Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely be looking out for more. I found this to be a gripping fast paced thriller with great characterisation and a plot you can get lost in

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

All that Fall is the first book that I read by Kris Calvin and I'm positively surprised. The plot is well put together, the characters are well developed and strong, the mystery/suspense is present throughout the book, and there are so many twists and turns that once you start reading you just want to get to the end. For me, the story is specially focused on family - how it is formed nowadays -, relationships, and trust.
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my unbiased review.

I was upset that I wasn't able to finish this book. From the description, I had such high hopes going into this one. But by the middle of the book, I just felt like it felt short.

First, let me say that I love crime shows. I love Law and Order and Criminal Minds and well, anything you can think of that involves solving crimes. Although strangely, reading books in this genre is not typically my bag. However, I may have to rethink my reading preferences after finishing All That Fall by Kris Calvin. All the missing pieces ended up fitting and I was thoroughly engrossed. Did this seem like a realistic plot? Possibly. Though the more “true” stories I hear, the more I feel like anything is possible.

Emma Lawson is a government ethics investigator in Sacramento, California. On one unassuming day, she helps her best friend, Kate, on opening day of Kate’s new Preschool. But then everything hits the fan. A young boy is found murdered, christened with the signature playing card from a serial killer known as The Gambler. Slight caveat―The Gambler, who is known for killing young people of color, is currently in prison. Meanwhile, Kate’s preschool is under attack, Kate’s teenage son, Luke, goes missing, and the governor’s granddaughter is kidnapped.

This is a fast-paced ambitious mystery/crime/suspense told from multiple perspectives. As the story unfolds, the events and characters slowly connect. And of course, by the end, we know who the puppet-master is and the motive behind all the mayhem.

Yes, there are some minor flaws in the manuscript such as the white supremacy story line, which could have been further developed or woven tighter. However, this did not deter my interest nor the level I was entertained (note I was highly entertained). I appreciate the author’s approach and flew through the pages. As the first in the series, Ms. Calvin pulled me in not only with the mystery/suspense of the crime, but also endearing me to her characters. An excellent move because now I’m emotionally attached to Emma, Kate, and Luke. Looking forward to the next in the series.

A friend actually recommended this author to me and I am glad he did! Another author found that I have never read but now has a fan for life, loved this book, excellent thriller and highly recommend

This is the first book in a new series of Emma Lawson, crime thrillers and it's a good one!

It hit me hard within the first few chapters; I don't want to give any spoilers, but, it's a real twist and it hooked me immediately into wanting to know more. It's a cracking read with interesting characters. I lost interest about 50/60 percent through the book when it seemed to lapse into an action movie. However, all in all, it's a really good read that is summarised well as a lead into future stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to preview.

A solid, strong 3* Good Read. I'd recommend.

What a ride this was! Full of suspense and intrigue, It is fast paced throughout.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I ended up just skim reading this book after about the first quarter. It simply wasn’t for me with every chapter seemingly introducing yet another character or additional situation. It did not flow well.

As a standalone book, All That Fall is an intriguing book. As the start of a new series, it’s far more than that.

Calvin introduces us to Emma Lawson, a young lead government ethics investigator. She takes Friday off to help friend Kate put the final touches on their preschool opening set for Monday. The book shows the crazy events of 48 hours loaded with murder, kidnapping, police investigations, and life-and-death situations.

As the main character in a thriller series, Emma Lawson is an appealing character. She’s not perfect. She’s no superhero. She makes mistakes, acts impulsively, and puts blinders on that lead her to poor decisions. But she doesn’t panic in a crisis and is determined to save herself and those she cares about while getting answers.

Learning the book is the start of a series explains why the beginning of the book is bloated with character introductions and establishing connections between them. As the book continues, some characters are introduced that don’t really play much of a role in All That Fall. Some of the motivations are sketchy at best, such as a person Emma barely acknowledged in high school suddenly appearing in her story. His introduction doesn’t make sense. But the main characters are well-developed and interesting.

Is this thrilling 48-hour snapshot worth reading? Yes. Is it worth reading more books in the series as they become available? Definitely.


Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my review.

A young man is murdered leaving evidence behind that links his death to a previous killer called the Gambler. Is this the work of a copycat killer? Emma Lawson, a government ethics investigator, will face her toughest cases. The first is the death of her ex who was killed while investigating the murder of the young man. The second is the kidnapping of Vivian, a three-year old from Emma’s and her partners preschool. Her partner, Kate Doyle, is in the hospital fighting for her life and the three-year old is the granddaughter of the governor. Kate’s teen son, Luke, was working at the preschool when Vivian was taken and he was forced at gun point to go along. Will they kill Luke or will he be able to keep Vivian safe? I found the story confusing from the very beginning as each chapter seemed to introduce an event or character without really tying them together until later. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Emma Larson mystery series by Kris Calvin.

This was quite a complex mystery with a lot of players. I was quite enjoying the character of Tommy and was preparing to have him be the lead until he died trying to save someone right at the beginning. Then Detective Alias showed up and he wasn’t exactly what I was looking for in a male lead but he did grow on me as the book progressed.

Emma gets pulled into the story when she is made aware of Tommy’s death. Then her connection to Luke, who is the son of her friend, Kate pulls her in deeper still. Luke cones across what looks like a shootout and calls 911. But he is captured by an injured bad guy and forced to drive him and the young granddaughter of the governor to the hide out. There he is mistaken for the dead man from the shootout which helps him to assist young Vivian and keep her safe.

This book is a quick read with an abundant of action and intrigue. It really keeps your attention and makes you curious about what is really going on.

The Dylan character kind of came out of no where and did nothing except decipher the one clue that helped Emma locate Luke. I felt that person was a bit contrived. His integrity was in question too in my mind. His thinking about Emma was kind of concerning to me. I wonder if he will be more developed in a future book and that is why he was introduced here.

Overall it is a great read that I would recommend highly. Unputdownable for sure!

If you love a good mystery/thriller, definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.

All That Fall by Kris Calvin is a standalone thriller. The story starts off with a young girl watching for her brother late at night, then gunshots can be heard, and she discovers her brother is dead. The following morning, the girl threatens to kill herself, but notices a cop, who she feels is the man who killed her brother. Chaos breaks loose which will begin an investigation that will have so many different elements and characters to follow throughout.

Emma Lawson, our heroine, has just received a promotion as youngest head of the government ethics investigator in California. Emma has the day off, to work to help her best friend, Kate with the grand opening of her new daycare, Rainbow Alley. Emma is a bit late, but Kate has things going smoothly, until people start getting shot at and one of the children is kidnapped. When Emma arrives on the scene, a few people, including a bodyguard for the child, and one of the kidnappers was killed, and Kate is down with a serious head injury. Emma notices that Kate’s son Luke, is missing.

What follows is a wild, exciting, tense story with the police, Detectives, and Emma trying to find the clues to figure out the why and who is behind this attack, which is filled with many secrets and murder. The above book description sounded like Emma Lawson is the main character, however, though she plays an integral part in the book, there are so many characters that lead this story. Emma was a great heroine, especially in the last 1/3 of the book. The lead detective, Alibi was very good and played a major part in the story. I loved Luke, who happened to be at the attack scene, and ended up going with the attackers on a false identity, and watching over the young girl.

Emma is doing everything to find Luke and the kidnapped child, as the danger escalates putting all their lives at risk. It was a wild, exciting and desperate race to the climax, holding my breath as to who will survive. It was during this time that Emma rose up to heroine status to fight the enemies, despite so many enemies. With all that is going on, to say too much more would be spoilers. All that Fall was an exciting and engrossing thriller, and very well written by Kris Calvin. I do suggest if you like mystery thrillers, you should read this book.

When Janie finds a lot of money under Samson’s, her younger brother, bed and follows him into the woods near a motel. She hears a shot and sees a man with a gun coming out of those woods. When she investigates, her brother is dead. The next morning, she tries to commit suicide in front of 2 police officers. She accuses Tommy, 1 of them, of being the killer and pulls him with her to his death. On the corpse of Samson are 2 playing cards, a supposed link to a white supremacist killer that’s already in jail. That killer tells them that he had nothing to do with the assassination of the Vietnamese boy but that he heard that he was a police informer. This is but the first of several threads; Emma, the ex-girlfriend of the killed policeman is co-director of a new pre-school. When the granddaughter of California’s governor is violently abducted from the premises. There’s also a creepy old high school admirer that wants to run for the senate and has very serious romantic plans for her.



I have the habit to ask for books because I like the blurb or review by a friend and then read them in order of when they’re getting published. So, it does happen that I start a book and don’t have a clue anymore as to what it’s about. That was the case here. With all those different threads it was a bit difficult to establish what exactly is going on. What’s relevant and what not? Who are the key players? That made it extra suspenseful.

With all those different threads it was a bit difficult to establish what exactly is going on. What’s relevant and what not? Who are the key players? The incertitude about the real intentions and nature of certain characters make this a nail-biting experience. And there are several fights with and without guns and a chase, all while the clock is ticking.

Emma is a very engaging and likeable character. She’s sometimes a bit too perfect. She’s got a brilliant career at the ethical commission, has a great relationship with the teenage son of her best friend and is involved in the preschool. Alibi Morning Sun is another original character. I don’t know where or why the author found this name, but it’s great. He’s a bit strange and sees ghosts at some moments. I’m not sure if it’s his subconscious that calls them forth or if they’re real. He doesn’t really interact with them but they make him think about the crimes in which they died.

Luke is another great character, his bravery and courage are an example for anyone, not just teenagers. I can only hope that my own sons would show the same loving care and strength in similar circumstances (which I hope will never occur).

This is the first book in a new series and if the author can keep up this quality and so writing style and strong plots, it’s a winner. I certainly will read the next one. I hope that there will be some romantic developments between Emma and Alibi. Despite his help with finding Luke which put him in a slightly better light, I still don’t trust Dylan’s intentions with her.

I thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC they provided and this is my honest and unbiased review of it.

Loved this! So good, so exciting, so gripping and great story. Can't wait to read more by this author - absolutely brilliant.

3 for neutral. This book was too slow for me and I finally gave up. I will update, if able to finish at a later date.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really like the pop of red against the otherwise fairly white background.

All That Fall is a pretty solid book. The writing style was great, kept me interested, and the plot was easy to follow. There were some great twists in the book that i honestly didn't see coming.



I'll definitely be looking out for other work by this author.

I received a free Kindle copy for review from Netgalley. Although the move is character driven with somewhat interesting characters, the story is slow to begin and slower to move on. Other s may like this one but not my taste

I will not reiterate what the publishers blurb already says because this book is definitely about a kidnapping and a killer on the loose. What I will say is that this book is worth the read. In fact, I will probably purchase a few copies to give out as presents because it was that good. When I started reading, it did seem to move a little slow but quickly picked up speed. The characters were very well developed and meshed well with each other. I was very impressed with how the momentum picked up and as I tried to guess the whodunnit, I was wrong and never expected what happened. I am so happy that I was able to,read this book and hope to read more by this author. Very easy read that will keep you engrossed and engaged the whole time.


Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.