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Empty Boxes
"From the first page to the last, this thriller is rock solid. Great story, with amped up characters."
— Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series
"With Empty Boxes, Robin Acton offers the reader a macabre and gripping page-turner with a new twist around every corner. Intense and spine-tingling."
—Annette Dashofy, USA Today bestselling author of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries
It's only when she ends up in a box herself, struggling to breathe, that she finally discovers the truth about a sophisticated scheme — but will she live to write about it?"
Pittsburgh crime reporter Rita Locke is investigating the murder of a funeral director when she learns he'd been burying empty coffins. Delving into his secrets, she uncovers a sinister plot of international proportions that takes her from western Pennsylvania to an offshore Caribbean medical school, where she becomes entangled in a web of deception that leaves her fighting for her life.
"Like nothing I witnessed in medical school. A gripping, unnervingly plausible page-turner that is creepy, sharp, and disturbingly real."
—Shira Shiloah, MD, author of Emergence
— Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series
"With Empty Boxes, Robin Acton offers the reader a macabre and gripping page-turner with a new twist around every corner. Intense and spine-tingling."
—Annette Dashofy, USA Today bestselling author of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries
It's only when she ends up in a box herself, struggling to breathe, that she finally discovers the truth about a sophisticated scheme — but will she live to write about it?"
Pittsburgh crime reporter Rita Locke is investigating the murder of a funeral director when she learns he'd been burying empty coffins. Delving into his secrets, she uncovers a sinister plot of international proportions that takes her from western Pennsylvania to an offshore Caribbean medical school, where she becomes entangled in a web of deception that leaves her fighting for her life.
"Like nothing I witnessed in medical school. A gripping, unnervingly plausible page-turner that is creepy, sharp, and disturbingly real."
—Shira Shiloah, MD, author of Emergence
- GenresFiction
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 12, 2025
3.75 rounded to 4 stars for me.
Rita Locke, a crime reporter is investigating the murder of a funeral director Bob.Finding out that the funeral director Bob was burying empty coffins it's only the beginning of shocking discovery.
Where are the dead bodies?
It was quick and engaging read.Rita is fearless and very passionate about her job,even when it got in a way of her personal relationship.Twists are surprising and disturbing,it was dark and suspenseful,and the ending hint that it's not over.My first book by this author and hope to read more.
Great thriller with a disturbing plot.
Thank you netgalley and publisher for arc,my review is honest and my own.
Rita Locke, a crime reporter is investigating the murder of a funeral director Bob.Finding out that the funeral director Bob was burying empty coffins it's only the beginning of shocking discovery.
Where are the dead bodies?
It was quick and engaging read.Rita is fearless and very passionate about her job,even when it got in a way of her personal relationship.Twists are surprising and disturbing,it was dark and suspenseful,and the ending hint that it's not over.My first book by this author and hope to read more.
Great thriller with a disturbing plot.
Thank you netgalley and publisher for arc,my review is honest and my own.
June 30, 2025
I had the privilege of getting an advance reader copy of Acton’s newest novel, Empty Boxes, and it did not disappoint. In fact, I enjoyed it more than her debut novel, The Taker. Once again, we see crime journalist Rita Locke in action - taking risks for the story. I liked the ending, which is equal parts 1) wrapped up nicely / the bad guy gets his comeuppance, 2) another bad guy doesn't and 3) left open-ended for a third book. Well done!
August 11, 2025
Immediately the book jumps into the plot, which I appreciate the switch up. Usually there's more of build up for the first half. I was hooked within the first couple pages. I absolutely loved the writing style. It was a thriller but mixed with cheery characters for the most part.
In this book we spend time with Rita Locke again. The main character is a journalist who reports on crime and comes across as likeable and relatable. Rita is funny, quick witted and sometimes stubborn. The more I read the more I was invested, I visualized every detail as it was written with vivid descriptions.
It starts out set in Pittsburgh, where Rita lives. However, once she starts to uncover more details about a potential operation of basically funneling bodies from a funeral home to the various medical schools outside of the states, she then throws herself in the mix by going to the Caribbean to investigate further. What already seemed to be a pretty big scheme, just kept getting more and more in depth as to how big the operation actually was.
This really was a fun read, and I could even see myself reading again. This is book #2 in the Rita Locke series. I have not yet read book #1, and I didn't feel like I was missing information. While this can be read as stand alone, I think you'd enjoy it so much that you might as well read both and start with the 1st book called The Taker. Which I will be circling back to very soon!
