Deep Tide by Laura Griffin

An undercover FBI agent and a coffee shop owner who values her independence must team up when a local barista is found dead in their coastal Texas town in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.

Sean Moran is on an undercover mission: The seaside community of Lost Beach may look like a picturesque postcard, but his team suspects it’s a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. Even so, when the brash and beautiful Leyla Breda starts bossing him around, he's immediately intrigued. He knows her brothers want him to back off, but every time he sees her, he feels more of a spark.

Leyla’s connections in the local community and Sean’s skills allow them to go deeper into the case together than they would be able to go alone. But when a single crime spirals into something much darker, Sean’s carefully planned mission takes a deadly turn.

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in The Texas Murder Files!
For book one, Hidden, click HERE.
For book two, Flight, click HERE.

 

 

Book 4
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Mystery, Romance

Leyla is a shop owner and caterer who loves her town. She is good at what she does and loves it too – even in the stressful times. When her brother finally gets married and is happy, Leyla helps with the catering and cake. What she doesn't plan on is for her employee to be killed just outside the cafe where she works.

Leyla knows that there is more to Sean than he'd like people to know. Since Leyla is from a family with law enforcement, she knows they can't always talk about their jobs. Sean wants to know Leyla better but can't let his personal life get in the way of his job. People are counting on him.

Leyla and Sean don't have great chemistry for me. It's a miss for the relationship since they could have been really explosive. Leyla is smart, funny, and a great chef and baker, who has a nose for sleuthing too. Sean wants to be the alpha protector but has horrible communication skills.

I really wanted much more from this story and just didn't get it. While I enjoyed the story, it was not like the previous books in the series that I had read.

 

 

LAURA GRIFFIN is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. She is a two-time RITA Award winner, as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award.

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ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of Deep Tide (The Texas Murder Files #4) by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin

When a cold case in Texas leads to a sinister string of disappearances, a newcomer to the small town helps a detective piece together the clues in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Corporate lawyer Ava Burch has had enough of the big city and the daily grind. She grew up with her father, who raised search-and-rescue dogs, in rural Texas and has moved to the small town of Cuervo to spend time in the dry, rugged wilderness near Big Bend National Park. When she and her dog, Huck, discover an abandoned campsite on a volunteer search-and-rescue mission, she’s perplexed, but she carefully photographs it all the same.

All Grant Wycoff can see when he looks at Ava is a city slicker—with her designer jeans and shiny car—who has no business on a serious team made of seasoned outdoorsmen and retired cops. But when she tells him of her findings on the trail, he sees there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Ava’s discovery reminds Grant of the unsolved case of a young woman who went missing two years ago. As they look into the campsite further, another woman disappears under odd circumstances. With time running out, Ava and Grant must work against the brutal heat from both the Texas sun and their own electric chemistry to solve the case.

 

 

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really good romantic mystery, set in a small town in an unforgiving desert, where some really strange things are going on. Whilst Ava and Grant are obviously the leads in this book, the inclusion of Huck the crazy Lab, who is also a search and rescue dog, inherited by Ava from her dad, is absolutely essential.

The set-up of the antagonistic sheriff, the lack of respect for the voluntary work done by Ava to help find missing people, and the whole small town vibe definitely got the tension ramped up from the start. I am a bit of a wuz, it has to be admitted, but I did spend quite a lot of time waiting for something terrible to happen!

I was entranced by the setting; the descriptions of the desert landscape, with ravines and caves, and hiding places – barren, wild, and unforgiving, and yet beautiful in its wildness. It was easy to imagine the fear of losing someone out there, and of the need for a dog to help find them. And easy to imagine how there were parallels with the issues holding Ava and Grant back from the romance they both clearly are interested in pursuing. Ava, in particular, is hiding in plain sight from an unpleasant previous relationship with another lawman, so wants to avoid similar entanglements.

Full of twists and turns and little bursts of humour to lighten what is a pretty dark drama. Be warned, difficult to put down, keep a snack to hand for extended reading!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery Romance

This was a great story. The main characters, Ava, Grant, and, of course, the dog, Huck, are really well developed. You get to see their working side and their personal side equally, and both create complex characters that are easy to relate to.

Ava is working as a lawyer in a tiny town. She's decided she's done with big corporate law. But with the arrival of her new law firm, she is also one of the locally trained SAR workers, along with her dog, Huck. Huck is a great add to the characters since even though it's a dog, you can see the easy demeanor and ease that all of the other characters feel around him.

Grant is working back home. A place he didn't think he would come back to. But now that he's here, he wants the people of his town to be safe and for people coming from out of town to feel safe too. But with an elected official above him who does the bare minimum, it will take all of Grant's knowledge to figure out what's happening around their tiny town.

You will not be disappointed in this book. The scenery is described in a way that you feel like you're standing right next to the characters and the story has several twists and turns, both mysterious and personal for the characters. It's a quick read, but really well done.

 

 

LAURA GRIFFIN is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. She is a two-time RITA Award winner, as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award.

Connect with Laura Griffin

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ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Flight by Laura Griffin

One tenacious local detective can only get the help he needs from a former forensic photographer with a serial killer on the loose in the new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

When former forensic photographer Miranda Rhoads moves to the seaside town of Lost Beach, she's decided to make her living as a wildlife photographer and put crime scenes behind her. But her plans are quickly upended when one morning, she comes across a couple sleeping in a canoe, entwined in an embrace. Looking closer, she realizes the man and woman aren't asleep—they’ve been murdered.

Detective Joel Breda sets out to find answers—not only about the unidentified victims in the marshy death scene, but also about the aloof and beautiful photographer who seems to know more about his investigation than he does.

As they begin to unravel the motivation of a merciless serial killer, Miranda and Joel must race against the clock to make an arrest before the killer can find them first.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of The Texas Murder Files series!
For book one, Hidden, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery

Miranda is taking some time for herself. After a case went wrong, she knows that she needs to decompress, take a break, and maybe change her career. While taking early morning photos on the water, she comes across a crime scene. It seems that her past won't let go. She's destined to be a forensic photographer. Being a witness is one thing, but when the local PD realize who she is, they ask if she would like a paying job.

Joel Breda is at a loss. With the bodies piling up, he isn't quite sure what's going on or what's connected. When he meets the witness for the most recent murders, he's instantly taken. Not only with her poise, but with her keen eye and her ability to see what others might miss. Because his department is so small, he'll take all the help he can get and he wants her... maybe for more than her CSI ability.

With the number of potential suspects growing, Miranda and Joel will have to figure out who is behind these murders and fast, before Miranda becomes another body.

This kept me on my toes and I really enjoyed the mystery. I can't wait to see if more books are coming, but these characters were well developed and had great chemistry.

 

 

LAURA GRIFFIN is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. She is a two-time RITA® Award winner as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award.

Connect with Laura

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Flight (The Texas Murder Files #2) by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Hidden by Laura Griffin

 

An ambitious female reporter tracks a deadly threat in Austin, Texas, in the newest riveting thriller by New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

When a woman is found brutally murdered on Austin’s lakeside hike-and-bike trail, investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads turns up on the scene demanding access and answers. She tries to pry information out of the lead detective, Jacob Merritt. But this case is unlike any he’s ever seen, and nothing adds up. With the pressure building, Jacob knows the last thing he needs is a romantic entanglement, but he can’t convince himself to stay away from Bailey.

Bailey has a hunch that the victim wasn’t who she claimed to be and believes this mugging-turned-murder could have been a targeted hit. When she digs deeper, the trail leads her to a high-tech fortress on the outskirts of Austin, where researchers are pushing the boundaries of a cutting-edge technology that could be deadly in the wrong hands.

As a ruthless hit man’s mission becomes clear, Bailey and Jacob join together in a desperate search to locate the next target before the clock ticks down in this lethal game of hide-and-seek.

 

 

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Twenty-something investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads meets Detective Jacob Merritt when an unidentified woman is found murdered in a local lake. Jacob doesn’t like reporters and doesn’t want to give her any information, but Bailey has her own sources. Bailey and Jacob are investigating the same crime from different angles, but their attraction to each other and Bailey’s persistence sees them sharing bits of information while not quite working together.

The solving of this murder mystery starts with discovering the name of the victim which, when we learn it, throws up more questions than it answers. The story here is really good and it goes places I wasn’t expecting, which was great. I liked the surprise and the touch of unpredictability. While there were times I would have liked the story to move a little faster, it was generally well paced, and there were moments when it had my heart racing.

The romance between Jacob and Bailey is hot and gave me a good warm and fuzzies amongst the murder. If, like me, you enjoy a mystery that mixes crime solving with romance, I’d definitely recommend Hidden. It is well worth your time and marks a good start to a new series, which I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next chapter of.

 

 

 

Laura Griffin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. She is a two-time RITA® Award winner as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award.

Connect with Laura

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Hidden (The Texas Murder Files #1) by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin

A young private investigator finds out the price of keeping deadly secrets when a vicious killer sets his sights on her in this pulse-pounding thriller from the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Tracers series.

Private investigator Kira Vance spends her days navigating the intricate labyrinth of Houston’s legal world, and she knows all of its shadowy players and dark secrets.

On a seemingly normal day, she’s delivering a report to her top client when suddenly everything goes sideways and the meeting ends in a bloodbath. Twenty-four hours later, the police have no suspects but one thing is clear: a killer has Kira in his sights.

Fiercely independent, Kira doesn’t expect—or want—help from anyone, least of all an unscrupulous lawyer and his elite security team. Instead, she launches her own investigation, hoping to uncover the answers that have eluded the police. But as Kira’s hunt for clues becomes more and more perilous, she realizes that she alone may hold the key to finding a vicious murderer. And she knows she must take help wherever she can find it if she wants to stay alive…

Written with Laura Griffin’s signature “gritty, imaginative, sexy” (Cindy Gerard, New York Times bestselling author) style, Her Deadly Secrets is an electrifying and scintillating novel that packs a powerful punch.

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Action
Triggers: Murder

Kira is a PI who is being mentored by one of the best. However, she needs to pay rent and the best hasn't paid her in a while. Despite that, she knows that the information she has will be needed for an upcoming trial, so she piles in her car that is falling apart and heads to where the meeting is.

Ollie has been Kira's mentor since she was a court runner. With his guidance, Kira has learned the tricks of the trade and she's going to need them all. When she finds herself in the middle of a case, Kira's training kicks in and she can't help but want to help solve the mystery.

I liked that this story was told from the point of view of Kira and the female police officer. It was interesting to see their thought process and sometimes diverging processes. The mystery was a good one. I liked that you were wondering who could be trusted and where the case was going to turn next.

That being said, this wasn't really a romance. Sure, Jeremy and Kira had to spend time together because Jeremy was her protection, but they didn't really have romantic chemistry. They were more friends who had each other’s backs.

I did like that the mystery wasn't apparent at the beginning. Watching it unravel was fun. I can't wait for more books in this series but hope for more chemistry in the future.

Also Available in the Wolfe Security Series

Book 1
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For reviews & more info, check out our Desperate Girls post.

Laura Griffin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tracers series, the Wolfe Sec series, the Alpha Crew series and several other novels. A two-time RITA Award winner and the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award, Laura lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Laura

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Her Deadly Secrets (Wolfe Security #2) by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin

New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin “delivers another top-notch thriller" (RT Book Reviews) in her beloved Tracers series, about a leading forensic anthropologist who uncovers eerie clues in a high-stakes case that threatens to deliver her to the doorstep of a cold-blooded murderer.

When local rock climbers stumble upon abandoned human bones in a remote Texas gorge, Sara Lockhart is the first to get the call. She has a reputation as one of the nation’s top forensic anthropologists, and police detective Nolan Hess knows she is just the expert he needs to help unravel this case. Although evidence is scarce, Nolan suspects the bones belong to a teenage climber who vanished last summer.

But as Sara unearths strange clues, she finds chilling similarities to a case from her past—a case that now threatens to rock Nolan’s community. While Sara digs deep for answers, the stakes rise higher as another young woman disappears without a trace. Investigators work against the clock as Sara races to discover the truth, even if her harrowing search brings her face to face with a stone-cold killer.

Book 13
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

Sara is dreading staying at a colleague’s wedding. So, when a call comes in that she's needed at a crime scene, she's happy to pick up and head out there. What she finds is a grisly scene and more questions than answers.

Nolan is worried. His hometown is under some kind of siege. Women are going missing and turning up in the surrounding parks and caves. He knows that despite his history in a police department, that he's a good officer, but solving these crimes will take its toll.

With minds that solve in different manners, Sara and Nolan will race to figure out who in this small town is targeting young women. They know it is someone they all know, but with the bodies piling up and the clues few and far between, it will take everyone pulling out the big guns to figure this out.

The suspense generated in this story was fantastic and I really enjoyed watching Sara and Nolan dance around their attraction and their feelings. I think their romance helped the story move forward, because when they start getting closer, it's their relationship that drives the clues and their ability to really listen. Griffin gives you a story that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat.

I hope that Dax gets a story soon. I really enjoyed his character.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Detective Nolan Hess seeks help from anthropologist Sara Lockhart after bones are discovered in a gorge that Nolan thinks may be the remains of a local woman who went missing over a year before. Because this is a story that is told from multiple points of view, the reader knows that the killer already has another victim and it is likely that that one set of remains won’t be the only set for very long.

Crime solving takes centre stage in this story and it is brilliantly done. I was completely absorbed with the story and watching the pieces of evidence come together and following Nolan, Sara, and their teams as they track down clues to find the killer.

The romance between Sara and Nolan is a good break from the seriousness of the murders and it builds slowly. Both Nolan and Sarah are successful in their careers, independent, intelligent, and caring, and they are perfectly matched both in and out of the bedroom. I thought they were a great couple and I’d be happy to read more books just staring the two of them.

Stone Cold Heart is a fantastic story and if, like me, you love it when your romance book includes mystery and crime, you’ll love Stone Cold Heart. It is the 13th book in the Tracers series but each book is a standalone. I’ve only read a handful of the books in this series and each time I finish one I wonder why I haven’t gone back to read the others because they are all so good. A solid five stars from me.

Also Available in the Tracers Series

Book 10
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Deep Dark Blog Tour.

Book 11
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the At Close Range Blog Tour.

Book 12
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For reviews & more info, check out our Touch of Red post.

Laura Griffin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tracers series, the Wolfe Sec series, the Alpha Crew series and several other novels. A two-time RITA Award winner and the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award, Laura lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Laura

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Stone Cold Heart (Tracers #13) by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin

Desperate Girls is a tightly wound, fast-paced romantic thriller that follows a desperate woman on the run as she hides from a killer’s symbolic revenge spree.

Defense attorney Brynn Holloran is right at home among cops, criminals, and tough-as-nails prosecutors. With her sharp wit and pointed words, she has a tendency to intimidate, and she likes it that way. She’s a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom, but in her personal life, she’s a mess.

When a vicious murderer she once helped prosecute resurfaces and starts a killing spree to wipeout those who put him behind bars, one thing becomes clear: Brynn needs to run for her life.

When the police come up empty-handed, Brynn turns to a private security firm for protection. But when she defies advice and gets involved in the investigation, even the former Secret Service agent assigned to protect her may not be able to keep her safe. With every new clue she discovers, Brynn is pulled back into the vortex of a disturbing case from her past.

As the clock ticks down on a manhunt, Brynn’s desperate search for the truth unearths long-buried secrets and reignites a killer’s fury.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

I could not put this book down. It is fast paced, well developed, and has a lot going on. Brynn is a tough woman who is amazing at her job. She understands that when she doesn't do her job well, someone else's life may be disrupted. When a big case from her past comes back around, she finds herself being the hunted rather than the one to put a monster behind bars.

Brynn's mentor has been killed and now other people from a previous big case seem to be dropping like flies. Brynn isn't sure what to think or why. When her now boss hires private security, Brynn is less than thrilled. She hates to be told what to do – she wants to plan and continue on with her job and her life.

Erik is with the private security firm that has been hired to protect Brynn and her co-worker. Erik isn't sure what to think about Brynn. She is tough and doesn't take crap from anyone. He finds himself liking her. She is also very easy on the eyes.

Erik has to make sure that despite the distraction of having to protect Brynn, that he isn't so distracted that he misses the bad guy. Brynn has to look again at the case that helped make her career and with fresh eyes, things are just not lining up.

I can't wait to see what happens next and hope that there are a lot more from Griffin.

Laura Griffin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tracers series, the Wolfe Sec series, the Alpha Crew series and several other novels. A two-time RITA Award winner and the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award, Laura lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Laura

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1) by Laura Griffin to read and review.

Touch of Red by Laura Griffin

New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin “delivers the goods” (Publishers Weekly) again with this gripping, “spellbinding” (Fresh Fiction) thriller full of twists and turns—the twelfth in her bestselling Tracers series.

When crime scene investigator Brooke Porter arrives at the home of a murdered woman, the only thing more shocking than the carnage is the evidence that someone escaped the scene. But where is this witness now? A thorough search of the area yields more questions than answers, and before Brooke even packs up her evidence kit, she’s made it her goal to find the witness and get them out of harm’s way.

Homicide detective Sean Byrne has seen his share of bloody crime scenes, but this one is particularly disturbing, especially because Brooke Porter is smack in the middle of it. Sean has had his eye on the sexy CSI for months, and he’s determined to help her with her current case—even if it means putting his attraction on hold so he and Brooke can track down a murderer. But as the investigation—and their relationship—heats up, Sean realizes that keeping his work and his personal life separate is more complicated than he ever imagined; especially when the killer sets his sights on Brooke.

Book 12
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

I really enjoyed this story. It was fast-paced, had a lot of moving pieces, but was resolved in such a way that made the story seem so organic.

Brooke is a CSI who loves what she does. She sometimes gets in over her head, but her instincts are great and she loves helping when she can. When a mystery presents itself, she throws herself into her work.

Then you have Sean. He seems almost quiet compared to the personality of Brooke. He is almost stoic during his job and despite his attraction to Brooke, he does try to rein it in. However, when he sees that she's overextending herself to help them solve a case, he steps in and tries to help her right back.

Even though there is some great chemistry between Brooke and Sean, I think what solidified it for me was their bonding over the case. It helped that they could come home and talk, even though sometimes that isn't what you need. For them, this is where they have the most in common. And especially when Brooke's ex is creepy, I loved that Sean went out of his way to make her feel like she wasn't crazy or strange.

These two were great together and I hope these continue, as I loved the thriller aspect and thought that the romance was very well written.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
CSI Brooke Porter and Detective Sean Byrne are working the case of the murder of a local woman. Brooke believes her murder was witnessed by a child and she gets more involved in the case than she should. Meanwhile, Sean tries to get Brooke involved with him. But having recently come out of a bad relationship, she is hesitant to get romantically involved with Sean even though she feels the same attraction that he does.

I love reading stories that mix crime solving and romance and Touch of Red does it very well. Years of watching TV crime dramas means I like the detail we get about the clues that are found, how the CSI work is done, how the detectives do their work. I liked not knowing who the killer was and watching it unfold and working it out as the cops do.

The relationship between Brooke and Sean is not easy but their difficulties felt realistic and it was good to see a relationship involving two mature adults develop. They have great chemistry together and I was surprised by just how hot the steamy scenes were. Parts of Touch of Red are much more sexy than I was expecting and it is definitely a bonus.

Touch of Red is another excellent addition to the Tracers series. While this is book 12 in the series, each book can easily be read as a standalone novel and if this is a genre you like, they are well worth reading.

Also Available in the Tracers Series

Book 10
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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Deep Dark Blog Tour.

Book 11
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the At Close Range Blog Tour.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Laura Griffin started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. She is a two-time RITA Award winner (for the books Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Laura

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Touch of Red (Tracers #12) by Laura Griffin to read and review.