In the Belly of Jonah

In the Belly of Jonah isn't your cozy, funny mystery in which some clueless amateur stumbles across a bloodless corpse and solves a murder while baking cookies or shopping for stilettos. Well, actually, the protagonist, Liv Bergen, is a modern-day miner, not an investigator, so she is an amateur. And some of the corpses are pretty bloodless, but that doesn't mean they aren't grisly.
If you like mysteries and don’t mind knowing the villain, then this book is for you!

Liv Bergen Mystery Series
Book 1 - In the Belly of Jonah
Book 2 - Lot's Return to Sodom
Book 3 - Widow's Might
Book 4 - Noah's Rainy Day
Book 5 – Solomon's Whisper
Book 6 - Jacob's Descent
Book 7 - Jeremiah's Revenge
by Sandra Brannan

The Liv Bergen Series by Sandra Brannan will split audiences, either loving or extremely disliking the books.
On the positive the books are faced paced, with a modern female lead. The gripping story line twists and turns like a snake on a mission.

On the negative, after the first, the books fall into a pattern, with the spice losing its flavour quickly. The second and third books are a much harder read.

The first book in the series “In the Belly of Jonah”, introduces the characters Liv Bergen, amateur sleuth, and her love interest, FBI Agent Streeter Pierce.

They investigate the gruesome murder of her summer intern Jill Brannigan. More murders are quick to follow, by a madman with an appetite for human art.

#InTheBellyOfJonah

#NetGalley
www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

This is the first book I have read by Sandra Brannon. I found it interesting from the first with the victim's point of view. I was there and it was terrifying. Great mystery and character development. Liv, the heroine of the story is smart and organized. Running a mine keeps her busy but not so busy She can't help with locating a young girl who is an employee. I liked this book. The writing is amazing and a story that will haunt you A serial killer with means to hide who they are and how they kill. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

I read another book in this series by this author and when I saw them on NetGalley the entire series I knew I had to ask to review them. I was so glad I did now I get to see exactly how Liv Bergen became to be such a good case solver.

In this story, Liv gets face to face with a killer who has been able to fool the FBI since they can not figure out how he is able to carve his victims. Somehow Liv is just able to put the pieces together yet it will be too late for someone that she knows. When Liv starts to help solve the case just by being nosey what she uncovers is something more. She will have to fight for her life if she wants to be able to live. Her friend is right by the end of this book Liv should totally become an FBI agent she is quick to think on her feet and will find herself in certain situations. I enjoyed how the author did the murder's they weren't your normal kind of murders they were done with a weird elegance that only the killer could capture.

I really like how strong of a character Liv was. She took care of herself and owned her own business and was not afraid to get down and dirty. You don't find many characters like Liv and so for the author to write Liv the way she did was nice. I plan on finishing up this series and get ready for book 7 which comes out in June!!!

Reading this book gave me chills and thrills so much so that I felt like I was either watching Dexter or Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
This is the first book in the Liv Bergen series and the author succeeds in capturing the readers attention with such vivid and gruesome descriptions of crime scenes that if you're a fan of psychological thrillers and crime novels, then this would be your icing on the cake!

Sandra Brannan
(A Liv Bergen Mystery, #1)

An extraordinary commencement to what promises to be an extraordinary series, IN THE BELLY OF JONAH is, without exaggeration, unforgettable. Those opening scenes!... Not just those, the entire novel. The empowered female series protagonist, the FBI Special Agents, the victims, the secondary characters--and the Villain. Oh my. Ted Bundy, step aside. This is a novel in which a number of characters are brilliant intellects: Liv Bergen, the protagonist; a few of the FBI agents, and the Villain. So, as with the real-life killers Leopold and Loeb of 1920's Chicago, there's a constant "battle of the minds" which raises the story level (and the stakes). Then, too, a strong cultural framework contains the story's tapestry (Art), balanced by the bizarre psychology and methods of the Villain.

Thankfully I own the first six books in the series and am making this a marathon read.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy to read and review.

My first by this author and I loved it. Amazing and gruesome story. Liv and let live.....Liv Bergen is a miner, but she loves puzzles and loves to solve them. After an employee of hers is killed by an artistic serial killer she is pulled into a complex case by an old college friend who is now FBI. I was completely engrossed and this mystery just sucks you in. Liv allows the FBI to use her house as headquarters only to have the killer strike again in her own home. As the case grows more and more personal, Liv is more determined that this victim will be the serials last. I absolutely loved this thriller, and I'm all set to start the second in the series. Five stars of entertainment!

What a thriller! I have had this book on my shelf with the sequel for a few weeks and I was just able to work it into the schedule. A woman in the mining industry who is holding her own amongst the men ends up in the middle of not one but two murder investigations that are clearly linked, but how?

With each thriller/suspense that I read I love the genre even more. This one definitely held up to those big name suspense authors. A little on the gory side, but packed full of who dun its. I found myself in the middle of the book waffling between two characters and I just couldn't put my finger on the real culprit. I loved this. Nothing irks me more than the person who is the killer only popping up in the end of the book with no way to guess of his involvement.

Brannan effortlessly weaves the killer in and out of the reader's thoughts, while giving hints but no definite clues. A must read for those who love a good suspense but watch out because the reader has a bird's eye view when the murders occur.

Rated 3.5 stars.

Good mystery. The main character's job is really interesting. Don't think I ever read a book about a miner. I like that Liv is a strong character. What bothered me is that although this is fiction, it's meant to portray a crime and its investigation in a "real" way. Actual FBI agents would never discuss the case with a regular person. And I highly doubt they would run that investigation from a person's home, rather than set up an office or hotel room as a base. So although the crime and the bad guy were super creepy and the investigation was done well, it really bothered me about the main character's involvement. But I'll still read the next book.

Ok, so it took me a really long time to get to reading this book. It sounded really, REALLY good but for some reason I had it in my head that if I started reading, I would be disappointed. I just had this little voice telling me that this book would end up being just another corny, predictable mystery that had unrealistic dreams of becoming a thriller when it grew up. This is what my voice was telling me. I’m kicking that voice’s ass.

This book is SO good!! The first chapter intrigued me but I wasn’t sucked in until around chapter 2 or 3. I mean, really hooked. There is nothing I love more than a meticulous, twisted psychopath with a God complex and Brannan did not disappoint.

Although I do feel like there could have been a little more character development the groundwork is perfectly set for growth in the rest of the series and I am dying to see where it goes from here. Liv has got to be one of my favorite characters in the world. She’s a strong, independent woman working in a predominately male field who finds herself on the side of the FBI hunting down a killer. Does there really need to be any more reason to love her?

In the Belly of Jonah is a fast paced, gripping thriller that will have your heart pumping and you holding your breath through to the end. When I finished, I immediately bought the rest of the series. I need more Liv. I need more Streeter and I need more twistiness!!