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Relative Harm
When her partner’s family is implicated in a brutal murder, expert criminalist Ellie Matthews must race against the clock to find the real killer…and save the people she loves.
Ellie knows she can’t live without her partner, Detective Nick Baxter. So when Nick's brother is accused of vandalizing the house of his former kidnapper and goes on the lam, she insists on accompanying Nick home to help with the family crisis.
Marie Collins has just been released from prison after serving her time for kidnapping Shawn Baxter when he was a toddler. Reviled by the whole town, no one is surprised at the defacement of her property, and Ellie and Nick are able to bring Shawn in to face the consequences of his petty crime. Thinking the situation successfully handled and preparing to leave town, Ellie and Nick are blindsided when a dead body is found in a barn. On Baxter property. And the victim is Marie Collins.
Now the entire town thinks they are guilty of murder...and Ellie is quickly discovering that she prefers being an investigator to being a prime suspect. Calling in Vic Manetti for backup, the trio must dig into Marie Collins' past, unearthing disturbing secrets and a list of potential suspects that keeps getting longer.
But they are playing a dangerous game. Because this killer has gone through hell to get their revenge…and they won’t let anyone undo their good work.
From USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fardig comes a How to Get Away With Murder-meets-CSI series nominated for multiple best fiction awards. Relative Harm is the fifth in a gripping forensic mystery series that will enthrall fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, and Lisa Regan.
________________________
Praise for Caroline Fardig and the Ellie Matthews
"...a favorite thrill ride." —Kings River Life Magazine
"...strongly recommend..." —The Nerdy Girl Express
"...descriptions and details about forensics..." —Collectors of Book Boyfriends and Girlfriends
"...enjoyed it enough to stay up far too late reading it!" —The MOMinars
"Anyone looking for a good book in the crime/mystery genre should look no further than here." —Philly Review
"Ms. Fardig made all the dirty details of collection, processing and assessment of evidence so enjoyable." —Next Book in Your Hand
________________________
What readers are
★★★★★ "...unrelenting..."
★★★★★ "...phenomenal..."
★★★★★ "...hard to put down!"
★★★★★ "...highly recommend..."
★★★★★ "...the suspense is vicious..."
Ellie knows she can’t live without her partner, Detective Nick Baxter. So when Nick's brother is accused of vandalizing the house of his former kidnapper and goes on the lam, she insists on accompanying Nick home to help with the family crisis.
Marie Collins has just been released from prison after serving her time for kidnapping Shawn Baxter when he was a toddler. Reviled by the whole town, no one is surprised at the defacement of her property, and Ellie and Nick are able to bring Shawn in to face the consequences of his petty crime. Thinking the situation successfully handled and preparing to leave town, Ellie and Nick are blindsided when a dead body is found in a barn. On Baxter property. And the victim is Marie Collins.
Now the entire town thinks they are guilty of murder...and Ellie is quickly discovering that she prefers being an investigator to being a prime suspect. Calling in Vic Manetti for backup, the trio must dig into Marie Collins' past, unearthing disturbing secrets and a list of potential suspects that keeps getting longer.
But they are playing a dangerous game. Because this killer has gone through hell to get their revenge…and they won’t let anyone undo their good work.
From USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fardig comes a How to Get Away With Murder-meets-CSI series nominated for multiple best fiction awards. Relative Harm is the fifth in a gripping forensic mystery series that will enthrall fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, and Lisa Regan.
________________________
Praise for Caroline Fardig and the Ellie Matthews
"...a favorite thrill ride." —Kings River Life Magazine
"...strongly recommend..." —The Nerdy Girl Express
"...descriptions and details about forensics..." —Collectors of Book Boyfriends and Girlfriends
"...enjoyed it enough to stay up far too late reading it!" —The MOMinars
"Anyone looking for a good book in the crime/mystery genre should look no further than here." —Philly Review
"Ms. Fardig made all the dirty details of collection, processing and assessment of evidence so enjoyable." —Next Book in Your Hand
________________________
What readers are
★★★★★ "...unrelenting..."
