Listening Length: 11 hours
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.
Before long, the case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In this first instalment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My thoughts
**Audiobook ** I received a free copy from the author for an honest review.
I previously listened to the second book in this series – A Fine Year to Murder (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…) – and vowed then I’d check out book one. I’m so glad I did, but not because it filled any gaps rather simply because it was even more tense and dramatic and exciting… I could go on 🙂
So what did I like about it? Firstly, hats off to the narrator who made this such a great listening experience. Clear diction, perfect emotion, and superb character definition. Kudos to C.J. McAllister!
But, there’s the small matter of a great story too. Being familiar with Murphy and Jessica, it was easy to settle back and follow their journey. And what a journey it was.
Lieutenant Murphy Thornton takes on a case concerning the murder of five women in one house. Five women who share no common history except for one thing – they were joining forces to exact revenge on a man who raped them years before and got away with it every time. A man whose career in the military has seen him climb to the highest echelons of power, within breathing distance of The White House. Can it be possible that such a man could become the president’s advisor? They didn’t think he should be allowed such a privilege, yet someone else thinks differently and wants them out of the way so they cannot muddy the waters.
Murphy and Jessica (now a PI) and his father (Captain Josh Thornton) and new mother-in-law (Cameron Gates, also in law enforcement and with a personal interest in this case relating to her first husband) work together to find the murderer, not expecting the military connection at first, but then realising that greater forces are protecting the man at the centre of the case.
With fast-paced action (shootouts in a coffee shop, car chases – with potentially life-threatening consequences – and even a kidnapping), the story lurches from one drama to the next, making for a page-turning, hold your breath, kind of read. Interspersed with the action are lovely family scenes with the most incredible pets, and a subplot focusing on Izzy, the daughter of one of those five women.
It’s tense and heart-warming, and will raise all sorts of questions over the ability of those in power to control the outcome to their advantage. I’m so glad there are more in this series, and will be heading out to nab them right away.
As always,
Just 4 My Books 