This was super enjoyable! I was invested from the beginning. It was a little slow from time to time but toward the end it really picked up, which was great. I did guess the murderer in the end, which I love when that happens. All in all definitely a book I can recommend!

Another compelling and suspenseful novel from Laura Griffin, this time on the Texas coast. Griffin does an excellent job mixing action, suspense and steamy romance in this series opener.

My reviews are different than most. I always assume you have read a synopsis of the book and that's why you are checking the review. So, I usually tell you why I liked or disliked a book.

I always look forward to a book from Laura Griffin. She writes thrillers with romance, suspense, and sometimes, a bit of humor. This book fits her pattern. I'm a fairly slow reader but this book is so good that I finished it in 2 days. The story doesn't drag and is interesting from start to finish

The two main characters, Miranda and Joel, are very likable. Their relationship develops fast, but it seems appropriate for this couple.

The story has mystery, murders, and romance. I think you will like this book.

(I received this book from the publisher. My review is a true and honest review.)

I did not realize this book was a part of a series when I requested it and have not had a chance to read any of them. Not sure when I’ll have the time and could not get in to this book without reading them.

Miranda is a former CSI agent who left her job when one of her team made an error that allowed a predator to go free. When photographing, she finds a dead body and takes photographs which impress the local police department. Detective Joel does his best to convince her to help the PD in their investigation. After reluctantly agreeing, Miranda and Joel form a romantic as well as professional relationship. FLIGHT is an easy and enjoyable read, perfect for fans of romantiac suspense.

I enjoyed this story better than the first in the series, but once again the awkward romance storyline took the story of course and frankly just made it uncomfortable.

If you took out the romance that did not make a lick of sense, I would have given it 4 stars.

The mystery was good and it followed more of a police procedural to an extent. It was interesting to have the main character also be a csi, so that brought a different view point.

The mystery took a few turns and brought us to a unique “why” of the murders.

Flight is an enjoyable read by Laura Griffin. It is part of her new series The Texas Murder Files. There are two in the series so far and they can be read in any order. While the settings are in Texas, the characters and mysteries are different. Ms. Griffin has great character development - her characters are likeable in their uniqueness. Her settings are descriptive - putting you into the scenes. The suspense is fast paced with many new developments and clues to keep you guessing. The romance pieces flow beautifully through the story. Ms. Griffin also does her research - you will find information about symbology, exotic birds, and photography. It is definitely a fun read. I will continue to follow her Texas Murder Files series.

I really enjoyed this book! I’m hooked on this series and can’t wait to read what comes next. I love Laura Griffins characters.

With Laura Griffin’s new thriller, Flight, this author has skillfully written an absorbing police procedural mystery. She has created a thriller with a complex plot that includes deep and layered characters.

Throughout the book there are six deaths that, at first, seem unrelated. Eventually, the detectives find a small link to an environmental group. However, in spite of that discovery, they are still unable to unscramble enough of the connection to determine who is killing these people. So the deaths continue!

Miranda Rhoads is a forensic photographer who leaves her position after an extremely painful assignment. She moves to the seaside town of Lost Beach and now works as a wildlife photographer. While on a morning shoot, she discovers a dead couple. When she realizes that she is the first, and only, person at the scene, Miranda reassumes her forensic photographer persona and begins to takes forensic shots. When the lead detective, Joel, realizes how knowledgeable Miranda is, he eventually invites her to help his group. This puts Miranda smack dab in the middle of the investigation!

Ms. Griffin always manages to have a love attraction between the main characters in her books, but she usually puts it on the back burner until the mystery is solved. However, in this book, Ms. Griffin moves the attraction between Miranda and Joel a little more into the front of the story, and allows them to pursue a physical relationship. Since she does it in a way that never overshadows the absorbing complicated plot, I found it a refreshing and captivating way to provide an extra layer to the depth of the characters.

Laura Griffin has created another enthralling thriller!

Laura Griffin writes good romantic suspense novels. Period. She creates good plots, characters and decent love stories. Flight is no exception. It’s set off the gulf coast of Texas where former CSI turned nature/wildlife photographer, Miranda Rhodes, discovers two bodies floating in a canoe in a marshy area. After that gruesome introduction, the story proceeds with Miranda becoming involved in the murder investigation as well as with a local police detective. Author Griffin does what she does and before you know it you’re engrossed in a well written mystery. I have a few prolific authors whose books I save for times when I want a dependable good read, like when I am traveling or need a temporary escape from my real life. Laura Griffin is on that list.

I love Laura Griffin's romantic suspense. A photographer finds a couple dead in a canoe. As a former CSI, she is caught up in solving their murder. It also helps that the detective on the case is someone she would like to get know better.

This one was a nice romantic suspense. I have said it before but I always forget how much I enjoy these types of stories. I love watching crime procedural, so having that with an added romance is my cup of tee.

The mystery kept me guessing, and the romance was sweet + sexy. So overall solid read.

This was only the second book by Laura Griffin I’ve picked up, but dang, I am hooked! She has this incredible ability to paint a picture in my brain. While reading FLIGHT, I actually felt like I was watching a movie at points. The beach setting in her latest book is so atmospheric.

FLIGHT is a romantic suspense novel following a CSI heroine on an extended beach vacation, and a police detective hero chasing a murderer on the biggest case of his career. Their lives entangle when the heroine stumbles upon a crime scene.

The murder mystery was fast-paced and compelling. I’m terrible at guessing whodunnit, so I was biting my nails and analyzing clues until the very end. The romance was perfectly balanced. The heroine is a classic over-thinker (I can totally relate) and watching the hero continually work through each wall she throws up with kindness, patience, and sexiness was fabulous.

In addition to the romance and mystery, you can tell this book was meticulously researched! I’m not saying I’m a bird expert after reading this book, but I’m also not, not saying I could identify a scarlet macaw by its tail feather alone.

I did want just a little more emotional heft between the hero and heroine. There were times I felt that the tight timetable the book is set around didn’t allow for as much romantic depth as I prefer in my romance novels. But I still genuinely believed in the main characters as a couple by the end of the book, so I didn’t mind too much!

This is the second book in Griffin’s latest series, but it stands completely alone. You won’t have any trouble diving in! Overall, it’s a fun ride from beginning to end!

**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**

At first I was concerned about reading this book since I had not read the first one in the series, but it works as a stand-alone. I love romance thrillers and suspense but I’m not sure I was completely sold on Miranda and Joel’s chemistry. The mystery and crime elements were solid. I think this is a good book for a long plane ride.

An interesting setting elevates this suspenseful story. I liked the main character, and the seaside town of Lost Beach was a character in itself.

Laura Griffin delivers topical stories, deserving of the accolade “ripped from the headlines.” Her characters are intelligent and detail-oriented, constantly sifting through impressions and facts to arrive at sound conclusions. Set in the fictional Texas coastal town of Lost Beach, Flight is a romantic thriller, in which Griffin masterfully balances the elements of attraction and ratcheting tension. Former forensic photographer Miranda Rhoads is the sister of Austin journalist Bailey Rhoads, the heroine of Hidden. The sisters are persistent, prescient, and passionate about ferreting out the truth.

Miranda Rhoads has taken flight from her former life. A case involving a child ended tragically and Miranda is unable to forgive herself. Strong, determined, and self-driven heroines are a hallmark of Griffin’s thrillers and Miranda fits the bill. Before she quit her job as a forensic photographer, she was an integral member of an investigative unit, her schedule determined by the needs of her department.

Forensic work was high stakes, the very highest. Not like nature photography. In police work, if you missed your shot, you didn’t get another one. The possibility of failure was always there, swirling beneath the surface, like a current ready to pull you under. She’d been pulled under before.

What are the odds that in Miranda’s new role of freelance nature photographer, she would encounter a crime scene when she is out photographing the sunrise? Something about a drifting canoe causes her to take notice.

