What You Deserve is a story where the past comes biting the present and although it is not the main focus of the book it also describes good and bad managerial skills and team-building examples. Erin spent most of her adult life running from her past and her roots, and when she is forced to go back to the small city from where she comes from to solve a crime, everything she knows is tested. This story got me hooked from the beginning and it was interesting to read how the familial relationship grew at the same time as the crimes were rising. A very good plot, well written, with a stubborn and very strong female character, this was a most interesting and entertaining book to read. Looking forward to reading other books in the series!

This book was unfortunately just ok. It wasn't bad but it could be so much better. Erin is a character I had a hard time following she was a bit boring. Although the storyline was good if this book was just a bit faster paced and had a better female lead character I would have enjoyed it.

What You Deserve – Alicia Lawson

FBI Special Agent Erin Hastings is reveling in her recent arrest, achieved after ignoring a superiors’ order, when she is called to assist with another couple of unsolved slayings – this time in California, much too close to the hometown she thought she’d fled forever, after discovering that her twin brother, was in fact a killer - a fact that haunts her to this day.

From the start, Erin seems to be a petulant individual, constantly at odds with her superior officer, Brody – behavior I wouldn’t expect to be tolerated in a rural police force, much less the FBI – but it’s fiction, with the promise of a series to come, so I just kept on reading. When Erin goes to visit her brother and re-establishes a relationship, it was hard not to like him more!

As the investigation heats up, and the team finds a probable suspect, that’s when the storyline really picked up for me! The plot twists were unexpected, frustrating, but captured my interest as I plowed through the remainder of the novel. I also think the second of the series cannot come fast enough, as there were definitely a few strings left, just waiting to be pulled in successive novels, a vengeful predator in particular!

Not a bad start for what is sure to be another great mystery series down the road. Hopefully Erin’s character will develop more depth as the series continues – I have no doubt that Ms. Lawson will find her stride! I look forward to Erin’s next adventure!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Relay Publishing, in exchange for an objective review.

Fast paced FBI procedural novel which is the first in a new series featuring Agent Erin Hastings. Erin is an FBI agent with a difference. Her twin brother Eric has been in prison for many years accused of killing 6 women. Erin has not seen either him or her father for many years so when she is assigned a serial killer case based in her home town she is slightly nervous.
The new case is difficult and the murderer is elusive although the reader is given the occasional chapter from his point of view.
As Erin tries to solve the case she decides to visit Eric in gaol to see if he has any insights. As her past collides with her present, Erin races against time to stop another woman being killed.
I enjoyed this book- it was a quick and easy read. There were several twists as arrests were made and it successfully kept me guests to who the real killer was.
Erin was a sympathetic character and I’d definitely be keen to see how she develops in further novels something which was set up nicely in the last few pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Relay Publishing, NetGalley and Lawson for this advance ebook copy!

I'm so excited to see this is going to be an FBI Agent Erin Hastings Series!
What You Deserve by Alicia Lawson was such an extraordinary mystery story!
I just finished this and already dying to read book two!
This book is beyond well written with a storyline that will have you scanning pages like no ones business!
I liked the character driven, intense, mind numbing, twisty, intriguing plot!
From the first page to the last I was completely hooked. I was so invested in the plot and characters and just had to keep going to find out how it ended.

Thanks again NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the chance to read and review this amazing book!
I'll post to my Social media platforms closer to pub date!

FBI agent Erin Hastings and her team are sent to Lancaster in California to track down a serial killer. Erin grew up here but left when her twin brother was jailed for murdering six women.
Erin is a stubborn, determined woman who doesn’t always follow orders but has been successful at tracking down killers. Brady, her boss, is losing patience with her gung-ho approach and struggles to keep her under control. Her previous successes are the only thing that keeps her from being sent back.
Erin is a complex character, her backstory adds another dimension to the story and is likely to be the focus in any subsequent book.
Lots of frustration amongst the team at their lack of progress on the murders, particularly as more women die. This racks up the tension throughout. Potential Suspects are identified only to be ruled out and it’s only Erin’s stubbornness and gut feeling that lead them to the murdered.
4 Stars ⭐️ Recommended for all FBI/crime fans

