I really wanted to like this - the premise was so interesting but I found the whole book to be very underwhelming. I wish the two storylines would have been more cohesive.

A possible serial killer, good cops, bad cops, family stuff. Set in Texas. It’s an ok book. Narration is very good.

A quick-paced page-turner of a thriller. Perfect for fans of JD Robb or Alex Finlay. Twisty and engaging, you'll be sure to stay at the edge of your seat.

Well that didn't end like I anticipated!

I wasn't completely shocked by the ending, but it definitely took a different turn than I was expecting, which I appreciated. It's nice to be wrong!

Where I struggled with this one was that there was a lot happening for it to be such a slow burn. So many chapters felt like they added nothing (though make sense in the end) and it was hard to get through at times. The first bit of the book drew me in and the last third was exciting and action packed. But the middle was slow. Like, skim a few chapters and not miss a beat. I would have loved if the action and thrill started earlier.

That said, I did enjoy the book and was completed captivated by the end. 3.5 stars rounded up! Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio and the author for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion.

3.5 stars
I had high hopes for this because I enjoy Rick Mofina and thrillers in general. But I couldn't grasp the decision-making of Luke or Carrie. After Luke, a new deputy with the local police department, believes he hit woman in his care on a stormy night and yet finds no initial evidence to support this he justifies not calling it in. But then he "covertly" investigates his accident and the woman which raises so many red flags around him. And Carrie, a survivor of a horrific attempted murder situation, continues to put herself in harm's way. The ending felt like it was rushing to a climax and then tried to wrap everything up with a neat bow.

Thank you so much @netgalley for this audio book & The Book Drop for this book in my #gifted coffee subscription! 🖤⁠
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I had such high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. ⁠
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The premise was promising, but I struggled to connect with any of the characters. Their decisions often felt unrealistic or just plain odd, and that made it hard to stay invested. Half the time I wanted to scream WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! because there were moments that were just over-the-freaking-top. ⁠
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There were several times where I considered DNF’ing, but I pushed through because I had to know how it all wrapped up. The ending did redeem things a bit-- though not enough to change my overall opinion. Some of the twists were predictable, and other plot points felt a little too convenient to be believable.⁠
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All in all, it was just okay for me, but I can see how others might enjoy it more than I did!⁠ (2.5 rounded up)

I couldn’t imagine leaving a city years ago, escaping a tragedy that left two of my classmates dead and nearly left me dead only to be forced to return when my only living parent is diagnosed with a terminal illness. In addition to this, your husband Luke is an off-duty cop driving home on a stormy night, and hits something or someone & the mystery of this has emotions at an all time high. This is exactly what happens to Carrie in this wild ride. The author does a great job of building suspense as you navigate through the chapters and the story continues to unfold. You will truly not know who to trust, as every single character has their own secrets that they were harboring. I really enjoyed the narration in the audiobook, Will Damron did a great job with the narration.

Overall a solid read that I think fans of police procedural story lines will enjoy! This was my first book by Rick Mofina, but it certainly won’t be my last. Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this listening copy. All opinions are my own.

I was excited when I saw “If Two Are Dead” by Rick Mofina available as a NetGalley audiobook! His previous book, “Someone Saw Something” introduced me to the author and I absolutely loved the complexity of characters and storyline! This book highlighted the fact the Mofina is an expert at building a complex character that is mysterious yet relatable at the same time.

The storyline plays out in a way that has the reader begging for more information. Both the main character and his wife have secrets in their past that play a role in the current timeline- but is unknown to the reader. This built the anticipation and suspense through the chapters.

As new characters enter the scene, it was very easy to distinguish them and keep them separate- another nod to Mofina for this skill! With an easy-to-follow storyline that alternates between current time and the past through memories, this will definitely be a good one to add to the summer reading list!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

For a new-to-me author, I enjoyed Rick Mofina’s complex characters, layered storyline, and leveled writing style. Even though it was a slow burning crime drama, I am still very partial to police and detective MCs and it being set in Texas. I was riding the tension the entire time with the constant and unforgiving cliffhangers at every chapter. It kept me in high suspense and everything flowing up to about 65%. After that I was ready for Carrie to make rapid progress on her selective amnesia. She suffers from memory loss and survivor’s guilt while Luke, her husband, is battling his own demons with PTSD.

It had me questioning how reliable is the narrative and what deep, dark secrets are these people hiding? I had no trouble getting through or picking up the story again and only docked a star because I felt it could use more action.

The audio narrator, Will Damron, had a pleasant voice and gave a smooth performance. It paired well with my reading and I dare say the audiobook was just as good if not better than the text itself.

This was a wild ride! Highly recommend for thriller lovers who enjoy multiple perspectives, great plot twists, and to be kept guessing until the very end.
There were multiple times when I started to wonder if our narrators were unreliable and who we could actually trust. I enjoyed the combination of the current crime while also exploring one from so long ago. Mofina also does a good job of phrasing things in a way that make you certain that the unspeakable has just happened right before pushing you in a different direction.

This was messsssy. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I thought I had the twist figured out two separate times and I was completely wrong.

Luke Conway and his wife Carrie have just moved back to Clear River, TX after years away in LA. Carrie is only back to take care of her father. Luke, after a tragedy at his previous job with the LAPD, is looking for a new start with a new department. Driving alone during a rainstorm, tragedy once again finds Luke as he strikes something- or someone. No one else is around and Luke doesn't see a body anywhere, so he decides not to report it and leaves in a panic. Carrie had her reasons for leaving Clear River after she was the sole survivor of a freak attack in the forest that left two of her classmates dead. Due to a head injury, Carrie couldn't remember what happened and suspicion quickly turned to her since the girls were known to have teased Carrie in school. Will Luke and Carrie be able to find the answers they want, or will the answers be their undoing?

Carrie and Luke are quite the hot mess couple. The first part of the book had me intrigued, then about 60% in I was considering DNF, but listening while I'm at work, I just kept it rolling. The ending and reveals brought it back together for me and overall, it was good. I didn't love the audiobook for this one though and think that others would like it more as a physical read over audio. It is written in 3rd person with storylines from Carrie, Luke and a killer, which 3rd person on audiobook is not my fav. I feel like the storytelling can get lost sometimes that way.

If Two Are Dead
Rick Mofina
Luke Conway is an off-duty police officer. He formerly was LAPD and was looking forward to small town life. Driving in rain is never easy. Luke and his wife Carrie were on their way home, the road was slick, it was raining so hard Luke could barely see the road. He thinks he hit something but when he gets out of the car to look, he finds nothing. He hesitates and comes to the decision to keep it to himself; he can secretly investigate the situation.
Carrie did not want to ever return to her hometown again, but her father’s health was failing, and he needed her. She knew small towns were full of gossip and gossips loved nothing more than a victim to spread rumors and accusations against. There was no choice her father needed her.
Three girls go into the woods; they are all high school students. Only one girl comes out alive. She remembers nothing of what happened in the woods; she had a head injury. Carrie knew she would be the talk of the town when she returned; she would have to put her big girl panties on and survive. Her memories slowly begin to return, a fragment here and there. She remembers being chased, falling and waking up in the hospital.
If Two Are Dying has a great plot. The pacing is superb, the tension builds. There are several sub-plots all expertly woven together. There are quite a few characters, and it is impossible to know who is telling the truth.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

This one started off strong with high stakes and a gripping setup that pulled me in right away. Unfortunately, the momentum slowed about halfway through, and the story began to feel repetitive. The ending didn’t land for me—it was too neat, almost overly perfect, and lacked the tension I was hoping for. I did appreciate the twist, since I guessed the wrong person, but even that wasn’t enough to fully win me over. Overall, it was just okay. I’m rounding up to 3 stars.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was the first book I have read/listened to of Rick Mofina's. I have to say I really really enjoyed it! "If Two Are Dead" was a quick and fun read for me! The ending definitely comes out of nowhere! SO GOOD.
I also really enjoyed the narrator that was picked, he was easy to listen to.
I will be looking for more of Rick Mofina's books!

Thank you NetGalley, The publisher and Rick Mofina for allowing me the opportunity to listen to an ARC copy of "If Two Are Dead"!

Another hit by Rick Mofina.
This one was twisty and gripping I really thought I knew what was coming and then I absolutely didn’t.
The twist itself was perfect and had my jaw on the floor.
The audio book was perfectly paced and the narrator truly told it perfectly!
Bravo!

I enjoyed listening to this one! I’ve always enjoyed listening to thrillers on audio book. I will say, I had a hard time keeping up with this one and I feel I would have been able to follow it and comprehend it better if I had a physical book in front of me.

This book seemed to be kind of repetitive and I didn’t feel that was needed. It seemed to drag out the book more than was necessary.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Will Damron does a great job narrating this story!

Luke and Carrie Conway return home to Texas to spend as much time as possible with Carrie's dying father, a retired Sheriff. Luke, also a police officer, joins the local sheriff's office and is eager to escape a recent tragedy that occurred while on duty. But, on a stormy night, he hits something or someone and he has to find them before anyones else does. Carrie herself has endured trauma and as her memory returns, she begins to figure things out and reconcile with the truth.

This domestic drama has a plot that moves quickly, with tension building and multiple story lines. However, I found some of the characters a bit underdeveloped, and a few plot lines felt either rushed or too convenient. 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin Audio and Rick Mofina for the audio Arc of If Two are Dead.
Narrated by Will Damron

Ive read a few of Rick Mofina's books in the past ( The Tom Reed Series ) and have really enjoyed his writing style and characters. If Two Are Dead is a brilliant standalone domestic thriller with police protocol and psychological elements which have been mixed well to give a medium paced, engaging read. His characters and themes have have been tackled in this book have been well written, felt real and something you would read or follow in a true crime series. The morally grey Luke, our off duty cop who would normally do the right thing, sets in motion the consequences of what he should have done and that is revealed nearer the end of the book. If Two Are Dead takes two seemly unrelated cases and through the investigation that happens, brings them together so well. I loved the final reveal and the ending, which left me wanting to read even more of Rick's books.

4 stars

This was ridiculous
It was a fun, quick beach read
The reporter was rude and the husband was a nimrod