Cover Image: Saltwater Graves

Saltwater Graves

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

Having enjoyed the previous books in this series I was pleased to be approved for this one This was a great read, and a good follow on to The Innocent Girls. Detective Casey White is such a likeable character you just want to root for her. Things are going well for her as the book starts and she, along with her team investigate murders similar to a previous one when her partners wife was the victim. Are they connected? I found this book to be a fast paced, thrilling read full of suspense. With an ending I was not expecting! I was hooked from the first page to the last and look forward to the next book.

Was this review helpful?

This year had been the one with police procedurals. This was a solid one where the women found murdered on the beach had links to the ex-sheriff Jericho and Detective Casey’s current romantic lead, and it was all up to the good detective to find the killer.

Author B. R. Spangler niched a nice twist in the plot where all clues led the path to Jericho, incriminating him completely. Casey had to work doubly hard to get to the truth. The story was a good crime thriller where each lead was investigated thoroughly but quite slow in building its suspense. The latter half saw the book reaching its potential where the race was on.

The investigation was interesting, but the scenes saw Casey heartbroken in the end. I thought the story would progress beyond what was already shown in the earlier books, but it regressed quite unsatisfactorily. It came back to where it all started in book 1. So much angst in a police procedural was not needed.

Overall, it felt to be a good read, hoping that the next book would be fabulous.
3.5 stars

Was this review helpful?

Domino disaster develops in Carolinian waters🌊

3.5🌟 stars
The serial killer investigation in this story was good though I would not classify it a page-turner for me. I liked the writing and the fact that author B.R. Spangler kept the character count at a reasonable number that I could keep straight. The identity of the killer remained a mystery almost to the action climax: another point I look for in a good police procedural. This was the first of the Detective Casey White series I read and I think it would have been helpful to read earlier books to really understand her even though the crimes in this book are standalone.

That said, this book was inconclusive and the ending just left me down emotionally. I won't spoil it by saying why, just know that things fall apart repeatedly and solving the murders is no real palliative for the trainwreck of trouble in this lead detective's turbulent life and collateral damage is unavoidable. I don't think I will be reading more of this series despite the gorgeous coastal backdrop and the promise of a sharp future policewoman shown by Casey's young mentee Tracy. And I REALLY disliked ambition-driven Cheryl who is likely to reappear as the series continues.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

By the time you read Saltwater Graves, you have a good feel for how Casey and the rest of her team work. You also have an understanding of all the hardships that she has faced and how that effects the way she works.

Despite all the craziness going on around her, Casey is finally on her way towards having a much deserved “happy ending”. Unfortunately that feeling only lasts so long. Jericho becomes a suspect, her ex comes back and her personal life ends up with more questions than answers. Add on to that, women are being murdered and Casey is working with the last person she ever expected to.

If you’re looking for a feel good read, this won’t be the one for you. However, if you’re in the mood for twists and turns and a crime that will keep you guessing, this is a great book to read.

Was this review helpful?

The third in the series to feature Detective Casey White. Casey is in a good place, she has her daughter back and is finally moving in with the love of her life Sheriff Jericho. A serial killer is prowling the Outer Banks and women are turning up dead. The MO has a lot of similarities to the murder of Jericho's first wife and Jericho is being looked at the prime suspect. Casey now has to catch the serial killer and prove that her lover is innocent. Taught, gripping and action packed. This series keeps going from strength to strength. Loved it and a very happy reader.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

i so enjoying this series each book makes you want more .Detective Casey White is so enjoying life she has her daughter back and is going to move in with her partner Sheriff Jericho and his son . Jericho is running for mayor . but everything changes someone is killing women who where once close to Jericho and his late wife who was murdered . the killer is killing them how Jericho s wife died someone is trying to frame Jericho . the one who killed Jericho s wife wants Casey to visit her in prison. Casey is racing against the clock to find the killer to clear Jericho i had tears at the end of this book this author has a way of pulling you in to the book with them wont say no more but this series is so so good cant wait for next book

Was this review helpful?

Detective Casey White is getting used to her new life in the Outer Banks and enjoying time spent with ex-sheriff Jericho Flynn. Called in to investigate when the body of popular local resident Ann Choplin is found on a stretch of lonely beach she knows it is a location depressingly familiar to Jericho; his wife was discovered murdered there years earlier.

Shocked at the similarities between the two crimes Casey suspects there is the worrying possibility of a copycat killer in the area. This is made all the more feasible when a second victim is discovered on the same stretch of beach and then Casey discovers a link between the murdered women and Jericho.

Once again B R Spangler has written a taut, emotionally charged, novel which draws you in and keeps you enthralled until the very last words. There is clearly at least one more book after this which hopefully will keep both Casey and Jericho on their toes.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I would definitely recommend this excellent next instalment of such a good series.

Was this review helpful?

The writing is as good as the first two books, taut and intense. The reader feels as if they are there as witnesses to almost everything...the murders, the interrogations, the desperation that comes as more complications arise. Although it’s the third book in the series, the author does a good job of connecting the threads from past books so you the reader doesn’t feel lost.
In this novel, there is a serial killer on the Outer Banks, targeting people who have a loose connection to Detective White’s lover, Jericho. Suspicion ultimately falls on Jericho, which doesn’t help his current political attempt as he runs for mayor.
Also central to the story is the killer who murdered Jerico’s first wife and who is obsessed with him still. Casey tries to outsmart this woman in order to solve the murders, with mixed results. This review will avoid additional information so as to avoid spoilers.
For readers who have read the first two novels, there may be a “sameness” to the writing that is off-putting or, if the reader prefers this type of angst in their books, they may find it totally satisfying. Spoiler alert: I found the ending to be disappointing as it plunged the reader back into the same set of circumstances that were believed to be resolved in the first novel. After three books, Casey White has not grown nor found any relief in her dark obsession to find her daughter who was kidnapped 15 years ago.
My thanks to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance digital copy of this novel for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

I have to break one of my own rules in giving this book 5 stars. If a book in a series cannot be read as a standalone it loses a star for me. This one could be, but my god the impact would be diluted if you hadn’t read the first two
This is a great crime series, and this book is about the solving of a crime. But the main impact is the emotional rollercoaster that the main character, Detective Casey White is, sent on.
This is a tidal wave of a book packing more into its 270+ pages than many do in 4 or 5 hundred.
I loved it, should have been. 4 stars because it loses some of its impact if you haven’t read the previous ones but, the impact it does have is like a knockout punch so definitely 5 stars

Was this review helpful?

Great read, gripping and unique. I love the characters in this book. The authors style pulls you in and makes this impossible to put down.

Was this review helpful?

It’s often said that your heart can break in about one million pieces. I did not know it could break in even more pieces but it did while I was reading this book.
When something really devastating happens to you in the past, you grab every straw you can get. Little by little you have collected to many that you end up with a whole bale and the mystery is solved. You turn your life around. You have rose tinted glasses on because the future is very bright again.
When you think your happiness is complete the rug is not once, but twice pulled from under you. In stead of climbing up to arrive on cloud nine, you fall back down in one of the blackest pits you could ever imagine.
Will there be someone to pull you out of It again or even more important do you want someone to help you? Are you building bridges or walls…?
Detective Casey is one hell of a woman. What do you do when you have to trust someone you don’t trust at all? Everybody can change, right? Or should you always keep the saying about the leopard and the spots in mind?
I loved this 3rd book in the series and am very curious to find out what will happen next time. 5 stars.

Thank you, B.R. Spangler and Bookouture

Was this review helpful?

My heart breaks over and over for Detective Casey White.

A woman's body washes up on an Outer Banks beach with striking similarities to a case from a couple years back involving the ex-sheriff, Jericho Flynn, Detective Casey White's romantic partner. Days later another woman is found, and both of them have ties to Jericho's past. Every clue uncovered seems to incriminate her loving partner more and more, and time is running out to catch this killer before he catches her.

Saltwater Graves was a good story, it would make a good episode of a crime drama to use as background noise when I'm doing other things, but it wasn't an edge-of-my-seat/can't-put-it-down thriller. The procedural aspect of this book was fun to read and was just like watching CSI or Bones as they try to find out what happened to the victims. The book doesn't really get into its crescendo until the third or fourth quarter of the book, until then I wasn't crazy about it. I did find myself so sad and heartbroken for Casey toward the end of the book as she faced one loss after another in rapid succession and couldn't catch a break. I also found the ending to be unsatisfactory, I'm sure there will of course be another installment in the Detective Casey White series, but this ending wasn't one urging me to read on. I do applaud the author's ability to break my heart for Casey.

I was mostly excited for this book because of the fact that the setting, the Outer Banks, is where I live and grew up. For me, I feel like it was a mistake on my part because this wasn't an Outer Banks setting this was more like a Virginia Beach setting through and through and the inaccuracies drove me up a wall, but that's just a personal grievance of mine and did not affect the rating I gave this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, B.R. Spangler, and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Saltwater ZGraves by BR Spangler.
This is a series book and crime novel. First one that I have read and it can stand alone, but there is some background that is missing, at least I felt that way.
Good characters and solid plot.

3 stars.

Was this review helpful?

WOW !!! Explosive page turner with so many twists and turns ! Exquisitely written !! I loved this book !! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own !
#Netgalley #Bookouture #SaltWaterGraves

Was this review helpful?

Casey and Jericho are back ! I love when I read a series and every single book in the series is great! Casey is on the search for a serial killer again but this one is very close to home. Jericho's ex partner who killed his wife is now somehow involved from prison in the killings. I absolutely loved the twist at the end about Hannah. WOW! This book kept me captivated so much I think I didn't do much but read all day because I couldn't put it down. Suspense and thrills making this book a perfect read! If you haven't read this series you need to ! Loved this book and every single book in the series!!!

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Saltwater Graves, the third novel to feature Detective Casey White, set in the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

When a woman’s body is found washed up on the shore Casey and the team are assigned the murder investigation. Then another body is found in similar circumstances and leads to problems for Casey as her partner Jericho knew both the victims and the murders are similar to his wife’s murder a few years before. Paige Kotes was convicted of that crime but a conspiracy theory of Jericho being an accomplice gains ground and leads to him becoming a suspect.

I enjoyed Saltwater Graves to a point but I didn’t like the ending and the set up for the next novel in the series. I can’t say why without spoilers but I feel it’s regressive rather than progressive for the series.

The novel is told mostly from Casey’s point of view with several chapters detailing the unnamed killer’s actions in meeting and killing his victims. This is well done as his identity is well concealed until the final action scenes and denouement. As he’s on his spree Casey and the team are conducting their investigation. There is friction as Jericho comes under suspicion and Casey, not at the top of her game, tries to clear him, causing further friction with him. There are tense moments in the novel, like when Jericho is investigated, but I didn’t really get that overall feeling of dread you get in some novels. I also think there are too many leaps of faith, assumptions and lucky breaks to give the novel any sense of realism. Sure, it’s entertaining and moves along at a fast clip but it’s fairly superficial.

This is not a feel good read and there is little sense of optimism in it. It should be as it starts off that way but all the good things disappear as the novel progresses. I can’t say more than that.

Saltwater Graves is a solid read.

Was this review helpful?

Saltwater Graves by B.R. Spangler had me going in all directions on who was involved and what would happen. I cried at the end (won't say why so as not to spoil anything). Saltwater Graves was a great read. The characters were developed well and complex.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

#SaltwaterGraves #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

It's hard to review this one without giving spoilers! There is SO MUCH happening here! The characters are complex and intriguing. Even the ones you love to hate. Casey is developing nicely and I love Jericho. The mystery is gripping and full of suspense and twists. And that ending is shocking. I never saw those reveals coming. I can't wait for the next book. I have to know what happens next.

Was this review helpful?

Detective Casey is back after being reunited with her daughter who was kidnapped years ago. Casey is shocked by the murder of a beloved woman name Ann what more shocking is where Ann was found it’s the same beach her boyfriend ex-sheriff Jericho wife Jessie was murder at.

As she and Jericho investigate another woman is murder and Casey fears it’s maybe a copycat or someone who has something against Jericho because when she finds a link between the victims and learns that Jericho may know the victims she starts to wonder if Jericho is hiding something when he doesn’t let on he knew them.

As the evidence seems to be pointing at Jericho she puts everything on the line to prove he innocent while trying to keep her eyes open and not trust the wrong person. Casey has a lot on her plate but it doesn’t stop her for wanting justice. Great Mystery twists and turns

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Was this review helpful?

B.R. Spangler's Saltwater Graves was a very emotional and sometimes hard read for me... It's a wonderful book, it just made me pause at moments. After reuniting with her daughter, Casey and Jericho are thrust into a case where they must solve a murder that's very similar to Jericho's first wife, Jessie... and with the serial killer of Jessie actively involved (or maybe not) in the case. It's hard not to give anything away, but brace yourself for the ending... WOWZA!

Was this review helpful?