Wow, a murder mystery with 2 lesbian main characters. Nice for a change from all the romance themes. This was also different because it centers around a recovering alcoholic, (Nicky) that manages a recovery home for women AND she is an ex-detective. Nicky's life is pretty depressing, the recovery home is pretty depressing and the murders are very sad. The bright spot is Nicky's renewed relationship with Quinn, her old police partner and her new romance with Parker.
The romance is very early in the story but helpful to counter the depressing theme. Sex scenes are "fade to black" but you get the idea.
I guessed the identity of the killer very early, so of course I kept cringing when Nicky made wrong moves. And she makes many. I'm not sure why Parker is attracted to her. Nicky appears to have no ambition or self esteem.
The last chapter is very exciting and the "6mos later" chapter was predictable and a relief.
I'm in hopes that there is a sequel. Nicky and Parker are interesting characters and I would like to see their characters and life together developed further.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read this author before and had a hard time getting into the story. I found that I didn’t really enjoy the writing style or the dialogue. Probably would not try this author again.

I was drawn in by the premise of the plot line, but I really came to love these characters while absolutely despising what happens on their way to a HEA. Needless to say, I kept rooting and praying on the edge of my seat. Every action and reaction kept me in anxious anticipation. A thriller with less than perfect characters but perfect for each other. An enjoyable read, indeed. Thank you to the author, BSB publisher, and NetGalley for the advance read in exchange for an honest review.

Totally gripping sapphic crime story, featuring an ex police officer and recovering alcoholic who runs a half way house for women coming out of rehab, when a serial killer starts targeting women thrown out of such houses who relapse. Nicky Sullivan is a compelling character, flawed for sure but also with a strong sense of what's right. The other characters are also well written and offer plenty of options as to who the murderer could be. Read in an afternoon as I couldn't put it down.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about Nicky Sullivan who is a recovering alcoholic and an ex police detective. She’s working in a woman’s recovery house supervising women in the program.

One of her women is found murdered after Nicky was forced to remove her by her mean and conniving boss - Gerri. From the start this book kept me interested because of the well defined characters and the who done it mystery.

About half way through I guessed who the murderer was but still the fast pace and possible subjects made it interesting. I felt the insta love with Parker was a bit unrealistic but ok since it was a side story.

Nicky was a very troubled person and carried guilt for an accidental shooting that she committed while still on the police force.
I had to give her credit for her sobriety with all that happened.

I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

ARC received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.

Former Homicide Detective Nicky Sullivan must dust off her investigative skills when a woman at the half way house she oversees is murdered after being expelled by Nicky's boss for theft.

Nicky called her old partner and meets the beautiful Parker, a current cop whom Nicky develops a reluctant interest in

Oddly written mystery. The plot thread involving theft at the half way house is set up then dropped, the culprit is revealed to the reader when it would have made a good red herring...

I did like the conclusion, and I thought the culprit made sense. Overall, not bad.... 3 1/2 stars out of 5..

I’ll give the book a solid okay. It came in strong and lost steam midway through. The good points - the story was multidimensional and real. The main character was not refined and perfect. She was raw with real struggles, insecurities and vulnerabilities. It added to the dark plot and made her incredibly likable. It was a definite underdog story. Okay, moving on to the cons - there were two story lines happening at the same time. I assume they were there to show the struggle and chaos in the main characters life, but they never really merged together in the end and it felt unfinished. Then there was the romance. Or better, the lack there of. There just wasn’t much chemistry in that department. I don’t think sex needs to make the book, but I need more than someone just saying the characters had a connection to believe it.

