I have read all three of Nichols Severn's Leigh Brody books. 'The Killer She Knew' was another fast paced quick read to entertain me. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Wow! Nichole Severn can really pack a punch. This was absolutely packed with tension and thrills. A roller coaster ride that left my head spinning and my heartstrings tweaked. Fabulous cast of characters that kept me flipping pages long past my bedtime. Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley, Nichole Severn and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Criminal Minds meets Law and order and then had a baby! This was edge of my seat, fast paced, and thrilling. I could not put this down!

Go on a thrill ride with this gripping mystery. It absolutely blew me away. I wasn't sure about the contained setting but it was brilliant and pushed the tension through the roof. Leigh is a great character and I loved the ending. A great read!

Loved this book! Literally was is so much misery when I had to put it down I kept wanting more! I did end up guessing the twist after a while but was still shocked! This book was a 5 out of 5 for me!

The front cover of this book states "A Totally Addictive Crime Thriller". That is putting it mildly. I am still shaking my head, and trying to catch my breath.

FBI criminologist Leigh Brody gets herself in some messes with her brilliant brain. When a young woman's body is found at Leigh's alma mater, she gets the tingles. The crime scene looks just like one she saw when she was a student 18 years ago. She fears the worse because she gave the suspect in the first crime a false alibi. Now she feels responsible for allowing him to get away.

Now they are all stuck in a building on campus due to a hurricane with no power and no means of escape, all while she is quite sure the killer is still in the building. The method of killing is chilling and gave me goosebumps.

Intense does not even properly describe this gripping thriller. I was gritting my teeth the entire time. I would think I had the mystery solved, and then some new twist would throw me for another loop. Time ceased to exist as I read this book.

Leigh Brody is the real deal. If you are a criminal, you do not want for her to have you in her sights. She is feisty, observant and her intellect is off the charts. This series just gets better and better. Whew! Now I need a nap.

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

First time I have read anything from this author and I enjoyed the style of writing. It was fast paced with a good storyline. Plenty of suspense throughout. A bit of a rollercoaster ride. Only downside I guessed the bad guy. I would definitely read the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

A good, well written thriller, fast paced with action throughout. I liked the characters and the storyline has you second guessing. Highly recommended. I received an ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily..

If you enjoy a page turning, edge of your seat book this one is for you! Fans of Rachel Craine or Loreth Anne White will LOVE this series from Nichole Severn! Thank you to NetGalley, Nichole + My favorite publishing team over at Storm Publishing for the eARC!

What to expect:
⭐ Psychological thriller
⭐ Murder on a college campus brings up an 18 year cold case murder
⭐ Hurricanes + murders collide for an intense investigation
⭐ BAU and FBI Criminology at the center of the story
⭐ TW: Sexual Assault, murder, kidnapping, suicide and depression.

My Thoughts:
Whew... first I did not know this was a series and have not read the two previous books. While this can be read as a stand alone, there were things that lacked depth because I hadn't. The main character (leigh) has a "daughter" which is learned through I am assuming one of the previous books. She also has a lot of past trauma from a previous family incident involving kidnapping and murder that gets brought in to this story. Of which I am also assuming is from one of the earlier books in the series.

All that to say there are some gaps in the character story and development. Which I believe help us understand her more in her role in the FBI along with how she handles her job in active cases. The story is very well written and has A LOT happening. I won't lie I did skip several pages because I really thought at times too much was happening. The scene in the basement toward the end, too much going on in my opinion. There was also an earlier basement scene that also felt drawn out as well. There was a lot of people dying but no answers or help to be seen. Yes there was a hurricane but having worked on a college campus some of it was too hard to believe.

Overall, it was a fast read and it was at its base enjoyable. I like the main character and her relationship that is rebuilding/being built with her "daughter". I can't say I would have sought this series out on my own and would have much preferred knowing all the backstory from the start. I think this is something I really enjoy about Loreth Anne is that even if it's the next in the series she does a solid job connecting the pieces but allowing each book to stand alone. I would love to see that more in this series.

