I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Taken to the Grave by M.M. Chouinard Also by this author: The Dancing Girls, Her Daughter's Cry, The Other Mothers, Her Silent Prayer
Series: Detective Jo Fournier #2
Also in this series: The Dancing Girls, Her Daughter's Cry, The Other Mothers, Her Silent Prayer
Published by Bookouture on 19th September 2019
Genres: Crime
Pages: 330
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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When a girl’s body is discovered in a park in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Oakhurst, local detective Jo is shocked to the core. Because the girl is the second innocent victim to turn up dead in three days. And just like the first, a tarot card has been left by the body. The meaning of the card: betrayal.
After uncovering a series of threatening messages targeting the girl, a student at the university, and the first victim, her teacher, Jo thinks she’s locked the killer in her crosshairs. The primary suspect is a volatile ex-military student with an axe to grind for failing grades, and the frightened town is out for his blood. But the next day, a much-loved member of the community is found dead in her home, a tarot card in her mail. There’s no clear motive to link her death to the others, and the message on the card this time is even stranger: domestic bliss.
With a fourth body and card appearing the following day, Jo knows she’s running out of time to crack the code and bring the killer to justice. And the pressure only gets worse with heart-breaking news about Jo’s father forcing her to choose between helping her family heal or the victims’ families get justice. Can Jo find the twisted murderer sending the town into a panic before another life is lost? Or this time, will the dangerous killer find her first?
Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I enjoyed Dancing Girls so I really wanted to carry on with this series.
It was nice to see more of Jo’s personal life in this book. In the first book, we focus more on the crime and the procedural aspects and we saw very little of Jo’s personal life. In this book, we learn more about Jo’s childhood, past and family. Jo becomes a much more rounded character in this story. We learn why Jo is the way she is. I really felt for her, What happened in her past would affect anyone. It was really heartbreaking. I could see how it was going to play out. I was praying I was wrong but knowing deep down that wasn’t going to happen.
The beginning of this book was quite difficult to get into. There were a few too many suspects for me and I found it difficult to keep it all straight., At about 40% the pace does ramp up and I was then hooked. I didn’t work out the twist at all, it really took me by surprise.
I’ll be interested to see where the next book goes and to follow more of Jo’ personal life as the series continues.
About M.M. Chouinard
M.M. Chouinard’s first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them. She’s currently at work on her seventh novel.
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@bookouture Thank you so, so much for reading and reviewing!! I’m glad you enjoyed it ❤