I started reading the first book in this series just a week ago and I was hooked right from the start and cannot get enough of L.A Larkin’s work. Since then I’ve read the whole series and am really gutted I’ve finished reading ‘First victim.’ I’m also hoping there will be more in the Sally Fairburn crime thriller series and with that ending it is certainly possible.

This is the 3rd book in The Sally Fairburn series however any of these book could be read as a stand alone thriller (but I’d recommend them all 😜😂) when sally is contacted by her old boos Clarke and is asked to join the team as a detective to help solve a cold case Sally cannot refuse and is ready to get stuck in.

However Sallys joy is short lived when she discovers her ex-husband Scott has also returned to the force and is out to cause trouble for her, undermining her both personally and professionally.

Determined not to let Scott ruin things for her Sally cracks on with the case ahead of her. An attack on a retired couple Joseph who is murdered and his wife Fiona. As more evidence comes to light and Sally and her partner begin to close in on the killer more murders are committed and the pressure is on Sally to close this high profile case.
This is the sort of book that will have you hooked from start to finish. There were plenty of exciting twists and turns along the way to keep the reader interested and I found I was picking my kindle up at every opportunity I had. I have never read such an addictive book series and as I said above I desperately hope there will be more to come!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. If I could give more than 5 stars I really would.

Keeps you guessing till the bitter end! A crazy twisty turny ride of terror. This one starts with a bang quite literally and then you are hooked! The characters are fabulous. The plot is so well done. I adore when characters feel like people you know. That takes a talent and this author has that talent in spades. A page turning, hair raising fast paced read. This is a must read!

What a gripping read! This is my first book in this series, however I didn't feel I'd missed out on anything as it read really well as a standalone, with any relevant past events explained.

Aside from a well thought out and pacy plot, I felt the big strength in this book was the character development. Whether I loved or hated a character, I was fully invested in the people and events in the story. Detective Sally Fairburn is relatable and I enjoyed the balance between her work and personal life.

The author achieves the perfect mix of chilling thriller and police procedural. With the First Victim being an elderly man and his wife, the key witness, in a coma, Sally needs to dig deep and resist the pressure from her boss to make an arrest, depending on her own morals and determination to find the true killer. Sally's intuitive nature leads her to seek help from a convicted dirty cop, Richard Foster, and I am intrigued to see how this relationship develops throughout the series, because yes, I will definitely be back for more!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, L. A. Larkin and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Sinister puzzle pieces are revealed chapter by chapter to make this mystery/police procedural a gripping read. I devoured this book like a hungry animal. When a local couple from a prominent neighborhood are violently attacked in their home, the shock is felt all across the city. Joseph Austin is dead and his wife is in the hospital barely hanging on to her life. The attack was brutal and bloody. Ex-cop Sally Fairburn is contacted by her former boss at the Franklin PD. He asks her to serve as a consulting detective on this case, which has gone cold. She is timid at first and does not want to get involved. She left her life as a police officer behind after her ex-husband ruined her good name. She is paired with a green rookie, Clarence, who actually ends up being quite the asset to the team.

The first question is who would want to attack a quiet, elderly couple in their home even though robbery has been assumed to be the motive. Once Sally and Clarence start digging into this case, there are more questions than answers. Sally does not agree with their initial assessment that this was simply a case of a robbery gone wrong. The attack is too personal, so they have to figure out what would motivate this grisly attack.

The character of Sally was my hero. This poor woman had overcome tremendous odds to be where she is today. Her piece of garbage ex-husband (who is also a cop) makes an appearance back in her life. You will learn to despise Scott, for more than one reason. I found myself talking to the book giving advice, as this man gives new meaning to the word bully. Sally is not only trying to solve a vicious murder, but she is having to protect herself and her name from this bully. The stakes are high and the twists are gasp worthy. I was riveted to my Kindle until the chilling ending that I never saw coming. This was impossible to put down once I started reading it. Now I have to go back and read books 1 and 2.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

🚨Sally faces challenges on two fronts: totally gripping!

Excellent story, that I could not stop reading. Sally Fairburn, the single mom turned temporary police detective, is a really sympathetic heroine. She's been through a harrowing marriage with a controlling cop husband who was into gaslighting and controlling her, and just when she gets a meaty murder/attempted murder case to solve her terror of an ex comes back to undermine her. Sally is not always as strong and impervious to her ex Scott's manipulating ways as she wishes and her mix of frailty and resolve make her very relatable.

