Reading in Between the Wines book review #109/130 for 2024:
Rating: 4 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Book: No Going Back
Author: T.R. Ragan
Available now!!

Sipping thoughts: I really enjoyed this series and hated it to end. I know the Black Wigs were doing something illegal, but I absolutely loved the why behind it. Now that there are so many copycat vigilantes, it is hard for justice to be served. I couldn’t wait to find out if Sawyer would uncover the identity of The Black Wigs and if she would feel obligated to turn them in. I liked the storyline of the “victims” and it was pretty easy to figure out who the main killer was.

Cheers and thank you to @ThomasAndMercer and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @NoGoingBack.

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The first time I came across TR Ragan work it was by accident, and ever since I haven't stop reading her books! I even own a t-shirt from one of her book tours! Every series she has penned has been, in my honest opinion, AMAZING! I am a thriller gal, I would always be reading about serial killers, mysteries, etc. Book 3 from Sawyer series is no exception. Its action packed as usual and well written, full of twists and turns, once again rooting for the hero! Can't wait to see this turn into a movie!

A compelling and multifaceted exploration of justice, revenge, and the unforeseen consequences of pursuing truth. With its well-developed characters, intricate plot dynamics, and relentless suspense, the novel delivers a gripping reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and author T.R. Ragan for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

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 a cautionary tale about revenge and its effect. You be the judge and the jury. This is a well-executed thriller: the suspense is intense and the characters are believable yet flawed.

Another riveting, can't put down, read from the thrilling, edge of your seat writer TR Ragan.
Book 3 in Sawyer Brooks.

Fast paced crime fiction.

i started this series on a whim a couple months ago (i actually think this was the last book so… trilogy) and i was hooked right away! the 3 sisters were my fave, they were all so badass in their own ways. hints of backstory & alternating POV’s was a plus! definitely going to check out more books by T.R. Ragan! i believe this series is available on kindle unlimited for all you kindle readers!

a huge thank you to netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After seeing a lot of positive feedback for No Going Back, I was excited to read it but unfortunately I feel it fell a little flat. The story line seemed slow to develop, and while I found the latter quarter of the book to be quite exciting, it felt somewhat chaotic in comparison to the pace of the rest of it. I wish I felt more thrill earlier on.

The black wigs are at it again, serving justice to those who seem to escape it at every turn. Sawyer Brooks has been on the story from the beginning but she realizes that there is more going on with these women than just being vigilantes. Meanwhile copy cats are popping up all over the place and it's getting harder to keep it all seperated. When someone is killed and the death doesn't fit into the black wigs modus operandi in anyway Sawyer knows something evil is happening. She is resolute in her journey to find answers but there is someone out there determined to stop her before she finds out to much. Follow along to see if Sawyer can find the truth she seeks or if a killer will get to her first.

Female vigilantes called the black wigs seek justice. Reporter sawyer brooks is an investigation reporter as sawyer follows the story it seems that someone is following her .

I enjoy the Sawyer Brooks tales, especially the 3 sisters, alternating POV & hints of backstory. I do feel there was a bit of rush, attempting to tie it all up in a neat bow but it was still a good read. Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC.

FANTASTIC thriller with a suspenseful vigilante theme. Totally enjoy this series with great characters & an abundance of intrigue & great finales. RECOMMEND totally .Thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I continue to enjoy this series and the Sawyer Brooks character. She is badass and finally (slight spike territory), she is moving on to a new job (by the end of the novel) which was expected and I have to say, a pleasant development.

Continually I am surprised that there are people in the world who fit the description of the people (read: assholes) who live in there stories. I know there are and I just can’t believe that it happens and continues to happen. Why can’t we all just get along and be happy and respect one another? I know it’s not as easy as saying that, but I do wonder, and authors like Ragan and characters like Sawyer help to think through these idea and try and come to some realization of how to fix it. Is violence the way? As a pacifist, I’d say no, but there are always exceptions to that, I suppose. Regardless, let’s figure out how we can be good to one another. Period.

Our legal system is not always fair. Women are abused but they don't always get justice. So a small group of ladies go about finding justice on their own. They become an icon with other copycat groups. Sawyer is an investigator journalist that goes hunting for the true story. This is a story that has plenty of action. As the story unfolds we meet plenty of dodgy people. I like that Sawyer never gives up and gets her story. Along the way there are surprises, twists and turns. I thought this was a good story. Sawyer has my vote.

Some interesting events in this book. I recommend starting this series from the beginning due to all the backstories. Highly recommend this series!

I almost didn't read this...but I'm glad that I did. No Going Back is a fast paced story about retribution and revenge, right and wrong. The subject matter is dark and not for everyone. I really liked Sawyer. She is tough but vulnerable and basically honest. At the end of the story she has to make some decisions that some may not agree with....but it is up to the individual reader to make up their own mind. She really grew into her own person in the course of this book and had to make a choice as to what her future will look like.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While Sawyer tries to find the members of the Black Wig team, Harper’s life is spiraling out of control. Only Aria seems to finally finding some happiness. Slowly everything is making terrible sense and Sawyer has to face the possibility that, this time, she might not be able to safe everyone.