★★★★★ "...phenomenal..."
★★★★★ "...hard to put down!"
★★★★★ "...highly recommend..."
★★★★★ "...the suspense is vicious..."
- GenresProcedural
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2023
56 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Fardig
28 books289 followersCAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig's BAD MEDICINE was named one of the "Best Books of 2015" by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 10, 2024
Love Ellie and yes this was a good mystery!
Ellie needs to come through for Baxter's family when a body is discovered in the barn....
Solid 3.5 stars!!!
Ellie needs to come through for Baxter's family when a body is discovered in the barn....
Solid 3.5 stars!!!
August 8, 2023
While this book functions well as a standalone, to truly get a feel for the series, its characters and their relationships it’s best to start at the beginning. Ellie and Baxter head to his hometown to help his family through a crisis and within twenty-four hours Ellie finds the body of the woman who kidnapped Shawn Baxter when he was a toddler. The body of Marie Collins is in the barn on the Baxter property. Every member of the Baxter family has a reason to have wanted her dead and they all become potential prime suspects. If you’re a fan of forensics, CSI and police procedurals, you’ll find a lot to like in this series.
January 3, 2024
Eh.. I found this one uninteresting and repetitive.
July 7, 2023
If you have never read a book in this exciting (and frequently gruesome) series, you owe it to yourself to stop and get the first book and read the series in order. But if you'd rather just jump right in, there is a fair amount of references and explanations built into the story that you'll get most of the necessary details. (You will miss a lot of incredible detective work and detailed criminalist investigations as well as some funny scenes. But the books will still be available after you finish this one!)
Ellie and Nick have gone a little rogue as they go to Nick's family's home to help search for his errant and temporarily missing younger brother. By the time they get there, the brother is back, and Nick and Ellie figure they'll go back home in the morning. Things don't go as planned when Ellie discovers a body in the barn on the property. Out of their jurisdiction, they still get involved in solving the crime. In fact, Ellie calls a investigator friend who is on medical leave from the FBI to come help. Hang on tightly because you are in for quite the bumpy ride to the end of this phenomenal story.
Great characters, check. Gruesome murder, check. Complex pool of suspects including close family members, check. Excellent detective techniques, check. Mounting terror, check, check! What a fascinating, convoluted mystery with surprising developments to keep the reader on edge. It. Was. Fabulous...and unrelenting to the end.
Many thanks to Severn River Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of the book. My opinions and review are completely my own conclusions and are given voluntarily.
Ellie and Nick have gone a little rogue as they go to Nick's family's home to help search for his errant and temporarily missing younger brother. By the time they get there, the brother is back, and Nick and Ellie figure they'll go back home in the morning. Things don't go as planned when Ellie discovers a body in the barn on the property. Out of their jurisdiction, they still get involved in solving the crime. In fact, Ellie calls a investigator friend who is on medical leave from the FBI to come help. Hang on tightly because you are in for quite the bumpy ride to the end of this phenomenal story.
Great characters, check. Gruesome murder, check. Complex pool of suspects including close family members, check. Excellent detective techniques, check. Mounting terror, check, check! What a fascinating, convoluted mystery with surprising developments to keep the reader on edge. It. Was. Fabulous...and unrelenting to the end.
Many thanks to Severn River Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of the book. My opinions and review are completely my own conclusions and are given voluntarily.
July 15, 2023
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I really cannot say enough good things about this book. Full disclosure, I've loved all of Caroline Fardig's books, but this series is my favorite.
Relative Harm is the 5th book in the Ellie Matthews series. Starting where book 4 leaves off Ellie and Baxter travel to his home town to help his brother when the woman who abducted him years earlier was released from prison. Up until this point in the series you know a lot about Ellie's background and family but not a ton about Baxters. I loved learning more about his upbringing. The book takes place in his hometown when the woman released from prison ends up murdered in the Baxter family barn. The police want to take the easy road and blame someone in the Baxter family but, of course, Ellie and Nick cannot let that happen.
