On Her Watch is book 8 in the Sheriff Bree Taggert series by Melinda Leigh. The book starts out with 2 hikers finding a dead body in the woods. Sheriff Taggert and Investigator Matt Flynn arrive and have the hikers show them where the body is. The body isn't in a place you'd find it easily as the hikers found it when looking for a place to urinate. The body is in a camouflage wrap and it's been here for awhile. While waiting for the medical examiner to arrive Bree notices something off in the distance. She lets the dog lead her to the spot and it's a piece of camouflage wrap. They've found another body, but this one is in worse shape, and has been here longer. They have found a killer's dumping site. As they let the dog look around they find one more body that was dumped a long time ago. It's just a skeleton now and was the first body dumped.

Bree and Matt don't have their entire team available as the flu is going around their office. They will have to stay most of the night until the medical examiner finishes up and the bodies are removed. Bree and Matt now live together and care for Bree's niece and nephew. Their mother, Bree's sister, died a few years ago and Bree became their guardian. Dana helps a lot as the housekeeper, baby sitter, and cook while Bree and Matt are out working. Dana and Bree were partners back in Philadelphia. Dana was ready to retire and moved with Bree to help out. She also lives at the farmhouse.

As Bree and Matt investigate the murders, more young women go missing. The clock is ticking and they need to find these women before they're killed and dumped. Who would be taking young women and killing them? Why? It seems like the killer's timeline is shortening as he's taking women at a more rapid pace. When things get too dangerous for Bree and her family she has to move the kids. The kids both have the flu and have to be home, so they must find a safe place for them. Bree's fine with threats against her with her job, but she's not taking any chances with the kids. Will Bree's team find the killer before he can dump more bodies? Will Bree and Matt be safe? This is a fantastic entry into the Bree Taggert series and I rate it 5 stars with my highest recommendation. If you've never read a book in the series this could easily be read as a standalone book as Melinda Leigh gives background info for new readers. Don't miss this fantastic book! It's available on May 14, 2024. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced copy of On Her Watch in exchange for a fair review. #OnHerWatch

Book Review: On Her Watch, Bree Taggert #8 by Melinda Leigh
Published by Montlake, May 14, 2024

★★★★☆ (3.75 Stars rounded up!)

I was first introduced to "Sheriff Bree Taggert" when author Melinda Leigh's novella, "Her Second Death" (2021), was featured in "Amazon Original Stories", alongside "single sitting" contributions from thriller giants Dean Koontz, N. K. Jemisin and Alice Hoffman. "Bree Taggert" was then presented in her prior job as a homicide detective with the Philly PD, in a city where her best male friend was a tabby cat.

A compelling character.
Leigh's upstate New York Sheriff Bree Taggert brand is that of a strong female in a position of authority, tough, no nonsense, in an even keeled sort of way, with oodles of compassion and realism. She's no "Lara Croft, Tomb Raider" action hero, but rather a prescient, sensible woman who acknowledges her natural limitations. Her home is a place of refuge for the orphaned children of her tragically deceased sister, along with many rescue pets, with her sense of empathy heightened perhaps by her own desire to save herself from her own traumatizing childhood....

// "On Her Watch", Bree Taggert #8 by Melinda Leigh (2024) //

Randolph County (fictional),
Upstate New York

County Sheriff Bree Taggert, a former Philadelphia homicide detective, finds her quiet farmland bailiwick rendered into the dumping grounds of a possible serial killer(s) as the bodies of brutally slain young women are found strewn randomly.

Tensions rise as the sheriff and her team feverishly scour for clues, even as the normally open community find themselves keeping children indoors at dusk, turning deadbolts on doors, latching windows and securing gates, and peering at anyone within the setback of the abode with suspicion.

It becomes especially personal and harrowing for the sheriff and her household when, on that quiet morning, a body falls out of the sky and smashes onto hood of the sheriff's car as she rolls her vehicle out of the garage.

That superhuman act of having a cadaver strung on an overhanging tree limb over the sheriff's car in the dead of night - and have it slam right on her hood and in her face in the morning points to a particularly powerful, evil, villainous fiend.

But It is this very detail, as it all culminates, that tasks readers to suspend disbelief in all its absurdity, as an otherwise decidedly innocuous average, unmuscular suspect gets charged with the particularly heinous crime of multiple kidnappings and homicides for paltry gains.

First class thriller with a compelling protagonist. Excellent writing, too. But somehow the plot and finale in this iteration doesn't quite cut it for good intelligent reading.

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Montlake, Amazon Publishing and NetGalley.

Love the Bree Taggert series. Plenty of thrills and a quick and easy read. Great characters. Enjoy the style of writing. Plenty to keep you enthralled. Look forward to the next instalment. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for chance to review it.

Melinda Leigh's On Her Watch is the Eighth installment in the author's Bree Taggert series. Key Characters: Former Philadelphia Homicide Investigator now Sheriff Bree Taggert of Randolph County, and Matt Flynn, former Deputy, and current criminal investigator after he was shot in the hand by friendly fire. Bree and her department have their hands full in this installment. The story starts out with a domestic violence situation which has a tendency to go badly for the police officers who respond. You never know if one of the parties has a weapon or not.

Soon thereafter, Bree and Matt are called to the scene where two hikers have discovered a dead body that appears to be female. When Bree calls in her K-9 team of Deputy Laurie and Grace, as well as the Medical Examiner, they discover two more bodies. The bodies are all females between 16-20 years old. To make matters worse, a ticking time bomb in the form of the flu is not only making its way through Bree's department but her own kids whom she has been taking care of since her own sister was murdered.

With Bree, Matt, and a few others not sick, it is up to them to find out if there is a serial killer loose, and if so, stop the killer before any more innocent women turn up dead, or missing. Unfortunately for Bree, another young woman is dumped literally on top of her vehicle as she is leaving for work. The message is pretty simple. You can't stop me from taking more young women, which is exactly what happens when a girl who was involved in the domestic violence incident ends up being kidnapped right outside of her place of employment.

Personally, Bree questions her role as sheriff, questions her role as a surrogate mother to her niece and nephew, and questions her growing relationship with Matt which has also included his parents, his sister Cady, and now her brother who has chosen to be more present than ever before to ensure the kids are taken care of and loved. Bree's relationship with the Country administrator reminds me of the defund the police radicals who think that social workers make better people to deal with non-violent crimes.

There are times when one has to suspend reality for a moment just to enjoy the story itself. If you were living in the real Randolph County, you would likely pack your bags and leave town quickly. I missed several of the first books in this installment which I hopefully will catch up on one day. The author kindly reminds readers of Bree's tumultuous childhood and the fact that she didn't have the best home until she was 8 years old and tragedy struck. On top of that, while she was a police officer in Philadelphia, her sister was murdered which still lingers to this day. I understand that there is another book scheduled to come out this year which features Bree in a crossover event with another author and her character. I might just check it out.

Bree and Matt are thrown in to the deep end again when two bodies are found in the woods. When news breaks of the deaths the amount of parents who turn up looking for their missing daughters is frightening. Things become more and more complicated with every twist and turn. It turns out there is a connection between the missing girls. Bree and Matt find themselves struggling with the workload and family life when everyone around them is being brought down by the flu. As usual Bree and Matt work together with the rest of their team and their extended family to find the clues that eventually lead them to a bigger problem than they originally expected. There were plenty of twist and lots of action to keep the story going and the connections between the main characters really brings the story together.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this exceptional book

when the first body was discovered by two men off the beaten trail bree was at first concerned but as they were setting up the scene for the rest of the team they found another body in fact they discovered 3 bodies and it was obviously the dump site of a serial killer....

it was a race against time to gather all the evidence they could with the weather so bad....

but bree was also busy with a domestic that could get ugly...

when wasnt bree busy but it didnt help that most of her team were out with the flu that was doing the rounds of the town... so with a depleted force she had to get on with it....

but when the autopsy results came back some shocks were to much to ignore... theres a serial killer in town and he wont stop taunting bree....

what a read... this series just gets better and better .... great to catch up with some of the characters again...cant wait for the next book in this series

The plot of On Her Watch is original and fast-paced, with lots of action and suspense.
After a couple of hikers stumble across a serial killer's dumping ground, Sheriff Bree Taggert and investigator Matt Flynn struggle to find a link between the victims that will help identify the killer. Not helping is the fact that many of Bree's deputies are out with the flu, leaving the team short-handed. The seemingly endless rain sets a gloomy tone that reflects Bree and Matt's mood, especially after the killer takes another victim. In my opinion, whether you have read every book in the series or this is your first one, the characters will feel familiar and you will be vested in their lives and the story.

Well done suspense with a good protagonist in Bree. Leigh has fine storytelling chops. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good airplane read.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

The Bree Taggert series continues to be a much loved favorite of mine. Every book has been a pleasure to read. I like police procedurals but the found family, aspects of their personal lives, and some K9 work all really add to the overall read. I did feel Dana was barely there in On Her Watch which felt weird because she lives with them. There was more time with Matt's parents though.

Hikers find some dead bodies in various states off a trail. There's lots to do in figuring out who the young women are. Bree has to deal with devastated parents of missing young women. They all seem to be sixteen to twenty years old. She and Matt are trying to get a handle on who they are, what their connections might be. They are interviewing parents, co-workers and friends when more bodies are found.

They all seem to be petite blonde women. It took a lot to figure out the connections and get a lead on who was killing these women. They called in the FBI but that help never happened. There was a great deal of quality police work and evidence gathering which finally gave them a break. The villain here was truly evil.

I am excited to read the next book in the Bree Taggert series, Track Her Down in January 2025.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Melinda Leigh never disappoints! What fantastic compelling serial killer storyline. I rooted for these detectives the entire time. The story was fast paced and the characters were well done. Highly recommend

Ms. Leigh's Morgan Dane series had 6 books in it and I felt like it ended too soon. So the fact that this is #8 makes me worried we are near the end of enjoying Bree, Matt, her sister's kids, his family, Dana, Ladybug, Brody, even Vader, etc. You get the point! I love being able to slip into a comfy situation and still get my mystery fix! So, yes, I did peek! We get at least 2 more books in this series, and a cross over book. Interesting! But, back to this story. Bree and Matt spend more time getting closer to each other. I still wonder how she gets away with Matt basically being a full time employee but not a police officer, but what would the story be without that? I am appreciating that Matt is tempering his macho protective attitude towards Bree. I also love the expansion of characters to include Matt's family and give the kids more room to grow. There was an interesting not-mystery-related twist in the book. I am already wondering how that might play out in future books! I like this world and can't wait to read more in it!

In the woods of Grey's Hollow, hikers find a gruesome scene, multiple bodies covered in tarps. In addition to tracking a serial killer, Sheriff Bree Taggert and her partner, Matt Flynn, find themselves in the middle of a flu outbreak impacting the entire department. Will Bree and Matt be able to identify the link between the victims before more people die?

This series is always a go-to read for me. These police procedural thrillers always have interesting crimes, plenty of action, and the investigations move at a fast pace. On Her Watch is no exception. Matt and Bree struggle to understand who this killer is targeting as they face escalating threats. There's a lot of mystery and suspense until the seemingly unlinked clues connect for Bree and Matt.

The more I read this series, the more I enjoy the tidbits of Bree and Matt's relationship as well as their home life. It's always incorporated in a way that doesn't take away from the main story while providing a fuller picture of Bree.


I can't wait to see what's next for Bree, Matt, and family!


I received an early copy of this book. This voluntary review reflects my honest opinion.

I love this series. The author thoughtfully develops her characters as they navigate complicated family and professional circumstances from book to book. The main character, Bree Taggert, continues to evolve as a powerful and imperfect 21st century leader of the sheriff’s department and guardian of her niece and nephew. With this book, I found myself fully invested in the investigation of the apparent serial killer at-large as the author deftly ensured the perspectives of parents of missing young women were at the forefront of Bree’s mind. The empathy shown by Bree as an investigator can lead to her making decisions that put her in danger (and make me hold my breath), but are what make her one of my favorite protagonists ever.

Thank you to Montlake, Netgalley, and the author, Melinda Leigh, for early access to this top-notch addition to the Bree Taggert series.

(Review posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon at publication)

I love this series, there's plenty of action, the suspense buildup and a good dash of clean romance to keep me hooked. While I found some of the themes a little repetitive. Bree keeps questioning her role as sheriff, her role as surrogate mother to her niece and nephew, and her growing relationship with Matt. I love the strong supporting characters and solid mystery plot. This one was very much a mystery with little to tie the victims together until Bree hits on the right clue, this it all comes together. Sheriff Bree and Matt make a great team.

Two fishermen are out on a cold, wet and miserable day. When one stops to take a leak, he smells the distinctive order of decomp and he and his brother find a body. With the department ranks depleted by the flu Sheriff Bree Taggert and Civilian Investigator Matt Flynn investigate the call. Bree is coming from a domestic violence call that had her spiraling into her past. This call about a body in the woods takes her day from bad to worse.

What they discover is a killer's dumping ground, with very little evidence. When they go to interview the best friend of the latest victim, they discover her missing and blood in her home. They now have three bodies and a missing woman and fear a serial killer has taken another victim.

4 1/2-Stars

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

What a suspenseful read that pushes so many buttons! Relationships, homelessness, strife within the families, emotions, loss and oh the strength, safety net of what a family can provide, be it blood or not. There is a serial killer and half the department is out with the flu. While this is going on Bree is feeling guilty, like most parents, not being there for Luke (her nephew) and Kayla (her niece). Matt (investigator and her significant other) has moved in with them. I love that in the midst of the killing there is still the continuing growth between Bree and Matt and the kids. Not so much growth with Vadar (cat) haha. I cheerfully followed the red herring so I was surprised with the perp. Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for the opportunity to read another Melinda Leigh book! I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #OnHerWatch #BreeTaggert #Montlake #NetGalley

LOVED it!!! I would give the book 4.5 stars. I absolutely love the Bree Taggert Series and the books never disappoint. So many twists and turns, surprises around every corner. I couldn't put this book down. It's hard to believe it's been a year since Bree started taking care of her niece and nephew. So much has happened to her. It's hard to believe how much crime takes place where they live. The murder rate must be pretty high in Grey's Hollow. I loved Vader. He definitely knows what he's doing by constantly puking in Matt's boots and all the glaring. Vader is the master of the house and he's not going to let Matt forget. The part that got me the most, was what ended up happening to the girls after they were no longer of use to kidnappers. Most were killed if they survived and that one poor girl was sold to traffickers. I had no idea who was behind everything. Killian was at the top of my suspect list with how he treated Grace. I was shocked when the truth about everything was finally revealed. The reason behind the kidnappings of the girls was crazy. I love the Flynn family. George and Anna are wonderful with Luke and Kayla. Greta is the best. She's a great addition to the police force and deserves every minute with her hedgehog.

Definitely recommend the book and all the previous ones in the series. I can't wait to see what's next for Bree and Matt. I definitely see a wedding and a baby in the future. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Montlake through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mercy has caught another case that will take a monument effort to crack. Day and night, her, Truman, and the rest of her staff turn over every stone and rattle plenty of chains. One chain, however, seems to have put her in the crosshairs again. Flu season is sweeping through the town, understaffed and overworked, the team investigates the bodies that are piling up, and a new victim may be in danger. Mercy, however, never stops looking until she has her suspect. Hopefully, it will be before another body surfaces. Love the Mercy, Truman day to day stuff, as well as the rest of the family. Love how far she has come!
Another exciting installment!

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the chance to read On her watch by Melinda Leigh. This is the 8th book in the Bree Taggert series and the series keeps getting better. When hikers find a body, Bree and Matt are called out, but quickly find two other bodies, indicating a serial killer is preying on young women. I love the character of Bree. She is strong and resilient, and uses her personal childhood experiences to do her job with empathy. Matt and her are perfect partners, and they have created a wonderful family with Bree's niece and nephew and her ex-partner Dana. The story is suspenseful and edgy, with some humor. I totally recommend this series!

This series goes from strength to strength. I love how the characters lives are unfolding and how Bree, with the help of Matt's family, is beginning to realise her worth.
With staff diminished because of a bout of flu Bree is called to a woodland clearing where hikers have found a dead body wrapped in tarpaulin, when the wonderful police dog Greta arrives, sadly she finds 2 more bodies in varying states of decomposition. The race is on to find the serial killer before he strikes again.
I raced through this fabulous read, the books are so fast paced you could be forgiven for letting everything slide as you really can't put the book down.

Sheriff Bree Taggert feels as if she is being pulled in all directions. Decomposing bodies are being found in the woods. Her niece, Kayla and nephew, Luke both have the flu. Luckily, she has Matt Flynn at her side as they investigate if they have a serial killer on their hands. But it is much worse than they thought and closer than they think.
Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Publishing for an early copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this great standalone with recurring great characters in this series by Melinda Leigh.