My review is written with thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for inviting me on the tour and for providing my copy of the book via Netgalley.

Following the aftermath of her last case, FBI Agent, Jess Bishop, is on leave. Desperate to get back to work, she investigates cold cases, and one in particular catches her eye, where the killer targets children and gives them cotton candy. When she returns to work, the killer is still at large and with the number of victims increasing, time is running out. Will Jess and her colleagues find the killer?

In the prologue of Cross Your Heart, Jess is imprisoned in a makeshift cell and being held against her will. This grabbed my interest immediately, as I wanted to know how this situation had occurred, particularly such a short time after her previous ordeal. I also found it interesting that the novel does not begin at the point of the killer's first murder as this means we are thrown straight into the action and there is no time to get comfortable! The action holds until the very end and I found it difficult to tear myself away!

I loved the character of Jess Bishop from the beginning of Forget Me Not, and she doesn't disappoint in the sequel. She has flaws, but she's pretty formidable and determined to see the killer brought to justice. Her relationship with Jamison is strained in this novel, but it still has a lot to give and I hope their friendship can thrive in future. I also love her relationship with Lindsay, especially the way Lindsay is able to judge Jess' emotions and help her through difficult times.

I did not guess who the killer was, and I loved the twist at the end. As Cross Your Heart reached its climax, the tension was palpable. I cannot wait for the next instalment!

This is the second book in the series featuring Detective Jessica (Jess) Bishop. The first book in the series is called ‘Forget Me Not’ and was released in November 2017. I loved the first book in the series and I just knew that I would enjoy this book just as much. I was not to be disappointed.
Jess Bishop is a different police officer to the one than we met in the first book. This book picks up after the devastating events of the first book. I don’t want to put anything more about what happened previously because I would no doubt end up giving far too much away, completely unintentionally. In this book, Jess is desperate to get back to work. She feels that she has been off for long enough and getting back to work would be the best medicine and the best way to get back to normal. However, Jess is not being honest to herself because she refuses to acknowledge that her hand injury is bothering her more than she admits. The events of the last book have affected Jess far more both mentally and physically, than she would ever care to admit or to accept. Even though she has been on sick leave she has still been investigating cold cases. It’s as if it’s work that keeps her going and without her work, she has nothing. Jess is cleared to go back to work and it isn’t long before she is in the thick of things again. When she gets back to work she suffers from flashbacks and she relives certain moments from past events over and over. I did think that she was suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). She is given a case to get her teeth into and before long it’s as if she has never been away. Will Jess be able to solve the case and prevent any further loss of life? Will Jess be able to keep it together? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out because I am not going to tell you.
Wowzers, what a book this was. For me this is the best of the two books in the series (so far). The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story and before you know it you are hooked. That was certainly the case for me. Reading this book was much like reuniting with old friends and I really did feel as though I was an invisible member of the investigating team. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. ‘Cross Your Heart’ is one of those books that grabs you by the throat and won’t let you go. I became so addicted to this book that it came everywhere with me and I couldn’t put it down. The book wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been. Reading ‘Cross Your Heart’ was like being on one heck of a rollercoaster ride with lots of twists, turn and moments that make your heart rate accelerate and you hold your breath in anticipation of what is coming next.
In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘Cross Your Heart’ and I wholeheartedly recommend this book, this author and this series to other readers. As I mentioned before, I think that this is the best book of the series so far. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this author. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is 5* out of 5*.

I flew through this book! As soon as I finished the first book, I couldn't wait to start the second....and, thankfully, it was just as good. This time Jessica is just at the end of her therapy and she can't wait to get reinstated at the FBI to begin hunting a serial killer that's targeting young children. She's done not but research since her break. She's still dealing with her trauma from her childhood, and what happened in the last book. She definitely has issues! And she doesn't deal with them well. These books are very addicting--the story flows so well that you don't realize how much you've read till you finally look up! Can't wait now for the third book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite not reading book one, I was instantly gripped by this novel and I connected with the characters immediately. Jess suffered a serious injury before this book begins and is desperate to return to work. Her relationship with her previous partner, Jamieson, is also damaged and she has a new partner Chan who is the flirt in the team. He tries to use his charms on every female he talks to. It’s not annoying, it is just a little lightheartedness and shows the differences between the team in the way they react to him. Apart from her injury and new partnership I didn’t notice any spoilers so I am happy to read the previous book soon.
I liked Jess a lot. She had a troubled family history, I hope that more will be revealed about this, either in the earlier book or in the books to come. She has a slightly dubious way of coping with things that are troubling her. Everybody in the team knows about it, frown upon it but let her get on with it. I admired her resolve, laughed at her put downs towards Chan and wished that she would let friends help her.
The storyline could be a tough one to read but the author does a brilliant job of making it acceptable rather than gratuitous. Parts of it made me emotional, parts of it made me angry. Parts of the storyline covered events that should never happen but do, repeatedly.
I am looking forward to reading more in this series, I liked the characters and want to see how they develop in future novels. And I want to see how they cope after the events in this book.

I came into the world of Jess Bishop without reading the first book in the series. My reading schedule didn't give me room to backtrack and catch up, but I thought enough information was given throughout the book to bring me up to speed on the characters and their relationships.
I enjoyed the story. It was a quick and easy read that I was able to finish within an afternoon. While some parts were predictable, I was a bit shocked by how the book ended (not in a necessarily bad way). I think the suspense and surprise highlighted Kierney Scott's skill in creating a story full of adventure and feeling. It was go, go, go from the beginning, and I appreciated the building anticipation.
Once I have time I'll be sure to rewind and pick up the first book. And I'll be eagerly anticipating the release of the next part of the series.

Well if you thought that book one in this series was tense, you haven't seen anything yet. Still recovering from injuries sustained on another case, Jess Bishop is desperate to work and has been trawling cold case files surrounding missing children , seeing links in cases that they rest of her team don't see. When another child goes missing the powers that be finally take note, setting Jess and the team on their most challenging and frustrating case in a bid to save the girl before it's too late. Add in a high amount of strain in her once perfect partnership with Jamieson and the scene is set for a taut, thrilling and overwhelmingly emotional story.

Jess Bishop is a woman with a very troubled past and who has always struggled to form friendships. Those she has you could count on one hand so seeing the widening gap between her and Jamieson in this novel led to an unusual dynamic and really enhanced the tension. He is usually her go to guy but despite his willingness to protect her, his coolness really makes a dint in her confidence at a time she can't handle any other knocks. I like the character of Jess, she's far from perfect, but she has some major emotional and physical issues to overcome, showing herself to be on a path of self destruction throughout the book so I'll be intrigued to see how this develops in future stories.

Jamieson is perhaps less present in this book as he is no longer partnered with Jess, yet his personality is no less felt. ever the professional I'll be honest and say he is someone I find hard to fathom. I get his reasons for pushing Jess aside but sometimes he is too controlled and this can make him hard to like. I want to like him, I'm just not sure how much I'm succeeding in that right now. Time will tell. I definitely like him more than Chan, but then he's a complete tart and that's not saying much, lol.

The story itself is a very difficult one, the subject matter something that some readers may find hard to stomach. It centres around the murder of children so if this subject is not for you then neither is this book. It is not gratuitous and it is not unnecessarily violent, but it is present. Due to the nature of the investigation, the number of suspects is high but the motive difficult to fathom at first. There is no apparent connection between victims which sets the Agents their first challenge that will take a lot of reasoning to resolve. The pacing is good with quieter moments intersecting moments of tense action, times when the characters' safety is in jeopardy. There are heart stopping moments, and moments of pure grief and the end of the novel may well leave you a little heartbroken.

Great stuff from Kierney Scott and a brilliant follow up to Forget Me Not. I look forward to seeing where this goes next.

Cross your Heart by Kierney Scott is the 2nd in the Special Agent Jess Bishop series.

Wow, this one sunk it's teeth in me quick!

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Series Background:
Jess has a rather horrific past. Her father was a serial killer, and was put away a long time ago. She tries to keep her background secret, but she has not really dealt with that childhood trauma. She carries this with her always, and it tends to affect her at odd moments. She doesn’t socialize well, and has a rather bizarre way of handling her stress.

My Synopsis:
Jess is finally getting the okay to return to work after being side-lined with a severe hand injury in her last case. Her partner almost died. A lot of people don’t think she is ready to return to work, but Jess can’t wait. On her time off, she has been investigating cases of missing girls, and she is sure there is a serial killer out there. When she tries to convince her team, they think her imagination has gone wild. When a young girl is kidnapped from her hospital bed, opinions change. It will be the link between the girls that will lead Jess to the killer, and to the loss of a friend.

My Opinions:
WOW…this one got to me. By the end I was bawling. Kierney Scott writes really well, so that the emotions her characters feel are felt by the reader. Awesome job. The dialog and bits of humor thrown in feel natural. The plot, while sensitive, was brilliant. Although I suspected the motive before the end, the actual murderer was a surprise. I love how Scott is bringing Jess along as a character. Through her inner thoughts and turmoil, we learn the reasons for her actions, her guilt, and why she struggles to let people in, to trust, to love. I didn’t particularly like her in the first book, but she has definitely grown on me!

Can’t wait for the next one!

This is a brilliant book and even better than the first in the series.
Detective Jess Bishop is desparate to get back to work after being injured both physically and mentally in the last case, so she manages to persuade the doctors that she’s fit for work. Actually she’s not, as she keeps getting flashbacks and her hand is causing her a lot of pain, but she goes back anyway.
While she was off she had a look through some cold cases and found some similarities where children have been abducted and then murdered. The killer has left a calling card at each scene - a bag of blue cotton candy.
Her boss doesn’t think it’s worth re-opening these cases until a young girl dying of cancer is snatched from hospital, and a bag of blue cotton candy is found on the bed.
Other girls then start to go missing and Jess and her team face a real race against time to save them.
This is a gripping crime thriller and I love the dynamic between Jess and Chan.
I hope Jess gets the help she needs so we get to read another book in this great series!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

What a great read that turned out to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this, the second book in the Jess Bishop series.
Jess is really developing as a character now, Smart, stubborn, ballsy and also a little off the rails as she fights her own demons, what is not to like about this character.
This is an easy story to get lost in, once you start reading this book it's hard to stop. There is so much going on that you really feel the need to keep going with it. Wanting and needing to know what is going to happen. I find when you read so many books in the same genre that occasionally the characters can become a bit samey and get muddled up. Not with Jess, she is certainly an individual character.
We kick off this story with Jess waiting to find out if she is fit to return to work after her injuries from her last case. Jess an FBI agent is eagre to get back to what she loves doing.
Jess being Jess, will do all she can to get back to work 'officially. If this means bending the truth a little, then that is just what Jess will do.
When a child is snatched from her hospital bed, a bag of candy is found in her room, Jessica is convinced this is linked to 3 previous kidnappings. Jess and her team are running out of time to find who the kidnapper is before it's to late, and before anymore children go missing.
We have a great mix of characters in this book, and some are really turning out to be very likeable.
I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment to see where this series can go.

This is the second book in a series and I haven’t read the first one. This one can be read as a standalone but I wish I had read it first because that would probably have made it easier to read this one. Josie Quinn is the Chief of Police in a tiny town and her fiancé is with the state police. It’s probably only in a tiny town you can get away with being chief of police and pretty much flaunt all rules and regulations. Josie is constantly doing exactly what she wants and does it while her whole staff literally tell her that she needs to leave the investigations to them because she is too closely involved. I think that if she had listened instead of being so hard headed a lot of what happens most likely wouldn’t have happened. Josie is too close and it’s not like she has a staff full of bumbling detectives. The deaths of young people are interspersed throughout the book and eventually get annoying because you don’t know why they are there other than they separate chapters. When eventually you told why they are there it just seems ludicrous. Overall I liked the book and will recommend it to others. Thanks to #NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Tough detective story with a dogged determined detective full of flaws. Fighting her own demons and fighting for the victims really enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Bookouture for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Noelle from Bookouture for organising the Blog Tour.

This is Book #2 in the Detective Jess Bishop series. Whilst it can be read as a standalone book, there are references to Book #1 Forget Me Not and it would be better understood if the series was read in order. For information, the book is based in the US.

Following the explosive first book, we are back with Detective Jess Bishop. Jess is still recovering from what happened and is waiting to see if she is classed as fit to work. Whilst she has been off on sick leave she has been looking in some cold cases of three young girls who are still missing. Jess discovers something which links the three cases, and when she is given the all-clear to return to work she and her team begin to look at them. Jess then gets news of another girl being taken and it looks like she has been taken by the same person as the other girls. Can Jess and her team work out who is taking these girls?

Wow, welcome back Detective Bishop! Before I read this one, I did a quick recap on Book #1 to familiarise myself with the series. As I was reading the blurb about it, the storyline and the characters all came flooding back and I remembered how much I had enjoyed it. This one started straight back into the action with Jess being trapped somewhere, in a box. We don’t know where or why and this isn’t revealed until much later in the book. It then takes the story back a few days, with Jess still on sick leave. She obviously is still having major issues resulting from what happened at the end of Book #1, both physically and emotionally. Thankfully, with a bit of help from her friend and FBI colleague Lindsay, Jess is allowed back on active duty.

Jess, in the first book, was a difficult character to get on with and nothing has really changed in this book! She still wants to do everything her own way and doesn’t face up to her problems. She also has an unhealthy way of relieving her stress and tension, but I quite like this as it adds to the grittiness of her character. Jamison, her old partner, has also returned but things between them are certainly strained. I was slightly disappointed to not see more of Jamison as I did like him in the first book, and I did like the relationship that they had together.

On the whole, the story flowed really well and it held my attention throughout! It was full of twists, turns and red herrings and certainly gave plenty of heart stopping moments. The whole story comes to a head with a devastating finale and left me wanting more, which will hopefully come along with Book #3. A great read that is highly recommended!

This is book 2 in the Jess Bishop series. I was not a big fan of book 1, but was willing to give it another go and I am so glad that I did. I really enjoyed this book so much better than the first.

After the events of the first book, Jess is physically and emotionally scarred. She is still on leave and waiting to be reinstated to the FBI. Whilst on leave she is looking into some cold cases and discovers what she believes to be links to 3 child abduction cases. Along with her team they investigate and race against time to save the next victim.

Jess is not the most likeable character and this put me off a lot in the first book. This time we see a different side to her and she is starting to grow on me. I do look forward to seeing where she takes us next and how her character develops.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions

I really liked this book. Reading about child offenders and children being murderd is always more emotive than your normal crime story’s. I was struck with the plot twist at the end. I really recommend this serie.

Cross Your Heart was non-stop suspense. I did not read the first of the series but did not need to be sucked in this roller coaster of a thriller. I loved Kierney Scott’s writing style and quickly became invested in all of the characters.

Cross Your Heart (Detective Jess Bishop Book 2)

by Kierney Scott

Bookouture

General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 25 Apr 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Cross Your Heart through Bookouture and Netgalley:

Special Agent Jessica Bishop finds herself handcuffed in a box, folded over into the fetal position.

Days before Special Agent Jessica Bishop begins looking into three cold cases in which girls go missing, while investigating she finds a disturbing link between the three missing girls. She is determined to find out what happens and fights to reopen the cases.

In each case the kidnapper left a small bag of candy where he had taken the three girls.

When a fourth child is taken this time from a hospital room, once against small bag of candy was left in the room in place of the child. Jessica knows right away it’s the same kidnapper.

As the pressure to solve the case pushes Jess and her team to the breaking point, Jessica takes a risk she may come to regret but she really has no choice Ava will only get sicker out of the hospital.

Can Jessica save Ava before it’s to late?

Find out in Cross Your Heart!

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and the author for this Jess Bishop book 2. Knowing I had been approved for number two, I quickly ordered number one and read it, a four star book from me.

Now the question to me is number two as good..... No

Why? Just a fraction behind on the gripping suspense of the first one..

Blinking her eyes open, she looks around the room, taking in the bed and the wardrobe full of clothes she’s never seen before. This isn’t her bedroom. Those aren’t her clothes. She begins to cry as she wonders if she’ll ever see her own home again.

Three young girls are missing. All of them cold cases. All of them forgotten. But when Detective Jess Bishop identifies a disturbing link between them, she’s determined to find out what happened, and fights to re-open their cases.

At the scene of each abduction the kidnapper left a clue – a small bag of candy – in place of the missing child.

And then a fourth child is taken. Eight-year-old Ava is snatched from her hospital bed and when a bag of candy is found in her room, Jessica knows it’s the same kidnapper.

As the pressure to solve the case pushes Jess and her team to breaking point, Jess takes a personal risk she fears she’ll live to regret. But she has no choice.

Out of hospital, Ava can only get sicker: Jess is running out of time. Can she find Ava before it’s too late?

A thriller that will have your pulse racing. Cross Your Heart is perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner, Sharon Bolton, Angela Marsons.

Jessica Bishop! A great female character... clever, stubborn ,naughty, different and an tough FBI agent to.

Just a fraction weaker than the first book, maybe as a shorter story, maybe too short?

Like the author, the character, but did prefer Forget Me Not.

But still a clear three star book

Cross Your Heart is number 2 in the Jess Bishop series. Having read Forget Me Not I couldn't wait to read this one and wasn't disappointed!! Brilliant from start to finish it had my heart thumping!! Absolutely brilliant. I would definitely recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kierney Scott and Bookouture for my arc of Cross Your Heart.

Publication Date: 25th April 2018

Cross Your Heart is the second book in the Detective Jessica Bishop series. Some spoilers for the first book are included below but no spoilers for this one.
Jess Bishop is still reeling from the events of her last case. After severely damaging her hand in her attempts to escape the psychotic killer she'd been chasing, Jess is looking at the possibility of returning to the job she loves so much with the FBI.

Somehow though, she manages to get herself reinstated and onto the case of a child abductor and murderer in which the only clue is the blue cotton candy left beneath the nails of the victims. Jess is convinced she can catch the killer but when two more girls go missing it's a question of whether she'll catch them before it's too late.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series Forget Me Not but Cross Your Heart was even better. The storyline was engrossing not just the thriller element but Jess' story too. Jess has a great backstory making her a very conflicted character and I really like that. It makes her interesting and gives her depth.

The thriller part of the story was also hugely engaging, it was told well with enough red herrings to keep sending you off on the wrong trail and I literally had no idea at all who it was! It was like 'bam' and I was left reeling.

I'll definitely be looking out for future books in this series!