I had read "behind her eyes" last year and really enjoyed Sarah Pinborough's writing style and was looking forward to this next thriller, this I thought was definitely worth the wait. CROSS HER HEART by Melinda Leigh is the first book in the Bree Taggert romantic suspense/crime series and is largely set in upstate New York. In this book, the reader is introduced to Homicide Detective Bree Taggert who is with the Philadelphia police department. When she receives a voice mail from her sister saying she is in trouble, Bree drives to her sister’s house where she finds deputies searching the house and her sister is dead. Where is her husband? Who killed Erin? What is going to happen to Erin’s children? For some reason I couldn’t help but think of various mythologies when reading Melinda Leigh’s terrific Cross Her Heart (Bree Taggert#1). In a chilling and heartbreaking prologue we meet eight year old Bree Taggert, who is a true Artemis/Diana. Diana is the goddess of the hunt and protectress of the living world. On a tragically violent night Bree saves four year old Erin who escapes death once but meets him later in life. (Shades of Death in Samaara) Bree’s second save is baby Adam who later stays above the fray of human strife as a successful painter when he grows up. Not quite sure of his particular godly role. Not surprisingly, Bree grows up to be a Philadelphia homicide detective, Diana’s role to a 't'- hunt and protect.

Ava is a normal teenager, drinking, occasionally smoking, and worrying about boyfriends and school exams. She has a secret that she is keeping not only from her mother, but also from her best friends. But her mysterious Facebook admirer is not the only secret Ava is keeping. A masterpiece of suspense...A rare joy...Creates a sense of disorientation and dread that is highly satisfying. But it is with the plot, so tight and yet also intricate, that Pinborough shines. No detail or character is extraneous. Booklist on Behind Her Eyes I love the twistiness of this book and the way Pinborough plays with your emotions and turns everything on its head just when you think you know what’s going on.Sarah Pinborough has done it again: Cross Her Heart is a masterpiece; an incredible journey that’s more twisty and turny than the Tasmanian Devil doing The Twist on the Waltzers during an earthquake.

I seem to be reading a lot of books about mothers and teenage daughters lately - it’s not intentional, even though I have an almost-teenage one of my own. In fact it’s alarming as - in this genre at least - awful dangers inevitably befall them. Here we have both Ava and an eleven year old girl called Charlotte, and - without giving away too much in the way of spoilers - it’s Charlotte’s story which is really distressing and very dark. I do have to mention Daniel and how he totally broke my heart into a million pieces and how, during parts of the book, I had to put it down and walk away and clear my mind a little. I had to have a breather otherwise I would have been a shambolic, sobbing mess in the corner of the room. But as I'm a 'no spoiler reviewer' I can't really tell you anything else about him or his story. If you want to find out more then you'll have to get a copy of Cross Her Heart. I enjoyed the interaction of Bree with her niece and nephew. She had never married or had children of her own, so naturally she questions herself with many of her decisions. You see an honest vulnerability with her character.Ava, Lisa's daughter isn't interested in Courtney fully though as she agrees to meet a stranger online. Saving a life could cost her hers, as well as her baby's.

Coming May 2018! Thanks to Netgalley & HarperFiction for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Cross her heart is written by Sarah Pinborough, author of Sunday Times bestselling book 'Behind her eyes.' I read C.L Taylor's review of this book shortly before writing mine and was I glad I did… just like C.L Taylor experienced, this book majorly messed with my head and I had the oddest strangest dreams! I've never written anything by Pinborough before, although her first book is now firmly on my 'To read' list! I wasn't disappointed. She's an eclectic mix of some of Psychological Suspense's finest - Sophie Hannah, B.A Paris, C.L Taylor, Claire Douglas and Emma Donohue and brings out some of the finest from each of their writing styles. At the same time though, there's something very unique about her. I couldn't put this book down until I knew exactly what was going on and at the end I was just left re The mystery was pretty good, for the most part. I really loved how it slowly developed and how all the pieces were presented. The search for Justin and Bree and Matt trying to work together was very well written. I couldn’t figure out which way the story was going to go which kept me glued to the book. The plotting in Cross Her Heart is calm, cool and beautifully orchestrated—until, WHAM, you marvel at what Pinborough has just tossed in your lap. There are plenty of I-can’t-believe-she-just-did-that moments that will have you sitting straight up in your chair. What a terrific ride.”— Meg Gardiner, author of Unsub The amazing Sarah Pinborough has done it again with this brilliant, pacy story of lies and deceit.”— B.A. Paris, author of Behind Closed DoorsMy favourite character was probably Marilyn. She has a lot going on with herself when Lisa’s world caves in, and yet she manages to step up and carry on with life. She is a very strong woman who makes some excellent decisions, which makes this an excellent book for women in unhappy marriages to read. They will either recognise themselves and their own situations, or they will see that their lives are really not too bad after all. Homicide Detective Bree Taggert was worried when she received a strange message from her younger sister, Erin. When Erin didn't respond to her calls, Bree decided to return to her hometown to see her sister. But when she arrives, Bree learns that Erin has been murdered. Erin's estranged husband, Justin, is at the top of the police's suspect list. He is also missing. Justin's old friend, former Sheriff's Investigator Matt Flynn, does not believe that Justin could kill anyone. He wants to find Justin and clear his name. Matt teams with Bree to find her sister's killer. All three women have their own secrets they are keeping adding more layers to the plot line giving each of them their own story as well as their combined story, all of which are perfectly believable and told with compelling sensitivity even if some of them aren’t particularly likeable! Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Pinborough and Harper Collins for my ARC of Cross Her Heart in exchange for an honest review.

The three main characters are completely credible. They are both vulnerable and strong, feisty and at the same time helpless and each carries their own burden. Intriguingly, the male characters in this story are mostly abusive or untrustworthy which brings into question the motivation of the only one who isn’t. I’m not entirely sure where to start or how to review this book without spoiling the book for anyone who’s yet to read it! You are best off going in blind and finding out the plot twists and turns for yourself, and i am fairly adamant that you won’t work out the ending on your own!! Matt Flynn is a former sheriff’s investigator and a K-9 handler in Gray’s Hollow. Erin, the woman that was murdered, was the wife of his best friend, Justin. When Erin was killed, of course Justin was the prime suspect and Matt is determined to prove his innocence. When Bree comes to town, they agree to work together, even if for different reasons, to find the truth of what happened to her.Lisa’s best friend is Marilyn. To the outside world Marilyn has the perfect life but she carries a secret that she hides even from her best friend.