Wow! What a fantastic book! Don't Look Down kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not put this book down. The writing was excellent with well developed characters. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, boy was I wrong.

This is the second book in a series; I have not read the first, but it reads well as a standalone.

Let me just say first that I really enjoyed having a detective as the main character who does NOT struggle with addiction, has a loving family, and is a generally nice human being. So many times with these procedural crime novels you get that stereotypical detective and it gets to be so boring and predictable. Detective Sterling was a refreshing and enjoyable character. She had that touch of sarcasm with her partner, that I liked, but they got along well and had a nice dynamic.

This book took me on a wild ride. What seemed to be an open and shut case became a thrilling journey with so many twists and turns. It absolutely kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I had solved the case, it took another turn and left me completely guessing. I will say that at some points, it felt like there were too many suspects/characters to keep track off, but it all made sense in the end.

I thought the character development was well done for the most part. Jo didn't seem to grow much as a character throughout the story, but I guess she didn't really need to. Her boyfriend, Cal, was a bit on the flat side and if it weren't for his mother being a major player in the story, he would have felt unessential to the book. I liked that I got a good sense of who Andray, the murder victim, was as a person even though he was never a living character. Everything came together smoothly at the end and the reveal left me speechless.

The setting was executed perfectly. Davidson was able to capture the many classes and neighborhoods within NYC - from run-down apartment buildings owned by slumlords to the billionaires with their gorgeous brownstones.

Overall, Don't Look Down was a quick read and I enjoyed all of the twisty turns it took. And it cemented that what they say is true: the worst thing you can do when being blackmailed is to pay the blackmailer off.

This is the sequel procedural to One Small Sacrifice (Review) which I enjoyed so much last year I grabbed this one ASAP. It’s a great new series for fans of procedurals, detective partners, multiple point of view, and books that focus on the case at hand.

We open with Jo Greaver, a victim of blackmail, going to drop off the money at an apartment, but nothing goes as planned—does it ever?—and she ends up shot and shooting her blackmailer. She doesn’t stick around to find out what happens next, and goes back to work, and her life, as if a bullet in the arm won’t stop her. When NYPD detectives Sheryn Sterling and Rafael Mendoza show up on the scene, the evidence and witness accounts don’t make sense. And it also doesn’t add up with what we saw happen with Jo, which leads the detectives and readers to have to piece together not only who the blackmailer is, but what they’re blackmailing Jo with, and what really happened in that apartment?!

If you like page-turning, twisty procedurals that give you character depth but stay focused on the case and mystery at hand you’ll love escaping into this series.

(TW sex trafficking/past domestic abuse mentioned/past drug overdose/suicide, detail)

Hilary Davidson's Don't Look Down is more than a mystery and more than a cop procedural. She has taken characters and given each one a story with an ending. Everyone's lives intersect in some way. The reveals are held off until the final act and roll out one by one giving readers time to digest all the subtle links.

Perhaps the best features of the book aren't the mysteries at all. It's these characters. Getting to know Detective Sheryn Sterling and her partner Detective Rafael Mendoza (now disabled from a past injury) felt deep and real. Since each chapter is from a different character's point of view, readers get to know all of them well including prime suspect Jo Greaver, a sympathetic hardworking woman who is more survivor than victim but ultimately has to come to grips with being both.

The diversity of the cast brings up a tertiary arc about Sheryn's son who ditched school in order to protest the immigration bans. He gets arrested. Sheryn has to explain the real world to him that as a black boy, he is more likely to face the justice system and perhaps the harsh brutality that can come with it. Having a black mom for a cop doesn't give him a free pass either. Sheryn still has to work the nuances of sweet talking a white cop through mentioning a mutual friend, someone he would respect more than her.

As this is book two of a new series, I had no trouble jumping into the world of New York City and the lives of Sterling and Mendoza. In fact, when I looked it up, I saw that book one, One Small Sacrifice, was only $1 so I immediately grabbed it.

Davidson presents a masterpiece of crime fiction that shows humanity in our modern times with underdog characters who have doubt rather than machismo, but they have instincts and the intelligence to navigate the web of murders.

