Category: Literary Criticism

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!

The second I finished The Vanishing Tree, I ordered this one on my iPad. I loved The Vanishing Tree and couldn’t wait to get my hands on another book by Griffin. I loved the balance of romance and murder mystery and I was eager to read more by her. I debated about reading another of her stand alone books but this series is fairly short (four books so far) and if I loved the series as much as the stand alone book, then I wanted to have more I could read.

I originally felt like the Tracer series was too long (I think there are 13 or 14 books in that series) and I wanted something that seemed manageable as far as series go. In my mind I was like ok if this series is good I can binge four books no problem and then move on to something else. Well that was BS if I ever heard it as I am currently done with this series and four books into the Tracers series!

I think what I love about Griffin’s books is there is this great, easy to follow romance to break up the murder and investigating. The focus really is the mystery though but the romances are believable and don’t feel like an add on after the fact. They are thought out and well done but also don’t eclipse or over take the mystery. It’s such a good balance and they make for quick easy reads which is just want I need in my life as the holidays ramp up!