Who Cares if They Die is a suspenseful debut novel by Wendy Dranfield, and I really enjoyed it! This is a mystery/thriller that follows Officer Dean Matheson, a small town New Hampshire cop who has hopes of becoming a detective. One night he is called out to the scene of a supposed suicide- an unidentified barefoot woman hanging from a tree, dead. This discovery is shocking for the small town of Maple Valley, and there seem to be no leads.

Dean Matheson is a compassionate but complicated guy with no shortage of issues in his life, but he is relatable and honorable at the core. He is dedicated to his job even though his personal life is in shambles. I couldn't help but root for him, even if some of his actions were mind boggling and frustrating at times!

Right around the same time, a English psychologist named Beth Smith shows up in town as the new local Women's Corrections Facility therapist. Right away I was suspicious of her, but enjoyed the build-up and twists and turns of her story in particular. It was definitely suspenseful, though I figured things out less than halfway though the book. What was interesting to me was figuring out the motives and background of the villain.. It was a slow build up, but I was satisfied that all loose ends were tied up at the end.

One thing that was a bit jarring for me was that this book is set in the U.S. with all but one residents being American, but the way they spoke was very British (mum, queuing rather than lining up, whilst, just to name a few). The author is British so this isn't a critic of the fact, just an amusing observation.

All in all, I did enjoy the book. Lots of twists and turns, suspenseful moments, and complicated characters. I look forward to Dranfield's sequel and more of Dean Matheson.

3 out of 5 stars for Who Cares if They Die by Wendy Dranfield.

I'd like to give a big thank you to NetGalley as well as the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased, honest review. All opinions and comments are expressly my own.