Walking on Her Grave

Rogue River #4

by Melinda Leigh

The electrifying conclusion of the romantic suspense novella series from Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.

The sleepy town of Solitude, Oregon, has turned into ground zero for a turf war between the manufacturers and distributors of a lethal new drug. When a teenage witness disappears, social worker Carly Taylor must find him before he’s silenced permanently.

Rogue County investigator Seth Harding wants to keep Carly, his estranged wife, out of harm’s way, but she refuses to let his concern keep her from doing her job. When one of her young charges vanishes, Carly gets pulled even deeper into the deadly case, and Seth knows he must help her…even if it leads them right into the criminals’ crosshairs.

Explosive and exciting to the last page, Walking on Her Grave is the fourth and final thrilling addition to the new romantic suspense series from Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.

Genres: Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Romance, Novella, Fiction, Crime

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2014

About the author

#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 15 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

Reviews

[Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it's over. It was a solid series of novellas. I wish they would have added 10 to 20 more pages to develop the story better. I thought it was a bit rushed to fit inside a tidy package of 100 pages instead of writing to make the story work. Still is was good and I have no regrets reading.

Kate Rudd does a good job as always with narration.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and enjoyable read pretty fast pace

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth of four thrilling Rogue River novellas, Melinda Leigh gives us "Walking On Her Grave" a page turning romantic suspense.
The storyline continues involving C-22 a dangerous killer drug and expands when townspeople are missing and then discovered murdered.
Carly and Seth return in this story and work together not only on their relationship but also in trying to find one of Carly's troubled teens who was involved with C-22 and has run away. They risk their lives trying to find him which brings us to the explosive and exciting conclusion.
Bravo to Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot for giving us a thrilling series!

[⊱✿⊰ Alicia ⊱✿⊰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!!



This series is made up of four short novellas set in a small town in Oregon. Each novella has a new crime but they are all linked. In my opinion this would be better as a complete stand alone novel.

Stevie returns home to the small town after her Sheriff father dies, she takes a job at the Sheriffs office. When an unknown drug starts to infiltrate the small town and people start to die, things start to get interesting.

There was some romance but not much, the mystery/crime solving elements were good. I can't give the series more than 3.5 stars as each book was just too short, I think the character development suffered because of this.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I liked this one. It had some good plot development and the reader was able to find the culprit behind the crime spree in Solitude, OR. We also have some nice relationship development between Carly and Seth. They were realistic characters with believable positive and negative attributes; I couldn't help but admire them.

One thing I really do appreciate about the two couples featured in this series is that there is absolutely no OP drama. And the other thing I really like is that neither Hs are manhos. There's nothing mentioned about their pasts, but they have absolutely no desire to be with anyone else (in their thoughts or otherwise) than their respective hs.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else is in store for us in Solitude, OR. These novellas are the perfect little nuggets of fun for someone who loves safe, romantic suspense.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new drug called C-22 has taken its toll on the small town of Solitude, Oregon. It has killed many locals, including the Chief of Police. Others who may have had their hands in the making and distribution of the drug have been found with bullet holes in their heads. Detective Seth Harding is leading the investigation into the drug distribution. When a teen who was once caught with the drug, goes missing, Seth's estranged wife, Social Worker Carly Taylor, gets pulled into the search. Seth worries that she'll be hurt while trying to help some of the delinquents in her group. But it may not be a teenager who is causing the drug problems in this small town.

The last story in the Rogue River novellas brings the series to a satisfying conclusion. We find out who is the mastermind behind the drug trade in Solitude. I listened to the audio version of this book and thought the narrator did an excellent job. My rating: 4 Stars.

[♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just letting you know before you start this series, that it REALLY ISN'T a romance. Often publishers bill books as a romance to cross categories to obtain more readers, even if the romance only includes a kiss or dating... Such as this series.

This is a conglomeration of two authors writing a continuing saga in novella form about one mystery. Deaths are happening in this small town, because of the intro of a newly manufactured drug. Each author is writing about a different couple. That said...

