is kidnapped from a Washington resort, detectives Megan Carpenter and her partner, who is also the woman's daughter, try to find her. The characters are interesting and the writing smooth.

I have read others in this series, but I don't really remember which ones and i don't remember the back stories. That wasn't an issue. This can be read as a stand-alone without any problem.

Part of a series featuring Detective Megan Carpenter,best to have read the others. I found it slow to get going,very complicated and twisted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of Cougar Point by Gregg Olsen.

Until I got into this book I found it very confusing, not helped by the fact I haven't read the previous ones in the series and there is a lot of backstory.
I did finish it but I'm not sure I would read the next one before going back and reading the earlier ones to see what I've missed.

First of all, I want to thank Bookouture and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of the 5th book of the Megan Carpenter series, Cougar Point. I have loved this series thus far and this new one did not disappoint! I adore Megan’s character. She is witty, sarcastic, funny, and also a fantastic detective. Megan plays so well against her partner, Detective Ronnie Marsh, who is happy and positive and better with the tech aspect of their work. And per Megan, Ronnie is extremely pretty and attractive to the opposite sex and sometimes “uses” this (she admits it) to get ahead on some of the cases.

In this installment, the reader learns more about Det Ronnie and her wealthy, but annoying family, when Ronnie’s mother goes missing and is thought to be kidnapped. Most of the current plot is told by Det Megan, but the book does switch between other character’s POV and includes the telling of a similar crime in the past. Cougar Point is thrilling and suspenseful, perfect for binge reading to the end!

And once again, I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to read this newest book early and give a thoughtful review!
#Bookouture # NetGalley #CougarPoint #MeganCarpenterSeries

Another great story in the Megan Carpenter series. Olsen delivers another nail-biting page-turner. Get ready to stay up all night!

Detective Megan Carpenter has a murky past that she keeps hidden - her boss, the Sheriff - knows some of it, but he doesn't press. She's outstanding at her job - and she's warming up to her partner, Ronnie, who is distant from her family. They felt she was "lowering herself" to be a police detective. Ronnie receives a phone call from her sister, Rebecca; her mother is missing and perhaps kidnapped. Ronnie calls Megan and immediately they travel to the Marsh family home. Ronnie and Rebecca's Dad, Jack, is acting strange, and Megan & Ronnie get a odd feeling with the detective (Lucas) assigned to the case. Not ones to sit on the sidelines, they get themselves deputized to work the case - much to Lucas' dismay. The duo quickly learn this case has so many twists as they work to find Ronnie's Mom, as well as has parallels to a missing person/kidnapping case Lucas' worked 18 months before. Told in alternating timelines, Mr. Olsen has written such a fabulous tale. And it's interesting that he gives Megan a glimpse of what a family could be like if she had a different upbringing. Thank you to Bookouture for an advanced reader of Cougar Point. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really like this series of books featuring Megan Carpenter. I like the setting of Oregon and the characterisation, although I am a bit confused as to who Olivia is. Megan's friend Ronnie's mother goes missing and they both become involved in the investigation. The plotting is interesting and there is plenty of suspense and twists throughout to interest the reader. it is a bit dark in places but I really enjoyed the read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Detective Megan is at it again sticking her nose into an investigation and annoying local law enforcement but that’s why we love her. This time it’s personal as her partners mother is missing and together they are determined to bring her home alive as the local police seem to not be doing anything. As Megan finally sees what family can mean she starts to question her own upbringing and is still worried that the truth about who she really is could be spilled and she will loose everything. This book is dark and brutal but a great read. Don’t miss it! Roll on book 6 (soon please)

I raced through this pacy thriller in two days and it was a wild ride. I had no idea where the author was taking me, but I knew I wanted to follow…..⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Victoria and her daughter are at the beautiful resort in Cougar Point when Victoria disappears. A note found says you promised. A marriage on the brinks. Could her husband want her killed for the ransoms? A deadbeat brother- always needing money. Could he? Another women is found dead and another ransom note and threats- can they be connected? And then— the startling ending! You won’t want to miss this book!

Gripping series and fabulously written characters.
Some real edge of your seat moments.
Great writing from a talented author.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I like the megan carpenter series and this was the best one yet. Strong clear procedural element, the continuation of her past and family, sling with a great plot.

At first, with several story lines at once, his book was confusing. That being said, the secrets and red herrings kept the story moving. Realistic characters…dysfunctional families…friends…this talented author has written a page turner. Thanks Netgalley.

Welcome back Megan Carpenter, you were missed.

Meg and Ronnie have come to Cougar Point to investigate the disappearance of Ronnie's mum Victoria.

Barriers are put in their way but nothing stops these two at any time never mind when its personal

Victoria is well liked in the community or so they thought.

Can this be purely just a simple ransom case.

Meg and Ronnie soon learn that her mum was hiding secrets and what about her dad.

Meg and Ronnie are a force to be reckoned with and are often underestimated.

Everyone needs a Meg in their life: she cares, she is tenacious, she is very witty and determined.

Gregg Olsen is a master of hooking the reader in with a trail of bread crumbs, red herrings and a path of twists and turns.

Cougar Point is a fast paced, hold your breath read that will have you racing to the end.

Can't wait for Book 6 and hope its not too far down the road.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an another amazing case with Megan Carpenter.