Tracks of Her Tears

Rogue Winter #1

by Melinda Leigh

Mit dem ersten Schnee der Saison kommt ein Mörder in die Kleinstadt Solitude. Als kurz vor Weihnachten eine junge Frau erwürgt aufgefunden wird, kollidiert die professionelle Welt von Ermittler Seth Harding mit seinem Privatleben. Der Schwager des Opfers, Bruce, ist der Hauptverdächtige... und er ist verschwunden. Für Seth tickt die Uhr, denn er muss Bruce finden, bevor dieser für ein Verbrechen angeklagt wird, das er nicht begangen haben kann. Oder vielleicht doch?

Unterdessen wird Seths Frau Carly aus ihren Weihnachtsvorbereitungen gerissen und mitten ins Herz der Tragödie gestoßen. Als Sozialarbeiterin nimmt sie die kleine Tochter des Opfers bei sich auf... eine Entscheidung, die sie immer tiefer in einen Fall verstrickt, der ihre Familie zu zerstören droht. Während Seth hartgesottene Verdächtige jagt und forensische Beweise auswertet, kämpft sich Carly durch ein Labyrinth aus Kleinstadtgeheimnissen und Familienlügen, verzweifelt auf der Suche nach ihrem Bruder. Ihre erst kürzlich gekittete Ehe wird auf die Zerreißprobe gestellt, als beide nach der Wahrheit jagen, wohl wissend, dass diese ihre Familie entweder retten oder für immer entzweien könnte.

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

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2015

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

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I have been reading a lot of shorter pieces lately. When I saw this novella, it just appealed to me for some reason. It turned out to be a pretty decent little read. I have had a really hard time deciding if it is a 3 star or a 4 star read but I am feeling generous right now so I am just going to go with the 4 stars. I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the end of this piece and didn't find a huge cliffhanger. I had made the assumption that this story would continue in the next novella. This novella probably really earns that bonus star just for wrapping everything up for me.

This story revolves around a mystery involving Seth and Carly's family. Seth, the local detective, is called to investigate a murder but quickly learns that he actually knows the victim. The victim is actually his brother-in-law's girlfriend so she is practically family. It turns out the the brother-in-law, Bruce, is also missing. Seth works to find the killer and Bruce. He asks his wife, Carly, to deal with the murder victim's infant daughter since she is a social worker.

I really liked the characters in this story. They just seemed like real people that have to deal with their family, their jobs, and all the problems that go with it. The secondary characters were well done and I thought that they added a lot to the story. I did like Seth and Carly a lot more when they were in mystery solving mode. When the story tried to be romantic, I really just found it to be overly mushy without adding anything to the plot. This novella almost looses that 4th star for all the mushy scenes but once again, I am feeling generous.

There were a few twists and turns as well as a couple of pretty exciting moments thrown into the story. I thought that the mystery was surprisingly complex for such a short piece. The conclusion to the story was really very believable which is a huge plus. The pacing was well done with the exception of a couple of mushy moments that seemed to stall the story. I did expect some romantic scenes but the ones in this piece felt forced and rather out of place. The use of multiple narratives worked well in this piece with each part adding to the story.

I would recommend this novella to fans of romantic suspense. This is the perfect story to grab if you are looking for a shorter piece that can be read in a short amount of time. This is the first time that I have read Melinda Leigh's work but I will definitely be looking for her books in the future. I can't wait to read the second novella in this series.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Amazon Publishing - Montlake Romance via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Initial Thoughts
This was a pretty good novella. The characters were likable and the mystery was surprisingly complex for such a short piece. I had expected it to end with a huge cliffhanger so I am pleasantly surprised by how nicely everything was wrapped up.

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seth Taylor is a small town detective and looking forward to spending the holidays with his family when he gets a call to the scene of a dead body and realizes he knows the victim. It was his brother in law's (Bruce) girlfriend who was also the mother of a small toddler. Bruce seems to be missing and the detective hears Amber also had an argument with her ex-husband the night before but why would anyone want to kill this sweet, twenty-three year old young woman. More suspects keep popping up while Bruce and his van are still missing and Seth hopes he hasn't been the victim of foul play because in a town so small there are only so many places left to search for him and Seth knows his wife Carly and her family couldn't handle another tragedy since they just lost their beloved father a year ago and are still struggling with emotions to fill the emptiness that he left behind. Bad news is not the present Seth wanted to give to his family this year. Why was Amber murdered and where is Bruce?

This was a very enjoyable Christmas crime drama and mystery though not a cozy mystery in any way.
Many solid characters with big personalities and their share of problems packed neatly into a short book. This could make a very good series with such a large close-knit family. I was pleasantly surprised at the descriptive details and the quality of the writing that kept me wanting more. This was my first book by Melinda Leigh but I am looking forward to reading many more by this author.

I definitely recommend to crime and detective story lovers I have given a rating of 3 1/2 Christmas Crime ⭐⭐⭐🌠Stars!!

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

"In the first thrilling Rogue Winter Novella, sleepy little Solitude, Oregon, wakes up to another deadly threat ..."

THRILLING? Dear Lord, I am either the fussiest reader in history or I have lost my reading mojo. Thrilling? FFS, nothing actually happened. OK, we had a dead body and a few suspects and some characters who are coming up in a future book but, "thrilling" - book was about $2 - my mean little paws could easily put that 2 bucks to a real thriller of a book ... sorry (not) but this book did not inspire me to continue.

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

Probably a 3.5 star read. It's short. So it's hard to develop a story let alone a mystery. But it just fell short for me. I still love all the characters and will continue on.

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracks of Her Tears by Melinda Leigh is the first Romantic Suspense novella in the Rogue Winter series. This is easily read as a standalone, but the main characters were first introduced in the Rogue River series. This is a collaboration between Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, who will release the second novella in this series.

This novella has all the elements I want in a full length story packed into this quick read. The characters are very developed, the plot is fast paced and intriguing and the ending was satisfying. Melinda Leigh always entertains!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to read Tracks Of Her Tears, by Melinda Leigh which is the first book in the Rogue Winter series. I thoroughly enjoyed the Rogue River series.
The main characters are first introduced in the Rogue River series and we are reunited with them in this novella.
County investigator Seth Harding and his wife Carly, a social worker, are trying very hard to give their marriage a second chance when her brother Bruce is missing and his girlfriend is found murdered.

A quick, entertaining and suspenseful story with likeable characters.

Thank you to Net Galley, Melinda Leigh and Montlake Romance for the opportunity to read and review this novella.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracks of her Tears by Melinda Leigh – A Rogue Winter Novella is a 2015 Montlake publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is the holiday season in Solitude, Oregon, but it's anything but merry and bright. When Carly's brother, Bruce goes missing and his girlfriend is found murdered, it's up to Seth, to solve the case and keep his family safe.

It seems like it's been a long time since I have touched base with this series, so I was happy to see a pair of novellas coming out this month- this one from Melinda Leigh and “Dead in Her Tracks” By Kendra Elliot.

This story reunites us with Seth and Carly, who are back together and making their marriage the top priority is their lives now. But, when Bruce's girlfriend is found murdered, they find it hard to find balance in their personal lives, especially when a young child is left without parents.

This is one action packed story, though, a little gritty, and pretty realistic as the author showcases just how dumb criminals can be and the horrible consequences of their actions.

I was happy to touch base with Seth and Carly, and am thankful that this couple are working things out, and that for once, Seth didn't get on my last nerve. He is really coming along, and showed that he can stick to his guns when it comes to trusting his wife and letting her do her job, just like he has to do his. The pair actually worked together on this one and make a pretty darned good team, if you ask me.

While the circumstances are sad for many concerned, there is a bright ray of light that we see shining through in the end and it looks like Carly, Seth and Brianna will have a very Merry Christmas!

