Gregg Olsen is my go to for a thrilling suspense read. Nicole Foster is a fantastic police detective but has her own slew of problems. I was guessing to the end and the plot twists keep you guessing

This book was given to me by the publisher and NetGalley for a fair review.

The story is about a female detective's fall from grace as her partner takes all the credit for their successful arrests. What makes matters worse is she's sleeping with him, hence being in love and overlooking ones flaws. Fired, she takes a downward spiral and winds up homeless.

As the story unfolds, we learn about her dysfunctional upbringing which helps the reader understand more about the character and why she acts the way she does.

If I had one complaint about this well-written, well-developed character arc, it would be the ending that stops so abruptly. That said though, I would recommend this book and I will try a second by this author.

Nicole may have lost her job but she hasn't lost her determination to find answers. This is a twisty and well done novel with a good protagonist. A page turner.

This was a very interesting mystery. I loved the flawed character of Nicole and rooted for her throughout the story. The writing was very good and had me captivated throughout the pages.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Sound of Rain by Gregg Olsen.

Nicole Foster is a disgraced cop who kicked off of the force after being set up by her partner/lover. Tormented by the case that was undermined, she can't get the three year old victim out of her mind, and yearns to know what happened to her. But her own demons get in the way, and she turns to gambling to ease her guilty conscience. Unfortunately, her addiction at the slots creates a new set of problems, and soon she finds herself turning towards the very shelters that she used to donate to.

But Nicole won't be deterred and keeps seeking the truth. Constantly tossed between doubt and surety, she has no clue who to trust, or who is just a really good actor.

Ok, here is my issue, especially since I just read another book similar to this (The New Husband by D.J. Palmer.) I am tired of these trained female protagonists being such completely oblivious dummies when it comes to trusting their instincts. Nicole was SO over eager to take everything at face value, that even as a completely unknowing reader, I was face palming. I didn't like the chip on her shoulder that kept her from seeing any reason and the whole premise was over the top all the way to the end.

However, if you aren't looking for likable characters, or a believable plot, this will keep you very entertained on the beach or during a road trip.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

Oh now this crime thriller has some serious twists and turns I didn't expect! I thought it was just another well-written (well I was hoping) series starring a woman detective solving murders and such. And while it is that...it is a very different take on that kind of story and character.

Nicole Foster is a Detective in Washington. We meet her at rock bottom. She's unemployed, broke, and homeless. How she got to this place is the subject matter of the story. Who helped her get to this place - besides her own poor choices that is - is part of this story too. About a year ago Nicole and her partner, Danny, were put on a missing child case. It was fishy and Nicole had some hesitations about the people involved and the people not involved. Her partner bulldozed ahead and found someone to pin the crime on almost immediately. That didn't seem quite right either but he bulldozed Nicole and didn't look back to see the rubble he had caused. As a result both Danny and Nicole are relieved of their duties and badges but she can't let this case go. It's been closed but she's on a personal mission to solve it. As she winds closer to the truth, with some missteps along the way, Nicole doesn't understand that she's about to be in danger herself.

*Applause* Good job Olsen. Really good job. I did not see so much of this story coming - or the characters for that matter. He makes our Detective human with many flaws, not some superhero type who can do no wrong. I love his fleshing out and portrayal of Nicole Foster and I'm looking forward to more of her in subsequent titles. He did such a good job with characters that I had visceral reactions to many of them. At one point I found myself stomping around the house muttering about dirty cops and poor police work etc. Then I had to remind myself I was reading a fictional story, not an article based on something that had happened. (Although, based off the events of the past few years between police and suspects I'm guessing Olsen didn't have to stretch to far to draw his dirty cop characters. Just sayin'.) The plot felt like it was going one direction and then did a switchback of sorts and turned it all around. I got the the conclusion and was like, "Whoa. Did I miss a whole bunch of foreshadowing or did he just disguise it all so well?" I think Olsen did a masterful job of disguising the truth really well. Can't wait to read book 2!

What a ride! A tight psychological drama/thriller, with lots of twists. Mr. Olsen is set to become a frequent fixture in the bestseller list with books like this. The story of a dismissed detective fixated on the case that cost her her career and which finalized her personal downward spiral will keep you guessing and keep you reading. I didn't feel the title matched the book, but that is immaterial to the content between the covers.

A must read! Fast paced & intense. You will want to read this in one sitting.
I look forward to reading more from Gregg Olsen!

