Is there a killer stalking the streets and woman in the small town of Pike Wisconsin? The old sheriff seemed to think so but that has to be the raving of a crazy old man... right? That is the question his son Kir is trying to figure out. His father swore that he was getting letters from a killer but it had to just be some kind of cruel joke, right? Nobody has been murdered... until a murder matching the details of one of these letters occurs. Now Kir has to wonder if maybe there is something more to this whole thing. And if it’s true why is the local vet Lynne on the list? His father tried to warn her, he tried to warn everyone but nobody listened and now it’s too late....

Kir and Lynne team up to see if maybe just maybe the dearly departed former sheriff might have been right. And if he’s right then who is killing people and why? As the bodies pile up and the local police are dismissing the letters as unimportant what else can they do? Other than of course fall for each other because hey sometimes high stress situations lead to connecting in unexpected ways.

I’ve never read work from this author before but I found it enjoyable, I like a good mystery. And I just had to know what all this was about and what any of it had to do with the kindly town vet. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series when it comes out.

This book kept me guessing who the killer was until about 91% in. I had several theories throughout the book and eventually my guess was partly correct. The characters were likable but not necessarily unforgettable. Although the killer was in a special category all of it's own. The setting seemed like a small town, but also gave off the vibes of a larger town. I'm not sure I'll read book two in the series. I'm not exactly sure where a series would go with this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with the book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I can only hope the rest of the series is as good as Don’t Look! I loved it and cannot wait for the next book. I could not put this one down, it is so intense you have to know what happens next. I love the small setting, I thought is really helped keep the intensity high. If you enjoy suspense with great characters, interesting twits & turns this is the one for you.

Good Read! Enjoyed the characters, the story, the creepy favor, even though I guessed right in the end it was still a really good read.
First in a new series, a serial killer with a clear MO but how all the victims connect seems to be something that is personal for the killer. Kir Jansen comes back home to bury his father the ex-sheriff and meets up with an old friend Dr. Lynne Gale. Kir was disturbed by something that had happened before his father died his father claimed he was getting letters from a serial killer. But no one believed him not until after he died and left Kir a letter, a list of people that were going to die. On that list Lynne. The instant connection Kir feels for Lynne amplifies his need to protect her and when things start happening to Lynne after the first body appears makes the current sheriff to thing Lynne is behind it.
It's a twisty and turning story with a strong physical attraction and mental connection between the main characters. Well written very suspenseful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great winter-y thriller! The twists surprised me and I did not figure out whodunnit! I liked the characters and enjoyed following their story. I love ameture sleuths! There was a romance component, which was a little odd to me. If I knew a serial killer was after me, I don't think finding a boyfriend would be on the top of my lists to do. Still a well written story that I would recommend to any thriller fans!

Don't Look was a suspenseful read with an intriguing plot and an enjoyable romance.

After a woman's body is discovered in an empty field, victims of a serial killer quickly begin to pile up in Pike, Wisconsin. Each victim wronged the killer in some way and found their way onto their list of potential victims. Kir Jansen, son of the former sheriff, thought his father's ravings about a serial killer were delusions of an old man, but as more and more people turn up dead it's clear that's not the case. And when Kir discovers Dr. Lynne Gale is the last name on the list, he's determined to keep her safe from a madman.

The use of the list by the killer was an intriguing concept that added a nice layer of tension to the plot. Throughout the book there are chapters that are letters the killer has written to Kir's father and it was interesting getting into the killer's head to see the motivation behind what they were doing. The author does a great job disguising the identity of the killer and I was surprised by who it ended up being as I didn't suspect them at all. The killings in the book happen closer together as the book goes on showing clear escalation from the killer which upped the pacing in the book leading to a suspenseful, action-packed finale. I liked how everything was wrapped up and ultimately I found the suspense plot line to be well done.

Lynne and Kir each had a crush on the other in high school that they never acted on. Upon meeting again, their attraction is instantaneous and they had great chemistry. Their romance does move fairly quickly which is typical for romantic suspense books, so that didn't bother me. The two communicate well, the steamy scenes are well done, and overall I was happy with their romance. I will say the one area I had a few issues with was their investigation to find the killer. Neither of the two have law enforcement experience and yet they're able to quickly uncover leads while getting people to answer their questions with very little prompting. Ultimately I think I would have liked it better if the two had to work a bit harder for the information they found or if one of them had a background that would make their ease of finding information more plausible.

Overall Don't Look was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Faceless, when it releases next year.

It's been some time since I've read Ms. Ivy's writing in this genre. A lot of her stories in this genre are based in small towns where the killer has a personal axe to grind in the murders. While in some ways this story was like a Deja vu of previous stories but in other ways it had its own unique twists and turns with the killer's identify remaining a surprise until the big reveal.
This is an excellent murder mystery which holds all the elements that make it appealing to fans of the genre. Despite the story being set in a small town, the killer definitely manages to find enough people to fit his profile to keep the body count high and the police and town guessing on his/her identity. What is the relationship between the recently deceased former sheriff of the town? The current sheriff is definitely not open to giving the ravings of the sheriff any credence at all.
This story is a romantic suspense and the author definitely provides the romance in the burgeoning relationship between Kir and Lynne particularly given that the killer is playing sadistic mind games with Lynne. All in all an interesting read.

Don't Look by Alexandra Ivy is a well written high action romantic thriller.
The action does not stop in this book. The story is well written with quite a few twists and turns that I enjoyed.
The characters are dynamic and well fleshed out.
Another winner by Alexandra Ivy.

Besides being a fan of this author. I also happen to live in Wisconsin so a book set in the rural area of this state had my attention. I don't know that there was anything typically "Wisconsin" about the book. But it is snowy and wooded and small town atmosphere. I could see it.

Suspense is not my favorite genre, but again, this author has won me over on her other series. This premise is about righting some wrongs and finishing what was started. Kir comes back home for his father's funeral only to find more mystery happening than what his dad had been going on about for years. Lynne is the town vet and also has a history with Kir. Together, they are pulled into the ongoing murders in this small town.

Kir and Lynne have the start of relationship but there isn't much emphasis on them as a couple so much as them as detectives. And that was fine with me. The weird part--- and I will defer to my suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy the book-- is why on earth these two are solving a serial murder case? I get the history with Kir's dad. But, really? Even in WI we have special investigators for this type of thing.

Whatever the reasoning, the author did leave me guessing through most of the book about who the murderer was and why. That's a win for me!

It does leave me guessing about the rest of the books in the series. How much more can happen in Pike, WI? I guess we will see what the author lays out for us next. Always great to see where her mind goes.

This was a very nice serial murder mystery to enjoy over the holiday break. The flow of the story is pretty neat and the plot keeps one hooked to the book. Alexandra does well to keep the reader guessing about the murderer - and as the story progresses the clues therein keep eliminating the suspects from the reader's mind. The clues are subtle and not too in the face and obvious. The actual murderer does come to mind at some point in the story but the character is brought in subtly and removed as well so it keeps one from getting hooked on her/him.

I liked how the reasons for the murderer's actions were linked back to the story, but elements of the linkage were not very much existing in the story buildup, so it is not a very strong "aha' moment. To me the relationship between Kir and Lynne was not built up strongly and seemed too quick from the funeral to reach the level it did. Character building and the buildup of the environment in Pike was decent. Overall a good mystery which gets the reader thinking till almost the end.

Don't Look by Alexandra Ivy is the first book in her Pike, Wisconsin series. The book is well written and an enjoyable read. The book is a suspense story set in small town Wisconsin.

Don’t Look by Alexandra Ivy was a quick read; it focuses on two people in a small town being hunted by a serial killer.

Now, most of the time I’m skeptical about these small-town killer books because how can it be that one town has enough people to start carving up in creative ways? But I wanted to give Don’t Look a chance. It should have been interesting and fun. Instead, I should have listened to another episode of crime junkies (best podcast ever) and been on my way.

The main characters, Kir and Lynne, are thrown together in ways that make them easy targets. However, Kir is going to protect Lynne and make sure that she isn’t kidnapped by the serial killer even though she’s got an irregular schedule and not much common sense when it comes to her safety. Kir had left town but the death of his dad brings him back (I don’t feel like that’s too much of a spoiler since it happens in the first few pages) and he notices that Lynne makes his heart flutter.

Kir and Lynne manage to find romance even as people in the town are going missing and being found in artful dead poses until the killer can’t help himself and goes after Lynne.

It’s not much a head-scratcher and the twist at the end fell flat. But it’s a good, fast read for fans of Mary Higgins Clark and Lisa Jackson.

YES. Alexandra Ivy is a master at characters and plot. A page turner for sure. Highly recommended! I hope there is more to come.

There’s an old school feel to Alexandra Ivy’s newest thriller, DON'T LOOK, that took me back to my favorite Linda Howard (Mr. Perfect) and Susan Anderson (Shadow Dance) books … the ones that hooked me on the genre to begin with. Pike, Wisconsin has a serial killer with a hit list, but the person paying the most attention was the former sheriff, whose warnings were continually written off as the drunken ramblings of a has-been. But when the gruesome remains of a murder victim turns up, the direness of the situation firmly moves promptly to the front burner. This solid mystery was thrilling and kept me guessing almost until the end; it more than made up for the lighter romantic relationship between Lynne and Kir. They had great chemistry, but Ivy focused on other elements more than forging any great passion. Alexandra Ivy has become a perennial favorite of mine, and I’m looking forward to reading more in her Pike, Wisconsin series.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/decembers-must-read-romantic-suspense/

Who can you trust! Where does the truth really hide? The first in Pike, Wisconsin, Don’t Look is an intriguing romantic suspense and a promising start to this new series. The characters are engaging and the storyline compelling, I will definitely be reading more and recommending to other readers.

I picked up this book because the blurb sounded interesting and it was set in the Midwest. Being from Iowa myself, I’m always looking for a good mystery, especially one with a serial killer, set in the region. DON’T LOOK by Alexandra Ivy did not disappoint. My interest was captured at the very beginning and I found both Kir and Lynne to be likable characters I wanted to spend more time with and get to know better. Then the first body showed up and things became even more interesting. Between the letters from the killer and Kir’s determination to figure out who was behind the crimes, I was drawn in and couldn’t help but keep reading from start to finish, trying to figure out who the killer might be. Something I failed to do. I had had my mind made up but then there were a couple of twists and I knew I was wrong. Until the killer was revealed, I was totally in the dark as to who it was. As this was billed as being book 1 of the Pine, Wisconsin series, I look forward to seeing what’s in store for Kir, Lynne, and the folks in Pine in further books.

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller about two people, Lynne and Kir, in a small town who are trying to solve a puzzle before the serial killer gets them. Lots of suspense and some romance draw the reader into an engrossing mystery. Recommended.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I kept guessing until the serial killer was revealed and would not have guessed the identity or the motive behind the killings! There were suspects that looked guilty that had motive and it was not who I thought it would be.

Kir came home after his father died and got drawn into a cat and mouse type game as the killer kept leaving letters for Kir's dad. He is worried for Lynn and rightly so! Even after being so careful to not be by herself, she is taken.

The killer is ready for her to be next and reveals all the details. This book was filled with action, intrigue, clues, drama, and romance. It was hard to put down as I wanted to know who was doing it and why.

Loved that I got a good mystery along with a budding romance!

Another strong mystery/thriller from Alexandra Ivy. Lynne and Kir have good chemistry and I like the slow development of their relationship. The mystery was fairly easy to figure out, but I still enjoyed it.

This was quite a story. It kept me interested and I found myself wanting to know what would happen next. I enjoyed the characters and storyline