Synopsis:
When the body of twenty-one-year-old Alice Dietz is found in the courtyard of her alma mater, FBI agent Leigh Brody feels as though a nightmare has come to life. Eighteen years ago, another girl was killed in the same way as Alice. And Leigh gave a false alibi to protect the man she loved from murder charges. She believed his claim of innocence, until he vanished from her life…

Has he resurfaced after all these years?

Haunted by the mistakes of her past, Leigh is determined to uncover the truth. But as a hurricane cuts off all communication lines, another student goes missing, and the case becomes a desperate race against time. Leigh won’t let another girl down, even if she has to tear this campus apart in her search. But can she dig deep into her painful memories to find the final clue before another innocent life is lost?

Leigh Brody is a detective who is now investigating a murder that brings her back and makes her face the reality of her past.
Did she help a murderer?
Is someone targeting her?
How did she end up a mom?

This thriller will pull you in with twist after twist. It will lead you one direction and end in a shocking turn of events.

Recommended read.

The negative: it took me a little to get into, but it was worth the continuation.

THE KILLER SHE KNEW - I am sorry I missed the first two books of this series since this one is so well written. Hardly do I find suspense-filled scenes that have me hold my breath. This book had two, a slight hold and one major hold. The characters are well written, especially US Marshall Ford. Interesting and intriguing story lines with good dialog, and no hollywood garbage. Source: Netgalley. 5*

This suspenseful thriller had me hooked from start to finish. Leigh Brody's relentless pursuit of the truth, set against a storm-ravaged backdrop and the haunting shadows of her past, made it an unputdownable read. With emotional depth and expertly crafted twists, I couldn’t stop turning pages until the final reveal.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Nichole Severn for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

So much to unpack! This is the third in the Leigh Brody series. I loved the first one, mostly enjoyed the second, and now this. I raced through reading this, but there were some things that stood out to me that didn't quite gel. I never like to give spoilers, will try to be thorough in this review without spoilers!

Leigh Brody is sent to her alma mater, University of New Hampshire, to investigate the death of a student. The death is a replica of something that happened 20 years ago when Leigh was a freshman. At the time, Leigh's boyfriend, Dean, was the main suspect. But Leigh alibied him for the time of the crime- and this alibi was a lie. She is investigating with Federal Marshall Ford. To add to the tension, a hurricane is happening, and the students, faculty and Leigh and Ford are trapped in the building for the duration. Not only does the power go out, but they soon discover that all the wires have been cut. They are now cut off and having to investigate this crime, when others begin happening. Ford explains that he is here because he has been chasing this criminal for years. The suspect kills and takes over the identity of his victims, moving on towards some unknown goal, which seems to revolve around Leigh. Leigh has also brought her 15 year old adoptive daughter with her- so there are many things going on.

What worked:
1. Ms. Severn continues to be a master of creating dark, creepy, heart-pulsing atmosphere. I believe she really amped it up in this story!
2. I continue to be drawn to Leigh's character. She has so many ghosts, and is still working on them. However, we get to see her gain a bit more
self-realization in each book. This development is very realistic- sometimes heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking. But she is a character
that propels the story forward.
3. The investigation that is in the moment. It is very thorough, fast paced, and detailed. The tension and desperation of the characters can be felt
on every page.

My Struggles: These are my own struggles with the story. Many other readers felt the story was cohesive.
1. This story relies heavily on the past, and a murderer that takes over the identity of others. While the case in the present is fast paced, I struggled
with the overall concept. I think it is a great idea- but the detail that is given to the present is skimmed over for the past and the 20 year leadup
to this event. As they start figuring out what is happening- there is not a lot of information on how it was done so successfully. The main
suspect-we are given their thoughts on why he might be doing this- but no explanation of how he has successfully done this- for 20 years!!! I
felt like this could have been its own- very interesting book- that would lead up to this and make more sense. I had many eye rolling moments. I
do believe it is a good premise- but definitely needed to be fleshed out more.