I just hate Carly... She's such a bitch! I'm sorry! It just seems she blames all of the marriage issues on her husband & it all comes down to him being worried about her safety the possibility of her getting hurt doing her job. For her, to make her marriage perfect, Seth is the one who needs to change his job, not her.... and why do they not have some sort of custody thing happening?? It's just weird.

The mystery itself was VERY good and that story throughout the series kept my attention... It ended perfectly, having the perfect person was the mastermind behind the drug manufacturing & sales.

I wish, I wish, I wish that this story was a little deeper & had some more romance. It would have been a great story!

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am notorious for reading series out of order, that's why I am glad that more often than not - the series that I read can be read out of order without being confusing. In this particular series where two authors have written books in the series, I read a while back Book #3 which Kendra Leigh had written and I remembered the cop who was killed and had a boat in his shed. That storyline featured in Walking on Her Grave. This book starts with Carly Taylor checking up on one of her social work clients - a young teen who has been in a bit of trouble. Carly feels for this family as they have suffered heaps lately due to drugs that have been circulating around the town of Solitude - yet it hasn't felt very much like Solitude with the handful of deaths due to a drug nicknamed Bacon. When Carly's client disappears, she knows something is up as though he may be misguided - he wouldn't just vanish without a peek. The other storyline that runs throughout this book is Carly and Seth's marriage - it has been on the rocks and in this book, Seth is trying to show Carly he has changed and win her back. As more people die and other strange events occur in the town, Carly and Seth put their heads together and in doing so will uncover a major development in the Bacon case including who killed Carly's Dad. If you are a mystery and crime novel fan and looking for a new author to sink your teeth into then check out Melinda Leigh's works as you won't be disappointed as they are fast-paced, easy to read and keep you captivated till the very last page.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of the Rogue River series of novellas. There are four in all, two written by Kendra Elliot and two written by Melinda Leigh. They follow one story arc but from different perspectives. Kendra Elliot's two novellas follow the story of Stevie and Zane while Melinda Leigh's two novellas follow Carly and Seth. There is a little romance, perhaps enough to call these books romantic suspense, but only just.

It's pretty good. I picked the villain fairly early, maybe in the first of the four but there was plenty going on to keep me reading to the end. I think price is an issue. They are quite expensive for novellas...buying all four which will add up to an average sized book will cost $12.00 for the Kindle versions. If you go the audiobook path, you're paying a minimum of $40.00 for all four, and if you foolishly use audible.com credits it is pretty damned close to $50.

I paid my money and I enjoyed it. I don't feel gypped but I think selling all four novellas together for $5.00~$6.00 would be a fair price for everyone...money for the authors and value for the readers.

[Paris (kerbytejas) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've just finished Walking on Her Grave (Rogue River #4) by Melinda Leigh, and despite all my hope that the series would finish with an exciting conclusion, I was disappointed. Overall I found the series of novellas neither romantic nor suspenseful. There is a main plot that is spread across all four novellas that is tied up in this installment, in a rather quick and superficial way.

Out of my 4 major complaints about this series, I think my biggest one is the story is written in a very simple language. The story lacks depth of plot, descriptive language, the suspense that makes you not want to put the book down, or the romantic angle that just has you hoping the couple will be OK and survive the danger the book entails.

There are two “romantic” subplots in the story – Stevie coming back home and the attraction between she and Zane, and Carly (Stevie’s sister) and her husband Seth. Both romances are superficial, with little animal magnetism, connection, or convincing action between the couples. Yes, the couples kiss and maybe hold hands but beyond that it seems more like working relationships, as their jobs cross paths with each other. Neither subplot is resolved throughout the 4 novellas.

The mystery, suspense, crime element of the story (which I will not share), had the potential to be much better. There are several deaths of local town folk throughout the novellas, reoccurring roles of primary and lead secondary characters, but in the end we know very little about the characters. The reader is given just enough info to be a place holder for the character. I also wondered why outside officials like the FBI or DEA weren't included in the investigation, if this was such a BIG problem in the town of Solitude and out towards the Oregon coast, why the local law enforcement officials handled it all.

Overall, I wish there had been a more in depth plot, better characters portrayals, more convincing romances, and better writing.


I was give this novella by NetGalley on behalf of Montlake Romance for an honest review. The expected publication date is Nov 18,2014


For me this was a 1.75 to 2.0 star read

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Carly and Seth have been separated for several months now over what Carly feels is overprotective behavior on Seth’s part. Carly’s job as a social worker puts her in harm’s way at times, but she wants Seth to have faith in her judgment whether she needs backup or not. Seth is trying to curtail his protective instincts to get his wife and daughter back, but that’s a little hard being a cop, and privy to what can and does go wrong.

I’m happy that Seth and Carly were forced to work together and that Carly got to see what she could easily lose when Seth was put in danger. I felt the whole reason Carly left in the first place was a little flimsy, and I totally understood why Seth would feel worried about his wife. I would be worried for anyone wading into cases of domestic tumult, man or woman, so I was a little miffed that Carly would leave, not only putting their marriage on the line, but separating Seth from his young daughter. That didn’t sit well with me. I had a hard time liking or respecting Carly.

Writing a mystery and fleshing out the dynamics of a marriage in crisis is a challenge in a full length story, so I think it’s even more difficult to do so in a novella. Walking on Her Grave was entertaining, but it didn’t knock my socks off.

[One chapter more · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished :) And it was just as I expected. Don't want to say too much without spoiling the ending but it's lovely to see that the sisters can now have some peace and quiet and the small town can go back to normal. ...And the hospital visits end being normality. :)

Overall a 3.5 stars series. I expected more romance fewer murders but it was a pleasant enough read.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to the Rogue River novellas was just as intense and fast-paced as the earlier stories. Carly and Seth are tentatively trying to rebuild their marriage while both are involved in trying to stop the drug problem growing in their town.

This story starts with a fire. The resort started by the O'Rourkes to add to the economic stability of Solitude catches fire. Seth and Carly were fishing near by and Seth rushes in and manages to save two of the three men trapped inside. Carly keeps him from going in after the third which saves his life. The thought of losing Seth when he takes another chance with his life makes Carly decide to accelerate their reconciliation.

However, Seth and Carly have to find a way to overcome Seth's protective instincts. He is trying to remind himself that Carly is a strong and competent woman but those protective instincts are a very large part of his personality. It was nice to see him allow Carly to be herself and do what she needed to do especially when one of her young clients disappears.

The story was action-packed and filled with danger. I think a good part of it took place in the local ER where either Carly or Seth were getting patched up after dangerous encounters.

I thought the conclusion was satisfying and the whole quartet of novellas well-written. Fans of romantic suspense and of novellas will enjoy these stories.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking on Her Grave was a suspenseful read and a fantastic conclusion to the Rogue River series.

Solitude, Oregon has become the center of a war surrounding a lethal new drug. When a teenage boy who witnessed the distribution of the drug goes missing, social worker Carly Taylor knows she needs to find him before it's too late. Working with her estranged husband, county investigator Seth Harding, Carly tries to track the boy down. But the deeper into the case the two get, the closer they get to a dangerous criminal.

Carly and Seth have been working on their marriage since the last book and have been taking small steps towards a possible reconciliation. Their interactions are awkward and unsure as the two try to navigate the changes in their relationship. I liked how the couple were putting the work in to try to fix things and that they didn't just expect everything to magically get better. The pair continue to work well together now that Seth is getting better at respecting Carly's job and the fact that she can handle herself. There were still a few tense moments between the two, but I liked how they worked through them. I was happy with where the couple ended up by book's end and I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship continues to change in the spin-off series, Rogue Winter.

This book wraps up the plot surrounding the drug C-22 that has been running throughout the series. The search for the missing teenager brings our characters right into the crosshairs of those responsible. The scene where they find the boy as well as the resulting events was suspenseful and action-packed. Then we finally discover who is behind the manufacturing and distribution of the drug into Solitude. I was quite surprised by who was ultimately responsible for everything as I hadn't expected them in the slightest. I thought the ending was well done and I liked how the C-22 storyline was wrapped up.

Overall Walking on Her Grave was a great wrap-up to the series and I highly recommend these novellas. I will definitely be picking up the first book in the spin-off series, Tracks of Her Tears, soon.

[Sometime · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice conclusion to this 4 part series. The mystery was well done and kept me unsure of the villain until the very end. The romance with Carly and Seth was sweet with them starting to reconcile and make the necessary sacrifices to have a happy marriage and family.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great final book to this short series!

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:
oooh, I think this was my favorite installment of the series, but poor Seth...the poor guy makes WAY too many ER visits in this book. But this is the final installment in the series and that means that there is LOTS of action as the suspense storyline...who is bringing drugs into Solitude, OR and killing half the town (it seems)...is finally resolved. And I have to admit, I didn't see that twist coming.

This book also has the resolution for the romance story line between Seth and Carly. As a married couple who have been separated the entire book, it was great to see their relationship evolve into a good place...and that did take change. Because while they've never debated that their love was still there, there were serious issues which they had to work through.

Overall, this has just been a great series...especially if you are a romantic suspense fan (like me). Both authors did a great job writing their individual couples and story lines, but also integrating their stories seamlessly together. I loved the whole story, the set-up, the town and the politics within. At one point I wasn't sure that there was going to be anyone left alive to be the "bad-guy" but they pulled it off. Each installment is a pretty quick read, but never did I feel short-changed in the story line.

I definitely recommend this and the three novellas that came before it. While they "could" be read separately, I definitely wouldn't recommend it. You will want to read all of them to get the whole overview of the story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Kelly at · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review will be posted at www.books-n-kisses.com .

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 5
REVIEW:
WOW...
I was not expecting that. What you ask? Right like I am going to tell you. Why on earth would I give away anything? I want you to read this book. But if you have not started this series you have to start with book one!! I loved seeing Seth and Carly work together.

Oh I am so happy and sad all at the same time. I am happy that the small Oregon town of Solitude (and I) finally gets some answers about the events that have been surrounding them. But I am so sad that this series is over. I really hope that this is not the only series that Melinda & Kendra will team up on.

If you enjoy romance suspense you really should check out this series and the Ladies. Both are amazing story tellers and will keep you guessing until the end.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

[RachelW (BamaGal) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. This was a somewhat disappointing ending to an overall good series. Carly and Seth's marriage issues dragged on, and took up far too much book time; leaving the actual mystery of the drugs and murders to be tied up too quickly and not in a particularly suspenseful manner. Just kind of limped to the end. I much preferred the two books written by Kenda Elliot over the two written by Melinda Leigh.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final installment in the Rogue River series - these two authors (Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot) did a bang up job writing this series. The drug issues persist and people are still disappearing.

Well worth reading!

2 thumbs up and 4 solid stars.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good wrap-up to this 4-book novella series. I think there are a couple more short series that are follow-ons to this Rogue River series. I'm happy to check those out soon!

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 starts rounded up

🔪I love these suspense romance reads and have been reading more and more. So I’m gonna break them down differently from my other reviews.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away so you can go into it it blind and enjoy all the twists and turns❤️.

Ratings 0-5 Star Scale

😮Mystery/Suspense-

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kinda Elliot and Melinda Leigh wrote another great series of novellas together!

I loved this. I wish they were longer. Great murder mystery with overarching mystery that spans the series’s
Summer vibes for the whole series
Small town vibes

We find out who the mastermind is
More danger for our beloved town and couples
Will everyone survive?

❤️‍🔥Romance/Chemistry-
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars
Seth and Carly’s marriage is in trouble they are currently separated.
Seth is willing to do anything to get his family back
Carly is still kinda a bitch
By the end I was glad at the direction they were going in.

🚹Hero-
Seth ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like him more now
I love his protectiveness
He is a good guy and loves his family and is working hard to win them back.
He’s a detective and lets his job take priority in his lie and he is OTT protective of his wife and I don’t really see a problem with that.

🚺Heroine-
Carly ⭐️⭐️
Stevie’s sister. She’s CPA and just has this need to help kids in need and neglected. She fights for others but doesn’t seem to want to fight for her own marriage. She says her husband doesn’t respect her work but she is just coming off harsh, brash, bratty and unwilling to compromise. It’s her way or the highway. In all this I haven’t seen her be focused on her own daughter either.

I still don’t love her but I’m looking forward in seeing her character grow I. The rest of the Rogue series.

⚠️Safety-
Marriage in trouble
Bitchy FMC
Murder
Drug use
Fire

🎧Audiobook Narration-
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazing this narrators is amazing w the voices and emotions. Listened on KU audible pkg

🥰Overall Enjoyment-
I love this series
Carly and Seth are growing on me but I love Zane and Stevie. I can’t wait for more form both these couples and this small town in the rest of the Rogue series which I’m so glad we get more of. Cause right now everything is still new and HFN w stuff

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am saddened to say that “Walking on Her Grave” is the final book in the Rogue River series. I’ve enjoyed this series and wished that it had been longer. Overall the aero has been great with each boom rotating from with Carly’s or Stevie’s viewpoints but I can’t help but feel that this series could have been so much better if each of the two brothers had a book or two written from their points of view.

In this finale, Carly and Seth decide to spend a day fishing together. Unfortunately, the fish aren’t biting but a raging fire at the construction site if the new lodge garners their attention and efforts to save the lives of several men working there. Seth is injured and Carly realizes just how much he means to her.

Meanwhile, Carly is attempting yo render aide yo one of her charges and his family. The father is so angry after losing his job that Carly promises herself she will bring Stevie with her on the next visit. When the boy comes up missing, Carly and Seth work together to locate the missing teen.

This installment finally brings clarity as to who is responsible for the new drug that are being pandered in the small town as well as who is responsible for Carly’ s father’s death. I have to admit that I was close to guessing who the villain is but I was also wrong. I love it when an author surprises me! If you are looking for a quick but interesting read/series I highly recommend Rogue River series.

[Vanessa King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroine : I'm leaving you because you're overprotective, want to look out for me all the time, and worry about me not having backup in volatile situations, even though I have already been hurt and have been rattled by it, I can handle it. You wanting me to be safe has the consequences of possibly making me safe, but I would rather be stubborn and throw the whole man away, because who wants to be safe, and have a husband who's scared to lose me. Your behaviour makes me feel like I need to change who I am, so I can't stay with you. Therefore, if you want me back, the only right solution for reconciliation, is for you to change your whole personality instead, and for me not to try at all, while I constantly throw your faults in your face, even when you are just protective to a normal degree.

Yes, that seems fair... 😏🙄

Book gets a second star, because the case has finally been solved.

[Brit Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the series and all but it’s ridiculous how long it took them to figure out who was behind all this I guessed it in the first book. And for all Seth’s overprotectiveness he was mostly just a hypocrite and he got himself in more trouble than Carly did. All she ever did was her job but he acted like she meddled in other people’s business and in police cases when she didn’t do any of that. I don’t like Seth. Both of them were frustrating though.

[Sandra R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final installment to this 4 part series of novellas. Well written, easy to read and understand. The local police have been investigating a drug ring set up in their small town of Solitude in Oregon. here have been murders along the way, a bit of action and lots of town involvement. This last book rounds everything out. There's a sprinkle of romance for the two couples featuring in the set, but all steamy scenes are behind closed doors. These 2 couples feature in more books going forward. I enjoyed them, but you should read them in order. All are in KU and have included audio with your subscription via the audible app. 3.5 stars overall.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well.... what do ya know... I missed the mark on solving this mystery. 😆 But not by much. 😁 I enjoyed this first part of this series. It picked up in depth like I hoped it would. 👏🏽👏🏽 You could see the author's writing and plot execution improve from book to book. Onto the next one! 🙌🏽

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great twist of who done it,,,very good

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good and satisfying concluding installment to this series

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars.