I had difficulty placing tags on this contemporary suspense. It was not what I would consider a police procedural though the main protagonist was a homicide detective. Her job was in another city. Bree Taggert took a temporary leave and returned home when her sister was murdered. No matter, she becomes involved informally with the assistance of a former local policeman. He was the best friend of the town’s number one suspect. It was an absorbing premise to say the least. Cross Her Heart" starts with a bang. Bree Taggert grabs and hides her little sister Erin and and her baby brother Adam when their father starts hitting their mother. In one dark moment though both parents are lost to Bree. We fast forward decades later with Bree dealing with a stake-out with her partner Dana. We know that Bree lost her parents and due to that it has left her feeling shy about romantic relationships. She also doesn't have the closest relationship with her siblings either. When Bree gets a call that something has happened to her sister, she's thrown about the fallout and wants to do what's necessary to figure out who is behind it.

Jon the drunk ex, baby Crystal and Charlotte were once a family now it's all splintered, can anyone be saved now a body has been found and one's missing, tied up and drugged while the other's on the run... Melinda Leigh has topped herself—and goes to the top of my must-read author list. Cross Her Heart is everything I love in a thriller, and Bree Taggert is everything I love in a heroine. READ THIS BOOK. You won’t be able to put it down.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of The Third to Die This story is told by three people; Lisa, her teenage daughter Ava and Lisa's best friend and work colleague Marilyn, someone has something to hide but which of them is it and how will it affect their lives if that secret is revealed?Matt Flynn is a former sheriff’s investigator and a K-9 handler in Gray’s Hollow. Erin, the woman that was murdered, was the wife of his best friend, Justin. When Erin was killed, of course Justin was the prime suspect and Matt is determined to prove his innocence. When Bree comes to town, they agree to work together, even if for different reasons, to find the truth of what happened to her. In the here and now, keen swimmer Ava heroically rescues a child in a near drowning incident and secrets hidden deep in the past are upended, revealing a tragedy that ripped friendships apart and completely changed lives. stars and one I would recommend to anyone who loves this genre! Also, the British cover is stunning so that’s a plus! (The American one not so much but hey, maybe they just know the market really well). I just wish that there would be a sequel about Simon and his past! But I think that’s a little too much to wish for 😉

Marilyn has created the ‘perfect life’ which is far from perfect. Ava is trying hard to prove she can make adult choices, putting herself at serious risk. Lisa is trying to hold is all together. But they all have secrets, only some are more treacherous than others…. Pinborough’s] work invariably possesses a surreal, dreamlike quality... The juggling of multiple viewpoints shows great elan, and the author’s storytelling is as sure-footed as ever.”— The Guardian Bree barely has time to accept that her sister is gone. Her eight year old niece and fifteen year old nephew need her, not to mention a funeral to plan. But she wants to find out what happened, even if it means teaming up with the sexy ex-detective, Matt. Together these two are quite the team and leave no stone unturned. They work so well together. I also want to mention Bree’s best friend and partner from Philadelphia, Dana, that comes to stay with her and help out. I loved her. She was kind of the glue that held everyone together.

Customer reviews

So I really liked this first book though I think that things got a bit too convoluted towards the end. I will definitely read the next book though because I like how Melinda Leigh set this up and I adored the characters of Bree and her partner from the Philadelphia police, Dana. I was okay about Mike (the other lead I guess you could say) but not that focused on him while reading this. Sarah Pinborough does it again with this disturbing descent into a heart of darkness. Highly recommended’ Cara Hunter, author of Close to Home The past decade of crime fiction has been remarkable for the huge number of novels… featuring women... Some have been excellent, but most have been indistinguishable... Critics have spent much time searching for well-written, original examples. Sarah Pinborough passes the test. She… is adept at conjuring the unexpected.”— Times (London)

If Behind Her Eyesisn’t the thriller of the year, there is no justice.Hugely entertaining, utterly compelling and the ending will leave you reeling. Sarah Lotz Masterful! Melinda Leigh knows just how to blend poignant family drama with edge-of-your-seat suspense. As the heroine of this thrilling new series, Bree Taggert will capture your heart.” —Laura Griffin, New York Times bestselling author Although the mother / teenager relationship initially appears pretty standard there’s much hidden. Multiple narrators in Lisa, Ava and Lisa’s friend Marilyn tell the story. Lisa’s story is also divided into three timelines, Before, After and Now. It sounds complicated but it’s honestly not and the story weaves seamlessly from one timeline to the next. I'll say no more for fear of spoiling except to say that this is a thoroughly entertaining and thrilling book - a highly recommended 5 stars! Lisa’s daughter is sixteen-year-old Ava. Ava belongs to a swimming club where she is part of a close-knit group of four girls who she calls ‘my bitches’. The eldest in the group is Jodie. Ava has a close affinity with Jodie as they both have issues with their mothers. Ava because Lisa is claustrophobic and overprotective, and Jodie because her mother is never around. Ava has a boyfriend too, but she’s getting fed up with him and has become infatuated with a ‘mystery man’ who she has been chatting to online.

A gripping thriller, Cross Her Heart is fast paced and riveting, with the complex and compelling lead homicide detective, Bree Taggert. The first in a destined to be a hit series.” —Karin Slaughter, international bestselling author Erin second encounter with death comes at the hands of her husband Justin. Erin recently had separated from Justin because he suffered a relapse into his oxy addiction and has two children she didn't want to expose to Justin's addiction. This is the first full-sized book in the Bree Taggert series. Bree had a traumatic childhood caused by an abusive father who eventually killed her mother before turning the gun on himself. For this reason, Bree was very hesitant to return to her hometown and the memories that came with it. But Bree needs to uncover what was happening in her sister's life, if not for herself, then for Erin's two children. OMG the twists and turns in this rare gem of a read made for one hell of a roller-coaster ride! The story centres around Lisa; a seemingly ordinary, loving, single mum whose priority is that of her only child. We learn early on that Lisa is haunted by the death of a young boy but just how she is connected to him isn’t revealed until about a quarter of the way into the book. Critics have spent much time searching for well-written, original examples. Sarah Pinborough passes the test. She writes with passion, creates strong, subtle characters and is adept at conjuring the unexpected. Cross Her Heart is about three interesting women and some nasty men. To say more would reveal a powerful plot’ The Times

Lisa is one of three strong female characters hiding their devastating secrets from the world in this story. Her daughter Ava has her own issues to deal with including an overprotective mother, exams and pressure from her friends to move her relationship with her boyfriend to the next level. Then we also have Marilyn, Lisa's best friend who's perfect life isn't the idyllic picture she paints on a daily basis. I adored all three of these characters. As Pinborough tantalisingly revealed their secrets and dropped another bombshell on her reader, how much I liked them varied quite dramatically - and I found that utterly fascinating. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.Justin's best friend, Matt Flynn, was once a sheriff's investigator. An on-the-job shooting left him unable to continue and is now a K-9 handler. Swift and entertaining… Cross Her Heart has a welcome sisterhood-is-powerful vibe; it’s a novel that defines women by their relationships with one another, even as their creator is ruthlessly shoving them into position for the next twist.”— New York Times Book Review