Thank you to the author, MB Communications & Thomas Mercer #partner, for the advanced copy of Lost to Dune Road in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: April 16, 2024
Summary:
For a disgraced reporter, unraveling a conspiracy of murder could mean redemption in a powerful novel of suspense by the bestselling author of Out of the Ashes.
Reporter Lee Ellerin’s investigation into a young woman’s unsolved murder gained national attention—only for her to lose everything due to a tragic mistake. After being publicly ridiculed for causing a suspect’s death, Lee is forced to leave her career behind.
Five years later, pregnant college student Amanda Hartley lies in a coma. The police say she attempted suicide, but the details don’t add up. Where is the father? Who was paying for Amanda’s Manhattan penthouse? Why did Amanda have a note with Lee’s name in her backpack? There’s also one alarming coincidence: Amanda was last seen on Dune Road in the Hamptons—where the murder victim in Lee’s previous investigation disappeared.
As she’s pulled back into the still-unsolved case that destroyed her career, Lee sees the chance to amend the mistakes of her past. But finding a killer and unearthing Amanda’s secrets sends her down a darker path than she has ever walked before.
My thoughts:
I first discovered Kara Thomas last year with her debut adult thriller, Out of the Ashes. I was thrilled to see she had another adult thriller and that it was set on Long Island this time!!!
This is another dark, gritty thriller that kept me captivated the entire time. It involves a cold case that is connected to a current mystery, and cold cases just happen to be my one of my favorite tropes in the thriller world and I loved how this plays out. It really kept me guessing as to what would happen next. It is a very tense and suspenseful read, and I felt all the characters were not only so well-crafted but also had me on edge – you just didn’t know who you could trust.
I loved Lee, the main protagonist. Despite all that had happened to her, now a blacklisted journalist turned PI, she didn’t let that stop her from finding out that answers that still haunted her from all those years ago. Little did she know when she takes a case about the girl in the coma that she would uncover so much more.
This book has a ripped-from-the-headlines feel to it, giving it a true-crime feel. There is almost a procedural element to it, mixed with the unsolved murders and all the corruption. And let’s not forget the settings – moving between The Hamptons and NYC, this one oozes atmosphere! There were many unexpected twists and turns, and I definitely did not see that ending coming! It was more than satisfying.
If you like dark, gritty reads with a strong female character, then definitely pick this one up when it releases on April 16th!
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