This is the second book in the Quinn and Costa series and I liked this one more than the first. Costa has for the most part established his team and the plot focused more on the case. Trying to do an undercover operation in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else is tough, but this is the task. We start off with two crimes which turns into three. Can the team manage them all and who can they trust? While I figured out part of where the book was headed fairly early on, I wasn’t fully sure who was trustworthy and enjoyed the unfolding of the details.

This one is a good crime procedural, that is story driven and has good character development.

This is the second book in this series I read and I liked it. The first one was not my cup of tea as i didn't like the MC but this one is very good.
It's a bit slow at the beginning but once you start reading you are hooked by this complex and multilayered thriller.
The characters are well developed and I liked them, the descriptions of the setting are fascinating and the solid mystery, full of twists and turns, kept on the edge and guessing till the end.
An excellent story that I recommend, can't wait to read the next installment.
Many thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The desert landscape hides many secrets…

This is the second book in the Quinn & Costa Thriller series that can be read as a stand-alone.

There is a natural beauty in the southwestern desert, vivid colors at dawn and sunset, clean fresh air, and star-filled skies at night yet the desolation hides the evil doings of men. An environmentalist intern in college is murdered while trying to find the source of what is killing birds setting off a chain of events that an FBI investigative team did not expect. Birds killed by waste substances associated with copper refining point to a local business but obtaining evidence against them proves elusive.

LAPD Officer Kara Quinn goes undercover as a bartender in Patagonia, Arizona after her identity was exposed in California, her mission to gather intel that’s obtained by listening to refinery employees. FBI Special Agent Matt Costa leads the FBI’s new mobile response team, with some of its resources not yet available he’s forced to rely on external sources for some forensics, his true motivation is to find justice for the victims and do so within the boundaries of the law even when he wishes otherwise. They are both strong, caring, intelligent main protagonists.

The relationship between Kara and Matt which began in the previous book is decidedly complicated, a strong physical attraction that’s a slow burn does erupt occasionally and whether these two given their circumstances might be able to attain something tangible and lasting is yet to be seen. This reader does hope that it works out between them. This book is more of an investigative procedural than romantic suspense, the romance was not front and center, more of an afterthought that fit this scenario.

There is so much going on in this book that grabs the reader’s attention, multiple plot lines that may or may not have a connection: toxic waste dumping damaging the pristine environment, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and with Mexican cartels in the mix expect murder and mayhem.

The plotlines are complex with numerous twists, and steadily increasing suspense, and strong character development even for those whose roles were minor giving them added life to this reader and making them more likable and relatable, the multiple points of view allowed greater insight into the character motivations of which there were many to contemplate. The underlying mystery was confounding, the reader is kept guessing as to who is wittingly or peripherally involved. Like the first book, this was an interesting and enjoyable read and this reader looks forward to more books in this series.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

Allison Brennan is a must-buy author for me and has been since I started reading her books two or so years ago. My favorite series by her is the #LucyKincaidSeries which now has 18 books in it (I know, right???) along with numerous novellas. But this series is still relatively new.

Originally the MRT (Mobile Response Team) series, Brennan renamed it the Quinn & Costa series, after the two main characters. I’m glad that she did, because these two main characters are what keep me reading.

This book had a slow start, and I wasn’t sure what to think about it for awhile, but that might come from having wanted Quinn and Costa together as they had been toward the end of the last book. But instead, they now work together and are undercover in what seems like a simple investigation but soon becomes quite complicated.

Around 50-60% of the way through, things picked up for me – but this also could have just been due to my busy week and finally having time to read now. I truly enjoyed this read, the story, and uncovering more about these characters along the way. I know Matt Costa has a lot more going on than we’ve learned so far, so I look forward to reading many more in this series.

From murder to environmental awareness to human trafficking… this book covers it all.

Brennan’s books are incredibly well-researched. I learn a lot regarding police process, the FBI, border control, and other states while reading her books. I cannot recommend them enough.

Tell No Lies opens with a young couple trying to find a water source that may be contaminated. A college student/activist is sure that someone is dumping illegal waste. What they don't expect is for her to be murdered. This is brought to the attention of the FBI who are already nosing around and they begin a full fledged investigation. It is Matt Costa's mobile FBI team that are brought in. As the story unfolds, there is more than just illegal dumping going on.

Tell No Lies is the second book in the Quinn & Costa Thriller series, but you do not have to have read the first one to enjoy this story. This is a very complex crime story with more going on as the story develops. This story doesn't have much interaction between Quinn & Costa due to the position she is in undercover until near the end. He looks like a cop, so can't keep an eye on her or become embedded in the town. He has to depend on others to report to him, which he doesn't like at all. Costa is undercover as a bartender and there are some agents inside. The character development was well done and I thought I knew who was who, and what was what, but found out the characters had so much more they had kept hidden. The mystery itself was interesting and with several layers to it, kept me listening to find out what was next and if these things were all related. There were some predictable things, but overall I was changing my mind constantly while trying to figure out what was going to happen. I enjoyed this story. It had me on the edge of my seat many times, has great characters and came to a satisfying conclusion. Although I enjoyed this one, it is not perfect. There are parts of the story that are repetitious and could have been cut and I would be fine without the romance. I know it adds a bit of angst to the story and has Matt showing his human side, but the story would stand without it. I do recommend this book to those who like crime thrillers with great characters and investigations.

This book starts with a bang when we meet two college students. One is all about the environment and saving the world and the other wants to marry her and go along with her ideas. One weekend, Emma wants to go on a hike and take some samples of the water as she noticed birds are dying. During the hike, she is killed and soon her boyfriend is claiming it's murder and not the accident that the police seem to think it was. What did Emma find that someone wanted to shut her up? The book then jumps to another side of Patagonia, Arizona where we learn an industrial company is being investigated for illegally dumping their waste into the waters and killing/ getting the locals sick. We are then introduced to the FBI Agents Quinn and Costa as they are thrown into the undercover world and start investigating the company. With agents situated around the smalltown in places like the Bar and the workforce, something must turn up to allow them to solve the crimes. What will happen though when the main suspect is found murdered and executed? During the latter part of the novel, a third storyline pops up about human trafficking and getting the illegals across the border. Are all these three incidents connected or are they individual coincidences? Find out in this Environmental Eco-Fiction Thriller. Even though Tell No Lies is Book #2 of the Quinn and Costa series, it is easy enough to be read as a stand-alone crime novel.

Based on my prior experience with the author’s work, I jumped at the chance to read Tell No Lies. This is the second book in the Quinn and Costa Thriller series. It works well as a stand-alone. I had a good time with this installment. The story started out slow with the momentum increasing as the story progressed resulting in a suspenseful read.

The story featured characters from the previous book, while introducing new players to this cat-and-mouse game. The mystery, although different, was no less dangerous. In this installment, Matt, Kara and the other members of the Mobile Response Team had to deal with murder, illegal dumping of toxic waste, money laundering and human trafficking.

The story began with a young college student attempting to find the cause for the increase in the number of birds turning up dead. However, someone murdered her before she could report her findings. Was her murder related to the illegal dumping, or was something more nefarious going on? Matt and his team were called on to investigate the illegal dumping of the toxic waste. During their investigation, they discovered that there was more going on than illegal dumping. The more they dug, the more complex the case became.

I had a blast reconnecting with the Matt, Kara and the other members of the team. The moments spent with them were exciting and suspenseful. Danger surrounded them at every turn. Waiting to see if a member of the team would be affected had me on the edge of my seat. I admired Kara’s dedication to her job and her strength in the face of adversity. It took a lot for her to maintain her cover when faced with the atrocities of the case.

In book one, readers received glimpses into the possibility of  the attraction between Kara and Matt developing into something deeper. I looked forward to that happening in this installment. The attraction between them burnt bright, but they faced many obstacles.  

Now what is a thriller without villains. Well, Tell No lies had them in spades. They had different characteristics, but greed proved the one thing they had in common. While reading, I tried to figure out how the events were connected. As the story progressed the connection became clear and the clarity of the connection also brought to light the identity of all who were involved.

The story delivered everything I expected. However, I was disappointed with the results of the investigation into the murder which triggered the chain of events. Overall, a thrilling and interesting read.

This book was Quinn & Costa Thriller #2 and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first one. That being said, it would also read just fine as a stand-alone book.

The story starts with Kara Quinn, and LAPD detective undercover with the FBI's mobile investigation unit, headed up by Matt Costa. In the first book, she was off-duty when she stumbled across a serial killer's victim and couldn't resist helping the FBI solve the crime. This time, she's actaully working with them as a bartender in a small town's local watering hole, trying to listen in and observe when the suspects and other locals have their guard down.

A couple months earlier, a university student and environmentalist is murdered while out hiking with her boyfriend and investigating for the cause of some dead birds she's found in the area. The authorities think she may have been onto something. Were the birds dead because of improperly disposed of copper slag? But the local copper plant is the small town's lifeblood, so they don't want anyone to know what they're looking at unless they have proof. Enter the FBI's mobile investigation unit.

The FBI has Kara and a couple others placed in town as undercover agents, and a local man feeding them some information that he hopes will place the guilt in the right place and exonerate his family from the charges. In the midst of their investigation, it's discovered that a human trafficking ring may be walking straight through their case. Is it all connected, or is this just another angle to stress out and distract them, that they'll certainly deal with, but right now, what about the case???

Kara doesn't believe in coincidences, especially when she's undercover and having to trust her gut. The suspense and twists and turns in this story were great. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy thrillers and police procedurals. I can't wait for the next Quinn & Costa thriller!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery
Triggers: Human trafficking, Murder, Money laundering

Kara is a fantastic undercover cop. But just because she's amazing at her job doesn't mean that it isn't hard and sometimes downright sucky. Right now, she wishes that she could just wrap this case up. There's something fishy going on in the desert and she's determined to help figure the mystery out.

Joe is caught between morality and family. Where do you turn when you don't want to disappoint family, don't know who to trust, but also know that something isn't right with what's going on around you? Do you turn a blind eye because they are family? Try to figure out how to help and untangle the mess or just throw up your hands and walk away?

Matt is caught between working with multiple jurisdictions and throwing caution to the wind in order to solve these murders. He wants to make sure the victims are spoken for.

This mystery will keep you guessing as to who knows what, who is involved, and what the end game is. I enjoyed reading this. It was well developed, complex without being overbearing, and the main characters' personalities worked well together.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Tell No Lies, book two in the Quinn & Costa series, sees Kara working undercover as a bartender on an operation with Agent Matt Costa and his team, to find the killer of a local college student who was investigating illegal dumping of toxic waste.

This story started out slowly. At first, I wanted things to hurry up, but the story moves methodically as we meet the various players and are shown different pieces of the puzzle from various points of view. I enjoyed seeing Kara go undercover, she was clearly in her element as she befriended locals and formed a romance with one to try to get information. Her teammate Michael, on the other hand, was struggling with telling the lies to good people as he investigates a different angle of the investigation, working in the local copper refinery.

As the story moved along, the pace sped up. A murder and then dead bodies in the desert had me going from reading small bits of the book here and there, to picking it up and reading half if it in one go as I was sucked further into the mystery. And while I could see how some of the pieces of the puzzle were probably going to fit together, there were still surprises right up until the end.

The crime solving is centre stage in Tell No Lies but there is a little bit of romance between Kara and Matt. The love story is in the background, but it was enough to keep the romantic in me happy. I think I need the little bit of light given the death, deception, and violence I was reading.

I loved watching the good guys catch the bad guys and seeing an investigation into one murder turn into something much bigger than anyone expected. Tell No Lies was engaging and entertaining and I am looking forward to more books in this series.

I found this book to be very fascinating. I liked how the story played out. It was fun getting into the character head to see what they were thinking. It was interesting to see how each reacted differently to being undercover.

I also liked that the book took several twists and turns. To go in expecting one thing but getting another was a nice surprise. I felt the story was complex.

my only drawback was it was the second in a series so for me not having rad the first book found myself lost a few times. It also took me a while to catch up with the relationship between the lead characters.

Overall a great book and one that would be even better if you read the first in the series.

Tell No Lies is book 2 for Quinn and Costa, and while I'd recommend reading in order, I really didn't see any reason why someone new to the series wouldn't be able to follow the characters. The dynamic between the main characters is still there, although a bit more in the background for this book - not a huge deal, but I really liked the chemistry between them and was hoping for a bit more development in that area. Then again, I'm hoping for future books in the series, so we still have time. This case moves a little slower than the first, but it's also a completely different type of bad guy and case, so the pacing worked for this one. The procedural elements are still there, which is something I always appreciate, and the character development is as good as I expected from Brennan. All in all, this second in the series moves the characters forward a bit and keeps the pages turning with an interesting case.

Slow start but after a few chapters you get into the rhythm of the non stop switching between characters. I like all the characters that make up FBI Mobile Response Team and each one played different roles during this investigation that started with a murder of a college student but quickly changes direction into another investigation which rolls into what's really going on which was far worse than they initially thought.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was looking forward to the next. In this one I really appreciate how the author fleshes out all the characters on the team – not just Matt and Kara.

TELL NO LIES (A Quinn & Costa Thriller Book #2) by Allison Brennan is the second book in this FBI thriller series and I am very excited to return to this group of great characters. The first book brought the new mobile FBI team together to chase a serial killer and now in this new book the team is faced with the murder of a college environmental activist which leads to so much more. This book can easily be read as a standalone.

The mobile FBI team is undercover in Patagonia, Arizona as they investigate a murder which leads to the local copper refinery possibly dumping toxic waste in the desert. Special Agent in Charge Mathias “Matt” Costa has the son of the refinery owner helping with information secretly as well as an agent undercover in the refinery as LAPD Detective on loan to the FBI Kara Quinn is working as a bartender in the local bar where the refinery workers and townies hang out.

Quinn and Costa soon begin to realize that there is much more than just waste dumping happening outside of Patagonia. When their main suspect turns up dead, they are finding this small quiet town has ties to human trafficking, illegal guns and a drug cartel. When Quinn is abducted as leverage, will Matt be able to find her in time to save her life?

This intricate plot takes you on a full investigation from beginning to climactic end. There are many twists and surprises which keep ramping up the stakes and tension throughout the story. Kara is such a wonderfully strong and unique protagonist. While there is a growing connection and sexual relationship between Kara and Matt, it is not the main focus of this book which is more FBI procedural thriller than romantic suspense. I also enjoyed how all the team members are becoming fully fleshed and merging as a cohesive unit.

I highly recommend this book second book in this series and this author!

This has a lot of suspense that leads to twists and turns. It is interesting to see how different people handle being undercover. I loved how the team of FBI went in to try to uncover one thing and end up being involved in more than they bargained for. I really like Matt, Kara, Ryder and the rest of the gang. I hope there are many more in the series. I have not read the first book in the series but I was able to follow who all the characters were. I look forward to reading the first book in the series. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Tell No Lies kept me up way past my bedtime. The deeper I got into the novel, the less I wanted to put it down. I feel it started off a bit slower paced than I anticipated, but quickly picked up speed as the mystery deepened, the danger increased, and the team unravel a myriad of secrets in a small town.

Edgy, interesting, and absolutely rife with layers of crimes, you’ll find more than you expected as Costa and Quinn and associates start digging into life in the desert. If you are a fan of crime team thrillers, you’ll love Tell No Lies.

My thanks to the publisher, MIRA books, for the complimentary ARC.

Title: Tell No Lies
Author: Allison Brennan
Genre: Thriller, mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

Something mysterious is killing the wildlife in the desert hills just south of Tucson, Arizona. When Emma Perez, a college-intern-turned activist, sets out to collect her own evidence, she too ends up dead. Local law enforcement seems slow to get involved. That’s when the mobile FBI unit goes undercover to infiltrate the town and the copper refinery located there in search of possible leads. Costa and Quinn find themselves scouring the desolate landscape that keeps on giving up clues to something much darker—greed, child trafficking, other killings. As the body count continues to add up, it's clear they have stumbled on more than they bargained for. Now they must figure out who is at the heart of this mayhem and stop them before more innocent lives are lost.

I don’t think I’ve read the first book in this series—yet—but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The desert setting is vividly drawn and almost becomes a character in the story, both its beauty and the darkness hidden within it. I liked the whole undercover team, but the two MC and their interactions were the best. I can’t imagine pretending to be someone you’re not like that, but their viewpoints made it make sense, and I was totally invested in their investigation.

Allison Brennan is a bestselling author. Tell No Lies is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 3/26.)

Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan
Quinn & Costa #2

Detective Kara Quinn is on leave from her job with LAPD working with FBI Agent Matt Costa and his mobile unit. She is a “cop” through and through but is unsafe in Los Angeles. Matt & Kara worked together in book one of the series, had a romantic interlude, and now are working to find the murderer of a college student who was killed while searching with her boyfriend for a toxic waste dump impacting the dessert environment. With team in place the story begins just after Billy rushes Emma finds Emma and tries to save her. Will the team be able to find the murderer? Is toxic dumping taking place and if so, by whom? Will the romance between Matt and Kara continue? And, what else will be unearthed as the story unfolds?

What I liked:
* Kara: intelligent, quick thinking, loves her job, a chameleon, does what it takes, uses her childhood con artist skills in her current undercover jobs, interesting, fierce, capable…someone I am becoming more and more invested in.
* Matt: intelligent, a bit of a workaholic, work has impacted his relationships in the past, cares about his team, an enigmaMichael, interested in learning more about him.
* The relationship development between Kara and Matt – not much at first in this book but see a great deal of potential as the series progresses.
* The complexity of the case: started simply and became more involved as the story progressed.
* The FBI team members: Michael, Ryder, Zack – the bits and pieces about each one that were shared in this story made me wonder about them and want to know more. It will be fun to see how these characters (and others) grow as the series continues.
* The many threads, that at times seemed too many, all being pulled together by the end of the story. Better than a simple plot executed quickly.
* Billy: I felt for him and hoped that in the future he would heal and be able to move on. I also wondered if he might end up joining the FBI when he finishes school.
* Frank: Emma’s boss, a good man, haunted, focused, provided a safe haven to more than one in the end.
* The dark, gritty, harsh, realness that immersed in the story.
* The twists and turns.
* That there was a resolution to the case even if some were not 100% satisfied with the results

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that such things happen all too often
* Having to wait for book three ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

It started with the murder of a college activist, but Kara Quinn and Matt Costa quickly discover there's a lot more going on in Patagonia, Arizona than meets the eye. Initially called in to go undercover and figure out who killed Emma Perez, FBI agent Costa's Mobile Response Team quickly zooms in on the local copper refinery and stumbles upon signs of human trafficking. As quiet and small as Patagonia is, there's a lot hiding under the surface. I can't say I was a huge fan of the first book in the series, The Third to Die, but I was still interested to find out what was next for Kara and Matt. Honestly, I think it's these two that keep me reading. I love them!

The Plot: Almost Too Many Lies Going Around

Emma Perez is a college intern with the Arizona Resources and Environmental Agency who starts noticing a lot of dead birds. Determined to figure out what is killing them, she and her boyfriend start hunting, only for Emma to end up dead. With local law enforcement unable to adequately solve the murder, the FBI's Mobile Response Team is called in, and they quickly start eyeing the local copper refinery. Something is a little off with the company and they're the only plausible source of whatever is poisoning the water.

With Kara undercover in the town to be Matt's eyes and ears and Michael undercover within the refinery and Zach madly scrambling for financial documents, they quickly uncover something amiss at Southwest Copper, a family owned and run business, and a lot of strange characters floating through the bar Kara works at. It doesn't take long for them to discover something is definitely afoot as well, as signs of human trafficking. The only question is: how is it all related and how is it related to Emma's murder?

Tell No Lies definitely has a lot of lies going around! There are so many pieces to this puzzle, almost too many. I was a little dizzy just from reading it because it felt like something new was dropping into my lap every time I picked up the book. It helped that it was all centered around a small town, but, wow, the secrets one town and one family could hold!

I must say, the story felt like the weakest part to me. There was simply too much going on and I was disappointed that solving the murder, for as much as it was put right at the front, was actually shoved to the back burner. Of course, I understand why, but I do wish it had been a more major piece of the story. Instead, it felt like the vehicle for getting the FBI to come in and discover even more, bigger illegal things going on. It was really difficult to follow exactly what was going on for most of the book because there was just so much going on. With three major things running through and being somehow connected, I think it very nearly broke my mind.

But, I do have to admit that it kept me intrigued. I really wanted to find out how it was all connected. This is a fast-paced story taking place over a rather small window of time. There's a great deal of danger surrounding all of the characters and definitely more secrets than I could count. Even though the first book dealt with a rather scary serial killer, I felt this case was even more dangerous. For one, there were too many pieces. For another, all the pieces kept moving, and more danger kept being added.

Overall, it felt a little messy with so much going on, but it definitely upped the sense of danger and press for time!

The Characters: A Prickly, but Fun Relationship

Tell No Lies picks up a few months after The Third to Die, so Kara is newly added to Matt's team and their prickly, complicated relationship is even more complicated by the fact that Matt is now Kara's boss, and Kara really doesn't like to work as part of a team.

I truly love Kara and Matt. Their relationship is something of a roller coaster, but I love that they work hard to put their case above their complicated relationship. I'm in no rush to see them together because the tension between them is so much fun. Kara is used to working on her own, but she really tries her best to work with the rest of the team. She's smart and savvy with a soft heart that's well-protected. Matt is straight-laced and tries really hard to keep things focused. He's in charge, so a lot is riding on him and his decisions, but he also comes off as really noble to me. That's one thing I really liked about these two: they really do their jobs well. Even if they differ on how to solve a case.

Outside of Kara and Matt, though, I had a tendency to mix up all of the other characters. Whether they were members of Matt's team or employees of the refinery or members of the gang trafficking people, I really had a hard time keeping them straight and how they were or were not connected. What I did really enjoy, though, was just how terrible and manipulative the one behind it all really was. That character was brilliant and so consistent in their characterization, right up to the end. The thing that bothered me the most, though, were the characters more strongly connected to Emma's case. They were kind of, sort of, there. If they were present, it felt more like they were doing little more than hovering at the edges to remind readers there's still a murder case investigation going on.

The Setting: A Small Arizona Town

Tell No Lies is set in and around Patagonia, Arizona and a bit in Tucson. Just like the small town featured in The Third to Die, Patagonia gives off the small town vibe in spades. It was large enough that not everyone knew all of each other's business, but small enough that everyone was, more or less, connected.

There's also a wide wilderness surrounding Patagonia, which was perfect in so many ways for all the story threads running through this book. It definitely felt very isolated and had the perfect desert atmosphere with sudden storms and flash flooding. I had a clearer vision of what the wilderness looked like than Patagonia, though.

But I liked Patagonia. It felt cozy enough to feel safe so that the danger around the corner was fully highlighted. There's a lot going on under the surface and it was so at odds with what felt like a close-knit town that it added a really fun layer of tension.

Overall: Almost Too Much, But Really Great Lead Characters

Tell No Lies has so much going on in it that I sometimes felt dizzy while reading it. One thing stacked up on another and then another thing was dropped on top. Halfway through I still had no idea where it was going and how it could all possibly be tied together. I was disappointed that every piece of it wasn't fully explored, that they came and went as the story demanded, but I was satisfied by the end and thought it all tied together quite smartly. The highlight of this series for me is definitely Kara and Matt, though I'm also learning to enjoy all the sudden twists and turns.


Thank you to Justine Sha and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tell No Lies by Alison Brennan is a fast-paced thrill ride through the mountains of Arizona – one that will leave you breathless until they catch the bad guy, and the world is free from the evilest of people.

What I Loved

I loved the thorough character development that Brennan handled so organically for even the support characters. I was introduced to a room full of characters and allowed to learn their current stories and the backstories that have a lasting impact on who they are and why they do what they do. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and found each one to be sympathetic and relatable. I rarely see such extensive character development in a crime thriller, which makes this book and series stand out even more to me, and earned Tell No Lies my fifth star.

The number of social issues that came to light as part of this investigation is mind-blowing but believable. From illegal toxic waste dumping to human trafficking and a few crimes in between, I realized that the world is becoming an increasingly complicated one. People are willing to take advantage of that and commit egregious multi-faceted crimes for power and money. It is very sobering to realize these kinds of things occur or even could occur in the real world.

I loved the border setting and its appropriateness and beauty. I’ve never been anywhere between Texas and California, and now I feel like I’ve visited the beautiful and dangerous rural areas of Arizona. Even with the crimes being committed, I enjoyed the book vacation because of the detailed description provided of the landscape, small towns, and surrounding vistas.

Even with all this, the mystery still managed to surprise me with its unexpected twists and turns and shocking conclusion. Costa and Quinn are a dynamic team that shares palpable chemistry that both try very hard to deny even after giving in to it. I’m not sure if I want them to give in and admit their feelings finally or if this push-pull is what makes them irresistible as a couple both in law enforcement and privately. They surround themselves with a small team of specialists who make people who investigate crimes look like superheroes in every sense of the word.

To Read or Not to Read

This is the second book in a series, and I feel confident it can act as a stand-alone just as well as it does the second novel in a series. So if you love thrillers, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Allison Brennan's Quinn & Costa Thriller continues in Tell No Lies. Though this is still a great starting point for new fans (myself included) as well.

Something horrible is happening in the mountains by Tucson. Wildlife is turning up dead at a prodigious rate. Right alongside that is the death of a young intern who set out to find the cause. Now it is up to Quinn and Costa to figure out what exactly is happening here.

A task easier said than done – as there is more than one horrendous crime taking place in this isolated location. The horrors they are about to face cannot be forgotten, but they can be stopped. But only if they act fast enough.

“As he dove back to the main road, he called 911. An ambulance met him in the closest town, Patagonia.
But by then Emma was already dead.”

Tell No Lies is an intense and surprisingly complex story, one that many thriller fans out there are sure to enjoy. The tale of these two agents and the case they were put on is fast-paced and very much not afraid to get a bit graphic at times, but that just adds to the impact of it all.

I know that Tell No Lies is actually the second novel in this series (Quinn & Costa Thriller), but I had no problem jumping in at this point. Detective Quinn and FBI Agent Costa make for a great team, and their adventures (so far) have been very approachable.

The mystery itself, as I already alluded to, was much more complex than I expected. I thought this would be a fun and quick thriller novel – I was wrong. This is one of those stories where humanity shows just how dark, twisted, and tangled it can get.

I loved Allison Brennan's writing style, and I am going to look forward to the next addition to this series. (I should probably go back and read the first one at some point, huh?).

Thanks to MIRA and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.