This story is like a roller coaster creeping up to that first big drop. There were twists and turns galore I like the character of Jessie and look forward to more of her investigative reporting.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Maura Walsh, a young police officer is found shot dead in an alley on a summer night in the Little Italy area of New York City. Daughter of Deputy Commissioner of NYPD, Mike Walsh and belonging to a strictly blue blood family of honest and honourable police officers, Maura Walsh's death is tragic especially when investigation claims it could be nothing more than a random, senseless act of violent crime common during the summertime, an example of 'Summertime Blues' a term coined by the police department to describe such crimes.

Jessie Tucker, an investigative print reporter for the New York Tribune wants to write an exclusive story on Maura Walsh's life and death and begins investigating. While talking to people who own different businesses along Maura's police beat route, Jessie discovers something that puts a question mark on Maura's good cop image: Maura was involved in police corruption and was taking bribes and payoffs. Is this what killed Maura or was her death, as the NYPD are very much inclined towards concluding, really a random, senseless act of violence? As Jessie investigates further, she uncovers layers and layers of secrets, lies and evidence of corruption within the police department and becomes a target for people who will do anything to make sure these secrets stay hidden. Things are not as straightforward as they seemed to Jessie in the beginning.

This is the 2nd book in the Jessie Tucker series but the first one I have read. Jessie herself has been a victim of a violent crime 12 years ago and feels somewhat connected with Maura's tragedy; even though it won't bring Maura back, Jessie wants to make sure to give her case a proper closure. This is a fast paced, easy to read & follow, superb thriller about investigative reporting that touches on corruption in the police department. I liked how the author, through Jessie, lets us take a sneak peak of the world of investigative reporting and how good reporters are willing to dig real deep to get to the facts of a story. Jessie is a fearless woman who hasn't let her past bog her down but instead has used her experience to mold herself into the reporter she is.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Dana Perry for the e-Arc of the book.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

This Author is really great. I really loved this book. This tale was highly engrossing and highly recommendable!!

After reading the first book in this series, <em><a href="http://cmashlovestoread.com/2020/03/11/the-silent-victim-by-dana-perry-review/">THE SILENT VICTIM</a></em>, I knew that I would probably have to hold onto my hat because it was going to be another wild ride. Was it?

Jessie Tucker, a reporter at The Tribune, is covering the tragic story of NYPD officer, Maura Walsh, who was shot dead in the line of duty. She is the daughter of the Deputy NYPD Commissioner, aka The Prince of the City for stamping out police corruption.

Once Jessie starts her investigation, she learns that Maura Walsh wasn't, The Golden Girl, as everybody thought she was because of her father and grandfather before that. Could it be that she really was taking payoffs from some seedy businesses, some owned by mob boss Domenic Bennato? Jessie also learns that there was also a tragic loss many years ago involving her little brother.

As Jessie delves into this story, more bodies are piling up. Maura's partner Billy Renfro and PI Frank Walison, who had been hired by someone to get the dirt on Renfro. But who hired him?

And in the middle of tracking down leads and answers, she also learns some devastating personal news. The father that left her and her mother many, many years ago, was not her biological father.

Dana Perry has an uncanny ability to weave and interweave details in the story. When reading his books, it's like trying to put an intricate jigsaw puzzle together with all the pieces being the same color because once it is all pulled together, your jaw will hit the floor.


A story that flows from the very first word to the final one. The suspense never lets up and the suspense so engrossing that the reader is pulled into the story. A book that is unputdownable and will have you shaking your head the minute you finish reading it.

I definitely had to hold onto my hat as if I was riding the biggest roller coaster ever!

I can't wait for the next book in this series!!!

A daunting and chilling read that I highly recommend!!!!

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3413313799
Blog 07/08/20 http://cmashlovestoread.com/?p=22959

When a young policewoman is found murdered with her own service weapon, there are more questions than answers. The police investigation rules the killing random, but this victim is the Police Commissioner's daughter, so the odds of a "random" shooting seem pretty high. Enter Jessie, news reporter and crime victim herself, who refuses to accept the police verdict when her own investigation turns up too many links to criminal activities in the neighboring towns. A really good thriller that gave me reminders of The General's Daughter. The story is set in a community of secrets that can wreck too many lives to allow them to be told. Actions quickly lead to consequences that have some very definite twists. A very good follow up to The Silent Victim that leaves us with one questions? What to read until Dana Perry's next book?

Reporter Jessie Tucker is The Golden Girl in the media following her involvement in a crime. Maura Walsh is The Golden Girl of the police department, daughter of a senior officer, but hiding a dark secret. One night Maura is murdered and Jessie is determined to uncover the truth.
This the second book to feature Jessie (see my review of The Silent Victim). She throws herself into Maura's murder story with as much passion as she did the previous case that was so personal for her. The aftermath of her own attack continues to affect her physical health and the media coverage and publicity have given her a career boost.
There are plenty of plot twists as Jessie investigates: dirty cops, the mob, undercover cops, family secrets. The clues are hunted down and suspects interviewed by the intrepid reporter and she must sieve through the secrets, lies and misdirections to find the truth.
Jessie works so well as a lead character and her first person narrrative lets us see her perspective and motivations clearly. Her determination and single-mindedness make her unpopular with other characters but endear her to the reader. I had forgotten that author Dana Perry is a man as he writes a female lead with the intricacies of a woman's mind very convincingly.
This book would work as a standalone if you haven't read the first in the series as there is enough detail to catch the reader up but not enough to spoil it if you want to go back and read it.
Overall, The Golden Girl was a dramatic and enjoyable thriller novel with a convincing central character.

A really solid investigative novel with Jessie Tucker, the survivor from The Silent Victim, still psychotically recovering from that trauma, and following the murder of Maura, daughter of the asst NYPD police Commissioner.. There are plenty of questions surrounding the killing so why is Jessica, still a crime reporter, seemingly the only one asking them.? Maura is heralded as an exampleary officer but Jessica sees a corrupt officer. The novel starts slowly with many references to the last novel but this can be read as a stand-alone book but is always good to have more background knowledge of the protagonist to understand why she does certain things. Builds to a great, startling and completely unexpected ending that I really wasn’t seeing!

This book was the 2nd in a series and not having read the first it did great as a stand alone. The story is about a journalist, jessie tucker who is investigating an officer who was shot in an alley and later finds out that there is a lot of questions regarding the officer who has mob involvement and corruption. The book has a lot of twists and turns and a great ending. Great for a weekend read especially cuddled up at night.

This is the second book in the Jessie Tucker series, I hadn’t read the first In the series before reading this book and wished I had as I think it would’ve given me more of an insight into Jessie’s more character after what had happened to her in the first book., due to this I did find that some of the storyline was unbelievable and that a crime reporter just wouldn’t have carried out half of the actions that she did but if I’d read the first book then it probably would’ve been more believable. I will definitely read more in the series

i was given this ARC by netgalley and publisher for a honest review and opinion

the story is about journalist jessie tucker who is investigating Maura, an officer who was shot in an alley while her partner was picking up a pizza. later to find out that there is a lot of questions regarding Maura who has mob involvement and corruption.
the book has great twists and thrills in the story with an even better ending. Jessie is a great character and one to follow because she is not one that gives up easy to follow a case.
this was a second book in a series but was easy to read as a stand alone.

First things first: this book is part of a series, but I had not problems reading it as s standalone.

Wow. I could not stop reading this book. There’s so many moving parts and twists and turns that I just had to keep going until I got to the end. And you can’t look away until the very end.

The central mystery was so good, weaving together all the plotlines one by one and forming the overall picture just in the nick of time. It was satisfying and comprehensive. I found my mouth hanging open a couple of times.

I liked Jessie Tucker. She was one of the most accurate depictions of a journalist that I’ve seen, with her observations about the media itself and her empathy with her subjects. Journalism is a complicated profession and Perry really nails it. I also liked Jessie on just a personal level. She was worth rooting for and I am excited to read more about her as the series goes on.

Also, she travels to Elmira a couple times in the book, and since I live near there and we don’t get enough love, I appreciated the author’s use of our place.

Overall, this is a great book. Highly recommended.

It's a hot night during summer in New York City. Maura Walsh, a young policewoman visits a strip club, accepts cash from the bartender and leaves. Then she heads off to a house of prostitution where she meets the woman who runs that business and collects additional money. After that, she goes to a trendy restaurant, sits at a table and is visited by the manager who talks with her a moment before giving her money. "An hour after that, Maura Walsh was found shot to death...news accounts described her as a hero cop..but there was no mention of any of those payoffs she took. That would all come later."

Jessie Tucker is a crime reporter for the NEW YORK TRIBUNE and is well known as the survivor of a vicious attack in Central Park 12 years ago. As a popular media superstar, Jessie wants the biggest story around and insists that she work on the Maura Walsh murder. The police are investigating, but no one could figure out who killed her or why. Jessie wants to dive deep and get personal by talking to other cops, friends and family. She definitely wants to chat with Maura's father, the NYPD Deputy Commissioner -- a true New York legend on the police force. Of course the editors are down with her idea as they envision the headlines for the exclusive report. So she's off to get her answers but never imagined what she would discover. NO SPOILERS.

This is the second in the series featuring Jessie Tucker and it's best if you read THE SILENT VICTIM, otherwise you'll have no idea about her whole ordeal in Central Park and the story she breaks that answers questions about her personal experience. There are hints in this book, but not enough background detail so you will be at a disadvantage not knowing her motivation for this story. She's a survivor and an interesting character, but I admit to having to suspend a bit of disbelief about her involvement in basically doing detective work. Although some have said there were twists and turns and surprises, you might be able to anticipate them if you read a lot of novels in this genre. The narrative is fast-paced and this was a quick read that held my interest. I'd be interested in seeing what happens in the next book as there are some dangling ends in her personal life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

The Golden Girl is the second book to feature Jessie Tucker, an investigative journalist. Jessie has been through the mill as she has been attacked amd left for dead twice in the last 12 years. Jessie works for The New York Tribune and becomes involved in the case of a young NYPD officer Maura Walsh who is the daughter of the Deputy Commissioner Mike Walsh also, has been murdered while on her shift with her own weapon. Jessie feels like she has a connection with Maura due to her own personal history so vows to find the perpetrator. With no witnesses to the crime Jessie starts to dig into Maura's history and things begin to surface that shows Maura appeared to be a dirty cop.The further she digs the scarier it becomes due to the powerful people she realises must be involved. The police decide Maura's murder is only a random crime and it's finished in their eyes, Jessie wonders just how deep the rot goes.
This is an engrossing, entertaining and thrilling read throughout. As Jessie begins to uncover the real powers behind Maura's death and the corruption it shows how bad it is, from Mafia to Police officers. People from all walks of life which is shocking but as we know this can happen in real life as well.
Jessie is a tenacious, likeable young woman who realises just how much she is endangering herself by her investigation and where it is leading but she still carries on regardless. I actually felt like I was with Jessie all the way through, pushing her to uncover the corruption, this is due to the vivid, realistic and unpredictable storyline. I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who love a rollercoaster of a book with characters you can empathise with.A thrilling read for sure! Thanks to Bookouture Books-On-Tour for allowing me to be a part of the Blog Tour and Netgalley for the copy of the book so I could take part.

I was a little apprehensive reading book two in this series, The Golden Girl not having delved in at the beginning with book one The Silent Victim....
I need not have worried in the slightest.....
We meet investigative, police reporter Jessie Tucker in this series..
A very different angle for a series but I love it...
Jessie is feisty, ambitious and a damn good reporter. She has been through a traumatic time in her past but she's come out the other side of it..
When a police officer Maura Walsh is gunned down for no apparent reason, Jessie thinks there might be a story..
Officers don't want to talk to her though and very soon she sees that the Deputy Commisioner's daughter may have been involved in police corruption and back handers before her death.
What I loved about this story was the dark atmosphere to it. You can almost feel the danger as you turn the pages and you can't help wondering has Jessie bitten off more than she can chew.
Is this far bigger than she ever imagined...
I really enjoyed the main character and I can't wait to see where the author takes her story and the series.
Well worth your time..

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I jumped on the chance to read this one. I would say both books can be read as standalones as they are about different crimes but if you want to really get to know Jessie Tucker then I would recommend reading both.

This book takes place a little while after the first. Jessie Tucker is back at work at the Tribune newspaper and is looking for her next big story. Jessie decides to take on the story of Maura Walsh's death. Jessie is as dogged as ever in this story. Jessie isn't afraid to get herself into trouble to get the story. Jessie puts herself in danger on more than one occasion in this book in order to get the truth. I like that Jessie will do anything for the truth. I was also proud of her for getting the full story before publishing. Some reporters don't have a conscience but Jessie does.

The story itself is full of twists and turns that kept me gripped to the end. I flew through this book. It's well written and very easy to read. I just kept turning page after page. I really struggled to put it down. Dana does an excellent job of reeling you in, making you care about the characters and even making you doubt everyone. This is a gripping read that will leave you wanting more from this daring crime reporter.

FIVE STARS FOR "The Golden Girl"!!!! Dana Perry did an OUTSTANDING job on this novel and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time i read it! This is a " COULD NOT PUT DOWN THRILLER" that needs to be on everyone's bookshelves!

'The Golden Girl' is the second book to feature Jesse Tucker, who is an investigative journalist. The first book in the series is called 'The Silent Victim' and it was released on 20th November 2019. I read, reviewed and loved 'The Silent Victim' and I couldn't wait to read the second book in the series. Well, ladies and gents the wait is over because the second book called 'The Golden Girl' was released on 8th June 2020. It's another cracking read from Dana Perry. I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of the story but more about that in a bit.
I took to Jesse Tucker from the start and by the time I got to the end of the first dozen or so pages I felt as though I had reunited with an old friend. Jesse is an investigative journalist. Jesse has now been attacked twice and left for dead. When she comes across the case of Maura Walsh, she feels as though she has to investigate. In a way she has a certain connection with Maura, in the sense that both were attacked and left for dead. Fortunately ,Jesse survived but sadly Maura did not. Jesse scratches the surface of the case and let's just say that she uncovers a lot more than she could have ever anticipated. Her investigation has more layers to it than you would find layers of paper on a parcel during a game of 'Pass The Parcel'. Uncover one layer and half a dozen more emerge. Jesse is feisty, sassy, determined, driven, tenacious, stubborn but she can also be very kind and compassionate.
It's no word of a lie when I say that I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the synopsis. I was intrigued by the death of Maura and I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen, so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was right or if I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out what happened grew and grew. At one point, the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and then all too quickly I got to the end of the book. I had to then say a temporary goodbye to Jesse Tucker.
'The Golden Girl' is superbly written, but then I thought the same to be true of 'The Silent Victim'. Dana grabs your attention from the start with the brutal murder of a serving police officer and then once he has your attention he won't let you have it back until the moment you read the very last word on the very last page. For me, 'The Golden Girl' was perfectly paced. The story hit the ground running and maintained the fast pace throughout. Whilst reading 'The Golden Girl' I really did feel as though I was on one hell of an unpredictable and scary rollercoaster ride. I really did feel as though I was part of the story, which is down to Dana's very vivid and realistic storytelling. I felt as though I was Jesse's assistant in a way.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Golden Girl' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Dana's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The Golden Girl by Dana Perry is the second book in the Jessie Tucker Mystery series. It can be read as a stand-alone book with no problems. Jessica refers to the devastating attack she had experienced in Central Park, but it does not affect this story. In the beginning, Maura Walsh, an NYPD police officer, goes to several businesses and collects rolls of money. Minutes later while her partner, Billy Renfro, goes to pick up a pizza for their evening meal, Maura is killed.
Jessica Tucker is the Tribune reporter for crime and police news. She starts her interviews and investigation into the death of Maura Walsh. This particular police shooting will make headlines for a while because Maura's father is the Deputy Police Commissioner. Was the shooting a result of Maura taking money from the businesses she patrolled or was it a random killing?
As Jessica learns more about Maura and her family, she has additional questions about the family dynamics and the death of Maura's younger brother years before. The more people she questions, the more she realizes that many of her contacts are lying.
The story is written well and Jessica is a likable main character. I won't post spoilers, but I did feel as if the answer to who shot Maura was tied up too neatly. We spent the whole book chasing down suspects and uncovering secrets and lies which seemed to circle all around the main question.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jessie Tucker is like a dog with a bone when it comes to investigating a story; she’s persistent and doesn’t leave a stone unturned. That’s why when Maura Walsh, an NYPD officer, is found dead in an alley, she suspects there is more to it than a random shooting. She is unwilling to tow the line to avoid asking questions of people that she would otherwise be expected to provide defence to. ⁣⁣
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As Jessie continues investigating, it quickly becomes apparent that at least one person is hiding information that would be pertinent to solving who killed Maura, including members of the NYPD and her precinct. None of it makes any sense, unless, of course, an officer was involved. The web of deception and corruption that Jessie gets tangled in, is as vast as it is dangerous. ⁣⁣
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This book gave you a peak into the world of journalism: the difficulties, the bureaucracy and sometimes, the danger. Jessie cared more about the truth and what was right, than the possibility of upsetting the apple cart. And as you all know, we need more of that in our world. ⁣⁣
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If you’re into the idea of a journalist who operates as though she is a detective, this book will provide you with fast, fun read. The best part is that it can be read alone, or as part of the larger series. A reason to buy more books is always a win for me!⁣⁣
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#thegoldengirl #danaperry #netgalley #bookouture #thriller #mystery #torontoreaders #sloane_reads #🇨🇦bookenablers #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #bookstagramreviews #bookclub #bibliophile #bookrecs #canadareads #quarantinereads #booksofinstagram #newrelease #newbook⁣

The Golden Girl is the second book in the Jessie Tucker Mystery series and I have to say I was completely and thoroughly hooked right from the start.

Investigative reporter Jessie Tucker is currently working at The New York Tribune. One night, a young NYPD officer, Maura Walsh, daughter of Deputy Commissioner Mike Walsh, is murdered during her shift with her own gun and left to die in an alleyway. Police officer Walsh and her work partner patrolman Billy Renfro had taken a break to pick up a pizza from a restaurant nearby, when the shooting occurred. Jessie becomes involved in the case but with no witnesses coming forward, Jessie knows that ascertaining exactly what happened won't be easy. Jessie starts digging into Maura’s life and discovers that although Maura appeared to have had an exemplary career record, there are hints and suggestions of corruption, as well as family secrets in Maura's past, that leave her pondering what Maura was actually immersed in.

Written from the point of view of Jessie, I fell right into this well-crafted and absorbing tale, and I felt as though I was shadowing her as she worked at chasing her story and following her leads and instincts. As Jessie realises that many powerful people are involved in the case, I felt a palpable sense of danger for her given that some would seemingly kill to keep things a secret. I adored the story-line which was easy to follow and Dana Perry's writing-style was impressive and note-worthy. The end result was equally brilliant and surprising.

I loved the author's portrayal of Jessie, and I was extremely taken with this character's toughness, drive, tenacity and dry sense of humour, as well as looking forward to reading about her in future instalments of the series. With its polished pacing and plotting I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable and difficult to put down crime thriller from Dana Perry. He is certainly a gifted storyteller who can provide readers with thrills, sophistication and a story packed with substance. A very highly recommended five star read, that was equally as good the series début, The Silent Victim.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.