Beautiful Maids All in a Row by new to me author Jennifer Harlow introduces the reader to Iris Ballard, a former FBI profiler who now lives in self-isolation after her husband was murdered by a serial killer she helped arrest and who nearly killed her as well. The reader is also introduced to Iris’s former partner, Luke Hudson, who has contacted Iris to ask her for her assistance with another serial killer, The Woodsman.

This story moves at a pretty brisk pace while still allowing the reader to keep up with the details. I really liked Iris and felt equal parts empathy and admiration for this character and everything she has gone through. Her humanity is displayed very clearly for the reader to get an excellent idea of the anguish Iris has endured and the fallout she still lives with. Honestly, it was quite inspiring that she could get out of bed and form coherent sentences after witnessing her husband’s murder and her near death from the encounter. Iris is certainly not a fragile flower. She has a lot of thorns and isn’t afraid to speak her mind regardless of protocol or politics.

Luke is her mirror opposite. He is a by the book FBI agent. He and Iris have a lot of unresolved issues and she doesn’t react well when he shows up in her life again. I really enjoyed the chemistry he and Iris share and hope this continues into the next books.

This story is tightly woven with a lot of suspense and anticipation. Iris is very talented at her ability to profile her suspect. The villain in this story adds another dimension to the story as well. I found it very interesting that Iris shows no fear in her encounters with him which makes the reader wonder if Iris is deliberately provoking him because she, herself, has a death wish. This behavior by Iris heightens the tension sending the reader to the edge of their seat. At any rate, reckless or not, Iris’s behavior comes across as realistic and believable for the situations she is in.

My Final Verdict: This is the first book in a series and as of the writing of this review, there are only two books published, the last one in November 2017. I am unable to determine if this series will continue beyond the second book but I hope so. This story does a very good job of exploring what living with trauma looks like and how one woman can fight her demons and get past it to stop a maniacal killer. Readers who like their stories tense, where good wins over evil are in for a treat with this story.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Beautiful Maids All in a Row from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is exactly the type of "whodunit" and police procedural I enjoy reading. With compelling plots, motives are explored, as the suspense builds. Disappointing when the book is finished, I want more!

Jennifer Harlow is an author that I found on NetGalley. There is a twist in every novel and it's always shocking. I can't wait to read every single one of her books.

All the Pretty Maids in a Row by Jennifer Harlow

9780425285855

294 Pages
Publisher: Alibi
Release Date: October 11, 2016

Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thriller, Suspense

Dr. Iris Ballard was a profiler for the F.B.I. but a vicious attack took that away from her along with her husband’s life. Now teaching at a university, her brisk manner has ruffled some feathers. Luke Hudson, her former partner asks her to consult on a case called “The Woodsman.”

The story flows at a steady pace and the characters are well developed. As the story progresses, we learn more about them. It is written in first person point of view from both Iris and the killer. If you like books with strong women characters like those by Marcia Clark, Alan McDermott, James Patterson, or Karin Slaughter you will definitely like this one.

Obviously seeing one's husband murdered in cold blood is an event that can lead to a massive dose of post-traumatic stress. This leads former detective and profiler Iris Ballard to a series of irrational and partially destructive behavior, until one of her former colleagues calls on her to help him identify a dangerous serial killer. Obviously she identifies him in no time, then starts a skirmish of intelligence games between Iris and the sociopath, who obviously considers himself superior, etcetera, etcetera. The etcetera is due to the fact that everything is a bit too much in this novel: the size of Iris' guilt feelings, the hotness of her former colleague, the perversion of the psychopath. At the end of the reading, more than pleasantly amused and excited, you feel tired...

Dr. Iris Ballard is a forensic psychologist in this psychological thriller, page turner. Matching wits with a frighteningly talented sociopath. The FBI and her former agent and one time lover asks for her help constructing a psychological profile of an elusive serial killer who murders single mothers and dumps their bodies in the woods, Iris turns him away. Until she starts reading the case files....
The media has dubbed him the "Woodsman" .....The game is on. Iris thinks she has a read on her target, enough to push his buttons, to make him lose control. But when the Woodsman gains the upper hand, Iris faces the most painful reckoning of all—with her own violent past.
Thank you #netgalley for the preview

Pretty standard and formulaic. The gruesome level on the books is pretty high, if you like that sort of thing. I didn't find anything particularly unique or intersting about the book. It just sort of...was.

