Even though I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I jumped right in and had a great time! Suspenseful, twisty, fast paced and kept me guessing right until the end. Of course we love a strong fierce woman protagonist and Bree did not disappoint. I will definitely look out for more from this author as this was well-written and really fun to read.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. Although this one is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone.
From the very beginning I was hooked. I loved the main characters and the story was fast paced and exciting with just enough twists and turns.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and I will definitely be going back to read the rest of the series.

I was hooked from the first chapter about a Sheriff called Bree Taggert who is investigating 2 murders this is a fast paced thriller with great characters that keep you hooked. It has a surprising ending which really catches you out.
Bree is a force of nature and nothing stops her I loved the character and how strong she was.
Would highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley & Montlake for a advanced copy.

Whilst you don't have to read this series in order to be able to enjoy the standalone tales, it is best to, as you'll get to see Bree's charges growing up, Bree and Matt's romance progressing, how Greta is getting on, how Matt's sister's romance may be starting to take off, and appearances from characters of the Scarlett Falls series of tales as side characters.


I really enjoy the relationship Bree has with her team, and you can really see how human she is. Bree works really hard at her position as Sherrif, and even though she is a tough cookie, she has a really caring side too. Her family play an essential role in each story. Her relationship with Matt is coming along lovely too.

ThIs is the first book I've read in this series although I believe it is number 5
however I feel it can be read as a stand alone. Superb plotline and not the ending you expect!
Bree has moved to a small town from.Philly to become sheriff here. The problem is everyone knows everyone it's a small town! And she forced the previous as sheriff Oscar out of office for failing to disclose/ tampering with/ planting evidence however, it was all circumstantial and he was able to retire rather than be sacked!! He holds a grudge against her and so when she gets threatening and explicit emails and letters it's not hard to jump to t h e conclusion it's him.
So when Bree gets a call to check on a remote farm from a concerned neighbour who hasn't seen the owner for while little does,she realise it's all a set up to frame her and force her out of office. Once she's at the farmhouse she discovers a grisly double murder scene. Then it's a race against the clock to find the murderer and keep it out of the press as long as they can. She is also battling a deepfake porn video of her circulating the internet!! Once the press get hold of it, they no longer seem interested in the murders but why there is these videos circulating of their sheriff.
Many thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book I will now be looking out for more from Melinda.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publications for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, number 5. I think it can be read as a stand alone, but it is probably more enjoyable if you have read the others. This is an enjoyable read with a pretty twisted plot and alot of violence against women. Great characters. 4 stars

Dead Against Her is the 5th book in a series by Melinda Leigh, an author I simply adore. The setting is not far from the location of her previous series (Morgan Dane), Scarlet Falls, New York and the characters have a similar feel. The plot, as always, is a great suspenseful mystery that keeps me guessing till the end. This is proving to be an incredibly good series.

Bree Taggert is Sheriff of Randolph County, New York. She attends a call at a remote, neglected farm to check on an elderly woman at the request of a concerned neighbour, but finds herself at a grisly double murder scene.

As with Melinda Leigh's other novels, this one offers a complete package - a complex storyline, characters' backstories, and a wonderful writing style that is straightforward and easy to read. I really enjoy slipping within the pages of her books and getting behind a tough, but intelligent main player like Bree Taggert. This novel was a fantastic, electrifying and solid mystery and I continued to warm to both Bree and Matt. It was well-told and it had me glued to the pages as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story. As Bree, Matt and her co-workers embarked on an exciting mission to find the killer, all of the time the tension was being ratcheted up a notch, and I was smacked with some captivating misdirection.

The compelling plot was brilliantly executed, the well-defined characters and underlying currents being the main highlights, all building up to a great ending. I love a good murder mystery with a hint of romance, and this one definitely didn't let me down. Overall, Dead Against Her was a superb read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Lie to Her.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Montlake Romance via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is book 5 in the Bree Taggert series but the first one for me and I think it can easily be read as a stand alone.

I enjoyed this one. It was face paced and it kept me reading. I liked Bree and her team and I especially liked the details about the care of the dogs!

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Montlake for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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The first chapter got me hooked with a double murder of Sheriff Bree Taggert’s former officer and his mother. There were several twists that left me sitting at the edge of my chair and unable to put the book down.
The book is full of great characters and I look forward to reading more on them as well as the developing relationship between the Sheriff and her boyfriend Matt Flynn. I can’t wait to see what new mystery Sheriff Taggert will come across.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I like the characters in this series .Bree Taggert has been elected to be the new sheriff in the county as the. Old one was forced to take early retirement.. When bree is called out to a farm, eugene the deputy who was forced out is found murdered. The whole county wants brees head on the block, she has death threats and is now prime suspect in eugenes murder. Someone doesnt want bree and the team to find out the truth......... great read......there were quite a few spelling mistakes though....... loved the book it is fast paced and has alot of community spirit. Highley recommend

This was an exciting suspense read with an undercurrent of low to no steam romance. In fact, the romance between Bree and Matt is an ongoing relationship (past the first blush of attraction) since this book is part of a series. I really liked how Matt continues to be a supportive character to Bree in both their professional and personal lives. I also enjoyed following Bree as she struggled to balance her family and work life. I did feel the writing was a bit choppy in some parts mainly with the insertion of real life facts that related to the story situation. While interesting and on topic, I felt they could have been more smoothly woven into the story line. Lots of twists to the murder mystery that kept me glued to the pages. I was not able to guess whodunit until the villain was revealed. I always look forward to reading this author’s books!

