Wow. I just couldn't put it down. Enthralling and riveting it will grab you from the first page.. Pick up this winner of a book because you can't pass this up. Happy reading!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A young female cop goes undercover as a college student in a small town to investigate the disappearance of 3 girls. The case is going nowhere and Shea will be trying to get some insider information from friends and family of the missing young women.
This was a pretty predictable storyline for me, I had the killer figured out pretty early on so no big reveals to grab me. The characters could be any young adult In any town without any defining qualities. Although I enjoyed the book, which read very quickly, it just didn't thrill me.

4 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books.

During Christmas break three girls disappear from one of their homes with no trace. There were no signs of struggle and their phones and purses are left behind. Kelly Falls may seem like the perfect small town but something is wrong.

It has been three months and no new news on where the girls could be. Twenty three year old patrol officer Shea O'connor is still trying to recover from the last time she went undercover at the local high school to catch a serial killer. She is not sure that she wants to go undercover at Kelly Falls community college to get to know some of the missing girl's friends in hope that she can find out what was going on in their lives before they disappeared.

I really enjoyed this novel but I find it kind of hard to describe. It is an adult mystery but because Shea was with teenagers the book often read like a YA mystery. It read to me me like a YA written by Christopher Pike with very complicated characters. I really, really enjoyed this and would suggest it to anyone.

Thank you, NetGalley, Lissa Marie Redmond, and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of this book!

The Secrets They Left Behind by Lissa Marie Redmond introduces Shea O’Conner, she is a young beat cop that just finished an intense undercover investigation that left her with P.T.S.D. The FBI contacts her about another undercover assignment. In a small town, three young women have vanished. It is up to her to help the local law enforcement by going undercover at the local junior college to find out everything from the missing girl’s friends. Their best friends definitely know more than they are letting on, the police chief is not being helpful, and the case is getting colder by the day.

I could not put this book down. It is a quick and suspenseful read. The one thing I appreciated the most is that the book is just from Shea’s point-of-view. So many thrillers now contain multiple points-of-view and more times than not, it is unnecessary and causes the pace of the novel to slow down. With the focus on Shea, we get to know her and the suspense builds as she tries to solve this crime.

Shea is a fantastic main character. She is young and works in a male-dominated work environment. She doesn’t feel she can measure up but goes through some terrific character development, which doesn’t happen in the straight line. Because she goes undercover with girls that are younger, she finds herself slipping into their habits.

One of the best parts is that the ending was not predictable! I was shocked and loved the twist! The story is relatively short but I still enjoyed the story immensely! I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This book is available on April 7th!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Lissa Marie Redmond for the opportunity to read this mystery/police procedural - great book to get lost in. I thought I had it all figured out but was wrong! Obviously Redmond, being a retired Buffalo Police Department homicide detective, knows her stuff!

Buffalo Police Officer is still healing from her physical and emotional scars after being used as an undercover FBI agent to solve a serial killing. To make it worse, her colleagues on the force don't know what role she played and still think of her as a young, weak officer. But the FBI knows what she did and Bill, the agent who recruited her before, has another assignment for her. Three young college students have gone missing from a small western NY town. The families are devastated and clues have dried up. Shea is sent into the town to go undercover as a college freshmen with the girls' friends to see what she can uncover.

Well written with a very interesting look into the world of undercover police operations. I will definitely go back and read this author's previous books!

Shea, a patrol officer, is pulled in by the FBI to help infiltrate a college campus, looking for three girls who have disappeared. But, she has done this before and is still traumatized by the event. So take her and add a small town grappling with the possibilities of what happened with the three 18 year olds and you have a pretty compelling story. I liked how Shea had to deal with her own issues while also fitting in with those around her. I felt the story was a really good balance between life in a small town and all the pros and cons of that, a woman dealing with her past and trying stabilize herself, and the mystery itself. I liked how several characters were developed during the course of the book, each with their own traumas and scars. It made for a very engaging read. Can Shea move on from what happened and accept herself? Did the girls run off or are they dead somewhere? You will have to read it to find out!

A solid addition to the procedural subgenre. A good purchase for collections where crime fiction is popular.

Redmond returns to the Buffalo police department, but not specifically the Cold Case unit, in this new police drama. Here we find the story centers on Shea O’Connor, a 23-year-old police officer. The young officer is recruited to go undercover at a NY community college, a distance away from her Buffalo department. The FBI has used Shea in the past and has asked her once again to help solve a mystery. This time three female college students have gone missing and they want Shea to pretend to be a new student and see if she can uncover clues to the disappearances.

