Private investigator Olivia Wells gets a call from a young woman who is being held under suspicion that she murdered three of her children.
Olivia knows this woman because she was the sister of her best friend who died in a car accident that Olivia "died" in.
This book has a ton of glowing reviews but it just did not work that great for me. I got tired of the repetition. Then the twists were just kinda not my favorite. When the first one popped up I was like "Ok I can deal with that" but then the kitchen sink got thrown in and I was bleck.

Netgalley in exchange for review.

Just couldn’t get into this one. It was an interesting idea but for whatever reason I couldn’t connect with the characters.

Private detective Olivia Welles hasn’t been back to her hometown in Kansas since childhood, not since the night she died in a car crash and came back to life in the morgue. Years later fellow survivor Bonnie Ray, now charged with murdering her own young son, calls from a Kansas jail asking for Olivia's help. With the assistance of journalist Will LaFever, Truman Capote wannabe, Olivia investigates the circumstances surrounding Bonnie's son's death and uncovers more than she bargained for.

I really enjoyed this book and found it well written and a smooth read. The characters are well drawn and I liked the bantering between Olivia and Will and how their relationship developed but not in a romantic way thank heavens. I especially loved Dorothy the dog. The town is quite creepy and the residents made me uneasy. I really liked how the author didn't take key incidents in the direction I was expecting but veered into unexpected territory instead. A refreshing change from cookie-cutter type plots. I'd love to see this duo become a series but wouldn't want to see their releationship become a romantic one.

TW: Child Mortality

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication: October 24, 2023

THE NIGHT I DIED by Anne Frasier was a story I couldn't resist being set in Western Kansas, where I grew up!

Private Detective Olivia is lured back to Kansas from LA by the phone call from Bonnie, a woman being investigated for harming her 3rd child, after the death of her first two. This brings back the first time Olivia died. As a child, Olivia was riding with her best friend Maizie, Bonnie, and their mom, Ava along with Olivia's mom when an accident occurred on the train tracks. Ava and Bonnie were left alive and the other taken to the morgue where Olivia came back to life. The investigation for Bonnie stirs up old secrets that both Olivia and Will, a reporter, are uncovering, but not before another murder occurs.

This story had promise. Simply put, it just didn't deliver for me. It was a bit too predictable, the characters needed more development for my liking, and there were some area discrepancies that I noticed. Since this last one will be noticed by tens of readers, I can forgive this aspect in fiction!

If you are looking for a quick Detective read, this is a decent choice. I thought it was fine.

Thank you to @netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC of this book that publishes today!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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After loving the Inland Empire books a few years ago when I saw this was available on NetGalley, I knew I was going to have to read this one. Was super stoked to receive an eARC to be able to read.
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The Night I Died follows the story of a private detective and a journalist as they head to Kansas to help investigate three suspicious children deaths. This story is mostly told from the POV of Olivia, but there are chapters that are from the POV from other characters like Ava and Will and Bonnie. I think how the shifting of POV occurs and how there is no rhyme or reason to it makes the perspective of each character that much more important and special. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the minds of other characters.
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Anne Frasier has a way of gripping you right from the start with a mystery that needs to be solved and a group of characters that are not only lovable but also suspicious as hell. I never knew who to trust. There were a bunch of great twists thrown in this one and the one twist was just *chefs kiss* perfection. I love where she went with this one and I wasnt expecting that at all. The ending was packed full of karma and my petty ass was HERE FOR IT. I absolutely loved it!
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I definitely want to go back and read more of her work because I have found her stories to be so intriguing!
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The Night I died was just released on 10/24 and its available on KU! If you are a fan of a good popcorn thriller / mystery be sure to check this one out!
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Anne Frasier and Thomas and Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’d like to read this book because it has a good rating and sounds interesting. I must not have realized it was about the murder of children though when I requested it and that’s one of the topics I just cannot read about, so I will be rating this three stars.

This is the second book in the series which I thoroughly enjoyed after finding out if I missed a prior book.
Anne Frasier has crafted a well written novel with some amazing characters.
I’ve been a fan for a number of years and will continue to do so. I highly recommend her books.

Anne Frasier's 'The Night I Died' follows private detective Olivia Welles, who hasn't been to her hometown since her childhood due to a mysterious car crash that she barely survived. However, a call from a fellow survivor, Bonnie Ray, who's in jail and accused of murdering her own son, brings Olivia back to the unsettling past.

Returning to the town where her life took a dark turn, Olivia teams up with journalist Will LaFever to unravel the truth about Bonnie and her troubled family. The two discover more secrets than they bargained for.

It is a straightforward and accessible read, making it a suitable choice for those seeking a quick literary escape. However, it is not without its shortcomings. 'The Night I Died' ventures into predictability at times, where the plot unfolds in expected ways, and some moments lack the gripping excitement that often defines thrilling reads. The pacing, too, is a bit uneven, causing the narrative to feel at times rushed or unnecessarily drawn out. Despite my best efforts, I found it challenging to form a deep emotional connection with the characters, which can be crucial for a reader's engagement in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the most part, I enjoyed this one. There were times throughout where it almost seemed like someone else was doing the writing, It got a little bit silly. But for the most part I liked the characters and the dialogue. I enjoyed the plot although one of the big reveals was kind of breezed over. It kept you guessing until the end.

I love Anne Frasier's books and this is another great story with surprising twists. She kept me guessing on who was the villain. Just when I would think I figured it out a new twist would keep me guessing again. Even though it didn't end with loose ends I hope to see more of these characters. A very intriguing story which I recommend to read.

When several people from this small Kansas town died in a train wreck, the survivors would live with questions the rest of their lives, or so they thought. Olivia Welles lost her mother and sister in the wreck and almost lost her life too. The aftermath has left her with so many physical problems that it's a daily question of whether she'll survive now.

She's a private investigator who has been contacted by another of the train wreck survivors asking for her help. Another of Bonnie's children have died, this makes #3 and she has been arrested for the death. This and the train wreck serve as the principle story lines but there are some smaller ones that will wind into these as the story goes forward. The children's deaths have stirred public interest enough to pull other investigators and journalists into the town too.

The town itself will become a character in the story. It starts as a typical small town but quickly morphs into a dark place full of questions no one wants to answer. This is a story so full of twists and turns and many dead end alleys that when the end comes, it's a relief. Read for yourself and try to keep up.

Wow! This was a totally wild ride and I was totally here for it! So many dead kids and people getting away with murder in this book! And man does Olivia need to quit dying! This was my 1st book by Anne Fraiser but it is definitely not going to be my last!!

#TheNightIDied
#NetGalley

Going Home Reveals Unsuspected Truths

Private Investigator, Olivia Welles, has died five times. Once in an accident when she was very young and survived. Since then, she died four times during surgery to correct problems arising from that accident. She receives a collect call from the Finney County Jail, Kansas. The caller was Bonnie Ray-Murphy. Bonnie Ray and her older sister, who was Olivia's best friend, were in the car with Olivia when it hit by a train. Olivia did not have a many personal memories of Bonnie-Ray. Since then, Bonnie Ray had married and had three children. In recent years, two of the children have died. There was not enough evidence to indicate that Bonnie Ray had killed them. Recently, the third child died, and she now is in jail. She was calling for help, but she does not have much money. From this start, Olivia Welles rushes off to Finney County.

The main storyline has two threads. The first is Olivia Welles trying to find out what happened to her all those years ago as her memory is very sketchy about those events. The second is her looking into what caused the death of Bonnie Ray’s third child. There are many obstacles that she must overcome. There is an online newspaper crime reporter, the town marshal, and her deteriorating condition that may be corrected by her impending surgery. As she unravels her past and what happened to Bonnie Ray’s child, each fact she discovers just leads to more questions. My interest was quickly captured and maintained. One of the last facts discovered is at a level that I describe as a literary tsunami because it changed my entire understanding of what had happened long ago and still leading to murders to the present day.

There are three threads that help define the character of Olivia Welles. The first is the relationship with her assistant who remained in Venice, CA. The next is her changing relationship with the reporter. Sometimes she is a partner and sometimes she is a mentor. Sometimes, he is helpful, and at other times he is annoying. The last is her relationship with a dog she finds in Finney County. These major contributors with her actions, words, and thoughts provide a robust character. There is a noticeable C-storyline. The relationship of Olivia Welles with the reporter changes throughout the course of the novel. The background treads and the C-storyline increased my reading enjoyment of this novel.

The aspects are objectionable to some readers. There are no intimate scenes, but that are some references to them. There are not any vulgar words and minimal rude words. Also, impious language is also very minimal. Violence is described both after the fact and more as it occurs. Taking all of these into account, most readers should not have any problems with reading this novel.

Personally, I could not find any issues with this novel. All my criteria for a high star rating were met in this novel. Besides quickly captured and kept my attention, I had to read until late at night because I didn't want to stop reading. The ending brought a smile to my face. I have a history of reading this author. I have read and reviewed five of her novels. As a result, I have purchased five previous novels of hers to read. She is solidly in my Must-Read category. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and recommend reading it. I rate this novel with five stars. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

So, I found this one to be an okay book for me. I was expecting a bit more and found it disjointed and odd at times.

It was my first book by this author, but I think I will check out the backlist and try something else!

The Night I Died by Anne Frasier was a fun thriller filled with twists from beginning to end. From the first chapter to the last, I couldn't stop reading about the small town and mysterious townfolk. If you've ever questioned a mother's love and power than this is the book for you. Detective Olivia Welles travels to Kansas to help the sister of her childhood best friend, but is she really the one who needs the help? With traveling reporter Will LeFever by her side, they take you on an intriguing journey through Finney and you'll see just how far a small town will go to keep their secrets.. the twist at the end will have you questioning every assumption you made throughout the book and you'll be left with your jaw on the floor! 4 ☆. #TheNightIDied #NetGalley

I really enjoyed Frasier’s Inland Empire series, so I was anxious to read her newest suspense novel.
The Night I Died by Anne Frasier is a gripping, intense and completely engrossing mystery.
The writing is very engaging -it's almost impossible to put this compelling book down.
The protagonists are well-written characters who I thought were very interesting.
A well written read that is cleverly crafted and massively entertaining.
I love the author's writing and how she seems to set scenes and paint pictures so cleverly.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I loved how well Will and Olivia worked together. They made an amazing duo. The story however, was not always fluid and that took away from my enjoyment of the story. All in all, the book is great and I will he looking for more books by Anne in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. All opinions are my own

The title of this book, The Night I Died, immediately grabbed my attention. This is a murder mystery novel and I usually am not a fan of this genre. I was pleasantly surprised and I definitely enjoyed this story.

What an absolute ride The Night I Died was. Perfect read for spooky season, as most Frasier books are. Been a hardcore fan for a couple decades now and she's one of my favorite authors! I loved Olivia, she's got guts and grit. She gets a call from her hometown in Kansas after a mother is jailed for killing one of her children.... all but one has mysteriously died. Who is killing her children and why? So many mysteries regarding Olivias's childhood and trying to figure out who was killing and attempting to Kill her childhood friend Bonnie's children. Expertly woven leaving all questions answered. I soooo want more Oliva, Will, Ezra and of course 🐾 Dorothy!!! Thank you Anne for the galley

SUMMARY:
olivia has died 5 times in her life, the first being in a car crash when she was little, which also killed her best friend and mom. after the accident, her dead moved her away from the small town for the medical care she requires. now as an adult, one of the survivors of the crash she was in, her best friend’s little sister, has been accused of murdering 3 of her children. the sister calls olivia to try to investigate and figure out what’s going on in this small town, and why so many children have died.

MY THOUGHTS:
this was nuts! i love fast-paced books like this. this author has immediately moved onto my auto-buy list. the twists were unexpected, the dialogue was funny, and the entire situation was heartbreaking but still interesting. cannot recommend enough to thriller lovers!