Cover Image: Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime

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A nicely written romance/suspense. Our hero Mark/Mike, wrongly accused of his wife's death, is out of prison after five years. He goes back to his home town disguised, to find out who actually murdered her and to extract revenge. (He has a new face, thanks to plastic surgery. This part I did find very difficult to believe.)

One of the first people he sees in town is Molly, a woman he has been thinking about for years. In fact, since he and his wife had first been on the road to divorce. Molly was married at the time, so she was out of bounds, but was fine for a fantasy woman to think about while Mark was inside prison. There's instant attraction, suspense, strange accidents etc. It was a decent read and not too long, though had no surprises for me. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for my opinion. I will be checking out other books by the new to me author.

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I really enjoyed this book by Rebecca York. The plot was exciting and the characters were well-developed. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

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When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.

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This was hard for me to get into at first but once it got started man did it get start. Mark is framed for murdering his wife! After 5 years he is cleared of the crime. He’s decides to go back home and find the man who framed him. When he gets home he finds more then he bargained for including the woman of his dreams!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

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NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Ms. York has done it again. A fantastic tale of redemption, love and second chances. Some of your old favorites are here as well as new characters. Look forward to the next installment.

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I love a good romantic suspense, and this book was not one. I tried, really I did, but it was almost a DNF. Instead, I skimmed the last half and breathed a sigh of relief when I finished it.

The basic premise is good: A man is wrongly convicted of killing his wife and spends five years in prison before the case is overturned. He returns to the scene of the crime determined to find out the truth and runs into an old friend, a woman, for whom he'd always had a bit of a thing for.

The devil is in the details though. There is virtually no character development. As a result, we know nothing about the type of person Mike was before his conviction. We get that he was nice and perhaps a bit paunchy, but did he have family? Friends? Anyone who stuck by him and then later visited him in prison? Instead, we just get his alter ego Mark, who comes off a little bit like vaguely unhinged stalker.

Molly is not much better. She too seems to have no family or true friends. How well she knew Mike back in the day is hazy. At times, it seems like he was just an acquaintance that he lusted after from afar (and--yick--got his rocks off thinking about her in prison), but at other times, it seems like they were friends. However, if they were friends, why didn't she stand by him five years before or make any effort to communicate with him since? She claims that she never believed he was guilty, and yet she pretty much wrote him off as soon as he was arrested.

The two run into each other on Mark's first day back in town, and in spite of Mark being kind of weird, she finds herself attracted to him. At first, she doesn't know he's Mike because after all, he had plastic surgery. (He has a mask of his old face though that he dons upon occasion. Also fairly creepy.) But she feels like she knows him, so I guess it's okay that he's a little gross?

Action wise, there's a lot of hiding out in vacant houses and condos, a little random car theft, and a fair amount of getting shot at. I just didn't care who was shooting at them or why. And throughout it all, I just couldn't figure out why either of them wanted to be in that town. Just odd.

I'm sorry that I can't give this book a better review but I did promise that my review would be an honest one. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

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Ms York is a new-to-me author, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up. I found the story to be interesting and entertaining and it kept my attention all the way through. This fast-paced mystery thriller had me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages anxious to see what happens next. The book was cleverly written with a smooth storyline. Things are not what they seem to be and the plot twists kept up the suspense and mystery. Mark is a strong character. He is accused of killing his wife and comes back with a new identity to prove his innocence. This book will have you glued till the end. A thrilling read I thoroughly enjoyed!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

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Hmm, a part of me was engaged with this tale whilst the disbelieving part said huh! I understood and enjoyed until he donned that mask the first time. Sorry

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In a Face-Off-esque redemption plot, Mark returns to the scene of the crime. The crime scene is located in a small little town where he thought he and his wife would live happily ever after. Unfortunately for him, someone wanted him out of the way. What he uncovers is wild and the enemies he suspected were not all that they appeared to be.

Within the first few pages after a disorienting prison shanking scene, it becomes clear that Mark is an innocent man, convicted of his wife's murder. Mark's desire to find out who framed him and who really killed his wife is understandable. The method he goes about it is a complete train wreck. Quite frankly, I have no idea how this entire plan worked because his plan was half baked plus he possesses zero skill sets to solve the case.

What does Mark have going for him? I guess it is all based on perspectives. I recently saw a meme stating ... These guys worked out every day. Had sex 2 to 3 times every day. 3 free meals were provided daily and they had free time to read 2 books a week. Yet they bitterly complained about being in prison. For Mark, he definitely took advantage of working out. 5 years after his release, his body is now chiseled. There are some other things he does to make him unrecognizable, but are people really this unobservant? My guess is yes.

Whilst Mark is playing amateur detective without anyone knowing, he falls upon a woman he previously lusted after . . . Molly. Molly's circumstances have changed in the past 5 years since Mark last saw her. Now a single woman, Mark decides to pursue her in this ill-advised redemption journey. Honestly, I don't know how more people didn't die in this book. The conflicts and the crimes are a bit convoluted. I needed to suspend my disbelief the entire time I read this book. Still, I did find this romantic suspense enjoyable. This romance is recommended to readers who like plots where the innocent man uses his second chance to prove everyone wrong.

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Quick read,mystery and romance,righting wrongs.Our hero wants to clear his name and find out who killed his wife. Plenty of surprises.

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Full disclosure I downloaded this via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I dont generally read books out if sync. I usually like to read from books 1 2 onwards. But as this is a stand alone I broke my own rules for it. The blurb is what drew me in. I love a good mystery /thriller. In terms of that it was good. The romance side of it was a bit much. The kind where its labelled as insta love. But that is personal preference. The mystery thriller side is eth kept me going.

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When I read the book information I liked what a different, unusual angle it presented. I thought it held a lot of promise and I was hopeful that it would deliver. And for me, it did !
Mike/ Mark had me pulling for him quickly because of the groundwork that the author laid. The emotions were there, as was the injustices that he had gone through. The struggles that he had been going through and what he was going through now was well shown. As was his attraction to Molly. Molly who was strangely attracted to Mark, feeling almost like she knew him. How could that be when they just met?
There was a slew of suspects without leaving me feeling overwhelmed. There is plenty of surprises but with a very happy note as it comes to the end.

" I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley. And these are my honest opinions about it.”

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There’s a lot of subterfuge in this book. He was sent too jail for 5 years until he was able to prove himself innocent of killing his wife. Now he’s back under a new identity and he’s going to catch who set him up. Only there’s more to it than he could ever imagine. There is some clever writing in this book.

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This book is a romantic mystery/thriller that is connected to Rebecca York's Decorah Security books. It is definitely not too closely connected to those books - but it does involve the agency and has a plot that is pretty far out there. Think Face Off - but slightly more believable.

Mike Randall was framed and sent to prison for the murder of his wife - the case was largely circumstantial and with the help of the Decorah Security Foundation he was able to get the conviction overturned. Mike used the money from his wife's insurance policy and some money from the foundation to get plastic surgery to get a new face. His plan is to return to the scene of the crime and investigate - to see if he can find out who really set him up for the murder. What he finds in town is way more than he ever bargained for - including a reconnection with a woman he might have had a relationship with if he hadn't been married - Molly.

This book is definitely action packed - but everything that happened felt so out there to me - that it was almost distracting. I liked it - but it definitely wasn't love for me.

Overall - if over-the-top mystery/thrillers are your thing - this one is for you!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

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I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Things aren’t always what they appear to be especially in Perry’s Cove. A wrongful conviction causes Mark to go back to the Cove to figure out who framed him for murder. When he returns, he returns a new man with plastic surgery and a new identity.

He sees Molly on his first day back and sparks fly when they are together. Soon they find themselves on the run from some killers.

This is a fast paced action romance and will have you on your toes.

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Mike Randall was wrongfully committed to spending the rest of his life in prison for the murder of his wife Veronica Randall. His life in prison was torture and the only thing that kept him sane was the fantasies he conjured in his mind about Molly Dumont. Five years of his life wasted away behind a cell, now he is back into civilization thanks to the Decorah Security Foundation and is heading to his hometown Perry Cove to discover the real murderer behind his wife’s killing. Little did he know that the first person he would encounter would be the same woman he fantasized about. Only he’s not the same guy that Molly remembered because of his new appearance. Molly, however, feels the familiarity that she knows him but cannot place it and eventually they begin to get close as he asked her to show him some of the real estates around town.

Mike now known as Mark Ramsey is observed by the sheriff and other townspeople because he is posing as a writer and investigating the Randall murder, but he thought the killer was one man only to discover a conspiracy at hand. Now he and Molly are in danger, and they must take precautions, but Mark is set on uncovering the truth behind his wife's murder.

Mark Ramsey was known before as Mike Randall, he was happily married but his marriage life began to get miserable, and he and his wife became estranged. He didn’t expect that the argument he and Veronica had the night she disappeared would be the starting point for his prison life. The evidence was incriminating, and he was charged with her murder. That was five years ago, now a free man he seeks to get revenge for his wasted years, but he didn’t plan it through well enough and every step he takes lands him in deep water with the sheriff who arrested him then.

Molly Dumont used to run an antique shop with her husband until he committed suicide and because of his death, she was forced to find another source of income which is how she began her job in real estate. While attending one of the jobs she was assigned by her employer, she encountered Mark Ramsey who saved her but at that moment they both experienced a force of attraction and Mark kept on making excuses just to be close to her.

I really loved this book, I wanted it to be longer because I was so indulged in it, by the time I finished it, it was awe-shucks. It was a great book; the story wasn’t boring and even though there was not much suspense I found it a great read. The romance level in the novel was not too intense and was just right for this type of reading. The characters were all interesting especially Mark, who suffered dearly and while he sought out revenge, he also encountered love and uncovered the truth. In the end, he finally got the justice he deserved.

I rate this book 4 out of five stars because it was such a lovely read, I was not disappointed by the story. I read it in one go and was disappointed when it ended. Scene of the Crime by Rebecca York is a riveting story. I would recommend it to romance novel readers though because the mystery/thriller and suspense were not as strong as most mystery/thriller reads because I picked up on the turn of events in the middle of the story which did not prevent me from completing it.

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This is a story about a wrong going to be made right. Mike was wrongfully accused and convicted of killing his wife. The whole town was quick to point fingers and find evidence that was planted to make him look guilty. Now out of prison after five years he is going back to the small town to find out what really happened and clear his name. To do so he had to take on a new identity and have plastic surgery done so people wouldn’t recognize him. As soon as he gets to town he ends up saving the woman he has loved for a long time from being smashed in the head by a falling bucket from the roof of a building. Molly is thankful to be safe and unharmed thanks to this stranger who she feels like she has met before. Along the way Mike starts to uncover what is really going on in the town. One thing for sure he can trust Molly and no one else. Will their love for each other survive the multiple attempts on their life’s? Will they fin out who is to blame for the death of his wife? I was given an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Scene of the crime by Rebecca York.
Decorah Security Series, Book #23.
Can he prove he's innocent of murder?
Wearing a new face, he comes back to the town where he was framed for murder to catch the real killer. Soon after he arrives, he finds the woman he has dreamed about the whole time he was in prison. But he can’t tell her who he really is, and he knows she will hate his duplicity. Then things really heat up when the actual murderers come after them. Can they prove his innocence and work out their relationship before it’s too late?
I really enjoyed this book. Great story and characters. 4*.

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Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a kind of who done it with a storyline that was way out there but enjoyable! I will definitely recommend reading this book, although it wasn't one of my top favorites,, it still was definitely worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

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