An Eye for an Eye is the second Ellie Matthews story from Caroline Fardig (Bitter Past is the first), but is a stand along story. Fast read with interesting characters and twists makes this a great series. Ms Fardig manages to make the reader feel invested in the outcome. I was given a copy to review.

A twisted vendetta of a plot played out with characters who have faults and secrets and who will risk everything to see that a sociopath is caught. A dark thriller that keeps you hooked to the very end. And, Wow, what an ending.

After being instrumental in solving the murders of Ashland College students, Ellie is more than ready to return to her uneventful life as a college professor. But, alas, that is just not to be. When her sister Rachel's good friend, Jenna, turns up dead Ellie is dragged back into the criminologist role once again. She has a lot of emotion to compartmentalize and her coping skills include shots of vodka and shoving away Detective Nick Baxter's attempts to help her cope. When Jenna's death is tied to a previous staged murder, it looks like a serial killer is out for revenge for a very specific reason. When the killer comes too close to Ellie, Nick and Ellie will stop at nothing to catch this murderer.

This is the 2nd book following a criminologist Professor Ellie Matthews doing her Sherlock talents to solve crime dramas. Caroline Fardig brings an amazing cast of characters who navigate an amazing "Who Done it" mystery. This book can be read as a stand alone but I will stress having read the first book in this series "Bitter Past" that both showcase an author of exceptional talent. Ellie and Detective Baxter Nick Baxter again team as partners to race against the clock to put puzzle pieces together to solve a cold case. Police department abounds with interesting individuals all focused on moving this story along in killer fashion. Look forward to Fardig's next installment to see how Elle and Nick battle their next case and their cautious romance. "A copy of this book was provided by Amazon Digital Services LLC via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Ellie Matthews switched to teaching at her local college after leaving her criminalist position with former partner Detective Nick Baxter. Then one of her sister's college friends goes missing and she finds herself thrust right back into the fray.

The opening chapter grabs your attention and proceeds from there, turning the pages. The body of the missing woman is found staged, posed, and left with negligible evidence, but before Ellie can really get into the forensics and crime scene investigation she is thrust center state into the discovery of the second body. Whether or not she wants to pair with Det. Baxter again, finds herself doing so.

Rachel, Ellie's younger sister goes missing, and when they get a message regarding the demands, it's one no one saw coming. The perp gives Ellie 72 hours to find his own mother's killer, but Ellie apparently has another fight on her hands besides time. Well-crafted plot delves into the science of forensics so it's as fascinating as the story it weaves around. Explanation for procedures is handled as part of the investigation and the story never slows. Ellie is well fleshed, though it's obvious has demons she has yet to conquer. She can be sharp and cryptic. It's clear Det. Baxter has feelings for her and he is well developed to the point of being sympathetic. Peripheral characters round out a good cast.

Not the first female protagonist left with childhood trauma yet to be resolved. Dialogue is natural; Ellie becomes unbecoming more than once. The climax satisfactorily closes the book though rather abruptly. We learn who is the main antagonist, and I'd speculated the mother's killer. I downloaded this novel from the author and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for anyone who enjoys police procedurals, forensic studies, criminal minds, mystery, and thriller and suspense.

A serial killer known as The Eye for an Eye Killer is hunting down people. His killings are methodical and horrifying but Ellie wants no part of helping with the case until her sisters best friend is kidnapped.
The story pulls you in from the start and keeps you turning pages to find out what happens next. Although I figured out who the killer was half way through it didn't stop me from enjoying it because I wanted to know all the details. I would recommend it because there are so many twists and turns.
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I enjoyed An Eye for an Eye by Caroline Fardig. Ellie Matthews teaches criminology classes at a nearby college. She worked at the local sheriff's department as a CSI analyst before teaching. When a family friend goes missing Ellie must put her skills to work to try and find her before it is too late. Ellie finds herself working with Detective Nick Baxter and the abductor/killer seems to be targeting the Sheriff's Department. The clock is ticking and they must rush to solve this case before someone else dies.

I received an ARC of this book via Net Galley - thanks so much for this opportunity! I really enjoy Caroline Fardig's other books and was thrilled to see that she had a new series. I didn't realize this was the 2nd book in a new series, but I didn't feel lost at all. It's a very interesting and suspenseful read that definitely kept me guessing the whole way through. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and now I want to read the 1st in the series! And I hope there will be more to come!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2263213801?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

An Eye for an Eye is the second book in the Ellie Mathews Novels by Caroline Fardig. These stories are a bit darker in nature than Ms. Fardig's Java Jive Mystery Series, but every bit as well done.

Former criminalist turned college professor Ellie Mathews is pleased to be out of the limelight and back in the classroom after her recent consultation on a case that took her campus by storm. When the niece of her friend and mentor, Sheriff Jayne Walsh, is abducted Ellie is drawn back in to assist, again working with Detective Nick Baxter. The abductor appears to be a serial killer from the perfectly orchestrated clues left by an apparent sociopath,

As the abductions increase so do the clues, and it becomes obvious that the killer has a vendetta against the department that originates in a case from over a decade ago. The killer insists the case be reinvestigated by Mathews and Baxter and gives them a short deadline with dire consequences for failure.

As the reader follows along with the around the clock process of stopping a serial killer, the pace quickens and the adrenaline flows as the clock ticks down to the killer's deadline. A real nail biter, the characters grab you, making you care about them and their ominous situation. I found this story hard to put down and that I was turning pages as fast as possible. I look forward to the next story in the series and do recommend this book..

Ellie Matthews is a forensics professor not a crime scene investigator for a reason: she got tired of her job taking over her life. When she was asked to consult on a high-profile case a few months ago, she got sucked back in, but she’s been happily back at teaching for a while now, enjoying her normal life.

Until a family friend disappears, and Ellie is called to consult again—on the disappearance of someone she cares about. Ellie is thrown together with Detective Nick Baxter as they try to find the missing girl.
When the girl turns up dead with a pointed message, they realize hurting law enforcement is the game the clever killer is playing. Then Ellie’s sister disappears, and the killer strikes a deal: if Ellie and Nick solve a years-old murder case, he’ll release her sister unharmed.

Tensions mount as Ellie struggles to uncover evidence from years ago, while also searching desperately for traces of her sister. She and Nick butt heads as she struggles to cope, and he tries to get her to see just how damaged she is.

I’ve loved everything Caroline Fardig has written (that I’ve read, anyway), and An Eye for an Eye is no exception. The forensics blends seamlessly with the narrative, and the slow investigation had me desperate to find out who the killer was. Nick and Ellie mesh well as they work as an investigative team, but the personal undercurrents grow stronger throughout the novel. This novel works well to both entertain and keep the reader’s mind engaged in the mysteries.

(Galley provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

4 stars

Professor Ellie Matthews just wants things to go back to normal. Since leaving her job as a forensic investigator and taking her new position at the university, her life has become much better. She was involved is a recent investigation and had a run in with one of the detectives named Nick Baxter and she’d really like to put it all behind her now.

However, when one of her young friends goes missing with only her cell phone left in the bushes on campus, she gets roped into another crime investigation. When that friend is found dead, like another young woman, the investigation intensifies and the search is on.

There a confusing poems left at each crime scene which intrigue and draw the police even further into the investigation. The killer seems to be targeting the police. It soon becomes clear that they are tracking a serial killer.

Then Ellie’s own sister goes missing. The police are given seventy-two hours to solve a crime. In a race against time, Ellie and Nick must solve the crime and rescue Ellie’s sister. They must also catch the killer.

This is a well written and plotted novel. I didn’t like it quite as much as the previous book in this series, but it was very good nonetheless. I like Ellie and her way of getting along with (most) people. Poor Nick! He takes a beating in his relationship with Ellie. They get along, and then they don’t. I believe they not so secretly like one another.

I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Digital Services, LLC for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.

This is the second book in the series about Ellie Matthews, criminologist. In the first book we learn Ellie has left the police department and is a professor at Ashmore College. She has been called back to help once before on a case that involved students at the college. In this second book there is a little dejavu in that a girl from Ashmore goes missing, however this time she is the niece of Sheriff Jayne Walsh, Jenna. Jenna is a family friend and best friend of Rachel, Ellie's sister. When Jayne asks Ellie to help, how can she refuse? Although she is too close to the case and should never be allowed to work it, Ellie jumps in with all her heart and knowledge. As this case progresses, it becomes apparent that there are three related murders and the murderer seems to be taunting the police. He leaves fingerprints and is brazenly meeting key players in this drama. His motive is an odd one. He wants to see his dead father exonerated for the murder of his mother. His goal? For Ellie and her partner Nick to find who was really the murderer. But sociopaths don't care how they get results or who they hurt. Who will be next to die?

An Eye for an Eye is a thriller,a police procedural, and a story about family love. The Biblical references (eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, etc) are literally carried out by the sociopath. The corpses are symbolic of his mother, dressed in clothing of that era. The murderer is sick, twisted, and cocky. The story of his actions and demands is both horrifying and fascinating. The author faces the horrors head on, adding in back history of the principal detective and Ellie in order to increase our awareness of their understanding of every threat and action. It is a fascinating study of the people who surrounded the current murderer as well as the original murder victim. The book will suck you in and when you race to the finish, you will be stunned-more than once-as to what you learn. Misplaced family "love" between the murderer and father? Or loyalty that turned him into a monster? Family love between Ellie and Rachel, Nate, and "Grandpa" David is real, and there through thick and thin, which is shown over and over.

Author Caroline Fardig has created characters who are realistic and flawed. I think one reason I like this series is that no one is perfect. Yes, some people do their jobs better than other, act better, are smarter, etc., but those people are also fallible and flawed as people in real life tend to be. Even Ellie has to face her personal demon and try to overcome it. I like the way that Ellie, over time, is becoming a little more forgiving of her peers and a little more open to listening before dismissing people. Her character growth since the first book is amazing, making her much more likable and believable. I look forward to the next book in this series. I am hoping that Ellie will return to the police department, and perhaps work on a crime/murder that is outside of the college arena.

Every time Ellie Matthews thinks she is done working for the police in forensics, her ex partner Nick Baxter brings her back for another case. This time for a friend. Interesting character dynamics make this series a great read.
Goodreads

This is a terrific follow-up to BITTER PAST, which showcased all forensic aspects of a murder investigation. The author has certainly done her research and writes not only authoritatively, but in a manner that lay people find it very easy to understand.

Ellie Matthews, once a well-known criminalist, is now a professor of criminology at a local college. She recently consulted on a murder case and wants nothing to go back to her 'normal' life. But then a family friend goes missing and she finds herelf once again being drawn in to use her expertise.

Her friend is found murdered and left with a message that leaves no doubt that the killer has a vendetta against the local law enforcement.

Partnering again with Detective Nick Baxter, she's on the verge of losing it when the killer takes Ellie's sister. But it's what the killer wants in return for her sister's safe return that sets them all on edge.

This is such a well-written crime novel. I love all the forensics, from the collecting to the analyzing of clothing and / or objects looking for clues to the killer. It's fast-paced with lots of action. I love how Ellie and Nick interact with each other ... it's almost like siblings. They may argue or get short with one another, but there's always a layer of trust and respect at hand.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Digital Services LLC / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I received an ARC of an Eye for an Eye by Caroline Fardig threw the publisher and NetGalley. I am pleased to voluntarily review this book.

This is the second book in the Ellie Matthews series. This is a good mystery with a likeable protagonist. Ellie Matthews is a professor at Ashmore College, teaching forensic science. She is happy teaching students in a field she excelled in when she worked for the Police Department. Her younger half sister, Rachel, is a student at the same college. Nate, Rachel's young son, rounds out their family.

Rachel is worried about her friend Jenna when she misses a class they are in together. They were scheduled to present a class project and Rachel knew she wouldn't miss class voluntarily. Jenna told Rachel that she and the new boyfriend were going to spend the weekend together. She knows Jenna has a poor track record choosing boyfriends and knows something must be wrong when she not only doesn't show up but she also doesn't answer her phone. Rachel asks Ellie for help. When Jenna's phone is found in the bushes on campus, they know it's time to involve the police.

The writing is good with well developed characters and escalating suspense. Jenna's disappearance is only the beginning of trouble that leads Ellie back into working alongside with the police. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a good mystery.

ARC Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley

I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Ellie Matthews is drag into her former role as she consults on another serial killer but this time it involves her best friend’s niece as she is is one of the victims.
She ends up teaming up with her ex partner for his interference who she still has not forgiven from their last case. Things get even more personal who the serial killer kidnaps her younger sister as they are given 72 hours to find his mother’s killer and prove that his dad did not do it.

It will come down to the wire in order to save Ellie’s sister. A fascinating thriller with a few unexpected twist that keep you guessing.