Cover Image: No Time to Breathe

No Time to Breathe

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Member Reviews

Lisa is such an interesting protagonist with plenty of baggage of her own. Yes, this is part of a series but you can definitely read it as a stand alone. The author is extremely skilled in setting a scene which comes to life and has placed some seriously compelling characters in her world. A very satisfying read.

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Lisa Jamison – an investigative journalist in her hometown of Seneca Springs, New York. She is thirty-four years old and has a teenage daughter, whom she adores. She was a teenage runaway who became pregnant at fifteen. Completely estranged from her birth family, Lisa has only herself to thank for her success in life. Currently she lives with her boyfriend, Patrick, a former FBI agent who is now in law school.

Bridget Jamison – nineteen and attending university in Arizona. She adores her mother and Dorothy and comes back to Seneca Falls whenever she can.

Dorothy – is Lisa’s best friend who is thirty-one years her senior. Dorothy began living with them to care for Lisa’s daughter Bridget, when she was younger and Lisa worked odd hours. Now, Dorothy, an artist, is a much loved part of the family. Dorothy now runs an artist’s retreat, so no longer lives with Lisa.

MY THOUGHTS

As with the first two novels in this series, the writing was very assured and polished. A former crime journalist, the author is a seasoned writer.

Lisa is a strong, courageous, and intelligent protagonist whom you can’t help but root for.

When she stops by her local gym to begin her morning kickboxing routine, Lisa finds the gym owner, Ricky, in his office. He cannot breathe and is choking on his own blood after being shot twice at close range. Lisa is a suspect in the eyes of the police. She is determined to find Ricky’s killer and clear her own name. Her investigation opens a real can of worms.

I loved the unique family dynamic and rooted for each and every one of them throughout each tension-filled page. The excellent characterization gives this suspense crime thriller more heft than many of its peers.

With difficult themes such as political corruption, organized crime, illegal gambling, and journalistic ethics, this crime thriller was tension-filled.

Though touted as a mystery, I would classify it more as a gritty, urban noir crime thriller.

All in all, “No Time To Breathe” was a more than worthy addition to the Lisa Jamison crime series. The ending was such that this could possibly be the end of the series, or, alternately, it could take Lisa Jamison in a new direction. This is a novel, and a series, that I can recommended.

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Lori Duffy Foster always thrills you. This book was amazing and I will be reading more books by this author.

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The third in the Lisa Jamison series, No Time to Breathe is an action-packed mystery/thriller that leaves you wondering who to trust right to the very end. When Lisa, an investigative journalist, finds her friend, Ricky, dead at the gym he owns, she becomes a suspect as well as the next possible victim. Eager to clear her name and find Ricky’s killer, Lisa’s investigation leads her to Ricky’s brother, a gambling addict. Was he involved in his brother’s death?

At the same time, Gloria, her boyfriend Patrick’s former FBI partner and lover, shows up to re-establish their friendship, and Lisa is suspicious of her motives. A strong, independent woman, Lisa centers on solving her friend’s murder while setting aside her emotions in dealing with relationship concerns and issues from her childhood. Author Lori Duffy Foster draws on her years of experience as a journalist in creating a realistic main character for her series, with enough of Lisa’s history referenced to allow No Time to Breathe to be read as a stand-alone mystery. The challenges of being a journalist in the changing newspaper industry are well-portrayed as they affect Lisa’s career and her choices for the future.

The suspense builds throughout the book as Lisa’s life is in danger and she continues to actively investigate the people she suspects killed her friend despite being warned by the police to let them do their job (which they don’t seem to be doing). Lisa proves herself as a tough investigator and a worthy counterpart to the male crime fiction characters who have traditionally dominated the genre. As the plot progresses, the pace quickens and the pages flip faster with each twist and cliff-hanger, leading to powerful revelations and an explosive conclusion. A great read for lovers of the traditional mystery genre!

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No time to kill
By Lori Duffy

This is the third book in the series. Can definitely be read as a standalone.
This mystery suspense, thriller kept me reading.

Lisa is an investigative journalist. After her run, she goes into the gym, and she finds her friend dead! Because she’s the last to see him alive. She becomes a suspect.
She uses her skill and goes after the facts like a cop would. She leaves nothing unturned. The risk she takes has me on the edge of my seat.
Was Lisa the killer? Or did she find the killer?

I was given this ARC by netGalley for my honest review.

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Another solid entry in Duffy Foster’s Lisa Jamison series. The author’s experience as a crime reporter shines through in her intricate and realistic plots. I continue to enjoy her work and will continue recommending it to mystery readers.

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Another amazing book by Lori. This book sucked me in right from the beginning. I really enjoyed reading this. Definitely a 5 star must read. I have to say this is one of my favorite books I've read this year

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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I wasn't aware this was part of a series when I requested the early copy. That being said the story was a bit hard to follow at times. I did enjoy the book and will be back tracking this series.

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I have been a big fan of the Lisa Jamison series. I couldn't wait to read this one. I have to say it was god but definitely not my favorite. I still want more of some of the other characters. There is a lot to see in Dorothy. I know there is. I also found the plot to be just a little meh. When you find out who did it and why, it feels disengaged from the story. And the casino thing hardly seemed worth all of the trouble they put into it. But I don't understand criminals. I will read the next book in the series. I know I will. This will not be listed as my favorite.

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No Time To Breathe
Lisa Jamison
Lori Duffy Foster
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Journalist Lisa Jamison wants to blow off some steam after an argument with her boyfriend, so she heads to her friend Ricky’s kickboxing studio for an early morning workout. She expects to find Ricky alone, setting up for his first class of the day, but someone was there before Lisa, uninvited. Ricky is dead, shot only moments before she arrived, and now Lisa is a suspect in his murder. Lisa wants two things: to clear her name and seek justice for Ricky. But the deeper she digs, the more the danger mounts. Can she find Ricky’s killer before the killer eliminates the last obstacle, silencing Lisa for good?

Review:

When Lisa goes to the kickboxing studio for a workout, she finds the owner dead. Ricky was her friend and she cannot think of a reason somebody would kill him. But someone did kill him and she will have to figure out who. She is a suspect in his murder and she knows she did not kill him. She will have some help from her boyfriend and her friend Dorothy.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Throughout the whole book there was a certain tension and suspense that I felt when I was reading. The mystery was well plotted and had me engaged page after page.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written mystery. These books are very good.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Level Best Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

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Journalist Lisa Jamison wants to blow off some steam after an argument with her boyfriend, so she heads to her friend Ricky’s kickboxing studio for an early morning workout. She expects to find Ricky alone, setting up for his first class of the day, but someone was there before Lisa, uninvited. Ricky is dead, shot only moments before she arrived, and now Lisa is a suspect in his murder. Lisa wants two things: to clear her name and seek justice for Ricky. But the deeper she digs, the more the danger mounts. Can she find Ricky’s killer before the killer eliminates the last obstacle, silencing Lisa for good?

An amazing read. A perfectly crafted thriller. My first and certainly not my last read by Lori Duffy Foster. Will recommend to others.

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This book was very interesting and my first by this author. I was drawn in from start to finish. I was very happy to receive a copy to review. I love getting to know new authors. This one also has a cool name!

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No Time to Breathe takes place a year or so after the events of Never Broken. Lisa is still working at the paper, but layoffs and cutbacks threaten her job. She also lives with her boyfriend, whom she met during her investigation in Never Broken. An argument with her boyfriend sends Lisa on a jog, leading her to her friend Ricky’s kickboxing studio, where Lisa plans to blow off some steam. But Lisa wasn’t expecting to find Ricky dying of a gunshot wound as soon as she walked in. Lisa also wasn’t expecting the police to make her their main suspect. Lisa decides that she needs to do two things: clear her name and find Ricky’s killer. But Lisa is running against the clock because whoever killed Ricky has her next on their list, and they won’t stop until Lisa dies. Can Lisa find the killer before they kill her? What is the motive behind Ricky’s murder?

No Time to Breathe is book 3 in the Lisa Jamison series. While readers can read this book as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the first two books to understand the backstories and relationships shown in the book.

No Time to Breathe is a fast-paced book in Seneca Springs, New York. The book lagged slightly in the middle (when Lisa was juggling everything), but the author got the book back on track.

The main storyline in No Time to Breathe is Ricky’s murder, Lisa’s investigation, and her being a suspect. I was a little irritated at how the police handled his murder. Until the FBI got involved, they were content to pin the murder on Lisa, even though she didn’t have her gun on her (she locked it at home), and some people backed her up on where she was right before the murder. The investigating officer was a jerk to her and didn’t take her seriously. He was a smug idiot when he dropped the fact that she was having an affair with Ricky (she wasn’t), and he wasn’t willing to listen to her. It took two attempts on her life, one which almost killed her, and the FBI getting involved for Officer Jerk to take his laser focus off Lisa and look at the evidence she gathered (and there was quite a bit). Once that happened, the storyline smoothed out, and things went as I thought they would. But still, that officer (well, Detective) was an idiot.

There were a couple of secondary storylines that supported the main storyline perfectly. The one that caught my attention was the storyline with her boyfriend, his ex-partner, her and her boyfriend’s relationship, and the relationship he had with his ex-partner. I enjoyed that Lisa and Patrick didn’t have a lovey-dovey relationship. They had issues (mainly due to a lack of time spent with each other), but they were working through them. And when Gloria appeared back in their lives, Lisa wasn’t thrilled about it. Neither was Patrick, but he didn’t share that with Lisa. I thought it would be the making of a messy love triangle, but then the author spun that around and ended that idea pretty fast.

I loved Lisa in this book. Not only was she going to solve Ricky’s murder (and shove it in Officer Jerk’s face), but she was going to keep herself out of jail. I will admit, I was scared for her towards the end of the book (how many times can one be hurt?) Her toughness shone throughout the book. Besides being tough, she was a great friend, and the author showcased it in the book’s last chapter.

The mystery/thriller/suspense angles of No Time to Breathe were terrific. The author did a great job weaving a suspenseful plot that kept me glued to the book. And the mystery angle was excellent, also. I honestly couldn’t figure out who killed Ricky and why. I did figure out a tiny part, but the whole picture was so much more than that. I didn’t see the twist in the plotline, and it left me shaking my head. Mainly because I thought the person behind the killings was already in jail (a tiny spoiler from Book 2). But the biggest twist came with what Lisa decided to do at the end of the book. Again, I wasn’t expecting the storyline to go in that direction, but now that I read it, I can see why the author wanted her to do that.

The end of No Time to Breathe was action-packed and kept me glued to the book (and yes, I know I repeated myself). Again repeating myself, but I was not expecting who the killer was or the reasons behind it. The author did wrap those storylines up, and I cannot wait to read book 4!!

I would recommend No Time to Breathe to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and mild sexual situations.

Many thanks to Level Best Books, IBPA, Member’s Titles, NetGalley, and Lori Duffy Foster for allowing me to read and review No Time to Breathe. Any opinions stated in this review are mine.

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This was my first book by this author, so I wasn't sure what I could expect. I liked the concept of the story and how it all came together in the end! I just, personally, wasn't a fan of the writing style. I felt like I missed some things and sometimes there was too much background and I just skimmed over it because I wasn't very interested. Overall, an okay book!

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Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for the copy of No Time To Breathe by Lori Duffy Foster. This is the fourth book I have read by this author and the writing didn’t feel authentic. Unlike the other books, the writing felt choppy because of the lack of contractions. It’s the most noticeable in the dialogue. Who says “I am” instead of “I’m”or “I will” instead of “I’ll” every time? All I could think about was how annoying the book would be to listen to. Lisa is a good character, but you have to know more about the backstory of some of the other characters to really appreciate them. The story is really good, and is the reason I kept reading even though the writing style made it difficult. If you love a good story with a main character that doesn’t do drugs or drink to excess, this is the book for you. I can’t wait to see what Lisa does next, I just hope the writing improves.

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No Time To Breath is the 4th book I’ve read by Lori Duffy Foster and I feel that each book is just as good as the one before it. This book is the third in her Lisa Jamison mystery series and they center around Lisa Jamison, a journalist who works at the local newspaper in Seneca Springs, New York. Lisa had a rough childhood, she had lousy parents, she became a mom at 15, but somehow she managed to make something of herself all while raising her daughter. She is very dedicated to her work, she puts in extremely long hours and always seems to get herself into the most dangerous of investigations. In this book, she heads to the kickboxing gym early one morning and walks in to find the owner shot and dying right in front of her. The story continues on with Lisa trying to figure out who killed her friend Ricky and why. All of these books are exciting to read, the danger keeps you flipping the pages because you have to know how it’s all going to turn out. Lisa Jamison is a real badass and I’d love to have her kind of strength and courage. I know I’ve come to really enjoy reading this author and I’d recommend her books to anyone who likes to read mystery, suspense and thrillers. I’d like to thank Lori Duffy Foster for writing such great entertaining stories and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. Just like all the others, this story is well deserving of 5 stars and I’m looking forward to reading more about this character hopefully in the very near future.

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No Time to Breathe i's the third book from the Lisa Jamison series.

Lisa is a reporter for a newspaper that is on the verge of being bought out, which is not a good thing for the employees. One early morning she goes out for a run and decides to stop by her friend's gym to do some kickboxing. When she enters, she hears a strange noise and finds her friend dying on the floor. Lisa calls 911 to wait for the police to arrive and quickly becomes a suspect since she found her friend murdered in his gym. Her boss forbids her from getting involved in the investigation, but Lisa can't let it go. The deeper she digs puts her life in jeopardy.

This is a really fast afternoon read. The story is action-packed and keeps the reader turning the pages.

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No Time to Breathe is the third book in The Lisa Jamison Mystery Series by Lori Duffy Foster. I have read the previous two books in the series and loved them. Having said that this book can be read as a stand-alone but do think you will have a better reading experience with the backstory gained by reading the first two books. Also, they are FANTASTIC.

This book does not disappoint. This is a fast paced mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. I found it very difficult to put this book down.

The characters are well written and fleshed out. The suspense and some romance thrown in make this for the perfect read for mystery lovers.

There were twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end.

Highly recommend!

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Loved this book!!

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jamison is the female lead in this series. She's a loving mother who shows her daughter the love she never received. Lisa is a very dedicated reporter who deserves a promotion. She will go above and beyond to not only report on a case but also to solve it.

These books never let me down and are always page turning.

After finding her friend/gym trainer murdered in his gym, Lisa is hard at work to find his killer. Risking her own life to find out who took his, Lisa will stop at nothing to bring her friend justice

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No Time to Breathe by Lori Duffy Foster is the third book in The Lisa Jamison Mystery Series. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading the first two to understand the main character more. This is a well written murder mystery that will keep you guessing from the very beginning until the very end. It is fast paced and engaging filled with suspense, drama, secrets, murder and even a little romance but the twist and turns will leave you dizzy. A heart pounding thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Ms. Foster is an extremely talented author and I for one love her books. She does not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley, Level Best Books and Lori Duffy Foster for this exhilarating story to read and review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#negalley #levelbestbooks. #loriduffyfoster.
#notimetobreathe. #arc #murdermystery

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