As a fan of Lisa Jackson, I was pleased to be given an ARC of The Third Grave in return for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Hodder &Stoughton and Lisa Jackson for the opportunity. Although this is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Another cracking read. Two skeletons are discovered in a decaying mansion, Beaumont, and they are quickly identified as Holly and Poppy Duval who disappeared over 20 years ago. However, there is an empty grave next to the two and their sister, Rose, vanished at the same time.

The case is investigated by Detective Pierce Reed and his wife, Nikki, who is a local news reporter begins to look into the deaths herself. The story emerges from both of their points of view and this gives a broad flavour of what is happening.

I was hooked until the end and the twists and turns just kept coming until the end. A clever whodunnit.
Excellent read and highly recommended.

I usually enjoy lisa Jackson's plots but felt that this latest offering was unrealistic and although it was an enjoyable read, not her usual gripping offering.
I liked Detective Reed but felt his wife (who felt like the dominant protagonist) was portrayed as self absorbed, focused only on her needs and lacking any moral compass. However I do think that her character was well developed, and elicted a strong reaction (dislike).I I do like to feel that the characters are portrayed so well that I react to them strongly (be that like or dislike).

A gripping read, one where you totally engage with working out what really happened. At times it seems like the truth will never be known and that is all part of the strength of this book. Excellent and totally believable unravelling at the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of The Third Grave, the fourth novel in the Savannah series, featuring Detective Pierce Reed and his wife, reporter Nikki Gillette.

When two skeletons are discovered in the decaying Beaumont mansion they are quickly identified as Holly and Poppy Duval who disappeared over twenty years ago. The problem is there is an empty third grave beside them and no sign of their sister, Rose, who vanished at the same time. Detective Pierce Reed is on the case, as is his wife, Nikki. It soon becomes clear that the killer isn’t finished.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Third Grave which is an entertaining read with plenty of twists and turns. I haven’t read this series before and I liked what I saw, so I can see me backtracking to the earlier novels at some point. I thought it worked fine as a stand-alone as I didn’t feel the loss of not having read its predecessors.

The plot is absorbing once the reader accepts that realism isn’t a thing, but entertainment is. I liked the way the author builds her plot for the reader via the separate investigations, because, of course, Pierce and Nikki don’t share, I assume, for ethical reasons on his part and because he doesn’t want her investigating on her part. The two different points of view give the reader a wider perspective as each has their own approach. There is plenty of action in the novel with more death and a few tense scenes, culminating in the almost obligatory showdown and that is exciting. The author saves her best twists for this finale when all is explained. Some I guessed, some were a complete surprise but the journey was never less than engrossing.

I can’t say that I particularly took to any of the characters. I think Nikki and Pierce’s relationship is slightly dysfunctional as it seems to consist of him telling her what to do and her ignoring him. There is personal heartache for them, but he doesn’t seem overly supportive. Not that she’s much better as she seems to court danger. Weird and repetitive.

The Third Grave is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Lisa Jackson is one of my moms all-time favorite authors, when I was contacted by the publisher for a review I jumped at the chance! Nikki Gillette and Reed are back in this new incredible thriller by LJ, he as an detective and she as a reporter/writer. Since day one of the terrifying children’s grave discovery she gets herself into trouble trying so hard to investigate own her own, proving to be a smart and strong woman. I found myself rooting for her the entire time, even more than for the police a.k.a her husband. Another jewel by Lisa Jackson, fast paced and captivating till the end!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy for review!

Intriguing murder mystery that kept me guessing right to the end. The officer in charge’s wife is an investigative journalist for the local paper who just can’t keep her nose out of the case despite nearly losing her life and causing the death of her husband’s buddy. I found her so so annoying, but I suppose that is what the author intended and succeeded in doing very well. The story is descriptively written without being obvious and seemingly well researched.

Although this is the third book in this series, you don't have to have read the previous books. I hadn't read any of the other books in the series but after reading this one I definitely will.
20 years ago 3 young girls go to the cinema, at some point during the film they dissappear, never to be seen again.
When Bronco goes hunting for treasure in an abandoned mansion he finds more than he bargains for, he finds the bodies of 2 children hidden away in a secret vault. There is a place laid out for the third girl, but no body.
So where is the missing girl Rose, and what really happened all those years ago ? That's exactly what detective Reed is tasked with finding out. But with no one admitting to knowing anything, with more bodies piling up, and his wife Nikki a local news reporter getting in his way at every turn he has no idea exactly how he's going to do that.
It's not often you you find such an amazing writer who can keep you guessing what happened until the very last page. This book keeper me hooked from the first page, so much so I didn't want to put it down. By far one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. If you want a book you know you'll live then this is the one for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC of this book.
This was an intriguing story and I must say I did not guess who the missing sister was until the very last moment when it clicked but I just didn’t feel anything for Nikki Gillette who was one of the main characters.
She didn’t seem to care about anything except getting her story for either the newspaper or another book.
I would give the book 3.5 stars but you can’t give halves easily on Netgalley. Wasn’t as gripping as the cover and tag lines implied for me.

Really tricky book to get into but once I did I enjoyed it. Some of the plot line was abit off and unrealistic but overall a good story.

I was really not a fan of this book, but that’s wholly because of personal preference, not a slight on the author or her writing. For me, I struggled to engage with the characters and found the plot implausible and overly dramatic. There were bits that I liked - the background into the house, for instance - but they weren’t enough to make up for the aspects that I didn’t enjoy. Sadly, not one for me, but I appreciated the opportunity to read it.

Great plotting, even if I did figure out some of it. Boy did I want to shout at Gillette though; so unbelievable that she would put herself in danger so much, and potentially destroy any case her husband was working on. I'm not sure that I would read another one in the series because of this as I'm not a big fan of the 'detective's family in peril' plot.

A great read an excellent book for escape time and the best way to see how does a detective cope with a wife who is both a journalist and pregnant who obviously wants the Intel of the murder case he's working.

Well It's a bad day at the office for sure and it gets worse when his wife and partner end up in hospital and the bodies of 2 kids have turned up hidden in a old derelict house of a wealthy family men to sell the land and building.. You know about the wife and yep it can get worse but you need to read it because it's going to be your next addiction till you get to the explosive end that is. Actually that may be the wrong word but you can correct it with your review and not give the ending away. 😉

I did enjoy this whodunit thriller and there a lot to workout so have fun guessing, it's a thriller so there will be twists to throw you onto a different course. The characters are varied and some more amusing than others but all creditable, even if few are very calm in fact most seem hot headed but there is a lot of stress to their lives and plenty of gossips. I did love the heroine Nikki and own up to taking my time to like her other half Reed.

I really hope you enjoy this Thriller I did and do recommend it, hence the 5 stars.

The setting is promising, and I enjoy the story in general. It is however a bit dragged out, so it could be a bit shorter. Nikki, who writes about crime, is an interesting protagonist due to her job, personality, as well as sharing her life with a policeman. She is willing to do everything to get a scoop. In fact, she is doing some severely insane things to find out the truth. A good thing for a journalist, a bad thing otherwise.

The main characters are interesting to follow, as well as frustrating at times. I enjoy reading about cold cases, since the pace is different, but there is always at least one person who starts feeling the heat, and in the end there's a full-blown live case going on.

Didn't know this was the fourth book in a series, and it felt like a standalone, so it was easy enough to follow.

Wow, I was really impressed with this novel. At first I wasn't so sure if I was going to like it based off of the first couple of chapters but then I got into it and was definitely a fan! The writing is incredible and the author did a great job at the ending. Lots of twists and turns and after a slow start I was gripped by the storyline

3.5 stars

In the aftermath of a hurricane, Bronco Cravens enters the old, dilapidated and empty Beaumont house to try to find a secret stash his grandad, who has worked at the estate, said was hidden years ago. He finds the hidey hole but instead of treasure he hopes to find instead there are two bodies with space for a third. Thus opens a twenty year cold case for Detective Pierce Reed.

