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For fans of gripping thrillers and intense police procedurals comes a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.Eden Mercer, now a rising star in Nightfall's police department, faces her most challenging case yet. When a staff member is found dead at the secretive Cascade Residential Academy deep in the Oregon woods, Eden and her loyal K-9 partner, Shadow, are thrust into a dark world of troubled teens and sinister secrets.

As Eden investigates, she uncovers a web of abuse, manipulation, and corruption hidden behind the academy's façade of reform. The disappearance of a student, Zoe Bennett, raises the stakes, forcing Eden to confront her own painful past as she races to find the missing girl.

With each revelation, the danger mounts. Eden must navigate treacherous waters as she confronts the academy's intimidating director, uncooperative staff, and a maze of lies. The discovery of a potential serial killer in their midst turns the case on its head, leaving Eden to question whom she can trust.

As time runs out for Zoe, Eden must use all her skills and instincts to unravel the truth before another life is lost. But in doing so, she risks becoming entangled in a conspiracy that threatens to destroy everything she's worked for.

Will Eden's determination and Shadow's unwavering loyalty be enough to uncover the truth and save the missing student? Or will the dark secrets of Cascade Academy claim another victim?

Dive into "Deadly Lessons" and lose yourself in a pulse-pounding tale of suspense, courage, and the fight for justice in the face of unspeakable evil.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2024

1258 people are currently reading
117 people want to read

About the author

Paige Black

6 books36 followers
Paige Black lives in Portland, OR, where the fog and rain form a perfect backdrop to her love of all things mysterious and thrilling. Often found exploring the misty, dark forests of the Oregon Coast, Paige draws inspiration from the shadowy corners of the world and the secrets they hide.

An escape room enthusiast and true crime aficionado, Paige devours documentaries and loves the challenge of solving puzzles and mysteries. In her free time, she’s on a mission to befriend the crows in her neighborhood via gifts of peanuts. It’s a work in progress, but she’s convinced they’ll come around eventually.

Join Paige for gripping tales of twisted cults, cunning serial killers, and the dedicated law enforcement officers who bring them to justice.

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5 stars
1,068 (61%)
4 stars
506 (29%)
3 stars
137 (7%)
2 stars
19 (1%)
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9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for DocMcStuffit.
57 reviews2 followers
August 2, 2025
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A good sequel. Sequels don’t always hit but this one had a good follow up. It’s interesting to see our FMC continue to grow and we see more of her background. I wish the story didn’t feel as redundant. I inhaled the first book. I worked through the second one. Will be continuing the journey to see how book 3 hits
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julie Howard.
Author 2 books31 followers
January 21, 2025
Oh boy! I loved this book, talk about sat on the edge of your seat listening. The story is told by a number of characters. The two main perspectives are from Eden the k9 handler who is investigating the case as it happens and Zoe's a student whose ordeal lead to the investigation, so most of her view has already happened. This means as you are listening you are never sure if there is going to be a happy ending for the young student or if it's already to late. I liked the characters and it was nice to see Eden had a better relationship with her partner than in the previous book, which was just as compelling. Although I don't think Shadow (the dog) had as big a role as in the last book he is still an important part of the team. It's scary what people do to each other, yes I know this is fiction but the ideas come from somewhere. Although it makes for a great listen or listen but I certainly wouldn't want to go through it. The investigation starts as a accident and quickly develops into a murder investigation before branching off into a missing person. This meant the story moved at a quick pace and held my attention the whole way through. I can't wait for the next case.
A teacher dies in an accident on school grounds and his wife turns to Nightfall's police department and asks them to look into it. She thinks he was being stalked and there is more to his death than the school is saying. K9 officer Eden Mercer and her detective partner arrive at the school and are given the brush off, which only makes them want to take a closer look. The more they learn about the school, the more they believe the wife is right and something is very wrong at the Residential Academy. An academy that is secretive and isolated from any neighbours or prying eyes. When they learn the teacher had a problem with a student who has gone missing, the case takes a serious turn and the murder investigation turns into a missing person case, with a ticking clock.
The narrator is one of my favourites. I have heard a number of books read by her and she never fails to entertain or put in an excellent performance.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Chris.
653 reviews17 followers
September 29, 2025
The only mystery here is how these characters function in daily life. Every decision had me wondering if common sense was on vacation. The police procedure was so wildly inaccurate I started wondering if the author thinks "detective" is just a fun personality trait rather than an actual job with rules.

The interrogations were particularly painful—apparently Miranda rights are optional and evidence chains are just suggestions? The plot lurched forward through sheer force of characters doing inexplicably illogical things.

There were moments of potential buried in here, but too many eye-roll-inducing choices overshadowed them.

And the last thing that really bothered me and pulled me out of the story, while the Author may believe in gender pronouns, and has included a girl wanting to be referred to as "they/their," writing a sentence using their instead of she actually pulled me out of the story. I thought she was talking about multiple people at one point and had to re-read the sentence.
I'll be honest: I disapprove of using alternative pronouns. I believe people who identify this way are struggling with mental health issues and need professional help.

I know this view is controversial, but my perspective comes from my own experience. I grew up in an era when children were allowed to explore their identities without intervention—neither encouraged nor discouraged from going through phases. This was considered a normal part of childhood development, something I believe is missing today.

I'm grateful I grew up when I did. Until age 16, I insisted I was a boy, called myself Chris, and PRETENDED to be a boy. Then, after puberty, I started to be attracted to boys and was most definitely female. Mind you prior to that age I was not interested in either gender because I was more interested in playing sports and singing. I'm now the proud mother of five beautiful children. I genuinely believe that if I had been born today, I might have been put on hormone blockers during my childhood questioning phase, and these five children might never have been born.
Profile Image for Candie Holland.
404 reviews4 followers
January 26, 2025
Book #21 2025
"Deadly Lessons" ~ Paige Black
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audiobook

A Gripping Thriller with Twists at Every Turn
Paige Black’s "Deadly Lessons" is a masterfully crafted thriller that pulls you in from the very first page and refuses to let go. The story is an electrifying blend of suspense, mystery, and emotional depth. An Eden Mercer thriller who is both relatable and compelling, navigating a web of dark secrets, betrayal, and danger with intelligence and grit. Black’s ability to create tension is unparalleled, and every chapter leaves you on the edge of your seat, desperate to uncover the next layer of the mystery.
The setting is atmospheric at a school for out of control children. Zoe is one of these kids immersed into this school . . . Her parents caught her kissing another girl and sent her away(Zoe has done nothing wrong other than have homophobic parentsthat don't care about their own daughter). The writing is sharp and evocative, making it easy to picture every scene in your mind. Black doesn’t just tell a story—she immerses you in it, making you feel the stakes at every turn. The twists and reveals are unexpected yet perfectly paced, keeping you guessing until the very end. The story follows Officer Eden Mercer as she investigates a murder at the school, then learns of missing student Zoe.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves a page-turner that’s impossible to put down!
#book #books #booknow #audiobook #bookstagram #booklover #booksoninstagram #booksarelife #booklife #booklist #bookish #BookLifestyle #booklibrary #bookhoarder #bookishcommunity #bookishthoughts #booktok #booksontiktok #booktoker #tiktokviral #readingcommunity #tiktokviral #fypage #booksgoals2025 #readinggoals #books2025 #thriller #goodreads #BooksToRead #booksworthreading #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblogger #thrillerbooks #psychologicalthriller #DeadlyLessons #PaigeBlack
Profile Image for Andrea.
812 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2024
Good follow-up

I quickly found the second book in this series about rookie policewoman Eden, after enjoying the first one. Still filled with interesting, likable main characters, this story is about a horrible “school” for troubled teens. Zoe is sent there after her mother catches her kissing another girl. Once at the school, Zoe is subjected to the same horrors as the other kids who are there, with severe punishments for such things as making eye contact with teachers. Zoe has escaped when we enter the story. Eden and her older partner, Hanks, come to the school to look into the death of a teacher. The teacher was murdered, but that’s just the least of the issues they uncover through their investigation. Suspenseful and filled with twists, this second book in the series is as much about Eden’s personal and professional development as it is about the hunt for the missing girl. This is nicely woven into the story, though, so the development is organic. Personally, I was disturbed by the treatment meted out to the troubled teens. I hope the story is exaggerated, though I fear it may not be.
Profile Image for Linda Thomas.
842 reviews8 followers
December 3, 2024
Eden Mercer is a Detective in training for her small town police force with high hopes.

Eden is a small town police officer training as a detective. She is really good at getting people to talk to her. Her training officer says its the time she spent in the cult as a youngster. She and her sister Hope ran away when Eden was twelve and Hope ten. She only wishes she could have brought the rest of her siblings with her.
The pair of detectives are brought into a supposed accident to a teacher at a local private school for wayward kids. This is Edens first real taste of investigating what is starting to look like a real crime. She doesn’t quite get that she could be in real danger as she digs deeper each day. She also discovers a student is missing and that folds even more danger around her and Hanks. But she can’t quit now!
52 reviews2 followers
January 26, 2025
Deadly Lessons is the second in the Eden Mercer series. It deals with a very important and timely subject: child abuse. There are some very detailed descriptions that are difficult to read but must be heard. The whole story is filled with suspense, mystery and adventure. Once again the team of Eden, Detective Hanks and of course Shadow work together to find the answers to the murder and correct what wrongs they can for the town of Nightfall, Oregon.
The audiobook narrated by Hannah Somerville is well done as she continues to build the suspense throughout the story. This book, whether printed or digital, is good, but the audiobook is even better because it brings the charters to life. Give it a listen and you will enjoy it.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,954 reviews6 followers
January 26, 2025
This isfor the audio book: Deadly Lessons is book 2 in the Eden Mercer K-9 Mysteries series by Paige Black. This is a thrilling mystery with Eden Mercer, her loyal K-9 partner Shadow and her partner Hanks. Eden is getting along better with her co-workers and building a comradery with a couple of them, it's nice to see things are getting better. The plot is compelling, the characters believable and the descriptiveness of Oregon just coming into spring is amazing, I could almost smell the flowers! The narrator Hannah Somerville does a better job with this book, differentiating the different characters and drawing me right into the story. Paige Black really knows how to spin a tale that captures your attention! I highly recommend this series and author!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Ashley.
150 reviews8 followers
August 22, 2025
This is a gripping thriller that will have you listening to the very end. I listened to this whole audiobook withing 12 hours!

This audiobook had me on the edge of my seat and very eager to know how it ends!

Eden is a police officer on Nightfall's force. When a staff member is found dead at a secretive academy deep in the Oregon woods, Eden and her loyal K-9 partner, Shadow, are thrust into a dark world of troubled teens and sinister secrets. As Eden investigates, she uncovers a web of abuse, manipulation, and corruption. The disappearance of a student, Zoe, raises the stakes as she races to find the missing girl. The discovery of a potential serial killer in their midst turns the case on its head, leaving Eden to question whom she can trust.

Dive in and lose yourself in a pulse-pounding tale of suspense, courage, and the fight for justice in the face of unspeakable evil.
Profile Image for PepperP0t .
5,108 reviews86 followers
August 23, 2025
Eden and her K9, Shadow have been permanently assigned to assist the detectives and just as they’re about to go out to investigate a staff death at a secluded reform academy a bomb threat is phoned into the local high school. They gather some information but not enough as they go check out the homicide but something seems off about the school.

