CLOSE HER EYES

4 stars out of 5

No, no, no - not an ending I saw coming and decidedly not one I wanted to bring to a close the 17th installment of this very entertaining series. A few other surprises were in store near the end as well, but this one is a doozy.

Other than that observation, upon which I will not expand, I'll say that books in this series stand pretty well on their own, although I do think it helps to have read at least some of the others first (I've had seven on my Kindle in addition to this one). The focus is on Denton, Pennsylvania, Detective Josie Quinn and her very competent team. As this one begins, she's at home with her twin sister, Trinity Payne, Trinity's boyfriend Drake Nally (an FBI agent from the New York City Field Office) and her husband, Denton police Lt. Noah Fraley. After dinner, Josie gets a call from another of her team members, Finn Mettner, explaining that a woman's body has been found along nearby Kettlewell Creek.

During the initial inspection by Medical Examiner Dr. Anya Feist, it's discovered that the woman has a cattle brand on her hip - a horrifying sight that terrifies the good doctor for an equally horrifying reason: She's got an identical brand on her hip, inflicted by her former husband from whom she ran away to Denton (and has been on edge ever since wondering where and when he'll find her). Problem is, there's zero evidence tying Anya's ex-husband, or his equally mean father, who's somewhat incapacitated by a stroke, to the new murder. 

Trinity, a TV journalist who does stories on unsolved, or questionable, crimes, is in Denton to gather more information on a different case. When a second woman's dead body turns up - with that same brand on her hip - the action starts to heat up and, not unsurprisingly, so does suspicion that the story Trinity is working on has ties to the current murders. But suspicion isn't proof, so Josie and her team keep digging despite the threat - which too often extracts physical and mental tolls - until the exciting conclusion that includes that unforeseen, and most unwelcome ending. I have to say I enjoyed this one a teeny bit less than most of the others I've read, in large part because a little too much of it just seemed a little too contrived. But I'm also sure most fans of the series will love it (well, except for, you know...) As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Close Her Eyes by Lisa Regan (Bookouture, May 2023); 389 pp.