Nikki is a former policewoman who is now a manager of a rehab home for addicts. She is also a recovering alcoholic. I found the character good and the plot really held my interest. Nikki is accused of being a serial killer while also dealing with a dishonest boss. I recommend this book for all readers.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it very much. The writing was well done and the characters were likable,

4⭐️
Nicky Sullivan runs one of Chicago's homes for women with addiction problems, mostly alcohol or drugs. In a past life, Nicky was a good homicide detective until alcohol became her best friend and she quit her job after a fatal shooting. After getting into rehab and living in a sober home herself, and doing a lot of self-reflection, she now regrets many of her actions under the influence of alcohol. She has been sober for five years, and she knows it will be a daily struggle to stay sober. The battle is all the greater when a serial killer strikes and each victim has a connection to Nicky. But she is determined not only to stay sober but also to find the killer. She reconnects with her former partner Quinn, who, with his new partner Parker, is assigned to this case. Together they try to track down the murder.

The plot is well developed and the tension increases more and more. Nicky feels guilty as she is the only link between the victims, and this makes her very uncomfortable. As the three of them work together, Parker and Nicky grow closer, which is actually an impossible situation. But feelings are not so easy to control. The author deals with this situation in a relatable and good way.

Nicky is a very interesting character who has made many mistakes and destroyed her career in the police force with her drinking. But she has her heart in the right place, she takes good care of the women entrusted to her in the sober living home, and fights for their well-being even against her boss.

The story is a good combination of suspense and murder chase, mixed with a budding love affair. That the romance takes the backseat in this story is OK, otherwise it wouldn't be realistic. The way Nicky deals with her feelings and the fact that she feels on shaky ground is also understandable because her relationship track record is more than lousy. The feelings of guilt towards the victims and the fear of potential victims are almost overwhelming.

Also, Quinn and Parker are a good addition of characters. I hope to see more of them, and as the subtitle, A Nicky Sullivan Mystery, suggests that this is the beginning of a series, I'm already looking forward to the next episode with the three of them.

When Nicky Sullivan was young she always pictured herself being a police officer and when she left the department she was a homicide detective. She had become the very person she tried to help but the alcohol call was very loud and convincing. Not wanting to quit her drug of choice she fell deeper into the hole of alcoholism. Finally she got help in rehab where she learned to control the cravings but in reality the crave was still there, meaning every day was a struggle. Finally getting a job being a resident manager in a sober living home she felt she was someplace where she could help others quit.
When money goes missing from her boss, a very disagreeable person made it Nicky’s job to find out what happened. Everyone said they had nothing to do with the theft. She believed them. Her boss Gerri thought she was trying to cover for someone else but Nicky also knew Gerri wasn’t there to help. She had her own plans and helping a bunch of drunks wasn’t high on her list.
It’s when Nicky meets up with her old partner Quinn on the force that things really revved up. Murders were happening and everyone of the victims had a connection so when Quinn brought his new partner Parker along a whole lot of things were changing. Dealing with feeling wasn’t something Nicky felt she could handle.
Ms Laughlin tells us this is the first book in a series following Nicky’s life. I’m looking forward to reading them. I have a feeling this series will be very welcomed, especially to those of us who love a good mystery. Simply put a wonderful read. Very, very enjoyable read. ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

This is the second book I've read by this author and she never disappoint s. I really like the writing style and the characters are always well written. Nikki is an ex cop who's five years sober running a house for women with substance abuse issues. Most everything is going along well and then the murders start and they seem to be connected to her and this is where the story becomes interesting. This is a murder, crime mystery story with a bit of romance thrown in. Its fast past and very thrilling. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

My first thought when I finished this book was delight that it says "A Nicky Sullivan Mystery, 1" on the cover as I’m already looking forward to book two! Ms Laughlin introduces us to a hero with so many flaws she needs a u-haul to carry them along with her. She’s an ex-homicide detective who fell too deeply in love with alcohol. She’s 5 years sober and managing a clean living house. Managing a herd of feral cats more like. But Nicky wants to create an atmosphere where the women can support each other and get clean. She would find it easier to achieve that if her b***h of a boss would back off. But boss Gerri has a ton of problems too…

Then the murders start and continue. And all the dead women have some link to Nicky. She reaches out to her old detective partner and then also meets his new partner. Parker is a beautiful woman who ignites something in Nicky. But she’s not sure how to deal with her feelings when she’s fully sober. And then there’s all these murders.

