User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
SEE HER DIE by Melinda Leigh is the second book in the Bree Taggert romantic suspense/police procedural series and the second book that I have read by this author. This is largely a police procedural / crime thriller with the hint of a romance to come. This book takes place a couple of months after the end of the first book in the series and three weeks after Bree becomes the sheriff of Randolph County in upstate New York. In book two she is called to a shooting at Grey Lake campground. However, there is no victim, no blood and no shooter to confirm the allegations of the sole witness. Once again, Bree calls former investigator Matt Flynn and his K-9 for help. What is going on? Was there really a shooting or is the witness lying?
Bree and Matt are both sympathetic characters that you can root for. They definitely have flaws and virtues and their goals are clear and influence the plot. Their motivations seem believable. The secondary characters add some growth and dimension in book two and the relationships between the characters were believable and not contrived. The storyline is engaging, suspenseful, and includes some very tense scenes. Themes include balancing work, family and other relationships, homelessness, murder, ridiculing others, PTSD, dealing with grief and much more.
Overall, this is an excellent book that has twists, tension, red herrings, relatable characters and a winter setting in a largely rural and small town county. If you are expecting a lot of romance or instant love in this novel, it is not there. If you are expecting a solid series that will have mysteries, suspense, crime, action, and eventually some romance, then this is a series that I can recommend. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. This was a solid 4 star read for me.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks go to Goodreads and Amazon Publishing and Melinda Leigh for the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Rating: really liked it
See Her Die was a great follow up to
Cross Her Heart with an intriguing plot and some fun crossover with two of the author's other series.
One of the first big cases in her job as the new sheriff sees Bree Taggert called out to a shooting in a closed campground. But when she arrives there's no shooter, no victim, and no evidence someone was shot outside of a lone witness. So Bree calls in former deputy Matt Flynn and his K-9 Brody to track the killer, but the trail the pair follows leads them to the body a different victim, a missing university student. And when more students go missing only to turn up dead, Bree must find the link between the cases and catch a killer before her witness becomes his next victim.
The plot in
See Her Die was really interesting, particularly the shooting at the start where there's no evidence it happened outside of the witness. When bodies of unrelated victims start turning up, things only got more interesting from there. It's clear there's something far more sinister going on than anyone expected. The book has chapters from the killer's point of view which allows us insight into the crimes that Bree doesn't have. I enjoyed watching Bree work to link the crimes and it was nice to see Matt and the deputies following different leads than Bree's. The ending of the book is suspenseful with just the right amount of action and I was happy with the way everything wrapped up.
Bree continues to be an excellent main character. Taking over as sheriff has definitely been more challenging than Bree expected and I'm looking forward to seeing how she adapts to the position. Matt continues to be an interesting character and I like that Bree brought him on as an investigator. The two work really well together and I'm interested to see how their relationship develops, both personally and professionally. This book once again only has the barest hint of romance in it, so readers looking for a more suspense/mystery type book should be happy with this one.
Some of the side characters in this book are ones from the author's other series, Stella Dane from the
Scarlet Falls series and Morgan Dane from the
Morgan Dane series. While Morgan only has a brief appearance in the book, Stella appears frequently as a case she's investigating is mixed up with Bree's case. It was great getting to see some familiar characters and I hope to see them pop up again in future books.
Overall
See Her Die was an amazing read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series,
Drown Her Sorrows, when it releases early next year.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Rating: really liked it
I was surprised to see Melinda Leigh’s ratings were consistently higher than my former faves Louise Penny and Tana French, so set about to see why. With Leigh’s first book so far in the past, I expected more, so ‘disappointed’ describes my initial reaction.
See Her Die seemed so elementary with a simple, easy writing style, straightforward vocabulary, occasional profanity and shallow characters. Tension was so-so. The story arc moved at a nice pace with a coherent plot development, including a look at numerous criminal elements: burglary, kidnapping, and murder. There were helpful explanations about police procedural, and a good exploration of motives, opportunities, and modus operandi. A bit of romance was thrown in for good measure. Dog lovers find their needs met. The female conflict of career vs family is obvious and there are the usual references to kids having had a lousy upbringing. To top things off, Leigh addresses the social issues of bullying, privilege, and mental issues in the workplace. Despite all this, I felt the book itself lacked depth.