A gripping police thriller, this book held my attention from the first page. This was my first book by Hilary Davidson, but I would check out more of her books in the future. I

From all outward appearances, Jo Greaver is a successful, self-made business woman with a bright future. No one in her orbit would suspect the traumatic adolescence she endured or the terrible secrets she harbors. After moving to New York City a decade ago, Jo struggled to make a new life for herself, overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. She considered her past long buried, especially when her only remaining link to it—her sister Lori—died of a drug overdose eighteen months ago. But when a blackmailer contacts her, threatening to expose the very things that can ruin her present life and relationships, Jo's world is turned upside down. A scheduled rendezvous with the blackmailer goes horribly wrong, placing Jo at the scene of a murder. Is it possible that this desperate young women has killed a man to safeguard her secrets?

The evidence against Jo appears overwhelming, but it isn't enough to convince seasoned detective Sheryn Sterling of Jo's guilt. Sterling and her partner Detective Rafael Mendoza undertake an investigation of inconsistencies in the case, leading them to believe that Jo is being framed for murder. Their investigation—which takes them from the ritzy areas of Gramercy Park and lower Manhattan to the gritty neighborhoods of Hell's Kitchen and Harlem—uncovers a series of puzzling clues and a web of deceit. The detectives discover that Jo isn't the only one hiding explosive secrets, and there are ruthless people who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.

.Don't Look Down is a fast-paced, gripping read. Its many plot twists and turns are fueled by a set of dastardly characters who conspire, manipulate, blackmail, intimidate, and betray to get what they want, regardless of the consequences. It's a thrilling fight between good and evil, with the forces of justice combatting brazen lawlessness. Detectives Sterling and Mendoza, with their interesting chemistry and special rapport, can be counted on to expose the truth.

Don't Look Down is the second book in the Shadows of New York series, but can be read as a stand-alone. It was my introduction to the series, and turned me into an instant fan. I plan to read the first installment, One Small Sacrifice, to spend more time in the company of Detective Sterling—a compassionate public servant who fights for the innocent. In an ideal world, this series would be adapted for television . . .

This book is great! It’s fast paced, thrilling and has just the right amount of red herrings that kept me on the edge of my seat and up reading way too late! This is the second book in a series but can be read as a stand alone. Davidson is a brilliant writer and she really knows how to keep you guessing all the way to the end! Ready for book 3!

NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling is only one of a stunning cast of female main characters in this compelling thriller set in a world of family betrayal, blackmail, murder and arson where you never see the next twist and revelation coming!
Hilary Davidson is a new author for me and I lam already looking forward to her next work and catching up with book one in this series.

I will not be reading this book after all. It is a police procedural and the second book in a series of which I have not read the first. I appreciate the author sending me this book but unfortunately will not be reading it.

What I liked: engaging story that runs at a moderate speed.

What I didn't like: not fully believable in the procedural aspect of it comparatively to other procedurals I've read. Repetitiveness. Somewhat forced dialogue with the underlay of "lesson" that seemed unnecessary in how it was portrayed.

Overall, a decent and fun read but towards the end I wasn't as engaged as I was in the beginning. Don't think I'll be continuing the series.

For those who don't read a ton of procedurals and want an interesting mystery, this will be entertaining.

This is a fast-moving combination crime thriller and police procedural murder mystery. It begins with Jo Greaver. delivering a satchel full of cash to her blackmailer in a grubby apartment in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen area. A gun fight breaks out with Jo and her blackmailer each being shot by the other. Jo flees the scene and the stage is set for an action filled tale which comes to a satisfying conclusion after a succession of red herrings and false leads. Wonderful suspense too. The New York City setting is authentic and done well.

Four narrators take turns progressing the story.: Jo, her boyfriend Cal, NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling, and her partner, Rafael Mendoza. The two female characters, Jo and Sheryn, are the principal ones with Cal and Rafael playing supporting roles. Sheryn is a standout protagonist -- her character has plenty of depth. This is the sequel to the first Sheryn Sterling novel, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

All in all this is an excellent and agreeable story. Recommended reading.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher Thomas & Mercer, via Netgalley. The foregoing comments about it are my own.

I read the first book ("One Small Sacrifice") last year and really enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of "Don't Look Down", which is the second in the series involving NYPD detectives Sheryn Sterling and her partner, Rafael Mendoza. In this installment we find Jo Greaver a young entrepreneur of a thriving beauty business being blackmailed for secrets she would rather keep hidden. However, when she meets with her blackmailer she ends up getting shot. She flees, scared and bleeding. But shortly thereafter, the detectives find Andray Baxter murdered in his own home, and Jo becomes the detectives' number one suspect. Filled with twists and unexpected turns, infused with vibes of New York, this book kept me engaged to the end. The characters felt real and just when I thought I had the book figured out it took a turn. If you like police procedurals with a spirited female lead, I would recommend checking this series out.

New crime, same great detective duo and I’m happy to say that I enjoyed this one even more than the first!

I love that we get some diversity and it’s handled in a matter of fact way rather than clubbing you over the head with the fact that we’ve got one black female cop and another Hispanic gay cop. The plot had the same pacing with all the twists and turns coming out at the end but I found Jo to be more sympathetic and likable than her predecessor in the previous book. I love the glimpse of Sheryn’s family too just as I did in the first.

I’d call this a solid 4.25 and will definitely be reading the next one in the series.

Review: 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝘆 @hilarydavidsonbooks
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𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 @netgalley 𝗮𝗻𝗱 @thomasmerceruk 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!
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4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! I am a sucker for a good police procedural... and I really liked this one! The characters were developed really well and the scenes were painted perfectly for me. I thought I figured it out and then it kept me second-guessing with each twist!
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Jo Greaver is a model of success. Young and ambitious, she’s built a thriving beauty business from nothing. But she has secrets she’ll do anything to keep buried. When her blackmailer offers to meet, Jo expects to pay him off—but gets a bullet instead. Bleeding and in shock, Jo flees with no one to turn to.

When NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling and her partner, Rafael Mendoza, find Andray Baxter murdered in his own home—shot through the heart—everything points to Jo as the killer. Her blood is at the scene, and so are disturbing photos of her taken as a young teen. But Sheryn has doubts. Was the kindhearted Andray really a criminal? Why did he repeatedly report finding spyware in his apartment? Was there something shady about Jo’s sister dying a year earlier?

Something’s not right, and it’s up to Sheryn to piece together the sinister puzzle, no matter the cost.
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I love a book where there is a case to solve, and this is no exception.  Jo is one of those characters that is hard not to root for. She has risen up from her past to become a successful businesswoman.  Jo has tried so hard to keep her past in the past, but someone wants it front and center, and she can't let that happen. Unfortunately being blackmailed is nothing new to her.

What follows is a whirlwind of a police investigation. The chapters alternate between Jo and Sheryn, the detective assigned to work her case.  After Jo is injured in the shootout with her blackmailer, she is quickly apprehended. The other detectives think this is an open and shut case.  The evidence is mounting against Jo. She is seen running from the scene and the gun used to shoot her blackmailer is in her bag, although Jo insists she threw it in the window.  However the more Sheryn investigates, the more she doubts Jo is guilty.

This is book #2 in this series, but it can be read as a stand alone.  I went back and read the synopsis for the first book, and this series is about Detective Sheryn!  I really liked her character, so I may need to read that one also.

While this book started off slow, it really picked up the pace.  I love a good detective book, especially when the detective thinks there is more to the case than meets the eye!

Thank you to the author, Hilary Davidson, for sending this my way!  This book published today, so go out and grab your copy! 

Book Rating 4/5

For the grand finale this would pair nicely with a Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hillary Davidson was super kind and contacted me to see if I wanted a copy of her newest story Don’t Look Down. I happily agreed, and started reading it almost as soon as I got it. This is my first book by her, but definitely won’t be my last.
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The story centers around Jo, who is a young owner of a successful beauty business. She goes to meet someone who is blackmailing her about her past, and her life ends up being turned upside down.
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What drew me to this book originally was the beautiful cover. I was not sure what to expect, as I’m generally not a fan of police procedurals, but I genuinely loved this story. The story alternated between different perspectives and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. It kept me entertained from page one until the end. Ms Davidson has an amazing writing style that really keeps the writer entertained.
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I would recommend this story to suspense lovers, mystery fans, and those looking for a quick easy to follow story that will keep you entertained. Best of all this is available free on Kindle Unlimited! Check it out for yourself today!

DNF at 15%. This may have been a case of picking this up at the wrong time but I am not getting into the story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

This book. I’m not really sure what to say. I also feel like I’m a little bit of a harsher critic when it comes to thrillers because I read them so often.

I didn’t like the multiple character viewpoints. There were too many and I didn’t understand why most of them were necessary.

For me, this made the book drag for a bit. I did find it interesting though! Just a bit long.

I think if it was just Jo and the detective it would have been perfect. I didn’t really need the dude detective’s POV or the boyfriend’s. They seemed unnecessary.

I did however like the idea of the book! I thought it was interesting with the blackmail and then the random murder. Like what is happening! So that for sure kept me on my toes!

This was book #2 and can be read as a stand-alone!

I kind of sort of recommend it.

This was an awesome domestic thriller. Wonderfully developed characters never knowing who to trust and why.
This story was full of lies, deception, abusive relationships with twists and turns at every corner! Loved the action and the psychological drama between characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Author: Hilary Davidson

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Rating: 5/5 Stars

First off, thank you so so much to the author, Hilary Davidson, for reaching out to ask me to review her upcoming book, Don’t Look Down. Ms. Davidson went above and beyond, too: when I realized Don’t Look Down was the second in her Shadows of New York series, even though the books definitely do not need to be read in order, Ms. Davidson provided me with a copy of her first book in the series, One Small Sacrifice. While you can read each of these as stand-alone novels, you should do yourself a favor and just get both because they are both amazing non-stop thrill rides.

Seriously, I started One Small Sacrifice the day we left Jamaica, reading it straight through on the bus ride to the airport, on the plane, and finishing the final pages standing in line for customs in Atlanta. Then I immediately began Don’t Look Down, finishing it in less than two days. These books are ah-may-zing. I can’t wait for her next! But, in the meantime, Don’t Look Down publishes tomorrow, February 11, so run right over to the book store and grab your copy!

In Don’t Look Down, we begin by meeting Jo – a young, successful entrepreneur who seems to be on the fast track to nothing but success. However, Jo has a past filled with secrets, which she will do anything to keep hidden – including pay off her blackmailer. But when she goes to meet him, one man ends up dead and Jo ends up with a bullet, fighting for her life. Enter, NYPD detectives Sheryl Sterling and her partner Rafael Mendoza. While the initial evidence all points to Jo as the murderer, Sterling has her doubts. She has too many questions about all the players involved to be convinced of Jo’s guilt, but this puzzle is tricky and deadly…

RATING BREAKDOWN

Plot – 2/2: Davidson’s thrillers are incredibly fast-paced, plot driven detective procedurals. This story is built to keep you guessing and keep you trapped inside the pages. I am not lying when I say I could not put either of these books down because I could not stop until I found out what happened next.

Writing – 2/2: Davidson’s writing is everything I want in a thriller: it reaches through the pages, grabs you by the collar, and yanks you back into the story. I felt like I was right there with Jo and Sheryl, trying to figure out what was what.

Characters – 2/2: Okay, this is where Davidson really shines for me. Detectives Sterling and Mendoza are the characters that feature in both books, so I want to focus on them. I love Davidson for writing two very real, diverse, complicated, SMART detectives. They are not two-dimensional in the slightest. Sterling is so kick-ass, and she questions everything, but with a real level of empathy and understanding. She doesn’t jump to the easiest conclusion, but she also has Mendoza to bring a more direct view when needed. I love these two detectives and can’t wait for more of them!

Twists/Thrills – 2/2: These books are both incredibly thrilling, packed with action and out-of-nowhere twists. I was guessing the whole way in both books, right up until the final pages. The ending of Don’t Look Down had me especially shook, wondering what the hell just happened – but in the best way.

Feel – 2/2: It’s rare that I find a series that I want to read each book in that series one right after the other. Usually, I like a little break between the books. The only other thriller series, besides these two, that I can read straight through is the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong. I finished One Small Sacrifice and immediately flipped to Don’t Look Down. And if there was a third, I would have picked it up as soon as finishing DLD. These books are amazing – they’re plot driven but also character driven, leaving you with strong feelings about what happens to the characters involved and wanting more and more and more.

10 points for a very bright 5 stars – for both Don’t Look Down and One Small Sacrifice. Run, don’t walk, to get your hands on both of these!

Happy Reading!