4 stars. I keep saying this, but I love the Riley Thorn series! It’s cozy mystery perfection. Riley is a reluctant (becoming less and less reluctant) psychic who runs a PI agency with her very grumpy but very handsome and very lovable boyfriend. And they solve crimes with the help of their very large dog and octogenarian roommates (of which, there are several). If hijinks and romance and mystery and a little bit of magic are your jam, then you must check out these books! Each book features its own case, and in Body in the Backyard, Riley has to help save her ex husband from someone who may or may not be trying to kill him. He is quite possibly the worst human on the planet, which means the suspect list is almost as long as the book itself. He sucks. But as with all of the other books, solving the case with Riley and Nick is just a ton of fun and a ton of laughs. Because each book features its own mystery, these could all probably be read as standalones. But there are a LOT of characters. Because of that, I think most people would enjoy the books more if they read them in order, or in the very least, read book 1 first (since you’ll be introduced to all of the main players). All in all, I love these books. It’s unclear based on the ending if Score will continue with this series, but I really hope she does. And I also found out that it’s a little autobiographical. No, Lucy is not psychic. But she did help her now husband solve mysteries when they first met and he was working for a PI. How cool!

Thank you so much to Score, Bloom, and netgalley for the ARC!

Nick and Riley…at it again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐶🕵🏻‍♂️🕵🏻👮‍♂️👨‍💻🤦🏻‍♀️

I’m not sure about everyone else, but sometimes after reading intense books, I just need a light, fun read. That is exactly what Riley Thorn is about. Is it crazy, and absurd, and irritating? Yep! But fun, and exciting, and unpredictably, as well.

So, we are now 4 books in with the Riley Thorn series, so if you haven’t read any of them, I don’t think you want to start here. Well, you can, but you may be a bit confused. I recommend you read them in order as the series progresses with time. Anyway, if you haven’t read, there will be spoilers, so you’ve been warned.

As we know, Riley is a psychic, and for a while she didn’t want anything to do with her powers. But as time goes by, she is finally starting to appreciate her abilities and wants to better her skills. I will say here, that I am not much of one to read paranormal things, but this is not over done in anyway. Other than Riley and her family, it’s Riley using her abilities to help with crimes. That’s it. Easy peezy.

Nick is her boyfriend and he runs a PI business. He use to be a cop but didn’t like all the rules so went out on his own. Riley helps him with the business, as well as their geriatric, hot mess, friends. Ok, back to the story.

Book 3 left off with Riley’s ex husband (a massive terd) needing Nick and Riley’s help. Oh course, Nick wants no part of it, but they need the money. Riley doesn’t want to help him either but she’s a good person, so they all agree. Book 4 picks right up with the ex needing help and hiring Nick and Riley. The ex….imagine the most awful, cheap, ecotistical, arrogant, entitled person and he is worse. Like seriously, I really, really hope we get to see him crash and burn. Sorry, not sorry. So someone is after the ex and now Nick, Riley and the friends have to keep him safe and try to find out who is behind the threats. Between Nick, Riley, the family and friends, and the geriatric crew, you know any and all plans are going to go out the window, crap is going to hit the fan, and nothing is going to go the way it’s intended. Add in Nick and Riley’s horse of a dog and you’ve got an entertaining story.

So without giving away any major plot details, I really like this series. It is a great way to just sit back, laugh, and go along with the insanity. If you need a fun, PI, who did it read this summer, this is it. Add it to you TBR list.

I received this book via ARC and am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank You #NetGalley, #BloomBooks, and #LucyScore

Griffin, Riley’s ex-husband, comes begging for help. Ms. Penny agrees to take on the job, even though Nick is reluctant. Riley and Nick go through the long list of suspects to determine who is out to get Griffin.

I’m so glad Riley’s psychic powers are back! Another adventure packed book with our favorites from the prior books.

Thank you to Lucy Score, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fun and entertaining read but I didn’t love it. I just don’t know how I feel about it still. It felt underwhelming but also a bit too jokey in lord of places.

If you’ve read and enjoyed the first 3 books in this series, you’ll love this one! I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone though.
This book follows psychic Riley, her PI boyfriend Nick, and the rest of their crew, as they try to work out who is stalking Riley’s ex husband, an obnoxious local tv celeb with a huge ego, and tiny height. It’s full of well timed comedy, twists, turns and surprises. Well worth a read, but start with book one.

The Body In The Backyard by Lucy Score completes the Riley Thorn series and I didn't want the series to end. The mystery/romance mixed with pyschic abilities, humour and general chaos was quite enjoyable. The behaviour of the ex-husband and his fiancee seem a little unrealistic to me, but I love the resolution. Quite the bunch of colourful characters in this book and I will miss them. Good stuff. Thank you, Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for sending me the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love this book! I love this series! Riley, Nick and the crazy octogenarians are back at making me laugh and on the edge of my seat trying to solve the mystery! The book is the perfect balance of romcom and suspense!

I absolutely love this Riley Thorn series! It's so hilarious, so funny, and you can always count on Riley, Nick, and crew for a good time! The Body In The Backyard is the fourth installment and it's my favorite. The story is centered around Griffin Gentry, Riley's ex-husband, after he shows up to her place begging for her help. He believes someone is trying to kill him. Griffin, being the character he is, took us on a ride in this one! Nonstop laughs and pure fun!

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books, and Lucy Score for another fantastic ARC!

4.5🌟
The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score is the 4th book in the Riley Thorn Series. This book was just as funny, silly and entertaining as the others, if not more! I’m loving this series.
Best if you read at least the first book before any of them so you understand the hilarious quirky characters and the story better.
I’m still waiting to hear what Riley’s middle name is!
Thank you NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhhh this book was so good! Absolutely devoured it! Can't wait for more from this author. Thanks to the author and Netgalley

The race is on to find out who is trying to kill Griffin Gentry. The problem: everyone he has ever met has motive!

Psychic Riley, her super hot boyfriend and PI Nick along with the whole motley crew of geriatric roommates are on the case. As with the other books in this series, you get a little bit of everything. Lucy Score perfectly weaves humor and mystery.

I wish for more Riley Thorn sooner! I love this series and when I need to just escape and read something that makes me laugh, I know this series will pick me up.

We know Riley was married and her ex is a piece of work. When the third book ends we have Gentry freaking out and needing help, this book picks up there. Gentry is so ridiculous and honestly so hilarious. I love how Nick and Riley put up with him and Gentry acts like a child.

All the eccentric elderly are back and crazier than ever. Riley’s free spirited parents and Nick's unique parents are back and better than ever.

I am truly already counting down until Lucy announces the next book. I need more now!

This is a part of a series and should not be read as a standalone since this is a continuous story.

Another 3.5 for me.

I am kind of split down the middle on this one. I think for book 4 in the series, it is keeping things pretty fresh in terms of not recycling plots. But in terms of character development, I am looking for a lot more.

The positives:
- Live laugh hate Griffey Gentry. Love to see this man trashed for an entire book
- I think we’re finally seeing some movement on some of my favorite side couples, which I am so excited to see.
- Riley and Nick are much more present in this book. I felt like they were a little on the back burner for the last book, so I’m glad they’re back in the spotlight.
- The way the crime was solved this time was actually a lot of fun. Like I said, for book 4 in the series, I think it was a really fun twist

As always, reading this series is just like a brain break, a sweet treat if you will. I adore that’s it’s so unserious, and Lucy definitely takes every opportunity to have fun with her writing. Which is a double edged sword sometimes…

The negatives:
- I will say that the problem improved from the last time, BUT, I need significantly less of the elderly neighbors. I can tell that Lucy picked up on that being the reader’s vibe, and has started to head in that direction
- For this being book 4, I feel like Riley and Nick are still a little underdeveloped as people. The way we were introduced to them, is kind of the way they’ve remained. I think there was a bit of a missed opportunity to not have the events of book 3 play a bigger role in their relationship. I appreciate that Lucy is working toward not making this like a ‘drama romance’. However, some healthy tension after Nick spent an entire book DESPERATELY looking for another woman would’ve been appreciated
- I just think some of the potty humor is tired. Like it’s been well established that Burt the dog can’t have human food. And that our elderly bunch have sensitive stomachs. I am ready to move on from those facts

With all of that being said, I cannot overstate how much I genuinely do enjoy this series. I discovered Lucy Score January of this year, and she has easily become one of my favorite authors of 2024. While I might have some complaints, I will always pick up the next book in this series, and really any other one she publishes.

Lucy stone has characters you want to live near. This series is up there with Evanovich and I couldn’t be happier. Lively, fun and a great read!

The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just finished this series, and it felt like a romantic comedy - I absolutely loved it! The story follows the investigation into Riley’s ex-husband being hunted down. There are many suspects, considering Griffin is quite immature and self-centred. Riley and Nick make an amazing duo, and I have mixed feelings about the series ending. Having read the three previous books, I easily fell in love with all the quirky characters. Mrs. Penny is probably the funniest of them all. I enjoyed how the story weaved bits and pieces of everyone in Nick and Riley’s life into the relevant investigation. If you’re looking for a lighthearted and humorous book with a wholesome love story, this is the book for you. Lucy writes incredibly compelling characters, and personally, I’m hoping for a book about Jasmine and Kellen in the future.
thank you so much Lucy Score, netgalley and Bloom Books for this ARC!

This series was just not for me. I love Lucy Score but prefer her more traditional romances. Thank you so much for letting me try!

Huge thanks to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

And who am I kidding? HUGE thanks to Lucy Score for writing this in the first place.

Lucy Score is an auto-buy/read/obsession and I was so excited to get a sneak peak at the newest in Riley Thorn's world.

While I have read a lot of Lucy's books, I hadn't picked up this series yet and I really should have. I BLEW through the first three books and couldn't wait for this one.

This series follows Riley Thorn, a psychic who always stumbles into some sort of crime to solve, and her rag-tag group of friends (which might include an 80 year old busybody with purple hair and a penchant for guns).

The series as a whole is SO charming and SO hard to put down. The latest adventure we see Riley on involves her cheeto puff of an ex husband who's convinced someone is out to kill him. Teaming up with her geriatric neighbors, her beautiful yet moody boyfriend, and their horse-dog Burt (along with a whole slew of characters I haven't mentioned) Riley sets out to figure out what is going on and who could possibly want to harm her spray tan loving ex husband (shocker - the list is longer than the line at the DMV).

Another huge success in the Riley Thorn series and I honestly cannot WAIT for Lucy to write more. If you love light whodunits with a bit of rom com and a wacky cast of characters (similar vibes to the show Psych), this is 100% for you. Fun GUARANTEED.

This was a laugh out loud read from beginning to end. Every character had me loving them whether I wanted to or not. This is a lengthier book and I never wanted it to end. Along with a cast of wacky characters was a mystery that continued to develop and a conclusion I never expected.

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a lightheaded read with a storyline that will keep you engaged.

I just love this series! I must confess, there's a bit more romance (explicitly) than I typically seek out - but Score has done such a fantastic job building a world that is populated by HILARIOUS characters I literally cannot get enough of it! I hope she continues developing the exploits of Riley, Nick and friends for many books to come. Each story is a delightful romp of a mystery, and the ongoing story arc of the interpersonal relationships between the characters, as well as Riley's developing psychic talents, is fabulous as well. The books are straight up fun and engaging from the opening salvo through to the final pages.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 They’re back and better than ever!!! Hilariously over the top yet absolutely lovable and relatable, Riley Thorn and her motley crew are still the best of the best! The newest hurdle? Riley’s no good ex-husband and the never ending drama, this time with someone supposedly out to kill him. If I am ever in a bind, I would 💯 call in this group to help me out and I am so grateful for the never ending laughs and wonderful storyline!

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Review is posted is Goodreads and final review will be on instagram ahead of the publication day!