I was offended, at age 72, by the gratuitous stereotype of the older office manager, Marge, who wore a cardigan and looked after feeding and nurturing everyone like a mother hen, or the house that looked like it should belong to an old lady in England or the treatment of Eli’s grandmother. Sheriff Bree is endowed with exaggerated grit, physical strength and prowess plus the stress of job and home duties while Matt is a handsome hunk of endearing personality. Of these two characters, there will be more to come.
In conclusion, Leigh must have a fan base that desires a leisurely read to pass the evening, requires little reasoning, not a lot of logic or deep thought, and is, at best, relatively uncomplicated.
And why not? Not everyone wants hard-boiled, urban law and order conflicts, or the mind-bending of a twisted psychological thriller or the puzzle of an Agatha whodunnit.
Well done, Ms. Leigh. Keep up the great work.
My initial hesitation and criticisms soon gave way to the enjoyment of Bree’s character and the storyline. She has a new one coming, Dead Against Her, which I am looking forward to seeing in our library.
Rating: really liked it
A homeless girl sees her friend shot by, but when the police show up there’s no sign of a body or evidence of a shooting. A woman reports her grandson missing to the police. More teenagers begin disappearing only to reappear dead. Who is the killer? And are Bree and Matt in danger as they attempt to solve multiple murders?
Bree Taggert, who was a homicide detective in Philadelphia, has just moved to Grey’s Hollow in upstate New York to become sheriff and raise her recently orphaned niece and nephew. She begins to clean up the department that had, until recently, been run by a corrupt sheriff. Understaffed and thin on deputies that Bree knows she can trust, she reaches out to the one individual she knows she can rely on, former Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Flynn and his K-9, Brody.
But when Bree gets an early morning call from a campground on the banks of Grey Lake, she is faced with solving a strange case. Alyssa Vincent, a homeless teenager who had been squatting in one of the cabins, claims that she saw a man shoot her friend Harper Scott. When Bree arrives on site, however, she finds no sign of a body or evidence of a shooting, just a scared girl hiding in a cabin holding an ax. Could Alyssa have made the incident up for attention or is she guilty of the shooting herself? Bree isn’t sure what occurred, but despite feeling that Alyssa is hiding something, she doubts that the teenager could be responsible for murder.
In order to search for an injured or dying Harper, Bree enlists the help of Matt Flynn and his retired K-9 who has been busy looking for missing college student, Eli Whitney. Before long, Brody has alerted to a crack in the ice where they discover a human hand. Expecting it to be Harper, both are surprised to realize that it belongs instead to an unknown young man who is no longer identifiable due to the extreme damage done to his face. Is this Eli? Is he the shooter? If so, what happened to Harper?
The second novel in the Bree Taggert series,
See Her Die is a thrilling police procedural/romantic suspense book (though it focused more on the murder mystery rather than the romance which was just fine with me) that provides more than one twist that I never saw coming. With two strong protagonists that are round and dynamic, this story focuses on themes of grieving and loyalty that were interwoven with vengeance and the thrills of chasing a murderer. Melinda Leigh does a magnificent job crafting two apparently separate storylines and slowly weaving them together into an even stronger plot. Despite following both the Scarlet Falls and Morgan Dane series, they can be read in any order, although I would definitely follow the sequence of books for each individual series or you’ll miss important character development and get minor spoilers. Additionally, as a fervent dog lover, one is my favorite aspects to this series is the close relationships between Matt and his dogs. I strongly recommend Leigh’s books and can’t wait to read the next one,
Drown Her Sorrows! Rating of 4 stars.
Rating: really liked it
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so 4.5 starsBook two in Melinda Leigh’s new series of mystery/suspense novels featuring Bree Taggert,
See Her Die, opens just three weeks after the events of Cross Her Heart. A former Philadelphia detective, Bree’s life underwent a major upheaval when she returned home to the small upstate New York town of Grey’s Hollow - somewhere that holds few pleasant memories for her – in order to investigate the murder of her sister Erin. By the end of the book, Bree has decided to remain in Grey’s Hollow to become the guardian to Erin’s two children, Luke (sixteen) and Kayla (eight) and to take the position of Sheriff, following the departure of the previous holder of the office, whose blatant corruption had been public knowledge but whom nobody had been able to dislodge.
When
See Her Die begins, Bree is still struggling to adapt to her new life and responsibilities. She’s not sleeping well (Kayla sometimes has nightmares and has taken to creeping into bed with her at night), she’s worried about Luke, who has become very quiet and incommunicative, she’s not completely sure which of her deputies she can trust, her department is underfunded and understaffed… it’s a long list of problems to sort out all the while she’s working to ensure the safety of everyone in the local community.
A call in the early hours of the morning sees Bree heading out to a local campground that is – supposedly – closed for the winter, following a 911 call from a young woman who says she saw her friend get shot. When Bree and her deputies arrive, there’s no sign of a body or evidence of a shooting – and no sign of the person who made the call, until Bree and one of her deputies enter one of the cabins, where they find a terrified young woman who says her name is Alyssa Vaughan and that her friend Harper was shot out in the woods. With no body or evidence, Bree has to consider the possibility that Alyssa may have made it all up, or have committed the murder herself… but something tells her that while Alyssa is definitely hiding something, that something isn’t murder.
Meanwhile, Bree’s friend, former K-9 handler Matt Flynn, has been asked by his sister Cady to look into the disappearance of Eli Whitney, a student at the university and the grandson of an elderly lady who fosters senior dogs for Cady’s rescue centre. Matt took medical retirement from the Sheriff’s department after he was shot in the hand in the line of duty some three years earlier, and he’s setting up a K-9 training facility – or he would, if his sister didn’t keep filling up his kennels with her rescue dogs! He agrees to ask around to see if he can find out what might have happened to Eli.
Later that day, Bree and her team are back out at the campground, still searching for evidence of a shooting and not finding much – until they turn up a set of footprints and tracks in the snow. At this point, Bree decides to see if they can borrow a K-9 unit from the state police – but it’s nothing doing; all their available K-9s are searching for a missing student. With the light fading and snow threatening, her chief deputy suggests she call in Matt Flynn and Brody (his service dog) – and Bree is just a little conflicted. On the one hand, Matt’s connection to the department is not an easy one (he was shot by a fellow deputy and still suspects it may have been deliberate), but on the other she trusts him, and it would feel great to know someone has her back.
Matt agrees to help, and before long Brody is hot on the trail and leads Bree and Matt to the cracked ice around a boat ramp where, bobbing between long, jagged sheets of ice, is a human hand. The hand belongs to the body of a young man who is unidentifiable due to the damage done to his face, which looks as though it’s been pulverised in an act of brutal rage. Is this the shooter? If it is, they have yet to find the victim. And if it isn’t the shooter, could it be the missing student?
I love watching the way Melinda Leigh sets out what are seemingly different storylines and then slowly pulls them together until they coalesce and we can see how the pieces all fit as part of the larger whole. The plot in
See Her Die is complex, clever and well-executed and Bree is a tough, likeable and relatable heroine, a woman who is juggling so many balls in the air that she has no time for a life outside of work and her newly acquired family. I also appreciated the peek into what it takes to run a sheriff’s department in a large but sparsely populated rural area, and felt for Bree as she wondered who among her staff she could really trust.
I enjoyed the story, but it would be remiss of me not to point out that for a book categorised as romantic suspense, the romance here is peripheral at best. Matt is a lovely guy and he and Bree have great chemistry, so the lack of romantic development was a bit of a disappointment – BUT what we
do get here is them working together again and I loved watching the professional side of their partnership develop. Matt is such a wonderful support for Bree when she needs it, he’s a cool head in a crisis and, as Bree admits to herself, he’s smart and often sees connections she’s overlooked; they’re a great team, and it definitely seems that things are progressing on the romantic front by the time the book comes to a close.
In spite of the little bit of disappointment I experienced over the lack of romantic progression, I enjoyed
See Her Die very much. The principals are likeable, the secondary cast is nicely drawn, the mystery is compelling, and it all adds up to a thoroughly entertaining read. I’ll definitely be back for book three when it’s released in Spring 2021.
Rating: really liked it
Another solid read by Melinda Leigh.
Rating: really liked it
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Contemporary
Series: Bree Taggert, book #2
Publication date : September 15, 2020
In this story Bree Taggert has to solve the murders that are fueled by rage. Can she discover the murderer before he kills his next victim? Bree is also struggling with her new position as the guardian to her orphaned niece and nephew who are mourning the loss of their mother two months prior.
This story was good but sometimes it dragged a bit, then seemed to rush.
Bree Taggert was interesting heroine. She could kick ass if needed but she had vulnerable side that made her more human and relatable. I liked that as a new sheriff she was considerate (think of her treatment of Alyssa, a homeless teenager) but when needed, she was very demanding and she interfered when she saw unnecessary and excessive police force used.
