Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
This book was a good one. I haven't read any other books in this series, so at times I was confused, but I still enjoyed the story. I especially love neighborhood centered thrillers.
********
If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:
https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)
If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Josie Quinn and her team have another strange case involving a murder and abduction. There are lots of clues, but it's hard to fit them together, especially as they adjust to including Turner, a new team member. He's replacing Mettner who was killed in the line of duty. Of course they figure it out, but it was tough putting all the pieces together. As proficient as she is in putting the clues together, her lack of cooking skills when she goes home keeps it light and humorous. Another unputdownable book!
It was supposed to be a routine road accident recovery, but the moment Detective Josie Quinn sees the passenger—pale and painfully thin, a sharp tool lodged in her stomach—it’s clear she was the victim of something far more sinister, and likely dead before the crash. Watching the driver taken away in an ambulance, questions spin through Josie’s mind. Where were these two women going? Was the driver trying to save a life, or hide a body?
Lisa Regan at her very best. I have read all of the Josie Quinn books in the series so far and Regan has never failed to produce a thrilling read. The pace is fast and the cast of characters are believable and well described. We also see developments in the relationships between Josie and Noah, as well as with the newest character, Turner. Didn't seem to be as many 'red herrings' in this one as in previous books but don't let that put you off. It is a real page turner and has a satisfying conclusion. I think this one would also be a good stand alone read as it does not rely heavily on previous knowledge of the characters. With many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Her Dying Secret: Detective Josie Quinn Book 20
Lisa Regan has brought all the feels home again, while still keeping her readers on their feet, trying to figure out what is going to happen next, and who is the real killer.
I love that this time we see both a victim and a hero in a way. Even showing the strength of a child.
Regan always show us that women are stronger than many give them credit for.
And of course you have to love Josie, Noah, and their awesome dog Trout.
Regan continues to keep this series fresh, while still giving us glimpses of all the characters we have come to love.
Definitely a must read and one I’ll be recommending to all my friends.
5 Huge Stars
This is the twentieth in the Detective Josie Quinn series and I have read all of them. Needless to say, I like this series and look forward to each new installment. Typically, I stay up late to finish each one because I can’t put them down! Josie has an interesting backstory and the author does a good job filling in that information so that these books do work as standalones.
In this case, Josie is called out to what turns out to be not a routine traffic accident fatality. The deceased, a passenger in the car, was stabbed prior to the accident and she clutches a child’s drawing in her hand, with the word “help” written on the back. The driver, who claims she remembers nothing about what led up to the accident, also shows signs of having been attacked. With the possibility of a child at risk, Josie and her team work diligently to uncover the mystery and find the child.
I always enjoy revisiting the repeating characters in Josie’s life…except for a character introduced in the last book, a new member of Josie’s team (I’m waiting for him to have his comeuppance!) Despite having had many travails in her life, Josie is a strong, capable, likable, although vulnerable, female protagonist. The fast paced mysterious plot has twists and turns; I spent the first half of the book wondering what the heck was going on it was so baffling.
If you like well written, character driver police procedurals/thrillers, check out this book/series.
What an incredible book. Normally I would say I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, however, the opposite is true. Without realizing it I read slower.This book is filled with a lot of little details that I could tell would be important to the book later. I read the book slower and carefully to pick up all the little clues. There are a lot of twists and turns. The author did an amazing job writing a book that had me so very engrossed in every little thing. I’ve never experienced reading a book and thinking through all that I was reading and analyze it. Reading this book was an amazing experience. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
This is an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you guessing. There is a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. There are some interesting characters, one of them extremely unlikable and an engaging plot. This book is part of a series but it could be read as a stand alone. I look forward to more books by this author. Thank you to netgalley for an advanced readers copy.
Why did it not surprise me the author had written another nail biting book? I suppose it's because this is an thumb and finger licking series and thus, as per usual, this story has you hooked once you start reading the first page.
I love the differences between Josie in work mode and Josie at home mode. She certainly is no domestic princess, but she is the queen once she enters the police station. She makes me smile with her clumsiness in the kitchen and makes me admire her with her expertise in crime solving.
The whole team is very lovable except for one person. It made me smile that Josie or Gretchen often had the same replies I would have given that person when giving some of their remarks. It was like we read each other's minds. ;)
There was another thing that did not change: me not guessing who the culprit was. :)
There is only one thing left for me to add: I cannot wait to devour the next installment. 5 stars
Thank you'
Josie is at it again. Book 20...This talented author keeps this story moving with secrets and red herrings. Realistic characters...mystery and intrigue...a real page turner. The story started with a vehicle accident...two women...was one a murderer or was she trying to save her friend? Curl up in a comfy chair on a rainy day...grab a comfy afghan...enjoy this page turner...Thanks Netgalley.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the copy of Her Dying Secret (Detective Josie Quinn Book 20). I’m always happy when there’s a new Joie Quinn book because the series is so darn good. You can read this one as a standalone, but if you do you’ll miss out on some deep character development that occurred over the last 19 books. Enough background is given so you won’t be completely lost though! I loved the insight into Josie and Noah’s lives, and I’m anxious to see what comes next. I hated Turner and I cringed every time he spoke. Hopefully we don’t see too much of him in the future. The main story didn’t grab me right away this time, but Regan's stellar writing kept me reading, and the ending was great.
Josie is called out on her day off to a routine traffic accident, which turns out to be a homicide. A woman has died, clutching a picture drawn by a child, with a message on the back.
The driver seems to have lost her memory, and claims that she does not know the passenger.
