Catherine Cowles’ Sparrow Falls series was one of my favorite reads in 2024 so I jumped at the chance to kick off my 2025 reading with her new small town romantic suspense novel, All the Missing Pieces.

Ridley Sawyer has felt like a piece of her was missing ever since her twin sister disappeared just before the two of them were supposed to go off to college. The case goes cold and Ridley’s sister is presumed dead, but Ridley’s need for answers, as well as her need to process her grief in her own way, leads her to become a true crime podcaster.

Armed with little more than podcasting equipment, a three-legged cat named Tater, and her trusty VW van, Ridley travels the U.S covering cold cases, specifically those that are similar to her sister’s. If she can’t get justice for her sister, maybe she can get it for someone else.

I loved Ridley fiercely. That fire in her and the way she channeled her grief for her sister into something that could help so many people just immediately had me in her corner cheering for her. I also loved everything about the small town where the story takes place, especially Colt, the grumpy sheriff love interest, and the meddlesome townsfolk. They’re so protective and want to run anyone out of town they view as a threat, but then as soon as they realize they aren’t a threat, they practically adopt them as their own.

The chemistry between Ridley and Colt is everything, and while it was fun at first watching them get under each other’s sun, I enjoyed it all the more once Ridley’s cold case heats up, and their relationship heats up right along with it! The case itself is also well done, with enough twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

MY HEART!!!! Oh my gosh my heart hurts in all the best ways possible!! This hit in such a way that all the Catherine Cowles books do, yet so different at the same time. I don't even know how to describe how it made me feel (in all the best ways).

Colt and Ridley were both going through their own pain, from similar traumas, but in completely different ways. One is determined to help people find the closure and healing that they need. While the other is determined to keep all the people he loves safe. But when the protective grump meets the free spirited sunshine, the two are destined to butt heads. Will it be the shared love of the same whiskey, or something two that brings them together? And will it be enough to find the answers that Ridley wants and Colt needs.

As usual, Catherine got me, and I was so WRONG!!! I was so determined that I was right this time! and I was ready to celebrate with a victory lap! Nope... I was wrong (current score Catherine 18 Kate 1). I love how the community bonds around Ridley and makes her one of her own when they were all so divided about her in the beginning! All the characters play such important roles and I couldn't seem to walk away from any of them!

Kind of sad that this is going to be a standalone because I could go for sooo much more of everyone in Shady Cove! I Want more tatter, and bear, and Bowser! Gosh this book made me so emotional, found myself holding back tears more then I will wish to admit to. (

Catherine Cowles continues to shock me to the core with her twists and turns! My jaw was on the floor during this book and I wish I could erase it from my brain just so I could read it again for the first time! I absolutely loved the premise of this book, it’s so unique from anything I’ve read before and I could have never seen the ending coming! One of the best romantic suspense books I’ve read!

The characters in this story were just so real and relatable and their story was so honest and true. From page one it caught my heart.

I have been a huge Catherine Cowles LOVERRR for a while now but she really knocked it out of the park with this new book.

Ridley is a true crime podcaster driven by her own story but when she starts stirring up dust in his town, sheriff Colt Brooks is not here for it. When their paths continue to intertwine though, Colt finds himself unexpectedly caring for & worrying about the girl who’s more than she first appeared.

If you are a true crime podcast lover (like me) and love a lil small town romance you will NOT want to miss this killer (😉) read from Catherine!

Thank you to Catherine Cowles and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

All the Missing Pieces had me hooked from the very beginning! I absolutely loved this small town romantic suspense! Catherine Cowles has a flair to write addictive stories mixing romance and mystery and this one was another winner!

Ridley is a true crime podcaster trying to solve the mystery surrounding her sister's disappearance years earlier by working on different similar cases. When a new cold case lands in her hands she embarks on a new adventure to Shady Cove. Colt, the town sheriff, doesn't make her feel welcome at first, but it soon changes and they become allies and more.

Ridley is such a strong and determined heroine. She's so invested in her mission that she's fearless bordering on reckless. She also shares such an undeniable chemistry with Colt. Their banter are so entertaining with the cute nicknames and underlying attraction. Colt is intensely protective and had me melting at his desire to keep Ridley safe from harm. I truly loved this couple a lot!

All the mystery surrounding Ridley's investigation had me entirely focused. I was totaly surprised by the killer's identity. This novel was great and I hope to see more of this memorable world!

This was one of my favorites from Catherine! Not only did I love the mystery in this one, but I absolutely adored the character development of both of our main characters. Colt was such a good grouch from the start (and we know I love a grouchy man) and the way he softened as he got to know Ridley was adorable.

I also loved Ridley's motivation throughout the book. I appreciated that she was relatively self-aware of herself and didn't let people bully her into being different. And of course I always love to see the sunshine-y girl make the grouchy guy turn into mush.

Once again, my guess was wrong. Catherine, you stumped me once more and I won't forget it!

Thank you to Catherine for an early copy of this book! My opinions are my own.

If you are a romantic suspense fan this is the book for you!
It is no secret that I am a huge Catherine Cowles fan and this was another huge win! I’M OBSESSED! I was hooked from the first page. The way Catherine grips you and doesn’t let you go is so impressive. The setting, the characters, and the plot line were all so well done and hold you hostage in this story never wanting to put the book down.
As a huge fan of shows like Criminal Minds (in another life I would have studied criminology) the suspense plot in this book was one of my all-time favs from Catherine. I NEEDED to know the answers. I was constantly making guesses and was truly suspicious of everyone. When things were finally revealed I was screaming, I got it so wrong!
The romance was also incredibly well done and so balanced with the suspense. I didn’t feel like either one overtook the other. Ridley and Colter matched so well. The banter and chemistry was perfection.
The audiobook is so well done. Catherine always picks the perfect narrators for her characters.

Definitely make sure to pick this book up when it releases on January 7th!!

”Colt, you helped me find all the missing pieces. Even the ones I didn’t realize I needed.”

🧩 Small Town Suspense
🧩 True Crime Podcaster x Sheriff
🧩 Grumpy x Sunshine
🧩 Enemies to Lovers
🧩 Lovable Three-Legged Cat
🧩 Hurt/Comfort
🧩 Hilarious, Meddling Townsfolk
🧩 Cute Nicknames - “Chaos” & “Law Man”

The Queen of Rom-Sus is back with another killer of a book! This time with a true crime podcaster who is on the hunt for the person who kidnapped her sister and is potentially behind other disappearances. When she rolls into a new small town to investigate the first cold case, she is met with reluctance and pushback from the town’s sheriff and townsfolk.

I ATE THIS BOOK UP! The suspense, the romance, the “tooth hugs” from Tater! Perfection! And just like always, I suspected EVERYONE, and still didn’t figure out who the villain was. Kudos, Catherine, kudos. 👏😍

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advanced copy! 💖

✨book review✨

Catherine Cowles is a master. I honestly would read the woman’s grocery list.

All The Missing Pieces
Author: @catherinecowlesauthor
Rating: 5⭐️

Well, I have read this book twice before it was even released And it was even better the second time. I obviously knew who the bad guy was the second time around but it was so much fine trying to see if there were any clues that I missed. Spoiler alert: there were no breadcrumbs.

Catherine just has a way of hooking us from the beginning. I mean, in this one, we had a sweet podcaster who is just trying to help solve a cold case. She had no idea that the grumpy sheriff would be so intertwined with the story. But every move she made seemed to make him mad.

I loved Ridley and her determination to solve this mystery. I loved how confident she was in herself and her ability to solve it. I loved how she would not let anything or anyone (ahem, Colt) in her way.

Colt was obviously protective of this case because it was his sister. But once he got off his high horse, I loved that he and Ridley worked together. The love story in this one: absolute perfection. We went from strangers to enemies to lovers and I ate it all up. I squealed when Colt offered for Ridley to come stay at his house. Forced proximity- YES PLEASE!!

Now, Catherine, I know you said this is going to be a stand alone. But what would you say about an Emerson and Trey story… please? Brother’s best friends is my jam. I’d honestly even take a novella.

Thank you, Catherine, for an ARC. And thank you @libro.fm for an ALC.

Now tell me, are you adding this to your TBR?

Catherine has done it again.

If you are a true crime podcast fan who also loves romance this is the book for you. I can always count on Catherine to deliver a book that will keep me wanting more and keep me up at all hours of the night so I can figure out what's next in the book. This book was no different, this book easily reminded me of listening to my favorite true crime podcast at one point I had a note started in my phone with my theories as to who did it. I will say this was the only time I've ever been right. All the Missing Pieces is a perfectly executed suspenseful small town mystery romance, Catherine is known for her twists and turns and while I did guess the twist this time, I still was in awe- the pieces to the puzzle were there all along and a few times I was thinking to myself no it couldn't be that person, or could it? I love books that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout and this felt like I was alongside both Ridley and Colt the whole time.

Ridley is a character that I simply adored. I loved that she dropped essentially everything for vanlife and to go solve crimes while doing so on her podcast. She used her own pain and trauma to help others and their families in their time of need and honestly her meeting Colt was meant to be. He truly is what you'd describe as a grump, but once you get to know his character and his walls break down they are the perfect balance for each other. The spice was not at all too much and it honestly added so much to the story, the "fuck it" moment was everything.

All in all this book is perfect for romance lovers who enjoy a true crime podcast or two. I hope that Catherine writes more books in this series because I'd be all in for it. This was a truely fun book to read, I read it both physically and listened to the audiobook I loved it that much.

Thank you to Catherine and team for the ARC/ALC- it was a blast to read and listen to.

5⭐️ 3🌶️

I am firmly in my romantic suspense era and I think this might be my favorite Catherine Cowles book yet! I was hooked from the start and couldn’t put this down.

A woman whose sister vanished under mysterious and violent circumstances traveling all over the country trying to solve cold cases and reporting about on her podcast. Sign me up.

I absolutely adored Ridley. She was so strong and selfless using her trauma not only as motivation to live her life to the fullest for both her and her sister but also to finding ways to help others get answers and find closure. Ridley was smart and compassionate and while she cared deeply about the feelings of others she wasn’t a push over. I loved watching her but heads with Colt the grumpy but dedicated sheriff.

I loved Colt so much. He was such a dedicated protector who carried the weight of his sister’s attack on his shoulders. His love for his sister and his community was undeniable.

This book kept me guessing the whole time and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I just hope we get Emerson and Trey’s story. I loved this town with its quirky citizens and I would love to go back.

This may now be my favorite book to date from Catherine! No one can write romantic suspense quite like she does. Once I started, I could not put this book down! Catherine always has a way of sucking you in from the Prologue and not letting go until the last page. I was so engrossed with Colt and Ridley’s story. I truly thought I had the perp figured out from the beginning, but Catherine had me second-guessing myself with every twist and turn... and once again, I was way off base.

Ridley is the host of a true crime podcast, and she travels the country investigating cold cases with her trusty three-legged sidekick Tater. Her own personal tragedy is the driving force behind finding answers for victims and the hope of helping their families find peace.

It’s this determination, along with the knowledge of a woman escaping her abductor that brings her to Shady Cove. She is convinced this small town holds the missing pieces to finally solving her twin sister’s disappearance, and nothing will stop her. Especially the grumpy town sheriff that is not too happy with her arrival and her disrupting his town.

I loved Ridley and Colt so much! Their banter, driving force to help each and ultimately fall in love was breathtaking to witness. They both have their own tragedies that hang over their heads and only want peace and answers. But will they be able to put their stubbornness aside and help each other? Or will the case remain unsolved?

Basically, if you’re a true crime podcast lover, you are going to absolutely love this book!

The romantic suspense QUEEN created one of my fave worlds. I am CRIME JUNKIE PODCAST enthusiast and absolutely adored the FMC Ridley. As always, the prologue to this book had me completely hooked and searching for answers. Catherine always does such a good job and weaving romance through her stories, no matter the topic (even darker ones). She also ALWAYS has the absolute best side characters: both human and animal. I have been such a fan of Catherine’s writing. The fast pace and plot twists keep me coming back for more! Adored this one.

Catherine has done it again, the queen of small town suspense!!! I ate this one up! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Colt & Ridley and the way they pushed each other’s buttons! My heart absolutely broke for the pain these two have been carrying around with them, and loved that they found a safe space and understanding in each other…even if it took them a hot minute to get there! Tater was such a fun addition to the story (she truly was living the life like the princess she is), and I loved getting to know all the people in Shady Cove along the way. I couldn’t put this one down and was absolutely shocked at the unsub reveal. Catherine truly is a master at her craft, and I just love her books so much. There might be serial unalivers running around all her stories, but they feel like such big warm hugs and I love them. This one’s going to be living in my head rent free for a while. Absolutely obsessed.

This is definitely one of my favourite Catherine Cowles book to date. Right from the get go, I was engaged with the plot and character dynamics. I loved that although this dealt with darker subject matter, the focus was kept on the victims. I actually enjoyed the pacing of Ridley and Colt’s relationship and this story had the perfect ratio of romance to suspense. In true Catherine Cowles fashion, I was shocked on who the villain was! Do yourself a favor and pick this one up if you enjoy true crime with a touch a spice. You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC!

4.5 stars
Ridley has found new purpose in her life last few years and she travels the country in her custom VW bus looking at cold cases for her true crime podcast trying to help find closure for those without answers. This trip she’s in Shady Grove and it’s not long before entering the town that she has a not-so-meet-cute with Sheriff Colter Brooks. He’s big, imposing, stoic, rude, and distrustful of her from the beginning. They challenge and taunt each other with fiery banter. But he’s watching her while she’s trying to get the lay of the land in the town so that she can start her own investigation into a missing person case. She has her own personal reasons for doing this and no one‘s going to stop her.

This hero is grumpy and broody for the first half of the book and is really good at putting his foot in his mouth with her. And she is strong-willed, bold, sassy, and independent-minded and challenges him at every turn. They are both so stubborn and opinionated. But that same friction and intensity also follow them into the bedroom when they start to enjoy a frenemies-with-benefits situation. As Colt gets more and more protective of her and the threats become more serious, it’s easier to see what really scares him and that’s failing again or letting someone else he cares about get hurt.

Together they’ll try to put the missing pieces together to solve the string of abductions that affected both of them and hopefully keep her safe in the process. This book kept me interested throughout. I was turning pages trying to put the pieces together myself and figure it all out. I had figured out one thing, but other things completely surprised me. But I can honestly say there were still a few things that I kept wondering about after the fact. But it was more that had to do with the case than the romance. It was a simmering slow burn and it seemed like they were still fighting for half the book, but then things seemed to burn hot and get more emotional fairly quickly. I enjoyed seeing them be more vulnerable and also start to fill the holes left in their own lives due to their pasts and find new perspectives and fulfillment.

This is a feisty, mysterious, opposites-attract, grumpy sunshine, hurt-comfort, small-town romantic suspense. This was my first book by this author and I did really enjoy it. I loved the characters in this close-knit small town and I’m interested in some of the side characters and hope this is a series starter. Even the animals have big personalities. So I will definitely be picking up more from this author.

This was a highly anticipated read for me and this is proven by the fact that I put it off for quite a while. I do this when I think I’m going to love books. It makes a lot of sense.

Full transparency: I spent a chunk of this book preemptively upset with Catherine because I totally thought she had made someone I liked the culprit. Happy to report that this didn’t end up being the case. ALL IS WELL.

Mostly.

While I give her a lot of credit for completely switching it up, I felt like this book lacked the meticulous balance between romance and suspense that Catherine usually succeeds at. The slow start on all fronts (with both the romance and suspense) truly threw off my enjoyment and undermined the development of the story. This read to me a lot more like another romantic suspense author I’ve read, who I usually enjoy less. For this reason it wasn’t a total hit for me.

Saying this is my lowest rated Catherine Cowles book and noting that this rating is 4/5 to encourage you to still read her books. I’m looking forward to what she writes next!

Um what?! I did not see that coming my mind is blown in the best way. This was such an incredible read. From the prologue to the epilogue I was hooked.

Catherine Cowles has a way of hooking you into her characters lives from the very beginning and taking you on a journey of mystery, crime, who did this to you. Add incredible love stories and it’s the perfect mix.

All the Missing Pieces is a complete standalone. New town, new people, itty bitty easter eggs.

I adored Ridley so much, her strength, determination and resilience throughout was admirable and had me rooting for her. I loved her cause and podcast.

Colt! This man was perfect. His skepticism, and love for his family made him feel so real and lovable. I love how determined he was to protect his town and those he loved.

I don’t want to give anything away but I will say this was the perfect book and I can’t recommend it enough.

THIS. BOOK . IS. EVERYTHING!!!!!!

I am a massive fan of Catherine and I always say the book I just read is my favorite, but this book seriously just topped every other book of hers I have read. This book had me in a chokehold from the very beginning literally until the last page. If you love small town, romantic suspense, who hurt you vibes, grumpy sunshine, top notch banter and some feisty pets this is the book for you. Ridley is a true crime podcaster who comes to Shady Cove to work on a podcast series. Colt is the town sheriff and also the sister of the victim she is hoping to interview. Colt is definitely not a fan of Ridley from the beginning, he doesn't want her stirring up past trauma for his sister Emerson.

While Law Man and Chaos were the MCs, there was an incredible cast of characters including Colt's sister Emerson and best friend Trey. There were some cooky old timers that added fun to the story as well as a 3 legged cat that gives tooth hugs.

I legit had NO IDEA who the suspect was. I consider myself pretty savvy and usually can figure it out but this one left me completely shocked. I loved the way that Colt and Ridley came together. Their connection, shared grief and trauma all created such an incredible bond. Even when he didn't want to care, he did.

I hope and pray that this becomes a series or least that Emerson gets a book. This was an incredible start to my year of reading.