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. For a thriller, this novella was surprisingly dull. There were no surprising plot twists, the characters were one-dimensional (so I didn't care much about them) and the setting, which should have been so atmospheric was rendered lifelessly. The police procedural elements were by-the-number and uninspired. I'm hoping the next book in the series (by a different author) will work better. There were also quite a few errors in the book which should have been caught in editing.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is going to be much better if you read the rogue River series first it has all the background to all the characters in this series that will help you enjoy this series better however it is not a requirement just read a few reviews say the characters were not developed enough and I thought this could be the reason.

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I didn’t love it, but it wasn’t bad. It’s a pretty standard Melinda Leigh book but the mystery wasn’t that great.

If you read this as an ebook, it’s actually very interesting because they’ve added live media to certain ‘scenes’. It’s like a short video(a video gif?) of a scene in the book. You can turn off the media and I’m glad for that, bc I did try the live media option and found it distracting. I like to imagine what the MC looks like, the murder scene etc., in my own head. Nevertheless this was a novel approach (pun not intended haha) and other readers might like it!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short murder mystery..very enjoyable. First in a two book novella series.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few days before Christmas, police officer, Seth, recognizes the body of a girl dumped in the woods as his brother-in-law's girlfriend. Bruce (the BIL) is also missing and the girlfriend had a small child that needs a temporary home. Seth's whole family involved in the little girl's care and the search for Bruce. Just as Seth is figuring out some suspects, his family returns to find their home trashed, and later his wife and kids are kidnapped at gunpoint by the thief. The thief ends up leading Seth to the real killer, but Bruce's girlfriend may not be his only victim.

I listened to the audio version of this book and enjoyed the quick murder mystery. It wasn't overly complicated, which I actually liked. There is a bit of a question left at the end as to who else might have been a victim of the killer. I can only assume that it will be answered in the next book of this short series.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last year I read the 4 novellas in the Rogue River Series (https://www.goodreads.com/series/1370...). Tracks of Her Tears and Dead in Her Tracks comprise the follow up and are the Rogue Winter Series. The novellas were nice follow ups to last years books and were quick reads. Although they could be read as a stand alone, I do think they are probably better for those of us who have read the complete series.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

In Tracks of Her Tears, the writing seemed a little lazy and not up to par with Melinda Leigh's writing and the previous series from last year. I did read a pre-production ARC from Net Galley, so some of my issues may have been resolved in the final review and edit.

I liked the story line and the characters. I enjoyed the stories from last year and it was nice to catch up with the characters. I liked that Carly and Seth were working on making their marriage work as it is a reminder that in real life marriages take work. The flip side is this may have been reiterated a few too many times. Words could have been better spent tightening up the suspense.

Some of the sequencing of events seemed off. They heard the sirens from the paramedics, but the police arrive before the paramedics as they were called first so wouldn't it have been their sirens that were heard? In fact I don't remember the paramedics being called. There were a few other times where I was left with the feeling that there were missing sequencing which would have made for a smoother read.

I know this was a novella, but I still think there could have been more depth to the plot. I liked it, but was wishing for a little more...

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the middle of a winter night and Seth Harding, County Investigator, is called out to look at a dead body.... not that daytime or springtime would make a difference. Returning to Solitude after being away for so long and reuniting with his wife and daughter, being able to investigate crime again makes his blood sing.

But he's in for a shock. He knows this particular dead body. She's the girlfriend of his wife's brother. And where is Bruce? And where is her young daughter? Her apartment has been trashed .. someone is looking for something... but what?

This is a Romantic Suspense .... light on the romance, heavier on the suspense. The characters are an offshoot of another series ... Rogue River. The secondary characters from that series take center stage for the two books in this series. (next in line is DEAD IN HER TRACKS by Kendra Elliot).

Being a novella, it is longer than a short story, shorter than a novel. It's a fast, easy read by two authors who know how to write. While on the lighter side, the suspense is still palpable and there are plenty of suspects to go around. The characters are extremely likeable and I enjoy the interactions within the family.

My thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing - Montlake Romance / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who read my book reviews, you will know that one of my favorite female mystery authors is Melinda Leigh. What I enjoy about her books is that often there is a crossover of characters. In Rogue River Book #1 we are reunited with Seth and his wife Carly and their daughter Brianna. This book is set after the fire of the O"Rourke Resort and Seth and Carly have been busy in counseling as they work hard to reconcile their marriage. Carly's mother Pat is now coming up to her first Christmas without her husband Bill - whom we know from past novels was killed to cover up a drug operation in the small town of Rogue River. Carly's sister Stevie is now engaged to Officer Zane and her older brother James is the Mayor. The snow is falling and some punks have uncovered a body that Seth is called out too. He turns the body over and to his shock discovers that it is the girlfriend of Carly's younger brother Bruce. Thus sets the tone for most of the book as the town tries not only to find out what happened to Amber but also no-one has seen or heard from Bruce and he was the last person to see Amber alive or was he - so the other storyline is trying to track down Bruce. I did enjoy this book but had hoped when the killer was revealed that it would have packed more of a punch as it fell a bit flat near the ending of Tracks of Her Tears. If you are looking for a Christmas time Murder Mystery and a quick read while you are locked inside during this nationwide lockdown we are having, then check out Melinda Leigh's Tracks of Her Tears - Book #1 in the Rogue River Series today.

[Catherine (The Sassy Bookster) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't get enough of the Taylor family! While novellas are not really my thing, I'm enjoying the serial nature of this series as we get a new episode in their lives and it keeps me coming back for more.

In this installment, Carly and Seth's jobs are much harder as their new case strikes very close to home. The victim is Carly's younger brother Bruce's girlfriend and Bruce is missing. They must work very hard to solve this case and locate Bruce before the elements get to him.

It's all hands on deck as the town rallies to help the family, but even more secrets are coming to light, much to everyone's consternation. Also, Ms. Leigh gives us a peek into Carly and Seth's relationship after their reconciliation and how hard they are both working to keep each other happy.

TRACKS OF HER TEARS has well-developed characters, an intriguing and fast paced plot and a happy ending. Definitely one to read along with the preceding novellas in the Rogue series.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.


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[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracks of Her Tears is book 1 in the Rogue Winter series, a set of novellas written by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. The main characters were first introduced in the Rogue Rivers series. But Tracks of her Tears can be read as a standalone, as there is a new mystery to be solved here. However, for more background on the characters, read the Rogue Rivers series because it's good!
In this novella, we are reunited with Seth and Carly. Carly's brother Bruce is missing, and Bruce's girl-friend is found murdered.
It is a very quick and entertaining read that has more suspense than romance. I love all of the Taylor family and their interactions. Melinda Leigh just knows how to write suspenseful stories with likable characters. She never disappoints.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[S Picazo Page Turner 🎨📖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

interactive kindle read

The animations and video clips were an excellent addition to the reading experience. Part of the reason I gave it a 4⭐.

Tracks of her tears is a short suspense about a murder and a missing person.

It had enough content to get me invested in Seth Harding's case and almost enough for his personal life. Investigator Seth discovers the victim of the homicide is the girlfriend of his brother-in-law Bruce. Bruce has also gone missing.

As Seth looks for Bruce he is trying to solve who killed Amber. This isn't a heart pounding book but it was a great short crime story.

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 4 out of 5]

INITIAL THOUGHTS
Being totally up front here I admit that "mystery" is not a genre I read a lot of. I would say I aren't patient enough to be a big fan of mystery. I thought this would be ideal as the "mysteries" would be solved quickly as this is a novella! I also enjoy books or series that are either co-written or individual books in a series written by different authors. I am in the mood for a quick read and am hoping this fits the bill well!

REVIEW
Well I did receive this novella, Tracks Of Her Tears by Melinda Leigh the first in the Rouge Winter Series, and also the second one in the series (Dead In Her Tracks by Kendra Elliott) via Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review and I had downloaded them. Sadly when I tried to find them on my kindle, I couldn't find them. I'd really got myself excited for trying them so I also purchased them from Amazon.
The cover of Track Of Her Tears features perhaps a forest or woods with a woman walking away on it. The colours on the cover are wintery, pastel blue that gives what I would call a mystical or afterlife feel.
Would this cover make me pick the book up from a bookstore shelf? Yes, it would. Being totally honest about how I came to read this book, it was the cover that caught my and and drew me in to want to know who the woman on the cover was.
The book is set in what is described as "sleepy little Solitude" Oregon. Upon reading the book I'd say it's the type of place that is a close community. Seth works for the police force, his wife Carly is a social worker, they've had their rough patches with both of them being accused by the other of always being at work etc. They have a seven year old daughter called Brianna. They live in a cabin style home on the farm that belongs to Carly's family.
The major plot of the book begins with Seth Harding, part of Rogue County's police force pulling up in his cruiser to a crime scene, possibly murder scene thinking to himself that " death never takes a holiday" which is sad but totally true! especially in this case. Though it's almost Christmas here he is about to talk to the medical examiner to get information on the dead female body that has been found by three teen boys. The initial information Seth is given is that the body is female, has been dead between 6 to 12 hours, and has no identification on her. The cause of death is possible strangulation and the victim had fought for her life. The medical examiner hope that there is DNA under the females fingernails to help them find the culprit. Seth is shown over to the body and is asked to help turn the body over. Seth is certainly unprepared for the shock of who the victim is. The female is Amber Lynn Cooper and is dating his brother in law Bruce. Seth immediately attempt to call Bruce, but there is no answer.. Though Seth knows Amber was dating Bruce he can't seem to remember any other important facts about her. Seth goes to her apartment to look for any clues as to who or why someone would want her dead. It's whilst Seth is at the apartment that he meets Ethel Kaminsky, the kind elderly neighbour who has been babysitting Amber's little daughter Charlotte. Ethel produces a spare key to Amber's flat which Seth uses to gain entry into the flat. Once in the flat, Seth discovers it has been literally ransacked. Ethel is concerned about who will care for baby Charlotte but Seth reassures her he has called his wife Carly as she works in social services and she will take care of Charlotte. Carly takes Charlotte home with her and begins the process of finding out who is her next of kin and if they are suitable and capable to care for Charlotte.
Everyone is shocked about Amber's death and of course worried sick as to where Bruce is. Seth retraces the steps that Bruce and Amber had taken the night before. The community comes together helping in the search for Bruce.
To begin with this novella felt a little slow in pace for my taste but it did gradually pick up the pace as I read on. There is quite a lot going on in this novella. We learn about Seth and Carly's marriage how they endeavour to make more time for each other as well family time with their daughter. Then in turn we follow Seth as he works at unraveling Amber's death. We also follow Carly as she attempts to find a relative that is capable as well as suitable to take in and raise Charlotte as amber would have wanted.
So did I enjoy the novella? I found it a little more difficult than I expected to get going into the novella. Once I was drawn in I did enjoy it.
Would I recommend the novella? Yes.
Would I want to read more of the novella's in this series? I do intend to reading Dead In Her Tracks by Kendra Leigh in the future.
Would I want to read more books by Melinda Leigh? After reading this novella I will be checking out other books by this author.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This novella reminded me a little of the Serenity's Plain Secrets series by Karen Ann Hopkins, it was the type of area the novella was set in and the whole community helping in the search for Bruce that made me make the comparison.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot team up again to bring us more of the Taylor family and the trouble that keeps coming to Rogue River.

Roughly seven months have past and Seth and Carly along with their daughter have settled back into being a family. Seth has left the Drug Task Force is now working as a county investigator on the Major Crimes team. When he's called to the scene of a murder he is shocked to find the victim is his wife's younger brother's girlfriend which leads to realizing that Bruce is also missing.

It was nice being back with the Taylor family. Each one of them is unique in their own way and I love their momma Patsy who is a force to be reckoned with when her family is threatened. As with the other books in this series the mystery/murder/suspense that starts in Melinda's book isnt fully solved/concluded until Kendra's (or vice versa).

I've enjoyed all the books from these two author's separately for years and was excited when they teamed up to write the Rogue River series and even more excited to see they were going to team up again to give us more of Carly Taylor and Seth (Melinda) and Stevie Taylor and Zane (Kendra) along with a new murder/mystery to be solved.

(ps.. its so hard to write separate reviews for these two books as they are closely connected. Bottom line I really liked both books and hope we get more stories from these two about the Taylor family)

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - .5 Flames

What an interesting suspense/thriller novella. I have to admit that I was expecting a little more romance, but I was so caught up in the “thriller” aspect, that I didn’t really care in the long run.

Seth is a homicide detective who is trying to work on his marriage, which has been stressful, mainly due to work. His wife, Carly, is a social worker and has made the commitment to work less hours, focusing on her marriage to Seth. The stress in their marriage is put to the test when a new homicide case forces both of them to step up and work extra hours.

Stumbling upon the body of his brother-in-law’s girlfriend wasn’t what Seth was expecting when he got the homicide call in the morning. But realizing the brother-in-law was missing was down right chilling, realizing he had to tell his wife and family was difficult.
Although while reading this you could put pieces together, there were enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. Short and suspenseful, I’m looking forward to the next one, because yes, there is unfinished business.

*I was given a copy of this book as a gift from The JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review.

[RachelW (BamaGal) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new duo of murder mysteries by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, bringing the reader back to Rogue River. Seth and Carly, a married couple who were seperated in the last series, are back together and working on their marriage. Seth is an investigator with the Solitude police, and has caught a particularly sad case. His brother-in-law Bruce's girlfriend has been brutally murdered. Also, Bruce is missing; just as a bitterly cold storm is moving into the area.

Amber left behind a toddler daughter, who Seth and Carly take in, threatening to strain their reconciliation. This was a great little story, especially for readers who remember all the players from the previous set of stories. The main murder is wrapped up here, or is it? There are still things to be investigated and questions to be answered in the next book...

These are good murder mystery novellas, and best of all they are 'read now' at Netgalley.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was more invested in Tracks of Her Tears since I met Carly and Seth in the previous novella, Walking on Her Grave. I wanted to get some happy couple time, especially since they just got back together after being separated for months.

Seth calls Carly into the murder case he’s working when an infant is left orphaned, and Carly’s brother, Bruce is smack in the middle of the case. Bruce has gone missing and Seth worries for his safety.

This was a quick paced and enjoyable mystery. I was glad to see Carly and Seth together and working on their marriage. I did wonder why they were still living in one of the guest cabins at her mother’s place when in the previous story Carly missed the little family home they had shared.

A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[CL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth is trying to work on his marriage so when he arrives at the homicide of the girlfriend of his missing brother in law the marriage is really put to the test. This was a page turner and a great read. I would like to thank the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

New experience for me

This was my first Kindle In Motion and although the graphics were interesting, it seemed to slow down my concentration. The story was good though and I look forward to more about the main characters.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 3.5 stars

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Track of Her Tears was a fantastic start to the Rogue Winter series which is the first spin-off series to the Rogue River series.

Rogue County investigator Seth Harding was looking forward to spending the holidays with his family now that he has reconciled with his wife. But then Seth is called to a homicide scene a few days before Christmas only to discover the victim is his brother-in-law Bruce’s girlfriend. To make matters worse, Bruce is missing. With the woman's daughter now motherless, Seth calls in his wife social worker Carly Taylor to take the girl. As temperatures plummet and a winter storm moves in, it's a race against the clock to find Bruce and the killer before it's too late.

