Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh Book Review

About the Book:

In a quiet suburban neighborhood in upstate New York, single mom Kelly Gibson is slain in her home―the victim of a rage killing. Right away, Sheriff Bree Taggert has three persons of interest: an angry soon-to-be ex-husband, a furtive rebound boyfriend, and an obsessive neighbor.

But as Bree and investigator Matt Flynn work together to narrow the field, there’s a shocking twist in the case: a second woman is murdered in the same brutal fashion.

While investigating, Bree is attacked and left for dead. When another woman is kidnapped, Bree and Matt must act quickly to unravel the deceptions in Kelly’s life and death and find a killer before someone else dies.

My Review:

Leigh is a prolific author and this mystery is way down the line in this series. I am embarrassed to say I think this is the first book I have read by her. But it will certainly not be my last. I like this book. I like Bree as a gutsy sheriff. She gets attacked too so there is good suspense involving her along with the danger of the investigation.

Leigh gives readers a good balance of the murder investigation and Bree's personal life as she deals with memories from the past. Bree also struggles with the politics of her position as an elected official and budget constraints. The pace of the novel is good.

While there are many novels in this series prior to this one, it is the first I have read and feel it reads well on its own. It is a good novel for readers who like a strong heroine and a hard murder mystery to solve.

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

About the Author:

#1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh has sold over 16 million books. As a fully recovered banker and a life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Melinda's debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was an International Thriller Award finalist. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame.

Melinda holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate. She's dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and taught women's self-defense. She lives near the beach with her family and two spoiled rescue dogs. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark nature of her imagination.

Montlake, 312 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)