Shea’s earlier undercover experience did not go smoothly and she still has flashbacks of the unnerving experience. Yet she is willing to overlook her misgivings and work for the FBI one more time. Shea is likeable and she fits right in with the students. No one suspects she is older than she pretends to be. But there is a chance that, as she learns more about the missing girls, she might once again be putting herself in danger.

For those who loved the earlier Redmond books’ Buffalo factor, the feel of the city, this is somewhat removed and has less of a flavor of the locale. Policewoman Shea has her own troubles but she is dedicated to doing her job. She fits right in at the college and even acts like a typical female student. Some of her actions may seem inappropriate for an officer of the law but given her age, may be understandable. Fans of Redmond’s suspenseful police dramas will enjoy this new story of missing college girls and a youthful detective who must ferret out the truth.

Three college freshman goes missing with out a trace at the same time. A young detective goes undercover to try to find out what happened to the three young women.

This was a bit of mystery and a bit thriller and the story kept me going throughout.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in April 2020.

This book had me guessing the entire time. I went from the priest. To Nick. To Joe. Never did I think it was the chief. Even at the end when the priest was talking about it, I thought he was messing with her. Great suspenseful book. I only wish we had more of a different ending with the three missing girls and maybe even more on the chiefs past

Three students, Skyler, Olivia and Emma, go missing the night of December 28. In late March, Buffalo Police patrol officer Shea O’Conner agrees to go undercover, for the FBI, at the Harris Community College in Kelly’s Falls, in an effort to develop new clues in the investigation.

FBI Agent Bill Walters is Shea’s handler and sets her up as the orphaned niece of local Sheriff Roy Bishop. Shea quickly meets Kayla, Jenna and Maddie, all friends of the three missing girls, along with Nick Stanfield, Olivia’s brother. Spending time with the missing girls’ friends and Nick, Shea picks up new leads that Bill and the sheriff begin to follow up.

The author crafts an intriguing mystery with relatable characters, just the right amount of suspense and the requisite red herrings.

Twenty-three year old Shea O'Connor is an officer for the city of Buffalo, New York police force. Her youthful looks can be a disadvantage on the job, but allowed her to go undercover and help the FBI catch a dangerous serial killer who was working at a school. They are calling on Shea's help again when three college freshman from a nearby town disappear on their Christmas break. Shea goes undercover at the local community college to try to solve the mystery of what happened to the missing girls and to discover if other young woman in the town of Kelly's Falls are in danger.

This book is either a standalone or the first in a series written by a retired Buffalo New York police officer. It sometimes reads like the second in a series with the frequent referrals to Shea's prior case. However, the flashbacks from the past case show the trauma she went through, but there isn't a previous book. The book has several elements of a procedural, but is more tense and suspenseful with the added element of Shea working undercover. Shea has to strike a balance between gaining the trust of the other students and getting the needed information for the case. I like that she feels uncomfortable making friends knowing she can't be fully honest about who she is. I've always thought that would be just one of the hard parts about working undercover and I am glad to see the author makes that an important part of the book.

I like Shea and although she sometimes acts impulsively, it's her instincts that make her so good at her job. She found a lot of clues as to what could have happened to the girls and although they didn't all pan out, she was determined to get to the truth and didn't give up. I thought I had guessed the solution and it wasn't until right before a dramatic scene involving Shea and someone very dangerous that things clicked into place for me. The solution was more shocking than I had expected and I loved the ending of the book. As someone who likes many different types of mystery novels, I really enjoyed the book. I also think it would appeal to fans of New Adult fiction since so many of the main characters are college students. I would give the book 4.5 stars and will look out for this author in the future.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Crooked Lane. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

3 1/2 ⭐️‘S
When three college age girls go missing in the small town of Kelly’s Falls with no trace and no leads, the FBI is called in. Twenty-Three year old Buffalo police officer, Shea O’Conner has worked undercover for the FBI on a prior case and is called on again to infiltrate the college in hopes of finding out exactly what happened. A great cast of characters and a good premise made this a fast paced police procedural/mystery and I’m hoping Shea O’Conner is called in on future cases!

I have reviewed this book for the New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on the site the evening before the publication date.


"The Secrets They Left Behind" by Lissa Marie Redmond
Crooked Land Books
April 7, 2020
10-164385299X
Mystery/Suspense
304 pages


Shea O'Connor, a twenty-three-year-old Buffalo cop is given an assignment with the FBI to pose as a student in the small town of Kelly's Falls, New York. Three young women have gone missing, and what better way to find out information than to go undercover and attend the small community college with the friends of those who are missing.

FBI Agent, Bill Walters summons Shea to his office. She worked with him on a previous case; one still tormenting her with nightmares. He fills her in on what he's now working on:

"'He leaned back in his chair, the same wistful smile on his face. 'You know me, Shea. I'm not one to beat around the bush, so I'm going to get right to the point here. I've got an interesting case on my hands, and I thought maybe you could help with it.'

"'I didn't know you had an active case in the city again.' A chill ran up my spine. They had lots of cases in the city, but Bill was interested only in the worst ones.

"'I don't. This is something special. I've never seen anything quite like it. Not in twenty-five years on the job. I must admit, I'm stumped, and you know how I hate to be stumped.'

"'I don't understand. If it's not in the city, how can I help you? It's not my jurisdiction. The Bureau can't just step in and take over a local investigation.'

"'You know the Buffalo branch covers counties all the way to the Pennsylvania border.'

"I could feel my forehead creasing in concern the more he talked. 'What does this have to do with me?'

"'It's a town called Kelly's Falls.' He went on as if I hadn't even spoken. 'It's right on the state border with Pennsylvania. Three young girls, all college freshman, just disappeared. No clues. No traces. They went to one girl's house after a party and vanished. Their purses were left, their jackets, their cell phones. The TV was on. There was no sign of a struggle; they were just gone.'"

Shea is ambivalent about working another job with Bill after their past assignment which almost cost Shea her life. He gives her papers to peruse about the situation stating, "'I want you to go in practically blind. No preconceived notions. I want to see what you can come up with on your own. Most of this [information] you could get on the Internet.'"

"'No backup. No surveillance. You're throwing me in without a net. Again.'

"'I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think you'd be safe. But there's always an inherent risk when you're trying to track a killer.'

"'I thought you said they were missing.'

"'No bodies. It's been ruled a kidnapping due to the insistence of the parents and the circumstances of the disappearance. Is it a kidnapping? Human trafficking? A triple homicide? Who knows at this point? The county attorney approached the FBI for assistance because the local authorities and state police have come up with absolutely zero. I don't think these girls up and ran away. Once you read the file, I'm convinced you'll agree with me.'"

Shea intrigued yet dubious, takes the assignment where she acts as a transfer student. It is now March 18th, and her reason for transferring mid-season is because of her "uncle" Roy, the local police chief suggested she relocate after her parent's alleged fatal automobile accident. Using the last name of Anderson, she rents a room in a boarding house near Roy's home. Though she's five years older, she easily passes as an eighteen-year-old coed and blends in with the others. Only Roy and Bill are aware of her true identity.

Quickly Shea is befriended by Kayla, Maddie and Jenna, also students and friends to Skyler, Olivia, and Emma, the three missing girls who were last seen together on December 28th. As Shea becomes close to the friends, she realizes she must play the part of an innocent newcomer who is unaware of the disappearance of the others. She keeps in constant contact with Bill as well as Roy, though she and the chief do not hit it. He doubts she can offer any help and is concerned she is getting too engaged with the young students.

Her newfound friends are excited to be close to a "big-city gal" and want to learn about her life in Buffalo as she innocently tries to wean information out of them about the others. Where are they? Did they run away? But without a trace and taking nothing with them? Who is responsible? Could it be Joe Styles, the campus "bad boy" or someone he associates with? Is his intensely jealous girlfriend, Amber involved? Joe is known as a player, and Amber shows her hatred of Shea whenever he talks to her. Had he come on to one of the three and incurred Amber's wrath?

When Shea meets Nick, brother to Olivia, one of the missing girls, she is instantly attracted to him even though he is younger. What difference does it make when he thinks she's eighteen; and that she won't be in town long. They become close before long and as small towns are, there is gossip. Roy is incensed believing she is not fulfilling her duties and making him look bad as her alleged uncle. But Nick is grief-stricken about his sister and finds comfort in Shea considering they both are sharing losses.

During her time investigating, Shea is lonely and misses her roommate and her home in the city as well as feeling stymied by her current assignment. Is this case too cold? She somehow senses Kayla is withholding something about the night the girls vanished than she's letting on, and there must be some way she can talk to Kayla without arousing suspicion. Too many suspects come to mind, but when the actual perpetrator is discovered, everyone is surprised.

This tense, fast-paced thriller has the reader believing they can pinpoint the offender before the novel is half-read, however, the surprising culprit is unexpected as well as the ending which is sure to incite a chuckle. This author recognizes exactly how to capture her audience and keep them riveted with the many twists and turns and subplots included in the narrative. The characters are well-defined, especially dealing with present-day teenagers and the crime theories and scenarios are spot on.

