Shadow Ridge: A Jo Wyatt Mystery

by M E Browning

Death is one click away when a string of murders rocks a small Colorado town in the first mesmerizing novel in M. E. Browning's A Jo Wyatt Mystery series.

Echo Valley, Colorado, is a place where the natural beauty of a stunning river valley meets a budding hipster urbanity. But when an internet stalker is revealed to be a cold-blooded killer in real life the peaceful community is rocked to its core.

It should have been an open-and-shut case: the suicide of Tye Horton, the designer of a cutting-edge video game. But Detective Jo Wyatt is immediately suspicious of Quinn Kirkwood, who reported the death. When Quinn reveals an internet stalker is terrorizing her, Jo is skeptical. Doubts aside, she delves into the claim and uncovers a link that ties Quinn to a small group of beta-testers who had worked with Horton. When a second member of the group dies in a car accident, Jo's investigation leads her to the father of a young man who had killed himself a year earlier. But there's more to this case than a suicide, and as Jo unearths the layers, a more sinister pattern begins to emerge--one driven by desperation, shame, and a single-minded drive for revenge.

As Jo closes in, she edges ever closer to the shattering truth--and a deadly showdown that will put her to the ultimate test.

• ISBN10: 1643855352
• ISBN13: 9781643855356
• Publish Date: 6 October 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Crooked Lane Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 296
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781643855356

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I am so glad I got the chance to read this book. I love well written police procedurals, which features a strong heroine and has me flipping the pages, while attempting to figure out the villain’s identity. Shadow Ridge delivered on all counts. This is book one in the Jo Wyatt Mystery series, and it’s my first time reading the author’s work.

The story began with a case of apparent suicide, followed by incidences of cyber stalking and a suspicious motor vehicle accident. The question on the reader’s mind was, were all these events related, and if so, how? Detective Jo Wyatt figures there is more to the case, and she makes her mission to uncover the truth. Her job would prove difficult as no one buys into her theory except for her partner Squint. To make matters worse, as one of the few females in a male-dominated field, she faced discrimination. Women had to work twice as hard to prove themselves, and even then, it didn’t mean diddly squat.

Jo proved to be a relatable character. She displayed a strong moral compass, and she proved to be smart and compassionate. She is suspicious, which would not be surprising given her profession.

I like how her friends, including her work partner, had her back. Her soon to be ex-husband, however, grated on my nerves and frankly I am glad to see she would be free of him. Her best friend Aiden has returned for from an undercover assignment. It’s clear there is chemistry between them, but they both are trying to pretend it doesn’t exist.

There were a few suspects, one of whom may be a potential victim. Throughout the story, I made several guesses in relation to how the events connected, who was the actual suspect and what was the motive. The revelation of the truth led to a suspenseful scene near to the end. The identity of the villain came as no surprise, because I suspected the person had to be involved somehow.

The author’s attention to details and the manner in which she explained the facts of the case demonstrated her knowledge of the subject, especially as it related to cyber-crime and the prejudices that Jo faced in a male-dominated field. After reading her biography, I recognised that the story may have come from a place of personal experience.

I enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to continuing the series as I am eager to learn if Jo will finally get the recognition she deserves and follow along as she set out to solve fresh cases.

Conclusion/ Recommendation
If you enjoy police procedurals, then Shadow Ridge would be a great addition to your library.
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Shadow Ridge in exchange for a fair and honest review.

M.E. Browning's new novel, Shadow Ridge, is the beginning to a whole new series; Jo Wyatt Mysteries. Personally, I love nabbing a mystery series right at the beginning, so I couldn't be more excited about this.

Just because a location is full of stunning scenery doesn't automatically mean that it is safe. Take Echo Valley, Colorado, for example. A place full of natural beauty. And yet there is still a stalker and killer on the loose.

That's where Detective Jo Wyatt comes into play. While investigating one seemingly simple murder case, she quickly discovered ties to several other older deaths. All of which result in the concerning conclusion: there's a serial killer in her jurisdiction.

A brand new series focused on a competent and tough as nails female Detective? Yes, please! I knew right away that I just had to read Shadow Ridge, and I was not disappointed by what I found inside.

Detective Jo Wyatt is every bit the Detective I was hoping she would be. And I swear I'm not just saying that because of her name (those that know me will understand that particular joke). In all seriousness though, I'm psyched that this appears to be the first of many novels surrounding her character.

Honestly, my only complaint on that front is that it felt like we knew more about Jo Wyatt than we actually did. Sort of like we were starting in the middle. Which in a way is fine, as we don't automatically need to see her rising through the ranks to Detective. Still, I wouldn't have minded knowing more.

There are a couple of other points that I would love to make about Shadow Ridge. For starters, M.E. Browning spent twenty-two years on the force, according to her Goodreads biography. So right away that explains a lot about the details and tone of this novel. She clearly pulled in a lot of personal experience here, and it made a world of a difference.

The other piece I want to talk about is the focus on games. It's actually quite refreshing, and something I really enjoyed (also, as somebody who religiously follows several Twitch streamers, it tickled my fancy).

Shadow Ridge is an atmospheric read. The haunting elements of murders and cover-ups are balanced perfectly with Jo Wyatt's blunt and driven personality. For that reason, I sincerely cannot wait to see what the next installment in this series looks like.

Check out more reviews from Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Shadow Ridge is the first book in a new police procedural series by M.E. Browning. Released 6th Oct 2020 by Crooked Lane, it's 296 pages (print version) and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well written modern procedural with an ensemble cast. Detective Jo Wyatt is a strong and intelligent female with a surprisingly balanced sense of self worth and confidence considering the casual sexism she endures from neanderthals on and off the job. Her team includes a cross section of small town investigative personnel. The story revolves around the apparent suicide of a local software games developer and the statistically unlikely number of deaths of people in his gaming orbit.

The characters are well rendered, three dimensional and believable for the most part. The disparate plot threads intertwine more closely as the book progresses until they merge about 3/4ths of the way through. One of the biggest standouts for me with this book was the expert way the author managed to explore perception. Motivation from one character's perspective which seems perfectly logical to -them- may not appear so to other characters and the author's ability to highlight both viewpoints (for example Jo vs. Quinn) was exemplary.

The clues are found and sifted and the denouement is satisfying and well written I did see it coming, but it was satisfying nonetheless. TI'm looking forward to more adventures for Jo and co.

Four stars. Very well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.