
Member Reviews

When Bree gets a new case, she pulls in Matt, her partner who occasionally assists her. What if this isn’t a singular event, and will there be more? Can they connect them if so, and who is tied to it? I really liked the writing of this story and how it walked you through various processes (like getting chapters from the main suspects lawyer), but I love that Matt has a book club with Kayla. I didn’t see the twist coming, and I am ready to read more from Bree and Matt.

Sheriff Bree Taggert is back with a murderer on the loose. Bree has her hands full of suspects but not enough clues to identify the killer. Until she does and then if the suspect doesn’t kill her and her deputies the booby traps that are set will.
This is another action packed book with an appearance from attorney Morgan Dane don’t miss it.

In Leigh’s latest addition to her Bree Taggert series, Bree and her department must solve the gruesome murder in their county of a single mom of two. They narrow it down to three possible suspects and begin to build their case, but find themselves thrown off when a second murder occurs. The novel keeps you guessing, wondering who it could be right up to the resolution but not before even Bree is endangered.
I really enjoy how Leigh blends police procedural and mysteries with themes of teamwork, respect, family, along with a touch of romance. I enjoy watching Bree grow as a leader, her relationship with her significant other investigator Matt, and her bond with her niece and nephew. It adds a human touch and creates characters you’d like to meet and get to know. Fans of her Scarlet Falls mysteries will be delighted that lawyer Morgan Dane joins in the investigation. While this book can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend picking up earlier books in the series too. Beyond Her Reach is a very enjoyable read and a great addition to the series!

I could not get into this book. Unfortunately, it was just not the right story for me to be reading at the time.

“Beyond Her Reach” is officially Bree Taggart #10, although fans have also recently had more Bree in the recent Kendra Elliot/Melinda Leigh collaboration “Echo Road.” Each Bree Taggart story is strong enough to survive as a great standalone thriller since enough backstory will be present to fill you into Bree’s family matters and sheriff’s department politics (and dogs, there are always doggos, especially since her partner trains K9s). She’s a New York State Sheriff who has survived childhood trauma, formerly Philly PD, but now is happily employed as the head of a county sheriff’s department. She is romantically involved (not undercover, but no public PDA), with her chief investigator, and former K-9 handler Matt Lyon. Taggart and her various deputies are a likeable crew, upstanding, thorough and professional, so the petty jealousies and department conspiracies aren’t present. Author Leigh always constructs a strong police procedural, filled with twists, turns, and bad guys who get their proper comeuppances.
In “Beyond Her Reach,” Sheriff Taggart is investigating the murder of a middle-aged divorcee found in her home with a slashed throat. Suspects include the angry ex-husband, a stoic unemotional rich boyfriend, and a creepy neighbor. The boyfriend has an expensive defense attorney who, with her own private investigator, is covering the same ground as Bree and Matt, adding more clues and eyewitnesses. This all seems to be a standard murder investigation until, at the halfway point, there’s a new element of danger and the county supervisor (who has morphed from black and white Cruella DeVilla to a gray ally), Madeline Jager, is screaming about an unproven “serial killer!” to the press. Bonus! Bree’s department needs another K9, and super-energetic Turbo is auditioning for the job.
I love these types of police stories with steady protagonists (it’s OK that they don’t have perfect pasts). Bree Taggart stories have become an auto-buy for me and I hope to see much more of Bree and Matt!

I really loved so much about this book!
Melinda, yet again, did a great job painting pictures of the characters. With that many people added, sometimes these kinds of stories can get confusing.
The only thing I will say, is that the book was somewhat uneventful. I couldn’t predict the exact end result, but it didn’t shock me at all.
I would recommend this to a friend as an easy read!

This book is full of twists and turns. It’s an emotionally charged book. The storyline flowed smoothly. Bree is as always a fighter. I enjoyed the suspense of the book. Another Bree Taggert winner. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Another great read. I love Bree and her crew. Turbo is a joy. Thank you netgalley for the ARC. I love that this is the 10th book and I still have to keep an eye on all the clues to guess the killer. Not always easy to predict like some thrillers. Also enjoying that characters from other series are making appearances and yet each book can still be read as a standalone for the most part. Can't wait for the next one.

Intriguing and fast-paced, the tenth book in the Bree Taggert series by Melinda Leigh, Beyond Her Reach, is another fantastic read. This police procedural is combined once again with a strong mystery, family evolution, and a little romance. Bree is called to the scene of a death in a quiet neighborhood. Keely Gibson appears to be the victim of a rage killing. As Bree and investigator Matt Flynn (and Bree’s significant other) work leads with the deputies, there are three immediate suspects. However, when a second woman is murdered, the answers are even more difficult to find. If that isn’t enough, there are more attacks. Can Bree, Matt, and the team solve the case before more deaths occur?
Bree is the Randolf County, New York sheriff and is based out of Gray’s Hollow. She’s smart, skilled, confident, honorable, and determined. She has earned the respect of her deputies, has high standards and ethics, and puts the community first. She joined law enforcement to help people and that is what she intends to do. Her good leadership and compassion have gained her the support of the community and her deputies. She is learning to navigate the politics, media, and paperwork associated with being a sheriff in a county with a limited budget. Matt is a former sheriff’s deputy injured in the line of duty. He was going to start a K-9 training program, but his sister Cady is using the kennels for rescued dogs. Matt is a great investigator and is a master at interviewing suspects. He loves dogs, including his retired K-9, Brody and a canine that he wants to train, Turbo. He adores Bree’s nephew and niece and has found a new purpose in life since meeting Bree.
The novel starts with a mystery that pulls readers into the police investigation. Who could have done this? The plot has twists and turns that were unexpected and clever. I loved how Turbo and the department’s K-9 Greta had roles in this story. As always, the world-building is well-done and the characterization is excellent. By this time in the series, it feels like I’m visiting old friends. The relationships with friends, family, co-workers, and the community add another dimension to the story. The author does a great job of adding personal information into the plot without detracting and slowing down the police investigation into the deaths. Additional threads in the storyline include memories, family connections, support systems, deceptions, lies, and much more.
Overall, this book has twists, tension, suspense, violence, and was hard to put down. If you are expecting a solid series that will have mysteries, suspense, crime, action, a little romance, and a strong female protagonist, then this is a series that I recommend. I am looking forward to finding out what is next for Bree, Matt, and the deputies.
Montlake and Melinda Leigh provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for September 16, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you NetGalley & Montlake for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beyond Her Reach is the 10th installment in the Bree Taggert series, and this book, along with the series as a whole, continues to deliver. This book follows Bree and Matt as they work the brutal murder of a newly single mom. This was a really great and fun addition, and kept me hooked the entire time. As usual, the drama and intrigue was high, and I actually spent most of the book genuinely not sure who the bad guy was. There's also a little Morgan Dane cameo in this book, which I loved. And the ending was so good.
All in all, another great Bree Taggert book. Can't wait for more!

Wow, this one was such a good read in the Bree series and I loved all the components of it! I really enjoyed the actual case and it kept me guessing right up until the end and was solidly addicting. I also really enjoyed Bree's growth/storyline with Matt, her family, and her past. And I thought it was the perfect balance of reminding/updating the reader about Bree's past without repeating too much for those of us who have been on the journey since book 1. I have been enjoying the entire series but this book made me excited about it again and really eager to read the next book.

Melinda Leigh’s Beyond Her Reach was my first official NetGalley ARC and I was honored to have been approved to read it! This is also my first Melinda Leigh book and I can confidently say I am an absolute fan of her now! Beyond Her Reach had me in a chokehold, had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. The characters, the plot, the setting, the investigation.. it all felt very realistic and it was like reading a first 48 episode or a crime show! The way Bree used her personal experience and trauma with murder with in her family to become even more determined and dedicated when it came to her job was admirable. I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can get a physical copy. Definitely going to reread to see if I missed any clues or details the first time. Thank you to the NetGalley team and Melinda Leigh and her publishing team for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this book. ❤️

“Beyond Her Reach” by Melinda Leigh is the 10th installment in her Bree Taggert series. Although part of a series, this can also be read as a standalone. This thriller follows Sheriff Bree Taggert as she rushes to find the killer of two women who were murdered and a third which was kidnapped. We are introduced to different possible suspects. While working the case, Sheriff Taggert herself is attacked but is luckily saved by her K9. I especially enjoyed the parts which show the K9’s assisting to solve the case! The twists and turns kept me interested and I was surprised at who turned out to be the murderer. A quick easy read that will keep you guessing.
Thank you Montlake for providing this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.”

Another well written novel by Melinda Leigh. Bree and Matt are back and I’ve missed them. Leigh has a way of drawing you in so these characters feel like friends involved in another gruesome murder. Thrilled to have the opportunity to read another suspenseful novel. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Oh man, do these books keep getting better and better? Bree is one of my favorite female detectives to read about. I love her partnership/relationship with Matt and how well they both take care of her deceased sister's kids. I love the family that they both have built together.
That being said, I also love that Bree and Matt have each other to look out for them in the field. Especially, with cases like this one. My gosh, the suspense and the action in this book were incredible! This had so many twists and turns, it was really hard to see who the killer was. However, everything finally added up and then everything made sense.
I also really liked the part in the end with her getting some good about her mama. I know that that had been a really hard thing to live with for most of her life and being able to get any kind of peace is huge.
I loved this story. It was action packed and full of red herrings. A great story. I hope there's more of Bree to come!!
Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Melinda Leigh for the ability to read and review her books. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book I have read from Melinda and I cannot wait to go back and read the rest of this series and more. This is the type of series I love and I don’t know why I never found her before.
I loved the characters especially Bree. She is easy to relate to. Her relationship with Matt and her sister’s children is sweet.
Loved the forensic details, the twist I actually did not see coming so I loved that it wasn’t predictable. Overall loved the book and cannot wait to go back and start the series and her backlog.

Truthfully, after the last book, I was ready to give up on this series because I felt like it was getting repetitive and no longer keeping my interest. However, I thought the plot of this book really turned it around for the series. It was VERY different than her last few books and kept you guessing who had killed Kelly in her home & why. I didn’t see the end coming which is always a nice surprise. I do wish we had seen more development in Bree & Matt’s story - they have got to make some progress in their relationship! Are they getting married or not?! Hoping the next book finally answers that question. Thank you to Net Galley & Montlake for the ARC!

To be at a point in the series when I have caught up and can safely request the next ARC... and then get it? The joy! And then to have it be my favourite book in the series so far? The elation!
First, I must address my new favourite side character. Turbo. May we see much more of this insane maligator, fiercely protective and abundantly silly.
Okay, on to the book. While I believe you could pick up any of the books in this series as a standalone, you won't get the full effect of the characters and their stories unless you start from the beginning. This book had a dabbling of Bree's family story towards the end, which saw me shed my first tears of the series. The story's mystery plot had all the twists and turns we've come to expect. But it is done in a way that isn't overly dramatic or completely unrealistic. The police investigations feel authentic, with the appropriate wait times for lab tests (looking at you, CSI), and trying to navigate the intricate dance of interviews.
Once again, Melinda Leigh is proven to be my favourite author in the Mystery & Thrillers genre (with just a touch of romance). Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sheriff Bree Taggert is faced with a very brutal murder of a woman in a quiet suburban neighborhood. The obvious suspects start to pile up: an ex, a former boyfriend, and a neighbor strangely focused on the victim. Bree and her investigator/companion, Matt, begin the investigation to find the perpetrator. After another woman is murdered, the case heats up. Bree's search for answers puts her in the crosshairs of the killer. When a woman is abducted, the race is on to save a life and find the murderer. It's a great read!

I've read all of the Bree Taggert series to date and this is a strong addition to the collection.
Bree's team is called to the scene of a brutal murder and we, the readers, follow them down every dead end and promising lead as they work to find the killer.
Yet again, Melinda Leigh has written a small-town police procedural page-turner. I had theories on who the murderer was and I was completely wrong. I love being surprised convincingly.
An enjoyable book if you like this genre. If you've not yet read any of the series, this can be read as a standalone but will be more enjoyable if read as the latest in the series.