Dead Wrong (Maggie Jamieson thriller, Book 2)

Dead Wrong by Noelle Holton DC Maggie Jamieson #2 You know you put the bad guy behind bars where he will rot forever and have tried to forget all about him only to see him front and center in the latest news appealing his conviction. You know he is not innocent but how to prove it...especially when women he says he killed a few years ago start showing up dismembered. That is DC Maggie Jamieson’s job and she is very good at her job! This was the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I missed out on the first one but was fully able to read and enjoy this one without having that one first even though I have the feeling that in book one she worked with a different police group than she worked with in this book. I believe I have found a new author that will provide thrills and chills and wonderful police procedurals for me to read and look forward to doing so as soon as she has them written. What I liked: * Maggie: focused, intelligent, dedicated, good at what she does – she cares about family, friends and those she seeks justice for. * Andy: her brother – would like to know more about him * Her teammates – I have a feeling that as the series progresses more will be learned about each one of them. * Police procedural sussing out of what the truth of the matter in this case really was * The potential for romance * Dialogue between characters * It seemed believable * The creep-factor of the crime * That the perpetrators of the crime, most of them, are brought to justice What I did not like: * The evil ones – there were a few * Knowing that crime exists and that no doubt this story is the tip of the iceberg * Having to wait for book three Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more by this author? Yes Thank you to the author who gifted me a copy of her book through BOTBS Publicity – This is my honest review. 4-5 Stars

"Dead Wrong" hits the ground running picking up right where "Dead Inside" left off! As a back-to-back reader, I appreciated the smooth transition into the depths of DC Maggie Jamieson. Luckily, even if I hadn't just read book one, book two more than stands for itself. This second novel in Noelle Holten's debut crime thriller series keeps readers spinning circles around the previously convicted serial killer, Bill Raven. While the initial Chopper Case was heavily reliant on Raven's murder confession, the missing women's bodies were never found. That is, until recently, when their chopped up, body parts began surfacing all over town. It doesn't take long for Maggie to suspect that Raven was at the root of these horrific deaths. Yet, seeing as he has was in jail when their bodies were found, how could he have done it? Many are questioning the detective's objectivity, especially the media. Determining Raven's involvement is exactly what Maggie aims to find out, even while under strict orders to branch out and scour every possible person of interest, reinterview past connections, and play nice in her on-going prison meetings with said convicted serial killer. Maggie is one hell of a character, and I just loved her! She felt real and raw. Sure, she overstepped a few times for the sake of the case, letting her gut feelings guide her, but that didn't make her any less of a detective. She followed her hunches and accommodated her orders, all while navigating her own life and sexuality. Oh, and let's not forget her cat, Scrappy! The multiple narrations between herself, a few of her teammates, criminal psychologist Dr. Kate Moloney and Bill Raven himself really brought this story full circle. It was interesting to see how Raven's mind worked, the banter between him and Maggie, and each of the Chopper Case connections along the way. I don't want to give too much away, though, so I'll just leave it at that. I would recommend this novel to those interested in crime thrillers with a heavy emphasis on the actual police procedural. As stated in my review of "Dead Inside," it's important to note that this book is a part of a series and does end with a cliffhanger. Rest assured that all of this individual story's I's are dotted, and t's are crossed; the ending scene purely leaves you wanting and ready for the next installment! If this is your kind of read, then get to chopping at those pages! I'd like to take a moment and thank the author, the publishers at One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins UK, and NetGalley for my complimentary ebook copy of "Dead Wrong." I enjoyed this ebook right alongside my purchased paperback and audiobook copies. I have voluntarily and honestly reviewed this title.

In my review for Noelle’s debut novel Dead Inside, I said that as a first-time author “Noelle smashes this one out of the park!!”. This time for her second novel, Dead Wrong, she smashes it out of the damn stadium!! This is one hell of a read from one hell of an author! There are not enough stars out there to rate how fantastic this book is! Although Dead Wrong can be read as a standalone, you would be doing yourself an injustice by not reading Dead Inside first. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Dead Wrong and I am so thrilled to say it is everything I could have hoped for and more. Noelle is a natural-born storyteller and I know that I am not the only one to think that the best thing she could have done was to become an author of her own crime books. Given her education, working background and years of reviewing books in this genre on her award-winning blog Crime Book Junkie, she is a natural and you would think she has been writing them for years. Noelle and her wicked mind have crafted a very dark and thrilling tale that isn’t for the faint-hearted. DC Maggie Jamieson definitely has her work cut out for her this time around when notorious serial killer Bill Raven comes back into her life. Bill is behind bars having been convicted of the murders of three women, which he confessed to. Things take a chilling turn however when one of the women’s dismembered remains turn up dumped in town. What’s worse is it is revealed that the woman was only killed two days prior to being found so how could Bill Raven be the murderer when he is behind bars and why would he confess? It was really great to catch up with Maggie again, who is more of the focus in the lead role this time around. She is a great character who has been extremely well written and brought to life so vividly. We get a great insight into her character this time, not just professionally but personally and she has fast become one of my all-time favourites characters. The other characters in the story have also been well developed and written, even Bill Raven as the perfect villain, who is just downright terrifying and is the stuff that nightmares are made of. I really enjoy Noelle’s writing which is just flawless and effortless. She had me gripped right from the beginning and had me hooked till the final page. The story moves at breakneck speed, which is helped along by the short chapters which I love. The build up of tension as we move to the climax of the story is breathtaking and is like balancing on the edge of a knife waiting to see how it will fall. I can’t even with the jaw dropping ending which just left me speechless and wanting book 3 right now! Noelle is such a breath of fresh air to the genre and in my opinion is now definitely on par with the likes of Angela Marsons, Martina Cole, K.L. Slater, Robert Bryndza and MW Craven just to name a few. Dead Wrong is a stunning piece of work that is not just a contender to be part of my best books for 2020, it is one of my best books for 2020! It was an absolute pleasure to read and review Dead Wrong which I can not recommend highly enough. Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and Noelle Holten for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Dead Wrong which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.