A must read from this author. Great book, intense and interesting plot. Olsen is a favorite author to read

How i love a book with so many twists and turns, keeping one guessing. I have read one other book by Gregg Olsen (A Wicked Snow), which was also a good read, but 'The Sound of Rain' is my favourite out of the two. A very well written book and am looking forward to reading more by this author in due course.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy, which i have finally got around to reading. This is my honest review.

This is not your typical detective “down on their luck” tale. This character is a mess and those around her are not as they appear. This one kept me guessing....not with ridiculous red herrings....with clever, intricate plot twists. I want more of this author!

Dark and exciting tale! Please allow yourself Time to read this book, because once we start he will be in capable of putting it down. Well done and well written!

I did not rad this book. Not sure why it showed up as a requested book. So I am typing 59 words to get this off my page. I am sure it was a great book. I love the cover. Happy 🐣

Great book. Had many twist and turns in the story. There were a few slower parts but it was a great read.

it still amazes me how so many authors can write such fresh books.
a very cleverly written story.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Former homicide detective Nicole Foster has hit rock bottom. Driven off the force by her treacherous partner and lover, she’s flat broke and struggling with a gambling addiction. All Nicole has left is the dream of a warm bed at a homeless shelter and the haunting memories of three-year-old Kelsey Chase—whose murder case ended her career.
As Nicole obsesses over the old facts, she realizes everything about that case felt off: a disinterested mom, a suicidal pedophile, and too many questions left unanswered. When the little girl’s grieving father begs Nicole for help, she’s drawn back into the investigation…and given one shot at redemption.
But the deeper Nicole digs, the more evil she uncovers, including betrayals that hit painfully close to home. Will a shocking discovery be the key to finally getting justice for Kelsey and resurrecting her own life?

*3.5 stars*

This book can definitely be split into two stories - the mystery of what happened to little Kelsey, which was quite fascinating - and the many lives of Nicole and her circle of family, friends and associates...

The sad result of this is that I think the story of Nicole overpowered the mystery that we came her for. That may be good for some readers, but it isn't what I chose the book for.

On the upside, the investigation of what happened to Kelsey was worth of 3 stars on its own. Lots of sub-plots, shady characters and dead suspects which really added tension to the story and was nearly good enough to outweigh the "drag" of the other storyline.

Don't let my review deter you from reading this book - if you are looking for a great mystery with a varied cast of characters, then this could be the book for you!


Paul

This book was so difficult to put down. It captured my attention from the very beginning. The fact that a woman would leave her small little girl in the car, while shopping in Target with her small son was something that Bellevue Police Officer Nicole Foster was having a hard time with. Angela Chase was more concerned with how upset her husband would be if dinner was late than where her little girl was. There was something that just didn't feel right about the whole situation. Her partner, Danny, immediately started targeting known sex offenders in the area. He decided to set his sights on Alan Dawson, who was put in jail for having sex with his girlfriend, who was underage, as was he. After he got out of prison, Alan marred his girlfriend. But he had to be registered as a sex offender, which made him target any time anything went wrong in the area he lived in. Danny was relentless in insuring that Alan Dawson pleaded to the crime of the missing little girl, Kelsey Chase. Things went terribly wrong, and Police Officer Nicole Foster, called her partner out for it. However, the Department used her gambling addiction and other things against her and made Nicole the scapegoat. With no job, losing her house, all her money, everything because of her gambling addiction, Nicole was forced to live on the street and in shelters. This didn't dampen her spirit though; she was determined to find out who was responsible for Kelsey Chase's disappearance! The plot was complex and constantly changed throughout the book. Just when the reader thinks they have it figured out, there is another twist. Loved it!! The characters were revealed to the reader in a very emotional, vivid, and real way. I really loved the way this book progressed in the storyline. It definitely kept the reader engaged. The ending was not what I had hoped for. The ending was disappointing to me. I had expected a much more explosive ending. That is the reason why I was not able to give this book a 5 star rating. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Once a homicide detective and now a homeless gambler, Nicole Forester is lured back into the case that destroyed her career.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this book.  The book was an interesting read, and I couldn’t wait to finish it. Just had to see if the many many plot twists had
a great ending. Recommended.

I liked the concept, but it's hard to swallow that a detective could not have a single redeeming person in her life. To her credit she doesn't buy into the "solving" of the child kidnapping case, and continues to get resolution. Her sister and despicable ex are nasty individuals determined to keep her miserable. A bit depressing but good read.