A Desperate Place is a compelling page turner that from the first scene will hook the reader and not let them go. Set in Southern Oregon, the author captures the sense of place in a small city surrounded by beauty but plagued by secrets.

I commend Ms. Greer for the time and dedication she obviously invested in criminal procedure and medical diagnosis. She tackles what can be a controversial issue with honesty and grit. Never preaching or taking a stand, but making the reader stop and consider.

Both Mckenna and Riggs are strong women with fortitude and sympathy. These women face trials with courage as they try to move on with their lives and find some sense of normal after tragedy.

Ms. Greer’s characters are engaging. Even the villain is evil with a motive and a cause. There are no cardboard single dimension characters in this story. Just when you think the evil is over and the bad guy is caught, Ms. Greer sends you a surprise. You’ll be cringing and holding your breath to the end.

I was provided a copy of this book from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

How far would you go to tap the fountain of youth? And what if it kills you in the end? A Desperate Place is a fast-paced mysterious thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. With journalists and detectives racing against time to both break a story and the cycle of a killer, things can get dicey.
Interesting, and a bit gruesome on some of the details, but fascinating, and trust me you will be surprised by this journey.

This is how to start a book; directly into the action. All the great characters are then presented as necessary, and the story is told at a good pace. The plot isn't top notch, but the book is still good entertainment.
To the author: Please don't call Wilhelm a masseuse, he is a masseur.

A Desperate Place is a mystery that takes place in Medford, Oregon. I had to read it for that reason. And then to make it better, it features a crime-solving duo. McKenna and Riggs are a reporter and a pathologist who collaborate and share information in order to advance their separate investigations. This is not exactly a Rizzoli & Isles kind of collaboration because they’re working under ethical guidelines that preclude complete sharing of information.

McKenna is covering a fire where a man died, perhaps by suicide, when she’s called way to another story. A body has been found in the woods, thanks in part to a bear. When the woman is autopsied, a stranger monstrous tumor is found. Even stranger, the same thing is found in the man who died in the fire.



I enjoyed A Desperate Place even though the solution seemed obvious long before our investigators got to it. McKenna is too reckless and well before the end, she was saved by a colleague ignoring her orders. I also did not get a real sense of place. It felt as though some of the setting came from research rather than experience.Still, the writing is fast-paced and the plot is original

A Desperate Place will be released August 11th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

A Desperate Place at Crooked Lane Books | Penguin Random House

Jennifer Greer

Review for 'A Desperate Place' by Jennifer Greer

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Crooked Lane Books

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it is actually her first and only book at the moment. It is the first book in the 'McKenna and Riggs' series.

You can preorder this book on Amazon now ready for release on 11th August 2020.

I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing blurb. I am also a massive Tess Gerritsen fan and when I read that is is "Perfect for fans of Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli & Isles" I just had to give it a go! I have also read several books published by Crooked Lane that I have enjoyed so was hoping this would be one added to that list (written before I read the book). Well after reading this book I must say it certainly didn't disappoint!

This novel consists of 36 chapters and an epilogue of medium length.

The story is presented from the points of view of medical examiner detective Katie Riggs and journalist Whit Mckenna and is set in Oregon. I loved that you get to see what is going on from both a detective and journalistic point of view as it is normally one or the other due to strained relationships. between both sides. It ensures that you get a complete picture of what is going on.

Well I must say what an explosive start to what promises to be an exciting new series that I am excited to read more of!

The plot jumped straight into the action and immediately gripped my attention and continued to do so straight through until the nail biting, heart racing and unpredictable ending!! I love the fact that I thought I knew what was going on just to have a massive unexpected twist thrown in. Well done! There's nothing worse than working out what's going on when your less than half way through a crime novel!

I loved the characters and especially the fact that there were 2 really strong female leading characters. I definitely agree that fans of Rizzoli and Isles will love this!! There's more and more books coming out with strong female leads but not many that have two and it was pulled off really well. I must say all the characters in this novel were all very strong and realistic. I especially enjoyed Dr. Weldon's twisted sense of humour!!
I really enjoyed the friendship between Katie and Whit and again how procedures are followed shines through with their career "clashes".

