A Place Called Fear

It should be a happy time in Florida Detective Maggie Novak’s life, she’s just gotten engaged, but her happiness is eclipsed by fear when she learns fellow detective Clayton Young has disappeared. When Maggie reviews security footage of the grocery store where Clayton was last seen, she watches a nightmare in the parking lot unfold before her eyes. Clayton has been murdered. The homicide team soon learns that Clay was targeted because he was a cop, and he’s not the only cop on the hit list. With Clay’s partner too afraid to help, Maggie and her team have to look for not just one killer, but several. The nail biting action that Houhgton is famous for is on full display in his latest

Wow!! Keith Houghton really knocked it out of the park! What a great read. This is the first book that I've read by this author but I plan to be hot on his trail from here on out. I loved the twists at the end. I definitely recommend this book.

A supposed suicide by a police officer leads on to a confusing but very interesting storyline with lots unexpected twists and turns. Maggie Novak despite being almost blown up manages to continue with the investigation bringing it to a surprising conclusion

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

I think I have been a roller coaster ride. Absolutely Brilliant. It was well written and the story blending around all those involved effortlessly with a magic touch. The who was it? I didn't see that coming at all.
Well done to the author.

I did not read the first one so this book was something new for me and it bothers me that I had problems with characters but anyway, a good thriller with a interesting twists.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

A Place Called Fear by Keith Houghton is the second entry in the Maggie Novak series. Maggie is a homicide detective in Florida. When one of her fellow detectives goes missing on a late night run to the store for milk, Maggie is called upon to investigate. Her co worker is soon found, it seems he has committed suicide in his car in the store parking lot. This case will lead Maggie down a dark road where no one can be trusted. This second book advances Maggie’s character very nicely. I can’t wait for more Maggie! This book kept me guessing and filled me with dread until the last moment. Definitely check this series out! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I love this series and the character of Maggie Novak, a no nonsense detective in Florida.
Keith Houghton is an amazing thriller writer who keeps you guessing until the end.

Just started reading book if the rest of the book is like the beginning it should be a very read. Looking forward to the rest of the chapters will review the rest when I've finished the book

Loved this book. It was gripping with a great story. The twists and turns kept coming and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what had happened. Highly recommend.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

the 2nd book in this series starring maggie novak and boy does this book start as it means to go on

maggie takes a phone call a fellow officers wife calling, she is worried about her husband...but its new years eve with seconds to go before midnight and she has just been proposed to....

new years day finds maggie called by her boss or summoned to his house....

after a quick visit to the supermarket to see video of the missing officer all hell breaks loose

clay the missing officer has just committed suicide and the race is on to find out why...

what a storyline with many a red herring before we find out the truth and the lies behind it all...

if you have never read any of this authors works...you need to get on board now hes a keeper...

i enjoyed this book, but it was a light mystery for me, interesting but forgettable. i liked the main character , not enough time was given for the motivation of the bad guy

Easy reading murder mystery , cops investigating cops. Enjoyable enough to recommend for a holiday read.

This was a really good read. It was an easy read & grabbed my attention from the start. It was a great police procedural & I did not see the twists coming. I'm going to have to hunt down the first book in this series now!

Past perfect. Future tense.

Detective Maggie Novak and Ed Loomis are back in action. Clayton Young was found dead in a parking lot, a few miles away from his home. Suspicions were raised around the circumstances in which they found Det Clay young. Maggie has a feeling of something’s wrong with the case. Things get complicated when Clay’s partner, Andy Stucker is not reachable. With the suspect pool being muzzy at best, Maggie needs to solve the case before she is lost in the mystery.

It is always such a pleasure to read Keith Houghton’s book. With characters full drawn with leads complementing each other. Det. Novak is serious, all-for-business woman whereas Det. Loomis brings in fun and humour. The climax is jaw-dropping and unfathomable.

The suspense element in Keith Houghton’s books has never disappointed me. This is my 4th book by the author. My first book was the 1st book in the Maggie Novak series. Even though the book is a part of a series, it can be read as standalone. It has mention of the previous book but nothing that intervenes with the book. I was impressed by his writing I read some other books. And I finished the book in one sitting. I was going through a reading slump and the book brought me back on track. Keith Houghton’s writing is captivating with complete focus is on the book.

A perfect read for crime fiction fans.

My rating for the book is 4.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really good easy read. This is the second book in what is looking to be a great series. There are good solid characters and plenty of action. Police investigating police is a storyline with a few shocks and a lot of suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This fast-paced, action-packed read is literally crammed with non-stop tension. In places I could barely breathe so terrified was I for homicide detective Maggie Novak. She’s investigating the death of a fellow officer and friend, Clay Young, and right from the very start things start getting particularly dangerous for her.
I thoroughly enjoyed being dragged into the action and could literally visualise some of the more terrifying scenes playing out in front of me, as though I were watching a movie.
Maggie is fabulous. She’s no-nonsense and incredibly brave (foolishly so at times). She is also soft-hearted and empathetic, with a complicated love life to sort out. I’d have her on my team any day, as well as her loveable partner, Loomis.
I didn’t even begin to suspect how everything would play out in A Place called Fear. It was thoroughly enjoyable and gripping, and the characters and dialogue were great. I really look forward to meeting Maggie and the team again.

This is book two in the Maggie Novak series, I hadn’t read book one, but this is easy to read as a stand-alone novel, there were a couple of references to something that had happened at Halloween, which I assume was to do with book one, but in no way affected reading this book.

I loved Maggie and her relationship with her partner Loomis, I think each would take a bullet for the other if it came down to it, they worked well together. New Year’s Eve Steve Kinsey, Maggie’s boyfriend proposes to her, you never know what her reply was at the time, she still seems to be thinking of it later in the story, it didn’t seem to me he is the one for her, but I guess time will tell.

Who rents the storage units? What for? Maggie gets calls from Sasha Young wife of a colleague of Maggie’s, Clay, he had gone out for chocolate milk and not returned. The following morning when Maggie is on a run she gets a call saying he still isn’t back, so she goes to the store to see if they have CCTV, they watch Clay buy his milk, then leave for his car, when watching the car Maggie notices a flash, she runs out of the store to Clay’s car, he has just shot himself. From then on it’s all action stations as the drama ramps up.

Messages on Clays phone, what is his partner Andy Stucker hiding? He’s not very forthcoming with information, and seems to know more than he is letting on. Was Clay having an affair? Was he in debt? So many questions and so few answers. Who goes to buy chocolate milk and then shoots them self. Maggie is determined to get to the bottom of things.

This is a well plotted book, a good read with relatable and likeable characters, if you like a police procedural then you will enjoy this, some great dialogue. I am now looking forward to book 3, and have already purchased book one to read.

Thank you to #netgalley and #amazonpublishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This book took a little while to get me hooked. It was off to a slow start and I wasn't sure if I would make it through. But then the action kicked in about 15 percent in and what a wild ride it was. Plenty of suspense and an amazing twist ending. Great read

A well written police procedural with great characters. The procedures are a little strange, and the plot is based largely on this, and that's not good. But the book is very good entertainment.

Fast Paced action that had me tapping my kindle faster and faster. Tension and suspense which had me sat on the edge of my seat and constantly holding my breath. A hit list and several killers. A thriller which had me glued to my seat reading it in one sitting and finally turned the last page in the wee hours. A real rollercoaster of a read. A very happy reader and almost five stars.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Keith Houghton and it won't be the last.
Great writing, grabs you from the beginning - the author doesn't really give much away
So when all the twists and turns start to unravel
You have a very unexpected ending that you will not see coming.

ThAnk you netgalley, Keith Houghton and Amazon publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Gripping thriller in the Maggie Novak series

I enjoyed the first book in this series DON'T EVEN BREATHE but enjoyed this second installment even more.

It's two months after the events in the first book and Maggie and her boyfriend are at a New Year's Eve party. She's had a bit much to drink and has a hard time comprehending a phone call she receives from another Homicide Detective's wife, asking her to look into the possible disappearance of her husband who headed to the store to get milk.

She ends up forgetting the call until the next morning when she's called in to help look for the detective.

This book moved much more smoothly than the first one. It was still a bit out there but I enjoyed it.

Maggie ends up getting into all kinds of dangerous situations and is trying to come to grips with her relationship with her boyfriend.

This was a fast-paced exciting thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I received this book from Amazon Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Maggie is a homicide detective in Florida. When one of her fellow detectives goes missing on a late night run to the store for milk, and she is called upon to investigate. Her co worker is soon found, it seems he has committed suicide in his car in the store parking lot, or not...

This book keeps you in suspense all through. The main character is a very believable detective. This was a real page-turner and didn't disappoint.

Well written and I didn't see that coming at all (the end) . I loved the twists

a Place Called Fear is a excellent mystery with a entertaining storyline. It is well written and has great characters. Great twists.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

What a gripping read this is!
A new cop thriller series that is fast paced and full of twists and turns and with a killer I never guessed at until they were revealed.
I love the main character Maggie's character in this series and cant wait to read more about her and more in this gripping, upcoming series.

Maggie Novak Is enjoying New Years' Eve when she receives a phone call from a co-workers wife asking about her husband. Where has he disappeared to? A murder happens and Maggie has to solve it. It is unlike other murders because this involves a co-worker. This makes her questioning her colleagues and what their role in the murder.
I really enjoy this series. Descriptions make me feel like I am there at the locations.

I received this book from NetGalley - it is the second in the Maggie Novak series. Maggie is a homicide detective and at the beginning of the story she is enjoying NYE when a call about a colleague turns everything she thinks she knows about her team mates on its head.
I did not feel at a disadvantage having not read the first novel in the series. and I would say I would like to read more.
if you like detective novels with a fast pace and likeable characters then this is one for you. I also loved it is set in one of my favourite places to visit

I'm glad that i came across 'A Place Called Fear' as it was such an enjoyable book, full of twists. It didn't matter that this was the second book in the Maggie Novak thrillers, but i do hope to read the first book at some stage. I rarely write what a story is about as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

(Waiting for Amazon to publish my review).

#NetGalley #A Place Called Fear #Amazon Publishing UK

A Place Called Fear by Keith Houghton is the second book in the Maggie Novak series. Maggie is a homicide detective in Florida. A fellow detective goes missing after a late night run to the store for milk and is later found dead in his car. The initial thought is that this was a suicide or was it? Maggie and her partner Loomis are running the investigation and soon find that they really don't know their coworkers and can not trust them. I love a story that keeps me guessing and this one definitely did that. I have already downloaded the first book in the series to go back and read the beginning of this series and I look forward to reading future books.

Elevator pitch:

An explosive locked-room/car mystery for a tenacious female detective
Read/Skip:

Read!

A Place called Fear is the second Maggie Novak I read in two months, and it may be even better than Don't Even Breathe. Both books get off to a great start, with a killer premise. An unsolvable riddle that keeps you turning the page. In A Place called Fear, it is almost a Sherlock Holmes-like; a cop dies in a confined space, his car, and manages to kill and wound other people in the process. The explanation seems cut and dry; still, there has to be a story, even if you can look to figure it out, till the impossible start making sense. Like the previous Maggie Novak thriller, A Place called Fear ends with a terrific highstakes action sequence. The rest of the story is almost Connelly-like in a good way. Keith Houghton describes the investigation in the same fluid, relentless, and convincing style.
Florida homicide detective Maggie Novak doesn't sleep much. Her personal life is reduced to snippets at the beginning and end of the book, so not many interruptions in the flow of the story—Maggie is just a hell of an investigating machine. That always hooks me. There are a few chapters from the POV of the one responsible for the explosive consequence of the cop's suicide; (I'm trying not to give away too much.) Fortunately, even if these are superfluous and I hope thriller writers would stop interspersing already great stories with them, luckily in this case, these are few and brief. All the attention is on Maggie chasing the case just like I like my procedural— and she is dogged and smart as they come. The kind of detective that has a long life ahead of her in fiction, if she manages to survive all the genuinely dreadful people she encounters. One side note, once, the conclusion has a 'gay character is screwed up' theme. What is going on with all these books referring to this antiquated notion? Back in Patricia Highsmith's times, it was understandable, but in 2020? But that is the only nitpick I have.

The gist:

When het colleague Detective Clayton Young goes missing on New Year's Eve, homicide detective Maggie Novak tracks him down to the nearby Wallmart, where he was last seen. After checking the monitors inside, she finds his car in the parkinglot and watches a muzzle flash go off on screen. Disturbed, she runs to the car, and when she arrives there, mayhem ensues. Together with her partner Loomis, Maggie tries to piece together her colleague's last days, trying to understand what could drive Clayton to this senseless act a few moments before the clock turned twelve.

I truly don't recall too much from the first Maggie Novak book, but I absolutely LOVED this book! Once I started listening to it, I didn't want to stop! I just HAD to find out what happened!

