Cover Image: Don't Tell a Soul (Detectives Kane and Alton Book 1)

Don't Tell a Soul (Detectives Kane and Alton Book 1)

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Member Reviews

WOW!!! I read this book in one sitting. The story was gripping and the ending was totally unexpected. I was swept away with the story and let numerous cups of coffee go cold while I was reading it. The characters were well thought out and I felt like I was in the small town with them. I simply can't wait for the next book. Soon please! I am thrilled to have found an author whose books make me want to read the next one as soon as I have finished the current one.

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The book starts with a double-bang when two serious issues occur. Enter David Kane to Black Rock Falls in Montana in heavy snow. He seems dependable and strong. His boss, the sheriff is Jenna Alton who seems initially as a tough cookie but as the story develops and her background is revealed she later becomes edgy and vulnerable. It's almost as though she has a personality change but I think she's overwhelmed by Kane and the unusually circumstances she's in.. It must be hard to be Boss to such a charismatic character especially as she has trust issues. As a team I wasn't totally convinced it was workable but it was interesting to analyse. Thank for letting me read it. I shall post this review to Amazon and my blog.

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Ugh! I really really wanted to like this book! It had a great story line with people going missing in a small town and two supposedly strong main characters, but the wheels got wobbly quickly for me and fell off by the end. David Kane is the new deputy sheriff but he is also a former special forces guy whose death was faked and is now hiding out. Jenna Alton is the sheriff, formerly in some type of law enforcement, and now an FBI relocated witness after testifying in a sex trafficking case. Both. In a small town. Still in law enforcement. That doesn't seem right. Then Alton almost instantly becomes the damsel in distress with Kane stepping up to save her. What happened to all her training and experience? Sure she tries to stand up for herself but it feels more like the kid stamping her foot saying "I can protect myself." So, if you can ignore the sexist stereotypes and focus on the mystery, the book is worth reading. Maybe Alton can save Kane in the next one?

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3.5 stars for this one. Lots of promise. An interesting partnership with plenty of back stories to be fleshed out in future books, this was enjoyable enough, but not without it flaws.

Set in the small town of Black Rock Falls, when a body turns up in a barrel in a rubbish dump, Detective Jenna Alton and her new deputy David Kane go to investigate. With little or nothing usually happening in the sleepy small American town, Jenna is convinced the victim must be one of two recently reported missing persons, two strangers to the town and to each other. Jenna fears the second missing person is in danger too.
With her own secret past Jenna hopes her instincts are right and that it’s not someone from her past catching up with her. When she finds herself being followed and threatened, she faces a race against time to find out who the killer is, be it from her past or unrelated, she seems to be in the firing line too. Has Black Rock Falls got hidden secrets she doesn’t know about and will it cost her her life to find out?

So let’s get to the good stuff first. We are introduced to two very promising characters in Jenna and David. Although David is Jenna’s newly arrived deputy, they feel like a partnership and there’s a good chemistry between them, both professionally and personally. Both with their own secret pasts that are touched on but not gone into in detail, I’m sure that will be developed in future books.
The story is pretty snappy for the most part. The town itself nicely written as a setting, populated with interesting characters. The story reads a lot more complicated than it is. That’s probably down to the author writing diversions and red herrings but I suppose it keeps you guessing.

The not so good. The two characters of Jenna and David ending up working together in the small town with both having their secret pasts just seemed an unfathomable coincidence, one that we as a reader are asked to swallow from the off. I went with it and it sort of made it all the more mysterious and interesting to see how it was fleshed out, but it’s only touched on troughout the book and not evolved at all. As I said the two of them finding themselves working together is just a big ask of the reader to swallow.
I also had a problem with some of the final part of the book. Without going into spoiler territory, Jenna is as solid as a rock throughout the book. More than a match for her male counterparts and as cool as a cucumber under pressure, she goes totally out of character near the end as a plot device to set up the finale and it felt completely out of place with the rest of the book. I found it totally puzzling and it left a bit of a bad taste in the mouth.

Overall I did enjoy the book, more for the promise it gives to the obvious series of books planned by the author. The two central characters are very interesting and work well together and we have only scrapped the service of their back stories so, hopefully plenty to look forward to in the future on that front.
The story itself was decent if flawed, with a couple of very clunky decisions by the author that asked too much of the reader to swallow and one that did the female lead character a disservice.

I was going to rate this 3 stars and if it was a stand alone I probably would but I’m giving it and extra half star because it has introduced and interesting couple and despite it flaws has shown plenty of potential for future development.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and D.K. Hood for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Title:Don’t Tell A Soul(Detectives Kane and Alton Book #1)

Author:D.K. Hood

Page Count: 277 Pages

Publication Date: 10/30/2017

Synopsis: David Kane just arrived in to start his new job on the force when he sees a car wrecked on the side of the road. He rushes to help the woman that is stuck in the car and surprisingly she pulls a gun out on him because of a misunderstanding. Then the two realize that she is Sheriff Jenna Alton, the deputy’s new boss! They both find themselves in this small town running from their past and hiding from their secrets. They busy themselves in new cases. There is two missing person’s cases and a murder that turned up in this small town. With these two different people and these new acts of violence it feels that there is more that connects these two mysterious officials together. Are Kane and Alton able to escape from their scary past that led them to this small town? Are these crimes related? Is this the work of sadistic serial killer? Read Don’t Tell A Soul by D.K. Hood to find out!

Review: From the beginning this book was intense! I give this book 4 out of 5 stars! I was on the edge of my seat! I was up late turning pages and made sure to keep the lights on! I really enjoyed the main characters in this story! The only thing I didn’t like that I felt Jenna would be more of a strong woman and that is the impression I got in the beginning but it seemed her character shifted a bit. This was still a gripping tale nonetheless and I highly recommend this psychological suspense to anyone who is looking for a great crime fictional read! I think this duo and book was very fun and intense. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Kane and Alton!

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Don't Tell a Soul is a highly entertaining read. Note that it's gruesome, but it also strays into romantic suspense territory with a very intriguing couple, both of whom harbor dangerous secrets.

The clues were a little heavy handed at times. I knew exactly who our 'baddy' was - long before it was revealed. In fact, I started thinking that the author was just playing with us with the broad clues that that they would take me by surprise with an 'out of left field' killer later. Nope. It was exactly as I thought.

But even though I knew the 'who' early on, I was still into the book. When our characters were in danger, I was riveted. And I simply had to know how it would all end.

I'd read the author again in a heartbeat!

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Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers, Bookouture, for this review copy which was given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Kim from Bookouture for organising the blog tour which I’m pleased to be part of!

David Kane is on his way to start his new Deputy Sheriff post when he comes across an accident involving his new boss, Sheriff Jenna Alton. It looks like an accident, but Kane isn’t so sure and thinks that someone was trying to kill her. Starting his job a couple of days early he begins to make a list of suspects who may have wanted to harm the Sheriff. The Sheriff and her team are also looking into the case of two missing people who were reported to have been visiting the area but have now disappeared. Alton and Kane both hope that the cases aren’t linked, but when a body turns up hidden in a barrel at the town dump, it looks like they have a killer on their hands. But who has been threatening and trying to kill the Sheriff? There are lots of secrets amongst the people of the town…can Alton and Kane work it out?

This was my first book by this author. When I saw it was based in the US, I was a bit disappointed as I only usually read books set in the UK. How wrong was I? This book was fantastic! It got me from page one and it didn’t let up until the very last page. There are a few mysteries surrounding our two main characters, Alton and Kane. They are both hiding something from their past, which is brushed on throughout the book, but is hopefully explained more in the next book!

Deputy Sheriff David Kane sounds absolutely gorgeous! Why can’t we have policeman like him in my town! It’s no wonder that the women in Black Rock Falls are falling over themselves to introduce themselves to him! I also loved the way that, despite not knowing the Sheriff, he personally makes it his mission to keep her safe! If all Deputy Sheriffs are like that in the US, then I’m booking my plane right now! The characters of Alton and Kane work really well together, with obviously great chemistry thrown in!

The book was a fast paced thriller with so many heart stopping moments I lost count! I was actually shouting out at the book when it got to the climax at the end…very tense! The twists and turns were great and I genuinely didn’t guess who it was until it hit me in the face!! The person I thought it was, as usual, turned out to be wrong! For me, the sign of a great book is how long the author can keep you wondering whodunit, I mean who wants to find out who the killer is a third of the way through the book! Safe to say this book didn’t give away anything until the very end! It kept me literally on the edge of my seat all the way through.

Fantastic book, but don’t take my word for it – go and read it, you won’t be disappointed! Can’t wait to catch up with Black Rock Falls in Book 2!

Five Stars!

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Detective Jenna Alton and her new deputy, David Kane, Rush to a scene where a body has been found stuffed into a barrel at a garbage dump. As nothing ever happens in the town Black Rock Falls, Jenna believes that the victim must be one of two missing persons. But is anything ever that easygoing?

The pace is set fast from the beginning. There are plenty of twist and turns to keep your attention. With dead bodies and attacks on the sheriff, finding how they were linked will keep you turning the pages. I look forward to reading the second book in this new series.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author DK Hood for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A thriller of sorts set in Black Rock Falls, Montana where the recent disappearance of 2 unrelated people and multiple "warnings"of the sheriff have law enforcement on edge. This book seemed a little inconsistent at times with too much repeated information and multiple times the cops seemed to move forward with a piece of the puzzle only to contradict themselves 2 pages later. Whereas I felt the secondary characters were all very well written, the 2 main characters were a little too one dimensional for my liking as the female sheriff seemed to be in over her head, and her 6'5" deputy knew everything and was never wrong. Having said that I did enjoy the book.

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A great first book in the series of Sheriffs Alton & Kane. It was a fast paced well written storyline with twists and turns to keep you guessing. What starts out as a normal missing person case turns out to be a lot more as the story goes on. It will be interesting to see how this pairing will go on into a second book, I will definitely be reading it. A very good first book of a series and one I would recommend.

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One word - amazing! Loved this book from start to finish! A suspenseful, edgy tale that grips you and doesn't let go until the last page. One of the best crime novels I have had the pleasure of reading. The characters are so vividly drawn that they stay with you long after the book is finished. I cannot wait for the next book in this series! Brilliant, thrilling, unputdownable. Five worthy and wonderful stars.

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I think this has potential as a series but like all first books in a series it has some awkwardness that needs to be worked out. I'll check out the second to see if the author takes the two main characters deeper.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Amazing book with characters that while not always likeable feel real.

Amazing story which flows so easily. It was great to see how gripping this book was.

Alton was a fun character and is one who you can see being a firecracker. She has a dark past you can tell and you just can't wait for more.

Kane as well is a very good character who seems to just want am easier life and instead finds himself in a small town with a warped crime spree.

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This was a fast paced thriller with a tight timeline. Small towns harboring horrific secrets. And some grisly murders.

I had some issues with the main characters. When we first meet Sheriff Jenna Alton, someone has slammed into her cruiser and left her spinning in the snow. When a face shows up at the window she isn't aware the man coming to her rescue is her new Deputy Sheriff Kane.

She is strong, former FBI undercover, a woman who has been given a new identity and plopped down in a tiny Montana town after her partner was killed by the drug kingpin she testified against. She is a strong, capable officer and woman.

It seemed like when she met Kane, she turned into a simpering female who was now leaving her alarms off, her curtains open and not carrying her phone. Helpless. Until he rushes in to rescue her from certain death.

I was all prepared for a crime thriller with a strong female lead and that's not what I got.

Netgalley/Bookouture October 30th release.

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Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy David Kane are both in Black Rock Falls to escape their pasts. They soon become involved in a case that no small town should ever have to deal with. Murder, missing people and more. This is a great, fast paced story that keeps you wanting more. I hope this series continues with these characters. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Don't Tell a Soul, the first in the Montana based Detectives Kane and Alton series of police procedurals.

David Kane, not his real name, has just arrived in Black Rock Falls to start his new job when he sees a car run off the road. Rushing to help the trapped woman pulls a gun on him before the misunderstanding is cleared up and she identifies herself as Sheriff Jenna Alton, not her real name, his new boss. David busies himself with investigating this attempted murder, two missing people cases and murder when a body is discovered.

I thoroughly enjoyed Don't Tell a Soul. It is an engrossing read with plenty of twists and turns and two mysterious protagonists. Black Rock Falls is a small, rural county but it has some spectacular crime with dead bodies and several attacks on the sheriff. How they are linked is the meat of the novel and it held my attention from start to finish. The reader gets brief glimpses of the killer's sadism but no idea of his identity, he is referred to as "cowboy boots", or motive.

It is interesting that both Kane and Alton have been placed in Black Water Falls to hide them from serious bad guys in their more elevated law enforcement past but neither knows each other from that past. As a result they are two wary professionals in a small community. This is not explored in the novel but there has to be a purpose to it that I assume will be expanded on in future novels otherwise the coincidence is too ridiculous to be believable because they are mostly scarily competent especially Kane. My jury is out on their characterisation pending future developments.

Don't Tell a Soul is a good, absorbing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

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I really enjoyed this book. A fast paced thriller with a riveting storyline and strong characters. There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot and I found it a real page turner. High recommended. I cannot wait for book 2 in this series.

Many thanks to Netgalley and DK Hood for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

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Absolutely loved this book! It was well written and easy to fall into and not realise that you'd been reading for an hour solid!

I don't usually read books that are set in America as I find it hard to relate to them but I didn't find that barrier with this one!

A simple missing persons case turns into an action packed page turned with Sheriff Alton getting caught up in the midst of it all!

I can already tell that Kane and Alton will be a new favourite duo of mine, they deffo have a connection and the author has set up their backstories nicely! I'm intrigued as to what is to come for them both!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

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Great book. Loved the plot and characters. I would recommend this book.

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D.K. Hood has written a brilliant new book called Don't Tell A Soul, it's the first in a new series featuring Alton and Kane. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
Black Rock Falls is a small town in middle America, it's a safe town with very low crime rates. Suddenly people start to go missing, Sheriff Alton and her new Deputy Kane have the task of finding them. Easier said than done! Sheriff Alton faces great danger herself whilst trying to solve the missing persons case which puts an interesting spin on things.
I really enjoyed this book, it was very well written, I liked the style of writing and the characters. The main characters are both strong people, they sometimes butt heads but you can tell that there is a genuine like and respect for each other. It's good to see a strong woman taking the lead but also showing her insecurities and fears.
The story was fast paced and had plenty of twists and turns, and I didn't guess the bad guy which is a bonus.
I am really looking forward to future books and getting to know these two characters better and perhaps exploring their pasts and the reasons they are in Black Rock Falls. There is a story in their collective histories that is screaming out to be told.
This was a great story, I highly recommend it, I spent a very enjoyable and relaxing weekend with this book.
Don't Tell A Soul is out on the 30th October and can be ordered here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Dont-Tell-Soul-gripping-Detectives-ebook/dp/B074N9F4MP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1507005386&sr=1-1&keywords=dk+hood

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