I finished reading the book last night but I am still gushing over it. It was unputdownable. I was traveling with tons of plans and wanted to cancel them all so I could read. This story took so many twists and turns and I found myself guessing until the end. The relationship that Ellie and Nick have is just so sweet and I can't wait to find out what happens next.
The real bad news is that I have to wait so long before reading the next book in the series. BUT all of Caroline Fardig's series seem to be 5 books long and I am so relieved that is not the case for this one.
I really cannot say enough good things about this book. Full disclosure, I've loved all of Caroline Fardig's books, but this series is my favorite.
Relative Harm is the 5th book in the Ellie Matthews series. Starting where book 4 leaves off Ellie and Baxter travel to his home town to help his brother when the woman who abducted him years earlier was released from prison. Up until this point in the series you know a lot about Ellie's background and family but not a ton about Baxters. I loved learning more about his upbringing. The book takes place in his hometown when the woman released from prison ends up murdered in the Baxter family barn. The police want to take the easy road and blame someone in the Baxter family but, of course, Ellie and Nick cannot let that happen.
I finished reading the book last night but I am still gushing over it. It was unputdownable. I was traveling with tons of plans and wanted to cancel them all so I could read. This story took so many twists and turns and I found myself guessing until the end. The relationship that Ellie and Nick have is just so sweet and I can't wait to find out what happens next.
The real bad news is that I have to wait so long before reading the next book in the series. BUT all of Caroline Fardig's series seem to be 5 books long and I am so relieved that is not the case for this one.
July 28, 2023
I received an ARC through "Sevren Publishing" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The story begins with Ellie and Nick just finishing a case and are heading to Nick's parents' house because Nick's brother is missing. Upon arriving, they discover that Shawn, Nick's brother, has returned and they convince him to go to the police station and turn himself in. The police were looking for Shawn relating to some damage he did at an individual's house. Shawn is interviewed by the sergeant and he is told that they were not going to do anything as long as he helped clean up the mess he made.
The next day after waking, Ellie has entered the barn and where there discovered a dead body. This person had kidnapped Shawn 15 years earlier and had just been released from prison. Upon notifying the police, the evidence seemed to point to the killer being someone from Nick's family. Ellie believed that it was another person responsible and after a while, she convinced Nick to work with her and find the killer. As their investigation proceeded, they received help from Vic, Ellie's FBI friend, in looking into Marie's, the deceased kidnapper's background. The information they discovered pointed them to several potential suspects who could be the killer.
To discover what information the trio discovered, what evidence Ellie discovered that the police didn't find and how this all ended up, then you need to read this book. You won't be disappointed.
The story begins with Ellie and Nick just finishing a case and are heading to Nick's parents' house because Nick's brother is missing. Upon arriving, they discover that Shawn, Nick's brother, has returned and they convince him to go to the police station and turn himself in. The police were looking for Shawn relating to some damage he did at an individual's house. Shawn is interviewed by the sergeant and he is told that they were not going to do anything as long as he helped clean up the mess he made.
The next day after waking, Ellie has entered the barn and where there discovered a dead body. This person had kidnapped Shawn 15 years earlier and had just been released from prison. Upon notifying the police, the evidence seemed to point to the killer being someone from Nick's family. Ellie believed that it was another person responsible and after a while, she convinced Nick to work with her and find the killer. As their investigation proceeded, they received help from Vic, Ellie's FBI friend, in looking into Marie's, the deceased kidnapper's background. The information they discovered pointed them to several potential suspects who could be the killer.
To discover what information the trio discovered, what evidence Ellie discovered that the police didn't find and how this all ended up, then you need to read this book. You won't be disappointed.
July 15, 2023
How far will you go for relatives?
