Famous rock star, Billy Diamond, has contacted the Locard Institute to help locate his daughter, Devon, after her boyfriend. Carlos’ body is found. The couple when to a retreat of sorts in the southwest where the charismatic leader offers enlightenment and overcoming one’s fears, Ellie goes under cover at the ranch, whilst Racheal stays back doing research. It’s not long before Ellie is cut off for the outside world and dealing with much more than she ever imagined, Lisa Black has such deep characters that are a treasure to read. A very thoughtful and timely mystery. Excellent. Thank you to Kensington Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This mystery/psychological thriller by Lisa Black did not disappoint. It was a quick read because it kept my attention from the beginning to end.
I highly recommend this series.


Thank you net galley and Kensington for this ARC.

Thank you, Kensington Publishing for the copy of Not Who We Expected by Lisa Black. I loved the premise of this book, but somehow the writing didn’t engage me. I didn’t care about Rachael trying to talk to Billy, but I loved the story of Ellie joining a cult to find Billy’s daughter. Of course, she didn’t know it was a cult at first, but it quickly became evident. I had just read another cult book, so Galen’s tactics were easy to see through from the start. That was probably the reason I got tired of reading everything that happened and it was hard for me to fathom why the ‘clients’ would put up with it. This book was still enjoyable, though, but I wish Ellie had used her fighting skills at some point! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and page turning. I didn’t want to put it down. This is a fantastic series. Great characters. The plot is fantastic with a nice twist at the end. I highly recommend this book and series.

Lisa Black is a favorite of mine! She consistently delivers stories that truly engage her readers, and her latest book, *Not Who We Expected*, is no exception. The story revolves around a famous rock star whose daughter, Devon, cuts off all communication with him after joining what looks like a retreat but might actually be a cult. In a twist of fate, he hires Rachel, the sister of a deceased friend, to help him find out what’s going on.

Rachel and her partner Ellie come up with a clever plan for Ellie to go undercover at the retreat to check on Devon. At the same time, Rachel is eager to uncover the connection between the rock star and her late sister, who had a bit of a wild side but was supposed to be starting a honest promotional business with him as a client. As Rachel learns more about her sister’s past, she also faces the challenge of raising her sister's child and wanting to know as much as she can about her sister’s life.

Once Ellie enters the retreat, it quickly becomes clear that things aren’t right. She tries to gather information without letting Devon know that her father sent her, but it’s tough, as Devon seems completely under the spell of the leader. The situation grows increasingly alarming and dangerous; they find themselves in an isolated place with no way to communicate with the outside world. With no phones around, it's clear that this group will follow the leader's orders—no matter how extreme they may become. It’s a gripping story filled with twists and turns!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing this is my honest review.

You were running from everything. Rachael from the Locard Institute has been hired by a famous father to find his daughter. She agrees to send Ellie undercover go find her & bring her home. Ellie is sensing that there is more to the ranch than just a retreat. And getting closer to the daughter seems to be hard to do as they are always kept busy. Ellie knows that she needs to get away soon before she is found out. As the people are being brainwashed by the leader Galen and she fears that she will be made an example of. But will she be able to save herself & the young woman before it is too late. A fast paced storyline. Great characters. Good to see the usual characters back.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

Legendary rock star Billy Diamond hires the Locard Institute to find his daughter who is supposedly at a career enhancement facility in Nevada and has cut off any communication with him. He asks for Ellie Carr, claiming he knew her deceased sister Isis. When Ellie arrives, she quickly learns that the facility is basically a cult and the enigmatic leader Galen is not someone to mess with. Billy is clearly hiding something, but will Ellie figure it out in time to save his daughter?

Not my favorite in the series. The story bogged down in places because of details about cult behaviors, but it was well-researched and I learned a lot about how easy it is to manipulate people.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The latest Locard Institute book takes a different direction then the previous three and I enjoyed the new tack. Ellie Carr heads undercover to convince the wayward daughter of a rock star to return home - definitely not the usual forensic driven case - while Rachael Davies learns more about her estranged sister.

When part of on ongoing series, this could be read out of order. Definitely worth your time!

Great read and good insight into cults/psychological abuse

Forensic expert Ellie is hired by a wealthy, but aging, substance-abusing musician to find his daughter. She and her boyfriend went to a retreat that was supposed to help them with leadership skills and to give them some guidance as they prepared for post-college days. When she stopped contacting her dad, he got concerned.

The author obviously did a lot of research into cults and makes a point at the end to say that the cult could be one abuser. I found this a quick read and very interesting.

Secrets! Lots of secrets!

If you like red herrings and can follow a twisted road meeting multiple characters then sign on in. It’s the best road you’ll take to solve this mystery.

I love a good cult story. For anyone a fan of novels that accurately depict the inner workings of cult organizations, along with relatable (and funny) main characters, and undercover operations, this is worth a read.

I will be transparent and say that I haven’t read other books in this series, but at no point really did I feel like I needed to have read previous books to know what was going on, or to enjoy the story. Ellie is definitely my favorite of the two female leads, and her wit and sass during her undercover operation was entertaining and had me chuckling to myself at numerous points. The dialogue was written well, and the author did an amazing job of making the antagonist approachable enough to make you wonder if “it’s actually a cult” before revealing how unhinged he is in a slow burn, keeps you reading way.

I will say what impressed me the most about Not Who We Expected was the obvious amount of research that went into actually depicting the cult dynamic in an accurate way. I LOVED the quotes from other non fiction novels at the beginning of each section that were written by real survivors of a number of different cults. It really is refreshing to see an author who cares about the content they’re writing when it’s so close to real life.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought the ending was perhaps a bit convoluted, though it still felt like the book came to a close in a natural, realistic way. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants to add a “done in a day”, somewhat predictable, but well thought out story to their TBR.

This book fell a little bit short for me. There is a concerned, rock star father who's daughter went to a retreat, but his communication fell off with her. Enter the Locard Institute. Ellie was sent in to see if Devon is safe, and what she finds is that the young girl is deep in a cult. There is also the underlying story that parallels regarding Rachel's deceased sister's business. Overall, a decent story, but it was often overdetailed in places. This is a book in a series, it does okay as a stand alone, but I do think you would benefit from reading the other book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This talented author has again written a page turner. Red herrings and secrets…rescuing a daughter…this is a fantastic author who just keeps getting better. When I see her name, I know I have to read her next book. I would give this story plus five stars . thanks Netgalley.

This was a crazy read! A cult and undercover infiltration but things go wrong and the cult is dangerous and things are going sideways. This was dark and real life horror. Some parts were brutal and had my heart pounding. And the twist the end! Woooo! Scary and realistic! Fast paced and a nail biting edge of your seat read! Great read

I thought this book was well written but lacked something. I’m not quite sure what it was. I don’t feel we needed the switching back and forth between Rachel and Ellie that much since Ellie was the one immersing herself into the cult. I did enjoy the little twist at the end though!

Well THAT was a wild ride!!!! I thought i had it figured out and nope. There were some great twists in this book! And I strangely enjoy reading about cults. Ellie makes a great undercover agent, where will she be off to next?! I can't wait to find out!

This book was okay! It was described as a cult based thriller but was minor really like that. Not really a thriller but still entertaining. It was pretty slow and all over the place but the ending got back to being a thriller. The ending was a bit rushed and felt messy so that took away from it as a whole.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

Such a good thriller! I couldn't put it down. I loved the cult aspect. Very interesting and engaging!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Aging rocker Billy Diamond has hired the renowned Locard to find his missing daughter and her boyfriend. Apparently they’re in Nevada at a remote commune/wellness retreat type ranch. It’s all very suspicious when the boyfriend is presumed to have left without Devon. Now Devon has cut off all communication with her father. Billy’s never been a traditional father figure and has all the bad habits that define his chosen lifestyle. He specifically asks for Dr. Ellie Carr, former FBI and a crime scene expert. He says he knew her now deceased sister. That will later open a Pandora box of secrets long buried. As Ellie goes undercover at the retreat she’ll delve into what type of place this is. Is it ligit? The leader, Galen, seems to have an agenda, but Ellie’s job is to find Devon. As the plot unwinds it becomes clear everything isn’t on the up and up here in the desert. Ellie is isolated, cell service is nonexistent and circumstances are deteriorating. An elderly benefactor may have answers but her mental health is failing. There were many divergent characters in the plot, kept me guessing about who was trustworthy and who was depraved. The book has great depth and a compelling subject matter. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Possible spoiler: It was a deeply moving portrayal of how easily susceptible people of any age or background can be influenced. It was a well researched plot, the author included lots of facts and I found it entertaining with a bonus of learning how cult leaders strategize and brainwash vulnerable people.
Kensington Publishing provided an Advance Reader Copy (via NetGalley) of “Not Who We Expected” Book 4 of A Locard Institute Thriller, author Lisa Black, publication expected Feb 25, 2025. My honest, personal thoughts and opinions are given voluntarily without compensation.

Firstly, I need to say that anything that Lisa Black writes is always good. I don't know how she does it, but she can get me sucked into a book before the first chapter is even over, and I am always wanting more to the story once the book is finished. This book is no different! Lisa Black is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and one of my 'automatic buy' authors.

Like I said, this book had me hooked and on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing, which for me with ADHD, is very hard to do. I am always putting a book down after a few chapters because I get distracted with other things that I could be doing.

If you are a fan of cult-based books you will like this one. Even better - it's a cult based thriller. Like can it get any better than that? Nope, no it can't. I have always been interested in cults and the thought process behind their leaders and members, so cult based books are right up my ally

There were a few plot twists in this book that came from left field. The writing in the book, like all of her others, is amazing. There were a few parts where it felt like I was right in the middle of the book with the characters. Not many authors can make me feel that way, but Lisa has magic capabilities and is able to do that, especially in this book.

Will be ordering a physical copy of this book to add to my collection. I will recommend this book to all my friends and will be suggesting it as a read in my book club!