This book is well written, and definitely a page turner; however, I did not find it to be a “heart-stopping thriller”. The author does a very good job of portraying the characters and their personalities, likable or not so much. The book was a bit slow at first, but I believe the author was providing backgrounds for the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the setting of this book, although I would not say it's a heart stopping crime thriller, more of a cosy mystery. The book starts off at a slow pace when Detective Kimberley King relocates from New York to Oklahoma with her infant daughter. A bit too much description of the family drama but once the story actually got going, the pace picked up.The body of a young woman is discovered and King leads the investigation into her brutal murder.. I liked the characterisation and the setting and I would read a follow up to see how the characters develop. Overall, a good read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t love this one, and I hate saying that about a book because I know how much love and care the author put into it. However, it has a really slow start that made it difficult to get into. And then there was the star of the show, Kimberly King. She moves to Oklahoma from NYC where she was a detective in the NYPD and you are never allowed to forget it. You know how there are people you meet who are perfectly fine, but they just rub you the wrong way? That’s how I felt about Deputy Chief Kimberly and I kept hoping it would change, but it simply never did. Once the mystery actually kicked off it improved and grabbed my interest much more. I think it was one of those times where the book simply wasn’t for me, but will be great for other readers.

I just finished this and let me tell you! I can’t wait for the next book bc I am all sorts of curious about where these characters go next. If you read the fast paced and insanely good The Perfect Marriage, this book is the slower paced sister by the same author. I loved the atmosphere style writing!! I could clearly see the wheat fields, big country houses and inside the small town police office. There is a 2nd mystery inside the flash backs to a case from NYC so it’s like 2 for 1. Not a traditional cliffhanger, a few graphic scenes but nothing that bothered me and Barb is the best character ever written! Bravo!! Thank you @netgalley so much for the e-arc.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book

oh my word you can read book after book after book but every so often a gem will emerge and this is one of them

totally blown away with how good the storyline is and the characters blended well together and a few red herrings and that conclusion...never saw it coming....

and the best bit its the beginning of a new series and i for one cant wait for the next one in this series, will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work

Thank you netgalley for letting me review this book early! I was so excited for this book so of course i had to request it. So thank you for letting me do that. I wanna just start out saying this is a hard review for me to write. I really didn't care for this book, It needed more grit, more suspense. It fell flat in the thriller aspect for me. It felt like a family drama type read. It went on and on about the main character but the book didn't really go anywhere. I get author is trying to build up for a series but it needed more. Things I did love were all the F bombs dropped! And the characters were great. Other than her name had too many e's in it for me. I absolutely loved the flashback parts where you got to hear more about her New York work.

True crime enthusiasts -- you won't want to miss J.R. Adler's debut novel Dead Woman Crossing. Based on a true story of a gruesome murder in Oklahoma, this story will grip you and won't let go until the end.

The first half of this book is a slow burn. We are introduced to the cast of characters, the town of Dead Woman Crossing, and the traumatizing flashbacks to when Kimberley was chasing a serial killer in NYC. But once Hannah's body is found and the scene mirrors that of a gruesome unsolved murder of Kaie James, buckle-up because you won't be able to put it down. With a shortlist of possible suspects, Adler's writing will keep you guessing until the end. I love that Kimberley is a badass heroine and can put sleazy male coworkers in their place. I really enjoyed getting to know Kimberley and how her troubled past has shaped her. 

This is the first book in the Detective Kimberley King series. I can't wait to see where Adler takes us. And I'm hoping that Kimberley and Sheriff Walker get together. :)

This is the first book in a new series by JR Alder and I’m excited to see what’s to come! Detective Kimberley king and her daughter relocate from NYC to Dead woman crossing, Oklahoma for a slower pace of life and more family time. Her mother lives there with her new husband and his family. This slow pace changes fairly quickly when a woman (Hannah) is found murdered in the same place and manner as the woman the town takes its name from. Kimberley is instantly likeable and such a great character. A really well written thriller that had me hooked and desperate to know what happened to Hannah. I will definitely be looking out for the rest of this series and I look forward to seeing how the characters and relationships (especially Kimberley and Sam...) develop. Thanks for the advance copy!

The writing, setting and the characters are great. The plot isn't top notch, but the worst is the disposition. In a murder mystery you would normally get into the action as soon as possible, but here the murder happens after a THIRD of the book. Again: You have to read a THIRD before the murder. Unbelievable.

I think I have found a new friend! Kimberley King is my kind of woman. She is fierce and feisty but also very kind and loving. I don't know about you but when I really like the main character, I enjoy the book even more.

Although the story starts with some very kind and gentle scenes, there is also that hint of creepiness and mystery. I had a strong feeling that something was wrong, but what? And why is the focus on this? Aha, those are the questions, of course. :) I already know. I guess you are anxious to find out too.

The author also gives us a glimpse into the past of our detective. She is not the only one having a lot to deal with.

In a nutshell: there was nothing I didn't like. I was captivated from the beginning and I liked the banter between the police officers. I could hardly put the book down, but unfortunately live is about more than just reading. Loved it. 5 stars.

Thank you, J.R. Adler and Bookouture.

This book will grab you from its first pages! King is a lead character that women can relate to- she thought she had found 'the one' and then found out parenthood was everything she wanted, and nothing that he did. Single parenthood in the big city can be rough without a support team, so when King realizes she needs a slower pace for her and her child, and her family, she moved them to Kansas. All relatable and instantly you have an understanding of King.

What she didnt count on was slow paced Kansas being rocked by a murder with echoes to the past, and big city motives. What suddenly seemed like a haven, is starting to look too familiar and not what she bargained for. It's a quick read, and one that will have you guessing they why, but not the WHO til later in the novel. It's a great book and looking forward to seeing more of King and Walker in this series!

Initially, this books starts out slow... much with Kimberley and her daughter... and how much she loves her daughter. However, hold onto your hats, as once J.R. Alder throws Kimberley into her first case as Chief Deputy, it is a wild ride. With wonderful supporting characters (I mean , who wouldn't want a Barb in their life), there is a great developing partnership with her boss, Sam, as well as other officers. The mystery is solid and brings into the fold Kimberley and her mother's past relationship and the baggage that comes with them. I'm anxious to see where J.R. Alder takes Kimberley next as there's a lot to explore in her new home town.

The start of a new series, J.R. Adler introduces us to Kimberly King. A former NYPD Homicide Detective looking to lower the risk factor of her life to be there for her little girl, Jessica.
She moves to Dead Woman's Crossing, to reconnect with her mom and help her daughter create bonds with her family. She is expecting little hustle and bustle in this small town but after a day on the job a murder is called in and she starts to feel like she's back in New York for all the wrong reasons.

The reason Kimberley leaves New York is not entirely clear. Of course she wants more time with her 16 month old daughter but something else seems to be lingering in the back of her mind. The reader is given flashbacks of her life back in New York soon and throughout the story you learn more about her past and why she wanted to be as far away from New York as she could get.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I love detective stories and Kimberley is such a strong main character who is striving to be a successful detective and a mom. I was drawn in from the very first page and was totally engrossed until the very surprising ending! I cannot wait for the next one to come out!
Release Date September 23rd
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and J.R. Adler for this advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this book started really slowly. The first quarter was about the main characters life in NY, and her reasons for moving to Dead Woman Crossing. The story picked up more when the murder victim was found and Detective King and her colleagues started investigating it. The book had quite a few twists although they didn’t wow me. Likeable main character with believable background history, partly told through short flashbacks. Overall a good read and I would probably read the next book in series to see how the main character develops. 3 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chief Deputy Kimberley King has relocated with infant daughter Jessica from NYC to Dead Woman Crossing, Custer Co., Oklahoma. She needs a fresh start and hopes for a slower pace of life with time to reconnect with her mother Nicole who is now married to farmer David. Unfortunately, a particularly horrifying murder takes her right back to where she started.

First of all, the Oklahoma setting is really good, the one horse town provides an atmospheric backdrop to the unfolding events partly because it has an infamous murder from 1905 in its history. The characters are good especially Sheriff Sam Walker and Kimberley though others are far from likeable. Her stepfather David makes my fist clench he’s so opinionated and old fashioned in his views. The case is gritty and has some twists and turns.

Unfortunately, I cannot agree with the ‘heart stopping crime thriller’ description in the blurb as I do not find it so. It takes about 35% before we get to the crime and up to that point it’s more of a domestic drama and her memories of her time as an NYC cop. It’s filled with too much minutiae such as where the bathrooms are at the police station. Who cares? Once the murder happens it improves considerably and oh boy, it needs to. I also think it’s fairly obvious who the perpetrator is.

Overall, it’s a very uneven book with a great title, some good sections and some dull ones.

With thanks to NetGalley and apologies to Bookouture that I didn’t enjoy it more.

I really enjoyed this book. Having just finished A Perfect Marriage by the same author I was excited to get an ARC of this one. Loved Deputy Kimberley King. Did not see the twist coming! Proud of Nicole. Also want to see what happens with Sam & Kimberley later! Thanks for the opportunity to read.

I do enjoy a police serial - and this has the makings of a good one. Kimberly moves from New York to dead woman crossing to restart her life. Why anyone would want to live somewhere called that I do not know! Very morbid! Small town mentality means that when a woman is murdered, Kimberly finds it very difficult getting information! The town had its own secrets - probably should have moved to cup cake mountain instead! Good characters and a series I can only imagine will get better.

Loved this twisty complicated keep you guessing book! The first book in this series will have you hooked from the first page and will keep you guessing until the end. I enjoyed the characters, the plot twists and how the story unfolds. It leaves me anxiously awaiting the second book. Second book I've read by J.R. Adler (her first is The Perfect Marriage...LOVED), and she does not disappoint with Dead Woman Crossing. One of my new favorite authors.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I only finished reading this book to see if I was correct, I guessed quite early on who did it. I didn't like the writing and I hated the characters especially Kimberley King. I found her tedious and got fed up of her frequent NYPD comments! She should have stayed there. She wanted a better life for her daughter yet almost from the first minute she arrived in Dead Woman Crossing she handed her daughter to her mother to look after! No where near as good as a lot of other books in this genre.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Dead Woman Cossing, the first novel to feature former NYPD Homicide Detective and newly appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff of Custer County, Oklahoma,Kimberley King.

Kimberley is finding life in rural Oklahoma slow after her hectic New York life but she’s moved to Dead Woman’s Crossing to reconnect with her mother and provide her 16 month old daughter, Jessica, with a better life. That changes when a woman’s body is found in the same place and manner as the original dead woman in 1905. That case remains unsolved but Kimberley and her boss, Sheriff Sam Walker are determined this one won’t.

I enjoyed Dead Woman Crossing which is as much a character study as an investigation. It is told entirely from Kimberley’s point of view so the reader is immediately able to dig in and get engrossed. To be fair the novel is slow to start with the body not being discovered until over one third in. Up till then it spends its time acquainting the reader with Kimberley, her new surroundings and her stepfamily. I liked the descriptions of rural Oklahoma as it’s so different from my life and could sympathise to a certain extent with the newbie, but, as I said, it’s slow for crime fiction. Is this to reflect the tempo of her new life? I don’t know. After that, things heat up with various suspects under the microscope although with no forensics it’s all theoretical. I thought this was well done with no one jumping out and all the theories credible. Basically, I couldn’t guess with any certainty.

There are hints in the novel that the reader is not getting the full story on Kimberley’s decision to leave New York, a couple of comments and some flashback scenes to a previous, gruesome serial killer investigation. It’s a good hook for the next novel as I, for one, am looking for answers, as long as the characters don’t smirk as frequently. I know it’s a minor quibble but its overuse really started to get annoying.

As Dead Woman Crossing proceeded I upped my rating from 3 to 4 stars and will want to read the follow-up, therefore I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.