Category: Book Critic

Raise your hand if you have turned on Law and Order SVU while folding laundry in the morning on a Saturday, only to look up and find it’s 10:00 pm and you literally have no idea where the time went? I love binge watching Law and Order SVU. If I start an episode though (even if I’ve seen it already!) I’m done for and nothing gets done except a binge session of my favorite on screen detectives. I think one of the things that really appeals to me about LO SVU is the hints of personal life of the detectives and the fast paced twisted mystery. Reading Griffin’s books is like binge watching LO SVU!

Griffin’s books all have that glimpse into the personal lives of the characters while still having the focus on the mystery. This mystery is extremely complex and dark. I was fully creeped out and couldn’t WAIT to read it at every opportunity! I loved the mystery so much. I had no idea where it was going but I was fully on board with it. Female readers—-I was so creeped out that I was checking my locks and making sure no one was following me every time I went to the grocery store! LOL. I was so invested in this one for that reason alone—-its relatability for female readers. This book was every woman worst nightmare—-some one slipping you a date rape drug, peeping in your windows, following you home. Yeah I checked my door A LOT!

I will say the romance in this one sort of took a back seat which was surprising. In the previous book we meet Troy who is kind of billed as this man whore in the first book, so in this book I was surprised at how quickly his character fell for Elaina. I expected a bit more romance in this one but then at the same time, I found that the mystery was so complex and had so many layers that I was really focused on that and didn’t care if the romance was more scant in this one.

I featured this one on my blog last spring. My number one hold out when I was pitched this book was time and the fact that this was the third book in an established series. I was worried that I would be lost in the series so I decided to just do a feature instead. Holy moly do I wish I had read these books sooner! They can absolutely be read out of order and they are fully binge worthy so even if you read one you might find yourself reading them all (like me!) because they are all just so good and fast paced.

I can see why Griffin has such a big fan following. It’s rare to find a suspenseful murder mystery that’s twisty AND has a good romance at its core. In my experience I haven’t been able to find a book like this. I love romantic suspense but often it’s heavy on the romance and light on the mystery but not so with Griffin’s books. They are just so balanced and I can’t say enough good things about all of her books that I’ve read so far. I’m currently four books into her Tracers series and already worried about what I am going to read next to fill the void so if anyone has recommendations let me know!

This book had a very twisty and dark murder at it’s core and I actually found myself double checking my locks at night just to be sure. This was a very suspenseful read and I personally felt like this was the most suspenseful in the series overall. I loved how Griffin kept readers on their toes with this book—-so well done! And you better believe I have the next book on my preorder!

I am cursing through this series in a matter of days and have already pre-ordered the fourth book which will be out in the spring of 2023. I have really enjoyed Griffin’s books and I am fully invested in reading all of her books before the year is out at this rate! I think I read this one in a day as well! Her books aren’t short either. They each run about 400 pages and within that 400 pages we have to have a believable romance, a complex mystery, and a resolution. That’s a tall order but Griffin absolutely delivers on a regular basis!

This one is probably my favorite in the series so far. The main characters felt older to me like later 30’s and I felt like I could relate to Miranda more than I could Bailey in the first book. Joel also felt older and more mature—-less hot head male ego and more thoughtful brooder. I also thought the mystery was really well done in this one and I enjoyed deciphering the clues!

If you are looking for a well done murder mystery, then look no further than Griffin’s books. Literally start anywhere with any of her series and you will be totally fine. Years ago I binged the Kay Scarpetta books and that’s what this reminds me of. Good solid characters with a twisted mystery! I love these books and cannot wait to share my thoughts on them with you guys!