Sophia Rose Reviews- Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh

Today on the blog I welcome Sophia Rose back to review the Brilliance Audio version of Right Behind Her, #4 in Melinda Leigh's Bree Taggert Romantic Suspense series. Read all about why Sophia Rose gave this thriller a 5* review.
Enjoy!

Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh

Narrator: Christina Traister

#4 Bree Taggert

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Brilliance Audio

Published:  9.14.21

ASIN:  B084RNNCF8

Time:  10 hours

Rating: 5 stars

Narrator: 4.5 stars

Format:  MP3

Source:  Brilliance Audio

Sellers:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

The discovery of human remains unearths another nightmare from Sheriff Bree Taggert’s past in a bone-chilling thriller by #1 Amazon Charts and 'Wall Street Journa'l best-selling author Melinda Leigh.

Twenty-seven years ago, Sheriff Bree Taggert’s father killed her mother, then himself. Now Bree and her younger brother, Adam, find human bones on the grounds of their abandoned family farm. The remains are those of a man and a woman, both murdered in the same horrible way.

When the investigation determines the murders occurred thirty years ago, Bree’s dead father becomes a suspect, forcing Bree to revisit the brutal night she’s spent most of her life trying to forget. The only other suspect is an unlikely squatter on the Taggert farm who claims to know secrets about Bree’s past. When he mysteriously disappears and Bree’s niece is kidnapped, the cold case heats up.

Bree has stoked the rage of a murderer who’ll do anything to keep his identity - and motives - a secret. To protect everyone she loves, Bree must confront a killer.

Sophia Rose's Review:

All through this series, Bree’s horrific past with her abusive and murderer father was never far from the surface.  Right Behind Her brings her full circle when her latest case includes investigating a cold case crime involving her dad and the old property where she grew up.  Melinda Leigh has written a complex, intriguing main character, a riveting and twisting plot, and sprinkled it with an engaging cast of characters, both human and animal.  I was eager to see her come to grips with her past so she could embrace a romance with a wonderful, steady man and the family she has embraced whole-heartedly.

Bree reluctantly agrees to join her brother Adam on the old family farm where her worst living nightmares took place.  Adam remembers nothing and wants her help filling in the gaps.  But, their walk down memory lane is interrupted by an odd and aggressive trespasser and a gruesome discovery out behind the barn.  The investigation is tough and emotional for her, but pair that with a reluctant county council when she needs an increase in her office budget, is still squaring off with some of her own deputies, and she’s trying to find a balance between work and personal life.  All that, but then the cold case investigation has someone dangerous running scared and they strike out where Bree is most vulnerable. 

Right Behind Her was another fab installment in the Bree Taggert series that read best in order.  I love seeing how far Bree has come.  She struggles with her past by putting up emotional walls in her own fledging romantic relationship with Matt, a former K9 officer and now investigator, but he has great patience with her.  He sees the signs that she is making an effort from her confrontation of her fear of dogs by being around both his working dogs and her own adopted one as well as the fact that her trust and respect are there.  It is telling that she ends up on Matt’s doorstep when at her lowest.

The author has already proven she has a gift for balancing a strong murder mystery police procedural with a wealth of relationship ties and community setting.  I loved seeing her help her niece prepare for the county fair, help her nephew over the bumps of first love, and make time for her equally struggling brother who is an amazing artist and uses that as his outlet to deal with his demons.  And,  regardless of a few troublemakers, Bree’s sheriff’s department are really coming together as a fab investigation team under her leadership. 

I had my suspicions about who was behind it all and I was right, but whew boy, was that one intense ride to the end.  The investigation was engrossing and tightened the tension until that final confrontation.  I appreciated the bittersweet taste of things since Bree’s own past was tightly involved.  Neat catching a glimpse of Lincoln Sharp from the Morgan Dane series. 

Christina Traister was a first-time narrator for me.  I’ve read all the previous books in the series, but in spite of having my own ideas of what the cast of characters would sound like, I was easily able to slip into her storytelling and adjust to her voices for the characters.  I thought she did fabulous and particularly when things got emotionally intense.  I would definitely listen to her again. 

All in all, I was well-satisfied and eager for the next case for Bree and her team to solve.  Those who like smart characters, well-developed plot and people, and a good twisting, gritty mystery need to give these a go.

Author Bio:

#1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker who learned that writing books is way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have sold more than 10 million copies across the world. Melinda loves martial arts, rescue dogs, and sea turtles.

WEBSITE: https://www.melindaleigh.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/melindaleighauthorpage/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MelindaLeigh1

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

Sophia’s Social Media Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sophia.rose.7587

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose