Cover Image: The Wrong Woman

The Wrong Woman

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FBI Agent Kendall Beck is investigating a missing child, Emily Williams, 5, when her best friend and flatmate, Gwen Tavich is found murdered in a nearby lake. Kendall then teams up with Denver detective Adam Taylor to find out what has happened to her friend.

Easy to read and intriguing but concentrated too much on plot and not enough on character development so that I was unable to really identify with any of the main characters.

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I received this ARC from the publisher in exchanged for an honest review. Sparks has us jumping into action from the first chapter where we meet Kendall who is an FBI agent called in to find a missing 5-year-old Emily. Kendall and her partner find Emily in the garage of her next-door neighbor. The neighbor is arrested and Emily is sent to hospital where Kendall and her partner have to wait while she is treated. In the meantime, Gwen, Kendall’s roommate and best friend is missing. When Kendall tries to find out what happened to Gwen and none of her workers, family or fiancé have seen her since the night she left work. Kendall begins to worry and decides to report her missing car, since Gwen had borrowed it. . Detective Adam Taylor from the Denver police department has been assigned to the missing car and hopefully finding Gwen. A day or so later Kendall’s car has been spotted the that eventually lead to Gwen’s body in the water. After the autopsy it was discovered that Gwen was murdered. Kendall is trying to investigate what happened to Gwen and who would want her dead and also what happened to Emily with the neighbor. Adam is also looking into another murder which might be done by a serial killer. You will need to find out how these cases intersect if they do and if Kendall and Adam are able to solve Gwen’s murder and their other cases.

Fast Moving and a great read!.

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I think that I hadn't picked up a police thriller since I read the Millenium saga (yes, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I know its more of a journalism type, but its the same vibe okay!). Coming back to the genre was pretty amazing! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy these type of thrillers, and <i>The Wrong Woman</i> was a great comeback.

It's a fast read, and I think if I'd started it on the weekend, I would have finished it in a day, more than how long it is, the story gets your attention and keeps you with your head in the book! And a good novel of this genre, if it didn't do this for you, the author is doing something wrong.

We have different point of views, the main one being Special Agent Kendall Beck, the whole plot revolves around her because of reasons I will not disclose as they are major spoiler. Though it is a somewhat one-dimensional character, we slowly start to get to know a bit about her past and present and how she is too close to this case, but thanks to her, it moves forward! The rest of the characters, some of them in the police force and others more on the personal side for agent Beck, are involved as well in the case, because in this novel we see the FBI and police come together for this case! This mix was pretty great, and I guess it does happen often?? At least I hope it does hahaha

I give it a 4-star rating because it kept my attention and finished it in 3 days despite my full workload, but I do have to notch it down from a 5-star review because I fell the plot was solved pretty quickly in very few pages, but I know its something common in this genre so no hard feelings on that, once again, this is my opinion only.

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This book could just as well be titled The Wrong Man, as it’s a master class in how the police can trudge through the investigation of numerous other suspects before finding the right one. The book stars a dogged FBI agent, Kendall Beck, who reports her car stolen when she can’t get the Denver police to take seriously the disappearance of her roommate, Gwen, who borrowed the car. Professional courtesy means that Kendall is allowed inside details as the hunt for Gwen gathers steam. At the same time, she’s investigating a case of her own: a missing little girl, whose neighbor seems odd and too friendly. Given that a stolen car doesn’t seem like it will take much work, the Denver detective who’s looking for Gwen also has another case of his own, that of a woman who may be the victim of a serial killer who’s been working the area for years. Friendships, love, and the grief when those connections end add a personal touch to the legal and police procedural details shared by Sparks, who formerly had a law career. For fans of Tana French and other authors who shine a light on relationships in policing.--Henrietta Verma. From First Clue, https://www.getrevue.co/profile/FirstClue

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What a ride. I devoured this book in one sitting. While cheering FBI agent, Kendall Black, on for thumping into a vile child abuser and then following her angst as she teams up with detective Adam Taylor to find her missing best friend I was hooked. It did read as if it were the second at least in a series due to her previous involvement with the serial killer, The Reaper, so it was a bit strange to note later that it was currently a stand alone but I have no doubt I’ll be seeing more of Kendall Beck. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

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After reading this one, I'm looking forward to more books from Ms Sparks. Lots of details, action, intrigue to keep the reader engaged and entertained!

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Although I guessed pretty early on who The Reaper was, this book was pretty good in that the pace was fast enough to keep me interested and Kendall was a mostly likeable character. There were some loose threads, and little things added that left me with some questions and that makes me wonder if this is going to be a series. Overall though, this was one of the better books I've read in this genre, and it was a quick, enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

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When I was reading this novel I assumed that Kendall's run-in with "the Reaper" was another novel and this was a series but I guess not. I also thought that there would be a twist at the end but there was not, so maybe it will lead to another novel starring Kendall? Overall the story was pretty fast-paced and kept my interest and the writing was clear. Probably 3.5 stars for me, rounded up.


Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Wrong Woman by Leanne Kale Sparks is a heart-pounding thriller about a pair of detectives solving several crimes at the same time. The story alternates perspectives between FBI agent Kendall Beck and Denver detective Adam Taylor, but focuses a bit more on Kendall. Kendall is involved in a disturbing case involving a child when her roommate and best friend Gwen is found murdered. Kendall wants to find her friend's murderer and decides to team up with Adam to solve the case. In the meantime, there's a serial killer on the loose, and hidden parts of Kendall's past involving that serial killer come to light.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue, which is from a killer's perspective:

"A serial killer's main objective is to kill.
It's a common misconception, perhaps true for some - maybe even the majority; he didn't know. Had never seen any research on the matter. And was not particularly interested in the answer. For him, it was more about the hunt. Finding the right target. Stalking the perfect prey.
Killing was simply the final step.
He likened it to preparing a nice meal. Discovering the perfect recipe. Gathering ingredients. Prepping, cooking. All steps leading to the piece de resistance. Afterward, cleanup. Not a fun task, but essential. Necessary.
That's what killing was to him. The necessary cleanup after a big event."

After I read that excerpt, I was so excited to read this book. I love books involving detectives or FBI agents catching serial killers. I've enjoyed many books like that, such as the Unsub series and also this year's The Jigsaw Man. I took off 1 star because I had to really push through the middle of this book. The serial killer is not a very large part of the plot, and we basically don't hear from him/her again until the very end. The focus of the plot is on the investigation into Kendall's roommate's murder, which is treated just like a regular police investigation. In addition, some of the descriptions in the book, particularly regarding crimes against a child, were too disturbing for me to stomach. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book when it comes out in February!

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Thank you Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and Sparks for this advanced ebook copy!

The Wrong Woman is an absolute must read for any thriller fan!
I absolutely loved this book! It was fast-paced with a lot of action and suspense.
With amazing characters that instantly pull you into their story and keep you gripped.
I had a hard time putting this book down after I got started. I kept thinking "just one more chapter" and as usual I kept reading...... That is this book right here!
Just an amazing, quick enjoyable book?

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this outstanding book!

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FBI agent Kendall Beck is famous for ll the wrong reasons; she’s the only known survivor of the serial killer called the Reaper. While caught up in the case of a missing five year old, Kendall is pulled back into darkness when her friend and roommate is found dead in a nearby lake. Sure Gwen was killed by her fiancee, Ty, Kendall joins forces with Denver detective Adam Taylor to bring him in. But even as Ty is arrested, Kendall begins to uncover the truth about the roommate she obviously never really knew and learns that her worst fears have been confirmed, the Reaper is back. This is a dark, complex mystery with one of the most interesting, many layered heroines I’ve encountered in a long time

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This book was sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review. It is a mystery with intrigue and is character driven… determine the end is almost impossible as there are many red herrings. The protagonist is likeable in that she wants to discover who did what. She has some loss of control, at times, but gets it together finally. There are often ironic incidences in this novel. Some of the subject matter is too explicit for me, but discovering “who done it” is important to the reader.

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This book was not my usual choice in reading material, but the premise was one that intrigued me. And I am very glad that I followed my instincts and requested this book. The mix of narrative was perfect, and it gave insight into the two main characters. It was blissfully dark and twisted, and while I guessed at some of the things going on, I did not get them all. A fun, dark and beguiling tale, well worth a read.

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Wow that was like a horror thriller! Lol this book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a great who done it!! I thought I had it figured out but nope! This book was also a little descriptive with the gore, not to bad tho! It kept me on the edge of my seat! It was definitely a good thriller! I definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

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