This latest Ellie Mathews story focuses on Ellie and Bishop’s relationship as well as a murder that is a convoluted as it is violent. Everyone agrees the victim deserved it, but who did the dastardly deed? This isn’t an instance of Occam’s Razor being applicable, or is it? The local police department and detective sure try to ally it, but Ellie and Bishop aren’t buying their theories. To say I enjoyed this story more than the others wouldn’t be the truth, but I sure didn’t enjoy it less – this story was action packed, filled with plenty of personal interaction as well as introducing all of Bishop’s dysfunctional family. And it highlighted Ellie’s criminalist abilities in situations where she had minimal access to her normal tools of the trade. For the Ellie Matthews fans, this is a must read, for new readers, grab a copy tuck in and enjoy the ride, then you can go back and get caught up with all the earlier stories. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to provide my review.
This latest Ellie Mathews story focuses on Ellie and Bishop’s relationship as well as a murder that is a convoluted as it is violent. Everyone agrees the victim deserved it, but who did the dastardly deed? This isn’t an instance of Occam’s Razor being applicable, or is it? The local police department and detective sure try to ally it, but Ellie and Bishop aren’t buying their theories. To say I enjoyed this story more than the others wouldn’t be the truth, but I sure didn’t enjoy it less – this story was action packed, filled with plenty of personal interaction as well as introducing all of Bishop’s dysfunctional family. And it highlighted Ellie’s criminalist abilities in situations where she had minimal access to her normal tools of the trade. For the Ellie Matthews fans, this is a must read, for new readers, grab a copy tuck in and enjoy the ride, then you can go back and get caught up with all the earlier stories. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to provide my review.
June 30, 2023
Ellie, a criminalist and professor at Ashmore College, and Baxter, a Detective are partners, on their way to Baxter’s hometown to track down his missing brother Shawn. It seems Shawn is a troubled 19-year-old teen who always needs to be bailed out of some kind of mischief! On the way, Ellie is doing paperwork for their last case. They arrive to discover the murder of Marie Collins, the woman who kidnapped a 4-year-old Shawn and had just been released from prison that day! Unfortunately she’s found in the Baxter’s barn by Ellie, so Ellie and the Baxters are the primary suspects. Baxter and Ellie start to investigate, with the help of friend Vic, but Marie has a lot of enemies! A fascinating and exciting story to follow. I received a free ARC of this book and write this review voluntarily.
July 20, 2023
Relative Harm by Caroline Fardig is a mystery drama story. When her partner’s family is implicated in a brutal murder, expert criminalist Ellie Matthews must race against the clock to find the real killer…and save the people she loves.
This book had a good combination of mystery, action, and page-turning drama. I'm so glad to be back with these characters and continue with them on their journeys and their storylines. I love the way they interact, and each is unique.
The one thing that bothered me was the overuse of "griped." Every character seemed to gripe about something or reacted by griping. The word and dialogue tag was overused, and I rolled my eyes every time it was used.
Overall, the ending was satisfying, and I liked the story. I look forward to more in this series.
#NetGalley @SvrnRvrPublish
This book had a good combination of mystery, action, and page-turning drama. I'm so glad to be back with these characters and continue with them on their journeys and their storylines. I love the way they interact, and each is unique.
The one thing that bothered me was the overuse of "griped." Every character seemed to gripe about something or reacted by griping. The word and dialogue tag was overused, and I rolled my eyes every time it was used.
Overall, the ending was satisfying, and I liked the story. I look forward to more in this series.
#NetGalley @SvrnRvrPublish
July 16, 2023
This was a story that kept me hooked into finding out the villain. However, I didn’t really connect with the main characters. While I liked Ellie’s work personality, I found her romantic side a little saccharine. I was also surprised on how Detective Nick Baxter, Ellie’s romantic interest, was so squeamish at the murder scene. A personal pet peeve is the author naming characters with the same letter. For some reason it takes me a while to clue into which character is being referenced. And this story had many characters starting with the same letter: Baxter, Barnes, Benji and Margo, Michael, Marie, Manetti.
Still, a solid read.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
Still, a solid read.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
February 18, 2024
A woman was found dead in the Baxter barn. It was the same woman that kidnapped Baxter’s brother. With means, motive, and opportunity, the meant that ever Baxter could be a suspect, including Ellie Matthews, who, once again, found the body.
Right away, this kicks off in a classic whodunnit scenario, which I just love. This was a tough one for Ellie as she was still recuperating from the last case, was being interrogated by a pompous female detective, and could not get her hands dirty by diving into the forensics. Fortunately, Ellie’s sassy stubbornness didn’t stop her from trying. I did like the MacGyver tactics she implemented to get the fingerprints.
You weed through the various suspects to find out who the killer was in this compelling mystery.
A good crime read!
Right away, this kicks off in a classic whodunnit scenario, which I just love. This was a tough one for Ellie as she was still recuperating from the last case, was being interrogated by a pompous female detective, and could not get her hands dirty by diving into the forensics. Fortunately, Ellie’s sassy stubbornness didn’t stop her from trying. I did like the MacGyver tactics she implemented to get the fingerprints.
You weed through the various suspects to find out who the killer was in this compelling mystery.
A good crime read!
May 8, 2024
Truth,... One psycho of a read! To all who enjoy a really good murder mystery this book for you!
Damn excellent read!! I just about read this 'non-stop'. Wow, this murder/mystery was hard core. Talk about really doing their homework to match the list of suspects to the real psychotic sociopathic psychopath. Patient planners are the scariest in my opinion! All the characters worked cohesively together, even having each others back and willing to listen to try and actually solve the murder case. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this twisted spellbinding book! There were spelling and grammatical errors; editing goes hand in hand before AND AFTER publishing -- should be taken seriously. PottsvillePA_05082024
Damn excellent read!! I just about read this 'non-stop'. Wow, this murder/mystery was hard core. Talk about really doing their homework to match the list of suspects to the real psychotic sociopathic psychopath. Patient planners are the scariest in my opinion! All the characters worked cohesively together, even having each others back and willing to listen to try and actually solve the murder case. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this twisted spellbinding book! There were spelling and grammatical errors; editing goes hand in hand before AND AFTER publishing -- should be taken seriously. PottsvillePA_05082024
August 16, 2023
Detective Nick Baxters brother is accused of vandalizing the home where his former kidnapper, Mary Collins, is staying after being released from prison. Shawn was kidnapped when he was a toddler, and not as young adult still dealing with what happened. The family has never been the same. Nick and criminalist expert Ellie Matthews head over to help out, the next morning the body of Mary Collins is found in the Baxter Family barn. Did one of the family members snap?
Nick and Ellie are “fired” but that doesn’t stop them of trying to figure out who did it.
Quite fun to see how they do with limited resources.
Nick and Ellie are “fired” but that doesn’t stop them of trying to figure out who did it.
Quite fun to see how they do with limited resources.
August 20, 2023
I enjoyed this murder mystery. Ellie Matthews is a criminalist who joined her partner/lover on a trip to his hometown to find his missing brother. The tension between Ellie and Nick's family is only the beginning. When she discovers a murdered woman in the Baxter property, her skills are put to the test to uncover who murdered a woman everyone disliked. This is an action packed story with enough twists and suspects to make your head spin, with a satisfying ending. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy police procedurals with strong female leads. I received a free copy of this book via Severn River Publishing and I am voluntarily leaving my review.
August 8, 2023
Felled by an axe
A woman's body is found in a barn. The murder weapon belongs to the family owning the barn. Ellie Matthews finds herself in a tricky situation as the victim had harmed the family and it looks like one of them did it. Another edge of the seat Ellie Matthews thriller where she and her team leave no stone unturned to find the killer. I like the well written plot and the jaw dropping suspense in this page turner.
A woman's body is found in a barn. The murder weapon belongs to the family owning the barn. Ellie Matthews finds herself in a tricky situation as the victim had harmed the family and it looks like one of them did it. Another edge of the seat Ellie Matthews thriller where she and her team leave no stone unturned to find the killer. I like the well written plot and the jaw dropping suspense in this page turner.
August 8, 2023
Absolutely fabulous! Ellie accompanies Nick to help his family find his missing brother. When a body is discovered in the family barn, the situation changes dramatically. A riveting read that will hold your attention until the very end! I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.
August 11, 2023
Ellie sees herself involved in Nick's family drama when she finds a body in their barn and all of them become suspects for the crime. She will have to work with the help of friends to sort out the puzzle and find the culprit. Relative Harm is fast-paced, written with humor and lightness even when detailing the more gruesome events, and easy to read.
I thank Ms. Fardig and her publisher for this ARC.
I thank Ms. Fardig and her publisher for this ARC.
April 25, 2024
Another Great Book in the Fantastic Series
Ellie is helping Baxter by going with him to his home town. His brother is in trouble which only gets worse once Ellie finds a body in their barn. The local police only investigate Baxter’s family so Ellie and Baxter start to investigate everyone else. Vic, Ellie’s good friend from the FBI comes to help. All good characters in this fast paced adventure. Enjoy!!
Ellie is helping Baxter by going with him to his home town. His brother is in trouble which only gets worse once Ellie finds a body in their barn. The local police only investigate Baxter’s family so Ellie and Baxter start to investigate everyone else. Vic, Ellie’s good friend from the FBI comes to help. All good characters in this fast paced adventure. Enjoy!!
July 20, 2023
Ellie's partner Nick Baxter's family is in trouble so Ellie goes with Nick to try to offer support. Little does she know she will find a dead body, be a suspect, and have to help clear each Baxter family member of murder.
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)
August 8, 2023
Relative Harm begins just after the previous book, Parted by Death. Ellie Matthews, an expert criminalist, and her partner, Detective Nick Baxter, travel to Nick's family farm. His brother, Shawn, is being implicated in the vandalism of his kidnapper's home. Ellie and Nick find the woman dead in the Baxter barn. The local law believes that a Baxter killed her. It is up to Ellie and Nick to find who killer is. They get help from Vic Manetti, a FBI agent.
This is a suspenseful read. The author does a great job keeping the reader engaged. Ellie is a great character, flawed, smart, and tenacious. I really like her. The relationship between Ellie and Nick is nice, it adds some romance to the story. I definitely recommend reading the previous novels in the series, you will not be disappointed. This is a great addition to the series!
Thank you to Severn River Publishing for an ARC. The review is my own.
This is a suspenseful read. The author does a great job keeping the reader engaged. Ellie is a great character, flawed, smart, and tenacious. I really like her. The relationship between Ellie and Nick is nice, it adds some romance to the story. I definitely recommend reading the previous novels in the series, you will not be disappointed. This is a great addition to the series!
Thank you to Severn River Publishing for an ARC. The review is my own.
August 11, 2023
What an amazing story. Ellie is an outstanding criminalist and when her partner’s family is accused of a crime, she tries to help. Will the crime be solved, and can she find the real killer. Fast paced to keep you wanting to binge read. Ready for more.
August 4, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and Severn River publishing for giving me access to this Arc in exchange for my honest review.
What would you do if you or your family was being targeted as being the one who killed someone ? Even if that someone is pure evil ? You do everything in your power to try to find the real culprit !! That's what's Baxter and ellie went for. Discovering so many things along the way. It seems like the devil has layers and layers upon her, she has done so much to so many people. It was an interesting read to follow both of them discover the truth to save themselves. The twist at the end was shocking but I'm happy it ended the way it did, without spoiling haha.
What would you do if you or your family was being targeted as being the one who killed someone ? Even if that someone is pure evil ? You do everything in your power to try to find the real culprit !! That's what's Baxter and ellie went for. Discovering so many things along the way. It seems like the devil has layers and layers upon her, she has done so much to so many people. It was an interesting read to follow both of them discover the truth to save themselves. The twist at the end was shocking but I'm happy it ended the way it did, without spoiling haha.
March 8, 2025
She is one of my all time favorite authors from my hometown. Every single book she writes is so well written and really captivates the reader.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews