Helpless

by Annette Dashofy

Are you up for a solid mystery with lots of action? It’s not quite a police procedural, but close. Zoe, a former paramedic and current county coroner, is married to Pete Adams, police chief in Vance Township. As you read, you will meet a lot of characters and have no trouble keeping track of them. Most of them are people who will put their own lives on the line to insure the safety of others. Some do it as part of their official duties, others because they are good people and good neighbors.
The plot centers around a wife murdered, a husband left for dead under gruesome circumstances, and a child kidnaped. The setting which plays heavily into the plot is Hurricane Iona. Sleuthing and life saving work by the EMS is drastically hampered by pelting rains, destructive winds, flooding and road blockages. Car accidents impede roadways and increase the load on emergency personnel; electrical and cell phone outages cause panics.
As bodies accumulate in the morgue, Zoe is caught between her official duties as coroner and her inner need to support the husband as a former EMS worker and as a friend. She is also called to the death scenes to process the bodies and desperately wants to help her husband find the missing child.
This is a well written book and series. The plot is devised in such a way that the reader wants to keep the story going to hopefully arrive at a happily ever after for the characters. This is not a Hallmark book, however, so don’t expect that level of predictability. I was a little teary eyed at the end, but I admired the author’s fine touch with the conclusion.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery, General Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Notes: 1. #12 in the Zoe Chambers Mystery Series but can be read as a standalone
2. Contains some swearing, but is otherwise clean.

Publication: May 9, 2023—Level Best Books

Memorable Lines:

“What if he asks?” “He won’t. I think he suspects the worse. But as long as no one confirms it, he can go on hoping. My medical training and decades of practice tell me it comes down to that. Hope.

Zoe couldn’t bear merely sitting in her car, staring out the rain-blurred windows. The scene outside looked like an impressionistic painting. The thoughts inside her brain were equally smeared and unclear.

Fantastic. Well paced and the mystery was good. I was drawn in because of the storm.
Many thanks to Level Best and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"As a massive weather system barrels toward them, Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams and his wife, County Coroner Zoe Chambers-Adams, soon learn how unprepared they really are. A 911 call reports a dead young mother, her critically injured husband, and their missing seven-year-old daughter. Pete and Zoe realize that as the storm moved north from Louisiana, a mysterious killer came with it. The wounded and trapped father is Zoe’s friend and blacksmith, and he asks her to stay with him during the rescue efforts. Pete encourages her to oblige, hoping she can uncover clues that might help the investigation. But as attempts to free the victim fail and his condition worsens, Zoe’s questions reveal he doesn’t know why his family was targeted and child kidnapped. Yet he stays alive, hoping for one last glimpse of his little girl. Pursuing the murderer and the kidnapped child, Pete and his officers battle downed trees, massive flooding, and a widespread loss of communications. They’re isolated with no backup, while facing rising water and impassable roads. The killer faces the same problems, yet somehow stays one step ahead of law enforcement. But he is becoming desperate, and more people are dying because of it. As two lives hang in the balance, can Pete win the race against time and weather to stop a savage and cunning predator? And will he and Zoe be able to reunite a family before it’s too late?"

I absolutely loved this story, keeps attentions, suspenseful and thrilling. quick read, new author for me, will look into reading more of their books.
Thanks to Level Best Books, netgalley, and the author in exchange for an honest review.
Published May 9th 2023

Annette Dashofy's "Helpless" falls short of expectations. The story's pacing is sluggish, and character development lacks depth. The plot feels predictable, and the writing fails to captivate. While the premise had potential, it ultimately disappoints, leaving readers feeling unsatisfied and wanting more from both the author and the book.

A. Dry suspenseful story, starting with a murder, a kidnapping, a man trapped under a tractor waiting to be rescued and a chase spanning 14 hours, with more murders occurring. Apparently a series, but is good as a stand alone book, concentrating of the chase in the middle of tornado season.

Almost immediately when I started reading Helpless, I knew it had to be part of a series. The main characters, Vance Chief of Police Pete Adams, and his wife Zoe, who is the coroner for the town, seem like fully developed characters from the get-go. Sure enough, this is number 12 in the series, but the fact that I didn't know the main characters or their friends in the small town of Vance did not in any way inhibit my enjoyment of the story.

The story starts off with a bang. The Pennsylvania town is getting the biggest rain it has had in years and the roads are flooding. Those in low lying areas are being asked to move to higher ground. In the midst of all this, a crime is reported. One of their neighbors has been trapped beneath his tractor by the man who shot his wife and kidnapped his daughter. Action ensues as the police and Zoe try to save the trapped man, as well as track down the kidnapper.

The action was literally nonstop and the amazing thing was that the whole book takes places place in one long and grueling day. The reader feels the pressure and panic of Pete as he tries to track the killer while tending to others crisis in the town, and Zoe as she tries to help her friend and neighbor caught in an impossible situation.

I thought the author spun a riveting story that kept me glued to the page. I'm now intrigued to read some of the back catalogue of this series and see if every story is this good!

This was 4 1/2 stars for me, and I'm rounding up to five because I love discovering a new author.

Thanks to NetGalley, Annette Dashofy and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book where you wish you could just read until it’s finished. Didn’t want to put it down and do “real life”. Definitely kept you wanting more. The way it kept going from Pete to Zoe and back again kept you turning the page. One of my favorite in the series. Brought back memories of Ivan coming through the area and what we all experienced that night but also threw in a maniac on a killing spree with a kidnapped little girl.

I found I really enjoyed this one and thought it was done really well. The liked the pace of the story and the plot. The overall suspense kept me glued to it. The writing was good and I was throughly entertained. I recommend this book and I’m definitely reading another one by this author. I hope this is helpful.
Thanks Levels Best Books via NetGalley.

🌀A thrill a minute! Mother Nature and a murderer rampage in rural Pennsylvania😳

I was kept on tenterhooks throughout this thriller by an author I had never encountered before. The suspense and gut wrenching excitement started right out of the gate and continued unabated from the beginning to the tense climax. Flooding storms and destructive winds added to the unpredictability as Zoe and Pete, a coroner and police chief married couple in small-town Western Pennsylvania, work a tragic murder/kidnapping case together throughout one exhausting day. I found the plot excellent and these characters felt real. So much action condensed into one day but in a believable manner that kept me totally engaged. The bittersweet nature of the investigation's conclusion made it a story difficult to forget.

Recommended without hesitation. Dashofy is an author I will be following from now on.

Thanks to the author, Level Best Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

This is a gripping, well-written story that occurs over the course of a day during a torrential downpour in rural Pennsylvania. The tension and sense of urgency is non-stop, as we follow the busy town coroner and her police-husband in their attempts to find a missing child, catch a kidnapper/murderer, and keep a victim alive. The plot kept me interested and I read through it quickly. I would certainly read more from this author.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.

Such a thrilling read. I loved how the book started, no waiting around for things to get interesting, it was straight into the action.
I particularly liked the characters, especially Pete and Zoe. They were so relatable and extremely good at their jobs.
I couldn't wait to read the book every evening, particularly to find out if they managed to free Danny or if he was going to pass away.
This book is a thrilling read, quite moving in parts and definitely an addictive read!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it, well done on such an outstanding book.

A great read which literally kept me on the edge of my seat.
Wonderfully written characters.
Overall a worthy five star read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Loved this mystery, couldn’t put it down. My first time and now not my last time reading an Annette Dashofy novel.
Loved the cover, perfect! The title so appropriate in so many ways. The storm of all storms hits the town Pete, police chief, and Zoe, coroner, live in. They find themselves at a local farm at the end of a 911 call to a homicide and another victim within inches of his life trapped under a tractor. If anything could be more tragic, their 7 year old daughter is missing , TAKEN!
As Pete and Zoe work together, Pete takes off to start the search for 7 year old Peyton. It’s a wild, tragic and unbelievable search to find the murderer and kidnapper. Jaxson Staley , thinks Peyton is his daughter and thought her mother, Michelle was hiding it from him. With a prison record he has nothing to lose. The weather is impeding his efforts to get out of town quickly. Police one step behind him , while Danny , Peyton’s Dad holds on for his life under the tractor. With a lot of help from the community, everyone is doing what they can to help even as more murders are unveiled. What’s going on in this town and will the storm ease to allow this family to be reunited? Who is really Peyton’s father and should you trust the things you hear? Loved this vivid, engaging novel!

On the edge of my seat for so much of this book, Annette kept me believing and questioning both at the same time.
I recommend Annette Dashofy and the ability to let yourself get interested one of her mysteries.
Thanks @netgalley for the ARC.

County Coroner Zoe Chambers-Adams returns with her husband Pete Adams to try to handle a murder during a huge storm. Dealing with multiple problems, they are stretched to their limit to try to stop a kidnapping. Well written fiction.

I have loved all of the books in this series, but this one was exceptional! A monster rain storm is approaching when Zoe and her husband, police chief Pete Adams, are called out to a crime scene. When they get there they can't believe what they find. One person is dead, one person is seriously wounded and a child is missing. Between the destruction caused by the storm and the police force already being stretched to their breaking point this just adds to an already terrible situation. This whole book takes place during the span of one day, with time stamps at the top of each chapter. I couldn't put it down and couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. Definitely suspenseful to the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have not read any of this author's works before. This was a very riveting read. I almost couldn't put it down. Dashofy is a master of the plot, with different points of focus that all work meld in creating the urgency of action from thru the entire story. There is no scene in this book that isn’t on the edge of the difference between disaster and success. The pace is in sync with the rushing flood waters and the clock's ticking.

The writing flows smoothly. The book is a quick and easy read. The author is very talented in her writing and her descriptions pulled me into the story . The way the author described the weather conditions, the downed trees and the road conditions, felt like I was right there in the story, fighting the elements and racing against the clock. The suspense was palpable. I wanted to keep reading but I was afraid to at times.

BIG thanks to both Level Best Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Helpless.

I was blown away by Helpless, which is the 12th book in the Zoe Chambers series! Zoe and her police chief husband, Pete, must find a murderer and save the child he kidnapped during what might become a hurricane. So much for my plan to read a bit before I went to sleep. I couldn’t put this riveting book down. The suspense was intense!

The wounded and trapped father is Zoe's friend and blacksmith, and he asks her to stay with him during the rescue efforts. Attempts to free Danny fail and his condition worsens, yet all he cares about is his beloved daughter. He's desperate to know she is safe.

I loved all of the characters. (Well, other than the murderer.) Helpless is the first book I've read in the series and it can definitely be read as a standalone. I recommend it!!

This was a well crafted story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The story was closer to a ‘cozy’ mystery than the usual thrillers I read but there was plenty of action! If you’re looking for a good read, I highly recommend this one.

The whole story in this book takes place over a 24 hour period.

There is BIG trouble happening on Pete's patch. The murder of a young woman, along with the kidnapping of a young child on top of localised flooding would be enough to challenge anyone but the shocks just keep on coming.....

Beautifully written, great main characters and secondary characters as well. The pace is great, and the suspense just never lets up.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #LevelBestBooks.

We readers are a funny lot. The house could be falling down around us, and if we are completely ensconced in a book, we would keep reading. When one of those books comes along, there is no greater pleasure for a reader. Well, Helpless, Zoe Chambers #12, by Annette Dashofy is certainly that book. It is as riveting a read as I’ve had in some time. Dashofy is a master plotter, with different points of focus that all work together in creating the urgency of action from beginning to end. There is not a scene in this book that isn’t on the edge of the difference between disaster and success. The pace is in sync with the rushing flood waters and the ticking of the clock. Time is no one’s friend in this story, and helpless is an all-pervasive feeling in the face of the disasters of nature and of man.

It's a horrifying scene that a neighboring farmer arrives at when going to his friend’s house to fill sandbags for an approaching major storm to western Pennsylvania. Michelle O’Donnell lies dead on her kitchen floor and her husband Danny O’Donnell has been shot and pinned beneath a tractor. Their seven-year-old daughter Peyton is nowhere to be found. As law enforcement, including Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams and his wife, Corner Zoe Chambers arrive on the scene, it’s also discovered that Danny had been working on the tractor, replacing a tire. The perpetrator drove the tractor onto Danny as he lay wounded and then sabotaged the tractor so it couldn’t be driven off the dying man. Unbelievably, Danny is still alive, and he’s able to tell them what happened, and that Peyton has been kidnapped.

Pete and County Detective Wayne Baronick once again join forces and are now tasked with finding a cold-blooded killer, a sadistic monster, before the child can also come to harm. But, this killer is cunning and already has a head-start that doesn’t bode well for the authorities, and no one knows his identity. The severe weather from Hurricane Iona in New Orleans is a double-edged sword. While it prevents the killer from leaving the area, it also makes conditions near impossible for law enforcement chasing him. People who live in low-lying areas of Monongahela County are frantically trying to sandbag their houses and businesses and farms to keep flood waters out. Roadways are filling with water, creating conditions for cars to be swept away, and, trees are toppling onto roadways making the roads impassable. But, Pete and his deputies and Baronick won’t let the conditions surrounding them keep them from a full-out pursuit of a child in danger and her unstable kidnapper. Amber alerts are issued, with a vehicle description finally being put together, but the alert is only as good as the information is current, and when the perpetrator starts to switch vehicles, the new vehicle must be determined before adding to the alert. It’s a game of cat-and-mouse that couldn’t have occurred under worse conditions. And, the clock keeps ticking.

Ordinarily, Zoe would head to the morgue where she would do the autopsy on Michelle, but Danny has asked her to stay with him, and that’s where she knows she has to be. Danny is the blacksmith for her horses and a friend as well, so her presence has a calming effect on him. A tent-like structure is set up over Danny and the rescue workers while the storm rages around them and rain pounds the canvas above their heads. Zoe’s former EMT partners are working tirelessly to try and keep Danny alive. Dr. Fuller arrives to help, which is outside of his usual duties, proving just how much everyone is invested in saving what’s left of this family. Danny’s friend Leroy, desperate to help, is sent after supplies to fix the tractor so they can drive it off Danny. Danny is fully coherent, and ironically, the pressure of the tractor is keeping him from bleeding out. And, the clock keeps ticking.

With Helpless, Annette Dashofy has taken the Zoe Chambers series deeper into the chilling waters of suspense than ever before. She has set a frenetic, but controlled, pace of action, with intertwining plotlines that must all be resolved in less than 24 hours. Tick tock, tick tock. You will feel that clock ticking the time by with lives on the line. The storm will seem to grasp you in its relentlessness and fury, too. Dashofy takes all the moving parts and brings them together in perfect symphonic blending. Helpless is, of course, already on my Favorites List for 2023, and I’m positive that it will be on many others’ favorites list, too. I know I’ve said this before, and it doesn’t take anything away from the books I said it about, but I do think this is the finest writing Annette Dashofy has produced. The author stated in a recent interview that writing this book was a daunting experience because “writing suspense is way out of my wheelhouse.” Well, Ms. Dashofy, I think you’re going to have to redefine your wheelhouse now.


I received an e-copy of Helpless from the author and from NetGalley. My review reflects my honest assessment of this book.