Maggie Novak is a lone wolf homicide detective. But when she receives a phone call telling her that her teammate, Detective Clayton Young is missing, Novak doesn't stop until she gets the answers they all deserve, even when it means looking in to uncomfortable matters, and pointing the finger at ones that shouldn't be pointed at!

There was a few very good last-minute twists and turns that really made this story awesome! I enjoyed every moment, from begging to end.

The narrator was an excellent choice for this book!

Now I can't wait until Book #3!

The second Maggie Novak thriller and I fully enjoyed the ride. Heaps of twist and turns to keep you hooked. A great read. Thanks tot he publisher and netgalley for the arc.

This book had a lot of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. I really liked this book and will be looking for this author in the future.

This is the second instalment of the Maggie Novak detective series. It was a very enjoyable read. On an evening run to the nearest shop her colleague disappears. She sets off on the trail to uncover what happened and discovers that he was killed and she fears that she may be next. The path to his killer uncovers many surprising facts, but the truth is difficult to find and they find that many people are barring their way to getting justice for their colleague. This was a really engaging read and kept me guessing right up until the end. I'm looking forward to the next instalment already.

The beginning of this book was extremely gripping and riveting. I really enjoyed the relationship between Novak and her partner Loomis. It was enjoyable and funny at times to read their interactions. Some things were off about this novel though. Such as the ending. The motive was too far-fetched for my liking. It was completely unexpected, and I understand the author was most likely trying for huge shocker, but it was too much of a stretch. Overall though this was a fast-paced and exciting read and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Well written thriller.
A good read, interesting storyline with many twists that keep you turning the pages.
My first time reading that author and certainly not the last.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Great choice in a cover. Really makes people want to choose this book. However with that being said, the book was really a good read. It kept my attention at all turns and the story with Maggie and her detective work was really very well written. Houghton did a great job of telling a story as if you were a part of it and made you want to continue to another 2nd book. Hope there is one around the corner and Maggie can have another opportunity to keep me guessing.

i liked maggie as a character and really enjoyed the detective work in the book. I'd be interested in reading more from the author and more from Maggie.

I read the first book in the series which I really enjoyed and this one was just as good this book packs a punch from early on and keeps you enthralled all the way through. . I love the way the story line flows and the description ,makes s it seem so real that you can visualise it . It is a fast paced gripping story .Maggie Novack is one of my favourite characters and can't wait to read the next book

A great, fast paced mystery. Back with Maggie Novak for her second mystery, this one starts on New Year's eve when Maggie receives a phone call asking if she's seen Clay. She hasn't, but she's been drinking and at a party and took the time off, so although she is a little curious, she isn't worried. Besides, she has some exciting things happening at the party too.

But the mystery starts from there. First you are looking for Clay, then searching to understand why. After murders, car bombs, secret club owners and marriages, you learn so much more about the officers in Maggie's co-workers. It's fast story, one that's hard to put down.

I enjoyed it, although I did hate that the crux of the story hinging on hiding the one thing that everyone was just so scandalized by. It made me sad but I liked Steve's take on it. I wish others felt the same.

Another great book from this excellent police crime thriller series
A great main character and a plot that twists and turns will keep you quickly page turning all the way to the final chapter
I highly recommend this author for all the books he has written

The characters in this book were well developed. The story was good but the ending was a bit unbelievable.
It wasn’t as good as the first book

Well written as all Mr. Houghton's novels. This is the second of the Maggie Novak thrillers out of four. Have read all and make sure I don't have much to do the next day as stay up most of the night reading.

Read them all, you won't be disappointed.

The second outing for Maggie Novak, and another gripping read from Keith Houghton, Will be interesting to see where these characters develop. Decent twist, but a tad too far out of left field for me.

I love the cover of this novel and the inside." A Place Called Fear" is an suspenseful novel by Keith Houghton. A page turner for sure.

I haven't read the first in the series but wow this was a great book. Good storyline, well written, and intriguing. I need to read the first in the series now and am hoping for more. Recommended.

Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

Absolutely brilliant and so gripping. I read it in one evening as i was totally hooked. Can't wait to read more from the author.

I am addicted to these detective series. A Place Called Fear is the second book in the Maggie Novak Thriller Series, and it may just be better than the first. Keep them coming Keith Houghton.

A good read, which kept my attention throughout. I would recommend this as a good holiday reading book. Very enjoyable.