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Hard Evidence

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For years, celebrity chef Jessalyn Packer has been a frog slowly boiling in a pot of water. But when she finally jumps free and flees both her abusive marriage and the state with her beloved dog in tow, her new life comes with its own challenges. Including an unexpected roommate. She vows to avoid men, but property developer Justin Norquist has a kitchen to die for, and borrowing his spare bedroom until she gets back on her feet feels like a safe option.

Until a woman disappears.

Being embroiled in one murder case is enough for any man, but when Justin finds himself a suspect for the second time, he gets a bad case of déjà vu. The death of another person close to him tears open old wounds, but the biggest question isn’t how or where or when—it’s why? And as he finds himself falling for Jessie, will a killer cost him the woman he loves once again?



Hard Evidence is a romantic suspense novel with a determined heroine, a cinnamon roll hero, plenty of dark humour, and a morally grey girl squad.

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2026

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About the author

Elise Noble

94 books743 followers
Elise Noble is an English rose with a few thorns who loves chocolate, sleep, and well-defined abs. Not hers, unfortunately. She lives near London with a horse who eats all her money and three dogs who eat everything else.

Elise writes real, gutsy heroines and flawed but swoon-worthy heroes in stories that mix mystery and mayhem, humour and happily-ever-afters.


You can get find her current freebies HERE.

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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Allie McCormack.
Author 25 books234 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June 28, 2026
Hard Evidence by Elise Noble is the 7th book in the Blackstone House romantic suspense series.

Superb characterization, amazing world-building, intricate plot with carefully thought-out details, and intrigue that has you on the edge of the seat and turning the pages until the very end, leaving you wanting more... this book has it all! Which, honestly, I can say is true of every one of her books.

I have nothing but respect for our heroine, Jessie. She holds up beautifully under the weight of an abusive relationship, making the best of what she's dealing with AND very aware of what is occurring... and while she doesn't leave with a plan, she doesn't hesitate to leave when it counts — plan or no plan. Watching her bloom under Justin's careful, steady care is a joy, as she reclaims not just her life, but the calling she loves as a blogging chef.

Justin, meanwhile, has been described as having "the personality of a Care Bear" — Grumpy Bear, specifically — and honestly? That made me giggle-snort, because it's perfectly true. Kind, empathic, supportive... this man deserves better than three exes. He deserves Jessie. Watching the two of them dance their way toward each other is genuinely lovely.

The Choir... our team of, er, professionals... has a strong part to play here. They descend without hesitation to come to support Justin, and I loved watching them interact with (and get fed by) Jessie. Violet and Jessie together were a good friendship pairing, truly.

And I'm sorry, I truly love her, but someone has to say it: Jerry has the empathy of a rock. I mean, really. Love her. But... yeah. Rock.

And then there's Ava. Ava rocks, and we don't get nearly enough of her — she should absolutely get her own book, because I would never tire of reading about her. Honestly? I can see her on Team Blackwood. She'd fit right in with all the female assassins and other kick-ass types in Blackwood. I cannot wait to see where her character goes from here, and — okay, it has to be said — if she ends up having anything to do with... oh. wait. I'm reviewing, not theorizing. Moving on.

I can't say much about the suspense and mystery threads — because, spoilers — but I'll say this much:

For the book's central threat, the truly nasty piece of work that is Ridge: my innate (and possibly also morally grey) sense of justice walked away satisfied.

For the series-long mystery of who killed Ruby ten years ago: Elise Noble just demolished a theory I've been building since book one. The person I was sure was the real killer — who isn't the person currently in prison for it — turns out not to be the killer either. (Small victory, though: the guy in prison is still not the murderer, and I called that back in book one. Validation!) Which means I now have no idea who actually did it, and I'm doomed to reread all seven books trying to figure it out. Although, apparently it's not even that simple. But — oops, right, no spoilers.

The life of a reviewer is hard.

BUY this book! Don't hesitate, don't think about it, don't bother reading the back cover. Just get it. You won't be sorry!

This is an ARC review.
Profile Image for Leisel.
790 reviews4 followers
July 10, 2026
"Hard Evidence" is the 7th book in the Blackstone House series, and yes, it should be read as a series as opposed to a standalone read. There are so many characters that play parts to each instalment with them each gradually infiltrating each book to further build upon the complexity of the 'bigger' plot of the series. Which is another reason why I love this series so much. Fantastic and incredibly entertaining, sometimes inspiring characters that really bring so much depth, interest and humour to the books and series. To pick one character as a favourite is totally impossible.

In all honesty it is a brilliant series and each instalment is incredibly entertaining with a glimpse into each character and thus couple and is really starting to wrap up this whole murder mystery component so brilliantly! "Yes", it ends on a cliff-hanger but it is possibly one of my favourite stories of this series but then I say that with every book.


But this time around readers are truly provided a more complex look into the history of the whole Blackstone affair and the complexity of that one event that creates this whole series.

As I say a brilliantly devised plot, individually and as a whole series filled with fascinating characters that you will want to cheer on but equally those that will leave you fascinated by their moral codes at times.

At this stage of the series I still have no real idea of the who and why behind the Blackstone House event and that is fine by me because I love seeing how this author is going to take her readers off into the next tangent of mystery that is provides to her readers. So in the final lead up to answering all the unknowns I am more than happy to sit back and conjure my own theories but secretly know and admit I have no idea how this will be wrapped up, but for me that is one of the biggest selling points for me is not knowing and enjoying the whole surprise of seeing how creative this author is with her storytelling.

If you enjoy romcoms, with a splash of violence (nothing too outrageous), where the whole soul mate love relationship is pivotal and a cast of characters that you would love as friends then I suggest you definitely check out this series.
357 reviews7 followers
July 12, 2026
Hard Evidence is my favorite of the seven books from Blackstone House Series. I am anxiously waiting for book eight. Book seven is a story of cat and mouse.

Jessalyn is running from an abusive and manipulative husband. She shows up on Justin’s porch thinking she has a place to live. However the would be roommate scammed her out of her money pretending to own the home. Justin finds he can’t turn her away to sleep in her broken down car. So Jessalyn becomes Justin’s roommate.

Justin and Jessalyn relationship is growing into a solid friendship. Justin reports his PA missing.
The police initially ignore his concerns. Then Justin becomes a suspect in his PA’s, Amie Carlson, disappearance.
Jessalyn believes in his innocence until the seed of doubt is planted by a police officer who tells her that a previous roommate, Ruby, was murdered at Blackstone house.

Learning of his predicament, his roommates from Blackstone house, their spouses and additional members of the Choir descend upon Justin’s home to sort out what is happening. They intend to answer the following questions:
Why is someone is setting Justin up for Amie’s disappearance? Why are the police focusing on Justin? Who is threatening Amie’s roommate? Why is Justice Project looking into Levi Sykes’ conviction? And who is paying?
I can hardly wait for the answers.
Elise Noble has a way of drawing the reader into her stories. This is a compelling story about murder and intrigue.
Profile Image for April Kelley.
24 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
June 29, 2026
Holy Smokes!

This is the seventh book in the Blackstone House series and it blows everything you thought you knew about Blackstone House and Ruby's murder out of the water! Lots of teasers about what is coming mixed in with the slow burn romance between Jessalyn and Justin and a fresh murder. When Jessalyn flees her abusive husband she swears off of men but thanks to a twist of fate, she lands up in Justin's home. Meanwhile, Justin, just coming off of his own disastrous relationship and sworn off of women (redheads in particular), finds it difficult to resist Jessalyn's charms - including her love of cooking. The two find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery when Justin's office assistant goes missing. Eerie similarities to Ruby's murder brings the whole Blackstone House cast and extras to Justin's aid and action, mayhem, and sarcasm dredge up some answers with the Choir's help but also raise more questions about what really happened the night Ruby died. The book ends with a segue into the next, so I am eagerly awaiting the last book in the series!

I strongly encourage readers to read the first six books in the series before diving into this one - context is everything!

This is an ARC review.
180 reviews2 followers
July 25, 2026
Another fantastic entry in the Blackstone House series!
I really thought the previous book couldn’t be topped, but Hard Evidence comes very close. The series feels like it’s building toward something bigger with every installment, and this book keeps that momentum going.
It starts a little more slowly as we catch up with Jessalyn and her circumstances, but don’t let that fool you. The pace keeps accelerating until the final chapters, where the suspense is absolutely gripping.
What I loved most was seeing the team come together. Characters arrive one by one, almost like musicians joining an orchestra, and before long you have this amazing ensemble from Blackstone House and other Elise Noble books—especially the Choir female operatives. Their chemistry, humor, and friendship make the story every bit as enjoyable as the mystery itself.
The ending clearly leaves the door open for the next installment, but rather than feeling incomplete, it simply made me even more eager to find out what happens next. It doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of this novel in the slightest.
If you’ve been following the series, you won’t want to miss this one. And if you’re new to Blackstone House, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning—you’ll appreciate this book even more.
87 reviews
July 1, 2026
Elise Noble is great at writing must-read books that weave together elements of mystery, suspense, snarky humour, intrigue and romance, with plenty of surprising twists and turns, and an intriguing cast of secondary characters.

In Hard Evidence, it's heart-warming to see Jessie rebuild her life with Justin's support, and to see Justin's very motley crew of friends, several of whom are definitely morally grey, rally around them both when a girl goes missing and the tension ramps up.

The drama brings together almost all of the former housemates of Blackstone House, who band together to try protect Justin, find out what is going on, and, more importantly, why. While the immediate mystery is resolved, the issue of what really happened all those years ago at Blackstone House gets more and more mysterious, building up to what promises to be a thrilling final instalment in the series.

Profile Image for Sandra.
479 reviews2 followers
June 30, 2026
Oh hot damn! I never expected this story to unravel what everyone thought was true about Ruby's death.

Jessalyn escapes her husband, retrieves her beloved dog from the shelter and tries to get away as far as possible from Maine. That's when she accidentally ends up at Justin's door because that's the address she got from a girl at Craigslist. Fortunately Justin offers her his guest room, not knowing that Jessalyn will also act as his alibi.

Justin always falls for redheads and what hair colour does Jessalyn have? Red. Exactly.

But maybe she'll be the best that ever happened to Justin because shit really hits the fan and you will never expect the new information they gather about Ruby's death and Levi.

I can't wait to read and review the next book.
58 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2026
Fast paced romance with suspense, humor and insight into the Blackstone House murder.

Justin is a property developer with amazing ethics and terrible taste in women. Jessalyn is a celebrity chef who runs from her abusive husband with limited resources and a sweet dog.

While he gives her a safe space to plan her new life. She helps him look for his missing personal assistant Amie. His roommates from the Blackstone House get involved and the mystery gets deeper.

This is the 7th book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone and while it is a piece of a bigger mystery it is not a cliffhanger.

42 reviews
July 3, 2026
Justin cannot help himself, falling for the wrong women repeatedly. Jessalyn has an even worse taste in partners. Justin is once again accused of having something to do with a murder – having to rely on the assistance of some pretty slick friends. And what a group of friends it is! This book re-introduces us to the Choir, a group of individuals with questionable backgrounds and ethics. Of course, as always with Elise Noble stories, people get what is coming to them. My favorite part of her stories is that the genuinely nice people get help and are able to persevere, but others not so much… I look forward to the next book featuring these interesting characters and others.
Profile Image for Amber Cassidy.
68 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
June 28, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Influencer chef Jessie Packer escapes an abusive marriage and ends up sharing a home with kind-hearted property developer Justin Norquist. When his PA goes missing, he is placed under suspicion again for a girls murder. They must confront dangerous secrets and memories while navigating their growing attraction.