When lives are on the line, failure is not an option…
FBI Special Agent Erin Hastings is driven by the pain of her past. Fifteen years ago, she could’ve stopped her twin brother from killing his sixth victim. All she wants now is a second chance at catching a killer.
Riding high after a media blitz over her latest arrest, Erin is plunged back to reality with her first serial killer case—in Erin’s hometown. Reminders of her brother’s murders plague her nightmares. Haunted by the similarities between the two cases, Erin vows she won't make the same rookie mistake again. This time, she’ll stop the murderer before he can claim any more innocent lives.
But the race to catch this ruthless killer grows more desperate as the body count rises. And with every suspect her team clears, Erin’s chances at redemption wither away. All while pressure for an arrest from higher-ups intensifies.
Erin won’t quit until she gets her man. Not when history seeks to repeat itself. With another victim’s life at stake, she’ll risk going rogue before she gives up.
But will she jeopardize her own life, rather than let this killer strike again?

This is a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

The main character, Erin Hastings, is written as a complex and dynamic individual who is having to keep her personal life from interfering with her job as an FBI agent. The story was intriguing, suspenseful and thrilling. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

The premise of an FBI Agent whose twin brother who was arrested many years before as a serial killer held a lot of appeal. However, the story itself was lacking and there was quite a bit of repetition. Erin Hastings, also known as Hasty Hastings, is portrayed as an immature agent who acts like she is still in her teens. She believes she knows more than anyone and doesn't like to be criticized or told she is wrong. She jumps to conclusions without any evidence and acts shocked when people don't jump on board with her reasoning. It would have been nice to have been given some background on the brother serial killer aspect beforehand. The bits we were given just glossed over the incident rather than adding anything to the story. Great storyline, but the actual story fell short for me.

The premise was good. The delivery not so much. The dialogue is stilted. The main character is wholly unlikable and unbelievable. Honestly she is the worst female law enforcement officer I have ever read. What should have been surprising twists were actually predictable. This one is a miss for me.

Past And Present Entwined….
The first in the FBI Agent Erin Hastings series where the reader is introduced to the Agent, who appears wholly driven by the past, investigating her first serial killer case. The fact that this is in her hometown obviously affects her and the past becomes inextricably entwined with present events. A worthy first outing although the protagonist, Erin, is at this point, a little one dimensional and thus difficult to gel with but no doubt her character will be be developed further as the series progresses.

Thank you Net Galley and Relay Publishing for the advance copy of What you Deserve by Alicia Lawson.

The book introduces FBI Agent, Erin Hastings. Fifteen years ago, Erin could've stopped her twin brother from killing six women. She's now returned to her hometown where she swore she would never return to, to get her second chance at catching a killer.

As an avid crime/thriller reader, I did enjoy this book. One thing I did enjoy was that this book had elements of writers such as Dan Brown and Michael Connelly weaved into the style of this book. The pacing and story moved at a rate that made you want to continue reading, you wanted to find out the answer just like Erin in the book.

However, I will note that the book is an introduction to Erin Hastings and I think I enjoyed the novel as just that. There was a few times where things were skimmed over or obviously left open to allow it to potentially be expanded upon in a later story or future book. There were also points in the plot that sometimes didn't always make sense or as a reader I was questioning the plot and I will be in honest in that sometimes I didn't love Erin or agree with her decisions at all. However, I think that is the charm of her character and something that makes her stand out in a sea of other female protagonists in this genre.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Relay Publishing for an advance copy of What You Deserve, the first novel to feature FBI Special Agent Erin Hastings of the Georgia Field Agency.

Erin and her team are sent to Lancaster, California to lead the hunt for a serial killer. Erin left Lancaster fifteen years ago, vowing never to return, after her twin brother was convicted of six murders. Feeling guilty that she didn’t stop his sixth murder when she could Erin is determined to earn redemption by catching this killer.

I found What You Deserve to be a mixed bag, the premise is interesting but the execution lets it down. There is nothing new in the premise, detective with a serial killer relative uses said relative to glean insight into the current case, but the author takes a more realistic approach to the investigating with a series of suspects being hunted and cleared and that’s interesting and likeable.

What I didn’t like about the novel, apart from the author’s annoying penchant for stating the obvious, is, quite bluntly, Erin Hastings and her family history. The reader is asked to believe that her teenage brother killed six women before being caught, implying a maturity Erin doesn’t even have fifteen years later, and having spent these years behind bars he’s now a mellow, sophisticated thinker. I strongly dislike Erin Hastings. Her decision making and impulsivity are at odds with the highly trained FBI agent she is supposed to be and her constant flouting of authority is simply childish. I don’t think it helps that the novel is told mostly from her point of view, giving the reader an up close and personal view of her conviction that she alone can catch the killer, someone whose motivation is voiced in the odd chapter, but without depth or nuance.

Did I forget it’s fiction? Whatever, I found this dislike colouring my attitude to the novel and I struggled to get through it.

I love FBI procedural books & this has got to be the most fast paced surprising one I've read in a while. I loved the strength of the female leas and felt myself actually pushing her forward with the turn of every page. It has everything you want in a thriller and much much more. Keep an eye on the Author. Gonna be big!

Thank you Netgalley and Relay Publishing for the arc of this book. What a stunning debut! Even though I didn't always agree with the choices Erin made, she was a great character. (I admit, my rule-following ways made me want more consequences!) I loved her relationship with her twin brother and look forward to reading more about them both. While there were a lot of characters, it was not hard to keep them all straight. The story and writing were both great and made the book easy to keep reading. Reading this book was very enjoyable.

The plot sounds very promising and I could not wait to read this book via NetGalley. However, what a disappointment. Another book that is written in simple sentences and a basic vocabulary, and the main character's development (at least in the beginning) is very superficial. Erin does this, Erin does that. So what? Why should a reader care? I could not go past the first paragraphs. Also, Erin is supposed to be above 30 years old but her behavior and thoughts are very immature and rather off putting.

The lack of experience as a writer is seen early in the beginning in the scene where Erin finds out that her twin brother is a serial killer. It is delivered very flat and brought out no emotions in me. Shouldn't a reader be pulled in by now? (the idea itself is quite shocking but intriguing).

It didn't help that I have just finished a murder mystery by Faith Martin and the connection that you feel to the protagonist right from the start and the diversity and the beauty in the use of language are incomparable. Perhaps I should avoid American writers in the future because half of their published work seems to use basic English. What happened to all great American novelists?

I cannot give it more than 1 star simply because anyone who calls themselves a writer should have an ability to use the language to their advantage and show its beauty instead of describing everything plainly as if writing to children or limited intellectual capacity audience.

Thanks NetGalley for a free copy in exchange of the honest opinion.

After her brother went to jail for murder, Agent Erin Hasting swore she would never return to her hometown. After her team is requested to investigate murders in that same town she is once again forced to face her realities. A page turner from the first page. You wont be able to out this book down. An excellent read

A good beginning for a new series featuring the FBI's Erin Hastings. The impulsive young agent returns to her home town in California to chase a serial killer. Ironic - as her twin brother was convicted of six murders in that very town. She hasn't been back in 15 years, feeling she should have known and stopped him.

Hastings is a hard character to warm to - a good agent with an instinctive nose for the truth, but with a reckless streak that sees her ignore orders and often follow leads on her own. The clashes with her bosses are frequent. But it's great to see the development of a nuanced character in a lead role.

The case is a difficult one with the brutal murders of women in California and Nevada. There are many suspects with ties to each, but what is the link? Erin and her team struggle to get a handle on the killer and his motivation.

This is a relatively short and easy read. The core story arc is strong with numerous sub plots too. Erin struggles to work as a team player - she knows she is always in the right! I'm looking forward to seeing more of Agent Hastings.

Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this!
This book is amazing. Like literally. Most books based on murder mysteries have the main character doing everything fun - going out to investigate, catching the main suspect - but this book shows all the different jobs that can be done - not just the fun ones. It gives an insight to what a FBI team is really like and makes the story seem more real.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY PLOT TWISTS!!! This book was definitely NOT predictable for me with so many dead ends in what seems like an impossible case.
The emotional aspect of the book is great as well! For Erin, having to work in her hometown and dealing with all the memories that she so desperately tried to keep away for 15 years.
Overall, I love this book so much and definitely recommend it - could not put it down.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I thought the premise sounded interesting when I crowed it online but unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book.