EXCERPT: MONDAY
Tom was awake when the alarm clock buzzed. He switched it off, stared up at the twirling ceiling fan a moment and then went downstairs.
The sign hanging on the living room wall read: Congratulations, Tom!
He collected a couple of empty beer bottles and stuck them in the recycling bin. The coffee was already brewing, the timer set for six.
He stood in his sweatpants, watching the coffee drip into the pot, considering a half-remembered dream.
Tommy . . . Tommy, help me.
His cell phone rang in the bedroom snapping him out of it. He bounded back up the stairs and grabbed the phone.
'Lange,' he answered.
'Special Agent Lange. Good morning.' It was Director Turnbull.
'What can I do for you, sir?'
'Well, Lange, it looks like day one for you is going to be a big one.'
'Okay, sir. I'm ready.'
'Are you familiar with Paddle Creek Tours?'
'No . . .' Tom found his notebook next to his badge on the dresser and plucked a pen from the coin dish. He scribbled down Paddle Creek.
'They do kayaking. Like canoeing, but one person per boat. You know where Rookery Bay is?'
'Yes, sir.' Rookery Bay was a nature preserve, a large mangrove estuary fed by the Gulf of Mexico.
'Okay. Good.' Turnbull said. 'Shell Island Road. You drive past the research reserve headquarters. Down half a mile on the right is where you want to be. Special Agent Blythe will meet you there.'
'Blythe, sir?' He wrote that name down too.
'Yes, she's who you're sharing the field office with, you'll be taking your cues from her.' Turnbull paused. Tom heard police radio chatter in the background. Whatever was going on, it sounded big. 'A body was found in the bay. Everglades Counties Sherriff's Office is already there. Check in with Blythe, I'll speak with you later. Good luck.'

ABOUT 'DEAD GONE': A woman’s body is found floating in a sultry Florida mangrove. She has no ID and there is no indication of cause of death.

Who is she? Why was she murdered?

Rookie detective Tom Lange couldn’t have got a more difficult first case. The only thing he’s got to go on is the woman’s butterfly tattoo. His boss, Lauren Blythe, piles the pressure on and the medical examiner won’t tell him what he needs to know.

Meanwhile Tom’s neighbour Alicia has an abusive boyfriend who Tom clashes with in a way that will have far-reaching consequences.

The body leads Tom on a trail of seedy clubs, narcotics, and danger which is close to home.

In a tumultuous ending with a massive twist, Tom’s world is turned upside down.

MY THOUGHTS: I mostly liked the plot of this book, but the execution let it down for me. It dulled down what could have been a thrilling story. There is little excitement and even less tension to keep the reader engaged and the characters don't have a lot of depth. We get background on Tom and his brother Nick, but not the little details that make the characters realistic and relatable.

There are a couple of plot points that don't make much sense, such as one character who had to relinquish his vehicle to pay off a debt, but can afford to hire a car. 🤷‍♀️

The writing was quite stilted, and nothing felt real to me. I wasn't drawn into the story and didn't form any feelings for the characters. However, this is the first book in a new series, so hopefully the writing and the characterisation will improve.

⭐⭐.5

#DeadGone #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Timothy James Brearton lives in the Adirondack Mountains with his wife and three children. He's loved thrillers and police stories for most of his life.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Joffe Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Dead Gone by T.J. Brearton for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Dead Gone is an excellent thriller that had me turning the pages so quickly to find out what was going to happen next.

We are introduced to Special Agent Tom Lange on his first day in a new job and already he is thrown straight in at the deep end when a body is found in a nature reserve in the water.

As Tom tries to investigate the death he is also having to deal with his brother Nick. Tom and Nick did not have a conventional upbringing and both still had issues which needed addressing.

Then a second body is found it is a race against time to find the killer before the wrong person is accused of murder.

Definitely a book has plenty of twists and turns and will keep you guessing.

yet to be read!

posted a wrong review and there's no way I am able to delete and keep this page open for the right details to be inserted!

It was a great read, it kept me interested through out. I do enjoy thriller books and I would recommend to friends.

Dead gone by TJ Brearton.
A fantastic read. Loved the story. Great characters. Recommended. 5*.

This is the second book that i have recently read by this author. I preferred this book, but fell short of five stars. Mainly because it too me a while to get into the story and the characters.

I couldn’t finish this book, I like the author’s writing and have enjoyed many of their books before but this one wasn’t one I could get into. I will try again when the author’s next book is released as I am a fan of theirs.

Gripping novel of a rookie detective struggling to solve his big case in southwest Florida. Location realistic, obstruction every time he turns around, this page turner will keep you up long past when you shuld be sleeping, Great character developement and good plot. I will definetly read the series!

The preview for this book compares this to Deaver-Barclay-Unger. I wouldn't go that far but it is a good book that's engaging from start to finish and is very well written. I would highly recommend it to fans of the mystery suspense genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had lots of twists and turns which kept me completely absorbed and I couldn't put it down! My only issue is that there are a lot of acronyms with the different police departments which kind of got jumbled for me but otherwise the story was good, I was a bit let down with the ending as I felt it came out of nowhere (spoiler alert: I feel adding information about Nick's relationship with Sasha would have helped add more to the mystery)

I wish placed would allow me to give half star ratings. I liked this book but I wish I could have rated it 3.5 stars. It was missing a bit for me plus it rambled in some spots.

It was a great read. I feel the character development was good and I would recommend to friends.

I did not finish this book as I did not engage with this story at all.

On his very first case, detective Tom Lang is given the task of investigating his first possible murder. A woman with a butterfly tattoo is found in a mangrove.

Tom discovers that this dead woman worked in a gentleman's club. However, things aren't as they seem. The plot thickens as Tom loses sleep investigating the dead woman's background and her circle of friends. Some of whom tell the truth and others, set out to confuse him with half truths and lies.

And if Tom didn't have enough to worry about, his older brother Nick, his only family, leans on Tom to help him out with his gambling debts, drugs and drinking.

The story is a slow burn in the start but by a third in, picks up the pace and you'll won't be able to put it down till the end.

A well-plotted thriller.

I've been trying to read this for the last few days and just can't get into it at all so with that said I'm going to DNF it , but I would still like to.say thinks to.Netgalley for giving me a chance at reading it in a change for my honest opinion

Dead Gone follows rookie detective Tom Lange on his first case. A woman is found floating in the water and the only identifying marks on her is a tattoo. Tom posts about her on a website that allows the public to post tips and a friend thinks she knows who the woman is. Tom meets with her and thinks that he has IDed her but can't seem to figure out who did it or why. Meanwhile, there are a few other conflicts going on in Tom's life that are distracting him from giving his all to the case. His neighbor Alicia shows up on his doorstep wanting help when her boyfriend is abusing her. Tom tries to get her to press charges, but the two seem to work things out instead. Tom's brother, Nick, also keeps pulling him away because he is dealing with a major gambling debt and is getting beaten by the guys he owes. His partner, Blythe, is not happy with how he is handling the case and he as two strikes against him as far as she is concerned, and one more and she is going to ask for him to be reassigned.

A lot of people say this book is one that you can't put down, but I seemed to have the opposite problem - I kept falling asleep while trying to read it. The story was good but didn't grab me like I had hoped and all the distractions in Tom's life were a distraction to me as well - I just wanted to know more about the crime that Tom was investigating.

There is quite a twist at the end and I can't say too much else about my thoughts on the story without giving some things away and I don't want to do that. If you like mysteries and thrillers this is a great story, though a bit on the long side if you want to read something in one afternoon or day.

I received a free e-copy of the book in order to write the review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Engaging thriller that seems just right for a made for tv movie.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a thriller whose main protagonist is a rookie Special Agent in Florida. It is an interesting story with a number of twists and turns. I thought it was slow to start but picked up pace towards the middle. It looks as if it might be the first novel in a new crime series, and I look forward to seeing the character develop in future novels.