The setting is good in and around the left to rot mansion and this creates a good atmosphere as does the post hurricane scene. I really enjoy the cold case that unfolds which is very intriguing with a lot of emotional elements to it including sadness, despair, unhappiness and regrets. There are some very creepy characters, the mystery deepens with lies, withheld evidence and some odd balls muddying the field. The pace is fast and there are plenty of twists though it’s not particularly suspenseful. So far so good.

My biggest reservation of the book lies in and around Pierce Reed’s wife, journalist Nikki Gillette. She is so selfish, bull headed and so annoying. Her persistence in invading her detective husband’s space costs them dear personally as well as for the police force and you’d think that would make her stop, but no. I can’t say I like the perpetrator’s voice which intersperses the narrative, it feels contrived and inauthentic. Despite the above I enjoy the book until the final hurdle. The ending seems melodramatic and instead of feeling the excitement it’s seems too neat and predictable.

Overall, it is a good read, I like the premise and despite the irritation of Nikki as a character it’s a compelling novel.

With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc in return for an honest review.

Detective Pierce Reed is married to Nikki Gillette, a journalist and writer, so they are often both involved in the same investigations. Twenty years ago, three sisters went missing; Poppy, Holly, and Rose Duval. In the cellar of the ruins of a mansion, the remains of two bodies are found and DNA proves that they are Poppy and Holly Duval. But where is Rose?

An excellent, well-written plot that kept me hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

This is the first novel I have read by this author. While it is part of a series with a detective / crime-writer duo solving cases, this can be read as a standalone novel.

The premise was intriguing: 3 graves, 2 bodies, 1 suspect. I struggled to get into the story at first, but it eventually gained an easy flow that made for smooth reading. The first “twist” I saw coming – it was quite obvious the minute the character was introduced – but this didn’t detract from the storyline. The final twists were unexpected.

I did not feel any empathy towards Nikki at all. In fact, I disliked her immensely. Maybe I would have felt differently if I’d read the previous novels and had formed a relationship with her, but meeting her like this, there was no emotional attachment. I did not really feel anything for any of the characters and my ambivalence made it difficult to invest emotionally in their trials. This made it difficult to love the story.

I would recommend it for readers looking for an uncomplicated, quick read.

#netgalley #lisajackson #thethirdgrave #hodder&stoughton

A suspenseful murder mystery that had me reading at a quick pace to find out who did it. I was pleasantly surprised to find an email in my inbox from the publisher Hodder And Stoughton UK through NetGalley offering me an advanced copy of Lisa Jackson’s new book for an honest review.

When two bodies of sisters from a 20 year old disappearance turn up at the old Beaumont estate in Savannah, Georgia, detective Pierce Reed begins investigating. His wife, Nikki Gillette is a reporter who is also doing some research of her own on the case. When the two investigations stumble over one another, tripping and getting Nikki into more scrapes and trouble than her patient husband can handle, Nikki finds herself in more than one serious bind.

The story is very interesting. Three young sisters are escorted to the cinema by their older brother. He was supposed to accompany them during the movie but leaves them inside so he can go off to see his girlfriend. When he gets back, they are no where to be seen. What happened to the youngest sister? Why was there a third grave but only two bodies? With Reed’s new partner Jade, the two of them set off to open this cold case. Can Nikki help them or is she a hinderance to them.

There were lots of twists and turns and trying to guess who did it during this novel. It took me a few chapters to get into it and to decide whether or not I liked the book or not but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. It had me guessing all the way through.

Thank you to Hodder And Stoughton UK and to Netgalley for offering this early copy of The Third Grave. I enjoyed it!

The Third Grave by Lisa Jackson just took off from the outset and kept building pace throughout. I really had no idea who was a likely suspect for the murder of the two little girls. Lisa developed her characters well so that I felt I got to know them. Nikki was definitely a strong resilient woman but also extremely irritating in her risk taking behaviours, with apparently no thought or care for anyone when she was on the hunt for her story. The plot was well thought out and kept me guessing and the final twist was excellent. This was a very decent 4.5 star read

I love a murder mystery and this one had it all - a murky past, a missing body and the relationships between so many people intertwined. I couldn't put it down as needed to know who had done it, why and who wasn't who they said they were.
Lots of twists and turns along the way kept me guessing and enjoyed it to the end!