I really liked the cats and dogs in this story. They provided some entertainment among some gruesome murder scenes. I really did not enjoy villain's chapters. It was disgusting to read his sick thoughts and feel his stupid rage. Also some of the tension got lost thanks to his POVs. Also I hate when book synopsis can be considered as spoiler because it give away so many things that will happen in this story. Less is more.
Rating: really liked it
Really like Melina Leigh's writing and this book was no exception. Fairly fast paced, some really nasty characters and some questionable loyalties at stake! Can't wait for the next installment in this series! Took a bit for me to figure out who the killer was - lots of red herrings tossed in the way!
4.5 stars and 2 thumbs up!
From the blurb: New sheriff Bree Taggert is called to a shooting in a campground shuttered for the winter. But she arrives to find a perplexing crime. There is no shooter, no victim, and no blood. No one but Bree believes the sole witness, Alyssa, a homeless teenager who insists she saw her friend shot.
Bree calls in former deputy Matt Flynn and his K-9 to track the killer and search for Alyssa’s friend. They discover the battered corpse of a missing university student under the ice in Grey Lake—but it’s not the victim they were looking for.
When two more students go missing and additional bodies turn up, Bree must find the link between the victims. She knows only one thing for certain: the murders are fueled by rage. When Alyssa disappears, Bree must race against time to find her before her witness becomes another victim.
Rating: really liked it
Good, solid mystery which is well worth the time. The focus of the plot is on the crime and how Bree is trying to integrate her new job as Sheriff and her new role as mother to her niece and nephew. Matt is the very patient maybe love interest, but Bree just doesn't have much time for making a maybe into a reality.
Alyssa is homeless, crashing in a cabin at a closed campground with her friend Harper. When she is awakened by a scream, she discovers that Harper is gone taking her wallet and car key. Alyssa starts searching and witnesses a man shooting Harper. Bree Taggert believes her even though there is absolutely no evidence that a shooting took place.
Matt Flynn and his K-9 dog tract the killer and discover a body under the ice in Grey Lake, but this is a male, not the female they are looking for. When more people turn up missing and bodies are found in the frozen lake, Bree knows that the murders are personal and fueled by rage. Bree also knows that Alyssa is probably on the killer's list because she is the only witness.
Rating: really liked it
This is Book #2 in the Sheriff Bree Taggert series. This is my first novel by Melinda Leigh. I didn’t read [book; Cross Her Heart], however, Ms. Leigh did a good job in letting riders know what happened in Book #1.
Bree has been dealing with the nightmare that happened 25 years with the murder-suicide of her parents. In Book #1 her sister Erin is killed. Erin’s husband vanishes. Bree believe Justin isn’t responsible and teams up with Justin’s old friend former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn. This story starts when Sheriff Taggert is called regarding a reported shooting at a camp ground that has been closed for the winter ~ when she gets there ~ no shooter ~ no victim ~ no blood. However, Bree believes Alyssa, a homeless teenage who saw it all!
Bree teams up again with former deputy Matt Flynn; Yep! Hoping for romance! I really enjoyed this story. Truly like Bree and her efforts to do a good job in raising her niece and nephew as well as do a good as sheriff. I am certainly looking forward to the next novel in this series.
BTW: “Drown Her Sorrows” Bree Taggert #3 as well as “Right Behind Her” Book #4, are scheduled for release in 2021
Want to thank NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 15, 2020.
Rating: really liked it
I first discovered this author a couple of years ago. After that first book, I immediately jumped to procure every single one of her books and happily devoured them all, one after the other. I have read them all and, across-the-board, every single one of them is exceptional.
This second book in her Bree Taggert series is just as outstanding as all the others. It is another of those "I can't put this book down" experiences. I LOVE those! Her characters (like Bree here) are always complicated, life like, multi-layered people. They keep on forging ahead, despite seemingly impenetrable obstacles placed in their path. You always find yourself routing for them and are thrilled when they rise to the occasion and overcome those problems. The murder/mysteries are always puzzling and complex. The stories are just terrific with those wonderful characters which add significantly to the overall enjoyment of the book.
I loved seeing Stella Dane (from the "Scarlet Falls" series) having a nice part to play in this book. And, even though her appearance was brief, Morgan Dane (from the "Morgan Dane" series) also popped in. It is always a treat to find characters from that author's series book list crossover for a small contribution to another series. It is like visiting with old friends.
Melinda Leigh has another series winner on her hands with the "Bree Taggert" series. I can't wait for the next one! ;)
Rating: really liked it
Book #2 in the Bree Taggert series - I found I enjoyed it more than the first book (which can happen). The blended family dynamics of Bree's life are different and woven throughout the book but not focused on. Having her retired ex-police partner and an artist brother help to manage the household and watch over her niece and nephew gives her the freedom to work whatever hours are needed for the job. A bizarrely ideal situation.
As this is a romantic suspense, there is a love interest with an ex-police canine officer, but the romance takes a back seat to solving multiple murders. Some people would prefer more romance, but I myself prefer when the murder mystery takes center stage.
The murder mystery starts with an unreliable witness who sees a friend murdered but no body is found, to finding another murdered victim and a missing person. Bree and her "friend", Matt, acting as consultant on the case are trying to determine if the cases are related and find the perp. It's a good solid mystery and a satisfying conclusion.
Definitely recommend to fans of Ms. Leigh and this genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an ARC.
Rating: really liked it
What a terrific page turner! See Her Die by Melinda Leigh is the 2nd book in the Bree Taggert mystery series, and it is fabulous. Bree is the new sheriff in a small upstate New York town. When a call comes in from a hysterical young woman who says her friend was shot in front of her, in a campground that’s been closed for the winter, Bree rushes to the scene and finds nothing - no body and no evidence of a shooting. Alyssa, the homeless teenager, insists that she saw her friend shot, but is she telling the truth?
Bree turns to former deputy Sheriff's investigator, Matt Flynn and his service dog, Brody, to find the killer, but the trail leads them to the body of a different victim, a missing university student. Then when other students vanish and more bodies are found, Bree must act quickly to find the link. This story is complex, with great characters, their backstories, clever and twisty plotting, and a terrific romance growing between Bree and Matt. See Her Die is a superb read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, titled Drown Her Sorrows. Well done, Melinda Leigh! Five stars!
Rating: really liked it
#1 Cross Her Heart: ★★★☆☆ | 3 stars
3 stars. *
See Her Die was a pretty quick and entertaining read. I love Leigh's writing and how she weaves mysteries, but I guess I'm not connecting to Bree the way I did to her other series and main characters. There's something about Bree as a narrator that doesn't quite work for me. Even so, this was a solid mystery novel and I'm sure a bunch of people will enjoy it.
I did like the way the mystery developed here, more so than in the first installment. The tension surrounding all of the characters and the manner in which the clues came together were very well done. I also loved how we got a few cameos of characters from Leigh's other series--it was super super fun to read about them again.
The romance really wasn't a big part of the story this time around. I really appreciated how Leigh took a step back from that so the characters could have some room to breathe and assess their priorities. It felt more organic, aaand it gives me hope that the relationship between Bree and Matt will be a good one in the upcoming novels.
*
Series: #2 in the Bree Taggert series.
POV: Told from Bree and Matt’s POVs.
Content Warnings: (view spoiler)
[Mentions of animal abuse. (hide spoiler)]Cliffhanger: No.
HEA: (view spoiler)
[Not yet! (hide spoiler)]Up Next: Drown Her Sorrows.
Rating: really liked it
Another great thriller by Melinda Leigh.
See Her Die is the second installment of
Bree Taggert series, and in continuation with the first book.
Detective Bree Taggert from PPD is now the Sheriff. Bree has to a lot of responsibilities now and it is challenging. After receiving a 911 call about a shooting, when the team reach to the crime scene- there is no body of victim, no blood and of course no shooter. The caller and only witness Alyssa insists about the shooting. While interviewing her, Bree feels empathy for her. Bree is such a sweet, brave heart! Coming back to the crime scene, Bree calls for help from Matt and Brody to find the victim. But instead, a different body is found. What then ensues then is worth reading, mate!
The plot of the thriller is great. The missing victim, blood and shooter, and then entirely unrelated body to be found - It kept me hooked the entire time. Bree, the main character, is brave, loyal, understanding and despite everything that is happening in her personal life and department - she does not lets it affect or hinder her ability to work. Matt, again, is winsome. He has got her back. Again, the author didn't let the romance between them thwart the plot in any manner. This book is largely a thriller, but if you somehow crave a HEA, you won't be disappointed!
Overall, a great read and I am looking forward to read the third installment
Drown Her Sorrows!
