"I know I promised I would always run toward the danger with you..., but there's danger, and there's certain death."

The Drowning Girls is the 13th book in the Detective Josie Quinn Series and like the previous books, it will keep you guessing until the very end. In this story, one of their own is missing and with few leads, the team is running out of hope that they will find her alive.

This is one of my favorite crime thriller series and each book is a must-read. Josie and her team are relatable characters and have flaws while still being likable. If you are stuck in a reading slump, these are the books to help pull you out of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. A solid 4.5 stars.

This author absolutely never disappoints. And this book- just wow! Loved loved loved. A page turner.
An absolute masterpiece.

We are at book 13 in the Josie Quinn series, and the stories and characters are still as compelling as ever. You can totally read this as a stand-alone, but don’t jump into a series at book 13! Start with book 1, there’s so much growth and character history that is worth reading about.

A knock on the door late in the evening can only mean trouble for Detective Josie Quinn, but fear chokes her at the news that one of her own team is missing….

Yep, this time the case is personal! Amber, the Denton PD’s press liaison is missing. Our very own Mettner is thrown under the spotlight as a potential suspect.

I didn’t like Amber when she first came on board, but we haven’t really seen very much of her so she was tolerable. But in this book, we learn a lot more about her and I actually grew to like her. I’m looking forward to see more of her as the series continues.

All of our PD characters are seasoned, so it was really interesting to see the mistakes and missteps that some of them made when the case was personal. It was like emotions overruled training, very real reaction I felt.

The case was interesting, I never knew what was going to happen next! I was definitely surprised by the whodunit.

This book is suspenseful, but also funny. As I read a chase scene, the description and mental picture of it all had me laughing out loud.

It was definitely a thrilling read that I could not put down. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have enjoyed all the books in this series and this latest on did not let me down. Another brilliant booked that I could not put down until I had finished ! Definitely worth reading

REVIEW

The Drowning Girls by Lisa Regan
Detective Josie Quinn #13

Josie Quinn has settled into married life and is getting to know her biological family better with each book in the series. Her backstory was difficult and previous books in the series explained a lot about her and her life. In this book she is dealing with grief from the loss of her grandmother, the woman who raised her, while also handling a very interesting case that involves one of the people she works with.

What I liked:
* Josie: strong, resilient, smart, knows her job, great detective, good leader, loves her husband, determined, intriguing.
* Noah: Josie’s husband, lieutenant in her police department, strong presence and support in her life, good man, I like him.
* The team Josie works with
* The missing person situation that leads to a murder by drowning and a very complex case overall
* The way the clues were found and followed
* Learning more about Amber’s family – what a story that was!
* The love that Finn had for Amber
* The police procedural aspects and thinking about how following the legal rules and regulations might get in the way of saving lives
* The way the series is progressing and contemplatling what will happen in future books of the series
* That the riddle was solved, the murderer unearthed, and the case complete by the end of the book
* That there will be another book to read in the series…hopefully…soon.

What I didn’t like:
* Amber’s backstory and its impact on more than one member of the family
* The murderer
* A few other characters that I was meant NOT to like – it was easy to dislike them after getting to know them!

NOTE: This review was late due to a computer crash, motherboard and hard drive replacement and only finding the copy of the book hiding in hidden files in the backup…so glad I found it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This book can truly be called a thriller. It was filled with suspense and intrigue at every turn. It featured Detective Josie Quinn, a policewoman who was attempting to solve the disappearance of Amber Watts, who worked at the police department as a press liason. If you like psychological thrillers that have you on the edge of your seat, then you will like this book. I highly recommend it to other thriller and police procedural readers.

The Drowning Girls – Lisa Regan

Josie Quinn and her family are gathered together to watch the premiere of her sister, Trinity Payne’s new Unsolved Crimes television special, when fellow detective, Finn Mettner, comes to the door looking for Joisie. It seems that Finn’s girlfriend of a year or so, Denton Police’s Press Liaison Amer Watts, may be missing, and Finn is asking for Josie’s assistance. Finn tells Josie that he last saw Amber two days ago, and that a visit to her home revealed some strange things.

As they head to her residence, Finn explains that all of her her belongings, including her cell and purse are in the home, and the phone carries missed messages and call over the two day time period. When they arrive, Josie notices that the batteries are gone from her security camera. Her possible disappearance is complicated by the fact that Finn essentially broke in to her home to check on her. He further explains to Josie that they had fought prior to this apparent disappearance. Additionally, a strange message was left on her car’s windshield – “Russell Haven 5A”.

Josie recognizes the reference and immediately assembles the team of detectives, including her husband Noah & Gretchen Palmer. They head for Russell Haven Dam to begin a search of the area, only to have the alarms for a dam opening sounding upon their arrival. A frantic search reveals a head of curls, just before the dam opens. Despite a herculean effort by Josie to free the victim, the young woman drowns. When the body is retrieved, they learn it’s not their missing colleague, but the woman bears a close resemblance.

As the team goes into high gear, Finn Mettner is sidelined because of his involvement with Amber and his reluctance to share information pertinent to the investigation. As Josie digs into Amber’s past, she learns that Amber has siblings, with childhoods rife with abuse – is the past a clue to the present? Can Josie and her team put the pieces together and find Amber before it’s too late??

I know I’ve said it before, but I have to say it again - I just love, love, LOVE the Josie Quinn series! When Lisa Regan’s the author, I know I’m in for a long night of reading, because I just can’t put these books down before the final page is turned! This is yet another suspenseful and captivating read, from a favorite! The series is going strong, and now I once again begin the wait for the next in the series!

The Drowning Girls by Lisa Regan is the 13th in the Detective Josie Quinn series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
Series Background:  (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Detective Josie Quinn has had a rough life,  and she recently lost her beloved grandmother. She has a rather new family,  although they are actually her biological parents, and include her twin sister - news reporter Trinity Payne,  as well as her brother Patrick.   She is now back at work with the Denton Police Department, and her team consists of Detective Noah Fraley (her new husband), Detective Gretchen Palmer, and Detective Finn Mettner.  Their boss is Chief Bob Chitwood.  


My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Detective Finn Mettner has been dating the departments Press Secretary Amber Watts for about a year now.  When she goes missing, it quickly becomes apparent that there have been some secrets kept.

They find the body of a young woman drowned in the nearby dam, and for a few tense moments, they think it is Amber.

The team focuses on the pink diary that is found on Amber's desk, and the numbers contained within it.  They try to find more information her family, which not even Finn knows about.  The only way to find Amber is to find out more about her, but it's beginning to look like there were good reasons for Amber to stay away from her family.


My Opinions:
Although I generally push others to read this series in order, this one could probably be read as a stand-alone novel.  That being said, read them in order!

I liked that Josie's grief over her grandmother's passing was not swept away, and that the author showed that grief comes and goes.   This book centered on families, the good and the bad.

Overall, the story was complex, if a little long.  Although I  had suspected a few of the twists, not all were evident.

Anyway, Lisa Regan continues to have a winner with the Josie Quinn books.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Regan brings out another classic. Love her books, and this one doesn't disappoint. Another recommended read.

Denton Police Department's press officer and girlfriend of detective Finn Mettner, Amber Watts has vanished. Her colleague and friend Detective Josie Quinn is called onto the case by an anxious Finn but when a body is discovered, it isn't Amber...
The Drowning Girls is the 13th book to feature detective Josie Quinn and her team. I have previously reviewed Her Final Confession,The Bones She Buried, Cold Heart Creek, Find Her Alive, Save Her Soul, Hush Little Girl and Her Deadly Touch. There are references to events in previous books, specifically to Josie's personal life and family.
Josie is still reeling from her grandmother's death so now the disappearance of Amber feels especially emotional for her. She is forced to consider the possibility that Mettner may be involved due to his personal relationship with Amber and he isn't helping himself by not following the rule book.
The whole book is written in the third person, mainly showing Josie's perspective and actions. Some of the chapters feature Amber being treated brutally with the danger acute. This serves to increase the tension as we anticipate the danger she is in and worry for her welfare, whilst willing Josie on in her search.
The pace of the plot is fast and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the readers guessing. I was not prepared for the revelations in the final chapters although I'm proud of myself for guessing one twist.
The Drowning Girls is an entertaining detective and crime thriller, a great addition to the series.

Another amazing book from one of my favorite authors. This series is an absolute must read for anyone who loves a great mystery/procedural. I was hooked from the first book and they just keep getting better. Thank you for this amazing series!!!!

As always another amazing book by this author. It grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go till the last page. Fast paced and full of twists and turns, this one is sure to get your blood pumping and heart racing. I stayed up way to late because I could not put it down. The characters are like family and so well created. This book needs to top your reading list!

Nothing is worse for a police officer, than to know one of their team is missing, and no idea if they are alive or not. For Josie, the timing is horrid, with all our her newly found family in for the holidays. The more they try to determine what is going on, the more she realizes what she doesn't in fact KNOW about her fellow team members. And those facts may end up getting one of the killed including her self. While the book is a standalone, it's helpful to have read the previous book in the series (this is book 13 in the series) to have a better feel for the characters. It's a good intro to the series, and a good pageturner as well!

The Josie Quinn series is one of my all time favorites. This is another great story line in the series. Quick and easy reads, great writing, and characters that you will love. This one did not disappoint. And I can't wait till the next one.

Ah Josie Quinn, I do like this character, a lot! How did we already get up to book 13 though?!

Josie and her team of intrepid crime fighters are trying to figure out where their Press Liaison, Amber, is. Even Amber's boyfriend Mettner (who works with Josie as well), has very little idea about her background and this background is key to figuring out what happened to her.

Bodies keep on piling up, all of them with a connection to Amber and her family. Luckily, Josie and her team - Noah, Gretchen, Mettner and the Chief, are no slouches when it comes to their jobs.

A twisty tale of family dynamics gone wrong and it will have people asking themselves: "how well do I really know my significant other?".

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Drowning Girls' by Lisa Regan.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Lisa Regan, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 10th December 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. It is the thirteenth book in the 'Detective Josie Quinn' series. It can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'Her Deadly Touch' which is the twelfth book in the series and which I would highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I am a huge fan of Lisa and if this is half as good as 'Her Deadly Touch' it's guaranteed to be A page turner. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine'.  I am a huge fan of Angela Marsons so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 51 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Pensylvannia, USA 🇺🇸

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Detective Josie Quinn. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

Well, Well, Well Lisa you have done it again!!! Another absolute mind blowing page turner!!!


This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that captivates the readers attention and places them right in the centre of the action. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly. Lisa writes in such engrossing and engaging way that I become completely absorbed in the storyline.

The storyline was absolutely nerveracking and heart racing and kept me consistently on the edge of my seat, biting my nails and turning the pages until I finished it in one sitting. The plot is unique and I really related to Josie's 'What If'? Questions, regrets and worries as I am sure many readers will. How many times has something happened and you have gone back and thought the difference in your life if you'd done something different. What if I did it this way? What if I had said that? Lisa has taken an everyday question and made an absolutely fantastic story with it that is filled with drama, murder, tension, red herrings, suspense, tears, secrets and I could go on. This book has everything and more that you want in a crime thriller. It is unique and realistic as well as being fast paced. There was constantly something happening and it left me questioning myself throughout the book. I never did guess who was involved so a huge congratulations Lisa!!! It is getting harder and harder to surprise me but you had me hook, line and sinker!!! The book ended perfectly and I cannot wait to get my hands on all previous and future books of yours!!! I absolutely loved that it mentioned books by some of my other favourite authors such as Angela Marsons, Emma Robinson, Anna Mansell and Kim Nash. Doing things like this makes books even more realistic for me!!!!

Although this is the thirteenth book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I absolutely loved meeting all the characters again and it really felt like I was meeting up with old friends I got to know them so well in the last book! I absolutely love Josie's down to earth personality. Josie has suffered a horrific loss and instead of being the type or person to let it either overwhelm her or the type who completely gets on with life and forgets she is in the middle. I am looking forward to reading previous books and finding more out about Josie and Lisette's relationship and bond although I'm sure it will lead to tears. Not only is Josie a strong female lead but Gretchen is also a fantastic female model and I love the bond between the two women. They make an absolutely fantastic team and the dynamic between not only Josie and Gretchen is spot on but also with them and Noah, Mettner, Amber and Chief Chitwood. I am looking forward to meeting this team many more times!!

Congratulations Lisa Regan on an yet another absolutely fantastic novel and this is why your in my top 10 crime author list!!! Looking forward to the next episode in this amazing series.

Overall a heart racing, page turning, addictive and unputdownable fast paced crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.


Genres covered in this book include Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Mystery and Crime Thriller amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, P.J Tracy and any fans of page turning crime series.


391 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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This series doesn't let me down. These books have just gotten better and better! Love the story, love the characters. Especially Josie's grit, determination, and cut-throat bravery. She has her human side for sure but she becomes almost super-human when the situation demands it.
This one had all the necessary components of a thriller. This book kept me guessing. Plenty of twists and turns to keep it unpredictable. Definitely recommend this whole series. Can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lisa Regan for a copy of "The Drowning Girls" in exchange of an honest review.

So Book 13, and WOW! This book gave me heart palpitations, it gave me chills and my GOD the red herrings that Ms Regan threw my way! Jeez, Louise! I mean it’s hard enough when one of the team goes missing but there was a MASSIVE curveball, a sleight of hand and I was panicking because my thoughts span out of control, I mean could it be THAT person that was really behind it. Ahhh!!!!!

Luckily, it was not! I know, I started my review in a cryptic manner but I had to. I don’t want to spoil anything but just had to get that off my chest.

The rest of the story, oh my! So many threads, all because of one person disappearing. So many loose threads flapping, unanswered questions, nothing tying up nicely. I could not figure out the who or the why. When I started getting a sneaky suspicion about one thing, I ended up being right, yay me! However, the way we got that information was heartbreaking, again yes cryptic.

I love being with Josie and the team. What I also love about this team and this series is, there is always a book hangover from the previous case. We are still bearing the weight from the previous two books, the grief is overwhelming for Josie still, it takes time to heal. I love the fact, the realism of this is shown in the books. Yes, Josie is functioning day to day, but the weight of her grief is palpable when she is alone.

This case is a tough one for the team, as it is someone in the team, that is always hard. But when there is a relationship involved, things are about to get even harder. What made it more fascinating is that it is Amber, a relative newbie in the team, who is thrown in the spotlight as we learn the horrors of her growing up, which I did not expect at all. When you read things like this, you just want to jump into the book and give that character a hug and be there for them. So strong was my will to do that.

It wouldn’t be a review without mentioning Harrison, what a gorgeous boy and the way he honours the memories of the passed was just beautiful. It reminded you of the love and innocence of the boy and the family.

In each book, I am sucked into Regan’s little corner of the world and I can not leave until Josie and the team have solved the case. It weighs heavily on your mind until we get a resolution as if we were actually part of the team. It is an intrinsic and cleverly woven tale, one that had me scratching my head to how they will solve this and if the resolution would something that we could handle.

Each time I read one of Lisa’s books I am gutted it’s over because now I have a ridiculously long wait until the next one!

When Josie’s colleague Amber goes missing it’s the start of a gruesome race against a killer hellbent to bury the past.
This was an action filled read from beginning to end. There were so may twists and turns that it was impossible to stop reading. The ending gives me hope that Josie’s private life is going to get easier now when it comes to Sawyer.

The Drowning Girls by Lisa Regan is the 13th book in theJosie Quinn series. This series never disappoints and only gets better with each new book. If you haven’t read this series then I highly recommend you do , I guarantee you won’t be sorry. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.