This book is about two detectives, A.L. and Rena who are desperately trying to track down a serial killer in their town. They not only have to solve several murders, but also have to stop the next one from happening. The killer is killing a woman every ten days and they still can't find a pattern. I won't go too much into plot since half the fun is finding out what is going on yourself. I will say that I liked how not only did we get a police procedural/mystery, we also got a glimpse into A.L.'s and Rena's personal lives. Sometimes that is overlooked in a story.

However, be forewarned,this is also put out by Harlequin so there is some romance. No, there is nothing graphic. I thought that part of the story was a little far fetched but for those who like the romance genre, it shouldn't be any issue.

I liked the police/mystery part. At first, when all was revealed, I had to think about how I felt the whole thing wrapped up. I realized that this was actually a creative reason behind the killings. I wasn't too surprised at who it was but was more surprised at the why. I thought the author gave a creative spin to what could have been a typical run of the mill mystery.

I see that this is first in a series and even though I am usually not into the romance genre, the author kept me engrossed enough in the story and the characters to make me want to see what becomes of A.L. and Rena.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this opportunity. I enjoyed it!

I have reviewed this novel for the New York Journal of Books where it will be posted the night before the release date.

"Ten Days Gone" by Beverly Long
MIRA
February 18, 2020
10-0778309584
384 pages
Thriller/Suspense


A serial killer is on the loose and Detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan are trying desperately to apprehend him or her. Four women have been slain in forty days and the strange thing about this case is that the murders occur every tenth day. Could the number ten signify something special to whoever is committing these crimes?

Through intense sleuthing, they discover the common denominator between the murder victims is that they had signed a petition with the Baywood Historic Preservation to preserve the old Gizer Hotel which developers want to buy and raze for new construction. The preservation committee hopes to get enough signatures to prevent the destruction of the historical property. The weird thing they notice upon perusing the list is that each of the slain women who had signed this appeal were ten names apart. Surprisingly, these murders occurred ten days apart.

"Once the pattern of ten days had been established, he [A.L.] and Rena had agreed that any killer tied to a specific date wasn't likely to leave the [next] victim to chance."

The days are counting down and time is short before the next signer is found. Trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together is a challenging effort for the two tireless officers of the law, and crime like this is not usual in their small town of Baywood, Wisconsin.

Upon encountering the fourth slain woman, A.L. and Rena agree they had never seen anything like this before:
"The three other victims, ranging in age from thirty-two to forty-eight, have all been found naked, with their clothes folded neatly in a pile next to them.

"No signs of struggle, in their houses or on their persons. No robbery. No sexual assault.

"No fucking physical evidence, not even a little skin or blood under their fingernails. Just some cotton fibers, as if their killer had made them wear gloves while he killed them. But those were never left at the scene. Nor was the pillow. With so little to go on, they'd looked for connections between the three women. Had come up dry."

Now that they have the petition to tie these deaths together, they desperately search for the next in line who happens to be Tess Lyons. Tess is a young woman who unfortunately suffered a shark attack while surfing resulting in the loss of her arm. Locating her isn't easy when they learn she's out of town and on a downward spiral. When they do contact her, her attitude is uncaring. Because of her accident, she has no desire to live and does not care if she is the next target. But when it appears the killer is targeting her daughter; she jumps into action to do anything to keep the young woman safe.

With Tess’s offer to help will the two detectives be able to apprehend this maniac and prevent more killings? They protect her, though use her as bait so they can apprehend the perpetrator and stop his or her murderous spree. When the killer is finally identified the chase is on to capture him with harrowing results.

This fast-paced tale is filled with suspense, offering hair-raising scenarios and just the right amount of tension, while backstories of both of the detective's lives are explored to give the novel roundness and more impact.

A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan has just been handed a case that needs to be solved immediately... four women have been found dead in the last forty days, and they are likely not to be last. With no real leads, and a race against time these detectives have their hands full trying to catch a killer... and also maintain some control on their demanding personal lives too!

Ten Days Gone is a well penned thriller that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end! This one drew me in instantly, and demanded my full attention, the words were so absorbing. There was a lot going on between the pages here, not only do you get acquainted with the killer, but little by little you also get an in depth glimpse into the lives of the detectives. The moment I met them I knew I was in good company, they drew me into their world, made me feel at home, and put on quite an spellbinding little show! I really enjoyed what I found waiting for me between the pages, and I imagine you will too if you give it a chance... it's downright enthralling!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

Well we never did find out what the "A.L." stood for in A.L. McKittridge. Never mind.
Crime Fiction is a big, competitve genre and the Nesbo's, Rankin and Robotham's lead the field so Beverly Long has a tough job tossing "Ten Days Gone" into the mix.
Nevertheless she makes a fair fist of it posing a scenario where we know the nature of the crime, the MO and the when of it. The issue for me being the significance of the 10 days and every tenth punter on a rather nondescript list becoming a victim. It just doesn't seem clear( Maybe I missed something as no other reviewers mentioned it).
Curiously, the work finishes with a bang, as if she run out of room on the page, no wind down, no wrap up..just Goodnight.
Oh and the naughty boy's identity wasn't too difficult to work out ahead of time.

Apart from that it kept me interested with the required mix of suspense and personal backstory for the main protagonists. I will read the next A.L. McK gum biter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to review.

I thought this was a good book, it was fast paced and kept me guessing who the bad guy was. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

I thoroughly enjoyed this. A police procedural but with an element of heart. The two detectives are real people with flaws and problems who are fighting to prevent a fifth woman from becoming victim to a serial killer who has an agenda.

This book was just ok for me. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I think I went in expecting more.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

This was one I was really looking forward to reading but unfortunately fell flat for me.
I'm sure this book will be a great read for others but it just wasn't for me.

This is a middle of the road book for me. I liked it and look forward to more with these characters, but there is a lot of information in this book. The main characters help keep the story flowing, but there feels like a lot of characters to get to know (not a bad thing - just be forewarned). The mystery is good even if fairly easily figured out...a otuch of romance and you have a well rounded book.

I felt like this book had been written before but better. The characters were flat and the plot seemed contrived. I'm surprised it is going to be a series.

This one is going to be one of those titles where you either hate it or you love it. For me I just really didn't mesh with anything that happened in this one. The characters and story were not what I thought they were going to be and I just had to put this one down. This story just wasn't for me at all.

Ten days gone by Beverley Long.
They know exactly when he’ll strike… They just have to find him first.

In all their years working for the Baywood police department, detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have never seen anything like it. Four women dead in forty days, each killed ten days apart. With nothing connecting the victims and very little evidence, the clock is already counting down to when the next body drops. A.L. and Rena will have to act fast if they’re going to find the killer’s next victim before he does.

But identifying the killer’s next likely target is only half the battle. With pressure pushing in from all sides, a promising breakthrough leads the detectives to Tess Lyons, a woman whose past trauma has left her too damaged to appreciate the danger she’s in. Unwilling to let another woman die, A.L. and Rena will put everything on the line to keep Tess safe and end the killer’s deadly spree once and for all—before time runs out again.
A good read with likeable characters. I liked the story. 4*.

I'm not typically a fan of procedurals but something about this book intrigued me.

I'm so glad I read it!

I couldn't wait to find out who was behind the mysterious recurring murders of Baywood women every ten days. Crackling with tension and very well-written, I found the alternating POVs easy to follow. This book was so difficult to set down!

Most important, it zoomed to a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Beverly Long, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada)
MIRA, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an okay book, but slow to start and I struggled to connect with any of the characters. The book was packed with so many characters and plots that it stopped the story from flowing. Not sure if I would read more for this series

The bare outlines of this murder mystery seem familiar: the fourth women is found dead by the hands of a serial killer. A team of two seasons cops is tasked with investigating the murder and realize they have only a few days to find the killer before he strikes again. But the novel dives deeply into the details and complexities of how the police assemble their case, which to me seems very realistic and makes for a very compelling read. The main characters foibles and flaws are laid bare, and the plot turns are captivating and interesting. For veteran mystery readers and newbies alike, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for the advance ecopy. Mixed feelings on this read. A lot of different characters in this story. And a lot of different issues. A slow start for me, it took some time to get into. A serial killer who strikes every ten days but it focuses more on the detectives lives throughout.

This books reads like it should be a movie, although I shutter to think what some of the visuals would look. Featuring a ‘chaste’ serial killer, a detective struggling with infertility, and another detective who’s fighting back loneliness, this book has multiple layers and points of interest. I originally started reading this to solve a murder, but became equally invested in the lives of the detectives solving it. There is cursing but no gore, and be forewarned, some subject matter will be hard for certain readers to stomach. Not a fireside read, you’ll enjoy this novel if you like gritty novels with heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book!

The book was okay. Not horrible. Not great. It held my attention. It just didn't feel special. A.L. McKittridge and his partner Rena are trying to discover the identity of the serial killer that has killed 4 women in 40 days. The plot sounds intriguing, and it is, but the main characters are just boring. A.L. is a cookie cutter, stereotypical male police detective: hardassed and gruff. There is nothing unique or special about him. Rena spends most of the book worrying about her marriage. It just didn't click for me.

I wanted more from the story. I wanted it to surprise me, or stronger characters. I didn't really get either.

Thank you Net Gallery for providing a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ten Days Gone is a romantic suspense book that was slow to start. It started to pick up halfway through, so it became tolerable to read. I am not that into books with romance in it, and had I realized that that was what this book was, I would not have picked it to read.

Overall an okay read, not great and not horrible. Definitely not a book for those who do not like "romantic" books.

Amazon review will be posted once published.

Four women dead, each murdered ten days apart, trying to find the common denominator becomes a race against time for detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan and when they identify a possible fifth potential target, can they stop the killer in his tracks, or will she become victim number five.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable fast paced suspenseful book that will keep the reader on the edge of their seats, the main characters showed strength and determination when trying to piece what little clues they had to find their prey before he killed again.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.