This was a great whodunit murder mystery (my personal favourite type of mystery books). Dea Poirier writes beautifully and the twists kept me intrigued and guessing throughout! I thoroughly enjoyed the lead detective Claire and found her relatable, strong, and resilient. I hope there will be future cases for Claire to come!

Dea Porirer has this second book that will knock you off your feet. She is called to a murder scene that brings back memories of her sisters murder. Though the investigation will it lead to her sisters murder? Fast paced, pulse pounding, edge of your seat book you won’t be able to put down!

A good read with a female lead, so that made it all better!

Well written, well developed storyline, good pace, it kept me guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes the romantic subplot seemed to take over this narrative and distracted from the crime/procedural aspect of the story, something that is often seen in book series of this type but is still something that detracts. I had not read the first in this series but still found Claire to be an engaging lead although the plot of the novel was not too complex or gripping.

Sophomore efforts are often a bust when it comes to mystery novels. However, this was NOT the case with Dea Poirier's latest thriller. While I thought her first novel was a solid read, it was clear that her writing skills were on point with her second Claire Calderwood story.

The story begins with a body discovered in a motel. A young woman is found tied up and covered with ashes. It's clear that this killer is trying to send a message with his victim. Claire is instantly catapulted back to the past, and to the murder of her sister years ago. As Claire becomes embroiled in the case, relying on her reporter boyfriend to help support her, it becomes clear that Noah might be hiding a mystery of his own. Soon thereafter, a second body is found, and it appears that the killings may be the work of a serial killer.

As Claire works frantically to unearth the perpetrator before he strikes again, she also struggles with her relationship with Noah. Is he trying to hide something from her? And if so, can Claire continue to trust him to help her target the killer before he can kill again?

This was a really fast-paced and interesting read. The character development was strong, and there were enough twists and turns to keep me thoroughly engaged. I am eagerly looking forward to Poirier's next novel, and to see her continued development as a mystery author.

This is the first book I have read from this author. Beneath the Ashes is actually the second book in a series, however, I didn't feel lost at all. I may have just got a bit more of the main detective's back story in the first book. The story line was really attention grabbing. A 17 year old ends up dead in a motel. The story slowly unravels and I was sure the author had revealed who the killer was..until another twist! This is a great read. I highly recommend.

Beneath the Ashes by Dea Poirer was a book I picked up because I hadn't read a thriller in a while. I've said this many times, and I'll say it here once more - Procedural thrillers are just not my jam. It's nothing against this genre or this specific book, but I've learned that for my reader profile, this isn't where I get maximum thriller thrills. Anyway. Quick summary for those who do like procedurals - This focuses on a detective named Claire. She's called a motel where a woman has been murdered, and some of the components looked eerily similar to the murder of her sister. Claire is then trying to piece together any connections as she works to find this woman's killer. I think what I ultimately wanted her was a few more "breadcrumbs" to follow Claire's work. I love those jaw-dropping reveals as a character does their work, and this just didn't build enough suspense for me in that way. I do owe a thanks to NetGalley for letting me check this one out.

Another great book , they just keep getting better in this series. A great story which had me gripped till the end. Looking forward to reading the next book.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for my e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Detective Claire Calderwood is called to assist Camden’s PD in the investigation of a horrific and grisly teenage murder, she doesn’t expect to have a serial killer on her hands.
Young women are dying. Bound naked to a cheap motel room bed, heads covered in a plastic bag, and ashes sprinkled over their bodies. They have little in common, yet Claire goes to work, determined to discover who is behind these murders.
I found Claire to be a strong and intriguing character to watch as the story unfolds. It’s nice to see a jaded female detective who has the grit necessary to get the job done, yet still has a heart of compassion for those around her. She is tough, but I found her to also have an endearing vulnerability as she navigates her personal life in the midst of the flurry of the investigation. At times, the romance between Claire and Noah, her investigative journalist boyfriend, felt a little distracting to the plot. However, their relationship ups and downs added a deeper level and relatability to the storyline.
Dea Poirier writes in a very thorough police procedural style. There were times when I wondered if such painstaking detail was necessary as we are walked through the process of the investigation, yet the story is well-paced nonetheless. This is no cozy mystery either. The details and descriptions are fairly gruesome and grisly.
The author keeps the mystery going right up to the end. It’s hard to surprise me when it comes to the culprit of a mystery/thriller, but I wasn’t expecting the murderer to end up being who it was.
All-in-all, this is an intriguing read if you are a fan of police procedurals. Claire Calderwood is a great character and I look forward to catching up with her in the next installment.

I really enjoyed this book, the second in the series, by Dea Poirier. I love that it carried on with the same characters from the 1st book. I will look forward to reading a third book in the series.

I saw a lot of people complaining that the author didn't give enough clues a long the way to figure it out along with the characters, but that just wasn't the case for me. As soon as the murderer showed up I knew it was them. If you were a fan of the first you'll likely enjoy this one as well. I don't particularly care for her relationship with Noah, but it isn't a deal breaker.

I love this book. The plot and characters are well-thought. However, it got archived before I managed to finish it. which was a shame. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s so refreshing to read a book with a female hardened detective who takes her cases so seriously in a book that isn’t a cosy mystery. The crime scenes are gritty and made my skin crawl, and the investigation was full of twists and turns. This also worked really well as a stand-alone which was very helpful as I hadn’t read the first book!

I wasn’t overly fond of the romance aspect, but I know that’s largely a fault of my own. The characterisation was top-notch, and I really enjoyed the way that we see Claire develop. The reveal is twisted and brings a sense of desperation, which gave this one a real kick.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Beneath The Ashes is jsut one book in an installment, but it was easy to follow without reading the others.
Clarie, the main character, is a strong heroine and makes this book all that much more interesting.
The book was fast-paced, which makes it easier to read and really kept my interest.

This is a great series and I really liked this installment. There is much suspense, a little romance , and oh that ending!
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Finally, a book where I haven’t predicted the killer in the first 25%!
Claire is a fab strong female lead who’s story isn’t reliant on her relationship - loved that. The book had a solid plot and I thought that the pacing was almost spot on. My only negative point is that I thought the suicide at the end felt a little too convenient, and is actually quite overdone in these police procedural stories.

Overall I really enjoyed it and am now looking forward to reading other works from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Claire is requested to take on a new murder case. It's a grisly one and it reminds her of the not so long ago death of her sister. Not having fully recovered from her sisters death and with her boyfriend Noah keeping secrets from her Claire starts the investigation and soon discovers a link to a local hospital. I liked the strong female lead, Claire, and how she never gives up, working hard solving the case before the killer finds another victim.

Claire Calderwood is a detective called to the scene of a murder where the victim is tied to the bed with a head covered in plastic and ashes sprinkled on her body. This case hits close to home for Claire, as she remembers her own sisters’ murder.
Noah, Claire’s boyfriend and a reporter, helped Claire find her sister’s killer. Now Noah is being distant.
When another girl is murdered and left the same way Claire is sure she has a serial killer in the making on her hands.
I love a strong female lead, and Claire is just that. I really appreciate that the story doesn’t get hung up on her relationship with Noah; she has a boyfriend, and he is there, but the case is the main storyline.
There are a few twists that keep this book interesting. It’s the second book on Claire, but it read like a standalone. I think I’ll get the first one.

This novel was intense and full of twists and turns that left kept me guessing until the very end. I haven't read the first novel in the series yet and really want to now. I really enjoyed Claire and am curious about the murder case of her sister. A great suspenseful novel! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.