Read the acknowledgments at the end! Robin Acton tells us about the inspiration of the book and characters, I found it to all be interesting as well. Also tells us that there is a third Rita Locke book in the works. The author comes across just as kind and genuine as she's created her character Rita to be. I definitely look forward to any book that Robin Acton writes in the future, she's definitely made a fan out of me!
Thank you to Netgalley and Blank Slate Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
In this book we spend time with Rita Locke again. The main character is a journalist who reports on crime and comes across as likeable and relatable. Rita is funny, quick witted and sometimes stubborn. The more I read the more I was invested, I visualized every detail as it was written with vivid descriptions.
It starts out set in Pittsburgh, where Rita lives. However, once she starts to uncover more details about a potential operation of basically funneling bodies from a funeral home to the various medical schools outside of the states, she then throws herself in the mix by going to the Caribbean to investigate further. What already seemed to be a pretty big scheme, just kept getting more and more in depth as to how big the operation actually was.
This really was a fun read, and I could even see myself reading again. This is book #2 in the Rita Locke series. I have not yet read book #1, and I didn't feel like I was missing information. While this can be read as stand alone, I think you'd enjoy it so much that you might as well read both and start with the 1st book called The Taker. Which I will be circling back to very soon!
Read the acknowledgments at the end! Robin Acton tells us about the inspiration of the book and characters, I found it to all be interesting as well. Also tells us that there is a third Rita Locke book in the works. The author comes across just as kind and genuine as she's created her character Rita to be. I definitely look forward to any book that Robin Acton writes in the future, she's definitely made a fan out of me!
Thank you to Netgalley and Blank Slate Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
September 19, 2025
I had mixed feelings about Empty Box. The beginning was strong, and the first time the main character was hurt, it was written beautifully. But after that, the story seemed to lose its spark. The villains were actually more interesting than the heroes, who felt kind of flat and worn out—like they’d been rushed to the end of the book. One scene that really stood out to me was when the MC was trapped in the coffin—that was powerful and memorable. I just wish the rest of the book had lived up to those moments. Not a bad read, but not quite what I was hoping for.
August 18, 2025
Witty title name. Mystery similar to cj box’s pickett books except main character is a female reporter instead of a male game warden who solves crimes. Good fast paced read.
May 7, 2025
I was lucky enough to get a preview copy of Robin Acton’s, newest thriller, Empty Boxes. Once again, we meet Rita Locke, from her first book, The Taker.
Rita, an experienced newspaper reporter and investigator at the Pittsburgh Journal, follows her analytical instincts to once again dig deeper into a small innocuous story to find something way more sinister going on. The author has expertly constructed a complex plot which becomes more and more intriguing as it goes along, with lots of characters who at first appear immaterial, but who eventually turn out to be far more than they seem.
Even though initially discouraged by her editor from pursuing the story, Rita’s stubborn determination to get to the bottom of it means she won’t give up. It would be easy to have Rita just follow the clues while working with law enforcement but the author puts her right in the middle of the action. So much so that Rita’s life is almost taken on more than one occasion. The physical dangers she faced kept me on a razors edge for much of the book.
From the first page to last this thriller never stopped! Great story, with amped up characters who all played their parts realistically well. The novel is rock solid.
Richard Riley
Rita, an experienced newspaper reporter and investigator at the Pittsburgh Journal, follows her analytical instincts to once again dig deeper into a small innocuous story to find something way more sinister going on. The author has expertly constructed a complex plot which becomes more and more intriguing as it goes along, with lots of characters who at first appear immaterial, but who eventually turn out to be far more than they seem.
Even though initially discouraged by her editor from pursuing the story, Rita’s stubborn determination to get to the bottom of it means she won’t give up. It would be easy to have Rita just follow the clues while working with law enforcement but the author puts her right in the middle of the action. So much so that Rita’s life is almost taken on more than one occasion. The physical dangers she faced kept me on a razors edge for much of the book.
From the first page to last this thriller never stopped! Great story, with amped up characters who all played their parts realistically well. The novel is rock solid.
Richard Riley
August 6, 2025
Robin Acton’s Empty Boxes wraps you in suspense from the first line and doesn’t let go, much like the box Pittsburgh crime reporter Rita Locke finds herself trapped in—literally. This isn’t your standard mystery thriller. It’s gritty and sharply constructed, with unsettling plausibility that makes every twist feel dangerously close to real life.