Found family
Cute dogs
Dark humor
He has a type
Cinnamon roll mmc
Overwhelmed under sexed fmc

Fantastic read! Definitely added a ton of new clues to the Blackstone house mystery. A fast-paced, addictive, can’t-put-it-down read.
14 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2026
Jessalyn and Justin have such poor taste in men and women as partners! And to top it off, Justin is once again connected to a murder. They are two very different people who find each other and provide support as they sort out an abusive ex and work to find the missing Aimee (or solve her murder?). The suspense of both their situations kept this book in my hand until I finished it! Another great one from Elise Noble in the Blackstone House series. Always full of suspense, surprises, and romance. Highly recommended. It is a standalone, but I recommend the entire series!
Profile Image for Lcr.
930 reviews8 followers
July 27, 2026
Hard Evidence is the seventh book in the fabulous Blackstone house series. Whilst it can be read as the perfect stand alone I truly believe these books are meant to be read in order to maximise enjoyment.

As always this is a superb read with incredible characters and an interesting, fast paced storyline. However in the middle I felt there were just too many characters at the same time and everyone started merging into one. It was only a small section of an otherwise brilliant book. Despite that I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.
16 reviews
Read
June 28, 2026
Once again we are dragged back to the Blackstone murder. All the players return. While saving Justin more puzzle pieces come to light. Will they ever be able to put Ruby's death to rest. I was enthralled with each new puzzle piece. I love the made family that these people made that seems to survive time. Only downside is waiting for next installment of the mystery surrounding Ruby's death.
I received a free copy of this book to review.
Profile Image for Tracie Langley.
24 reviews
July 16, 2026
Another fantastic read from Elise Noble! Loved getting all the back story on the characters without any lull in the storyline and action. Loved the main characters from the start and was happy to see the return of the Choir. Any book with Alexa in it is a winner! This book has everything I love in a summer read; great dialogue, a mystery, a little action, a hot romance, characters that you love and a storyline that ties up at the end, but sets you up for the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Emma.
40 reviews
July 28, 2026
**The plot thickens**

I'm really enjoying the Blackstone series and this one does delve a bit more into the mystery of what occurred. This is another example of how well Elise Noble writes with very good character development.
I would recommend starting at the beginning with this series due to the overarching story arch. Highly recommend Elise Noble's books for a well written story that pulls you in and gets you invested in the characters and what is happening in their world.
31 reviews2 followers
August 24, 2026
As always I enjoyed this book. The Blackstone series is my second favorite to the Blackwood security.
I have enjoyed getting to know all the roommates and watch how their lives have changed but yet they still keep track of each other. This book keeps you on your toes and has you rooting for the good guy the whole time! Can’t wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Karen.
118 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
June 25, 2026

Hard Evidence by Elise Noble (Blackstone House 7)

Loved this book. Great storyline with action and suspense and a little more back story to the Blackstone House murder. My favorite character in this book has to be Jerry, kickass female, take no shit, willing to do anything to get the job done!
Profile Image for Trish Goodgame.
545 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
June 30, 2026
A brilliant book in the Blackstone House series. Plenty of action, drama, mystery, some humour and romance all perfectly rolled into one book!
Fast paced and great characters that you feel are your own personal friends, I could not put this book down. One of my favourites in this series so far, but I would recommend reading the whole series from the beginning to familiarise yourself with the characters.
With the end of the book leading into the beginning of the next book to come, I can't wait to read that one too.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
186 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2026
Another great installment from Blackstone House
The characters are great, the instant chemistry, the great use of dog language and of course suspense mixed in with the romance ease the story along

Big twists coming, looking forward to the finale!!!
Profile Image for Deb Compton.
310 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2026
Excellent read!!!

And the plot thickens… craziness abounds and things are getting interesting… what a great who unit!! Love this author and her merry band of misfits… I think you will too!!! Enjoy!!!
Profile Image for Missy .
79 reviews2 followers
July 8, 2026
WOW! Wasn't expecting this book to end up putting Ruby's murder under speculation of who killed her.

This story is full of dark humor, mystery and multiple twists and turns.

It was great to have the Blackstone House together again
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews