Intriguing and fast-paced, the tenth book in the Bree Taggert series by Melinda Leigh, Beyond Her Reach, is another fantastic read. This police procedural is combined once again with a strong mystery, family evolution, and a little romance. Bree is called to the scene of a death in a quiet neighborhood. Keely Gibson appears to be the victim of a rage killing. As Bree and investigator Matt Flynn (and Bree’s significant other) work leads with the deputies, there are three immediate suspects. However, when a second woman is murdered, the answers are even more difficult to find. If that isn’t enough, there are more attacks. Can Bree, Matt, and the team solve the case before more deaths occur?

Bree is the Randolf County, New York sheriff and is based out of Gray’s Hollow. She’s smart, skilled, confident, honorable, and determined. She has earned the respect of her deputies, has high standards and ethics, and puts the community first. She joined law enforcement to help people and that is what she intends to do. Her good leadership and compassion have gained her the support of the community and her deputies. She is learning to navigate the politics, media, and paperwork associated with being a sheriff in a county with a limited budget. Matt is a former sheriff’s deputy injured in the line of duty. He was going to start a K-9 training program, but his sister Cady is using the kennels for rescued dogs. Matt is a great investigator and is a master at interviewing suspects. He loves dogs, including his retired K-9, Brody and a canine that he wants to train, Turbo. He adores Bree’s nephew and niece and has found a new purpose in life since meeting Bree.

The novel starts with a mystery that pulls readers into the police investigation. Who could have done this? The plot has twists and turns that were unexpected and clever. I loved how Turbo and the department’s K-9 Greta had roles in this story. As always, the world-building is well-done and the characterization is excellent. By this time in the series, it feels like I’m visiting old friends. The relationships with friends, family, co-workers, and the community add another dimension to the story. The author does a great job of adding personal information into the plot without detracting and slowing down the police investigation into the deaths. Additional threads in the storyline include memories, family connections, support systems, deceptions, lies, and much more.

Overall, this book has twists, tension, suspense, violence, and was hard to put down. If you are expecting a solid series that will have mysteries, suspense, crime, action, a little romance, and a strong female protagonist, then this is a series that I recommend. I am looking forward to finding out what is next for Bree, Matt, and the deputies.

Montlake and Melinda Leigh provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for September 16, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you NetGalley & Montlake for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond Her Reach is the 10th installment in the Bree Taggert series, and this book, along with the series as a whole, continues to deliver. This book follows Bree and Matt as they work the brutal murder of a newly single mom. This was a really great and fun addition, and kept me hooked the entire time. As usual, the drama and intrigue was high, and I actually spent most of the book genuinely not sure who the bad guy was. There's also a little Morgan Dane cameo in this book, which I loved. And the ending was so good.

All in all, another great Bree Taggert book. Can't wait for more!

Wow, this one was such a good read in the Bree series and I loved all the components of it! I really enjoyed the actual case and it kept me guessing right up until the end and was solidly addicting. I also really enjoyed Bree's growth/storyline with Matt, her family, and her past. And I thought it was the perfect balance of reminding/updating the reader about Bree's past without repeating too much for those of us who have been on the journey since book 1. I have been enjoying the entire series but this book made me excited about it again and really eager to read the next book.

Melinda Leigh’s Beyond Her Reach was my first official NetGalley ARC and I was honored to have been approved to read it! This is also my first Melinda Leigh book and I can confidently say I am an absolute fan of her now! Beyond Her Reach had me in a chokehold, had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. The characters, the plot, the setting, the investigation.. it all felt very realistic and it was like reading a first 48 episode or a crime show! The way Bree used her personal experience and trauma with murder with in her family to become even more determined and dedicated when it came to her job was admirable. I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can get a physical copy. Definitely going to reread to see if I missed any clues or details the first time. Thank you to the NetGalley team and Melinda Leigh and her publishing team for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this book. ❤️

“Beyond Her Reach” by Melinda Leigh is the 10th installment in her Bree Taggert series. Although part of a series, this can also be read as a standalone. This thriller follows Sheriff Bree Taggert as she rushes to find the killer of two women who were murdered and a third which was kidnapped. We are introduced to different possible suspects. While working the case, Sheriff Taggert herself is attacked but is luckily saved by her K9. I especially enjoyed the parts which show the K9’s assisting to solve the case! The twists and turns kept me interested and I was surprised at who turned out to be the murderer. A quick easy read that will keep you guessing.

Thank you Montlake for providing this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.”

Another well written novel by Melinda Leigh. Bree and Matt are back and I’ve missed them. Leigh has a way of drawing you in so these characters feel like friends involved in another gruesome murder. Thrilled to have the opportunity to read another suspenseful novel. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Oh man, do these books keep getting better and better? Bree is one of my favorite female detectives to read about. I love her partnership/relationship with Matt and how well they both take care of her deceased sister's kids. I love the family that they both have built together.

That being said, I also love that Bree and Matt have each other to look out for them in the field. Especially, with cases like this one. My gosh, the suspense and the action in this book were incredible! This had so many twists and turns, it was really hard to see who the killer was. However, everything finally added up and then everything made sense.

I also really liked the part in the end with her getting some good about her mama. I know that that had been a really hard thing to live with for most of her life and being able to get any kind of peace is huge.

I loved this story. It was action packed and full of red herrings. A great story. I hope there's more of Bree to come!!

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Melinda Leigh for the ability to read and review her books. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from Melinda and I cannot wait to go back and read the rest of this series and more. This is the type of series I love and I don’t know why I never found her before.

I loved the characters especially Bree. She is easy to relate to. Her relationship with Matt and her sister’s children is sweet.

Loved the forensic details, the twist I actually did not see coming so I loved that it wasn’t predictable. Overall loved the book and cannot wait to go back and start the series and her backlog.

Truthfully, after the last book, I was ready to give up on this series because I felt like it was getting repetitive and no longer keeping my interest. However, I thought the plot of this book really turned it around for the series. It was VERY different than her last few books and kept you guessing who had killed Kelly in her home & why. I didn’t see the end coming which is always a nice surprise. I do wish we had seen more development in Bree & Matt’s story - they have got to make some progress in their relationship! Are they getting married or not?! Hoping the next book finally answers that question. Thank you to Net Galley & Montlake for the ARC!

To be at a point in the series when I have caught up and can safely request the next ARC... and then get it? The joy! And then to have it be my favourite book in the series so far? The elation!

First, I must address my new favourite side character. Turbo. May we see much more of this insane maligator, fiercely protective and abundantly silly.

Okay, on to the book. While I believe you could pick up any of the books in this series as a standalone, you won't get the full effect of the characters and their stories unless you start from the beginning. This book had a dabbling of Bree's family story towards the end, which saw me shed my first tears of the series. The story's mystery plot had all the twists and turns we've come to expect. But it is done in a way that isn't overly dramatic or completely unrealistic. The police investigations feel authentic, with the appropriate wait times for lab tests (looking at you, CSI), and trying to navigate the intricate dance of interviews.

Once again, Melinda Leigh is proven to be my favourite author in the Mystery & Thrillers genre (with just a touch of romance). Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sheriff Bree Taggert is faced with a very brutal murder of a woman in a quiet suburban neighborhood. The obvious suspects start to pile up: an ex, a former boyfriend, and a neighbor strangely focused on the victim. Bree and her investigator/companion, Matt, begin the investigation to find the perpetrator. After another woman is murdered, the case heats up. Bree's search for answers puts her in the crosshairs of the killer. When a woman is abducted, the race is on to save a life and find the murderer. It's a great read!

I've read all of the Bree Taggert series to date and this is a strong addition to the collection.

Bree's team is called to the scene of a brutal murder and we, the readers, follow them down every dead end and promising lead as they work to find the killer.

Yet again, Melinda Leigh has written a small-town police procedural page-turner. I had theories on who the murderer was and I was completely wrong. I love being surprised convincingly.

An enjoyable book if you like this genre. If you've not yet read any of the series, this can be read as a standalone but will be more enjoyable if read as the latest in the series.

Disclaimer: I have not read the rest of the series. I didn’t feel lost though, and was able to enjoy the plot of this as a standalone for the most part.

I had a good time following along with the case and trying to figure out who did it. There were some very good dogs, and they were clearly the best part of the story. It was a quick and easy read (yes it took me two weeks, but that wasn’t the books fault. Adulting got in the way).

