Detective Jo Larsen is more than just a cop. She is a crusader for victims whether that be for a murder victim, a suicide or an owner of a stolen dog.

As with the first book this book centers on the victim – what brought them to the point of their death. The subject matter of this book is an all to familiar one. Abuse, neglect and bullying in all forms leading to suicide.

Jo Larsen and her partner Hank Phelps have two cases that land in their laps. One is the recent death of a teenage girl by jumping off of a water tower and the other is a string of missing dogs. Jo having been a victim herself growing up shares grief with both the survivors and feels the pain of the victims. Her being able to relate makes her resilient and determined  to find out the truth. The heartbreak of what the victim went through and the uncaring and insensitive and cruel disregard for her even by those closest to her.

A sign to me if a book is good if at the end you feel something and you certainly do by the end of this one. Even though each of the books in this series are heartbreaking I look forward to the next.

Detective Jo Larson and her partner Hank are called out to investigate a missing dog case when they get a call that someone jumped off the water tower. That someone turns out to be Kelly, a fifteen year old girl. More dogs go missing as Jo is digging deeper into Kelly's suicide. Do the missing dogs and the dead teenager have something in common?

I loved this book. After reading "Walk into Silence," I couldn't wait for another Jo Larson book. I loved the characters, story-line and writing style. Jo and Hank have a great working relationship and share a mutual love of junk food. It was great to see Ernie the cat having a wonderful life with Jo. In this book and the previous, we have only gotten to know Jo's mom. Currently she is suffering from Alzheimer's and she never provided Jo with a safe and stable childhood. I think that is why Jo related to Kelly so much and wanted to bring justice to her death. I have a feeling in the next book Jo will start searching for her father.

My least favorite character had to be Kelly's mom, Barbara. She had no reaction to her daughter's death.She gave all her time and energy to helping cancer patients and and their families but didn't have anything left to give to her own daughter. The social media comments were just brutal. Amanda cried and showed love over her missing dog than Barbara did for her daughter. Cassie was another piece of work. It's definitely true that girls can be cruel to each other.

The ending was good. The part about the dogs was horrific and hard to read. I didn't guess who was really behind what happened at the party involving Kelly. There were definitely some twists and turns. Bridget, the computer geek who loves Star Wars, was a good addition.

I definitely recommend this book. I couldn't put it down. Hopefully there are more Jo Larson books to come.

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author, Susan McBride, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Author Susan McBride penned a narrative that shook at the very core of society, the shattered innocence of youth. As much as I was overtaken and felt the urge to turn a blind eye to the blunt reality of our society, I was compelled to read on.

The narrative was well-written with scenes that kept a steady rhythm with the storyline. It held me captive as the intrigue began to build. The main characters, there were two, were both well-drawn.

Fifteen-year-old Kelly Amster took her last step in life. It was off a 130-foot tall water tank and plunged to her death. The suburban town of Plainfield, Texas was left reeling in shock. It had all the sullen impact of another teen suicide including the note, but the question remained as it always does - why?

Somewhere inside Detective Jo Larsen's gut, she felt there was more to this girl's death than what met the eye; something sinister was lurking under the surface. Some that had known Kelly didn't want the investigation to go any further. This only led the detective to become more suspicious and dug deeper when other investigators might have quit. She began to piece together saddening clues which led up to the teen's suicide.

The storyline drew to a close with an ending that left me feeling empty. I expected no less. It tapped into an all too true reality of what many teens are forced to endure today. It's easier to look away and pretend that it's not there, but it is. It was a moving tale, one I would not want to read about again. Its message was delivered loud and clear.

My thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Great read Yes I recommend this read. Very good book.. #WalkAcrookedLine #NetGalley It kept me interested . I enjoyed the everything about it. . This book does not disappoint .

Jo Larsen left the Dallas Police Department to become a detective in the small town of Plainfield, Texas. Jo and her partner, Hank Phelps, get called to a terrible scene in which a teenaged girl has jumped to her death from an old water tower. Although it's an apparent suicide, Jo is determined to find out what drove this beautiful young woman to make such a drastic and tragic decision.

"Walk a Crooked Line" is the second book in the Jo Larsen series. However, returning readers as well as newcomers can equally enjoy this book. Jo is a complex character with real problems and earns the respect of readers. Jo has a lot to deal with in her personal life. Her mother wasn't always there for her growing up, but now Jo's mother suffers from Alzheimer's and needs her help. Jo is tough, but vulnerable because of her past. She seeks justice for victims because she was once a victim herself.

In addition to the realistic characters, the plot of the book is relevant and something to which readers can relate . The story shows a sad twist to the ever increasing problem of cyber-bullying. The clues to what the victim was going through are there, but when the full truth of what happened is revealed, it is shocking and heartbreaking. The book also includes a sad and disturbing side-plot dealing with stolen dogs that is sometimes hard to read, but shows neither Jo nor Hank will give up on getting justice for crime victims, even four-legged ones.

"Walk a Crooked Line" is a well-written, compelling novel with a complicated main character who is easy to root for as she refuses to give up before she gets to the truth of her cases. I also like Jo's partnership with Hank and how well they work together. I read a lot of mysteries and procedurals, and the Jo Larsen series is becoming one of my favorites.

Thank you to the author and Thomas and Mercer for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Words can’t adequately express how forward I was looking to this book – Susan McBride’s first Jo Larsen book, Walk Into Silence, ranked among my most favorite books of the year. So when given a chance to read and review, Walk a Crooked Line, the bar was set pretty high.
Deftly tackling a very relevant societal issue, McBride throws Jo Larsen headfirst into the investigation of a teenager’s potential suicide in hot, humid Plainfield, Texas. Remembering her own youth and strained relationship with her mother, Jo digs deep into Kelly Amster’s death. With her partner, Hank, by her side (who is dealing with sick kids at home), Jo takes a deep dive into Kelly’s life interviewing her mom who is strangely calm about her daughter’s apparent suicide, her best friend, and members of the Posse. In addition, there are some missing family pets that Jo and Hank are exploring in parallel with Kelly’s death.
McBride’s story had me hooked at Chapter One. Her storytelling ability is second to none as she weaves the reader through Kelly and Jo’s overlapping lives. Jo’s passion for her job and commitment to helping others was on full display throughout the novel. Walk A Crooked Line is a book you won’t be able to put down (and you won’t want to) as each chapter keeps building the tension and momentum until the last page (which I selfishly hoped wouldn’t come).
Susan McBride is so dang good… I have loved all her books, but her Jo Larsen series is my favorite. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for Jo next.

Walk a Crooked Line by Susan McBride
When terrible things happen, it’s up to Jo Larsen, her partner Hank, and their fellow officers to “pick up the pieces . . . and make sure that all the guilty parties paid a price. Even if that price was never high enough.” The investigators pay a huge price as well, seeing that which cannot be unseen, feeling the pain of victims, and awakening their own sorrows, but they are also helping to put a stop to future harm by those who’ve brazenly repeated their crimes, believing themselves to be above punishment. “No woman should have to live in fear.” TRUTH!
If it takes a village to raise a child, it’s also true that breaking a tender spirit is a group responsibility. It’s short-sighted to downplay high school pain and bullying; that short time in one’s long life feels like everything at the time. One of our counselors reminded us that “puppy love feels like real love to the puppy.”
The water tower is a haunting image, worthy of its place on the cover, a menacing presence. Vivid imagery and contrasts, railroad tracks vs. McMansions, help tell the story . . . “in the dimness of the room, the black screen looked a bit like a window to nowhere.”
Beautiful style and compelling content combined to make WALK A CROOKED LINE hard to put down. At one a.m. my eyes refused to read more; I picked it back up immediately upon waking.
From the forward to the helpline numbers at the end, the message is strong, “Your lives are precious. . . . You are not alone.”