This was just a straight up, quality police procedural - exactly what I was hoping for and it completely satisfied that craving I had for that old school feeling of binging CSI and Criminal Minds episodes. The reader is happy to be reunited with the protagonist after the first book in this series (The Sorority Murders), and between the loss of her son and the breakdown of her marriage, we have that tried and true theme of "detective with personal demons handles cases with cold precision."

The twists are satisfying and well-placed. Overall, it was a solid, sturdy addition to this classic police procedural category and I will happily recommend this series to any fans of the genre!

[I received a digital arc for an honest review]

Don’t Open the Door by Allison Brennan is the second book following Regan Merritt, retired US Marshall. Regan is gutted to find out that her best friend and old boss Tommy has been murdered while investigating the death of her son. She never expects to return to Virginia and be enthralled in a tangled web of lies, greed and vengeance. With the help of her old co-worker Charlie, Regan attempts to understand what Tommy had found and try to save her ex-husband, Grant, who is potentially the catalyst for it all.

I found myself enjoying some moments of this story immensely as the secrets and lies were revealed but just as much kept wondering how much longer until these things came to light. The pacing seemed off and there seemed to be a lot of filler where it wasn’t necessary. Add in perspectives from characters that were relatively minor and the book felt long. Regan as a character is a bit off putting in her dry clinical approach to even her own son’s murder. Grant was frustrating because for someone seemingly so intelligent, he made so many bad choices. Overall I was glad to read this book after the introduction to Regan in the sorority murders.

3 stars for Regan trying to unravel the lies and secrets of so many unnecessary deaths.

I was definitely intrigued with the character Regan Merritt in the first book in this series, and I was thrilled to see there was a follow up. The blurb does a good job with the synopsis, so I'm not going to give many details past that, except to say that I really like Regan Merritt. I get her.

Of course this is an emotional journey for Regan, looking for her son's killer and some clues pointing to her ex-husband. But all is not quite what it seems and it does take many pages for all the clues to come into view.

The book starts out with a devastating scene that hooked me for the next 24 hours as I devoured this book. The pace of this was much quicker than the first book in the series, and I liked that very much, although sometimes the clues of the story were a bit hard to follow. No matter. I still had a great experience reading this book.

This book just blew me away with it's action and Regan's relentless pursuit of the truth, no matter how much danger she may have been in. The pace of this is terrific, and I didn't want to put this down. A terrific crime drama thriller with a strong female character.

Regan Merritt quit the Marshal service and left town ten months ago after the murder of her son, Chase, and the subsequent unraveling of her marriage. Her ex, Grant blamed her job for the murder, and the FBI closed the case without satisfying answers. However, her former partner, Tommy, leaves a message that he’s had some breaks in the case and is close to finding out the truth. Then Regan finds out Tommy’s been murdered right after making the call.

Regan heads back to Virginia determined to find justice for Tommy and her son with the help of the US Marshals office at her back. As Tommy’s laptop and phone were stolen in the assault, Regan has to piece together the clues in other ways. She’s surprised to find out Tommy’s been talking to her ex-husband a lot!

I love Allison Brennan’s mysteries, so I was excited to get more Regan Merritt, the star of her newer mystery series. In the last book, The Sorority Murder, when we meet Regan, she’s back in her childhood home in Arizona, grieving her son’s death, and she’s drawn into an old cold case. Her personal crisis wasn’t at the forefront of that story, but it is here. Sometimes it’s a gradual process, getting to know a character, becoming invested in their story and I really feel Don’t Open the Door solidified that for me with Regan. More than just a police procedural mystery, which was compelling on its own, I cared about the personal lives of her characters, too!

As Regan pieces together the clues it’s apparent she’s getting closer to the truth as she faces danger at every turn. I was nervous for her and a few characters while reading! Definitely a page turner!

Don’t Open the Door was a riveting police procedural, with perfectly imperfect, complex characters! The mystery is solved and while still painful for Regan, I feel like she had to get through this to open her up to other possibilities in the future. I’m excited to discover what’s next for Regan Merritt!

Thank you HTP for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm usually a vet at jumping into a series wherever I please, but this is a case where you need to read #1. Thusforth (sometimes thus just isn't fancy schmancy enough), I'm putting this on hold until I read #1.

4.5 stars

Allison Brennan was a new-to-me author with The Wrong Victim, but she quickly became someone whose books I knew I had to keep reading. This story is the second in her Reagan Merritt series. While it can be read as a standalone title (I haven’t read the first book yet), trying to pick up the series here will leave you wondering a little about the relationships between the characters and feeling like this story might be better enjoyed with some of the context from the previous one. All that said, it was a great read. The plot and suspense were very complex, so I had a difficult time putting this book down to do all the adult things I needed to do in a day. Darn reality. I would rather have stayed in this book until it was all said and done. I’m still very much looking forward to what comes next from this author.

Regan Merritt has never been able to accept the FBI’s theory that her sons murder was a result of Regan’s job as a U.S. Marshal. However, they were never able to find any other leads. In the aftermath of his murder, Regan’s marriage falls apart and the only way she can find closure is to leave Virginia and return to her home in Arizona. One morning Regan wakes up to a voicemail from her old boss, Tommy, saying that he has new evidence in the case. However, Tommy is murdered before Regan Can return his call. Regan returns to Virginia to try and recover the evidence that Tommy found. As she investigates, all the signs start pointing to her ex-husband, Grant, as the actual target and Chase’s death being an unfortunate mistake. However, Grant isn’t talking and all the possible witnesses start to turn up dead. Regan is determined to face her pain over Chase’s death and do whatever it takes to finally uncover the truth.

Don’t Open the Door is the second book in the Regan Merritt series’s. In the first book the reader learns a little about Regan’s backstory but in the second installment we are able to see the whole picture and get to know her better. I really enjoyed the characters and their development, especially Regan. This book felt like an introduction to the main character making it seem like a more natural beginning to the series than The Sorority Murder did. I enjoyed that book but felt like I didn’t have a clear picture of who Regan was. Don’t Open the Door gave me that piece I was missing. The story has short chapters with a medium pace that picks up near the end. This novel has a high level of suspense and all the twists. The puzzle was so hard to put together but eventually all the pieces fell into place in the action packed conclusion. Don’t Open the Door was even better than the first installment of this series and I’m excited to see what comes next!

When Regan Merritt's son is tragically murdered, her life essentially falls apart. Unable to face life together after, Regan and her husband, Grant, divorce. Soon after that Regan quits her job and moves to Arizona to be closer to her dad. Things are going well for her there - until her former boss calls. He tells her he's uncovered important information big enough to reopen the investigation into her son's murder. Then, not even a day later, she finds out he's been murdered as well. Her ex-husband is also acting very suspicious. What exactly is going on? And can Regan figure it out before more people show up dead?

Wow! What a wild ride this one was! I'm so glad I read most of this one knowing just the basics, that it involves finding out what really happened to her son. (Major content warning - as the day of his murder is talked about in sometimes heartbreaking detail) The minute I read the summary I found myself waiting for the demise of a partner or coworker. Of course, that didn't make it any less brutal though, once it happened. This is a really great action packed legal/murder-mystery, but I think I liked book one a little more. That said, this particular story did have a lot of threads to tie together and I think it pulled it off in a satisfying way. I really enjoy Allison Brennan's style of writing and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Allison Brennan knows how to write a thriller. I devoured this book and could not wait to see what would be happening next. The characters were realistic, with real issues and real feelings. I really enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the history shared between the characters. For some reason, I did not read the first book in the Regan Merritt Series, but I had no problem jumping right into this book and figuring out what was going on. I am now going to go back and read the book.

Regan has lived a mother’s worse nightmare. Her son, Chase, was murdered. Her marriage did not survive the death. The man, Tommy, who is investigating the reason Chase was killed has called her to say he has information for her. I wanted Tommy to be her hero, to figure out why Chase had to die but unfortunately Tommy was killed before he could share what he knew. Regan returns to Tommy’s home and finds out more than she thought. The clues were there, the path was laid, and I walked (read) right down it. I was sure I knew where the author was taking me, but I was not entirely correct.

Don’t Open the Door has cemented Allison Brennan as a must-read author for me. She is an auto purchase and recommend to everyone. If you love a good thriller, she is the author for you.

While I think you can read Allison Brennan’s Don’t Open the Door and enjoy it without having read the first book (The Sorority Murder), the truth is you’ll get so much more out of it if you’re familiar with the events of that first book.

This one starts off with a bang. ( a series of them actually) Following the events of The Sorority Murder, Regan Merritt quit her job, is now divorced, and is trying to move on with her life. Her old partner, however, wasn’t able to let things go so easy, and he thinks he’s found something. But before he can tell her he is killed. And his is just the first body to drop…pulling Regan back into a search for the truth. Great characters in an intensely gripping story. This one kept me glued from start to finish. I’d like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Don’t Open the Door.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RUP1TUF725313/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Allison Brennan hands down is one of the best mystery writers I have ever read. Her ability to pull readers in from page one and keep them readers until they have read every single book she has written. This is book 2 in the Regan Merritt series which can be read as a stand-alone novel or read part of the series. The author catches up readers quickly so you will know the major characters right off the bat.

The characters are well developed, and each have a purpose and a reason for being in the story. The story written as readers are given answered to all their question not leaving any plot holes.

This story will not disappoint Allison Brennan fans and those seek a new mystery thriller writer.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan

This book is a follow-up to The Sorority Murder, the first book featuring former U.S. Marshal Regan Merritt, but it would also work well as a standalone. I loved The Sorority Murder, in part because Regan is such a likable character. She was devastated by the murder of her young son, but is trying to get past that tragedy. In Don't Open the Door, there is new information about the death of her son. She travels back to Virginia to learn more, and ends up having to deal with her ex-husband who is definitely hiding something, but could he be a murderer?

The plot of this book is overly complicated and parts of the story move slowly. Even though I still like Regan, this story didn't hold my interest the way the first book did. I liked the dramatic showdown between Regan and a killer near the end and I like the way the story ended. Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one, I really hope there is a third book in this series so we can see how Regan will live the next chapter in her life. (3.5 stars)

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Mira at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

I love the first book in this series, so I expected another great read with this one and this book totally delivered.

What I like:
- The Mystery. Finally I get to know what really happened to Regan's son and who's responsible for it.
- The Suspense. The suspense in this book was superb, my heart races from the beginning, and there's so many hold my breaths moments like when I'm watching suspense movies. All the chasing and attacks just got me on the edge of my seat. And I got those "OMG this character will die", "Is she/he going to die?", "OMG will they survive this?", and "Oh no..no..no" feelings. So yeah the suspense is superb.
- All the feelings this book brings. I can feel the frustration, the anger, and the pain.
- Multi POV. POV from Regan to the assassin, the target, the witness, the victime, those multi POV definetely upped the ante.
- Regan, she's one hell of heroine, badass female character.

What I don't like: too many repetitions, a bit annoying for me, but the suspense made it all up, so in the end I'm find with it

Recommended: yes especially if you're looking for suspense read.

Don’t Open The Door is the second book in Allison Brennan’s Regan Merritt Series. I have read this as a stand-alone and feel it was not an issue, however I will go back and read The Sorority Murder because I am that intrigued. This is a well written murder mystery and was a pleasure to read. The characters are well developed and relatable. It is filled with secrets, murder, suspense and a ton of mystery. Ms. Brennan will keep you guessing through out and that ending…..well read the book, you will be surprised. I enjoyed the writing style and storytelling abilities of this author!!! She does not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Mira and Allison Brennan for this suspenseful story to read and review. The opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #harlequintradepublishing. #mira
#dontopenthedoor #allisonbrennan. #arc
#htpinfluencer

Following the death of her son, US Marshall Regan Merritt’s whole life collapsed, including her marriage. She quit her job and moved across the country to be closer to her family, grieve her loss, and figure out how to rebuild her life. But her best friend and former boss, Tommy, isn’t convinced of the motive behind the shooting. He has been working on his own, off-the-book investigation, and on the morning he is headed into the office to share the information he’s discovered, he’s shot before he can even leave his driveway.

Regan returns to retrace Tommy’s steps in an effort to piece together whatever he found in order to find justice for Tommy and reveal the truth behind why he and her son were killed.

This novel is the second in the series, and while it could probably be read as a stand-alone, the reader will really benefit from reading both in order. The first book, The Sorority Murder, includes the backstory of the main character, which really propels the narrative in the second. It starts out slow, but picks up, and includes enough twists and red herrings that I wasn’t able to figure out quite who was behind it all before the conclusion (which I’m usually able to do), so that’s a win for me. The way various subplots got resolved here could either mark the end of the series, or allow the main character to proceed unencumbered, into a new career path and state where her family members take on more prominent roles. I’m really hoping the author selects the latter!

Harlequin/MIRA via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Grief and duplicity steal the show in this action packed web of heart and deceit! I was hooked from start to finish on DON'T OPEN THE DOOR! The second book in Allison Brennan's Regan Merritt series is unputdownable and addictive. There's mystery, turmoil, angst and healing and I loved every minute of it!

Regan proved in the first book of the series to be strong and tenacious and to see her walk down the path to finding out what truly happened to her son is powerful. I hope to see more of her.

I highly recommend this book as well as the prior one in the series to anyone that enjoys a fast paced dive into an intriguing storyline with lies and secrets popping up around every corner.

Sophomore slump or was my disappointment because The Sorority Murders was so so good? Or maybe I wanted Regan to mhttps://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/079fe26a-c1c3-47c2-a4de-d80e17aad8a2ove forward and not backwards. But, of course she needed resolution to the murder of her son, the event that changed her life completely. This second book in the series provided that closure along with a lot of character development for Regan. Not so much for anyone else. The plot was twisty and convoluted and a good one, but somehow I finished the book glad it was over and ready to move on. Thankfully it sounds like Regan is too because I want to see where she goes next.

Great second book in the series. We finally get some answers as to what happened in the accident that killed her son Chase, who done it and why!! This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end!

Don't Open the Door, by author Allison Brennan, is the second installment in the authors Reagan Merritt series. US Marshal Tommy Grange, Reagan Merritt's former partner, was on an unauthorized investigation into what happened to Reagan's 10-year-old son Chase that saw her quit the Marshal service, and leave for Arizona to be with her father, a retired Sheriff. Tommy believed that he had evidence that her son was mistakenly killed, and that he wasn't the intended target that day. Before he could lay out his plans to his boss, he was assassinated and all evidence disappears.

Over the past 9 months, former US Marshal Reagan has been avoiding facing the death of her son Chase, until she gets a voice message from her ex co-worker and friend Tommy Grange. A message that claimed that he knew who had her son killed. After learning about Tommy's death, Even though Reagan saw Tommy weeks ago, she learns that Tommy reopened a case into the murder of Chase which her ex-husband Grant Warwick blamed on her and her job. Also, it's apparent that Tommy was talking to Grant before his murder.

Regan felt she had to resign her position as a US Marshal after the shocking murder of Chase in their suburban Virginia home while she was on a job. Being blamed for her son's murder by her own husband never made any sense. But, unable to reconcile their grief, and full of recriminations against each other, Reagan and Grant separated, then quickly divorced, and Regan moved back to her hometown of Flagstaff Arizona where she got involved in the Sorority Murders. Tommy's investigation has apparently opened a can of worms.

Reagan, with a push from her friend at the US Marshal's service, discovers that key players in the case of her son's death are either dead, or holding vital information. Including Grant who has moved on from Reagan and found a new girlfriend who works with him at his law firm. After reaching out for Grant to find out what he told Tommy, Grant gets cold feet and doesn't seem to want to talk about what he thinks he now knows. Regan has always suspected that Chase’s murder might have more to do with Grant’s work rather than her own but now the feeling is growing.

Grant's firm handles legal matters for some high profile but questionable clients who would do anything to bury information that could ruin a persons life, or reputations. When's Grant's new lover is murdered, Grant becomes the prime suspect. Reagan must rely on all her resources to stop the carnage before yet another innocent life is taken while exposing the truth behind their son’s tragic murder. Readers are lead through is a mystery involving her ex-husband, his law practice and partner, a senator, a bank robbery gone awry and the FBI who has a mole and making things difficult. This is a story that will keep you on your toes. It moves from Reagan, to Grant, to an assassin who is very very good at his job. The surprises keep coming right to the final chapter.

Okay, I wanted to like this book. I didn't realize it was a sequel, which set me back quite a bit. I had to fill in a lot of information that I was just expected to know. There was so much going on with in this book that it felt like having half a dozen half-baked subplots, rather than a solid main storyline with a subplot. It felt a little to....TV for me. Not a bad book by any means, but not for me.