Don't Open the Door

by Allison Brennan

• ISBN13: 9798212017091
• Publish Date: 27 December 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Edition: Library Edition
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 10 hours and 30 minutes
• Language: English

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.Don’t Open the Door is the second book in Allison Brennan’s Reagan Merritt series. While it can be read as a stand-alone, the background information in book prepares one for the events occurring in book two. In this installment Brennan gives her readers a gripping and suspenseful read with a fitting conclusion.

Former US Marshall, Regan Merritt mourns the loss of her son, Chase, who was murdered ten months ago. The loss of her son coupled with the end of her marriage led to her quitting her job and returning to her roots in Arizona. The change aided in her healing process, however a call from her former partner, Tommy, opened old wounds. She had no plans to return to Virginia, however, news of Tommy's murder changed her perspective. She returns determined to find justice for Tommy and her son, Chase.

Sorority Murder gave readers a brief look in to Reagan's past and it left the reader with several questions regarding said past. Well, Don't Open the Door provided the answers to those questions and more. Reagan is resilient, meticulous, determined and a no nonsense individual. All of which made her good at her job as a US Marshall. She's is not the type of woman to have emotional outbursts, which didn't go down well with her ex. I had an interesting time following her journey of discovering the truth. She is one tough cookie and not a woman to mess with.

Reagan's ex vexed my spirit. Despite the evidence staring him in the face he refused to accept it. His actions only helped to make the situation worse and bringing unnecessary danger to their doorsteps.

The pacing, the twists and the suspenseful scenes pulled me into the story. I like that it kept me guessing with every page turn. There were points in the story which had me feeling scared for one of the witnesses. She was quite smart and I hoped she would survive the danger following her. The investigation followed many paths and it was interesting seeing them all merge into one big conclusion. It made me happy to see Reagan getting the closure she needed despite the pain endured during the journey.

Overall, Don’t Open the Door was a captivating story with engaging characters! I am looking forward to more of what Brennan has to offer.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Jeff Sexton]

Welcome To The Next Verse, Same As The First. Looking back over my review of The Sorority Murders, book 1 of this series, and having read literally 247 books in the 354 days since reading it... much of what I said about the first book could well be said here as well. Specifically, this is also a "solid mystery that could have used better pacing" and it is also "an interesting and compelling mystery that will keep you guessing until it wants to reveal it secrets – and then transitions into a bit more of an action/ suspense tale to finish up the case". The body count is seemingly a touch lower here, and the innovative use of podcasting is gone, but the overall solid mystery and, yes, perhaps bloat as well, absolutely remain. For a more average reader who perhaps will read only a *few* books between entries in the series, it is likely going to be an overall better experience, but there is absolutely enough here that even if you don't remember the details of the first book, you're not going to be lost following the actions here. As it seems to conclude the threads left dangling in the first book and doesn't really leave many, if any, of its own, this could well serve as either a series finale or as a mechanism to allow the series to proceed without too many entanglements to prior books - and thus it will be interesting to see if and/ or how Brennan chooses to move forward here. Very much recommended.