The air felt charged, and all her senses went on high alert. Habits kicked in. She noted the direction of the wind. She noted the height of the sun. She noted the air, damp and pungent, pressing around her. Her stomach clenched tightly as she took a slow, shallow stroke, careful not to bump the canoe with her kayak as she peered over the side.



They looked peaceful, with their long limbs intertwined. His arm around her was protective. Tender.



Obscene.



Miranda’s vision blurred. Her brain recoiled from the sight in front of her, but she couldn’t turn away, couldn’t stop from registering every detail.

Miranda’s professional muscle memory goes into overdrive as she takes countless photographs, preserving the murder scene for posterity. She calls in the crime right away and Detective Joel Breda interviews her. He realizes immediately that Miranda is no ordinary witness. After he has her checked out and learns of her forensic photography expertise, he tells her wants her on his team. But that’s not all he wants—the two have an instant attraction. Can Miranda work for Joel if they have a personal relationship? Once again, Laura Griffin weaves in issues that are all too common in today’s workplaces.

In the current social media age, investigating must cast a wide net, examining Instagram pages with a fine-tooth comb, for instance. Nicole Lawson, one of Joel’s younger colleagues, is tasked with building a social media profile of the victims. She tracks their peripatetic wanderings, discovering that although they posted selfies from everywhere, they were no ordinary tourists.

“Okay, so the two of them had been road-tripping for months, right? Posting all these pictures of themselves at tourist attractions and national parks and scenic overlooks,” she said. “And when they weren’t busy taking selfies in front of the Grand Canyon or whatever, they were busy protesting all the evil corporations ravaging the planet, right?”



“Okay.”



“But what if they’re just as bad as the corporations? Maybe worse?”



Joel frowned. “How?”



“Well, I’ve been reading the comments on their posts. And not everybody agrees they’re exactly saving the world with what they’re doing. A lot of the places they’ve visited—most of them, in fact—are suffering from overtourism.”

Joel can be forgiven for being skeptical—can folks who are all about saving the planet be tangentially guilty of contributing to over-tourism? His case suffers from a surfeit of possibilities.

Another avenue of investigation yields fascinating results. After Joel debriefs Miranda, she tells him to protect the evidence.

“Make sure they bag her hands,” she told him.



“What’s that?”



“The female victim,” she said. “She’s holding a feather. You don’t want it getting lost in transport, so tell your CSI to make sure to bag her hands.”

Miranda consults with Daisy, a local ornithologist, who tells her the feather was not found in its natural habitat. Daisy uses the “Global Feather Index,” which is popular with birders and law enforcement alike. As it turns out, it’s a feather from an endangered Brazilian species—Anodorhynchus leari, the indigo macaw. Working together, Joel and Miranda discover past crime scenes that were also decorated with a feather from an endangered species, making the environmental activist connection more likely.

They are puzzled by a figure-eight symbol tattoo (found on both victims) but Miranda has a connection with an anthropology professor in San Antonio who might be able to help. She tells Joel that Mike Connor is an expert in symbology noting that he wrote a book on the subject: Symbols through the Ages: Hieroglyphics to Emojis. Miranda and Joel construct a giant jigsaw puzzle based on clues, inferences, obscure leads, and old-fashioned police questioning. They get results, which puts them in danger, particularly Miranda. For all its modernity, Flight is a real old-fashioned page-turner.

Fortunately, this isn’t the end of the Texas Murder Files series. In an interview, Griffin spilled a few details: “The next book is Last Seen Alone, about an Austin lawyer and victims’ rights advocate who gets involved in a murder investigation when her client goes missing.” It will also be set in Lost Beach, Texas. Stay tuned readers!

One of these days, I am going to figure out how to review titles by Laura Griffin without accidentally giving out spoilers.

Today is not that day.

Miranda and Joel meet when she happens upon a murder scene...you know, as you do on your morning strolls. Wait, no, that really shouldn't happen. And, when it does, it shouldn't lead to finding the love of your life.

