Cover Image: Can't Go Back

Can't Go Back

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This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review electronically. The fire...the dead...the mystery...who did it? Is the husband and father innocent or guilty? Why did someone do such horrible things? Will the police solve the mystery, or will the guilty escape unscathed? This is a dark intriguing mystery and murder that will stay with the reader for awhile...it is difficult to determine who did what...at first...finally, the story comes together, and the ending is somewhat predictable. That being said, this author weaves a story that is difficult to put down. Try this one.

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Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of Can't Go Back by Debra Webb
Kerri and Luke are partners and working a crime scene, they are also dating, Luke has quite a past in the undercover police world and his ex-wife left him with their son a long time ago. Kerri was also married and her teen age daughter is away visiting her father
This novel takes us through the investigation of a house fire where a mom and daughter die and the husband/father is found beaten almost to death outside the house. The investigation looks at the father, people he might have been involved with and the mothers of the deceased and her husband who is now in the hospital. Kerri and Luke try and get some insight into things from an undercover cop that Luke used to work with
This novel has a great story line and really has you wondering who did it, there were a few guilty culprits in this novel. I found it jumped around a lot though and I had a hard time keeping the characters straight in the beginning
I would recommend this novel and would read more by this author

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The third book in this series featuring Detectives Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco is evidently the final one in a trilogy. I enjoyed the first two books and looked forward to this one. A woman and her child are found dead when an arson fire destroys the home; the husband confesses. Something is off and the evidence doesn't appear to point to him. The story connects to Luke's dark past as he recognizes the husband as a fellow undercover cop. Luke has tried to put his past behind him, but the current case leads back to his time in an elite group of undercover cops and some things that many would like to remain forgotten. I like the characters, and I'm sorry that this is the final book. read in July

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer; Mystery; Dec. 14, 2021.

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It was good but I enjoyed talking the other two books more. I think the journey of the main characters didn't really work out in the end.

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I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story and didn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you into these characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

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Thank you to Thomas and Merced and NetGalley for this ebook to read.

I found this book really hard to get into and the characters didn’t appeal to me. After struggling to read it I found out this was the third book in the series which may explain why there was no character backgrounds. I would recommend reading the other two first. While I didn’t enjoy the majority of the book the ending was great. There was several twists or red herrings which added to the story but there almost seemed to be too many.

The story begins with a mother and daughter perishing in a house fire. The two police officers, who are a couple, are tasked with finding the murderer. There is a lot of dipping into the officers past which made it difficult as there was no background on them so I felt lost. Overall it is a good book.

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This was a fun read with lots of secrets, red herrings, and twists and turns while developing the great partnership and growing relationship between Kerri and Luke, two Birmingham, AL detectives. Kerri and Luke were wonderful characters and I really enjoyed learning more about them in each book, most especially Luke in this last book.

While not the on-the-edge-of-your-seat action-packed thriller of Trust No One, I would still highly recommend this book. These were the first books I've read by Debra Webb and I will definitely be on the lookout for others on her backlist. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advance copy!

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Love love love this series and I am so sad that it has reached it's end. However, with that being said, GREAT JOB Debra Webb. The conclusion to the Devlin and Falco series did not disappoint.

Read this series!

Thank you for an awesome series!
Thank you #netgalley and #thoms&mercer for the eARC.

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The time has come to face the past…

This is the third book in the Devlin & Falco series that can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the prior books which were good reads but that’s not necessary to enjoy this one.

A home goes up in flames and in it a mother and child are dead, the father who survived takes the blame for the deaths yet there’s evidence that says otherwise. Why is the father lying and who is he protecting? What at first appears to be a tragic accident is anything but and it’s up to Birmingham, Alabama homicide detectives Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco to obtain justice for the two victims.

The investigation shows a connection to Falco’s past, a past that he has tried hard to distance himself from. We get insight into his time as an undercover narcotics agent in flashbacks, those years still haunt him and there are unresolved questions that he now must face. To go forward in life one must make peace with the past or at least come to accept it for what it is and how it can and will affect a person. Devlin has come to understand her partner well, she also has her own issues to live with, no one is perfect or infallible, that’s the nature of being human.

Having read the two previous books enabled this reader to see the evolution over time of the main characters. When they were first partnered Devlin didn’t believe the arrangement would last but Falco more than proved himself, you can’t just believe rumors, context is always needed before judgments should be made. The detectives not only found a good working partnership but friendship and more, this case though stresses the strength of their connection.

This action-packed engaging story has a multi-layered plot that unravels steadily with many twists and numerous points of view. Truth is brought to the light of the many lies that were told in the present and regarding past coverups, the dynamics between the likable main characters were fluid, believable, and relatable.

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

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Book #3 in the Devlin & Falco Series can be read as a stand-alone. I haven't read the first two books and followed the story and characters with no problem.

There’s a lot of story going on however the author delivers it with her special skill and talent for entertaining and telling a story. The book opens with a woman and her child found dead from a house fire and the husband admitting to the crime. Detective Luke Falco is still dealing with the incident from eight years ago and it could ruin the current relationship with his partner Kerri Devlin. There’s family issues but the author puts everything in it’s place and gives the characters life by adding in such vibrant personal details.

The story is told from various character’s points of view. Can’t Go Back is an unpredictable suspense with a moving plot that kept my attention. It includes strong developed characters, good and bad guys, romance, police cover ups, obsession, family drama and murder. It’s a balance that gives the readers an authentic story. The author fills the plot with action, heartache from loss and two qualified detectives that are working hard to solve the double murder of the mother and daughter. 

The ending revealed a skillful unique twist that I didn't see coming. I wanted justice for the families and the author delivered that and so much more. It was upsetting that everyone appeared to be withholding information and everyone looked guilty but as it turns out that’s exactly how the author devised it. I'm sure readers will continuously question who did it as they continue to read to see what happens next in the case.

A good read that I would highly recommend to readers that enjoy a well developed murder suspense that doesn't end in a cliff hanger.

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Past and present collide in this third book of the series. It’s clear she saved the best for last.

Kerri Devlin and her partner Luke Falco are called to the scene of a fire with two dead body’s .
This murder mystery takes Luke into a past he would rather forget. A lot of crazy going on. Every step just leads they back to the beginning.

“Snap,” Luke teased, “the lady done got on your bad side.”

There relationship has progressed over the series which Webb does perfectly. This book kept me guessing until the crazy whacked out ending.

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I enjoyed the book! I think the story had a good plot line and was overall enjoyable. I thought the story did drag a little at times, but overall still a good read.

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I hadn’t read the previous books in this series but thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and characters!
A real delight to follow the relationship between Kerri & Luke and try to guess the outcome of the mystery!

Thanks so much to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and Debra Webb for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Can’t Go Back – Debra Webb

This is the third and reportedly final installment of a trio of novels featuring Birmingham Detectives Kerri Devlin & Luke Falco - however I for one, certainly hope the author reconsiders and extends this series – I think they could easily become as popular as Catherine Coulter’s Savich & Sherlock!

Kerri & Luke have made their close working relationship more personal and are together when they receive a call from The Chief of Police asking them to stop whatever case they’re working on and meet him at a scene. Upon arriving, they learn that the Chief’s god-daughter Allison, and her child have died in a house fire, that appears to have been deliberately set. Allison’s husband Logan, a deep undercover officer, was found injured at the scene and has been hospitalized. Much to Kerri & Luke’s surprise, he immediately takes full responsibility for his family’s deaths, and insists on being charged with the murders, despite evidence to the contrary…but why? And why are surviving family members refusing to provide insight into the struggles that Logan and Allison were having?
Luke, a former undercover officer himself who’s struggled to put those days behind him, now finds himself unwillingly reliving past events, as he and Kerri look to Logan’s work as a possible motive in these deaths. As more and more information comes to light, Luke’s nightmares begin to make him question his recollection of past events.

As the duo dig deeper to clear one of their own, the past and present collide in very unexpected ways - leaving the reader with a very surprising, if not a bit farfetched, and satisfying ending! A good, suspenseful read, a great series, and again, characters that I would LOVE to see more of!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an objective review. Blog scheduled to publish on 12/7

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Interesting but somewhat not really my cup of tea. A mystery thriller crime with romance. Well written. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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The book had a really great story line. It kept me intrigued and engulfed in the book. The story really flow together and it was a page turner. Highly recommend reading this book!

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4.25 stars 🌟

This is the third and final book in the Devlin & Falco series. I have read the prior two books and was thrilled that NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

When we get into this book, Kerri and Luke seem to be in a good place in their relationship. The two are partners working in the Homicide division when they catch a case that begins to delve VERY close into the past that Luke has not wanted to share with Kerri.

I will say that this was not my favorite book in the trilogy - the actual mystery behind the crime felt a little too "out there" for me, but I did enjoy the journey they took to solve the case. It becomes apparent that Luke's troubled past, while he had fears that he would lose Devlin if she knew the things he had done - ended up being something that showed Falco that when you love someone correctly, you love unconditionally.

All in all I really enjoyed this trilogy. I liked the characters of Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco. Not only are they good detectives, but they are "good" people who are not perfect, but attempt to do the right thing. (We definitely learned in prior books that Kerri is capable of things that nobody thought she could do when it came to protecting her family - aren't we all?)

Can this be read as a stand alone? Yes, I think so. The characters are given enough background in the beginning that I don't think a new reader will be too lost, but I WOULD recommend picking up book 1 and starting from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

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This has been a difficult review to write. I don't want to give away too much; but, I do want to convey how easily this sucks you in. I couldn't put it down and have marked it for re-read. This is the 3rd book in the series but can be a stand alone. If you start with one you will enjoy it. You might find yourself getting 1 and 2 as the 3 books are like a rose bud opening up. Lots of character development and great writing, A wicked plot, rich in action, as many twists and turns as a mountain road. I started it and was pulled in and under the action. Don't begin the book when you don't have time to finish it. That said, I could have said "it's wonderful and I loved, loved, loved it".

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Detective Kerri Devlin's daughter is spending Thanksgiving in New York with her dad and so she has invited partner Detective Luke Falco to stay for the week to see how their new and largely hidden relationship works when they are together 24/7. However, a call is received about a house fire resulting in two suspicious deaths and they are instructed to take charge of the investigation, reporting back directly to the Chief of Police and all other plans are put on hold.

When the surviving family member is recognised by Falco as one of a group of elite undercover cops he was once a part of, memories he'd rather keep buried start forcing their way to the surface. Interviewing family and friends of the victims creates more questions than answers however, because as much they want the killer to be caught, secrets are being kept by almost everyone.

Falco struggles with his demons and both cops are desperate to close a case bringing suffering and trauma to everyone left behind. It soon becomes clear that nothing is quite as it seems and Devlin and Falco will have to dig deep to find the truth while, at the same time, facing facts from Luke's past which could jeopardise both their working and personal relationship.

This is the third and potentially final book in this excellent series by Debra Webb, I can always hope she'll change her mind, and as before it builds gradually to a crescendo while exploring the personal relationships of those involved. There are heart stopping moments aplenty but again the investigation is never overshadowed and the denouement is satisfying and well executed. I have thoroughly enjoyed these novels and hope to see Devlin and Falco again in some way, shape or form.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This can be read as a standalone and is an excellent end to a first class series.

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What a ride this novel was. Scary, thrilling and a page turner for sure. "Can't go Back" is a great novel by Debra Webb. Plus, I totally loved the cover of this novel!

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