I believe that Jennifer Greer did quite alot of research into police procedures as well as medical research and it really shines through! Although quite grotesque I was intrigued with the teratoma tumours as I have never heard of them and I did a bit of research myself. Learn something new every day! Thank you for teaching me something new!

I, personally, think that the plot has a very unique storyline which is an excellent achievement for an authors first novel, congratulations! I believe this book will be a fantastic success.

This novel is very well written with events all flowing together perfectly and descriptions that really put you in the plot next to the characters. Filled with suspense, drama, murder, friendships, crime, action this is an excellent thriller that I highly recommend to fans of all the above as well as Tess Gerritsen, psychological thrillers and police procedurals.

Overall an explosive start to what promises to be an exciting new series. Very well written, excellent characters and a massive congratulations to Jennifer Greer for an A*** first novel. I'm looking forward to reading more of your books!!!

Genres include crime, mystery, thriller, police procedural, action, drama, fiction and suspense.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book, fans of Tess Gerritsen, murder, mystery, crime, suspense, thrillers, police procedurals, drama and action! Basically, everyone!

£10.36 to preorder on kindle via Amazon.

Rated 5/5 ( I LOVED IT) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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When Whit McKenna, investigative reporter, realizes that a man was in the house that caught fire, she had no idea that his death would be a murder and would lead her to the case of her life. When the body of a local celebrity and actress is found in a shallow grave, her autopsy will have chilling similarities to the man’s autopsy. As Whit digs deeper in to the first man’s death, for his wife, she realizes that she is putting her life on the line. She gets closer to finding the killer, with help from her friend Katie Riggs a Detective with the Medical Examiner’s Office. Whit is still dealing with the trauma and death of her husband in Afghanistan as is her two daughters. Will she be able survive her investigation and stay one step ahead of the killer? A spine-chilling medical thriller. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

3.5 Stars
A promising start to McKenna and Riggs, A Desperate Place is compelling thriller. An overall good story with mystery, suspense and believable characters. I will look to read more of this series.

This is a good potential first book in a series. And I hope it will be a series.

Its been a while since I've read a thriller or a murder mystery that didn't feel like a cliche. It has a unique plot and a unique "mode of death". The whole description of terratomas left me equal parts horrified and disgusted. I definitely had a delayed nightmare about them 4 days later (no I didn't google them, and I dont plan to). *goosebumps*

People who love Rizzoli and Isles will like this one too. The friendship between Whit and Riggs as two women is beautiful. And this book shows it beautifully. The impact of their jobs, a reporter and an ex-police/ME has on their friendship is a delicate balance. I felt this book focused more on Whit and her challenges. I'm looking forward to know more about Riggs as well.

As far as the whodunnit part goes. I felt it was a bit rushed and I didn't get that "omg wow!! So that's how it happened" moment. Specially when you consider that the story lost some of its momentum in some places. Since it has a slow pacing I frequently shifted between books, but I kept coming back to this since I kept wanting to know more. The dialogue felt at times like a self help lecture when in case it should've felt like a conversation.

Overall this is a good foundation setup for sequels.
3.5/5

Thankyou @netgalley and publisher for providing me the ARC for an honest review

A Desperate Place is well written and has all the right elements to be a gripping thriller. Except one. The pacing was just too slow, at least it was for me. I liked the idea of two strong women working together to solve crime, but this one just lacked that oomph to push it over the edge into thriller territory for me. It was interesting enough while I was reading but not so much that I was compelled to keep doing so or to come back to it in any kind of hurry. All in all, it's not a bad story, but it's not a particularly great one either and I can't say that I would remember the story or these characters long enough to come back to the series for future books.

This was certainly an intriguing book with suspenseful scenes and a plot unlike any I have every read before. The character development was strong, and I did like the main character, Whit who appeared very vulnerable and perhaps so desirous of being the reporter who gets the story first, that she puts herself in harm’s way. Whit’s friends and co-workers are great additions to the book, and add a lot to the story.

Another thing I really liked, and I’m sure many other readers will appreciate too, is that the author doesn’t feel the need to throw in sex scenes. While I spotted a few curse words—I’d prefer none,it’s certainly an improvement over so many of the books on the market.

A Desperate Place begins with an interesting premise: the discovery of the body of a murdered actress and how her death may be connected to two other deaths that appear, at first, to be accidental. Friends Whit McKenna, a reporter, and Katie Riggs, a medical examiner detective, are both on the case and determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

While the premise pulled me in and kept me reading, this book ultimately wasn't for me. McKenna and Riggs are both intriguing characters but I never quite felt the depth of their connection to one another or their families. I would have liked to see more character development throughout.

Overall, I see this title being popular with readers who are fans of procedural thrillers, especially those that feature crime fighting teams instead of a solo detective.

Two strong women with a strong friendship gives this thriller an extra likeable angle. I felt it was a bit slow and clunky in some places but overall- a good read.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Normally, I would be raving about this book - a friendship between two strong women, approaching a crime from two different perspectives (law enforcement and journalism), and said two characters treading a fine line between friendship and overstepping their professional boundaries using their friendship. The story was interesting, the crime certainly had a timely hook, and working through the plotline from the two different aspects was well done.

But - and of course there's a but: Ironically for a story centering on someone who uses words to make their living, there are a *massive* amount of spelling and punctuation errors. Not talking about nitpicky little things, but things like "they're" for "there" etc. The backstory of both of the main characters was referenced so frequently that I started thinking this was the second or third book in a series. It's not, it's the first. The pacing was difficult, very slow and then very fast, and the ending was a bit cheesy in the manner of a horror movie ("Oh God, no, don't go in there alone...").

I would love to read any further books, should this pan out into a series.

A Desperate Place is a good thriller & a good start for the McKenna and Riggs series. I loved the suspenseful atmosphere set in the book & the nail-biting tension as the plot unfurled. Its been a long time since I read a good thriller & this book certainly made the cut - for the most bit; the ending felt a bit rushed but overall, I enjoyed this book. The book contains scenes from a ME's table that seems too realistic & is not for the squeamish.

When the body of Niki Francis is discovered in a shallow grave, Whit McKenna is sent to cover the developing story. Recovering from a cruel past, Whit must steel herself while she runs around gathering stories & writing articles. Whit teams up with her best friend & medical examiner Katie Riggs to get to the truth. What seems like a straightforward case soon takes a turn for the worse when Whit discovers more casualties. Afraid a serial killer might be stalking Medford, Whit & Katie must work the case before more lives are lost.

I loved the plot in this one. It was unique & the events flowed easily. The characters were great too & I cant wait to discover more about Whit & Katie. The ending was a bit rushed but there was a major suspenseful moment at the end that almost made up for it - almost! Overall, I liked this book & hope its the first of many in a well laid out series.

Thank you, NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books & Jennifer Greer for an arc!

Although slow paced, this seems to be a good start to a new series. I liked the duo of McKenna and Riggs and would be interested in reading more of their adventures.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Right in the middle of a smothering heatwave, the Medford police has three suspicious deaths to deal with. Spurred on by the local newspaper where one journalist dares to dive deeper, the mystery soon turns into a fast paced medical thriller. Both parties bounce off each other which gives the reader an indepth view of the situation.
A Desperate Place is a well written intriguing story, filled with interesting characters set in an attractive environment.
Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. I have been sent a copy of this book for review purposes. This has not influenced or affected my opinions in this review.

A Desperate Place is a good first book which is part of a new series. It is filled with plenty of twists. It is a page-turner which will fill you with suspense. I enjoyed the read overall however, I felt the characters lacked depth. I do however see potential in this series. If you’re a fan of thrillers and crime, you will enjoy this book!

*3 stars*

This is a good first book in a new series. The characters are interesting. There are plenty of twists. The pacing is a bit slow but overall keeps your attention. I like the concept and the different perspectives, it's not just a police procedural. I definitely will read the next.

Whit is a crime reporter whose husband recently died while they were on assignment in Afghanistan. Her best friend Katie is an ME detective and cancer survivor. They are separately investigating several homicides among Medford's elite, trading information at times without crossing that cop vs reporter line. The commonality among the victims is unique and somewhat gruesome.
I enjoyed having the perspective of the police investigation as well as a reporter's chase for a headlining story. The medical side was also well explained. The pace was a bit slow in spots but the plot was interesting. A good debut novel with the potential to become a very good series.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC

Loved the twists and turns. I was in a reading slump and quickly got into this book and followed all the turns etc. A great page turner and escape during this horrible pandemic.