Wow oh wow what a story! It was superb and that twist at the end was a total surprise. I liked the characters. I also liked that the characters had personal lives so the book at several sub plots. This author blew me away. He has caught my interest for sure.

Ok so thanks NetGalley publishers and author for this advance readers copy!
So first off I wished I had known this was the second book to a series! But hey its cool!
This book kind of lagged for me! I had high hopes for this one and was so excited when I got this one!
It truly wasn't what I had expected it to be!
But now alot of it makes sense because I didn't read the first book!
Overall the story was good! I didn't really care For the writing! It wasn't there for me!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed it. I figured out what was going on about half way through but there were still some surprises even after that. Why things were occurring was a surprise and not something I realized until later. The ending was not what I expected.

This book follows a federal prosecutor during the investigation and trial of a serial killer. She was married to a serial killer herself and more of that situation was apparently explained in an earlier book in the series. I didn’t find this book difficult to follow without having read that one, however. I liked the characters but did find a couple situations a touch unrealistic. That may be due to the fact that I was a career prosecutor myself. I found the book enjoyable and an easy reader. The characters were interesting and likeable. The unlikeable ones were merely insignificant, not evil enough to hate…until the end.

It was one that stayed in my mind through the days it took me to read it. It is highly recommended. I will be reading other books by this author soon.


I received an ARC from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Jessica is on the trail of a serial killer and there is more than one suspect. This was a very well written Thriller with plenty of clues and suspense. I enjoyed the ride.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The local sheriff department and an FBI agent conduct a raid of a cabin on Crimson Road. A serial killer’s second victim is spread out and the coroner is called but a shock awaits. Thus begins this psychological thriller that unfolds as a joint crime investigation with appealing characters, many suspects and various clues. An interesting enough read in the hunt for the murderer as the interrelation between past and present merge into a dramatic finale. Only a three-star rating due to a somewhat obvious likely perpetrator. As an independent viewer, my thanks to the author for a copy gratis prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

This mystery/thriller novel follows a retiring prosecutor, Jessica Yardley, as she rushes to identify a serial killer that is posing his victims off of a gruesome series of paintings. As the stakes become higher and higher, Jessica realizes that there’s so much she doesn’t know about the case. Finally, she has to speak with her divorced husband- who is in jail for serial killings as well.

This book is the second in Desert Plains series, but I jumped straight into this one and I wasn’t lost and will still perfectly enjoyable. It started off a little slow for me- there wasn’t a lot of fast-paced action until about halfway to three-quarters of the way through. Once it picked up, it was really exciting. I called many of the twists early on, but there were still moments in the book where I smiled and realized the twist that just was pulled out in front of me.

A lot of this novel focused on the proceedings in the courtroom which I found very interesting. I’ve always been a fan of courtroom dramas and hearing how things happen. Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys courtroom proceedings, reading about serial killers, and mysteries. I will warn of potential triggers, however- there are mentions of abuse, rape, murder, and possibly others. If there is a specific one in mind, please contact me and I’ll let you know!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received the book from NetGalley for my unbiased review.

Always enjoy reading a book by Victor Methos. Crimson Lake Road did not disappoint. While I had a bit of a handle on the culprit about half way through the book, there were still a lot of twists and turns and it still ended with a surprise.

Good book!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is the second in a series and I haven’t read the first one so I can’t comment on the evolution of the characters from one book to the other.
Overall, the story was good but a bit long winded without bringing much to the story.
The main character, Jessica Yardley is interesting but her daughter isn’t one bit endearing nor are the investigators and Jessica’s replacement at the DA’s office. The perpetrators were a bit obvious to me and I couldn’t believe the predictability of whom the culpable parties were.
Overall, it was a good read but would deserve a little editing to shorten it.

CRIMSON LAKE ROAD is Book Two in the Desert Plains Series; A KILLER’S WIFE is the first and scheduled for release in August of this year, Book Three, THE UNRELIABLE TRUTH.

Getting ready to retire as a prosecutor, her office already packed up, Jessica Yardley is asked to stay on for one last investigation—a set of murders depicted like the grisly scenes in a series of paintings called The Night Things.

‘[T]he more Jessica finds out, the less clear her case becomes. Out of options, she’s forced to consult her serial killer ex-husband—to gain additional insight into the crimes and the killer’s motivations.’

Having not read the first book in the Desert Plains Series, as I dove into book two, I knew right away that would need to be remedied, not due to something lacking in CRIMSON LAKE ROAD (easily read as a standalone), but a growing need to learn more about Tara and Jessica Yardley and Jessica’s serial killer ex-husband and Tara’s father, Eddie Cal.

As I made my way through book two, I couldn’t help but wonder if the narrative plays out similar to the film Mr. Brooks, wherein his daughter may or may not be just like him—a killer?

Will Jessica catch the killer or become the final addition to the killer's masterpiece?

You will have to read the book and find out! ;)

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, for loaning me an eGalley of CRIMSON LAKE ROAD with a request for an honest review.

Scheduled To Release – February 9, 2021 (Subject To Change).

Jessica Yardley had a lot to deal with in her life. Most importantly, she's an assistant US Attorney and her ex-husband is currently in prison, convicted of being a serial killer. So she's concerned when she learns that someone has killed women and posed them to resemble figures in paintings- and against her better judgment takes on the case. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fans of the genre will enjoy this for the twisty plot and Jessica's character. A page turner.

The second book in the Desert Plains series, Crimson Lake Road follows the investigation into a series of murders that draw inspiration from art. This book takes place a few years after the first I believe and finds Jessica Yardly on the eve of her retirement from the US attorneys office. When she gets pulled into the case, she has to decide how far she is willing to go to catch the killer.

Fans of police procedural dramas will really enjoy this one! While you do not have to, I recommend reading the first book so you can understand some of the background details. I will say I did enjoy the first book more but I am looking forward to future books in this series.

Once I got into reading this book, I stopped reading all my other books. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. The ending definitely was a surprise.

Excellent fast paced book with a great plot line. Although after reading this book I realised that this was not the first in the series, nevertheless it is a good standalone read. I will however be finding & reading book number one. I will most definitely recommend this book to my family and friends.
Many thanks to both the author and net galley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A well thought out book that follows an intriguing plot. I was surprised at the ending and loved how the author drew from his real-life experiences to fresh it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this advanced copy which I received in return for an honest review.

An Intriguing Murder Mystery/Thriller

The novel opens with FBI Special Agent Cason Baldwin and Detective Lucas Garrett and other deputies smashing through the front door of a cabin on Crimson Lake Road. They cleared the cabin, and found a victim appearing to be ritually killed. She was laid out like the first victim with a black tunic and the face covered with white bandages that were soaked through with blood. The first victim had a large cut between her eyebrows that would bleed profusely. As Garrett bend down near the bandages, the body violently bucked to life. Baldwin is a friend of and works regularly with Assistant US Attorney Jessica Yardley who is leaving her position. Her relief just arrived and sees this case as a career maker. The novel proceeds from here.

The main storyline moved swiftly. There were many twists, turns and misdirections in the plot that quickly captured my interest and kept it through the entire novel. There are three other subthreads in the main storyline. First was the jurisdictional issue as to whether this case is local or federal. Second was a clash of personalities between Yardley and her relief. The third involves Yardley’s precocious teenage daughter working with her serial killer father to make some money. These subthreads added richness to the main storyline that increased my enjoyment of reading this novel.

The B-storyline matched in the richness of the main storyline. Yardley’s character was well developed with her coping with a change in careers, keeping her daughter corralled, her new friendship with one of the victims, and her relationship with Baldwin. The daughter is a delightful character as much is revealed about her character as she jumps between a dutiful daughter and a daughter with a dark side. The character of the Yardley’s replacement and Baldwin’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge were well portrayed as persons I just wanted hate.

As for aspects that some readers find objectionable, there are not any intimate scenes. Objectionable language is prevalent in a few characters and is consistent with their personalities. Most of this language are the less vulgar words and more varied than usual. Violence may be disturbing to some, but it mostly described in the past so it is not as edgy. The violence makes this novel mature content.

On the positive side, while I did not read the earlier novel in this series, I never had any feeling that I was missing anything while reading this novel because of inadequate background information. Yes, Yardley was married to a serial killer. I was so enthralled in reading this novel that I stayed up reading this novel when I should have been sleeping. I liked the ending that tied up many of the emotional issues that were raised throughout the novel. Reading this novel has created an interest in reading the first novel in this series. Based upon this novel having exceeded all of my criteria for a high star rating, I rate this novel with five stars. If the teasers of this novel sound interesting, I believe that you will enjoy reading this novel.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas Mercer with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Crimson Lake Road by Victor Methos is a superbly written book that will hold the reader's attention. well worth the time spent!

**This review will be cross-posted to my dedicated Instagram book blog (@nerd.on.the.loose) close to pub date.**

A series of gruesome murders, all inspired by the series of macabre paintings called “The Night things”. While the prosecutor considers taking on this case as her last before retirement, things keep hitting close to home and demand that difficult decisions be made.

4.5 stars!

It’s been a while since I read a multi-layered, complex thriller and this did it for me. This was my first book by this author but it’s definitely not going to be the last. Even though this is book 2 of a series but the blurb sounded so good I had to get in, and I loooved it. I think I’ve stumbled upon another series that I need to keep up with. This is a legal thriller, and it was up to the prosecutor-detective duo to solve the case. The court scenes were great, trial proceedings, cross-examination and the to-and-forth were both witty and intelligent. I loved how the legal intricacies were explained in the middle of the story without making it dull and boring. The ending was super great and just perfect! I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for the next in this series!

Thanks to #Netgalley, #ThomasandMercer @Aamazonpublishing and @victormethos author for the opportunity to read and review the eARC of #CrimsonLakeRoad. All opinions are my own. Pub date: 23rd Feb, 21.

This book has everything I don't like in lots of British and Scandinavian crime novels, like the main character's strange relations of being "inside" the crime and not just doing their job. But the worst is the huge amount of unnecessary descriptions.

The description of this book sounded interesting, but once I started reading, it didn't hold my interest for long. There were just too many things going on - some of them really unbelievable. I normally love a good thriller, but this one just wasn't for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read it though, and may check out the first book in the series.

Wow, wow, wow! This is the second book I have read by this author this year and I have been gripped by both. Just when I thought the book was wrapping up, there were more twists, turns and surprises thrown in! I recommend reading both books so far in this series.