ARC Review: Twisted Truth by Melinda Leigh

Twisted Truth
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Rouge Justice Novella (Book 1)
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 31, 2017)

Description: When Detective Seth Harding responds to shots being fired, he faces a familiar sight: a double homicide. However, he is shocked to find a young boy chained in the basement. The terrified child refuses to speak, but Seth knows he is the key to something sinister.

Reluctantly, Seth calls the only social worker he trusts with the traumatized boy—his wife. Carly is recovering from her own trauma suffered on the job, but she can’t turn away from this case, not from another child in trouble. With torrential rain bearing down, threatening to isolate their little town in a killer flood, Seth and Carly know the best way to keep the boy safe from danger is to take him back to their farm.

But danger is as relentless as the storm. And it’s following them all the way home.

My Thoughts: This novella is packed with excitement. It begins with Seth called to the scene of a double homicide and finding a young boy chained in the basement. New police officer Bruce, Carly's younger brother, is the only one the child trusts. Carly is the social worker on duty for the county. Seth calls her to come take care of the boy. Carly is still dealing with the trauma of going to another client's home and finding a child killed. Now, she needs to take the boy to the hospital to be checked out. The boy is almost kidnapped from the hospital by a man dressed as a doctor.

While Seth is investigating, Carly takes the boy home with her. She arranges for him to see a child psychiatrist because he is visibly traumatized and not talking. The psychiatrist helps Carly when she has a panic attack and confirms that their treatment of the boy is correct. Seth's investigation leads to the identity of the child but there are still many questions about who kidnapped him and why.

Being a novella which will be followed by a second novella in a week, there were a number of threads hanging at the end of this story. I can't wait to read the second to find out how it all resolves.

Favorite Quote:

But as Seth watched the boy tremble in Bruce's arms, he knew that it wouldn't be all right. Two people who had been keeping the child prisoner in their basement had been shot in their bed execution-style, and the killer was missing.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.