Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh

331 Pages| Montlake | Mystery/Thriller | Release Date: 03/17/2020

This chilling new mystery/thriller series from Melinda Leigh follows Bree Taggert, a Philadelphia homicide detective, as she returns to the small town where decades ago her father killed her mother. Tragedy has struck again and now Bree is on the hunt for her sister’s killer. In a strange twist of fate her sister’s estranged husband is the main suspect– but his best friend, former deputy Matt Flynn, thinks otherwise. On opposing sides, Matt and Bree decide to team up and investigate under the watchful eye of a possibly corrupt police force.

Melinda Leigh is a prolific writer–she has written several series and even has a few RITA nominations under her belt. This book had the right blend of mystery, sense of setting, and a pretty elaborate action scene leading to the big finale. The main characters have solid chemistry; Bree is a proud and detailed investigator who can handle anything but struggles in her new role as a guardian to her niece and nephew.  Matt is such a beta hero. He was discharged from the force after he and his K-9 were shot (possibly on purpose) in the line of duty–he now rehabilitates dogs and tries to see the best in everyone.

I listen to this on Kindle Unlimited and I always lower my expectations when I listen to audio on KU because there is something about the KU books with Audible narration that always sounds monotone and computerized. I can really hear it when I try to up the speed. Is this just me?

A mellow crime procedural with small town vibes and characters who will stop at nothing for the truth.

Side Note

Slight spoiler–the end of his book features a workplace shoot out perpetrated by an emotionally abusive spouse. I wonder if Leigh based this on a real-life case? I’ve heard several on the true-crime podcasts. There is definitely truth in fiction.