ARC Review: No One Can Know by Lucy Kerr

No One Can Know
Author: Lucy Kerr
Series: Stillwater General Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (February 13, 2018)

Description: Three months. That’s how long ER nurse Frankie Stapleton has agreed to stay in her sleepy little hometown of Stillwater, helping her estranged sister save the family hardware store, working a few shifts at the local hospital, and most importantly, rebuilding the bridges she burned on her way out of town twelve years ago.

When a pregnant car crash victim arrives at Stillwater General, Frankie and the team race to save both mother and child―but only the baby lives. Rumors swirl that the accident was deliberate, and Frankie’s horrified to realize that she let the driver escape. But why would anyone want to kill Kate Tibbs, a social worker and the wife of an up-and-coming local politician? Frankie’s investigation turns up plenty of motives, from revenge to dirty politics, and even more suspects. There are secrets in Stillwater, and she's determined to uncover them, even if it means involving her loved ones for help.

But when the baby disappears, her search for the truth becomes a desperate, deadly race against the clock. No matter the cost, Frankie must piece together the truth to stop a killer and save a tiny life in Lucy Kerr’s riveting second Stillwater General Mystery, No One Can Know.

My Thoughts: Frankie's quiet night in Stillwater General comes to a quick end when a man comes in for treatment of a dislocated shoulder after a car accident. Frankie thinks he's lying about something but doesn't really get a chance to pursue her suspicions because there has been another car accident. This time the victim is a pregnant woman. While the team rushes to treat the victims her dislocated shoulder patient disappears.

The team loses the mother but manages to save her baby boy. Only afterwards does Frankie learn that the victim was the wife of an old schoolmate of hers who is now running for Congress. The hunt is on for the missing dislocated shoulder patient who gave a false name because two car accidents in the same evening makes it likely that he was involved in the accident that claimed a life.

Frankie's old flame Noah is not a deputy with the sheriff's office investigating the death and the disappearance and it soon becomes evident that the accident that claimed Kate Tibbs was more likely murder. Noah asks Frankie to stay out of the investigation but her curiosity and her feeling that she could have done more won't let her step back.

Add in a couple more murders and you have an edge-of-your seat thriller. The murders are set beside Frankie's feelings about being back in her home town after escaping after high school. She is trying to convince herself that her return is just temporary and, once her newborn niece is out of intensive care and her family's hardware store is back on its feet, she'll be off to another adventure. I liked the family dynamics in this story which includes and 8-year-old niece who looks at Frankie and her hero and a mother who is determined to fix up her daughter with someone so that she'll stay in town.

This was an engaging mystery with an interesting set of characters and lots of tension.

Favorite Quote:

Esme's words came back to me. Careful what you wish for. I hadn't, of course. Nurses didn't wish for patients any more than firefighters wished for flames. But people would get sick, cars would crash, accidents would happen. When they did, I liked knowing I had the skills to make it better. To save a life. To dig in and make it better.

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