A cement room, a large dark stain in the middle of
the room and “that" smell that is familiar to all
killers and cops alike set the scene of this second
Maggie Novak book. A New Year gets off to a very
rocky start.
“Don't Even Breath” introduced Maggie and she
took off like a rocket. “A Place Called Fear"
continues with a crime that is beyond anything
Maggie or her colleagues can imagine. We get to
know more of Maggie's character and relationships
with other characters. I loved a new character, the
newly married wife of one detective. Things are not
as they seem and more clues lead to different
avenues of this crime leading to a suspenseful
reveal.
This is the 7th
Keith Houghton book I have read
and each one 5 stars. I was pleased to get an
advance copy. I hope Maggie will be around for a third!

This is book two in the Maggie Novak series, I hadn’t read book one, but this is easy to read as a stand-alone novel, there were a couple of references to something that had happened at Halloween, which I assume was to do with book one, but in no way affected reading this book.

I loved Maggie and her relationship with her partner Loomis, I think each would take a bullet for the other if it came down to it, they worked well together. New Year’s Eve Steve Kinsey, Maggie’s boyfriend proposes to her, you never know what her reply was at the time, she still seems to be thinking of it later in the story, it didn’t seem to me he is the one for her, but I guess time will tell. 

Who rents the storage units? What for? Maggie gets calls from Sasha Young wife of a colleague of Maggie’s, Clay, he had gone out for chocolate milk and not returned. The following morning when Maggie is on a run she gets a call saying he still isn’t back, so she goes to the store to see if they have CCTV, they watch Clay buy his milk, then leave for his car, when watching the car Maggie notices a flash, she runs out of the store to Clay’s car, he has just shot himself. From then on it’s all action stations as the drama ramps up.

Messages on Clays phone, what is his partner Andy Stucker hiding? He’s not very forthcoming with information, and seems to know more than he is letting on. Was Clay having an affair? Was he in debt? So many questions and so few answers. Who goes to buy chocolate milk and then shoots them self. Maggie is determined to get to the bottom of things. 

This is a well plotted book, a good read with relatable and likeable characters, if you like a police procedural then you will enjoy this, some great dialogue. I am now looking forward to book 3, and have already purchased book one to read.

Thank you to #netgalley and #amazonpublishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This book took a little while to get me hooked. It was off to a slow start and I wasn't sure if I would make it through. But then the action kicked in about 15 percent in and what a wild ride it was. Plenty of suspense and an amazing twist ending. Great read

A well written police procedural with great characters. The procedures are a little strange, and the plot is based largely on this, and that's not good. But the book is very good entertainment.

Fast Paced action that had me tapping my kindle faster and faster. Tension and suspense which had me sat on the edge of my seat and constantly holding my breath. A hit list and several killers. A thriller which had me glued to my seat reading it in one sitting and finally turned the last page in the wee hours. A real rollercoaster of a read. A very happy reader and almost five stars. 
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Keith Houghton and it won't be the last.
Great writing, grabs you from the beginning - the author doesn't really give much away
So when all the twists and turns start to unravel
You have a very unexpected ending that you will not see coming.

ThAnk you netgalley, Keith Houghton and Amazon publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Gripping thriller in the Maggie Novak series

I enjoyed the first book in this series DON'T EVEN BREATHE but enjoyed this second installment even more.

It's two months after the events in the first book and Maggie and her boyfriend are at a New Year's Eve party. She's had a bit much to drink and has a hard time comprehending a phone call she receives from another Homicide Detective's wife, asking her to look into the possible disappearance of her husband who headed to the store to get milk.

She ends up forgetting the call until the next morning when she's called in to help look for the detective.

This book moved much more smoothly than the first one. It was still a bit out there but I enjoyed it.

Maggie ends up getting into all kinds of dangerous situations and is trying to come to grips with her relationship with her boyfriend.

This was a fast-paced exciting thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I received this book from Amazon Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Maggie is a homicide detective in Florida. When one of her fellow detectives goes missing on a late night run to the store for milk, and she is called upon to investigate. Her co worker is soon found, it seems he has committed suicide in his car in the store parking lot, or not... 

This book keeps you in suspense all through. The main character is a very believable detective. This was a real page-turner and didn't disappoint. 

Well written and I didn't see that coming at all (the end) . I loved the twists

A really good easy read. This is the second book in what is looking to be a great series. There are good solid characters and plenty of action. Police investigating police is a storyline with a few shocks and a lot of suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This fast-paced, action-packed read is literally crammed with non-stop tension. In places I could barely breathe so terrified was I for homicide detective Maggie Novak. She’s investigating the death of a fellow officer and friend, Clay Young, and right from the very start things start getting particularly dangerous for her. 
I thoroughly enjoyed being dragged into the action and could literally visualise some of the more terrifying scenes playing out in front of me, as though I were watching a movie.  
Maggie is fabulous. She’s no-nonsense and incredibly brave (foolishly so at times). She is also soft-hearted and empathetic, with a complicated love life to sort out. I’d have her on my team any day, as well as her loveable partner, Loomis. 
I didn’t even begin to suspect how everything would play out in A Place called Fear. It was thoroughly enjoyable and gripping, and the characters and dialogue were great. I really look forward to meeting Maggie and the team again.

Just started reading book if the rest of the book is like the beginning it should be a very read. Looking forward to the rest of the chapters will review the rest when I've finished the book

Loved this book. It was gripping with a great story. The twists and turns kept coming and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what had happened. Highly recommend.

I won this in a giveaway after reading the first Maggie Novak book, Don't Even Breathe, and this one is just as good! Addictively fast pacing again, with loads of twists and turns and strong character development as always. Really exciting finale as always and I'm looking forward to reading the next one when it comes out!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

the 2nd book in this series starring maggie novak and boy does this book start as it means to go on

maggie takes a phone call a fellow officers wife calling, she is worried about her husband...but its new years eve with seconds to go before midnight and she has just been proposed to....

new years day finds maggie called by her boss or summoned to his house....

after a quick visit to the supermarket to see video of the missing officer all hell breaks loose 

clay the missing officer has just committed suicide and the race is on to find out why...

what a storyline with many a red herring before we find out the truth and the lies behind it all...

if you have never read any of this authors works...you need to get on board now hes a keeper...

i enjoyed this book, but it was a light mystery for me, interesting but forgettable.  i liked the main character , not enough time was given for the motivation of the bad guy

Easy reading murder mystery , cops investigating cops.  Enjoyable enough to recommend for a holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. This book took a little while to get me hooked. It was off to a slow start and I wasn't sure if I wood make it through. But then the action kicked in about 15 percent in and what a wild ride I was. Plenty of suspense and an amazing twist ending. Great read

This was a really good read.  It was an easy read & grabbed my attention from the start.  It was a great police procedural & I did not see the twists   coming.  I'm going to have to hunt down the first book in this series now!

Past perfect. Future tense.

Detective Maggie Novak and Ed Loomis are back in action. Clayton Young was found dead in a parking lot, a few miles away from his home. Suspicions were raised around the circumstances in which they found Det Clay young. Maggie has a feeling of something’s wrong with the case. Things get complicated when Clay’s partner, Andy Stucker is not reachable. With the suspect pool being muzzy at best, Maggie needs to solve the case before she is lost in the mystery. 

It is always such a pleasure to read Keith Houghton’s book. With characters full drawn with leads complementing each other. Det. Novak is serious, all-for-business woman whereas Det. Loomis brings in fun and humour. The climax is jaw-dropping and unfathomable. 

The suspense element in Keith Houghton’s books has never disappointed me. This is my 4th book by the author. My first book was the 1st book in the Maggie Novak series. Even though the book is a part of a series, it can be read as standalone. It has mention of the previous book but nothing that intervenes with the book. I was impressed by his writing I read some other books.  And I finished the book in one sitting. I was going through a reading slump and the book brought me back on track. Keith Houghton’s writing is captivating with complete focus is on the book. 

A perfect read for crime fiction fans. 

My rating for the book is 4.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I was on the fence when I first chose it because I had never read anything by the author before and this was a book in a series but it is a book that can be read as a stand  alone book. It grabs you by the first sentence and keeps you intrigued and on the edge of your seat all the way to the end. If you like police procedurals with awesome mystery that keep you guessing this is the book for you. I had absolutely no clue the outcome of the book was going to twist and turn so much and I loved the ride. I read this straight through barely putting it down. The characters are well developed and have great depth. They aren’t perfect by any means and their flaws define them. The story is full and just so good and so well written!!! I loved the relationship between Loomis and Maggie as well as Maggie and the interplay with the other characters. It’s just a really good read and I definitely plan to go buy more books from Keith Houghton! Definitely a five star book!