Little Loose Ends: Hudson Valley Series, Book 2

by Bonnie Traymore

A standalone sequel to Killer A Hudson Valley Mystery.

After a year that turned her world upside down, Victoria Mancusio’s seemingly perfect life is back intact—except for one looming loose end. And Victoria doesn’t like loose ends. All Victoria wants is for her life to go back to normal. In the aftermath of her husband’s infidelity, his lover’s murder, and the harrowing moments when her life flashed before her eyes, she just wants to focus on her perfect baby daughter, Lila, and live a simple, peaceful life.

But given her family’s wealth and notoriety, a simple life has never really been possible for Victoria. And with a sensational murder case and their names splashed all over the media last year, a threat from her past has resurfaced. Are the taunting text messages he’s sending a genuine threat, or is it just his way of playing with her head? She takes it upon herself to find out, determined to protect herself and her daughter. But the more she uncovers, the more the fabric of her life begins to unravel, and Victoria soon realizes he’ll stop at nothing to get back at her. But not if she can get him first....

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Thriller Suspense

Audible Audio

Published September 21, 2023

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good thriller, a strong plot with good characters.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria is a new mother but all is not well in her world. She is receiving death threats and although she believes she knows who sending them she doesn’t want to tell her husband about it. She tells him she is going on a tour of museums to find local talent in and around New Mexico but really she’s going to Arizona. There is a lot in this book that I don’t want to say because it would give things away but I will say this there is an incident and she tries to get the victim to come forward but she is reluctant. This is the second book in the Hudson Series and although I didn’t read the first book I really didn’t feel like I should have everything was explained and I didn’t think not reading book one took anything away from this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book I did think it was odd she didn’t want to tell her husband but it worked for the plot in there was an OMG moment that totally took me by surprise. This really is so worth reading I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m glad I got to read it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Countless Books in This Nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about a woman named Victoria who was assaulted by her professor and mentor during her younger years but refused to report the incident to authorities, she has recently given birth to a daughter and in the midst of starting anew with her husband after infidelity issues.

However, she can’t shake off the feeling that the man who assaulted her back then, Timothy Sutton, is the same person who is sending her menacing messages and stalking her. Victoria is a woman who is wealthy and knows what she wants and aside from being a mother, she is also in the midst of opening her own gallery.
Her husband, Nick, on the other hand, works in finance, doesn’t come from a rich family, was unfaithful to Victoria before, and seems to have anger control issues. The only thing keeping the two of them together is their little daughter Lila.

Victoria goes to see Detective Ramirez to tell him about her current situation, as well as the reason why Timothy Sutton is stalking her and sending her threatening messages. There is an undeniable attraction between Ramirez and Victoria, however, things were cut short between them and for the rest of the story they work together in a professional capacity as victim and detective.

The book is interesting enough and the twist, in the end, was something I didn’t see but I think I would have loved it more if Timothy Sutton was more villainous or menacing. Little Loose Ends was an enjoyable read overall.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 41%

I had to pause because I got tired of the amateur writing. Then completely forgot I even started it. That speaks for itself.

[Rox Burkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Loose Ends, book 2 in the Hudson Valley Series focuses on Victoria Mancusio a year after the traumatic events that involved her husband Nick’s betrayal, his arrest for murder, and her near-death experience. The events made front-page headlines for weeks. The press found the mix of murder, money, and mystery irresistible. The publicity threatens the pair in ways no one could foresee.

Victoria and Nick are trying to pull their marriage together and put the past in the rearview mirror. They buy a new house safely secluded and plan to open a new art gallery. They want to be the best possible parents for their precious daughter and recapture the trust needed for their relationship. When veiled threats begin invading her peaceful life as a successful art dealer, Victoria decides to handle it alone.

Ms. Traymore takes the leading characters and masterfully adds realistic dimensions highlighted in the winding journey to expose the truth. Victoria’s hopes, fears, convictions, and resolutions are intertwined in the threads of the mystery. Finding out who is threatening her daughter is all-consuming. Victoria travels to the Southwest to meet with local authorities to share the evidence she uncovered. Her determination to prove that someone from her past is behind the threatening texts could ruin everything.

Like the excellent Killer Motives, the first book in the series, this story is excellently narrated by Robin McAlpine, who brings the thriller to life. The timing and delivery were perfect, with no errors in the audio quality of the delivery. The consistency of the voices matched the prior book in the series. Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy the ride with the edge of tension, pulling readers and listeners further until the unexpected ending.

[A Look Inside: Reviews and Interviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Little Loose Ends" by Bonnie L. Traymore is a thrilling second installment in the Hudson Valley Mystery Series. The story revolves around Victoria Mancusio, whose life is seemingly back to normal after a tumultuous year of her husband's infidelity and a murder case. However, a threatening loose end from her past resurfaces, and Victoria is determined to protect herself and her daughter from harm.

The story beautifully weaves elements of mystery, suspense, and family drama. Victoria's struggle to balance her family's notoriety and the danger she faces adds depth to the plot. The character development and their complex relationships make the reader emotionally invested in their journey.

Bonnie L. Traymore's writing style is engaging, and the chapters seem to alternate between different perspectives, keeping the reader on their toes.
Readers are taken inside Victoria's life, her insecurities, and her resolve to protect her daughter, Lila. The decision to take matters into her own hands and confront her past adds an intriguing layer to the story, leaving readers curious about her upcoming journey to Arizona and New Mexico.

Overall, "Little Loose Ends" is a promising addition to the Hudson Valley Mystery Series, promising readers a gripping tale filled with secrets, danger, and emotional twists. Traymore is consistent in her delivery of pulse-pounding thrill rides to unravel the mystery in her Hudson Valley series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Loose Ends by Bonnie Traymore.
Hudson Valley Series Book 2.
After a year that turned her world upside down, Victoria Mancusio’s seemingly perfect life is back intact—except for one looming loose end. And Victoria doesn’t like loose ends. After a series of events that would have put anyone over the edge, all Victoria wants is for her life to go back to normal. In the aftermath of her husband’s infidelity, his lover’s murder, and the harrowing moments when her life flashed before her eyes, she just wants to focus on her perfect baby daughter, Lila, and live a simple, peaceful life. But given her family’s wealth and notoriety, a simple life has never really been possible for Victoria. And with a sensational murder case and their names splashed all over the media last year, a threat from her past has resurfaced. Are the taunting text messages he’s sending a genuine threat, or is it just his way of playing with her head? She takes it upon herself to find out, determined to protect herself and her daughter. But the more she uncovers, the more the fabric of her life begins to unravel, and Victoria soon realizes he’ll stop at nothing to get back at her.
Really good read. Twisty. 4*.

[Tam Sesto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Loose Ends by Bonnie Traymore is a story about a woman who was assaulted in her younger years, and the person responsible is still out there and assaulting other women. She wants justice for not only herself but for all the other victims.

The lead character, Victoria, is a ball buster. She knows her own mind and takes no prisoners. Her husband, Nick, I’m not a fan of. He’s hot tempered and a bit childish. I loved the chemistry between Detective Ramirez and Victoria, and I hope the author will revisit that situation if she writes another book in the series.

The plot kept your attention, but I do feel the author needed to make the assailant a bit more intimidating. The “stalking” scenes were not menacing or terrorizing enough. I felt like I was reading a sugar coated thriller. The writing flowed well and the author had a good story, it just needed a steroid injection.

This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend you read the first book, Killer Motives, to have a better sense of the plot. Having said that, the author did make references to incidences that happened in the first book, so you could read this one as a stand alone.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

[Megann · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK so we went on the trip with Nick and Victoria as the past came back and started causing problems. Everything got finally cleared up in book one but now someone from Victories past has decided to go after the family and cause more problems.
Victoria has been working with the police again, and just like last time it is causing a super amount of stress on their marriage. They have to deal with a criminal, a new baby, a new house, new people and the police are just to slow for Victoria. So, without anyone knowing it she takes matters into her own hands and starts the research into this new threat.
In the meantime, her mother has moved forward and her husband Nick decides that he does not want to co-work in the art gallery with her but wants to go in his own direction. She is fine with this and it means that her best friend Charles and her are back on good terms as associates with Nicks blessing.
Then tragedy strikes Nick and so he has had enough. Is history going to repeat itself. Will she become her mother. Such a great book and looking forward to more from Bonnie.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Loose Ends - Continues about seven months after Killer Motives ends. Their past catches up with the Mancusios. There are plenty of twists, players and intrigue as they fight for their family's safety. Well written story lines made this another hard to put down book. Source: Booksprout. 4*

Killer Motives - One of those books that must be finished before putting it down. Interesting story lines with a variety of characters with secrets, and then some. Good pacing kept the pages flying with no vulgar language or sex but plenty of intrigue and happenings. Well written. Source: Booksprout. 4*

The Stepfamily - Definitely one of the better books I have read lately. Interesting with good story lines. Every time there appears to be an end, there's more and a different story to add to the mess. Many secrets come to light and not all are favorable. Only thing I did not care for was the nose scratching at the end. The scratcher was smarter than that but that story line needed closing, poorly done. Source: Booksprout. 4*

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Loose Ends
Hudson Valley Series, Book 2

By: Bonnie Traymore
Narrated by: Robin McAlpine

A Fantastic and Fitting Conclusion! I loved it!

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Story 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 11-08-25

Ah … Those “Little Loose Ends” … they’ll get ya every time! After listening to book one in the Hudson Valley Series, I HAD to have book two AND I was NOT disappointed! The writing, the suspense, the FEEL, and the flow was absolute PERFECTION! I loved the interaction of the characters and their relationships, both those harmonious and those fractured, trying to heal! I also loved that NO character was perfect, as much as some thought otherwise, yet EVERY character was perfectly REAL, perfectly human! As multiple threads interwove to create the fantastic fabric of THIS story, I was not only completely captivated, I was immensely satisfied with each and every resolution! I LOVED this fantastic, fitting conclusion! Five fabulous stars!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do wish I had read the previous book, as this one is a sequel. Although everything is explained, I feel that there would have been added depth with first hand knowledge of what had transpired.

Victoria Mancusio has been receiving threats against herself and her family. She thinks she knows who is threatening her, and sets out to do something about it.
Victoria was assaulted when she was at University, and as a result she did not continue her studies.

She finds out that her attacker has not stopped his shenanigans, and finds the student that was assaulted, to convince her to lay charges against the vile man.

There is a really fantastic twist in this story, something I would not have been able to predict.

Thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Info Dumps

I did not like this book. First, although it's a rather long book, it had multiple info dumps from various characters. A significant part of the book's first part was just a series of these. When will authors understand that readers (or listeners) do not like this? Show, don’t tell. Reveal when it makes sense. We don’t have to know all of everyone’s backstory right away. (And if we do, that’s a flaw of your storytelling technique.) I also could not relate remotely to one of the female characters. She just had a poor attitude and didn't appreciate what she had. And I hate it when authors promote character self-loathing because of their physical appearance. Aren't we beyond that in 2023? There are scads of psychological thrillers out there, and I recommend choosing a better one.

I received a promo code, but that did not affect my review.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely think this should come with a suggestion to read the first book. I spent most of this feeling like I was missing big chunks of information.
I also spent a lot of time wondering if Sutton was the bad guy or if it was actually Victoria, possibly because I didn’t have any backstory.
It would have been a twist that Jenna and Sutton were working together the entire time.
I enjoyed this and read it in one sitting, I had to know what happened.
I might go and read the first book, Victoria is quite an interesting character.
I received a copy from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marty Hamrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually listened to this on audio a few weeks ago, and hadn't read the first book because it was indicated that it could be read as a standalone, and while yes, you CAN listen to/read this story separately from the first book in the series, I honestly think I was a bit lost with the way the beginning of this book was written and definitely felt like I was missing information and had been dropped into the middle of an already-going story. Once I finished the first book, it felt like this one made a lot more sense and I definitely recommend reading both, in order.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just how do you put the past in the past..
This is a wonderful continuing story of Nick and Victoria, who are still working on the pieces after Nick's infidelity. Does a marriage or relationship ever 'Really' get over or get through after infidelity? How does a couple go about doing what is right for them and their relationship and family?
They work hard at doing what they can, and then threatening texts start up, and it brings alot of things into the light, and others out of the light. It is not a simple right away fix, that is for sure!
Thank you, Bonnie Traymore, for another great story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Michelle Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to her hit book Killer Motives which I loved. In this book it's been a year since Victoria's world blew up. Things seem to be back on track now for her with one exception. Victoria has been through so much but now has her beautiful daughter to focus on. Victoria's family is very wealthy and between everything that has happened in the year she's hoping that thing will die down. Unfortunately, Victoria has starting receiving threatening messages. Victoria once again decides she needs to investigate and try to keep her family safe once again.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written thriller that kept me on the edge right to the end. The author brings strong characters and weaves a fantastic story filled with mystery, suspense and anxiety and keeps you turning the pages with all the twists throughout. She sets her scenes perfectly and pulls out the emotions as she builds this story. She moves it fluidly and delivers a gripping story that I loved reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Pauli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought, that the first book was great, but the twists in this one bring it to a whole different level. Even though the books are listed as stand alone, and they are, do yourself a favor and read them in order anyway. It just makes the whole experience so much better :-) And if you can swing it, read them back to back!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angie Comfort · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying and thoughtful conclusion.
Little Loose Ends does a nice job of rounding out Victoria and Nick’s story, tying together lingering questions while maintaining steady tension. The character development feels intentional, and the emotional payoff adds depth to the overall arc of the series. While it is quieter than earlier installments, it provides solid closure and a sense of completion. A good read and a fitting four star finish to their journey.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great psychological thriller and had a great storyline going on. I was invested in what was happening and what was happening to the characters. I really enjoyed the way the author wrote this and I had a great time reading this. It was a great psychological thriller.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luckily, this book is a standalone sequel to the author's previous book, Killer Motives. I didn't read it. Victoria had what she thought was the perfect life. Chaos took over life and in one year her life changed drastically. She discovered that her husband was having an affair and later his mistress is found murdered. She comes from wealth and a powerful family, that didn't exactly help matters. Now, after she survived a very unlucky year and she wants her life to go back to normal. With her baby girl. But her normality is shattered by a person from her past that is threatening her. A riveting thriller and suspenseful plot. Witty and a well written story and characters. A fast paced read and a page turner.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes it’s a sequel but you don’t need to read the first one to enjoy this one. I didn’t even realize this was a series. Lol

This book is a super quick read (I read it in less than a day) and it was a good mystery.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness

What a book! Another one! I was wondering how it was going to play out because of everything that happened in the first one. Answered some questions & sent me on another rollercoaster ride. Exceptional

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story. Is she paranoid or is she really stuck in the past? She spends a lot of time, money and determination to prove her version of facts. Not a bad story but am I the only one that expected a different outcome?

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first in this series and the second one doesn't disappoint. Lots of good character development, absolutely believable and interesting characters. Quite taut, but I predicted how the book would end.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think it was possible to be even less interesting than the first book, but I was wrong. This book was boring and didn't keep my attention. The constant drama between Victoria and her husband was too much. No real meat to this plot or story.

[Richard W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful and complex plot with a thrilling climax, excellent!

[Chae Marie♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

who was sending the texts? who actually hurt jenna? so many questions

[Carol McIver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little loose ends

Another wonderful ride through an emotion filled drama, lots of action, deep thinking, questions and Partial answers keep the story going along,
Bonnie Traymore has become my favourite Psychological Thriller writer