ARC Review: Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh

Cross Her Heart
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Bree Taggert (Book 1)
Publication: Montlake (March 17, 2020)

Description: A homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide…Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

My Thoughts: Bree Taggert is a homicide detective in Philadelphia. She has managed to put a horrible childhood behind her - mostly. When she was eight, her abusive father killer her mother and then himself leaving three children. Bree was raised by a cousin while her younger siblings were raised by their grandparents. She's managed to rebuild her relationships with her siblings but have very mixed feelings about returning to her hometown.

However, when she gets a call from her sister Erin, she drops everything to go to help her. Unfortunately when Bree arrives in town she finds that her sister has been murdered and her estranged husband Justin is missing. Erin's body was discovered by Matt Flynn, a former sheriff's deputy who is Justin's best friend. While he knows Justin had problems with drugs, he can't believe he would have killed Erin.

Bree and Matt decide to investigate the crime themselves. Matt doesn't have good thoughts about the sheriff's department since the accident that ended his career might not have really been an accident. Bree just needs answers.

Bree is also dealing with her sister Erin's two children because she knows the trauma that they are feeling. Things get even more complicated when Erin's ex and the father of her children shows up out of the blue and decides that he wants custody of the kids. Part of Bree's investigation is looking into this deadbeat dad and thinking that he might have had a reason to kill Erin.

This was an entertaining thriller. I liked that the murderer had chapters told from his viewpoint. Fans of fast-paced thrillers will enjoy this new series.

Favorite Quote:

After she'd turned eighteen, she'd decided to stop analyzing herself. Some damage left a permanent mark. There was no changing that. She'd shoved her childhood into a dark corner of her memory and moved on.

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