A young police detective goes undercover in the case of 3 missing coeds who disappeared without a trace.. Although this was written about a much younger crowd than I am from, I felt like it was a really good read and kept me interested and reading well into the night and finished it in one day. The mystery of whodunit was really intriguing. A touch of romance was also thrown in. This was a stand alone but could be developed into a series in my opinion because I really loved the main character.

One Christmas break, three college girls leave a party and go to one of their houses in Kelly's Fall. They are never seen again, their coats, purses and phones left behind. With nothing really to go on, the case goes cold. Shea O'Connor is a fresh faced Buffalo Police officer. She has done undercover work before albeit not common knowledge as it is still to come to trial, and she is approached to go undercover again, as a college student in Kelly's Fall to try to find out what people aren't saying. Posing as the niece of the Police Chief she befriends the missing girls' friends and families, immersing herself in their world. Hoping that maybe she will discover something that will spark the investigation into life again.
This was a gripping read that held my attention nicely throughout although I did guess a few things a bit early. I also thought a few things that missed the mark completely!
I took to Shea from the off. She is a bit stereotypically wounded from something that happened in her previous case but that added to her character rather than distracting and helped me connect to her better along the way. I felt for her as she had to lie to people about who she was, making her come across as very human.
The plot was intriguing and had me spinning about all over the place as I tried to work it all out. We had secrets lies and duplicitous behaviour aplenty as well as a few subplots that may or may not be connected. Little by little, the author chips away, exposing the underlying truth, leading up to an ending that both shocked and surprised, as well as being satisfying.
I'm already a fan of this author's series of books so, as well as this, I would also recommend those. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

3 young girls mysteriously disappear one night
at the site of the abuction the tv and music are still playing, but nobody knows where they are or if they are still alive...

shea o'connor goes undercover as shea anderson the police chief niece....

can she work her magic again or will it all end with no answers

as shea gets closer to answers her relationship with the chief of police becomes fraught and so do her feelings for one of the brothers of missing girls....

wow this story had me hooked and couldnt put it down at all...the flow of the storyline and and the characters of the book were brilliantly thought out and its worked so well, brilliant ending

love how this authors writes, cant wait for the next book from this author

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for granting me an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Shea O' Connor is an under appreciated beat cop in Buffalo who gets a call from the FBI to go undercover to find 3 missing girls from the small town of Kelly's Falls. Despite months of investigation, there are no real leads after 3 college freshman vanish. There are no bodies or clues, so Shea is inserted as a college student to try and find any information about the case that she can.

Shea quickly befriends the missing girl's friends to see if they are hiding any secrets that they haven't told the police. In the process she becomes quick friends with all of them, including Nick, the brother of one of the missing girls. Its a race against time as Shea follows leads to find answers before the FBI pulls the plug on her whole operation.

I am a bit torn by this book in how to rate it. I was surprised by the twist, and do enjoy a good murder mystery. However, Shea crosses too many professional lines for me, and I just don't see that as being realistic. She instantly becomes bffs with the missing girls' friends and develops strong romantic feelings for Nick in a total of 2 weeks. That isn't a long time for anyone in general, plus she is supposed to be working cop. The Secrets They Left Behind was a quick read, and I did enjoy the twists throughout the novel.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Secrets They Left Behind is part police procedural, part portrait of a town affected by the disappearance of three teenage girls. Police officer Shea O'Connor is sent to a rural town undercover as a college student to determine the fate of the missing, while dealing with the effects of a previous undercover investigation.
The first half of the novel established Shea's relationship with the town teens and associated drama, which while essential to an undercover situation, took the story much too long to get into the actual mystery and investigation.
The portions when she is being an officer/adult feel more authentic.
This may work better as a YA rather than a traditional thriller.
For release April 7, 2020.

Wooooooohoooooooo!!! Well, I thoroughly enjoyed that roller-coaster ride!!

Lissa Marie Redmond, where have you been my whole life?!? I’m so glad to finally meet your acquaintance!

So, about the book, 3 college students go missing without a trace, and Shea O’Connor, a young police officer, goes undercover to see if she can discover the truth. I loved Shea and I loved Kelly’s Falls.

The book is very well written and it’s so bad-ass that the author was a cold case detective.....if I could do life over again, I would be a detective. You’re my hero! Please write another book with Shea. She’s so spunky and I also loved her roommate/bestie, Karen.

Also, a special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC.