The word “trope” refers to a widely used device in various forms of storytelling that makes it easier for readers or viewers to describe a character or understand what’s happening. They are so prevalent today that entire websites define familiar tropes and point out examples. Tropes are often a sign of weak writing. However, a skilled author can expand and subvert those familiar tropes to produce a much better product. That’s the case with “If Two Are Dead,” Rick Mofina’s crackerjack new thriller.

“If Two Are Dead” employs two familiar tropes, “What-have-I-done?” and “The Amnesiac Trying to Recover Their Memories.” Here, the person wondering what he’s done is Luke Conway. He’s a former Los Angeles cop trying to cope with PTSD arising from a widely publicized incident when he shot an armed female suspect. As the novel begins, he moves back to his former hometown of Clear River, TX, where he gets a job as a deputy sheriff. One rainy night on a deserted road, he hits or thinks he strikes a large object that may have been a person. A search of the roadside reveals nothing but a piece of fabric. However, instead of reporting the incident, he pockets the fabric and keeps driving. He then uses his position to begin a surreptitious investigation to determine the fate of the person he thinks he hit.

Luke’s wife, Carrie, has her own problems, a longstanding case of amnesia. Thirteen years earlier, as a high school student, she fell off a cliff into a river in a secluded wooded area. The bodies of two other students Carrie knew were found in the woods, shot to death. Carrie has vague memories of running from someone and falling off the cliff, but none of how or why she met the other two girls or what happened to them. Since the incident, many people in town doubted her story and believed Carrie to be the killer, so much so that she moved to Los Angeles after high school and eventually met and married Luke. Carrie has tried to remember what happened, but her therapist believes that revisiting familiar settings (including the crime scene) may jog her memory.

Both themes have been done many times before, so much so that most readers will be able to guess a lot of what’s going to happen immediately after learning about the triggering incidents. Luke’s dilemma is similar to that of the protagonist of Clint Eastwood’s recent movie, “Juror Number 2.” Carrie’s situation reminded me of a 60s thriller, “Mirage,” in which Gregory Peck resolved his amnesia bout in much less than 13 years. However, as soon as the author completes the initial plot setup, he throws in complications. Luke incurs the wrath of a fellow deputy who’s jealous because Luke got the position he wanted. (Carrie’s father was the local sheriff at the time of the murders and, although now retired, put in a good word with the current sheriff to help get Luke hired.) In the meantime, Luke tries to figure out why his victim hasn’t turned up in a hospital or morgue, and, if not severely injured, why they didn’t report the accident.

Although the themes are familiar, the author throws in twists and complications so that readers thinking they know what will happen next will be fooled. I can’t reveal many of them without spoiling the book’s surprises. However, one major complication is that an inmate on Death Row in Texas became the prime suspect several years earlier in the deaths of Carrie’s classmates. He had been convicted of killing another woman under somewhat similar circumstances. Carrie’s father visits the convict before his execution to see what he knows. Rick Mofina is a former crime reporter who interviewed several death row convicts. The author’s real-life experiences make his description of the fictional execution vivid and unsettling.

“If Two Are Dead” is a deliberately paced thriller I enjoyed, but some readers may not. The author takes his time to reveal certain events. (Readers don’t learn until a third of the way into the book the details surrounding the suspect Luke shot in Los Angeles.) Significantly, Carrie recovers her memory in bits and pieces. The author describes these recollections in italicized flashbacks, as Carrie has a major realization when she revisits the high school cafeteria. That builds suspense, as Carrie’s recollections shed a different light on people’s common understanding of the events. The author also introduces a local Clear River newspaper reporter, who writes several articles about Carrie’s case, rekindling the public interest.

At times, the author’s holding back key information proves confusing, and some developments seem far-fetched or overly convenient. In particular, the book’s title, “If Two Are Dead,” is based on a quote from Benjamin Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack”: “Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” The author didn’t choose the title randomly; it’s a significant plot point. However, I felt the author strained to bring the quote into the story, and it didn’t have the impact on me that the author intended. More disappointing, the killer’s motivation, once revealed, borders on silliness.

“If Two Are Dead” is a slick, enjoyable thriller from a polished author who takes advantage of his experience with criminal investigations. Early in his writing career, Rick Mofina wrote several series featuring the same protagonists. More recently, he has written mostly standalone thrillers, and I applaud that decision. A standalone novel allows the author to create fresh scenarios and protagonists unbound by the constraints of a series. The author takes full advantage here, with two competent, likable protagonists and an intriguing setup. The plot contrivances are relatively minor annoyances that don’t affect the story’s overall feel. Suspense lovers will enjoy their time with Luke and Carrie in their small Texas town.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for this book.

Again, another first book for me by this author. I liked it! It kept me guessing for the most part il until the last few chapters but that's ok. I would read more of Mofina's stuff.

A slow-burn crime based suspense that features a couple returning to their home town and having to confront their pasts. Luke, a police officer involved in what he thought might have been a hit and run years ago, is married to Carrie, who cannot recall why she ran from the woods whereas her two friends never did. Could their pasts be connected without their knowledge? This suspense had great pacing with an engaging story, the characters lives woven more and more together as the pages are turned. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending which checks the box for a good thriller to me.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: If Two Are Dead by Rick Mofina
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 29, 2025
✨️ 415 pages

📍 Texas
⛓️ Buried Memories
🩸 Teen Girls Murdered
🔪 Terrible Rumors
⛓️ Cold Case Reopened
🩸 Whodunit?

𝘐𝘧 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 is a twisty thriller with buried memories, dark secrets, and a search for the truth in a cold case that continues to polarize a small town in Texas.

The author did an excellent job of building suspense and maintaining tension throughout the book, keeping us guessing until the very end. I can genuinely say I couldn't have guessed "whodunit" and when I say I couldn't put it down, I mean I read it in a little less than a day.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

Rick Mofina’s latest is a nail biter that takes readers on a wild ride of suspense. A woman moves back to the town where a terribly tragic event occurred in the woods involving her and two friends. She is the only one of the three that makes it out alive. Unfortunately she suffers from amnesia and struggles to make sense of what happened, even, at times, blaming herself. Meanwhile her husband, a police officer, is working through his own past demons and must come to grips with what might have occurred when he was driving solo on a dark and stormy night. Mofina’s words are gripping, the plot is intense and the cast of characters will keep readers guessing. For fans of Heather Gudenkauf and Brad Parks.

I enjoyed this book on audio! It was very fast paced and the story was good. I love a good unreliable narrator story so I liked that aspect of their stories. I was curious how it was going to all come together and I thought it was a nice job connecting the stories. My only con was that the ending came very quick and I personally would have liked a little more!

Rick Mofina is a must-read author, and I always enjoy his thrilling books. If Two Are Dead is another great addition to his collection—an edge-of-your-seat, character-driven thriller that blends emotional depth with gripping suspense. The story explores how trauma, guilt, and buried secrets can come crashing back with devastating consequences.

During a stormy night in Texas, off-duty cop Luke Conway thinks he hits someone—but with no body or witnesses, he panics and keeps quiet. As he secretly investigates, dark secrets from his wife’s traumatic past resurface, leading them toward a terrifying truth.

Read This If You Enjoy:
• Complex father-daughter relationships
• Themes of confronting the past, healing from trauma, memory loss, and uncovering repressed memories
• People with hidden agendas, secrets, and lies, who are not what they appear
• Well-developed main and secondary characters
• Short chapters with cliffhanger endings that kept me hooked
• Red herrings and surprises that kept me guessing
• A satisfying ending that tied the story together well

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Mira for this eARC, which will be released on April 29th, 2025.

This is a compelling mystery thriller with secrets being revealed methodically. This novel captured my attention from the beginning when Luke is headed home and may or may not have hit a pedestrian on his way. Being a new deputy at the sheriff’s department, Luke has a hard time hiding his feelings of guilt but he thinks he is doing it for the good of his wife Carrie. Carrie was already traumatized in her teens when two of her friends died when they went into the woods together and Carrie was the only survivor. But she cannot remember what happened. She and Luke return to her small hometown, a place she never wanted to go back to, but with her father terminally ill, she feels obligated to return. The secrets are buried deep in this atmospheric and complicated novel in which the characters all have secrets and no one wants others to find out. The pace is fast, the action rolls along well as secrets are unraveled like a ball of yarn with a gem in the center. The gem for this novel was the shocking ending that had me gasping and wondering how I missed the clues along the way. What a great read for mystery lovers and the added thrill of disturbing secrets just made this story even better!
Disclaimer: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Driving alone in a rainstorm Luke strikes something or someone. Luke wanting to believe he’s just being paranoid that maybe he didn’t hit anything, he just panics and bolts. Luke is an off duty cop who decided to not report it but he’s going to secretly investigate it himself. What answers can he come up with.

It started off great, kept the mystery going, kept me hooked but then that ending? There was no shocking plot twist. It’s still a good read.

Luke, an L. A. cop, is married to Carrie. Carrie is the daughter of a retired cop of Clear River. She has a mysterious past. She was the only witness to the murder of two of her friends years ago. And Carrie cannot remember anything. Since her dad’s health is failing, they have moved back to Clear River. And now her memories are starting to return. But they are not what she thought!

I did find Luke a bit of a…how do I say this nicely…well, he could make better decisions. Let’s put it that way. When he hit someone and then fled the scene, it wasn’t suspicious at all when he kept asking about someone. 🤦🏻‍♀️

But, Luke is a character which added quite a bit of intensity to this tale. And yes, you will need to read this to find out…but watch out for the twist at the end! It is a doozy!

As with all of Rick Mofina’s books, this one is filled with intensity, suspicions, questions and drama.

I have been a fan of this author for years. He has some really good thrillers. I have never listened to one so I was excited to get this on audio. The narrator, Will Damron, did a wonderful job with all the intensity and anticipation!

Need a good thriller, with a twist… THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

What a nailbiter from start to finish! This book grabbed me from the first chapter and still has a hold on me after finishing. The twists and turns in this book come out of nowhere and you have to keep reading to find out what happens next. This is honestly one of my favorite books I have read in 2025. It's so unbelievably good. I thought (Key word is thought) I had it figured out about 70% in but boy was I wrong. You not only have 1 mystery you are trying to piece together in this book but 3! Pick this one up. You will not regret it.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

>>>>> for some story-related illustrations, check out my blog! <<<<<<

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

I want to start by saying how much I loved Rick Mofina’s other book - SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING. I still recommend it constantly. It was so well researched and deeply engaging and felt grounded in reality in a way that truly stuck with me. It even got me on the treadmill every morning just so I could keep reading (which is saying a lot). The moment I finished it I wanted to start it all over again.

So when I had to opportunity to read IF TWO ARE DEAD … I was genuinely thrilled and I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Which is why it breaks my heart to say that this one just didn’t land for me in the same way. Not even close.

The setup had all the ingredients for something great - a compelling premise with high stakes and the promise of tension. But the execution didn’t match the potential.

Around the 20% mark, things started to feel overly familiar and cliché. the characters, especially the group of old schoolmates, felt a little flat to me… like versions of people I’ve read dozens of times before, without much depth or nuance to make them stand out.

I found the first half of the book tough to get through. It was slow-moving and hard to stay immersed in. The last 40% picked up considerably and if the rest of the story had matched that momentum I think this would’ve been a very different reading experience for me.

I’ll absolutely keep reading Rick Mofina’s work - SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING proved he’s capable of crafting something truly incredible but this one just didn’t connect for me. And that’s okay. Not every book hits every reader the same way.

This book had me hooked on page one. The suspense and tension were nonstop.
Very fast paced with so many twists that really kept me guessing.
If Two Are Dead was truly a masterpiece of interweaving and well developed storylines that was nothing short of amazing. I cannot remember ever reading a novel that was so well written that I could picture scenes better than if it played out in a movie. This felt real.
Mofina, a well-known author for his captivating stories, crafts a narrative that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end.

Years ago, Carrie went into the woods with two other girls. Only Carrie escaped. Now, married to Luke, they’re moving back to the area where this tragedy occurred. Carrie’s struggled over the years, a traumatic brain injury left her unable to recall the events of that night, leaving her both fearful and guilty surrounding the other two girls’ deaths.

Now, her husband, Luke, is newly working for the same police department that Carrie’s father just retired from. Luke has a secret of his own and is quietly doing his own investigating among Carrie’s now resurfacing memories.

Small town, big secrets, and a valuable lesson? Trust no one!

Rick Mofina is a favorite and I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller that was as twisty as the day is long!

My thanks to @HTPBooks for this gifted DRC!

Another winning read by Author Rick Mofina. This book is riveting, lots of plot twists and turns. It is an exciting page turner till the last page, I did not figure it out till the reveal. If this is your first book by Rick Mofina or your 42nd you will so enjoy it.

In high school Carrie, daughter of the local sheriff, goes into the woods with two other girls after a Halloween party. Carrie is the only one to make it out alive. The other two are shot and killed, and everyone speculates that Carrie was the murderer. Carrie can't defend herself because she fell and hit her head on some rocks and had a TBI, which left her with no memory of the night. Years later, Carrie has moved away and is living in California, married to a police officer and has a baby daughter. When she finds out her father is terminally ill, they pack up and move back to Clear River. Carrie still has no memory of that night, and is both hoping and dreading that she will finally get some answers. Then, on his way home from having a drink at the bar with some of the other officers after his shift, Luke sees what looks like a woman running down the road towards his car in driving rain. Before he can slam on breaks, she hits the car and flips over the top. However, when he gets out to check on her, she is nowhere to be found. Unsure, now what he saw, or imagined, Luke does some quiet investigations trying to figure out what exactly happened that night.

I love this author's books. This was a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish. I love that there were two mysteries to solve and both of them kept me guessing until the end. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book - I just couldn't put it down. If you love a good thriller, then I highly recommend you check this out. You are going to love it!

Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

2.5 stars rounded up.

You can't go home again - or can you? Thirteen years ago, three girls - seventeen-year-old high school junior Carrie and two high school seniors, Abby and Erin - went into the woods in Clear River, East Texas, but only Carrie came out alive. Seriously hurt with a head injury that caused memory loss, she soon moved to California to escape the whispers that she had anything to do with the deaths of the other two girls. Meanwhile, Carrie's husband, Luke, has his own trauma to overcome from an incident while working for the LAPD. When the couple and their young daughter move back to Texas to be closer to Carrie's ailing father, Clear River's former sheriff, they know to expect some resentment and animosity from a community still reeling from the unsolved murders thirteen years ago and suspicious of Carrie's involvement in what happened that day. To make matters worse, Luke, now working as a deputy sheriff for the county, is out one evening in a storm when his car hits something... or someone. When he doesn't find a trace of any person, Luke decides to keep quiet about the incident, but his guilty conscience leads him to investigate nonetheless, eventually leading to a horrifying revelation.

I was really excited to pick up this promising book by a well-versed author. The premises of both stories - Carrie's backstory as well as Luke's current predicament - were intriguing and kept me guessing throughout. An unexpectedly touching death row side story in particular was gripping and gave the author - who, according to his author's note, once covered a death penalty case while working as a reporter and was given first-hand information about the execution protocol by prison officials, even being walked into the execution chamber himself - a chance to shine.

However, despite Rick Mofina's extensive personal knowledge of certain aspects of the story, and two different mysteries, the book felt very lackluster overall, and I honestly expected more. Parts of it were the pacing, which felt off, as the story would repeatedly jump multiple days into the future with no warning. More frustratingly, it was very repetitive: storylines, accusations, and suspicions were reiterated again and again in the space of sometimes only a few pages, and characters would often chide themselves for not doing something (i.e., being there for each other in times of need, following up on certain evidence, etc.), and then still not do it, but keep mentioning that they should. Finally, I found the different writing style of the flashbacks very hard to read.

Overall, this one just wasn't what I had hoped for, and fell flat compared to the author's previous work. However, I seem to be an outlier in this assessment, and this definitely will not deter me from reading more books by this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"If Two Are Dead" is slated to be released on April 29, 2025.

When three girls go into the forest and only one comes out, Carrie is scarred for life. And little does she know her husband, a cop, gets himself wrapped up in some trouble when he hits a woman with his car late at night. Truths will be revealed and lives will be changed.

Carrie doesn’t remember what happened as a teen when she was the sole survivor from a slaughter that left two fellow high school students dead. Now she’s home and while the town doesn’t trust her, she wants to remember what happened.

I stuck with this one waiting for it to pick up but it just never really did for me. Give it a try. Maybe you’ll like it from the beginning but I just had a hard time connecting with the story and characters.

“And that day in the woods, the not knowing, is always with me.”

If Two Are Dead comes out 4/29.

This was a fast-paced read filled with such great twists and turns. It contains multiple storylines going on that eventually come together.. Totally recommend to add to your TBR.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.