Just when I thought I'd figured out the twist, boom...shocked at the surprise! Harlow takes readers on a terrifying journey through the darkest mind I've read in a long time. An excellent selection for book clubs.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC of Beautiful Maids All in a Row.

Dr. Iris Ballard, once on top of her game in the FBI, is now a fallen from grace professor with a drinking problem. But an unexpected challenge comes her way when her ex FBI partner reappears in her life, in need of her expertise for a high profile case. Women of a similar look and age keep disappearing and found brutally slaughtered. It doesn't take long for Dr. Ballard to dive right in, ruffling feathers along the way.

It's a strange phenomenon to enjoy a story, even when it's full of huge gaping holes and a ridiculously unbelievable plot. I was very entertained, but also rolled my eyes back so far in my head that they got lost for a second. So, three stars is the best I can do.

It took a couple of chapters to get into this book but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.

Iris Ballard is a retired FBI profiler who specialized in serial killers. With that title comes the pain of having watched her husband being killed by one. She had also been hurt by the same killer and spent time in the hospital. Once out, she couldn’t return to the FBI as she felt she had failed.

She started teaching at Grafton College but that wasn’t the job for her. Between panic attacks and complaints from students, she was told she couldn’t teach the summer semester. She was lost and didn’t know what to do with herself. Her former partner, Luke Hudson, comes to her with an offer to return for one job. She accepts the job which is about girls being killed and their hearts cut out.

Between Luke and Iris, they track down the killer. That is easier said than done and they have the hunt of their life on their hands. To find out how this all ends, grab a copy of the book.

I greatly enjoy psychological thrillers and this book was no exception to that rule. It had a whip-smart, but tragic heroine, a detailed mystery, and an old flame to round out the story. I liked every element of the story and would definitely recommend this to my friends. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Harlow in the future.

Beautiful Maids All in a Row by Jennifer Harlow is a 2016 Alibi publication.

Gritty and Intense-

Iris Ballard is a shell of the woman she once was. She’s left the FBI after watching her husband get murdered right in front of her and after sustaining serious injuries of her own.

Yet, when a string of murders indicates a new serial killer, already being dubbed ‘The Woodsman’ is on the loose, Iris’s old partner and best friend, Luke, tries to lure her out of her alcoholic haze to help catch the killer. This is an opportunity for Iris to finally get back to work and perhaps saving someone’s life by catching this monster, will soothe some of her guilt.

But, it's not easy climbing back into the saddle. Iris suffers from severe panic attacks and debilitating nightmares. However, she manages to rise to the occasion, hoping to prevent more deaths, but also hoping for a little redemption.

Although she must face and fight off her personal demons, her profiling skills aren't rusty in the least.

Regardless, when she is certain she’s found the right guy, she has a hard time selling everyone else on the idea. In the meantime, more lives could be lost, maybe even Iris’s.

This is my kind of thriller! Dark, atmospheric, with well drawn characters, and high octane suspense. I read this book in one sitting, it was that riveting. I really liked Iris and Luke and think they make a very good team, both professionally and personally. I hope they will return for more action, in the near future.

This series is off to a fantastic start! I can’t wait to read the next installment!

4 stars

This dark and twisted thriller was beautifully written, and completely fantastic! It had wonderful characters, a mesmerizing storyline, and plenty of twists. This author is a master storyteller! I loved Iris Ballard, and cannot wait for more!

Absolutely amazing physiological thriller .... I couldn't put this book down. Kept me reading till the wee hours , the suspense kept engrossed til the very end . Kudos to the author , well done

Fabulous, I read this book in a short amount of time as I couldn't put it down. Great characters with a thrilling plot I would highly recommend it to others. Cannot wait for more.

Dr. Iris Ballard is a former FBI profiler but since a serial killer tracked her down, killed her husband and nearly killed her. She has been a mess. She killed the man but nothing can stop the guilt she feels for not protecting her husband. Now she is an alcoholic, a pill popper and a smoker. But then her former partner comes to her door for help. There is another serial killer called the Woodsman and they need her expertise to catch him. But can she do it? Does she have the strength to go back to what she was good at before or is it over for her? Iris Ballard makes a choice that will show how strong she really is.
Jennifer Harlow"s book is a great thriller and the character of Iris Ballard is one I am looking forward to reading in future books.

I've gotta say out of all the books Jennifer Harlow has written, this one is definitely one of her best (I feel like I say this about every new book she writes lol). She writes the best heroines. So it's no surprise that I absolutely loved Iris Ballard. She definitely was flawed and a total wreck when the book started, which made her more realistic to me, so I loved how once she got back to work with the FBI when Luke Hudson, her former partner asked her for help with the Woodsman killer case. Her inner thoughts and humor were actually right up my alley. She made me laugh a couple of times out loud with the things she was thinking about and said. And also, she doesn't take shit from anyone. Gotta love that!

The cat and mouse game between Iris and the killer was really suspenseful, even when she knew who he was. The way the author wrote this guy was raising the hair on my arms. I never knew what was going to happen from what moment to the other so the unexpectedness of it all made this story even better.

I also really liked the relationship between Iris and Luke. They have quite a lot of history and chemistry between them, which made the dialogue between them always fierce. I'm definitely rooting for them. The ending was sort of abrubt and explosive so I can't wait for the next book in this series to find out where things are going next for Iris.

Overall, I don't read a lot of thrillers but when I do I like them to be just like Beautiful Maids All in a Row. It was well written with a protagonist who is sharp tongued but also flawed who went up against a arrogant yet intelligent sociopath where I wasn't sure what he wasn't going to do next. It was suspenseful right until the very end and I loved it all. I can't wait for the next book!

Former FBI serial killer profiler Dr. Iris Ballard is teaching at a small college when she's told to take some time off but when her former partner arrives to consult on a case she's hesitant. Four young white single mothers were kidnapped in plain sight with no witnesses then subsequently drugged, raped , tortured and strangled then dumped in water. She's been living on cigarettes, vodka, candy and popping pain medication after killing a suspect while dealing with her husband's death. She's also dealing with guilt over having a one time affair with her ex partner while she was married reluctantly she decides to help him. While reviewing the files she concludes the killer the media has dubbed "the Woodsman" kills the women because they're professional single mothers and he holds anger towards his mother. Can she overcome her vices and catch this killer before he gets her ? This was my first book by this author and I was impressed how well done the police procedural scenes were written and I found myself engaged throughout.

An edge of your seat and white knuckle thriller. You just know what is going to happen as does the heroine. Just not sure she will survive.

“Beautiful Maids All in a Row” eBook was published 2016 and was written by Jennifer Harlow (http://www.jenniferharlowbooks.com). Ms. Harlow has published more than a dozen novels. This is the first in her “Iris Ballard” Thrillers.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language and Mature situations. The story is set in the greater New York area of the US. The primary character is former FBI profiler Dr. Iris Ballard.

Ballard has been out of the FBI for a while. She had a very successful career until one of the serial killers she had helped track down attacked her, stabbing her in the stomach. He used her husband’s arrival to force her out of a locked bathroom. The killer murdered her husband, but before he could turn his gun on her, she overpowered and the killed him.
With the attack and death of her husband hanging over her, she resigned from the FBI and is teaching at a small college. She is barely making it though each day, relying heavily on alcohol and drugs.

Out of the blue her old FBI partner, and the one man she ever cheated on her husband with, shows up to ask for her help with the stalled investigation of a new serial killer. She doesn’t want to do it as it brings up too many old memories, but she has had a falling out with her department head at the university. She will need the money and is promised that her participation will be low key.

It takes her a few days to get back into the routine, but soon she is turning up new leads. They are still without suspects, when she convinces herself that the murderer they are after is a successful, high profile well respected man. It soon becomes a battle of wills between Ballard and the suspect. Still with little evidence, it becomes a question of if he will escape justice.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 305 page Mystery Thriller. The Ballard character is a little rough around the edges, but she is a great profiler. I enjoyed reading about her. I thought that the plot was both fast paced and engaging. The cover art is a little odd, but a reasonable choice. This is a series I will look forward to reading more of. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

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