Unfortunately it felt very info-dumpy at times. Characters would say something to each other that was clearly not a normal thing to say in that situation and was there purely to get information to the reader. For example, investigators frequently explaining their reasoning for doing things a certain way - context should have been enough to show the reader why, the added explanations felt really out of place.

The relationships felt a bit forced, and maybe that would be better if I’d read the rest of the series but everyone being so neatly paired up was weird. This issue and the info-dumping left everything feeling really contrived.

So, did I have a good time? Yes. Will I read the rest of the series? Probably not. But maybe. The dogs were really good.

4.5/5 rounded up

"Beyond Her Reach" was my first foray into the Bree Taggart series and, even ten books in, I felt like it's not really needed to read the previous ones. It works perfectly well as a standalone mystery, and any relevant backstory is explained clearly and naturally when needed.

The plot is compelling and avoids the most common tropes one might expect from a long-running procedural series. My only issue was the somewhat excessive exposition in the last couple of chapters—but that’s probably a matter of personal taste. I don’t mind a few loose ends, as long as the writing is solid and the story keeps me engaged—and in this case, it did.

The characters are likeable and believable, and I can definitely see myself picking up another entry in the series whenever I need to scratch a murderous itch.

Kelly is remodeling her home, withh little money. He soon to be ex wants her to sell so he can get some money out of it. Bree and her partner, Matt are trying to narrow the field of 3 down. A second woman is attacked in the same way.
During the investigation Bree is attacked and another woman is kidnapped. Bree and Matt must unravel this case before someone else dies. Thanks netgalley.

Another solid entry into the series. A big milestone. I've been reading Melinda Leigh's thrillers for a few years now and all her previous series have run out of gas prior to the double digit mark. This time she does it, without losing a step. The mystery here is solid (not amazing or complete -- but solid nonetheless). It had me guessing all the way to the reveal. Was it a satisfactory solution the mystery? I guess? Either way, the book is solid and this series is strong. The end was bit reminiscent on how she ended the Morgan Dane series (and I really loved the revisit to both that character and her POV in this book) and I'm a little worried she's throwing in the towel with Bree. Next up, she has book 1 of a new (but old) character. I'm excited to read that, but I still feel like she has a bit more gas in the tank with Bree. Don't give up on her. Keep her coming!

Another great read in the Bree Taggert series. Melinda Leigh continues to keep readers on their toes while also making you feel as if you know the characters personally. If you have been reading this series from the very beginning, it is heartwarming to see how the characters have grown and progressed with each book. I thoroughly enjoyed Book 10, Beyond Her Reach. Sheriff Taggert and investigator Matt Flynn work well together to discover who is committing these murders. Lots of intrigue plus insight into how the characters are doing. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC, and I am providing this review voluntarily.

I was privileged to read book 10 in the Bree Taggert series as an ARC.
Her books keep on getting better and better, each one becoming my favorite in the series.
There are surprise guests and an ending I did not see coming.
I highly recommend this book.

The shocking murder of a young mother is the opening scene in the latest Sheriff Bree Taggert series. Kelly Gibson was slain in her own home and there are plenty of suspects. Bree and her investigator Matt Flynn start with the most obvious suspects. There is the cheating ex-husband, a creeping tom and a dating app boyfriend. Then another woman is slain. The Randolph County Sheriff’s team strives to find the killer before they strike again.

The team is a tight-knit group of professionals. I enjoy the interactions between Bree and her deputies. Even the annoying County Board of Supervisors chair, Madeline Jager comes to an uneasy truce with Bree. Bree views her “help” with a hefty dose of skepticism.

I love seeing more of Bree's family life. She and Matt are living together with Bree’s nephew and niece. Bree is still uneasy with unfamiliar dogs but now lives with two dogs and regularly interacts with K-9 dogs. When Bree comes under attack a four-legged hero comes to her rescue. More happens with Bree’s extended family and new information comes to light about her past.

Although interspersed with her home life, this is a fast-paced suspense thriller. It features challenging crime scenes and numerous plot twists. It will keep you on edge with a relentless pursuit until it reaches a stunning conclusion. Beyond Her Reach will appeal to fans of Claire Booth’s Sheriff Hank Worth series and Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the digital ARC!

I’ve been having a hard time deciding what series I like better, Morgan or Bree. Beyond Her Reach gave me both of my favorite leading ladies. This was a great story that kept the pages turning. I was able to guess the killer but it was still a great story.