A few months have passed since Walking on Her Grave, the last Rogue River book, and in that time Carly and Seth have fully reconciled. I liked that even after reconciling, the pair have continued to work on their relationship to make sure they don't run into the same problems they had before. The awkwardness that was present in their relationship previously is mostly gone now and the two are more on the same page. Seth continues to get better about respecting Carly's job which I was happy to see. I liked the progress the couple has made and was happy with where they were by book's end. I'm looking forward to seeing more of their relationship in future books.

Amber's death proved to be quite an interesting investigation for our characters. With Bruce being missing on top of that, there was a lot of urgency to solve the case quickly. As Seth works the homicide, Carly is searching for other family who can take in Amber's daughter. The pair's investigation crosses paths a few times as the father of Amber's daughter is considered a suspect due to an argument the pair had the night the woman died. The investigation went into a few directions I wasn't expecting and I was surprised by who the killer ended up being. I thought the ending was well done with a nice bit of suspense mixed throughout.

Overall Track of Her Tears was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Dead in Her Tracks, soon.

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 3 out of 5]

**OBTAINED: Goodreads Giveaway**

Tracks of her Tears (Rogue Winter #1)

This was an interesting, quick-paced read, though a bit too short to fully expand upon the mystery. As a thriller it felt, well, not thrilling enough. It had potential so perhaps the further installments would be better? I may give them a try in the future but as it stands I wasn’t overly impressed. As for the story itself, well here’s what the book blurb says...

"In the first thrilling Rogue Winter Novella, sleepy little Solitude, Oregon, wakes up to another deadly threat.

County investigator Seth Harding intends to spend the holidays with his newly reconciled family, but a few days before Christmas, a homicide thwarts his plan. Seth arrives at the scene and makes a painful discovery: the victim is his brother-in-law’s girlfriend. Her apartment has been ransacked and her toddler left motherless. To make matters worse, Seth’s brother-in-law, Bruce, is missing. With Solitude locked in a rare, deadly deep freeze and the temperature plummeting, the residents launch a desperate search.

Seth calls his wife, social worker Carly Taylor, to take the case so the little girl doesn’t get lost in the foster care system. With the holidays near, Carly brings the child home with them to celebrate Christmas. But when the Taylor farm is also trashed, Seth and Carly must race against time—and against a paralyzing winter storm—to find Bruce and catch a killer in the first pulse-pounding sequel to the Rogue River Novellas." -Book Blurb

[OFFICIAL RATING: 3 STARS]

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this murder mystery, and kidnapping in the small town. I was very happy Seth, and his family are together at the family farm. They are just a few days from Christmas when he is called out on a discovered body. He recognizes the victim, who has been strangled, and is the girl friend of his brother in law Bruce. Where is Bruce? A county wide search is started, and as the snow falls his blue van is spotted, deep in the woods, and on an embankment. He is rescued, and taken to the hospital. It had a good story about a caring family that takes in a toddler, until family can be found. plus Patsy the grandmother seems to have taken in lots of animals , and children, over the years. When some masked person breaks into the dead young woman's apartment, they fear it could be the ex- husband , of the victim, but then the farm house is also a target. They did manage to do Christmas, and have presents, and dinner, and find a couple of bad guys, but I don't understand why Christmas cannot be more fun, since even their daughter was very frightened for her life twice. plus all the missing details were kind of bunched up together, and discussed, but it seemed rushed, and not all missing young woman were found, or identified. I wanted to give it a 3.5, but rounded it to a four since I truly love the writer, and read most of her books. The story did show a lot of charity, by friends, and family when Bruce was missing, and jumped into help Patsy when her house was ransacked, and the main couple opened gifts with their daughter at five am, so I guess Christmas was represented. I just wanted a bit more, and perhaps the next book will provide some more answers.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this novella I discovered that this was a series following up on a different series, Rogue River. I don't know if reading those would've made a difference to my enjoyment of this story, but I do think this novella held it's own well. The reason I didn't give this a higher rating is that the suspense wasn't that suspenseful to me and the ending was too neat. I still enjoyed the story though.

3.5 stars