The Company You Keep by Lauren Street
Bishop Smoky Mountain #9

Thrill ride from beginning to end ~ immersive read that had me hoping against hope that the bad guys would be thwarted before more good guys were killed!

What I liked:
* Rileigh Bishop: retired military, ex-police sergeant, consults with local sheriff on cases, lives with her mother and sister, has feelings for Mitch, bright, capable, caring, lethal, survivor, strategic thinker, intriguing
* Mitchell Webster: sheriff, intelligent, good at his job, intriguing, has scars and history that were shared in book six, has feelings for Rileigh, calm under pressure, capable, caring, still waiting for the “big date” with Rileigh
* Jillian: Rileigh’s older sister, survivor, returned home after decades as a slave, has PTSD, worries about Rileigh, uses painting to deal with her feelings about the past, connects with fugitive Lamar, engaged in counselling sessions, stronger than she knows, dealing with feelings and finding her way
* Lily: Rileigh’s mother, wise, caring, comes through in a crunch, has dementia but lucid moments are worth waiting for
* Gustav Hazleton: pathologist, big game hunter, photographer, big part in this book, would like to know more about him
* Jeremiah Johnson: older, army veteran and POW during Vietnam war, integral part in story, really felt for and with him
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* Being able to hate the bad guys and wish Karma would arrive ten-fold to serve justice
* The conclusion and knowing that there will be another book

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how evil the bad guys were and all of the murder and mayhem they created

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This is hands down one of my favorite series. Every time a new one gets published, I swear I can’t snatch it up fast enough. I don’t even read the synopses anymore. I just know Rileigh and Mitch are in it, so it’s going to be an adventure. This one was a little different in that it involved cartel action, which isn’t usually my cup of tea. But Lauren Street wove that story into the backdrop of the Smoky Mountains with absolute ease. (I also appreciated the hell out of the mention of Mérida, Mexico. I’m there right now, as I write this review. It’s a beautiful place. We don’t actually have any cartel action here though! I’ve lived here for part of the year for the last twelve years and never felt safer!)

The setting of the story reminded me so much of visiting my family in Kentucky, of course without the cartel hitmen and all that! Street’s ability to create characters is absolutely incredible, they’re like people you’ve been friends with your whole life. And her pacing and story structure is spot on. I would imagine she’s a plotter, not a pantser. As far as the story itself? Chef’s kiss. The ending was bittersweet, but it fit with the story. And that thing we’ve been waiting for is finally about to happen! At least it was, until Rileigh gets another package. This is a rough one, so we know the next installment of this series is going to be an absolute doozy! Lucky for me, I already have the ARC, so stay tuned for my review fellow readers!

Huge thanks to Sterling & Stone and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Gripping, Heart-Pounding, and Impossible to Put Down!

I recently discovered Lauren Street and her Bishop Smoky Mountain Thrillers series, and I can’t believe it took me this long to dive in! After racing through the first eight books, I was thrilled to get my hands on The Company You Keep, and it exceeded all my expectations.

Street’s talent for crafting edge-of-your-seat suspense is unmatched. This installment pulled me in from the very first page, with the stakes higher than ever and the tension so palpable I could almost feel the shadows of the Smoky Mountains closing in around me. Rileigh and Mitch are fantastic protagonists—resourceful, loyal, and so human. Their dynamic makes every decision they face feel personal, and I was right there with them, rooting for their survival.

The plot twists in this one are next-level. Every time I thought I had it figured out, Street threw another curveball that left me gasping. The ominous setting of the Smoky Mountains adds so much atmosphere, and the faceless enemy? Absolutely chilling.

Now I’m left counting the days until the next book in the series. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, do yourself a favor and start with book one—you’ll be as hooked as I am. Lauren Street is now a must-read author for me!

Thanks to Ms. Street, the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Love this series.

Riliegh is a bad ass. Former military and now on the police force she will stop at nothing to get the bad guy.

When the Mexican cartel comes to town looking for a FBI agent they think stole from them ,bodies start turning up. It’s up to Mitch and Rileigh to keep the “last one standing” safe and they will stop at nothing to do so.

The series of events that take place will have you guessing and not wanting to put this book down.

Chaos has a way of finding Rileigh and Mitch. This time, it comes when a bloodied FBI agent is found in the forest, begging them for help. The agent claims he’s being hunted by a faceless enemy who’s eliminated his entire team. The FBI can’t help – they’ve been compromised.

Mitch is the only one he can trust.

Rileigh knows they should walk away.

But she can’t. The agent is terrified, desperate, and alone. Rileigh agrees to hide him until she and Mitch can uncover who’s behind the murders. But with every question she asks, danger draws closer. The Smoky Mountains are vast, the shadows are deep, and someone is lurking within them.

Someone out there knows her every move.

And they’re waiting for her to make the wrong one.


Loved it. will recommend to others.

I did not realize that this book was part of a series, and while I feel that it could be read as a standalone, I felt that I was missing out a lot of details. I did enjoy the overall plot and following of the characters, though they make some questionable decisions throughout. I loved the setting of the book and felt that it added a lot to the book and made it unique. Honestly, I was pulled toward this book due to the fact that it said Smoky Mountain on the cover—which is one of my favorite places. I think I will get caught up on the first part of the series now!

I've read this entire series and find myself becoming even more engaged int e characters. They are well developed, if incredibly unlucky, and each are engaging. The setting in the mountains is a perfect Rileigh and Mitch are both characters with significant baggage, yet have aspects of someone who might live next door. The plots of the individual books are well constructed and the overarching plot continues to be revealed. A great suspense series.

I did not realise this book was part of a series when I requested it and although I did enjoy the story I found I felt I had been missing something by not read the other books in the series.

I did like the characters, Rileigh and Mitch, but at times they annoyed me. The story, the plot and the intrigue kept me reading as well so all in all a good read. I just need to find the other books and start from the beginning now! 3 1/2 stars from me. I'm sure I would give more had I read the other books in the series.

Thank you NetGelly and Sterling & Stone for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A stunning setting for this thriller, with the incredible intrigue of a seemingly compromised FBI agent at its centre. I enjoyed the plot of this instalment of the series very much and feel that Rileigh’s skills and approach really show how she has grown as a character. Rileigh and Mitch’s relationship doesn’t seem to progress much and I wonder if it’s time it was taken off the table as a plot line.

Rileigh and Mitch are back and this time a FBI agent is involved. While out hunting Rileigh, Mitch and Gus are approached by a mountain man. He found a man injured but he won’t let him call the authorities or an ambulance. He only wants him to take a message to Mitch. The trio rush to the injured man and its FBI agent Lamar Devereaux and he worked a case with Mitch several months ago. He was put in a safe house and it was compromised now he’s on the run from his own agency. Gus, the coroner, patches him up the best he can and they take him to Rileigh’s house to recuperate and find out what is going on. Lamar has some gaps in his memory so he must remember what happened the night of a big bust. There was a multi agency investigation and now all the agents involved were tortured and killed. Lamar is the only one left. Will they figure it out before Lamar is located?
Great story. Action. Suspense. Several mistakes. This is the ninth book in the series. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed for Netgalley *

I like the setting and the characters in this book, and the plot is very good, as is the pace in the story. The main characters make some very stupid decisions, however, and those are not really believable.

A new case for Rileigh and Mitch. There's plenty of action and twists and turns in this book. A well written story with well developed characters & plot. This one keeps you guessing until the end.
I received an advance review copy via NetGalley/Sterling & Stone and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

The Company You Keep by Lauren Street was a gripping read. It was fast paced, and extremely suspenseful. The character devolopment is very good, and there are twists and secrets to keep the reader flipping pages to see what happens next!

An injured FBI Agent has been found in the forest by a mountain man, and insists that he cannot be taken to hospital. Rileigh hides him at her home she shares with Jillian and Mama, but will that keep him safe from his hunters?

Another gripping book in the series. When the heck will Mitch and Rileigh ever get properly together?
This book has plenty of action and lots of twists and turns, and will definitely please fans of the Rileigh and Mitch series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sterling & Stone for the ARC.

This was a great ninth entry in the Bishop Smoky Mountain Thrillers series, it had that element that I was looking for in this type of book. The characters had that feel that I enjoyed and worked in the world that was going on this. It continued the story perfectly and was glad I got to read this. Lauren Street wrote this perfectly and am excited for more.

In these mountains, animals aren’t the only ones being hunted… Chaos has a way of finding Rileigh and Mitch. This time, it comes when a bloodied FBI agent is found in the forest, begging them for help. The agent claims he’s being hunted by a faceless enemy who’s eliminated his entire team. The FBI can’t help, they’ve been compromised! Great read! This book had great suspense, intriguing, action, murder, mystery, a fantastic who done it and a few wild twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!