Another great Bree Taggert book. Lots of stuff going on in this book, and it certainly kept Bree and Matt busy and me wanting to find out "who done it"! Definitely kept the reader on their toes with lots of plot twists and bad guys. Interesting how lots of todays social media issues got tangled up in Bree's personal and professional life. Hope we get to read more Bree taggert stories!

Dead Against Her is the fifth book in Melinda Leigh's Bree Taggert series. The books do stand alone, but why not read them all!?! I really enjoy Melinda's writing style. The book is well written, interesting, unique, and quite the page turner. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Melinda, and Montlake for the opportunity to read!

When a killer makes it deeply personal and Bree’s rep and livelihood on the line, she has to step up and close out the case with the odds against her. The Bree Taggart series constantly raises the bar of expectation and never fails to bring home a stellar read. Dead Against Her is no exception.

As the fifth book in the Bree Taggart suspense series, Dead Against Her works best read in order because of ongoing personal and relationship threads.

Bree responds to a well-being check call and finds the old woman and her son have been killed in cold blood. Her feelings are mixed when the son turns out to be former Deputy Oscar, whom she had to fire for repeated misconduct and ineptitude on the job.

Someone makes it personal by going after Bree with fake video porn and set-ups to discredit her character, forcing her out of her sheriff’s job and endangering her family. Solving the murder is more complicated when the trail leads to a dangerous secret group and so many suspects and motives. Bree, Matt, and her loyal deputies have to dig deep. Meanwhile, her chief deputy and Matt’s sister seem to have something going on and Bree is learning to take help, including with raising her niece and nephew on their family farm.

In all these books, Bree is up against a lot from her own tortured past needing to be dealt with, to being a woman attempting to prove herself in a tough mostly male job, powerful people who have their own agenda for her department, and all the way to some tricky cases. Dead Against Her digs deep and pushes her hard with all that, plus the insidious attack on her reputation.

I loved seeing her work through it all and getting past her vulnerable and raw feelings, looking to Matt as a trustworthy man in her personal life and on the job. Matt is also settled in what he wants with Bree and her family and what he can do now that he’s contracted as an investigator and working with his retired K-9 companion, Brody.

I figured out the killer early, but that took nothing from the suspense because there was a lot more going on than just fingering the person and they did it by the book with their investigation and following the evidence trail. There were actually a few mysteries that may or may not have anything to do with the murder, and I liked that extra complication. This one had some nail-biter moments and particularly the last big money scene.

Wrapping it up, I blew through it and was left chagrined to have to wait once again for a new installment. The romance is secondary to the suspense, but the series development and background on the characters is strong. The slow build and confusion at the beginning untangles and picks up the pace to a rush at the end and works great for this type of story. Those who like police procedural murder mysteries with good character development should definitely grab up the beginning of the series.

Bree is back, and the bad guy wants to take her out, permanently! After being called out on a welfare check, Bree finds one of her former deputies has been brutally killed. With allegations that she ran him off the force, eyes turn to Bree as a possible suspect in his death.The more Bree investigates, the more dirt she uncovers, and the closer she gets to a criminal who wants her gone.

Filled with twists and turns, this one will keep you up late turning the pages!

Wow!!!
Dead Against Her is such a fast moving, suspenseful book. I couldn’t stop reading it!
A shocking double homicide has Sheriff Bree Taggert and her deputies working round the clock to figure out what is going on. Investigator Matt Flynn is assisting them as more and more mysterious situations arise.
What a fast paced police procedural! Throw in a paramilitary aspect, internet slander along with dog rescue/training and a sweet romance….a must read for sure!
Dead Against Her is book 5 in the Bree Taggert series. This is my first book to read in the series. I had no issue reading this as a standalone read. With that said, I do want to read the completer series!
I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a intense and intriguing mystery.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

This was amazing! I love this series. You feel like you are sucked in from the very beginning and not turned loose until the very end. This one has a really great villain you don't see coming until they are revealed. Then you sit back stunned because you didn't see them coming. Love the characters, plot and the whole shebang. I cannot wait until the next one!

Dead Against Her (Bree Taggert #5) by Melinda Leigh
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance
Published: May 17, 2022

Dead Against Her is the fifth book in the Bree Taggert series by Melinda Leigh. This book can easily be read as a standalone book or enjoyed as part of the series. (Thanks for Kindle Unlimited I was able to binge the entire series in preparation to dive into this one!)

I don't even know where to start....I absolutely loved this book! Sheriff Bree Taggert is a strong, independent woman who has overcome so much. She is now the guardian of her niece and nephew and is learning how to trust, love, and ask for help. As the new sheriff in town, she has a lot to prove, to herself, her staff, and to the community, and she has made some enemies along the way.

This book felt so relevant to the added burdens women face today: trying to balance work and family, aggressive men, inappropriate & threatening emails, and internet crimes to shame and discredit them.

I absolutely love the characters in this book! Bree is fierce and amazing. I love her family and friends.

The storyline was incredible! This is fast paced, filled with action, and so many twists and turns as Bree tries to figure out who the murderer is! I could not put this one down! I was on the edge of my seat (and stayed up late) so I could see how is ended! Incredible!!!!

I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy crime dramas! 5 Stars!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An enjoyable book which is a typical crime / police procedure theme. Good characters and a great storyline, I think however if I had of read the previous books I would have enjoyed it more.