Nicely done procedural featuring NYPD detectives Sheryn Sterling and Rafael Mendoza (although Sheryn is the more to the front). Jo is the obvious suspect in the murder of Andray Baxter (her blood is found at the scene) but there's more to both of their stories. This blends blackmail and murder and NYC in a twisty thriller that's a fast read. It's not always accurate on police procedure (and like, the law) but the characters are good and I was entertained. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Jo, a successful NYC business owner, is being blackmailed over some photos and videos from her past that have recently surfaced. But when the blackmail payoff turns deadly, Jo becomes the top suspect in the murder. As detectives Sheryn and Rafael start to unravel the events of that day, they begin to find that some pieces of this mysterious puzzle don’t quite add up.

This was the first crime novel I’ve read in quite a while and I really enjoyed it! For those of you who love shows like CSI or Law & Order, this would be the perfect book for you. There were so many cliffhangers and twists along the way that I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the alternating POVs in each chapter and thought it enhanced the storyline. I liked this one a lot and definitely recommend it!!

Thank you so much to Hilary Davidson for sending me this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review! Make sure and get your copy of Don’t Look Down when it hits shelves Tuesday, February 11th!

Wow! What a ride and what a gem! I could not put this book down! Seamlessly interweaving multiple points of view that span three days, this is an intensely engaging and compelling police procedural that should not be missed!

Though I had not read the first book in the series, One Small Sacrifice, I will definitely be picking it up soon! This was an amazing reading experience that I look forward to enjoying again when I begin the previous installment. While I never felt any disconnection by entering the story in the second book, some of the dynamics between police partners, Sheryn and Rafael, may have been better understood had I started from the beginning.

I was hooked from the first sentence! The pages couldn't fly fast enough! Short, suspense filled chapters keep the pace moving at breakneck speed, making it incredibly difficult to put down. The main characters are strongly developed and wonderfully diverse. It was so fascinating to read their alternating perspectives of similar events and how it all comes together into a deeply twisted and dark conclusion. The dialogue flowed naturally, and the clues and evidence were introduced smoothly, while also quite surprisingly, so as to keep you guessing right along with the characters. This intricate mystery is thoughtfully plotted and mesmerizing!

High expectations have been set for this series, and I'm so eager for more!

I really enjoyed the premise of this one. Interesting characters and the action began quickly. About halfway through, I started to lose the plot a bit. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, which is normally no issue for me, so I am not sure why this one missed the mark for me. That said, I will certainly give another book by this author a read.

This is the first novel I have read by Hilary Davidson and the second book in her Shadows of New York series. It works well as a standalone. I did not feel as if I was missing information at any time while reading this.

First off, I'd like to point out that one of the characters in this story was a victim of sex trafficking. I'd also like to point out that the book does not have extremely graphic sex scenes or bad language. Those are two things I really don't like in books.


The character's were well developed. While it seemed from the beginning that the main character, Jo, was in a lot of trouble because of her bad choices, I couldn't help but like her. The author added those little characteristics to each person that truly made them all come to life.

Blackmail, prostitution, murder and revenge. Author Hilary Davidson has written it all in this excellent book. The good characters are likeable, especially Jo Greaver who is being blackmailed and Detectives Sheryn Sterling and Rafael Mendoza. However, the blackmailers are vengeful and just when you think you have them identified, Davidson adds another twist. Thank you Netgalley and Publisher Thomas and Mercer for an ARC of this book. The comments and review are my honest opinion.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is wild! SOOO much happens! I really love mystery and thrillers and this one was wonderful. I cant say too much about this book without giving it all away but it was so well thought out. The characters were so intermingled with one another that it was hard to know who to trust.

10/10 would read again.

This was my first Hilary Davidson novel and certainly won't be my last. Though this is book two in the series, it can definitely be read as a standalone.

It covers a few different perspectives but mainly Jo, a successful businesswoman who is being blackmailed for a past that is catching up with her. She arranges to meet the blackmailer with a tonne of cash in the hope that she can pay him off. But the meeting backfires (pun intended) and both Jo and the man wind up shot. When the police arrive, the crime scene speaks for itself. But something doesn't add up. Someone is still after Jo and won't stop until they get what they want.

This book had everything a thriller needs to keep you on your toes. I was thrown by all the red herrings and had no idea where the story was going. It has a good plot and one that kept me reading on. The ending came as a complete surprise to me which is what I hoped for. I thought the characters were well-represented and well-executed, with each playing a key role in the story.

All in a all, a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing till the end.

So i started this book and it was not really catching my eye at first.. I was torn between giving this book 3/4 stars because it would get slow then pick up etc.. This book takes to about 30% to start picking up.. If you are interested in more crime solving this book would be for you.. I did enjoy reading the duo who was solving the case.. Sheryn is such a bad ass she stands her ground and i love what she stands for and i loved the diversity in this book.
Towards the end of the book the chapters got so good which made me rate this book a 4 star.

I did enjoy this book :)

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Hilary Davidson’s book, “Don’t Look Down”. I had never read anything by her before, but the description of the book had me intrigued immediately.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, including Ms. Davidson’s ongoing character, Sheryn Sterling, who is a detective in New York City. The story begins with the character ‘Jo’ being blackmailed and getting shot when she delivers the money she is being blackmailed for. Chapters are told from the perspectives of Jo, Sheryn, as well as Sheryn’s partner, and Jo’s boyfriend. I was thrilled with this approach, it allowed me to learn about the story from all different perspectives, and as they all converged together I couldn’t read fast enough!!!

All of the characters had different bits of information to contribute to the overall story, making each chapter an important puzzle piece to sorting the entire thing out. I have to admit, I was fairly certain I knew who the perpetrator was, and then was shocked to find out I was wrong! I thought there were enough twists and turns in the book that made me want to read until the mystery was solved. The chapters weren’t lengthy, but each one had information that added to the story.

Even though the characters were not always on the same side, Davidson makes each of them appealing so that you root for them and want all of them to do well. I can say that I liked aspects of all of the characters, but especially the strong female leads.

This is the second in a series involving Detective Sheryn Sterling, however I have not yet read the first book (this will be rectified immediately given how much I loved this book!!). I did not feel like I was lost while reading, or that there was too much I had missed from the first book. I don’t think anyone would have difficulty reading this as a stand alone- but I’m a sucker for a good mystery series.

Overall I would highly recommend this book, but would caution that you will have trouble putting it down once you are immersed in the lives of these characters. Although I couldn’t get to the end of the mystery fast enough, I am sad to see these characters go. To me, this is the sign of a perfect mystery read.

I will be exploring other titles from this author, and look forward to the next installment to this series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ms. Davidson, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advanced read of this book, I really enjoyed it!

Don't Look Down is the latest book by Hilary Davidson. Don't Look Down happens in just a few days and is told by different voices. Ms Davidson keeps the reader guessing and more than once on the edge of their seat. I want to thank Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for the early copy I received to review.

Poor Jo didn’t have the best start to life, forced to do terrible things by her sister to survive. Jo turns her life around with her own business and things are looking up u too she is blackmailed and then framed for murder.

I really enjoyed Don’t Look Down. It was different to anything else I’ve read recently and offered so many possibilities that I didn’t see that ending coming. Very enjoyable.

If you are looking for a good suspense series or stand alone book then definitely check this one out. The characters are great and are easy to relate to plus so many great twist, turns and surprises in this story. It's fast paced and you won't be able to put it down until you finish it.

Jo Greaver is being blackmailed. There are pictures that she doesn’t want published, but when she meets the blackmailer, everything goes wrong. Now with a bullet wound that she tries to cover up, she knows the police will be looking for her. NYPD detectives Sheryn Sterling and Rafael Mendoza catch the murder case of a man, Andray Baxter, found shot dead in his home. Will evidence at the scene aide them in finding the killer? Nothing is as it seems and Sheryn is not sure that Jo was responsible for Andray’s death. A mystery that will keep you guessing. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

There were a lot of pieces to this puzzle to ponder over... which made for a twisted plot and kept me captivated. The author’s writing style was very atmospheric which made me feel more “in the story”.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An author to keep your eye on! Don’t Look Down by Hilary Davidson is a great book and I love the tight suspense and tension that is present on every page!

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.


I look forward to more from Hilary Davidson. Get it here, published on February 11!

Jo Greaver is a successful businesswoman, but she’s being extorted by someone who has discovered her old secrets, and she goes to the meeting with a bag of cash and a pistol. One gunfight later and there’s a body on the floor of an apartment, and an injured Jo is on the run. For NYPD detectives Sheryn Sterling and Rafael Mendoza, this should simply be a matter of tracking down Jo, but there’s much more to this blackmail scheme than it would seem at first

This is my second Hillary Davidson novel, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s got a nicely twisty plot that doesn’t go where you think it will at first, and Sheryn continues to make for a compelling lead character in this second book in the series. There’s also nice New York vibe to the story which ranges from a decrepit apartment building to the homes of the obscenely wealthy.
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Jo is an ambitious young woman who has lived a hard life but has worked equally hard to make something of herself. So when her past threatens to come back to haunt her she’ll do anything to prevent that from happening. This fast-paced suspenseful police-procedural/thriller opens with Jo meeting up with her blackmailer only to get shot at. The police later find the man she was meeting dead and Jo is the primary suspect. Can Jo escape the keen police detectives following her and is there more to the story?

Told in a linear timeline over a matter of a few days, the author has written a delicious cast of characters all of who have ghosts in their closets. I was certain I had the villains pegged early on but I was wrong! Elements of the story reminded me of a classic cop tv drama with the banter between the partners and the showdowns.

This is the second book in Davidson’s Shadows of New York series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you to @hilarydavidsonbooks and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and loving One Small Sacrifice in June 2019, I was excited to read this second installment of the Shadows of New York series. Using well-drawn characters, Sheryn and her partner Rafael, Davidson has created a suspenseful read with a smart, tension-filled plot that also touches on bigger issues. That's my kind of read!

Once again, I loved that Sheryn is the focus of the book. She's a smart, feisty and strong-willed female NYC detective (I picture her as the amazing Viola Davis) who balances home life with her demanding job.

Multiple POVs are used to tell the story and I enjoyed how the reader is pulled into the initial crime which then morphs into something much bigger. I was intrigued in the beginning but found the middle slowed down and got a little repetitive. But as the pieces come together, readers get pulled back into the story which culminates in an action-packed ending that left this reader wanting more from this new series.

While this is the second book of the series, it can be read as a standalone, but I'd recommend fans of suspense read One Small Sacrifice and keep an eye on this author.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

"One of the bravest things you can do in your life is to keep moving forward under the weight of that burden," Sterling said. "You don't get to put it aside. It's going to be with you every day, and you're going to have to figure out how to cope with it."

This was a crime thriller that packed a punch! There were so many twists and turns. I appreciate how the author incorporates real world problems into her stories. There was people of every color, shape and background which I always enjoy. It was a fast paced, page turner of a book. I look forward to reading whatever she comes up with next!