Meanwhile, Eden and detective Hanks discover the school is substandard enough on multiple levels to be shut down but don’t make progress on the staff death. The secondary thread tracks stellar student Zoe Bennett, her uncaring, homophobic parents enrolled her to be cured, Zoe’s been missing five days a fact that wasn’t discovered until school officials were caught k several lies. Afterward Eden finds herself in a precarious position.
Rating: 4.25stars
3 reviews
Currently reading
October 3, 2025
The Eden Mercer books are pretty good reading. They hold my interest enough that when I complete one, I’m ready to begin another.
3 critiques from Deadly Lessons:
1. To create the possessive form of a noun ending with an s- simply add an apostrophe after that s.
For example Doris’ book. Not Doris’s book. Hanks’ weapon not Hanks’s weapon.
2. Even though the character Lake wanted her pronouns to be them and they in the story, to use this every time you mention this person, using they and them is extremely confusing. They and them refer to plural subjects, making the reader think there is a second or third person when there is only one.
3. A WAKE is held before a funeral, not after. This error in the story could have been avoided by doing a bit of research, like looking up the definition of WAKE in the dictionary or Googling it.
330 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2025
Pretty good.

Eden Mercer is a police officer working on becoming a detective. She was raised in a religious cult until she escaped, along with her younger sister. This is an aspect that I find most interesting about her story. Eden seems to be rather naive for a 29-year-old police officer, maybe because of being raised in a cult and kept away from the rest of the world. The story itself is not exactly hard-core police work. It's not really gritty. It's cozy, although there is a small amount of swearing. There's no smut and just a touch of romance that doesn't get in the way of the story. Altogether, I enjoyed it. It did keep my attention, and when I finished it, I could honestly say that I enjoyed it. I will probably read the next book.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,846 reviews9 followers
January 26, 2025
This is the second book in the rookie Eden Mercer K-9 Mystery series by Paige Black. I did not like the topic of the book due to the awful school and parents that do not check out where they ship their children when they are disappointed in them.

My heart went out to all the children that were treated badly. I did like the mystery part of the book but was happy to wrap it up and put it behind me.

I did like the mentoring by Detective Hank and Shadow is doing well in his tracking capabilities.
Thanks to Booksprout for allowing me to read the book. These are my opinions.

The narrator did a wonderful job.
1,001 reviews4 followers
March 13, 2025
In book 2 of the series, Eden and her police dog investigate a murder at a facility for "troubled" teenagers and stumble upon all sorts of abuse. Why would parents commit their children to a place like this at a tuition 0f 70K per year? The money is definitely not going to the kids.
"Eden Mercer, now a rising star in Nightfall's police department, faces her most challenging case yet. When a staff member is found dead at the secretive Cascade Residential Academy deep in the Oregon woods, Eden and her loyal K-9 partner, Shadow, are thrust into a dark world of troubled teens and sinister secrets."
364 reviews6 followers
January 11, 2025
Loved the narration of Hannah Somerville

Eden is a police officer working on becoming a detective. With her partner Hank and dog Shadow they find them selves looking for a killer at a private school. The school is for troubled teenagers. They must uncover the truth about the school and the death of a staff’s member or things will get worse.
Eden and her sister had once been raised in a religious cult until they escaped. Which helps you understand her ways.
814 reviews9 followers
January 28, 2025
This is the second book in the Eden Mercer K-9 mysteries and I highly recommend it. This first book was excellent and this book was even better. When someone on staff at the highly secretive Cascade residential Academy that his hidden deep in the Oregon woods. Eden and her K-9 partner Shadow must investigate. Eden begins to uncover corruption and abuse at the academy and the danger accelerates immediately.
170 reviews
April 29, 2025
Again another good book. I like the MC is getting out more and coming out of her shell. Also love the partnership between her and Hanks. Another one where the author did a lot of research on the subject matter. Still love the dog, and how well he is written. Also it went by quickly, so the pace is great. This one I did guess who the killer was but after reading the reviews it seems like I’m in the minority. Well on to the next.
436 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2025
Deadly Lesson by Paige Black is an amazing K-9 crime mystery thriller. Hannah Somerville did an amazing job with the narration. The story is thrilling, engaging, entertaining, funny and more. Deadly Lessons is the second book in Eden Mercer K-9 Mystery Thriller series. Can Eden and Shadow find out who killed at the academy before it to late?.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
130 reviews
December 2, 2024
I have a new favorite author!

Great developing story with gradual uncovering of stories from yesterday!
They ripple into the present. Lives are lost. Lives are saved. Answers are sought.
More are found.
Hope grows while fear is turned into the determination to fight evil... Always...
Profile Image for Jan Fore.
952 reviews25 followers
January 26, 2025
Eden Mercer K-9 #2.

Wow ! What sail suspense journey trying to uncover the plot behind the mysterious school for students who need self control and counseling. Eden and her partner work together with her K-9 to discover who too part in the deaths of a faculty member. Its good, enjoy!
Profile Image for AG Reads.
464 reviews14 followers
April 5, 2025
The start date is a guess. It took me weeks to finish this book because I kept setting it aside to read something else. The writing style takes some getting used to, and the pacing is rather slow. Overall, this is not a bad book, but not good, either. Eventually I may try another by this author to see if the writing and characters settle in further in the series.
3 reviews
April 22, 2025
They/their = No/no

Author may believe in gender pronouns, but to go as far as including a girl wanting to be referred as "they/their" then writing a sentence as "Lake moved their eyes" instead of "her eyes" is distracting as can be and totally ridiculous.
Book was good but too many other good books out there to distracted by one written like this.
Profile Image for Tonya Peterson.
1,596 reviews3 followers
April 30, 2025
Don't too hard you might get double

Officer eden is waiting for her next case but so far it's been pretty quiet till they get a call saying a teacher has died at a school for troubled teens. As they drive a bomb threat was called in at another h.s. so now she got more than she wished. These cases are crazy and you will have fun putting the pieces together.
Profile Image for Cindy.
778 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2025
Page turner

This is another great book in the Eden Mercer and Shadow series. A murder made to look like an accident, a missing girl, a bomb threat all lead back to a disreputable academy for kids deemed as trouble, and a lot of lying staff trying to cover everything up. I am going to read the prequel, then I will move onto book 3
Profile Image for Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book.
1,490 reviews36 followers
October 6, 2024
Another interesting visit with Eden. First some reason I found the subject matter of this mystery hard. It struck a cord with me in light of the climate of today. That being said I enjoy these characters a lot. And I’m looking forward to the thread that is weaved through series getting rectified.
1,652 reviews11 followers
October 20, 2024
Intense and gritty murder mystery

This is intense and quite gritty but very enjoyable. Hanks and Eden investigate a death at a school that leads to more than they expected. This series just keeps getting more interesting with each book.
13 reviews
January 3, 2025
Not realistic.

Doesn't sound realistic. Actions don't seem logical and the interrogations reveal poor understanding of police procedure. I tried to just keep reading, but these problems interfere with the story.
Profile Image for Jerome’s Cat.
107 reviews
February 8, 2025
Gripping mystery

A murder in a reform school is the next case in the series.
I found the backstory of the missing girl in the abusive school environment really gripping and enjoyed the book and the resolution.
Profile Image for Mary Rowe.
2,617 reviews8 followers
March 1, 2025
more crime, more demented perpetrators

An unexplained claimed “accidental” death at a private enclave housing troubled youths is assigned to the detecting duo once the autopsy reveals that a cosh on the noggin was the primary cause of death.

More messiness is uncovered!
Profile Image for Susan Lee Jacques.
31 reviews
April 10, 2025
Schools?

I know these sort of places exist but it's kind of scary and demoralizing to read about them.. I hope that they are not as bad as described in this story. I suppose that's a bit naive but let's hope!
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