An excellent police procedural with a decent pace. CJ Lyons introduces readers to two well developed, fascinating characters that are easy to relate to and ultimately leave readers intrigued, wanting more. The plot is highly character driven with the crime/police procedural front and center. Thoroughly enjoyed, highly recommended!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheNextWidow which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

This book got me real good
I felt like The Detective trying to catch the bad guy and was really surprised at who did it
This page turner will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting to find the criminal, not knowing who to believe

What a great start to a new series....
Meet Detective Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright....
If you love crime and a cracking good police series, then there is nothing better than getting in at the start of a new one..
The anticipation, the drama and promise of what is to come, I love it...
This story hits you right between both eyes in the first few chapters...
It's so heartbreaking and unimaginable..
I cried I must admit at the sheer horror of it...
We meet Dr Leah Wright, an emergency doctor who arrives home on Valentine's night after a long shift to discover her husband murdered and her daughter hiding under her bed in terror...
Who could possibly have come into her home and destroyed her family....
The pace of this story I quite enjoyed, the characters I loved...
I feel there is much more to come from the characters Jericho & Wright and I'm excited to see where the author will take them..
Both are after suffering immensely in their personal life....
A very well written thriller with plenty to entice you to read the next chapter...
Well worth your time....

The Next Widow by C.J Lyons is the first book set for a series featuring Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright, set in the fictional place ,Cambria City in Pennsylvania.
In this first book we get to know Luka and Leah ,when Luka is called in to investigate the brutal murder of Leahs husband, Ian. Leah arrives home from work to discover him and her horror is impacted by the fact her young daughter Emily, has witnessed the act.Luka is charged with finding the murderer and also work out just why they left Emily alive, before it happens again.
I am always overjoyed when I begin a new series. I love a story where I know I can really get to know the characters and stay with them for a while. This book is certainly worthy of being a series beginner. The characters are so well done. Leah, the cool and calm one. The one we all turn to in a crisis, ambitious and clever.Then we have Luka with all the emotional baggage he carries, he needs Leah to even him out!
A story packed with tension and action like this makes for a fast moving read with a fascinating plot. I am hoping Luka and Leah are back soon, I loved this instalment. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC for me to be a part of the blog tour today.

A really good start to a series. I liked the plot and the twists. I would like to know more about Leah and Luka. I feel that I don’t know enough about them yet to form an opinion on them as characters,

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed this quick gruesome thriller. The main character, Dr. Leah Wright is like able and relatable. The story was full of twists although I did figure them out before the cast of characters they still kept the story riveting. On Valentine’s Day Leah comes home to find her husband has been brutally murdered and her daughter is traumatized. Leah is in a race against time to figure out what happened but the police seem focused on her as the prime suspect.

I received an ARC of The Next Widow by CJ Lyons from Net Galley for my honest review. Wow! This book kept me glued to each page from beginning to end. At first, I was a little concerned because it started out with a very brutal murder of the husband of one of the main characters, Dr. Leah Wright, an ER doctor. Right now I’m just not in the mood for anything that intense though I normally read thrillers, mysteries etc. But not to worry, there is an amazing story to this murder that pulls you in.
This is my first book by this author. The Next Widow is the first book in this new series and I will definitely be buying the next book, The other main character is Detective Luka Jericho, he is the one who works the murder case. They made a great pair, very believable and I look forward to reading more about them.

I am thrilled to find another cop procedural series to follow. I'm partial to my favorites - Will Trent, DD Warren, Quincy, Eve Dallas - but Luka Jericho and Leah Wright have managed to power their way in with a stunning thriller.

This is my first book by CJ Lyons, and I am thoroughly impressed. Characters that leap out of the pages and stay with you long after you've turned the final page - can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I always love the excitement of a new series. If this book is any indication, the Jericho and Wright series promises to be quite thrilling, indeed. I liked how the author seemed to have no problem just jumping in and running with the story. The story sort of switched gears through the middle of the book and became very “cat and mouse,” before an explosive ending. There were some things that didn’t ring true and felt forced. But overall, I liked where the plot ultimately ended up. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

Dr Leah Wright returns home one evening after a tough shift at the hospital to find her husband dead and her daughter Emily huddled under her bed. All evidence points to Leah but can she prove her innocence and keep her daughter safe?

The Next Widow is a real whirlwind of a novel! Fast paced, fraught and full of tension. There were also a few heartbreaking moments too, especially as Leah struggles to connect with her traumatised daughter in the aftermath of her husband’s death.

There was a nice back and forth in the POV’s and we get to know the characters of Leah and Luka really well. They both have their own sets of personal problems, even before Leah’s husband is murdered, but both are tough and determined to push through their emotional scars.

I have to be honest I pegged the killer fairly early on, although the entire motive wasn’t clear until the end.

The Next Widow is a gripping and fast paced read, I’d recommend to any thriller lovers out there. I’m looking forward to seeing where this new series is headed.

This first in a new series introduces Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho of the Cambria City Police Department and Dr. Leah Wright, a physician who works at Good Samaritan Medical Center in the Emergency Department. One night, while she was on duty, Leah's husband, Ian, is murdered at their home leaving behind their very frightened 6-year-old daughter, Emily, who had survived the massacre by hiding under her bed. With plenty of red herrings and only a tenuous guess at a motive for this terribly personal attack, the police start an investigation but are still looking very closely at Leah even as she only wants to protect her traumatized daughter. NO SPOILERS.

This was typical crime thriller genre fare that basically sets the stage for future installments. There are hints of backstory to the main characters, Luka and Leah, and though the author tries, I really didn't develop any attachment to either of them at this point. I am not a fan of a lot of angst and tell in a novel, and there's a lot of repetition of thoughts and feelings. I surely hope there will NOT be a romance here between the pair. I was able to guess immediately what was going on so it seemed like a long wait for the action in the story to catch up. I'm not convinced that I will continue on with this series as there was really nothing fresh and new within. It was a quick read.

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

An excellent thriller, fast paced and gripping. It kept me on the edge till the last page and it's full of twists and turns.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing about the motive even if it's not hard to guess the culprit.
I loved the well thought characters and the setting.
It's the first in a series and I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is the first book I've read from this author.

I quite enjoyed it even though I guessed who was behind it.

I will look out for the next one in the series.

The start of a new series! For some reason, this always tickles me. In this book we have Dr. Leah Wright facing the brutal murder of her husband. She finds her daughter cowering under her bed. Her daughter Emily is unharmed, but certainly is not unaffected by witnessing her father's murder. Leah is an emergency room doctor who always wants to save everyone and fix everything. Detective Luka Jericho is tasked with finding out why her husband was killed, but also why the killer left her six-year-old daughter Emily alive. This book was intense from the very beginning, especially the murder scene.

There were points in the story that turn to something far more emotional for both Leah and Luka when it came to their pasts. This is where the story took a bit of a shift for me as it took me out of the mode of the reason for the murder and how it affected Leah and Emily. But then as I continued to read the book I was able to realize that as this is the first book in a new series, we just had to get to know what drove Leah and also what drove Luka. Thinking of things on that level allowed me to continue to enjoy this very well-written book.

As the story continued to focus on the investigation of the murder, there was a shocking twist that took place towards the end of the book, so much so, that I realized that there was no way to even guess who was responsible for Leah’s husband’s murder. I love it when I am kept guessing and Ms. Lyons did an excellent job keeping me on the edge of my seat. The Next Widow is an effective police procedural that introduces the two characters and I am eager to see what is in store for them as the series continues.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A heart-pounding thriller that took me by a storm with its tension filled scenes and swift pace. Author C. J. Lyons could give me a massive adrenaline rush in most of the book, compelling me to read it at one go.

Ian was tortured to death trying to save his daughter. Wife Leah just returned home after a heavy night at the ER. And life as she knew it was over. Detective Luka was the only one to stand by her even when clues pointed to Leah’s involvement. The investigation continued further until evil showed its face again.

What a roller-coaster of a ride this book was. My first read by this dynamic author, the imagery of the words stopped my breath many a time. The writing was brilliant with emotions making the words sing. I could feel every single strand of pain and worry that Leah had for her daughter.

Luka too had his own problems, but his attention to detail and gut instincts never wavered. Being the first book in the series, I liked how their interactions went about. A cop and a victim who was probably a suspect.

With only a few characters and good hints, it was easy to guess, though I didn’t know the motive. Just a tiny niggle or two. The last few pages went a bit haywire and decreased the pitch. The motive too was a bit ‘out there.’ But the overall book was pretty enjoyable. I would love to see how the two work together in the next book.

A thrilling police procedural, I must say.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the chance to read and review this book. This is a very exciting book that left me wondering what happened? Why is her husband's blood all over the floor and why is her daughter huddled under the bed? The author does a brilliant job leading the reader to a surprise ending. Great thriller with lots of twists and turns I couldn't stop reading-I just wanted to find out the killer.. Another good story by this author!

This first book in a new series is a gripping, pulse pounding suspense read. The characters are complex and well written. Leah is so many things it's hard to define her. Jericho has plenty of baggage and is dogged. The case is dark and full of action and twists. I was completely sucked into the story and the ending left me shocked. I can't wait to read the next one. This series promises to be a must read.

This is the first book in a new series. We are introduced to the main characters quickly when Dr Leah Wright's husband is murdered in front of their 6 yr old daughter. Luka Wright is the police detective called in to investigate. CJ Lyons skillfully builds the back story for these two characters throughout the story.

The two work together to solve the murder and keep Leah's daughter safe. There are many tense situations that keep the story moving quickly yet it's still the end of the book before you'll guess the killer. The combination of great characters and an exciting chase to the end made this a 5 star read for me.

This is a great crime thriller and a great start to a new series.
Leah returns home from work to find blood all over her house and her husband slouched against their daughter’s bed. He’s been brutally murdered and their daughter is cowering under her bed after trying to get away.
Jericho is called out and can’t believe what he’s seeing as there is blood everywhere.
Leah and Emily are taken to hospital to be checked over and Emily is clearly traumatised by what she saw.
Jericho and the team start investigating but have little to go on until a witness comes forward.
This is a gripping read that definitely took me by surprise when the killer was revealed.
I look forward to finding out what’s next for Jericho and am intrigued that Leah Wright is also mentioned as being in the series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A really good start to this new series. Made me think about the possibilities of mind control in this age of A.I. and technology. Will definitely read the next book.