Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh

A homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide… Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

Book 1
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~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Bree is a tough woman. She knows what lurks in the night and still chooses to go out and fight for those who are unable to fight for themselves. But because of her past, she is also slightly distant when it comes to her family. She is the protector but can't always connect like she wants. After a mysterious call from her younger sister, Bree takes some time off to figure out how she can help.

Matt knows what disappointment is. Having been disabled by friendly fire, he has tried to get his life back on track and moving forward. When his good friend goes missing and, it looks like, falls off the wagon, he'll have to work fast to try and help figure out what is really going on.

Bree and Matt are an interesting team. They both bring different dynamics to the situation. They work well together and feed off each other's experiences and knowledge. Bree will work tirelessly to figure out who killed her sister and how to protect her nephew and niece.

This is a good mystery with a lot going on. There is also a lot of baggage that comes with the two main characters. I hope that we get to see more of these two working together, as they worked in a very dynamic and fun way.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Triggers: Click HERE to see Mary Jo’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

It's been a while since a book grabbed my attention, and held it to the last page. I only put this book down when my poor neglected dogs and cats would not stop clamoring for my attention because it was past their supper time.

Bree Taggert is a strong woman, having survived a very difficult childhood. When tragedy strikes again, not only does it bring back the terrible memories of the past, but she knows exactly what her sister's children are going through.

Matt Flynn's law enforcement career was derailed by not so friendly fire, yet there was nothing he could prove. The truth is hard for him to face, but eventually he comes to accept the fact that he can no longer do the job he was trained for.

Matt and Bree meet again in the most terrible of circumstances. Each trying to figure out a way to find Justin, Bree's brother-in-law, and what exactly happened the night Erin, her sister, was killed.

Melinda Leigh has a way of crafting characters who immediately draw you in and you can't help but root for.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Cross Her Heart is the first book in a new series following Detective Bree Taggert. The prologue for this story is pretty confronting. We are with 8-year-old Bree as she calls 911 while her parents fight, which ends in tragedy. Fast forward 25 years and Bree is again facing tragedy when her little sister is murdered.

Bree travels to her hometown to track down her sister's killer, arrange a funeral, and determinate who will raise her niece and nephew. She teams up with former local cop Matt to track down her sister's missing husband and get justice. There are various suspects and dangerous situations that had me holding my breath. I didn't guess who did it, which I liked. When the killer is revealed, we get a scary, action-packed showdown which is all too real in this day and age.

This story is really well crafted. It has a good mix of crime solving and personal drama and gives us possibilities for the future that left me wanting to read the next book to see where Bree's life will go next. I can see things between Matt and Bree are going to build slowly and I can't wait to see their relationship grow.

Melinda Leigh abandoned her career in banking to raise her kids and never looked back. She started writing as a hobby and became addicted to creating characters and stories. Since then, she has won numerous writing awards for her paranormal romance and romantic-suspense fiction. Her debut novel, She Can Run, was a number one bestseller in Kindle Romantic Suspense, a 2011 Best Book Finalist (The Romance Reviews), and a nominee for the 2012 International Thriller Award for Best First Book. She is the author of the Midnight Novels, including Midnight Exposure (a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense) and Midnight Sacrifice.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Cross Her Heart (Bree Taggert #1) by Melinda Leigh to read and review.