This is the 5th book that I’ve read by Shannon Hollinger and it was good, but I found it slow in parts which made it hard for me to stay completely invested in the plot. I will continue to read her books though because overall, I love them.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
I have not read all of the Chief Maggie books but have enjoyed the ones I read. I think this book can be read as a standalone as it was for me. This book kept me engaged and wanting to see what was going to happen next.
I would recommend it to others.

Fantastic. It’s a dual pov and follows Maggie who is chief of police and her fiancé. The case a home explosion where the victim has already been presumed dead for 20years. Great thriller

I couldn’t put this book down. The dual mysteries—Steve’s search for the truth about the night Wesley killed and buried their college acquaintance, and Maggie’s unsolved but seemingly connected murders—had me hooked. It reminded me a lot of Harlan Coben’s books, where you have no idea how all the scattered pieces will come together. I was eager to see how everything would finally click into place. The writing was strong and easy to read, which made the journey even more enjoyable.

But then… the ending. I didn’t even realize it was the ending. I kept expecting more, only to realize the story was over—just like that. It was frustrating and unsatisfying, to the point that I thought it ruined the book.

Part of a series,best read in sequence. A twisted story of abandonment and revenge with plenty of twists.

The Day She Died is the 5th book in the Chief Maggie Riley series by Shannon Hollinger. This book can easily be read as a standalone mystery or enjoyed as part of the series!

This book was filled with so many twists and turns, and when you think everything is wrapped up, it keeps going! This is a fast read and was so good!!! Intense does not even begin to describe this! Wow!!!

I absolutely loved the characters! Chief Maggie Riley is fascinating! I can't wait to get to know her more in the future books.

If you are looking for a book that that you won't be able to put down, this is it! I know I'll be coming back to this series for more!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Day She Died (Chief Maggie Riley Book 5) by Shannon Hollinger
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: April 14, 2025

Chief Maggie Riley has a full plate with a wedding to plan and her fiancé Steve trying to absolve himself of a crime from the past. When she is called to investigate a suspicious trailer home, Maggie arrives just in time to see the place explode, barely escaping unscathed. After the fire is extinguished, they discover a female body that is identified as a woman who supposedly died years ago. Maggie and her team begin to investigate the strange case that somehow involves her beloved administrative assistant and friend. The case becomes more and more complicated, while Maggie must attend her bachelorette party. Meanwhile, her fiancé is in his hometown to find the burial place of the young woman his best friend killed when they were younger. Desperate to find answers, he attempts hypnosis treatment that leaves him more confused and frightened than he was. It is a race against time for Maggie and a race against the past for Steve as they both seek answers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of The Day She Died by Shannon Hollinger.
Another great read from Shannon featuring Chief of Police Maggie Riley.
When Maggie is called to a suspicious meth lab, the last thing she expects is for it to blow up in front of her.
With 3 dead bodies she needs to find out if this is accidental or murder. When it turns out that one of the deceased had already been declared dead 20 years ago. Maggie has to decide who she can trust.
There are a couple of hooks in the story to keep you reading, but I'm not sure they are needed as the story line is good enough without them,

It has been a while since I have read the previous book so I was a little discombobulated with the back stories (personal and profession) of Maggie and Steve. That took me a little bit to get organized in my head. I did enjoy the story and investigative sequence which revolved around domestic abuse. There are a lot of characters to keep track of which I had some difficulty because I could only read in short spurts. I don’t remember if this was an issue for me in the previous book, but I did find both Steve and Maggie very angsty. Sometimes to the point where I wanted to shake both characters. While Maggie solves her case, Steve’s investigation into a past transgression is still unresolved.

This was my first time reading a book by Shannon Hollinger, and I absolutely loved it! Even though I haven’t read the first four books in the series, I had no trouble following the story, and now I’m eager to go back and read them all.

Hollinger’s writing is captivating, with a fast-paced, page-turning plot and well-developed characters. The character growth and backstory buildup were especially well done, making the story even more immersive.

The book follows Chief Maggie Riley, who is preparing to marry her fiancé, Steve. However, before they can start their new life together, they must come to terms with past. Steve returns to his hometown to confront his own history, while Maggie finds herself entangled in the most complex case she’s faced in Coyote Cove yet.

It all starts with a call about the smell of rotting eggs—an odor often linked to meth labs. When Maggie arrives at the address, an explosion erupts within seconds, and the charred remains of a body land on her car. As forensics and fire investigators dig deeper, more bodies are uncovered, including the remains of a woman who was believed to have died 20 years ago.

What follows is a gripping and unpredictable mystery, packed with twists that keep you turning the pages, desperate to uncover the truth. I highly recommend this book—and the entire series! I’ll definitely be going back to read it from the start.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book #TheDaySheDied by #ShannonHollinger. This is the fifth book on the Maggie Riley series and it’s just as amazing as the other four. Shannon is a favorite author of mine and I love her writing style. I will be patiently waiting on book six. Maggie and Steve’s wedding date is just around the corner and while Steve is taking care of some personal business back home, Maggie is in the middle of a dangerous case. Ruby Anderson, who has been presumed dead for 20 years, was a victim in a house explosion. How can that be when she died years ago. Was she hiding for some reason. This is a definite must read!

I read the first two books of this series through netgalley and then for some reason was denied the next two. I requested this one because I enjoyed the first books and reviewed them highly, and figured I knew the characters well enough to jump back into the series. That wasn’t really the case, and it felt like turning on a soap opera after missing a year. I couldn’t really connect with all the angst going on with Steve when I had no idea what was going on and it was hard to care when I just wanted a fresh mystery. I’m sure it will be a great read for folks who have read the first 4 books and enjoy that ongoing saga.

