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Jake & Emma Mysteries #3

Justice for Katie

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In 1985, budding author Jeb Cannon discovers the decomposed body of a young woman while riding fence with his father on their wind-swept Wyoming ranch. The case quickly goes cold but her memory haunts his imagination.

Thirty years and a number of best-selling thrillers later, Cannon asks Detective Matt Joyner to help him finally find justice for the woman, whom he has dubbed "Katie." Joyner has his hands full investigating the modern-day murder of an Assistant County Attorney so Jake and Emma Rand step in to take a fresh look at the decades old case.

When they uncover a link between Katie's death and the murder of the Casper ACA, they may finally unmask the mysterious "Boss" that has been orchestrating a campaign of murder and deception. This is the third book in the Jake and Emma Mystery Series.

186 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2015

182 people are currently reading
408 people want to read

About the author

Linda Crowder

22 books55 followers

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5 stars
89 (44%)
4 stars
71 (35%)
3 stars
32 (15%)
2 stars
7 (3%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Cindy B. .
3,899 reviews220 followers
November 25, 2018
Well plotted tale with twists including a heroine with an abusive husband in the rear view mirror. Lots to keep up interest and I’m glad it’s a series. Clean cozy and lightly touches on Christianity. Recommended.
674 reviews15 followers
January 10, 2017
Jeb Cannon and his father discovered a corpse on their property when Jeb was 15 yrs old. Since the victim could never be identified, the case was never solved.

Thirty years later, Jeb is all grown up and a writer, but he never forgot about the body he and his father had found. His attempts to write a story based on the case never went anywhere, but he kept trying.

When Jeb's storage locker is broken into, the only things missing are the materials for his book. Detective Matt Joyner is looking into the case, but a murder in the County Attorney's Office suddenly changes his priorities.

Carolyn Maxwell was scheduled to retire at the end of August when she is suddenly murdered. Her body was found by the cleaning crew in her office at the County Attorney's building. Carolyn was known to work after hours, which means the building was locked.

How did somebody get into the building or was it an inside job? Who killed Carolyn and why? Are the two cases related?
Profile Image for Annette.
84 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2017
This is my first taste of Linda Crowder's Jake & Emma series and will look forward to reading others. What does a 30 year old unsolved murder have to do with the murder of the soon to retire prosecuting attorney. Who broke stole the case files for the Jane Doe known as Katie and are those missing files tied to the break in of the author that originally found the body so many years ago. Ms. Crowder keeps you turning pages and keeps you guessing but will answer all your questions.
Profile Image for Jan.
714 reviews33 followers
March 23, 2024
I really have enjoyed this series - Jake and Emma are a great couple and the setting of Casper, Wyoming is appealing to me. The books are on the shorter end of the spectrum, so timing is important. I felt this installment's ending was a little rushed, so I'm giving it 3.5 stars (rounded up). I do look forward to reading the next book in the series.

FYI: This book was published with an alternate title that is not reflected in the GR editions. You can find it here: Murder is Never Forgotten.
Profile Image for June.
309 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2017
Definitely worth your time

This is the first book I have read by this author and I have been missing out on some good reading. I liked the characters that are honest and straight forward. This story brings together a 30 year old cold case and a recent murder. It is cleverly written and quite intriguing. I liked that it feels real without resorting to flippant treatment of a death and justice. I will definitely read the rest of the series,
4,417 reviews43 followers
December 5, 2016
A budding author remembers a cold case and asks the police for help in solving it. They are currently busy with another case so Jake and Emma start looking around and stirring things up. Who is this Boss and how does he come by all of his information? Another good Jake and Emma book that I highly recommend.
453 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2017
A cold unsolved murder that had twist and turns. Jeb was a 15 yr old that discovered a body along with his father. Jeb now older became a writer and was working on this mystery. The story takes place in a small town. This page turner has you trying to figure out the killer and who the body was. Good book
Profile Image for Diana.
476 reviews12 followers
March 22, 2018
New and Old mysteries

Jake and Emma have been helping the police in an investigation of a murder in the County Attorney's office. The further they get, the more elusive it seems.
Then a decades old case of a body found comes into the picture.
Many characters with multiple twists and turns adds to the story.
222 reviews
April 9, 2018
Dowmloaded this Ebook on my phone to have something handy to read while waiting at appointments. Not very good. Writing and dialog was amateur and not very good. I am sometimes OCD when it comes to finishing something I started, so I read to the end. Not too well put together and not very believable. Hope this writer hones up her writing skills for her future books.
79 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2017
A Murder That Was A Cold Case Solved

A Murder that was committed by a county attorney is not solved until a writer announces he is writing a book about it.I loved reach g this bookk.
71 reviews2 followers
January 20, 2018
Interesting And Addicting!

I was given this book free on Amazon to read. I love this author and her outlook on life. This series is about Wyoming with many interesting facts about the area as well as a great mystery.
25 reviews
February 27, 2018
I loved it I also lost a daughter .They did find her but not her killer .So I do believe in justice .Hopefully my daughter will get it some day it has been 37 years .I need a good detective who will not stop until the end .Thank you for listening .
Profile Image for Sherry McWilliams.
741 reviews4 followers
March 19, 2018
Enjoyable story with great characters and an interesting plot. Linda Crowder caught my interest with her story and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. If you want to read a good cozy mystery about a cold case, this is it.
2 reviews
December 1, 2020
Excellent read! Definitely won't disappoint you. Couldn't put the book down it was so good!

Couldn't put the book down! It kept you on your toes and guessing. Details made you feel you were there in the action!
322 reviews4 followers
July 21, 2017
Cold Case

I read this in one sitting. It was most interesting and held my attention throughout. Jake and Emma are an attractive couple and their friends always fascinating.
82 reviews4 followers
August 3, 2017
WOW!

Great story, great characters, great book. Enjoyed book very much. Can't wait to read more about Jake and Emma. Recommend for all who enjoy a great mystery.
4,374 reviews28 followers
August 6, 2017
Good

this community in Wyoming this small town around Casper.the country department of dist. alternates office has a problem with justice .
96 reviews
March 21, 2018
Enjoyable Mystery

I enjoyed reading this murder mystery. It has interesting characters in a storyline that has plenty of plot twists to keep you interested..
Profile Image for bex.
2,435 reviews24 followers
August 22, 2019
2.5 stars for me

Loved the characters but it has too many side POVs that reveal extra pieces for me to feel like it's enough mystery.
Profile Image for Jules The Book Junkie Reviews.
1,607 reviews96 followers
March 13, 2015
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Linda Crowder is keeping those hits coming! Her latest cozy mystery, Justice for Katie, is the third book in her Jake and Emma Mystery series, Main Street Murder. This book could easily be read as a standalone novel, however, the subtle tie ins to the previous books will not mean much if you haven't read Ms. Crowder's prior books.

When Emma’s friend and mentor, Dr. Grace Russell comes to visit, she brings with her an amazing set of profiling skills. Those skills come in handy when a prominent attorney is shot in her own office. There are multiple murder mysteries in this book. One spans decades and one has just happened. While Matt, Kristy, Emma, Grace and Jake are focused on the attorney’s murder, local celebrity author, Jeb Cannon, throws a theft case their way that opens up a pandora’s box of issues (this is a no-spoiler review, so you’ll have to read the book to get the scoop).


Jake and Emma are still Casper’s cutest, most loving couple but they might have some competition from friends Kristy and Matt. Both couples are very likable; they’re the kind of people you want to have as friends. These people are homey, friendly, and caring. The secondary characters are charming and add some interesting flavor to the story.

The enigmatic “Boss” who seems to be the root of much evil in Casper, Wyoming is finally revealed, however, I’m sure there will be more adventures in Emma’s and Jake’s future.


**Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng **
Profile Image for LORI CASWELL.
2,870 reviews327 followers
July 2, 2015


Dollycas’s Thoughts

This is the 3rd book in this series following Too Cute to Kill and Main Street Murder. I read and reviewed both back in March. This one has been shouting at me from my Kindle and I just couldn’t wait to read it any longer.

Jake and Emma start out taking look at a very cold case after a request is made to Detective Matt Joyner. He just doesn’t have the time as he has a high profile current case of his own. All of the sudden they realize the cases could be connected and even ties back to things in the previous books. This time Emma’s mentor and friend, Dr. Grace Russell, help them connect all the dots.

The author crams a lot into the 184 pages and the story is quick paced and holds the reader’s interest completely. I really like these characters. They are very genuine and jump off the page. My favorite character was Grace. She has plenty of her own stuff to deal with but jumps right in to help solve this mystery the spans 30 years.

The story is well plotted and very believable. The setting is wonderfully described. This story has something for everyone, friendship, a couple that is truly in love, drama, action and corruption. I love that the young girl, “Katie” was remembered by many after all these years and that like the title says, she needs justice.

A great read. For maximum enjoyment you need to read all three.
Profile Image for RO G'ma.
1,061 reviews43 followers
August 7, 2015
Justice for Katie is the third book in a series. I haven't read the previous ones, but this book can be read as a standalone. This is a story with suspense and twists that keep you hooked until you finish reading. A teenage boy, Jeb Cannon, and his father find the body of a young girl who has been dead for month without anybody reporting her missing. She stays unnamed and the case gets cold. That changes when someone steals a box from Jeb's storage where he kept everything he had gathered about this unsolved murder 30 years later. Jeb referred to the victim as Katie and brings brought the case to the attention of Matt by asking for help in solving this old case. Jake and Emma help him investigate and discover a possible link to the present day murder of Carolyn Maxwell in the County Attorney's office.

This is an enjoyable read, characters were well developed and the plot was good and made sense. I would recommend this book to the cozy mystery lover or anyone who enjoys reading mysteries.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lauren Walker.
83 reviews4 followers
June 30, 2015
This being my first experience with Linda Crowder, I didn't have a clue what to expect. Although there were typos here and there it was written well enough to look over them.
This book was wonderful. I was hooked within a couple of chapters and could not put it down for anything. The characters pop out and become close friends, even Katie was shining in this book.
I am now a fan of Linda Crowder and can't wait to read this series from the beginning.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Choosy Bookworm for introducing us.
Profile Image for Gina Smith.
466 reviews10 followers
July 13, 2015
A good mystery. Jeb discovered the body of a young woman 30 years ago when he was just 15. The body was decomposed enough that they were unable to ID the body, and then the case went cold. Jeb who has referred to the victim as Katie has brought the case back to the attention of Matt, asking for help in solving this old case. Jake and Emma help him investigate and discover a possible link to the present day murder of someone in the County Attorney's office.
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Julie Sarff.
Author 17 books24 followers
April 6, 2015
For the pure mystery lover, author moves the story along while making you wonder who-did-it, what-happened. Nice pacing without being rushed and frantic, or slow and bogged down by description. I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Fairlee Corkran.
239 reviews14 followers
August 15, 2015
I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. It took me a little while to get into the characters but once I did the story was amazing and I honestly loved it. I will define read the rest of the series and hope it goes on for a while.
Profile Image for Renee.
176 reviews
August 21, 2015
This series, available through Kindle Unlimited, really is growing on me. In my opinion, each book has been better than the last one, and these books are turning out to be a great addition to the cozy mystery subgenre. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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