I did not know when I requested this book that it was book five in the series. I felt this book was a good stand-alone. Sheriff Bree Taggert is called to a scene, which isn't good. A mother and son were murdered, which means the sheriff has to dig into their life. Yet, what she uncovers is more than she thought. Her ex-coworker seems to have had a shady life. While she discovers who would want them murdered, her reputation will come into play. When the mention of the dark web was brought up; I found that fascinating because many people think deeply about what is out there on the web. It also showed to what extent people will go to ruin someone, and instead, it is that person's career or life. I felt Sheriff Bree did a great job not losing her cool when her reputation came into play and even handled the politics very well. The story felt it had the perfect pace and the right amount of action.

So many thanks to @netgalley and @melindaleigh for the advanced copy of this book. I requested this book before realising that this was the 5th book in a series. That being said; I read it as a stand alone book and despite perhaps a little background information on the characters I was able to pick up the book and commence reading without too many questions. I have to say that although this is not a book I would normally chose to read I thoroughly enjoyed this. After the first chapter; the vivid descriptions of the scenes pulled me into this novel and made me want to continue reading this to find out who the killer was! Excellent detective novel which has made me add the other books in the the Bree Taggert series to my wish list! Really recommended and thoroughly enjoyable book. #netgalley #deadagainsther

When I first got this book I was excited to be reading another crime story. First off I found out there was other books before this one which I really don’t like, but I thought it’s fine I will carry on with this one. At first the story was good I was a bit confused about something’s but as there had been books before that’s totally understandable. I read a lot of crime books by different people and as I said when I first picked this up I thought yes this will be good. I was very disappointed as the book went on it just got worse and worse and worse. The only way to describe this book is it has no substance to it at all. There was no surprises and instead of solving the first crime they seemed to have another crime that didn’t really have any substance to it either there was no build up to it at all a copper went missing then a couple of chapters down they were looking for him they found him the end. I was going to buy the other books before this one but now I’m at the end of the book I’m not that bothered about the characters enough to buy them. By the end I was really bored of this book and just wanted it to finish. If you like meaty crime stories that surprise you at the end like I do then don’t buy this book cause you won’t get that from this book at all

3.5 stars

It took me a while to finally finish this novel, not because it was bad, but because it was the slowest of the novels I was reading at the time. That being said, it was probably one of my least favorite books out of the 4 or 5 I was reading, though I still found it with reading all the way through. With a lot of intrigue but not much action until the very end, I found the story fell a little flat and the romance between Bree and Matt felt even more flat to me. I liked that the author seemed to get police procedurals correct, and loved the K-9 unit, but struggled with the parts that fell flat. I also saw the plot twists coming from miles away but I've read a lot of mysteries so that's not new to me. Overall, I did enjoy the read though I don't know that I'll be pursuing the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by Melinda Leigh. I'm in love with the characters and can hardly wait for the next book. Kick ass women and the men in their lives, what is not to like. Bree & Matt continue to grow as do the people in their lives. I've read all of Melinda's books at least 3 times each and they get better and better. Thanks to Net Galley & Montlake for an advanced copy.

Honestly at this point this series can do no wrong for me. I have loved every single installment and whenever I am in a reading slump I know I can count on Melinda Leigh to bring me out of it.

Dead against Her starts out with Bree going on a welfare check that takes a deadly turn. When one of the bodies present is of her former deputy that she recently fired things get even more complicated. This one is full of suspense and by the end you will not want to put it down. I honestly cannot give this book/series enough praise and will be recommending it to everyone who wants a quick and fun summer read.

Even though I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I jumped right in and had a great time! Suspenseful, twisty, fast paced and kept me guessing right until the end. Of course we love a strong fierce woman protagonist and Bree did not disappoint. I will definitely look out for more from this author as this was well-written and really fun to read.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. Although this one is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone.
From the very beginning I was hooked. I loved the main characters and the story was fast paced and exciting with just enough twists and turns.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and I will definitely be going back to read the rest of the series.

I was hooked from the first chapter about a Sheriff called Bree Taggert who is investigating 2 murders this is a fast paced thriller with great characters that keep you hooked. It has a surprising ending which really catches you out.
Bree is a force of nature and nothing stops her I loved the character and how strong she was.
Would highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley & Montlake for a advanced copy.

Whilst you don't have to read this series in order to be able to enjoy the standalone tales, it is best to, as you'll get to see Bree's charges growing up, Bree and Matt's romance progressing, how Greta is getting on, how Matt's sister's romance may be starting to take off, and appearances from characters of the Scarlett Falls series of tales as side characters.


I really enjoy the relationship Bree has with her team, and you can really see how human she is. Bree works really hard at her position as Sherrif, and even though she is a tough cookie, she has a really caring side too. Her family play an essential role in each story. Her relationship with Matt is coming along lovely too.

ThIs is the first book I've read in this series although I believe it is number 5
however I feel it can be read as a stand alone. Superb plotline and not the ending you expect!
Bree has moved to a small town from.Philly to become sheriff here. The problem is everyone knows everyone it's a small town! And she forced the previous as sheriff Oscar out of office for failing to disclose/ tampering with/ planting evidence however, it was all circumstantial and he was able to retire rather than be sacked!! He holds a grudge against her and so when she gets threatening and explicit emails and letters it's not hard to jump to t h e conclusion it's him.
So when Bree gets a call to check on a remote farm from a concerned neighbour who hasn't seen the owner for while little does,she realise it's all a set up to frame her and force her out of office. Once she's at the farmhouse she discovers a grisly double murder scene. Then it's a race against the clock to find the murderer and keep it out of the press as long as they can. She is also battling a deepfake porn video of her circulating the internet!! Once the press get hold of it, they no longer seem interested in the murders but why there is these videos circulating of their sheriff.
Many thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book I will now be looking out for more from Melinda.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publications for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, number 5. I think it can be read as a stand alone, but it is probably more enjoyable if you have read the others. This is an enjoyable read with a pretty twisted plot and alot of violence against women. Great characters. 4 stars

Dead Against Her is the 5th book in a series by Melinda Leigh, an author I simply adore. The setting is not far from the location of her previous series (Morgan Dane), Scarlet Falls, New York and the characters have a similar feel. The plot, as always, is a great suspenseful mystery that keeps me guessing till the end. This is proving to be an incredibly good series.

Bree Taggert is Sheriff of Randolph County, New York. She attends a call at a remote, neglected farm to check on an elderly woman at the request of a concerned neighbour, but finds herself at a grisly double murder scene.

As with Melinda Leigh's other novels, this one offers a complete package - a complex storyline, characters' backstories, and a wonderful writing style that is straightforward and easy to read. I really enjoy slipping within the pages of her books and getting behind a tough, but intelligent main player like Bree Taggert. This novel was a fantastic, electrifying and solid mystery and I continued to warm to both Bree and Matt. It was well-told and it had me glued to the pages as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story. As Bree, Matt and her co-workers embarked on an exciting mission to find the killer, all of the time the tension was being ratcheted up a notch, and I was smacked with some captivating misdirection.

The compelling plot was brilliantly executed, the well-defined characters and underlying currents being the main highlights, all building up to a great ending. I love a good murder mystery with a hint of romance, and this one definitely didn't let me down. Overall, Dead Against Her was a superb read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Lie to Her.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Montlake Romance via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is book 5 in the Bree Taggert series but the first one for me and I think it can easily be read as a stand alone.

I enjoyed this one. It was face paced and it kept me reading. I liked Bree and her team and I especially liked the details about the care of the dogs!

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Montlake for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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The first chapter got me hooked with a double murder of Sheriff Bree Taggert’s former officer and his mother. There were several twists that left me sitting at the edge of my chair and unable to put the book down.
The book is full of great characters and I look forward to reading more on them as well as the developing relationship between the Sheriff and her boyfriend Matt Flynn. I can’t wait to see what new mystery Sheriff Taggert will come across.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I like the characters in this series .Bree Taggert has been elected to be the new sheriff in the county as the. Old one was forced to take early retirement.. When bree is called out to a farm, eugene the deputy who was forced out is found murdered. The whole county wants brees head on the block, she has death threats and is now prime suspect in eugenes murder. Someone doesnt want bree and the team to find out the truth......... great read......there were quite a few spelling mistakes though....... loved the book it is fast paced and has alot of community spirit. Highley recommend

This was an exciting suspense read with an undercurrent of low to no steam romance. In fact, the romance between Bree and Matt is an ongoing relationship (past the first blush of attraction) since this book is part of a series. I really liked how Matt continues to be a supportive character to Bree in both their professional and personal lives. I also enjoyed following Bree as she struggled to balance her family and work life. I did feel the writing was a bit choppy in some parts mainly with the insertion of real life facts that related to the story situation. While interesting and on topic, I felt they could have been more smoothly woven into the story line. Lots of twists to the murder mystery that kept me glued to the pages. I was not able to guess whodunit until the villain was revealed. I always look forward to reading this author’s books!

Another great Bree Taggert book. Lots of stuff going on in this book, and it certainly kept Bree and Matt busy and me wanting to find out "who done it"! Definitely kept the reader on their toes with lots of plot twists and bad guys. Interesting how lots of todays social media issues got tangled up in Bree's personal and professional life. Hope we get to read more Bree taggert stories!

Dead Against Her is the fifth book in Melinda Leigh's Bree Taggert series. The books do stand alone, but why not read them all!?! I really enjoy Melinda's writing style. The book is well written, interesting, unique, and quite the page turner. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Melinda, and Montlake for the opportunity to read!