This is such an addictive series, and I've been super lucky to have read all books so far in the series by ARC. So when book #5 landed in my inbox, it went straight to the top of my TBR pile, and I dove straight in.

Chief Maggie Riley is a force to be reckoned with. Extremely independent and still healing from past trauma, she's now into her 5th year of being the Police Chief of Coyote Cove. Maggie heads up the unit with her Deputy Kal and office manager Sue.

In book #4 we saw Maggie's fiance Steve heading off to try and put to bed some major issues he hadn't faced from his past, in this installment, Steve is still trying to come to terms with these issues but by delving deeper is he digging himself a hole that is too far away from Maggie to be able to reach him?

Maggie receives a call reporting a smell of rotting eggs, an odour associated with meth laboratories. She drives out to the address given to witness, within seconds, an explosion. The charred remains of a body landing on her car bonnet.

When the forensics and fire departments arrive to investigate, more bodies are found. Including the remains of a woman who supposedly died 20 years previously.

Without going into any details and ruining it for everyone, this is a book that needs your full attention. So much is going on, you wont take a breath. It is a full on rollercoaster ride that twists, turns, and throws you around at lightning speed.

I must admit, this is the first in the series that I slightly struggled with. Not with the plot, or writing style, purely the number of characters to try and keep up with along with the two storylines running alongside each other. It took me a long while to grasp the characters, but I still felt a little rattled at the end (maybe im getting old 😕)

I would HIGHLY recommend reading the series from the beginning if you haven't already. This is definitely one that needs reading from the very start, or you'll be scratching your head the whole way through.

Overall, a fantastic read. Superb plot, high octane pacing, and amazing characterisation. Roll on book #6.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

I really enjoyed revisiting Maggie Riley, the town, and the other characters. I really enjoyed seeing how the case played out. Shannon Hollinger always delivers a palpable and fast paced plot that leaves you guessing until she is ready to deliver the blows of what happened.

If you love a crime suspense novel with a strong female lead, then this book is for you. I would recommend to any fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan and Wendy Dranfield.

Another excellent novel in this engaging series set in a small New England town. Chief Maggie Riley has personal and professional difficulties to deal with - and that's before the latest series of murders in Coyote Cove.

Maggie witnesses an explosion in a meth lab - but is there more to this that meets the eye? Her suspicions grow when one of the victims is identified as a woman though dead for twenty years. Maggie is forced to look long into the past - and in the process to doubt one of her few true friends.

Meanwhile Steve is off seeking to resolve issues from his past, revealed at the end of book 4. The relationship between the two is difficult - and their wedding is fast approaching. Just something more for Maggie to worry about.

The Day She Died operates on several levels and is filled with action and intrigue. It's very much an episode in a series and reading the preceding novels is essential to understand the nuances of the many recuring characters. But Maggie Riley is a complex and principled character who is worth getting to know.

Grips like a vice and twists like a rollercoaster. Impossibly clever. Impossible to put down!
It was really hard for me to put this book away. I pulled an all-nighter to finish reading it.

This is the Author's fifth book in featuring Police Chief Maggie Riley
Whilst I enjoyed the premise of the story whereby a body found in a burnt
out trailer is that of a person thought long deceased and the ensuing
investigations I found that Maggie was a character that really did not sit
well with me - she is so full of angst , wanting to do everything herself even
though she has a great deputy in Kal , suspecting one of her few friends is
hiding information from her wears her down . I think perhaps to understand Maggie and also
her fiancé Steve and their backstories better I would need to read the previous books first
I was left feeling quite frustrated with them both - just what did Steve tell the psychoanalyst
in his regression therapy session to cause such a reaction in her and what are the implications
for both of them that firstly Maggie found "that" photo in the fire debris and Steve found
a piece of Maggie's uniform in a grave that should have held the body of a young woman
I am not sure that this series is for me unless ,as I said before , reading the previous books
fills in a lot of the backstory and explains there actions/behaviours .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Rubys body is found in a burnt trailer but what is shocking is she supposedly died 20 years ago. They say she died in a kayak accident but the autopsy shows she never drowned. Her body was never found. Was she running from something, hiding??
Chief Maggie digs for answers that someone doesn’t want found.
A great crime thriller!

The Day She Died is the fifth book in the Chief Maggie Riley series, and even though it’s the first one I’ve read, I was instantly hooked. The author creates an unsettling atmosphere that lingers throughout the story, with short, fast-paced chapters that kept me turning pages. Maggie is a complex, relatable protagonist, grappling with her past while determined to uncover the truth. Her sharp instincts and emotional depth made me root for her, and I enjoyed seeing how her personal challenges intertwined with the case. The writing is vivid and immersive, with just the right balance of tension, action, and character-driven moments. Themes of trust, betrayal, and long-buried secrets add emotional weight without slowing the suspense. The twists are surprising yet believable, making me rethink everything I thought I knew as the story unfolded.

Some elements I enjoyed include the small-town setting filled with hidden dangers, Maggie’s determination to protect her community, and the mystery's layered complexity. There’s a great mix of crime-solving, moral gray areas, and the lingering impact of past choices. Overall, I’d recommend The Day She Died to readers who enjoy crime thrillers with strong, flawed characters, atmospheric tension, and unexpected twists. I’m excited to go back and read the first four books to see how Maggie’s story began! 📖💜

I really enjoy these characters. This was dark and gritty and had a unique plot. This series is a great one to invest in. Twists and turns and a wild left swing at the end. A solid read