But, when Laura Griffin is involved, it does. She has a way of writing the murder story that also has the romance, so while this really is a story about a murder, the romantic elements are also allowed to exist. It's a talent, to blend the murder, the mystery, and the romance, and this author is uniquely gifted in doing so.

I enjoyed and recommend this title, and I will read the next one in the series as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Griffin is becoming a solid romantic suspense author for me, mostly because her books feel like the kind of summer mysteries you want to curl up with any time of year. The romance in this one worked for me from the jump, even if I was less sold on the murders angle. Ultimately, the dynamic between Miranda and Joel was what kept me hooked throughout and I would love a spin-off about Joel’s detective trainee and the coworker that she’s secretly in love with. If you’re looking for a thriller that doesn’t go too dark but entertains nevertheless, Griffin’s new series has become reliably engrossing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Laura Griffin is back for more crime-fighting and suspense with the second installment of The Texas Murder Files series. The first book, Hidden, was one of my favorite romantic suspense reads last year, so I couldn’t wait to read more of this series.

I truly enjoy Griffin’s storytelling, especially the way she blends the suspenseful elements with the romance so that it doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

Flight Backstory
Miranda Rhodes, sister of the journalist heroine in book 1, is suffering from a severe case of workplace burnout as a crime scene photographer and seeks refuge in a coastal town. While working as a nature photographer, she stumbles upon the scene of a murder which leads her down a twisty road with the local police force—namely the rugged, hinky, slightly workaholic Detective Joel Breda—and back into crime scenes, figuring out clues to the confusing case, and finding herself in danger a time or two.

Miranda and Joel make a great team solving the case, but their time trying to delay the inevitable after hours is really enjoyable, too.

Low Drama, High Suspense Romance
Miranda is a realistic heroine and makes a great love interest for Joel who needs to fall in love with a woman who gets his hours and work ethic. Their journey to happiness isn’t without trials, but everything feels authentic and without unnecessary drama.

The technical aspects of the murder mystery kept me flipping the pages and Griffin once again proves that she knows her stuff. From photography to exotic birds to social media influencer life, Flight is filled with easy-to-understand facts and realistic jargon.

I love a suspenseful mystery that keeps me glued to my Kindle with every new twist and turn. Not being able to guess the ending is my favorite way to judge a book like this, and I’m happy to report that I didn’t figure out the villain ahead of time.

After reading Hidden and Flight, I’m looking forward to reading Griffin’s next book, Last Seen Alone!

I like it when a story starts like it is inviting you into a warm hug then suddenly stab you at the back for being too careless for not knowing what to come next. This story and its characters are both appealing and fascinating. A thrilling ride of suspense and mysteries to solve.
Miranda Rhoades, a Former CSI forensic photographer, moves to the seaside town of the lost beach. She thinks that she wants to be a wildlife photographer rather than taking pictures of dead persons. Miranda thinks that she had found peace in this place. One morning, while she was taking shots of birds at sunrise, she then stumbles upon a couple who is strangely hugging themselves. And when she looked closer she then realized that the couple was both dead and looks like they were murdered. Rain was threatening to pour and her instinct made her capture the crime scene to preserved its image after she called the police. Along came Detective Joel Breda, they do not know each other before but when Joel had known the skills of Miranda, He realized that she can be a big help to solve the case. They make a good team but as soon as they get close to solving who is the perpetrator/murderer they also saw that someone is after Miranda. They do not know if it is the same suspect but how would it be the same person if Miranda had just moved? A journey of two great protagonists. Both have a past they are running away from but both are extremely good at their job. Mild sweet chemistry they both had developed being partners from this case.
The book was very likable. I admire both protagonists as they have unique characteristics that complement each other. I am not saying this is a love story, this is still a book full of mysteries. It is just that both characters were that good for each other that it adds up on how good the story was. Good characters + good plot = Flight.