The writing is tight and the characters well developed. The plot races along as the catastrophes pile up, till at the end you’re almost breathless. The ending is satisfying and I’m definitely picking up the next one which I hope Ms Laughlin is busy writing.

Recommended if you like flawed but self aware lead characters and a push/pull romance with a happy ending.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

I enjoyed this book a lot. I loved the authors style of writing and the characters development. I think Anne did an excellent job with this murder mystery. Well done!

Thank You Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I look forward to more of the authors books, I thoroughly enjoyed they're writing style, story telling and character development. You have Nicky a former police office who now manages sober living house while also being a recovering alcoholic, When former residents start being killed and a pattern starts forming things link back to Nicky, then enters her former partner Quinn and his new partner Joanne Parker. While Nicky "works" with Quinn and Parker hunt and track a serial killer, she's also trying to clear her name and keep her job, and then add in an expected attraction to Parker, her plate becomes quite full but she try's to balance everything as best as she can on top of maintaining her own sobriety with everything that's happening. This book was an amazing crime fiction/ psychological thriller. I look forward to the other books that could come from this series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Anne Laughlin, and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC.

Nicky is a ex cop who now runs a home for women with addictions. As she tries to keep the home open she has trouble with her boss who isn’t really trying to help and making things more difficult for her. When she has to kick a women who is falsely accused of stealing she gets murder as Nicky is devastated by it she decides to turn to her ex partner Quinn and his new partner Parker who surprisingly she becomes attracted to. As she gets help she investigates and learns there been more murders that seems to be connected to her will she be able to solve it before another victim and will she let Parker in despite her being a work in progress. I enjoy this read I like the mystery but I did figure out who the killer was look forward to next book with this character if it’s a series.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦: ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ. ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ. ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀꜱ. ᴘꜱʏᴄʜɪᴀᴛʀʏ. ʀᴇʜᴀʙ. ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ/ᴅʀᴜɢꜱ. ʟᴀᴅʏ ᴋ.

I still don't know how this is going to be series but I am intrigued. I was mainly intrigued by the synopsis and cover. The plot is heartfelt and very real so it was not hard to follow. The emotions and chemistry between the main characters was a little bit thin but their connection to the circumstances that brought them together had authentic feelings that I am sure that if this is going to be a series, I might grow fond of them. The book is very plot focused so there are next to no sweet moments. And I have to say, I was so mad when we found out who was murdered first. That poor woman and the others as well, of course.


𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

I really enjoyed this book. Nicky is a former police officer and a recovering alcoholic who runs a house for people with addiction issues.
People unfortuntely start to missing and police get involved as bodies start to turn up. There is also Nicky's personal life to deal with too which brings back memories.
The author deals with the subject well. Would like to read more from this author.

First book by this author and I found it very engaging and well written if you like a mystery/suspense novel as the romance is not prominent in this story.

Nicky Sullivan is the resident manager of a sober house and has been sober herself for five years. After she left the police force because of an accident and her drinking, she is barely getting by, but is afraid to try for more until residents that relapse are being killed and Nicky is determined to find out who the killer is with the help of her old partner, Quinn and his new partner, Parker who Nicky feels an instant attraction too.

Despite figuring out who the killer was before the end of the book, this was still very good and kept me interested until I finished it. I didn't care for Gwen's POV as it didn't really move the story forward. I would have liked the killer's POV over Gwen's, but the author did do a good job for making Gwen a bitch.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

nicky is a recovering alcoholic but she is also a manager at a sober living home and has 10 women there trying to stay sober

she is a good manager but has some regrets in her life..one being her detectives badge she gave up... but life is for living and staying sober but when the first body shows up stabbed through the heart and its one of the women that has just been kicked out of her home unjustly nicky is hoping the killer will be found quickly

but as more bodies show up and with them being other alcoholics there seems to be a pattern forming and its drawing attention to nicky herself..

time is running out for nicky can she find the killer before anymore are being killed

this one was an interesting read that kept you guessing right to the end... interesting concept....