The story centres around a funeral director’s murder and a trail of empty coffins, leading Locke deep into a global conspiracy that’s as shocking as it is cinematic. Acton’s pacing is impeccable: just when you think you've found your footing, the ground shifts again. The offshore Caribbean setting adds a heat-haze of danger and intrigue, making the unravelling of secrets all the more atmospheric.
What sets Empty Boxes apart is Locke herself—tough, relentless, and refreshingly human. You don’t just follow her investigation, you root for her survival. It’s this emotional grit, paired with tight prose and an eerie realism, that makes the book not just a thriller, but an experience.
If you like your mysteries macabre with a streak of sophistication, this one's worth cracking open.
My thanks to Robin Acton, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,
The story centres around a funeral director’s murder and a trail of empty coffins, leading Locke deep into a global conspiracy that’s as shocking as it is cinematic. Acton’s pacing is impeccable: just when you think you've found your footing, the ground shifts again. The offshore Caribbean setting adds a heat-haze of danger and intrigue, making the unravelling of secrets all the more atmospheric.
What sets Empty Boxes apart is Locke herself—tough, relentless, and refreshingly human. You don’t just follow her investigation, you root for her survival. It’s this emotional grit, paired with tight prose and an eerie realism, that makes the book not just a thriller, but an experience.
If you like your mysteries macabre with a streak of sophistication, this one's worth cracking open.
My thanks to Robin Acton, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,
September 10, 2025
Empty boxes had me feeling a bit of each emotion. The character Robin Action has created, Rita Locke (Red), has the perfect blend of perseverance, resistance, and guts. By far a favorite for me, Red had me rooting for her until the end.
Red, a Pittsburgh journalist, makes her way through a path of corruption and deception as we follow her in the investigation of a local funeral home director’s murder.
Robin Action is now a new favorite of mine! Don’t forget to add Empty Boxes to your must read list.
Red, a Pittsburgh journalist, makes her way through a path of corruption and deception as we follow her in the investigation of a local funeral home director’s murder.
Robin Action is now a new favorite of mine! Don’t forget to add Empty Boxes to your must read list.
October 29, 2025
I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
And it's really not to my taste much at all. It felt extremely cliched and over the top, because Rita's experience seems to have been the kind to go from bad to worse to even worse still. There are time jumps in the story, but I soon found myself thinking of them as title screens in a TV show; I can understand that it's realistic, an investigation into nefarious goings on is going to take time, but it started to bug me quite early on into my read.
The action felt very written-for-screen, and extremely one-up-ish, by which I mean the action starts pretty early on and apparently has to ramp up to keep the plot moving, resulting in the antagonist's actions eventually feeling quite ridiculous at times. I doubt I'll read any more of the series, it really isn't for me.
And it's really not to my taste much at all. It felt extremely cliched and over the top, because Rita's experience seems to have been the kind to go from bad to worse to even worse still. There are time jumps in the story, but I soon found myself thinking of them as title screens in a TV show; I can understand that it's realistic, an investigation into nefarious goings on is going to take time, but it started to bug me quite early on into my read.
The action felt very written-for-screen, and extremely one-up-ish, by which I mean the action starts pretty early on and apparently has to ramp up to keep the plot moving, resulting in the antagonist's actions eventually feeling quite ridiculous at times. I doubt I'll read any more of the series, it really isn't for me.
August 27, 2025
5 stars from this reviewer! 5 solid stars!
What more could you ask for in a thriller than sinister plots, murder, and a twist at the end that you never saw coming? This book has all those characteristics and more. I immediately connected with the female detective, and her character was well written. The book is detailed and fast-paced and left me gasping in multiple places.
Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the eArc.
What more could you ask for in a thriller than sinister plots, murder, and a twist at the end that you never saw coming? This book has all those characteristics and more. I immediately connected with the female detective, and her character was well written. The book is detailed and fast-paced and left me gasping in multiple places.
Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the eArc.
October 28, 2025
This is the second book in a series, but I followed the story with no issues despite not reading the first. The book features a crime reporter that consistently puts her investigations ahead of her own safety, which make for some crazy situations, but fun and exciting reading. This one involves a dead funeral home director, missing bodies and an unlicensed doctor running a medical school in the Caribbean. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the digital advance reading copy. 4/5!
December 25, 2025
This really was a fun read, but I cannot see myself reading it again. This is book 2 in the Rita Locke series. I have not yet read book 1, and I didn't feel like I was missing information, but maybe I would've felt better about this one if I had read that first.
November 17, 2025
Witty title name. Mystery similar to cj box’s pickett books except main character is a female reporter instead of a male game warden who solves crimes. Good fast paced read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews