A great thriller, with an intriguing plot and characters. I loved the twists and turns, and the writing is fantastic. Highly recommend to others.

This was my first book from this author. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed this book!

The characters were well developed and easy to like or dislike. The plot had me turning the pages as quickly as I possibly could.

There was a lot going on in this story, but it was all easy to follow. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see how everything turned out.

A gripping mystery that blends the hard-boiled detective genre with emotional depth and noir-inspired storytelling. Dylan Fisher is a former Dallas police officer turned private investigator, who is pulled into a deadly investigation when his ex-wife, Rose Doucette, is murdered. Dylan had been helping Rose investigate a suspicious death tied to a drug dealer, but as soon as she is killed, all signs point to Dylan as the primary suspect.

Gritty, atmospheric, and relentlessly compelling—The Life and Death of Rose Doucette is a dark descent into the murky waters of crime, justice, and regret. Hunsicker delivers a haunting narrative that straddles the line between procedural and psychological thriller. With a flawed yet deeply human protagonist and a case that hits too close to home, this novel keeps the tension taut and the pages turning. It's noir at its finest—moody, morally complex, and unforgettable.

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommended for: Fans of gritty noir fiction, complex characters, and slow-burn crime thrillers with emotional depth.

This was such a great book!
I was sucked in from page 1 trying to figure out what happened to Rose. I could have never guessed the ending of this book. Really enjoyed!!

Really enjoyed this book. Very fast start and had me hooked right away. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is that the ending seemed a little rushed. But still a satisfying story.

As a DFW native I have a tendency to get excited and I see that in my hometown. Just slipped up to my excitement. Dylan is a PI and his ex-wife, Rose, is a homicide detective. She asks to meet up with them to run through a case that’s been plaguing her. As she’s leaving their meeting, Dylan sees a car pull up that looks suspicious But it’s too late by the time he has an opportunity. This book follow Dylan and his drive to figure out what happened. The plot felt fresh, the pacing was good, and I can’t NOT recommend this book.

This book read like a thriller movie, it was fun and fast paced, but it didn’t keep me captivated the entire time.

Dylan Fisher has a lot of regrets when it comes to his failed marriage, and a hard time since, it seems, moving on. When he witnesses the death of his ex-wife, he’s immediately suspected of her murder, and now he must race against a ticking clock to prove it wasn’t him before he’s held responsible.

The cast of characters was fun, though I wish some of them were more fleshed out.

I think this is a great thriller for fans of the show True Detective, or just anyone who enjoys a quick thriller with short chapters and high stakes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this and in ways I did.
I often struggle with male authors writing women characters, and I struggled here.
Great story I just didn’t enjoy the read as much as I expected to. 3.5

The life and death of Rose Doucette was an interesting and easy read. The synopsis was eye-catching. I loved how the author could write each emotion, such as guilt, corruption, and betrayal. The plot was good and kept me hooked.

thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I love that others loved this and I am an outlier. If you are curious by the synopsis and looking to enjoy this read - go check out those 4 and 5 star reviews.

This is purely personal - but I just did not connect with this story right from the start. Rose Doucette is gunned down in the road while with her ex-husband. Her ex-husband is not only struck by a car but he's also bashed over the head at the same time. When he regains consciousness, he rushes over to his ex-wife and begins lifesaving measures until the police arrive. He's an ex cop turned PI and was previously in Internal Affairs.

So the first thing the arriving officers do. . .is arrest him? I just struggled to believe this. And from there, the story went off the rails. When they were shocking him with a cattle prod, I just couldn't anymore. If there's one thing I believe, it's that the police would have at least backed their own and since he was an previous officer, I just couldn't believe all the police corruption to get to the point they were after him.

So, while I think the cover is so good, the story just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own. As it was archived before I reviewed it, I purchased a finished copy.

I hadn't heard too much buzz about this one. Dallas PI, Dylan is contacted by his ex-wife, a police officer who is investigating a case that ends up with her shot and Dylan the main suspect. But who was Rose Doucette?

The novel contains compelling characters and punchy chapters that keep the plot moving. Plenty of action and a satisfying conclusion kept me reading. It was a decent enough thriller. The description made it sound like Dylan and Tito( Rose's current husband) team up immediately to work together but it was more at the 45% mark that the vein of the storyline gets underway.

This was my first Harry Hunsicker read and I felt he writes in a similar vein to Lisa Gardner and Harlan Coben.





#TheLifeandDeathofRoseDoucette #NetGalley
Publication Date 01/12/24
Goodreads Review 10/12/24

I really felt like this story had me hooked from the very beginning. Rose reaches out to her ex, Dylan who is ex police and a private investigator, and after some hedging she eventually tells him that she needs him to investigate a murder that the force is trying to label as suicide. When Rose his then killed and he is the main/only suspect things really get interesting.

I enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.

Wild, twisted and kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. This was a new Author for me and I will read Harry again.

I always forget how much I love a more procedure mystery until I pick one up like The Life and Death of Rose Doucette. This story gave me vibes similar to that of Lisa Gardner, who is the Queen of Mystery!

I really loved the main character, Dylan and his overall personality. I like the mystery behind the characters that lessened a little as we got to know them. The story picked up almost instantly. Right from the first chapter there was intrigue and I wanted to know what was happening next. Hunsicker knew exactly how to keep the suspense high enough to have me turning the pages every chance I got. Another great thing about the book was the flow. We got high-intensity moments with lots of drama, and then really good character building moments that were quieter and had more feelings involved. I love a book that is balanced and not all just one thing. It really keeps me as a reader wanting more and interested.

Hunsicker writes characters you want to see win and have an array of emotions for as you read through the story. I was constantly stressed out, anxious, happy, devastated and more. I loved all the different feelings I felt and that is the sign of good writing to me. I cannot wait to read more from Hunsicker in the very near future.

BOOK: The Life and Death of Rose Doucette
AUTHOR: Harry Hunsicker
PUB DATE: October 1, 2024, by Oceanview Publishing
PAGES: 320
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GENRE: Fiction/Crime Thriller

A BIG Thank You to @netgalley, @OceanPublishing, and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This was my first read by this author and I gobbled it up AND ate the crumbs! I really enjoyed his descriptive writing style and appreciated all the nods to various (and very real) Dallas destinations. He also brings to light some Dallas world events throughout, which only added depth to this story. This was a fast-paced suspense thriller with a twist ending, and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s said that this is perfect for fans of Michael Connelly & Robert Crais. I will absolutely be reading more by this author. Just excellent!

I ended up DNFing this book. I think it had good bones but it missed the mark. I think there needed to be better character development and a bit of a faster start to grab the reader and keep them interested.

Thanks for the ARC on this one! Very quick, easy read. I hate that no one believed Rose and that she hid much about her past her whole life, and ultimately lost her life because of it. Loved Dylan’s persistence to find answers and clear his name. I think my favorite thing of the whole book might be Dylan and Tito pretty much becoming besties. Lessons from this one - money is very dangerous and the lengths people will go to protect it are staggering.

4.5★s
The Life and Death of Rose Doucette is a novel by American author, Harry Hunsicker. Former Dallas cop, now PI, Dylan Fisher is curious when the ex-wife he hasn’t seen for three years, Homicide Detective Sergeant Rose Doucette wants his input on a case that has been deemed suicide by her colleagues. She’s convinced that Josh Gannon, fresh out of prison, has been murdered.

But Dylan is shocked when someone from the grey Chevy Tahoe following her shoots her dead. Grief mix with frustration when a corrupt Dallas cop who bears Dylan a grudge, Detective Lutz tries to pin her murder on him. Luckily, he has a very competent lawyer on tap, and Mia Kapoor has him out on bail quick smart. But the judge’s warning that he refrain from investigating will be impossible for Dylan to obey.

Those investigations attract the attention of some nasty characters, ex-military types who are clearly in the employ of whoever wants to suppress the information that Rose had. These men demonstrate that they have no qualms about killing, and the body-count of those who might know something steadily rises.

An added complication is Rose’s second husband who is determined to see Dylan punished for killing his wife. When the danger threatens those he cares most about, Mia and her baby son Caleb, it crystallises Dylan’s resolve to uncover what is behind the killings. When her ex and her widower eventually join forces, they begin to understand how little they knew about Rose’s past, and the sort of power and influence they’re up against.

Hunsicker gives the reader believeable characters and a twisty plot with a hefty body count and an exciting climax. This is a gripping crime thriller and more of this cast would be welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing.

The life and Death of Rose Doucette: A Novel by Harry Hunsicker brings readers to Dallas, Texas, and private investigator Dylan Fisher. His ex-wife asked to meet a bar in a certain hotel. They have not seen each other in three years, and while it has been a long time, neither is ready to forgive.

While he left the force a few years ago, Rose is still a homicide detective with the Dallas Police Department. From the first look at her, he can tell things are off with her. Further proof is the fact that she wants to hire him. She’s willing to do that because she is scared. A 20-year officer with the DPD is scared over a case. She had a gunshot victim, white guy, early 40’s, was found dead in a cabana out by the pool at the same hotel they are meeting at today.

The dead man was Josh Gannon. He had been out of Huntsville for a few days. He had no income, no job, and no reason to be staying at an expensive hotel. He was shot in the chest. From the top down, the DPD brass want her to call it a suicide and let it go. So does the staff of the hotel who made sure to clean up all the evidence anything happened. She’s been pulled off their case. She wants to hire Fisher to find the killer. As they discuss the scene, the hotel mamanger and security show up to boot them off the property.

She was already mad at Fisher for the direction of the conversation, and getting booted off the property despite her badge, is the last straw. She takes off and Dylan realizes that she is being followed. He gets in his car and follows. He keeps following and trying to reach her on her cell phone and getting voice mail. He trails her to the Northeast Dallas police substation where he is in time to see her killed.

Arrested as a suspect, because he has her blood on him as he tried to save her, it gives a chance for old enemies on the force to go after him. Some would love to see him in state prison and are not going to do anything but help it happen. Obviously, he isn’t going to let that happen. Before long, he and people he cares about are in deep to their eyeballs in a mess that goes back decades.

As one expects from a Henry Hunsicker book, it is a complicated and mighty good read. Not only is the The Life and Death of Rose Doucette: A Novel a superb mystery, it is full of Dallas area landmarks. References that are often not positive and may bring a snicker while delighting those of born and raised in this city. A city where not everything is golden and good. A great read and well worth your time.




My reading copy came as an ARC by way of Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley.



Kevin R. Tipple ©2024