Dead Woman Crossing: A totally heart-stopping crime thriller

· Bookouture
4.8
8 reviews
Ebook
350
Pages

About this ebook

‘Brilliant – oh my word you can book after book after book but every so often a gem will emerge and this is one of them…. Totally blown away with how good the storyline is… and that conclusion, never saw it coming!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

She threw open the door, running to the crib. When she looked inside, she gasped. The world around her went silent. Inside, there was nothing but a small stuffed elephant. Where was her baby?

 

When young, single mother Hannah is found murdered by the banks of a twisting Oklahoma creek, her one-year-old daughter sleeping in a stroller near her body, the small town of Dead Woman Crossing reels in horror.

 

Detective Kimberley King, recently relocated from New York to Oklahoma, with her young daughter Jessica, can’t ignore the similarity of Hannah’s death to the case of Katie James, the woman that the town of Dead Woman Crossing is named after. Katie was murdered in front of her small daughter in 1905, on the banks of the same creek, and it seems that someone is drawing inspiration from the crime. Could this killer be a copycat?

 

But as she interviews suspects, Kimberley is met with blank faces and closed lips. In a small town, people won’t talk and when she pursues a promising lead, her own family turn their back on her. Kimberley isn’t afraid to ask questions, but when she receives a threatening note, she realises that, as a single mother to a young daughter, she might be putting herself dangerously in the killer’s sights …

 

A gripping, atmospheric crime thriller inspired by true events, about a town on the edge of collapse and a murder that shakes the community. Dead Woman Crossing is perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Jane Harper.

 

Readers are loving Dead Woman Crossing:

 

This book is simply excellent through and through. The lead character of Kimberley King is destined to become one of the great characters in the genre… the dialogue is punchy and begs you to just go for one more chapter, and the atmosphere is phenomenal. I truly felt like I was in the town where it was all taking place, the wind brushing my face as I hear the wheat stalks sway. J.R. Adler is a dynamite talent and the first book in this series was a grad slam so I am beyond excited to see where this series goes. If you like thrillers then... scratch that... if you like reading then you owe it to yourself to pick this up. It is one hell of an amazing ride’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘I was captivated from the beginning… I could hardly put the book down …Loved it. 5 stars.’ B is for Book Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Really enjoyed this book, can’t wait for the next one in the series. It was unputdownable I read it in one sitting. It was tense and full of action that kept me entertained and engaged in the story. I had my suspicions but I was wrong, love that when you don’t expect the bad guy or the ending. Very good book and I highly recommend!’ Bonnie’s Book Talk

 

Very grippinghow this story comes together is just brilliant and Kimberley is so sassy can’t wait for book 2 once you start you won’t want to stop’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


The end is completely unexpected, and I can't wait to read the next book. Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘This book will grab you from its first pages! King is a lead character that women can relate to... It's a great book and looking forward to seeing more of King and Walker in this series!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘I was drawn in from the very first page and was totally engrossed until the very surprising ending! I cannot wait for the next one to come out!’ Goodreads Reviewer


You have to read this if you are a fan of well-written suspense that leaves you breathlessly turning the pages. Dead Woman Crossing by J.R. Adler exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait for what this author writes next. Goodreads Reviewer

 

‘A compelling read with some interesting characterisations and it certainly left me wanting to read more about Kimberley, Sam and Dead Woman Crossing. Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.8
8 reviews
Vanessa Menezes
September 24, 2020
An excellent start to a new series! Haunted by the serial killer she never caught, Detective Kimberley King leaves her job in New York and relocates to the sleepy town of Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma. Kimberley hopes to bring her daughter Jessica up close to her family, far from the bad memories the city holds. But her quiet new home is not the peaceful place she dreamed of. Within days of her arrival, Kimberley is called to the scene of a terrible murder of a young mother. Kimberley can’t ignore the similarity of the current murder to that of another young woman who was murdered in 1905 on the banks of the same twisting creek. In a town where news spreads like wildfire, Kimberley has a hard time gaining trust and answers. But with the help of Sheriff Sam Walker, she needs to find the killer before the killer targets her next. I just loved the main characters of Detective Kimberley King and Sheriff Sam. Kimberly's daughter Jessica is just so adorable. And Barb, is one character that just lights up anyone's face with a smile thanks to her amazing personality. Even though I had few doubts about who the killer could be right at the beginning, I enjoyed reading this. It was fast paced and well written. The plot flowed smoothly, so I couldn't stop reading till I finished. Definitely looking forward to the next book in this series! Thank You to Bookouture for this ARC!
2 people found this review helpful
DJ Sakata
September 28, 2020
Oklahoma is one of those states that doesn’t really stand out to most Americans. Nothing much has sprouted from there other than crops, oil, idiot politicians, a few country and western singers, and hmm… me. Other than an old Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and being able to hum a bit of the State song, most people draw a blank at the mention. With that in mind, color me stunned and outright startled when I noticed the main character was not only leaving her job as a detective at NYPD to start a more low-key career as a Chief Deputy near the old family manse but would be working in the very same tiny inbreed rural hamlet of my youth. Oh, my! What a surprise! The author accurately captured the disconcerting small-town flavor down to the time-warped narrow-minded bigotry and misogyny, down to the very nub of hypocritical arrogance, condoned corruption and nepotism, domestic violence, and female boredom; and also reinforced my smugness at the brilliant decision to move far, far away. While I didn’t find it an enjoyable experience to reside there, as despite the old cliche - it wasn’t even a good place to be from, the breadbasket/short-grass country provided the perfect backdrop for Ms. Adler’s active and suspenseful murder mystery. I do loves me a kick-ass heroine and I adored Kimberly King as well as her brilliant office genie and my new favorite grandmotherly octogenarian, Barbara. Kimberly held her own and doled out her own brand of sass while doing so. The writing was easy to follow with welcome hits of wry humor mixed in with insightful observations and perceptive character descriptions and depictions. I will be eagerly watching to see what and who Chief Deputy King stirs up next.
Marnie Harrison
September 25, 2020
I was first introduced to J.R. Adler’s work this year with her psychological thriller The Perfect Marriage (under the pen name of Jeneva Rose). Having loved that book, I jumped at the chance to read and review Dead Woman Crossing when the opportunity presented itself. I love the excitement of starting a new crime thriller series and Dead Woman Crossing is a great start to one. J.R. Adler has embraced the genre wholeheartedly and has produced a story that is first class. It is a thrilling tale that will have you gripped right from the get go. The premise of the story had me intrigued and I thought that the setting and the history of it enhanced the story all the more. The small and sleepy rural town of Dead Woman Crossing in Oklahoma, is named after a woman who was found dead by the creek in 1905, her murder unsolved. The case that Kimberly becomes embroiled in, the death of her friend Hannah, has similar traits to that murder and looks like the work of a copycat. I throughly enjoyed Kimberly King’s character. She is flawed like us all and is believable, which made it very easy to resonate with her. J.R. Adler has done a superb job in creating her and brings her to life beautifully. She is a strong woman and I look forward to the layers being pulled back and getting to know her more. The cast of secondary characters have also been very well created and play out their roles well. I did find that this moved at a slightly slower pace to start with, but the strength of the story, its characters and the tension and suspense that is built up in the background, had me wanting to keep flicking the pages. J.R. Adler really knows how to tell a story and it does pick up the pace, making for more of a thrilling second half. I am so glad that I was introduced to J.R. Adler/Jeneva Rose’ work. She is such a talented author and I look forward to many more books to come from her in both the psychological thriller and crime thriller genres. She really is an asset to both! It was a pleasure to be able to read and review Dead Woman Crossing which I recommend. Thank you to J.R. Adler, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Dead Woman Crossing which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
3 people found this review helpful

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