This book was absolutely phenomenal. It is told in 4 acts, each of which is almost its own vignette, then tied together at the end. I was immediately hooked, and wanted to know more. The characters are developed and interesting, making the reader want to know more about them. There was no rush to the ending, it all progressed as necessary and there was no way to guess the conclusion.

I generally prefer stand-alone books, but this is a series I will be sure to continue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my copy of this audiobook.

The beginning was rather alarming, a little girl noticing that the man next door had a habit for killing dogs. I'm a dog lover and I thought oh hell....then the story began.
I found sadly that the story plodded alittle in places but generally flowed well. However I do think that the narrator's voice didn't help.
When I listen to audiobooks, for me it has to be the combination of a good story and good narrator and the latter didn't seem to suit the character.
I didn't get guess the ending, a very good twist! So overall a mixed bag.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

This novel starts out with a diary entry about a child’s discovery of its father killing a dog. Wow! I thought this is where it’s going, I’m not going to like it, but luckily it didn’t describe anything. Then we move on to a murder and sexual assault of a 8 year old girl. Dang, that’s another hard subject. But I kept with it because I liked how blunt detective Sands is. She is an interesting character.

Then we move on to part 2 where there is a different main character named Christine. At first I thought I missed something until I realized what was happening. I have to say, I do not like listening to books that mention COVID or any kind of “pandemic”, reading is an escape from the real world so when the book brought up COVID I just skipped ahead a few seconds. Unfortunately it’s mentioned a lot so I did a lot of second skipping.

At 51% that’s when I got hooked. I literally couldn’t stop listening. I’m glad I stuck with this book despite all the “trigger warnings.” Part 3 and 4 had the 2 main characters interacting with each other.

I liked how the chapters were shorter. And the twist at the end, wow! I definitely didn’t see that coming. That really caught me by surprise. Mind blown.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for an ARC of this audiobook. The narrator’s voice was perfect. The way she talked as the child and then the frantic mom was amazing.

Audio
This was a pretty good thriller mystery. I almost stopped listening at the very beginning because of the senseless animal cruelty. This theme was brought up repeatedly through the story. I wish the author could have done without this plot device. I found it very disturbing. It was supposed to be disturbing. I like a good creepy thriller, but not animal cruelty.
I must have been distracted at the wrong moment because I am not completely sure what the murder's relationship was to the other characters. I think I know, but I don't care enough to go back and be sure.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this audiobook!

This story was insane. The forensic elements were well researched and a lot of thought went into making it more than just a typical murder/detective novel.

Told with different viewpoints, it was still easy to follow and the characters were likeable and engaging. The detective herself was rough around the edges in part 1, but it tied wonderfully together at the end. That twist though!

I enjoyed the follow-up at the end. The book didn't end abruptly and it was a more than satisfactory conclusion. Will definitely pick up another book by this author.

The Cove
Thank you to Dreamscape Media Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook of, The Cove, by Gregg Dunnett.

This is the first book I’ve listened/read of Gregg Dunnett and look forward to book #2 of the DCI Stone Crime Thriller series. I enjoyed this audiobook read by, Jan Cramer.

The story starts with the brutal murder of an 8 year old girl found on a beach. The story moves at a frenetic pace and the tension builds with each chapter. It is an unputdownable listen.

If you like psychological crime thrillers with dysfunctional families, I think you will enjoy this. There are a few descriptions that are a bit macabre, but it didn’t deter me from finishing.

Initially when requesting this title, I didn’t realize it was the foundation book for a detective series. As soon as I opened it and saw that, I was dreading listening and slogging through it. However, I am very happy to report that this exceeded every expectation! It didn’t have the explosion of characters that this type of book usually has, and additionally the pace kept moving rather than getting caught up too much in unnecessary info.

That said, when COVID was mentioned in the story, my eyes nearly rolled out of their heads. I’m so very sick of the pandemic being used as a plot point, since reading is an escape for me from the stress of a small business owner who’s life was upended. It wasn’t useful to the plot point, and something else easily could have been substituted in and made the same impact. Including it in books will likely kill the longevity of the book faster than one without.

All in, I enjoyed this one. 3.5 stars, rounded down because of the pandemic nonsense.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"But it doesn't change the evidence. It isn't wrong."

"And what if you understood it-the evidence-wrong?"

I understood everything wrong while absorbing this first in the new DCI Erika Stone crime thriller series, The Cove, by slowly becoming my new favorite crime drama author Gregg Bennett.

In this cleverly paced, patiently structured thriller, part one begins with the horrific discovery of a young child murdered and left on the cove not far from her home. The intense laser focused DCI Stone and her team quickly track down the number one suspect which leads to deadly results.

Part 2, is six months later and we meet Christine exhausted, recently widowed, mother of teen son Ryan and young daughter Molly moving into the house next to the parents of the murdered girl but having no idea about this local tragedy.

I have to acknowledge narrator Jan Cramer who portrayed Christine so honestly as she learns about the death of the little girl, her daughter's age, and becomes unraveled believing the police's suspect was innocent and it was the girl's father, her new landlord, who killed her.

When DCI Stone comes back into the picture and we begin the build up to the final twist I was having palpitations. I didn't see it, not even a little bit; and that's the best review for a thriller. This is my second time reading this writer's vivid imagination and this new thriller is an even better experience. I also won't be moving to any coves, just as a precaution.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was unable to listen to this one before it expired. Once i have read it/listened to it on my own I will return and update my review!

DNF very early on

Detailed description of a dead animal right away…no thanks. Can’t comment too much on the rest of the story because of that. The premise sounded okay, so maybe someone else will be able to get past that initial piece and enjoy the rest of it.

The Cove introduces us to Detective Chief Inspector Erica Sands. She is top in her field, but the reader's initial introduction to her puts her in a less than desirable light! She is a prickly character with a secret in her background, but she is relentless when working on a case.

The books are set in Dorset, and the setting is a character in itself. A young girl's body is found on the beach. She has been gruesomely and ritualistically murdered, after being literally stolen from her bed. Her family's home is nearby and alththough the parent's are initially looked at, a homeless man is found guilty of the crime.

Flash forward six months and Christine and her children have moved into the house where the little girl was snatched, but they know nothing of this. Christine slowly begins to think her family is in danger from the murdered girls father.

This book is told in four distinct parts and the switch between part one and two is quite abrupt, but it eventually makes sense. The author tells a great story and kept me guessing until the end. I listened to an audio version of this book, and the narrator did a great job.

I would normally rate this 4 or 4.5, but I'm giving it a 5 because I will pick up the next book in this series (this is the first installment), so the author has done his job of keeping me intrigued and interested!

Thank you to Gregg Dunnett, NetGalley and Dreamscape for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let's start with the end: the final reveal was totally unexpected and I loved it. And I have to admit that I fell in love with the no-nonsense tone of DCI Sands!!. This very twisty story is perfectly narrated by Jan Cramer
Thank you #NetGalley #Dreamscape Media for an early copy of this audio book

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about an entire Part of the book following one character and then switching come Part 2 but as the book continued I appreciated being able to follow along with a character for more than just a chapter before the perspective changed. I feel like I should have figured this one out but I didn't. I really enjoyed this book though the crime is so terrible. I would definitely recommend this book to others. While the main detective came off as a little harsh and disconnected, I feel like that could be expected for someone who sees terrible things frequently. Her own coping mechanism to deal with the traumatic things she has to witness. As for the mother of Molly, she started off so strong and quickly unraveled as she felt like her daughter's life was in danger. I know a lot of people didn't like that and felt it was out of character based on how she was in Part 2 but I feel like everything goes out the window when you think your child is being stalked by a potential murderer. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

This is my first exposure to this author and I was not disappointed. Dunnett has delivered a fast paced and deliciously wicked tale. The characters are well rounded and come across as believable, whether you love them or hate them. This provocative, somewhat dark and twisted story grabs you from the first page and keeps you guessing until the very end where the author inserts a deliciously wicked twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

New detective series and i really liked Erika Sans character, very well written and relatable. Told in four parts. I enjoyed the narration and found it easy to follow. Flowed very well and didn’t figure out the ending. Can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape for advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this suspenseful title**

Actual rating : 3.5 stars. As a thriller, this one did a decent job of keeping me guessing about certain parts, but I did find the main "mystery" to be predictable. If you are new to mysteries and thrillers, this would probably be a good one for you, but for readers experienced with the genre it falls a little flat.

On a positive note, I did really enjoy the characters in this book, and the narrator did a great job so it was an enjoyable listen on my commute!

3.5 stars

I struggled with DCI Erica Sands in the beginning. The way she treated the male detective after propositioning him before knowing his identity was not ok. If a male superior treated a female trainee that way, he’d be seen as a villain. I did ultimately come around when her attitude changed along the way. There were some good twists along the way too! I’ll have to read future books as the narrator didn’t work for me.
*Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy.

A fast pace and great listen! I really enjoyed this book and the twists that came with it. Honestly, I didn’t see any of it coming and that’s my favorite kind of thriller!

The time of this audio book flew by, the narrator was excellent and really conveyed the abrasive DCI Sands. When the switch to the second half came I wondered for a while what was going on until the ties that attached became clear.
Great plot and characterisation although I wasn't sure I agreed with the final reveal of who the culprit was, it seemed a little out of left field. I think Gregg is a fantastic writer and I really enjoyed his previous standalone so was keen to try the new book. It didn't disappoint.

Thanks for an advance copy.

It’s an almost 11 hours audiobook and I have to say I’ve enjoyed the book and the time just slipped by. Here is another crime fiction series I would high recommend to others.

I was hooked at the first few minutes since it started with a boy’s diary saying he saw his father did something weird again. It kept me guessing what kind of weird thing his father did.

Then it moved to Detective Erica Sands. Erica was investigating the death of a young girl who was found on the beach. Her father was the first suspect. After hard work had done from the forensic team, her father was cleaned and released.

On the other hand, Christine Harvey lost her husband and she decided to move to a big cliff top house which was next to the suspect child murderer. Christine was unsettled and worried her children Molly and Ryan were in danger.

This crime fiction was smartly written, clearly plotted and well-developed characters. I like Detective Erica Sands. Her investigating style was sharp and with an impression of veteran. I like the surprising ending!

The desperation of Christine, the authority of Erica and the grief of the young girl family were all presented vividly by the narrator. All characters came alive.

I look forward to the book 2 of this series!