2. The final reveal. When we find out who the culprit really is, I was not surprised. I had guessed this in the first third of the book because it
seemed so apparent (following similar trends in thrillers). However, this is where I had more eye-rolling. Leigh is this outstanding profiler, yet the
clues and conversations had with this character seemed so obvious. There is an instance when it was so obvious to me after she is rescued
from an attack.

So for the intensity and pace of the present case, I would give this a 4. However, with my struggles and what I felt was a disjointed approach without many details with the past, I am lowering my rating. I will still read the next one- because I want to see what happens with Leigh- I just hope that we stay in the realistic present!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A FBI serial killer case, The Killer She Knew (2025) by Nichole Severn is another Leigh Brody mystery. After decades away, FBI Profiler Leigh is sent back to her old Alma Marta, where once again a young student is found murdered. Similar to a killing years earlier, Brody’s alibi of a since disappeared suspect, comes back to haunt her. No knowledge of books in the series is required so this is a standalone review. A middling serial killer tale, with the requisite twists and turns, if somewhat dubious characters’ behaviour at times, makes for a three star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Storm Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Leigh Brody is an FBI agent who finds herself called back to her college campus in order to help investigate the murder of a student who was killed in the same way as another student 18 years earlier when Leigh was a student. Back then, Leigh gave a phony alibi to her boyfriend who was the prime suspect. Then he disappeared. Leigh seeks to discover if he has come back to commit this latest crime, and if indeed he was guilty of the earlier murder. When more bodies turn up, and a lockdown due to a hurricane cuts off all power and communication, Leigh is fighting to find answers, and to not become a victim herself.

I very much enjoyed the first two titles in this series, but this one, less so. The book starts off with a rebellious teenager creating multiple problems for Leigh who has recently adopted her. None of what happens with the girl is particularly pertinent to the rest of the story, and for that reason, it was a slow start to the point that I almost didn't finish the book. However, the pace picks up considerably later on and the ending was a complete surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Leigh Brody is a FBI agent, Alive Dietz found murder in a way that is linked to Leigh past. A thriller that brilliant builds.

Found this book a bit frustrating as it's stops and starts due to Leigh adopted daughter and history.

What a fantastic thriller - so fast paced - loved it

Never read this series from Nichole Severn but this book can be read standalone as I didn’t feel like I missed out. Great crime mystery, lots of complications and twists, lots of lies and what a great ending

Unputdownable - a must read for murder/ mystery fans . Definitely recommended

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing

This is a brilliant crime mystery series, I’ve read the other two and they seem to be getting better. FBI agent Leigh Brody is on another case, a young girl has been murdered on a college campus in New Hampshire. It’s fast paced, easy to read and the words flow. The author keeps you interested and makes the story a page turner. What a great ending too. A 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Leigh Brody is a high powered FBI agent with expertise in profiling and gut feelings. She now has a troubled 15 year old adopted daughter in tow as well. Dedicated to her work she does neglect said daughter and feels guilty about it. Then a dead girl is found at Leigh's old college where she herself suffered serious trauma 18 years ago. She gave false evidence about the death of another young woman and the potential killer went free. The killer seems to have struck again. Other murders seem to be linked and the conclusion is that the killer learns about the victims, turns themselves into the victim and does the deed. Added to this a hurricane ensures that everyone is locked in the school, tensions arise, there's romance (really?), there's guilt and more death. Predictable I'm afraid and certainly suspends belief at times. In addition, it's the third in a series and I think that the earlier ones would give a better background to, especially, Leigh's character. For me it was an ok read, but nothing more. Sorry. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This was the first book I read in this series and was instantly hooked. FBI Agent Leigh Brody’s past has seemingly come back to haunt her in the most suspicious of ways.

Without giving spoilers, when Leigh was in college, a young girl was murdered. Leigh and her then-boyfriend played a role, in one way or another. Almost 20 years later, another murder happens in the same way, which causes Leigh to question everything she thought she knew.

I love a good thriller and this book did not disappoint. I was piecing things together until the very end and I was surprised with how it all came together. There were a couple of chapters that I thought were unnecessary to the overall plot, but this was a great read.