I found this book really well written and devoid of fluff. The plot is complex, the action and investigation fast-paced and I really liked the way the author handles her characters. There is just enough detail to flesh them out and distinguish one from the next without going overboard on descriptive details that don't matter to the murder investigation. Surprises and chases with a thrilling climax, yes, and for me Sally's personal life and the tragedy of Harper's (Scott's new wife's) woes enhanced the whole to make it a marvelous read.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

First Victim is full of twists and turns!
Sally Fairburn takes on the job of a consultant detective. Despite misgivings about if she can handle the job, she decides to give it a go. It is helpful that Sally and her team work well together.
If you have read the previous books in the series, you will know about Sally’s abusive ex-husband. He plays a part in this book and what a total scumball he continues to be!
A very complex story full of suspenseful moments.
Looking forward to reading more in the Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sally Fairburn returns for a third cracking outing in what is fast becoming a completely absorbing police procedural / thriller series. She has been called out of retirement from the police force to take up a temporary role as a consulting detective with the Franklin PD. Her recent performances when it comes to solving perplexing crimes as a civilian has come to the notice of friends in the police.

She’s asked to come in and run a cold case that involves a murder and attempted murder of an old couple, Joseph and Fiona Austin, in their own home by an unknown intruder. Joseph has been left dead and Fiona in an induced coma in hospital from the attack. Although she’s a little daunted by the prospect of resuming her career in the police force, even if on a temporary basis, she’s pleased to be out doing a job that she feels she’s well suited to.

A massive fly in the ointment comes in the form of her ex-husband, an abusive man with a penchant for grooming underage girls. He has returned from Chicago with his young wife and child and appears intent on destroying Sally and their son Paul’s happy life in Franklin.

When Sally is brought in to begin the investigation, the case is termed a cold case. However, it’s actually only a matter of weeks old, still relatively recent with plenty of scope for fresh eyes to unearth new leads. And then it becomes a very hot case again when, first one and then a second person closely related to the original case, is murdered. At this point I was rather surprised that the resources thrown at the case, i.e. Sally and a rookie cop, wasn’t dramatically scaled up.

This aspect felt like a rather large misstep and severely damaged the credibility of the storyline in my mind. But I was prepared to overlook the shoddy police procedure for the sake of enjoying the broader storyline.

Unlike a lot of other cold case mysteries, there is some real momentum to this story as Sally and her partner, Clarence, hit the ground running. There also appears to be some glaring holes in the original investigation, things that Sally picks up only moments into her investigation. The fast-paced nature of the story is exacerbated by the growing tension that comes from the developing drama of Scott’s return.

Larkin writes with a free-flowing style that draws you into the story with an easy conversational tone. It feels as though you’re invited directly inside Sally’s head as she reveals all of her motivations, fears and emotions as she’s faced with both the intricacies of her job and her complicated personal life.

One of the more intriguing characters in the story continues to be Richard Foster. He has been part of the ongoing Sally Fairburn story since Next Girl Missing, the first book in the series, a dirty cop who currently sits in prison courtesy of Sally’s investigative work. He’s an enigmatic, powerful character who appears to have a great deal of reach outside the four walls of his cell. He repeatedly makes contact with Sally via text messages, which she ignores…until she doesn’t. I get the feeling that there’s more in store that will make far more use of Foster’s uniquely insidious abilities.

Once again, I found myself drawn in by the intense drama created by L.A. Larkin. The strong combination of a complex murder mystery and a harrowing domestic abusive relationship really tortured my emotions. Although it’s clearly set in the United States I loved the little Aussie place name references for the local areas around Franklin (made me chuckle). I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for Sally and her friends in future episodes.

My thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my digital ARC of the book to read, enjoy and review.

Larkin has done it again with the third installment of Sally who has returned to being an investigative police officer after everything she has experienced.

Thanks to her super intuitive sense, Sally manages to see things that no one sees.

In a story of personal improvement, of abandoning fears and finding your voice, Larkin immerses us in this story where the one you least expect to be the bad guy will be.

Third and in my view, the best of the Sally Fairburn series. I had a few issues, Sally seemed to be given a police role and gun almost on a whim and seemed to have free rein to do whatever she felt like. The story however, was strong enough to support these issues. The plot moved at pace, there were interesting characters and the solution took an unexpected turn for me. I’m not a huge fan of fictional detectives having personal problems, but this actually worked well and helped tie the whole piece together.
I look forward to the next in the series.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

What can I say...I loved the first 2 books in this series and this one is equal if not better. Sally has gone from a bullied wife to a strong independent woman (even if faced with her ex husband she has a few setbacks). The characters seem real and believable, while the plot twists and turns. The murderer and motive aren't immediately obvious, leaving room for plenty of guessing whilst reading. I'd thoroughly recommend this book

Very enjoyable. This is a good series of books. Great characters; the ex-husband is so nasty and cunning. Sally is relatable, smart and likeable. I found myself rooting for her. Having read the previous books, I'm now looking forward to the next in the series!

A very tense thriller with many moving parts. Sally is back as a consultant detective and once again being harassed by her ex, another cop. Then there are the murders of folks in a fancy neighborhood. Blackmail, serial killers, threats and murder, oh my!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

The first time I have read this Author but was fine as a stand alone. I enjoyed the style of writing. A solid four star read. Great premise. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Ex police officer, Sally Fairburn has accepted a temporary position as a detective on a three month trial basis at her old station, Franklin PD. She previously left the police force as well as her marriage after her controlling husband’s behaviour led to her daughter Zelda’s death. Now with her life back on track and her son Paul coping well after all the trauma, she’s enjoying being back on the force and investigating the murder of an elderly man and the near death of his wife, left in a coma. Not long after starting in her new job, she is appalled to learn that her ex-husband, still a serving police officer has transferred from Chicago to Franklin where a lot of his best friends work in homicide. It soon becomes clear that although he now has a new wife and child, he wants to see more of Paul and disrupt Sally’s life and work as much as possible.

This turns out to be a tough case for Sally and her team. Further deaths occur and add to the puzzle without helping to identify the killer or their motives, but eventually Sally will unravel the web of secrets hidden by the elderly couple. This is a well written murder mystery, full of tension and suspense. It’s also a great addition to the series, but would work well as a stand alone novel.

First Victim was another gripping crime thriller with Sally Fairburn. There were 2 main storylines in this one with the murder of Joseph Austin and then the continuing saga of Sally's ex Scott, but now he has a new wife and child to torment. As the third in the series it I believe it would be best to read the first 2 books first, but could still be enjoyed as a stand alone. Plenty of action and secrets as Sally is bought in to investigate what happened to Joseph, and the murders start to pile up. I love the relationships Sally builds with the other characters, and in this one in particular with her police partner Clarence. Great book!

Thanks to Bookouture for this arc.
WELL ...... what a rip roaring roller coaster of a ride that book was., i was gripped from the first page, i was shouting at my kindle as scott was up to his old tricks.
When Sally's abusive ex husband scott arrives back in the city with a new wife and son., he turns up at the house where sally and his son paul lives,, scott vows to get sole custody of their son paul, punches him in the stomach and walks out. Sally has been offered a consulting role at the franklin PD,, things are happening evidence going missing, things signed out in sallys name, who and why? I hope there is more sally fairburn, she is gusty and loyal, i couldnt put it down, series gets better and better. 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read from me without a doubt

I am a huge fan of the Sally Fairburn thrillers and this one also scratched my itch for me! The writing was top notch and entertaining, and I would highly recommend this!

I hadn't read the rest of the series but found this worked well as a standalone anyways. This literally had me ul all night, I just couldn't not put it down! Really cleverly written, the characters are original and well thought out. The plot is well paced and keeps moving forward and I just loved every page of this!! The twists were so well done that I did not see them coming and I will definitely be going back to read the rest of the series now

A Challenge…
The third outing in the Sally Fairburn crime thriller series finds the former cop with a dilemma when her former boss contacts her urging to prove herself as a detective in a high profile murder case. Obviously, our protagonist simply cannot resist a challenge - even though she will find herself juggling professional and personal issues. Another well executed addition to this engaging and well written series with a multi layered and pacy plot, a tension fuelled narrative and a cast of well crafted and credible characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, L.A. Larkin, and Bookouture, for an ARC copy of "First Victim".

"First Victim" is a riveting addition to the Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller series, delivering a suspenseful and intense story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Sally Fairburn, a former cop, left the world of crime behind her, but when she is offered a chance to work her first case as a detective, she can't resist the opportunity. The case involves the mysterious death of Joseph Austin and his wife, Fiona, who is left in a coma after a violent incident in their exclusive Peakhurst mansion. Initially thought to be a burglary gone wrong, Sally begins to unravel a complex web of secrets and hidden animosities within the seemingly idyllic world of the Austins.

If you're looking for a book that will keep you up all night, this is one thriller you won't want to miss. I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.