I had already read T. R. Ragan’s Faith McMann trilogy so I was aware of the author using a gut wrenching basic theme to drive the story that would come across strongly and would leave you questioning your own moral standing on the subject matter. In the Faith McMann series it was human trafficking and the can of worms that has.
In this series the underlying theme is abuse, primarily sexual abuse, and is to the extent that it may upset some people.

I should also say that while this is the third in this series it is the first that I’ve read. It works as a standalone I would highly recommend reading the previous two books first as some threads from them develop further in this book.

The main character – Sawyer - is dealing with her baggage of having been sexually abused as young child, and so are her two older sisters in their own way with theirs. Her eldest sister, Harper, has joined a group of abused women who have missed out on seeing their abusers face justice and so have instead embarked on a mission to have their abusers learn firsthand what it was like to be to be on the receiving end. Their actions (which seems to have been covered in the previous books) have gained them some publicity as well as the media tag “the Black Wigs” which has three results:
1, time is running out on the Black Wigs to complete the “re-education” of the abusers on their list and
2, they have inspired other victims to copy the Black Wigs and retaliate against their attackers. One copycat in particular is making sure the targets they are after will never live to molest another person, which
3, has Sawyer looking more closely at the crimes of the Black Wigs. Sawyer doesn’t know that her sister is a member of the Black Wigs, and she is certain from her investigations that the latest victims were done by a copycat but the detective in charge does not seem interested in hearing her argument or examining the evidence that has come into her possession. With help from her sister Aria and a work colleague, Sawyer is able to not only separate those crimes committed by the Black Wigs and those by the copycat but also identify the copycat and some members of the Black Wigs.

This was a good, fairly fast paced read, the conclusion will question your stance where on the ethical spectrum your views lie - whether revenge is justice and how far would be too far, as first her family and then Sawyer do something that is illegal, but at the same time understandable.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer publishers for a copy of No Going Back in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully there will be more installments of Sawyer Brookes journey, I for one would be interested in seeing how the character develops.

An eye for a eye makes the world blind.

Sawyer Brooks investigative reporter is on the hunt for the Black Wigs. A vigilantes made of women that never received justice. They are part of the #metoo movement that is bringing justice their own way. Brooks has lived the life of injustice along with her sisters so the Black Wigs interest her in more ways than one. She knows the bullied become the bullies. The Black Wigs bring out copy cat vigilantes and they both hit very close to home.

Brooks is an easy person to like. She is a fighter, she is loyal, and she will get her story. She gets the whole story. I personally don't agree with any vigilante movement but it is the fight for justice that pulls you. The underdog. The woman who fights for everything she has no matter the odds. The family, to let it go and to finally move on. To find happiness and peace. The Black Wigs are women that have been hurt by the system and the men who used them. I liked how every angle was looked at. The men who did not see what they had done wrong and the men who did.

Ragan has put two plots together that combine into one magnificently and with ease. Always a favorite.

A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

No Going Back is the third, and final(?) book in the Sawyer Brooks series. I've read one of the two preceding books - while this does work as a standalone, readers would do better to read one or both of the books that came before this one, if only to understand the emergence of The Black Wigs and how their actions have change over time.

The Black Wigs is a group of female vigilantes, meting out justice to (male) sexual predators. Previously, they only worked to embarrass such men, but here, in this book, things have taken a decidedly more macabre turn, and the group is engaging in outright torture and murder. While their reasons for doing so make sense, in the context of the world they inhabit in their heads in this book, it isn't an easy task to take a life. However, at least one of the women in the group is psychopath who sticks to their plans without deviation, and it's a bit disturbing that the other women, who express some hesitance in the case of one man who did indeed turn himself around and do good things to atone for his previous behavior, do next to nothing to stop his victim from killing him. There's a lack of humanity floating in the pool at some points here, and there should probably be a trigger/content warning somewhere before the book begins.

This book identifies all of the members of the group, and we get chapters from the viewpoint of several of them - their day to day lives, their failing marriages, their thinking on the nature of the crimes they are committing, and how they're planning the next snatch and kill. There are also a few chapters from the viewpoint of the victims - but not victims of The Black Wigs. This time, there's a copycat engaging in their own level of justice, and impersonating The Black Wigs. As the story goes along, it becomes clear that one of the targets is in the crosshairs of both the copycat and the actual group.

Sawyer Brooks, last found being completely unaware that one of her sisters is in The Black Wigs, is now investigating the group, following leads wherever they can be found. She's also convinced that some of the murders are not being done by the group, but by a copycat. Her sister Aria, also somehow unaware that their sister is part of The Black Wigs, assists Sawyer when she can.

Teaming up with Sawyer on the journalistic investigation is Lexi, a stunningly beautiful (of course) hard nosed reporter who has about as much use for Sawyer and Sawyer does for her - not much. Their differing styles are drawn very well, and each has their own strengths and weaknesses. The scenes where they are together are very well done, from the simmering resentment of Sawyer and the initial dismissal of her by Lexi to their eventual is not friendliness, at least respect for each others methods.

The ending comes together as both the police and Sawyer race to get to the final victim before the copycat and/or The Black Wigs do, and various loose ends are tied down.

There are a couple of false notes rung here and there (especially in one particular item in the finale, which I won't go into for spoiler reasons) but these do not detract from the story and are not sufficient or jolting enough to take the reader out of the story.

A solid four out of five. Hopefully, this is not the last we see of Sawyer Brooks.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the review copy.