Josie and her team work out where the vehicle came from, and uncover a lot more than they expected.
I never get tired of Josie Quinn! Her character has changed a lot over the series, she is much softer now, but still a strong character. She has so much empathy for the victims of crime, and really does a great job of investigating.
Her team is more like family than colleagues, and their characters have been developed from the first book.
Unfortunately, one of the team died, and his death has left a huge gap in the fabric of their relationships.
I am hoping that Turner either shapes up or ships out, I really don't like his character, and he definitely does not fit in this close knit team.
The book is gripping, and very disturbing (how the heck does a small place like Denton become a magnet for killers and serial killers?????), and a page turner. I love Lisa Regan's style of writing, it flows beautifully.
This book, however, does have a particularly dark form of torture, which, while it did not end the life of the person, it was horrific.
I highly recommend this series, I have enjoyed each and every one from Book 1 to Book 20, and am already impatient for the next book!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.
Josie & gang are back for their 20th investigation. When a simple traffic accident ends up being more than simple, & a murder occurs, the ride begins. Everything is more than it seems with this one. Plus, the gang is not getting along with their new coworker, Turner. And, on top of that, Josie and Noah are trying to expand their family. Lots going one, but flow’s easily. Another good installment.
Another hit in this series! Josie is back in Denton and awaiting a home visit in order to adopt. She gets called to a car accident that gets stranger as time passes. As she and her co-workers put together the clues they receive there is lots of suspense. Sifting through so many of the lies they are told and determining they have been led astray you can feel how much each detective wants this case solved and the victims brought back safely. The author makes you feel like you are right there watching things happen. This book can easily be read as a stand alone even though it’s #20 in the series. To get the full back story consider reading from the first book. . I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
Every single time I open a Detective Josie Quinn book and step into Denton I’m simultaneously sucked in and scared about what I am going to find. Let’s be real it’s a wild place to live. 😉
This book was no different. From the start I was hooked. The evolution of Josie truly blows my mind. Her growth, heartache, doubts, drama…all of it is truly unputdownable and then you add in murder and mayhem and man what a read. I’ll be honest and say that I’m still feeling the loss of a certain character still. And that surprises me because I was never attached to him. But the dynamic of the loss is palpable and the replacement makes me want to scream. So as usual Lisa Regan nails it. Because she makes you feel all the feels with how she makes us love and hate certain characters. I also want to say that every single book I love Noah just a wee bit more.
I don’t do spoilers…I’m more about the feels. I will say that my mind kept saying who else was involved and as usual I was way off. And I love the way Josie’s mind works and how she is like a dog with a bone. I also love that those around her know this and accept it.
If you love crime thrillers and character development that is truly epic. This series is a MUST READ. Every single book is an escape and you can’t put them down…book 20 y’all. 20 books in a series and I’m still genuinely hooked. I can’t wait to see what is next. If you are a fan of Lisa Gardner, Karen Slaughter, Isabella Maldonado to name a few then add Lisa Regan to your list. Because she is a powerhouse in this genre.
As usual, Her Dying Secret by Lisa Regan throws you headfirst into Josie's chaotic life from page one. We all know that Josie is a compelling protagonist from the past twenty books. She's tough, smart as a whip, a fast thinker, and haunted by all the cases before this one, but she's still a woman in love with a man who wants to build a life outside of their stationhouse. That's exactly what she's trying to do when she catches the next big case in Denton. When two women are found in a car after an accident, one dead, the other injured, Josie does what Josie does best, she grabs the bone and refuses to let go, even though she's needed at home.
The woman's death is just the first complicated line of a very intricate story. The investigation takes Josie and her team, including the newest member, on a sordid tour of a very disturbed family tree. The moves of the killer is nothing compared to the strategic moves Josie makes the moment she discovers a child's life is at stake. Josie's biggest worry is that she won't make a good mother, but if she stood on the outside and looked in, she would see a woman who wants nothing more than to protect and nurture, something she sorely missed in her own childhood. You know who sees that in her? Her husband, and superior officer, Noah. This book really moves their relationship into that pinnacle place they will need to be in if their dreams of becoming parents are to come to fruition.
Before they can worry about booties and bottles, they have to worry about the bodies that are piling up. While Josie grapples with self-doubt, haunted by the ghosts of past investigations, and facing the less than complimentary replacement of someone who can never be replaced, her vulnerability makes her determination all the more powerful.
Lisa Regan has long rang the bell of being the queen of suspense, but what many don't know is her talent for precise and accurate police procedures that leave the reader on an edge of the cliff at the end of each chapter, making them desperate to flip the page. This case was cleverly constructed with red herrings (or were they? You never know with Lisa Regan!) and unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the very end when the case breaks and confessions are made.
Her Dying Secret tackles tough mental health issues and doesn't shy away from the affects mental illness has on families. For readers who enjoy a police procedural with a sharp, intellectual, but relatable detective at its core, this is a must-read. It's a gripping puzzle that will keep you turning the page until the conclusion of the case that will leave you saying, 'holy wow! I didn't see that coming!"
Her Dying Secret, and the Josie Quinn series as a whole, is perfect for fans of police procedurals with complex plots, unforgettable characters, and villains you'll love to hate. You'll also enjoy a touch of insight into the life of a detective coping with what she sees on the job, loses because of that job, and how it changes who she is at an elemental level. At the end of the day, Josie may get her man, but she goes home to one who has her back and wants nothing but to see her happy. You can't help but fall in love with a series like that. Congratulations, Ms. Regan, on introducing and growing such a complex character across twenty books while keeping us riveted to the pages time after time.