Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

This book made my blood boil . There’s not much that makes me more angry than corruption and abuse of power, and there’s plenty of it in this small-town crime thriller. The story was really well built, and even though it took me a bit to get into it properly, once I did, I stayed up really late to finish it.

I haven’t read this author before, but I really enjoyed how he uses multiple POVs effectively to build suspense and slowly knit everything together. I also love it when male authors write strong female characters. She isn’t perfect of course — that would make it really boring — but she’s a badass who stands up for what’s right, even when she really doesn’t want to. Sometimes you’re tired of always getting involved and want to stay retired.

I’m quite intrigued by the ending of Burned Bridges, so I’m excited about the next book. There is a bit of a cliffhanger, but the main mystery/plot is resolved nicely, so it can be read as a standalone without issue.

The narrator — Natalia Payne — did a really good job with the story and the big cast of characters.

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Mystery thriller
Suspense & action
Retired FBI director
Small-town drama
Private investigator
Multi POV
Single mom

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence
Mention of terrorism
Mention of death of sibling (past)
On-page murder of minor SCs
Gun violence
Mention of disordered eating and body dysmorphia (SC)
Corruption and abuse of power
Details of murdered girl
Side character fatshamed
Details of sexual rumors/harassment of a minor (SC)
Leaked naked pictures of a minor (SC)
Arson - murder of children (few details)
Side characters murdered off page
Attempted rape of SC (teenager, on page, few details)
Child killing bad guy (on page)
Pet dog stabbed (minor injury)
Themes of child pornography (no graphic details)
Teenage SC sexually assaulted (past, detailed)
MC’s children abducted
Graphic violence

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: N/A
Other person drama: N/A
Breakup: N/A
POV: 3rd person, multi
Genre: Thriller
Pairing: N/A
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: Varied
Series: Interconnected series
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 377
Happy ending: Yes