Enjoyable read and it was gritter than I was expecting for a small town in the Midwest mystery. That being said, it was filled with suspense, atmosphere and characters you quickly care about. For a first in the series, it was an atmospheric read that leaves you wanting another book in the series.

I love finding a new author and add to that an awesome mystery which makes this a win-win! Detective Kimberly King has left New York City and the NYPD to relocate in Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma. Her years as a homicide cop should have prepared her for almost anything, but a murder soon after her arrival is not what she had planned on for her and her young daughter, Jessica. When a woman is found murdered in the same manner as a previous victim from 1905, the hunt is on for a killer. Kimberly is temporarily living with her mother and her mother’s husband on their family farm. Although pleased with the way Jessica is bonding with her grandmother, her stepfather reminds her of her own abusive father. Is history repeating itself? Sheriff Sam Walker has his own grief to bear, but knows that Kimberley is the one with the experience to solve the murder. As clues trickle out, can Kimberley find the missing piece to this fascinating puzzle? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I was really excited for this book because i have read the authors other book, The Perfect Marriage and i really enjoyed it! This one just did not live up. First of all, it states on the cover heart stopping thriller? I do not agree. 35% in something finally happens. A murder! Ok i think finally we’re getting some where. But no. Still a lot of mundane things. I felt like it was predictable and unrealistic. The police work was spotty. It wasn’t accurate in my opinion. May be a spoiler but they send the social worker for the child to figure out the victims names and notify the next of kin of death? No. That wouldn’t happen. What police investigator wouldn’t find out the victims name FIRST ahead of anyone else? And they would notify next of kin before unloading a kid on them. Geez. I feel like there was no Research done for this book. And i think she should have spoken to some parents as well because as a mother, i was annoyed with the portrayal of the child. She’s just over a year old and talking. Just not realistic to me. Perhaps I’m being too nit picky but it bugged me.

I did like the characters and i was interested in how it would end. I just wish it was more of a thriller and that it was more realistic.

A fantastic start to a new crime thriller series! I really enjoyed this book and finished it in a day.

A completely gripping page-turner - I can’t wait to read more in the Chief Deputy Kimberley King series!

Dead Woman Crossing is the first instalment in the Detective Kimberley King series, set in Dead Woman Crossing, named after the infamous unsolved murder of a woman by the local creek in 1905, in Custer Country, Oklahoma. Former NYPD Homicide Detective and newly appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff Kimberley has recently moved to Custer County for a less stressful and slower pace of life but is finding the difference between the two places jarring and difficult to become accustomed to. She hopes she will be able to properly reconnect with her mother, Nicole, and give her 16-month-old daughter, Jessica, a better life. Just as she's getting acclimatised to her new colleagues and surroundings, the body of a young mother is discovered; she has been killed in the same location and manner as the brutal slaying in 1905. Of course, the perpetrator from the cold case cannot be alive anymore so is Kimberley and her team looking at a copycat killer, and if so what is their endgame?

This is a book that begins slowly in order to set the scene and introduce readers to protagonist Kimberley and her complex life. It appears that one of the reasons she left the NYPD was due to her torment over not being able to catch a serial killer. She's an interesting character and one I am sure will grow over the rest of the series. After the pedestrian start, the pace and intensity pick up and there was no putting it down after that. It became captivating and addictive with plenty of action and a fascinating and gripping mystery at its heart. It's a character-driven police procedural told solely from Kimberley's perspective allowing you to become immersed in the story easily. It's absorbing and well-plotted and the descriptions of rural Oklahoma were so vivid and atmospheric I could envisage the area itself in my mind's eye. This is a gritty read with a plethora of twists and turns and plenty of suspects to hang your hat on. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

After a slow start, the book picked up and kept my attention but it was a bit predictable in places. I think that because it was the first book in the series that the author was giving the reader the background to Kimberley's earlier life and the maybe in the next book, the story will focus more on the crime part of the story. I'm giving it four stars because it did keep my attention and I did enjoy reading it. I got this as an arc to review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views and are completely unbiased.

Book Description:

She threw open the door, running to the crib. When she looked inside, she gasped. The world around her went silent. Inside, there was nothing but a small stuffed elephant. Where was her baby?

When young, single mother Hannah is found murdered by the banks of a twisting Oklahoma creek, her one-year-old daughter sleeping in a stroller near her body, the small town of Dead Woman Crossing reels in horror.

Detective Kimberley King, recently relocated from New York to Oklahoma, with her young daughter Jessica, can’t ignore the similarity of Hannah’s death to the case of Katie James, the woman that the town of Dead Woman Crossing is named after. Katie was murdered in front of her small daughter in 1905, on the banks of the same creek, and it seems that someone is drawing inspiration from the crime. Could this killer be a copycat?

But as she interviews suspects, Kimberley is met with blank faces and closed lips. In a small town, people won’t talk and when she pursues a promising lead, her own family turn their back on her. Kimberley isn’t afraid to ask questions, but when she receives a threatening note, she realises that, as a single mother to a young daughter, she might be putting herself dangerously in the killer’s sights …

A gripping, atmospheric crime thriller inspired by true events, about a town on the edge of collapse and a murder that shakes the community. Dead Woman Crossing is perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Jane Harper.


BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Dead Woman Crossing' by J. R. Adler.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 23rd September 2020

This is the first book that I have read by this author. This is also the first book in the 'Detective Kimberley King' series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing cover and interesting sounding blurb. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 36 chapters which are medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Detective Kimberley King. I enjoy books written in third person as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters.

This book is based in Oklahoma, US.

Well, what an explosive start to what promises to be a riveting new series!! I was sucked straight into the storyline from the very first page. The book is very well written with fantastic descriptions. Throughout the book it gives flashes of Kimberley's past to help piece her history together. The flashbacks were put in at just the right times in the story and linked well. The only niggle I found was that I wasn't sure of how much research went into police policies or if the US would have different policies to the UK in regards to personal involvement with cases, won't say more due to not wanting to spoil the storyline for future readers.

The storyline was action packed and filled with suspense, drama and tension. I became completely hooked and couldn't stop turning the pages until I finished early hours in the morning. I can't say I was shocked when I found out who the killer was. It wasn't obvious to be fair but after reading quite alot of crime novels the person was in my top 2 suspects. I didn't find it spoiled the book which was a nice surprise. I think this was because there was still lots going on to keep me interested.

The characters were all very well developed and there was a good mix. I had mixed feelings with Kimberley, sometimes she annoyed me with her attitude and others I enjoyed her strong character. I enjoyed watching the relationships develop between herself and her team and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about her in the next novel of the series.

Overall a very well written, suspense filled crime thriller which will keep you up late at night.

Genres covered include Crime Thriller, Mystery, Murder and Police Procedural, Domestic Drama

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as anyone looking for a new crime series with a strong female lead.

347 pages.

This book is 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I wouldn't normally rate a book 5/5 if I wasn't surprised by the perp but for me 5/5 is I loved it which I did!! ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

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Author Bio:

Originally from Wisconsin, J.R. Adler currently lives in Ithaca, New York with her husband, Drew, and her English Bulldog, Winston. When not writing, you can find her reading, playing board games, travelling, and binge watching The Office for the umpteenth time.

https://www.instagram.com/jradlerauthor/
https://twitter.com/jradlerauthor

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3bZOFdP
Apple: https://apple.co/2ZFBUjH
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2NprQ7Z
Google: https://bit.ly/2Yuajly

A great start to a series. A good storyline and some great characters. Hope there is more to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

4.5/5
Dead Woman Crossings by J.R Adler

Thank you to NetGalley and to Booksoture for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is written under the pen name of J.R. Adler but she also writes under her name Jeneva Rose. I already wrote a review for her debut novel: “The Perfect Marriage”. I highly anticipated this new release of hers so I preordered it but when I got my hands on an ARC I couldn’t wait another day to read it!

Dead Woman Crossings is a fantastic beginning to a detective series! I cannot wait for the others to be released so I can know more about Kimberley! A theme that I’ve noticed in Jeneva’s books is a strong female character! What a woman Kimberley is! 🙌🏼 strong, heroic, intelligent, a wonderful and supportive single mom!

Kimberley is a single mom that was an NYPD detective for homicide. After being haunted by a case that she never solved Kimberley decides to pack up and move to Dead Woman Crossings, Oklahoma to live with her mother. The town is named after a murder that was never solved. Kimberley became the new chief at their local police department that rarely sees anything other than traffic violations. When her first week on the force has a murder case that is a copy cat of the famous murder that was previously left unsolved Kimberley has to do everything she can to not let this case go unsolved.

My husbands family is big on detective shows so I usually pick up on clues quickly and think I know who did it. But as Jeneva proves once again with a twist— I was wrong. Jeneva did a fantastic job with the lead in of this story. Sometimes introducing characters and back stories can be tricky and leave a reader bored, but not in this one. From the very beginning I was hooked and anticipating what happens next.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for the ARC.
This really took me some time to get into this book; it's very slow to start as the story concentrates on Kimberley's move from New York to Custer County in Oklahoma with her daughter Jessica, to live with her mother Nicole and stepfather David. She's the new Chief Deputy at Dead Woman Crossing - and the unfolding story is based on true events surrounding the brutal murder of Katie James in 1905.
Kimberley charms her way into acceptance by her new small-town team and with Sheriff Sam Walker, as well as getting day-care sorted for her daughter. At the nursery she becomes friendly with Hannah, another mother.

Then, the story becomes interesting, because Kimberley and her team are thrown into a murder investigation when Hannah's body is discovered by a fisherman at Deer Creek. The crime scene recreated the murder of Katie James and Kimberley brings all her investigative homicide experience to bear on finding the killer.

In the small town everyone comes under suspicion, nearly everyone has a secret to hide and she's not afraid to make enemies - until her daughter is threatened.

A slow start but a good investigative story with several twists.

Detective Kimberley King #1

Haunted by the serial killer she never caught, Kimberley King leaves her job in New York and relocates in the sleepy town of Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma. Kimberley is called to the murder scene of a young mother but she can't help but compare it to the murder of another young woman who was murdered in 1905.

The pace is slow and there wasn't much depth to the story for the first third of the book, then the pace picked up around the middle. The first half seems to be more about family drama than police investigations. The second half is better. I found it to be more of a mystery than a thriller. We get backstory on Kimberley and her partner, Lynn that's told in flashbacks. I will read the next book in this series when it becomes available.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author JPAlder for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to get this book, because The Perfect Marriage is one of my favorite books. And this book did not disappoint. It was very different from her debut, which was more of a psychological thriller, whereas Dead Woman Crossing was more of an atmospheric mystery.

Detective Kimberley King leaves her job in NYC, after being haunted by a serial killer that she was unable to catch, and moves to be near her mom in Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma. But within days of her arrival, there is a horrific murder that seems to be a copycat of an unsolved murder that took placed more than 100 years ago. Hooked yet? Murder mystery mixed with great banter, family drama, and creepy vibes. What more could you ask for in a perfect fall read?

I really enjoyed how Adler set up the story - her descriptions and writing style makes it so easy to visualizes each character and place. Within the first few pages, I was felt connected to Kimberley King and was really invested in her life. I loved her witty comebacks, strength, and fearless attitude. She gave me all the badass Olivia Benson vibes. I am so excited to see what’s next for Kimberley King.

And lastly, I thought it was so cool and interesting that this town is a real place and this murder is actually still unsolved. I love everything true crime - give me all the podcasts, Netflix shows and tv specials. In another life, I would be a homicide detective so this real-life aspect elevated this story even more for me!

If you love a strong female protagonist and a mystery with a twist you don’t see coming, then this book is for you. And you need to stop what you’re doing to go pre-order this book. Dead Woman Crossing comes out in just 10 days!

Can’t wait to see what Adler comes out with next. She is a must buy author for me – and honestly would read her grocery list.

If the first entry is an example, the Detective Kimberley King series should have a long run. For sure, I'll be waiting to get my hands on the next one.

Detective Kimberley King and her young daughter, Jessica, have relocated to Dead Woman Crossing in Custer County, Oklahoma. It's far a more remote, and presumably laid back, place compared to the NYPD she left behind (along with some not-so-good experiences). For a while, she'll be living with her mother and stepfather in what turns out to be a small cottage on the farm that her stepbrother and his wife operate.

The town got its name after an unsolved crime from 1905, when a young woman was murdered on the banks of a creek. Just as she's getting to know her way around - and to know the ways of Sheriff Sam Walker, her boss - another young woman is found murdered at the same place and in the same manner. Whoever killed the girl back then can't still be alive, so is someone trying to copy what happened back then?

Meantime, Kimberley works to find the murderer, but her family isn't as supportive as she'd like - especially when clues lead to the possibility that the killer is someone they all know. The outcome of that could lead to more than ruffled family feathers as Kimberley learns she and her daughter could be in the crosshairs of a very dangerous person.

All told, it's a solid start to a promising series. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

I really wanted to like this book because Jeneva Rose, the author behind J.R. Adler, wrote my favorite book of the year, The Perfect Marriage (if you haven’t read it, do yourself a favor and add to your TBR list, it is so good), but I just could not get into this book. I’m sorry to say that at the 30% mark I had to stop and add it to my DNF list because I was not connecting to the story or the characters. I still think Jeneva is an amazing storyteller and will gladly try to read anything she writes, I really wish this wasn’t a miss for me.

A fantastic, slow to build crime thriller. @J.R.Adler remarkably depicts the characterization in this novel, allowing the reader to revel in every nuance and gritty detail. The plot is appropriately dismal and portrays a lingering darkness that enhances the entire experience. Bravo to Adler for allowing the story to play itself out and now rushing to a climatic ending. Loved it. 5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley and @bookouture for the ARC of #DeadWomanCrossing which was read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#readmorebooks #crimefiction #policeprocedurals #dontloseyourhead #allmyfriendsaremakebelieve #bookblog #bookstagram #booktweets #kindlegoals #currentreads #bookreviews

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read an advanced copy of Dead Woman Crossing, the 1st Detective Kimberley King book by J.R. Adler. Detective Kimberley King leaves her job in New York and moves to the sleepy town of Dead Woman Crossing, where her Mother and Stepfather lives. Haunted by the serial killer that killed her mentor and partner and was never caught she vows to bring her daughter up in a much more peaceful place. But within days that dream is shattered when a new friend is found brutally murdered, her one year old daughter the only witness, and the killing seemed to bear a striking resemblance to a crime from 1905 that the town is named after. Kimberley, must fit into her new job as the Chief Deputy at the Sheriff department and along with Sherriff Sam Walker, must solve this crime quickly.
While I enjoyed this book, the pace was somewhat slow. The only highlight was the backstory of Kimberley and her partner Lynn, told in flashbacks. This is more of a mystery book, rather than a thriller.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Escaping the big city, Detective Kimberley King moves with her daughter to Dead Woman Crossing, in small-town America. Expecting nothing more than breaking up some drunken bar brawls, her calm is quickly turned to frenzy when a woman is found decapitated, only feet away from her small child. Worse, this is not a new murder scene to Dead Woman Crossing. The town is named for an unsolved murder of the same fashion from 1905. The similarities are too eerie to ignore the possibility of a copy-cat killer in the sleepy town that Detective King now calls home.⁣⁣⁣
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I am a sucker for a detective book. I want to sit around the conference table and contribute to my thoughts while drinking bad coffee and living on vending machine snacks. Alas, I did not go to the police academy, but I am the same way with my work. I love reviewing things with a fine toothcomb and finding inconsistencies. I even have a magnifying glass to review documents, which is likely highly unnecessary, but it seemed like a required expense at the time (story. of. my. life).⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I had a hard time with this book because I loved The Perfect Marriage by @jenevaroseauthor so much (sidebar: @jenevaroseauthor / @jradlerauthor are the same talented woman). My expectations were high and this one took a bit longer for me to fall in love with. It was a different type of thriller / mystery, but the last quarter of the book really ramped up. Jeneva’s endings will be her legacy. I was once again taken by surprise, which rarely occurs (…I mean a girl who owns a magnifying glass is a mystery solver if nothing else).⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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If you are okay with thinking you know who the killer is and having to swallow your pride when you’re incorrect, the Detective King series is for you.⁣⁣
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This book is released on September 23, 2020, but is available to pre-order. Do yourself a favour and nab a copy.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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⁣#kimberlyking #jradler #bookouture #netgalley #detectivebooks #mystery #mysterybook #mysteryseries #thriller #thrillerseries #coffeeandcurrentlyreading #currentlyreading #booksofinstagram #coolgirlsread #bibliophile #bookish #fallreading #fallforbooks #indigo #womenauthors #booklover #booknerd #coffee #coffeeandbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendation #booksbooksbooks #bookishvibes #sloane_reads

If you have seen #theperfectmarriage on Bookstagram (and let’s be serious, who hasn’t?!?!) then you NEED to read this one!

Haunted by the serial killer she never caught, Detective Kimberley King leaves her job in New York and relocates to the sleepy town of Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma. Kimberley hopes to bring her daughter Jessica up close to her family, far from the bad memories the city holds. But her quiet new home is not the peaceful place she dreamed of. Within days of her arrival, Kimberley is called to the scene of a terrible crime: her friend, a single mother, has been brutally murdered, her one-year-old daughter the only witness.

Kimberley can’t ignore the similarity of Hannah’s death to that of Katie James, a young woman who was murdered in 1905 on the banks of the same twisting creek. Dead Woman Crossing is named after her, and it seems someone is drawing inspiration from the crime.

Ya’ll - that’s true!! There was really a woman named Katie James murdered in that town in 1905 and it has gone unsolved! (I researched it 😉)

Kimberley is such a strong female lead. I loved her! I couldn’t put this book down! It held my attention the entire time. It was fast-paced and I didn’t see the ending coming!! I can’t wait for Detective Kimberley King’s next book!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found Kimberley annoying and hard to care about. The rest of the characters were great, especially those in the sherriff's department.
Then there are the mysteries. The flashbacks to the case in New York were intriguing and gripping. The current case was messy and I figured it out way too early in the story. I also felt like the fact Kimberley was a NYPD detective was overplayed.
On the other hand I think the series has a lot of promise. I will read the next one because of that promise. Hopefully further character development of Kimberley will improve my opinion. I think the case in New York is going to play a further role and come into play at some point and that's what I'm most interested in.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kimberley King, a NYC detective moves to the tiny town of Dead Woman crossing, Oklahoma to be the Chief Deputy. She is trying to start over after a horrific serial murder case she investigated. She wants to be closer to her mother who has remarried a man named David. David has a daughter Emily, who is the same age as Kimberley and is married with two small children of her own.
At daycare drop off for her daughter Jessica, she runs into Hannah, a single mother who is in need of a friend. One day the decapitated body of Hannah is found and her 14-month old daughter is nearby in her stroller. Kimberley investigates the murder. The Sherriff doesn't want to believe it is someone from his town, and looks into tourists.
This is a very good mystery. Most of the characters are likable, except the ones that aren't supposed to be. This is the first in the Detective Kimberley King series and I look forward to more.
Thank you netgalley, bookouture and J.R. Adler. This book is set to be released on September 23rd.