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SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS
From USA Today bestselling author Jenifer RuffSOMEONE HAS TO CONFESSFour powerful men in a locked basement. No one is leaving until the truth comes out.
One of the men has committed a crime. Their captor has waited a decade for justice. His demand is Confess, and they all go free. Stay silent, and he'll make them pay—piece by piece.
But which man is guilty? What crime? As accusations fly and injuries mount, the men turn on each other, each searching for the sin that put them there.
Meanwhile, the captor is sending messages directly to FBI Agent Victoria Heslin, including a gruesome package that confirms this isn't a game. For Victoria, the case is one of the four men is her father.
As Victoria digs deeper into the men's pasts, she's forced to consider that her father is the guilty one.
Time is running out to discover the truth.
SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS is a pulse-pounding thriller about captivity and vigilante justice. It’s perfect for fans of locked-room suspense and will make readers question who the real villain is.
One of the men has committed a crime. Their captor has waited a decade for justice. His demand is Confess, and they all go free. Stay silent, and he'll make them pay—piece by piece.
But which man is guilty? What crime? As accusations fly and injuries mount, the men turn on each other, each searching for the sin that put them there.
Meanwhile, the captor is sending messages directly to FBI Agent Victoria Heslin, including a gruesome package that confirms this isn't a game. For Victoria, the case is one of the four men is her father.
As Victoria digs deeper into the men's pasts, she's forced to consider that her father is the guilty one.
Time is running out to discover the truth.
SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS is a pulse-pounding thriller about captivity and vigilante justice. It’s perfect for fans of locked-room suspense and will make readers question who the real villain is.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2026
About the author
Jenifer Ruff
108 books910 followersUSA Today bestselling author Jenifer Ruff writes dark and twisty mystery thrillers, including the award-winning Agent Victoria Heslin Series. Jenifer spends her days writing with the goal of keeping her readers eagerly turning the pages and putting the clues together. She adores peace and quiet, animals, and exercise, especially hiking. If she’s not writing, she’s probably out exploring trails with her dogs. Sign up for her Reader's Newsletter at Jenruff.com and never miss a new release.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 17, 2026
FBI Agent Victoria Heslin has a personal stake in the current case she and her FBI colleagues are tackling since her father is one of four men kidnapped from a graduation reception at Georgetown University. When the scene switches to the captives, the reader finds out that at least one of the four men has a secret that the captor wants him to confess or all of them will face dire consequences. This is a twisted thriller, mixed with a mystery and a lot of drama too. The billionaire philanthropist was my least favorite character since he is just creepy. The Director of Protocol for the U.S. is an alcoholic whom I didn’t particularly like either. Regardless of their slimy personalities, none of the men deserved to be kidnapped and mentally tortured, as all of them were well-developed and realistically portrayed. The plot was captivating from the beginning and the surprises along the way kept me engaged and guessing what would happen next. I especially liked the twist at the end that was totally unexpected. I have not read the other Agent Victoria books but this one interested me so much I want to go back and catch up. This book can definitely be read as a standalone because that is how I read it and thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Victoria.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an arc copy of this book.
Someone has to confess is due to be released 16th October 2026.
"Someone has to confess" by Jenifer Ruff is book 11 in the Agent Victoria Heslin series but can also be read as a standalone.
Someone has to confess is a crime, mystery thriller book and I was hooked from the very beginning. I absolutely love this book series and Someone has to confess was my anticipated read for 2026. My expectations were high and this book did not disappoint!
Agent Victoria's father is kidnapped along with three other high profile men. They don't know why they've been kidnapped until the person who has taken them tells them that someone has to confess (and only then will they will be released) to a crime commited 10 years ago. None of the men have no idea what they need to confess to.
Agent Victoria Heslin realises straight away that something isn't right and her father has been taken. Victoria and her team are on the case straight away! Victoria receives disturbing texts from the kidnapper, with little clues. Victoria's team are in a race against time to find who the kidnapper is and who is it that need to confess? And what are they confessing to?!
Meanwhile the four men are held captive in a windowless basement, with very little food and water while trying to rock there brains about which one of them needs to confess and and what to confess to! With the kidnapper threatening there lives and later, becomes brutally violent... Will the right man confess? Will this ever end? Is the kidnapper going to kill them?
The story is fast paced, the plot is CLEVER, the characters are absolutely incredibly well developed. The tension this book gives is perfection, this storybis going to stay with me. its unsettling, disturbing and absolutely addictive. I could not put this book down. Its twisty, dark, even a bit creepy at times and it contains absolutely everything a thriller book needs to contain. I love how easy this book was read and just sink into. I enjoyed the twists and the turns. I did not see the twist at the end coming! Absolutely fantastic and if could rate this book more than five stars, i would!
I don't know how Jenifer Ruff does it, but her books just hook me in the from the very first page. It is an absolute honor to read her books and "Someone has to confess" truly didnt dissapoint. This book (and series!) deserves to much hype.
Thank you Jenifer Ruff and NetGalley for an early digital copy of this book. It was an absolute honor to read this book early.
Someone has to confess is due to be released 16th October 2026.
"Someone has to confess" by Jenifer Ruff is book 11 in the Agent Victoria Heslin series but can also be read as a standalone.
Someone has to confess is a crime, mystery thriller book and I was hooked from the very beginning. I absolutely love this book series and Someone has to confess was my anticipated read for 2026. My expectations were high and this book did not disappoint!
Agent Victoria's father is kidnapped along with three other high profile men. They don't know why they've been kidnapped until the person who has taken them tells them that someone has to confess (and only then will they will be released) to a crime commited 10 years ago. None of the men have no idea what they need to confess to.
Agent Victoria Heslin realises straight away that something isn't right and her father has been taken. Victoria and her team are on the case straight away! Victoria receives disturbing texts from the kidnapper, with little clues. Victoria's team are in a race against time to find who the kidnapper is and who is it that need to confess? And what are they confessing to?!
Meanwhile the four men are held captive in a windowless basement, with very little food and water while trying to rock there brains about which one of them needs to confess and and what to confess to! With the kidnapper threatening there lives and later, becomes brutally violent... Will the right man confess? Will this ever end? Is the kidnapper going to kill them?
The story is fast paced, the plot is CLEVER, the characters are absolutely incredibly well developed. The tension this book gives is perfection, this storybis going to stay with me. its unsettling, disturbing and absolutely addictive. I could not put this book down. Its twisty, dark, even a bit creepy at times and it contains absolutely everything a thriller book needs to contain. I love how easy this book was read and just sink into. I enjoyed the twists and the turns. I did not see the twist at the end coming! Absolutely fantastic and if could rate this book more than five stars, i would!
I don't know how Jenifer Ruff does it, but her books just hook me in the from the very first page. It is an absolute honor to read her books and "Someone has to confess" truly didnt dissapoint. This book (and series!) deserves to much hype.
Thank you Jenifer Ruff and NetGalley for an early digital copy of this book. It was an absolute honor to read this book early.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2026
A suspenseful psychological thriller with excellent police procedural investigative narrative. The 11th book of the Heslin series but can be read as a stand-alone.
After the Georgetown University graduation ceremony four men are abruptly abducted. A high ranking US diplomat, his CIA protection detail and two wealthy businessmen. The perpetrators are not demanding a ransom but that one of the men confess about something that occurred a decade earlier. The four abductees have no clue of what the confession is about but none are innocent of previous indiscretions.
Special Agent Victoria Heslin was at the ceremony delivering the commencement speech and one of the abductees is her father. The FBI and other government agencies are trying to understand the crime is who is behind it. Victoria is part of the FBI team and no stone is left unturned. Is her father guilty or just at the wrong place at the wrong time?
What crime was committed that demands such a drastic actions?
Very entertaining.
After the Georgetown University graduation ceremony four men are abruptly abducted. A high ranking US diplomat, his CIA protection detail and two wealthy businessmen. The perpetrators are not demanding a ransom but that one of the men confess about something that occurred a decade earlier. The four abductees have no clue of what the confession is about but none are innocent of previous indiscretions.
Special Agent Victoria Heslin was at the ceremony delivering the commencement speech and one of the abductees is her father. The FBI and other government agencies are trying to understand the crime is who is behind it. Victoria is part of the FBI team and no stone is left unturned. Is her father guilty or just at the wrong place at the wrong time?
What crime was committed that demands such a drastic actions?
Very entertaining.
Review of advance copy received from Author
SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS by Jenifer Ruff
Release date October 16, 2026
I love all of FBI Agent Victoria Heslin cases. Victoria’s day started out wonderful. She was a speaker at the commencements at Georgetown University. But the rest of the day was a nightmare. Her father and three other high-profile men were abducted. The nightmare began when Victoria got a text message from what she thought was her father, but was actually only her father‘s phone. The kidnapper was giving messages and how these men could be found. He was looking for revenge for something that had happened 10 years ago. He was bound and determined to make one of these men confess! I lost a lot of sleep last night. I don’t think I’ve stayed up that late reading in quite a while. Thank you Jenifer Ruff for another amazing read.
This is book 11 in the FBI agent Victoria Heslin series. But it can definitely be read as a standalone.
Release date October 16, 2026
I love all of FBI Agent Victoria Heslin cases. Victoria’s day started out wonderful. She was a speaker at the commencements at Georgetown University. But the rest of the day was a nightmare. Her father and three other high-profile men were abducted. The nightmare began when Victoria got a text message from what she thought was her father, but was actually only her father‘s phone. The kidnapper was giving messages and how these men could be found. He was looking for revenge for something that had happened 10 years ago. He was bound and determined to make one of these men confess! I lost a lot of sleep last night. I don’t think I’ve stayed up that late reading in quite a while. Thank you Jenifer Ruff for another amazing read.
This is book 11 in the FBI agent Victoria Heslin series. But it can definitely be read as a standalone.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Someone Has to Confess, Agent Victoria Heslin Series Book 11, is an absolute nailbiter from start to finish. The tension skyrockets when Victoria discovers her own father among a group of kidnapped men, and from that moment on the stakes are personal, urgent, and emotionally gripping. The pacing is relentless, the twists are sharp, and the emotional pull of watching Victoria fight against time and her own fear makes this installment one of the most intense in the series. If you love thrillers that keep your heart racing and your mind guessing, this one delivers in every way. A fantastic addition to the Victoria Heslin series. I couldn’t put it down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow!
This is the 11th book featuring FBI Agent Victoria Heslin, and it was really good! Victoria is a keynote speaker at Georgetown University's graduation. Her father and grandfather, both well-known in that community are with her, attending after-graduation events. When Victoria sees her father and 2 other men being guided into an SUV by a CIA agent she is confused but not particularly alarmed. It's only when she can't reach her father and strange messages start appearing that she knows something is very wrong!
This story was very well written. The reader is a spectator to the kidnapping and what happens to the 4 men who were taken hostage: Thomas (Victoria's father), a financial bigwig who sponsors scholarships, a Chief of Protocol and the CIA agent. Meanwhile, Victoria and her team are pursuing all leads in order to find the 4 men and bring down the kidnapper. There is a twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all, but I don't write spoilers so please read this for yourself, I know you won't be sorry!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.
This is the 11th book featuring FBI Agent Victoria Heslin, and it was really good! Victoria is a keynote speaker at Georgetown University's graduation. Her father and grandfather, both well-known in that community are with her, attending after-graduation events. When Victoria sees her father and 2 other men being guided into an SUV by a CIA agent she is confused but not particularly alarmed. It's only when she can't reach her father and strange messages start appearing that she knows something is very wrong!
This story was very well written. The reader is a spectator to the kidnapping and what happens to the 4 men who were taken hostage: Thomas (Victoria's father), a financial bigwig who sponsors scholarships, a Chief of Protocol and the CIA agent. Meanwhile, Victoria and her team are pursuing all leads in order to find the 4 men and bring down the kidnapper. There is a twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all, but I don't write spoilers so please read this for yourself, I know you won't be sorry!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Four prominent high-profile men are kidnapped and locked in a basement in an unknown location. They’re left with instructions that one of them must confess to a crime that happened in the past. If one of them doesn’t confess, they will all suffer. One of the men is FBI Agent Victoria Heslin’s father and she’ll do anything to find him.
An edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced, excellent read full of danger, suspense, secrets, twists and turns, and an ending I didn’t see coming!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
An edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced, excellent read full of danger, suspense, secrets, twists and turns, and an ending I didn’t see coming!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 16, 2026
I absolutely loved this one!!
This is the third book in the series that I’ve read and so far it’s my favorite.
Someone Has to Confess is full of action, fast paced, and the final reveal at the very end 🤯🤯
Things to look forward to:
Kidnapping
Twists
Dark secrets
Mystery
A deadly confession
I definitely need to read the rest of the books in this series!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!
This is the third book in the series that I’ve read and so far it’s my favorite.
Someone Has to Confess is full of action, fast paced, and the final reveal at the very end 🤯🤯
Things to look forward to:
Kidnapping
Twists
Dark secrets
Mystery
A deadly confession
I definitely need to read the rest of the books in this series!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rounding up from 4.5 stars
This is book 11 in the Victoria Heslin series. If you didn't read me review for book 10, let me recap.
I have not had the opportunity to read books 5-9. I was worried this would be a problem when I read #10. It absolutely wasn't and isn't an issue with this book either. While, I still recommend reading the first 3 to get to know Victoria and the other regular characters, these books can be read as standalones.
You may ask why I'd read 10 and 11 before 5-9. It's because I was offered them as ARCs and I wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to read them. THEY ARE THAT GOOD! This one especially. It starts off with action and suspense and never lets up.
This is book 11 in the Victoria Heslin series. If you didn't read me review for book 10, let me recap.
I have not had the opportunity to read books 5-9. I was worried this would be a problem when I read #10. It absolutely wasn't and isn't an issue with this book either. While, I still recommend reading the first 3 to get to know Victoria and the other regular characters, these books can be read as standalones.
You may ask why I'd read 10 and 11 before 5-9. It's because I was offered them as ARCs and I wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to read them. THEY ARE THAT GOOD! This one especially. It starts off with action and suspense and never lets up.
September 22, 2026
Jenifer Ruff’s FBI Agent Victoria Heslin series is always top-notch (plus so skillfully written that each one can be a standalone) and number eleven is consistently excellent.
This thriller opens with an anonymous narrator. “He got away with murder” says our complainant. Except who is “he”?
Victoria is a speaker at Georgetown University commencement ceremonies when four men (including two other speakers) get into a black SUV under the guise of some emergency and are whisked away: her devoted father, Thomas Heslin, a financier; an arrogant billionaire donor, Lawrence Goodman; a self-centered diplomat, The United States Chief of Protocol, Harrison Porter; and CIA agent, currently diplomatic protection detail officer, Jake Miller.
The men wake up in a basement. They just casually know each other, and their captor bursts in with a command that “SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS!” but leaves out any context. Is this a game to get them to turn on each other?
Thomas Heslin finds himself trying to think like his FBI profiler daughter. Goodman is a jerk, and unbeknownst to Thomas, he inappropriately propositioned Victoria when she was only 11 years old. Porter is another jerk, also cocky, definitely not acting like his political title might indicate. Jake seems to be an innocent caught up in the kidnapping, but his failure to prevent his protectee will probably mean the end of his career.
On the outside, Victoria and her regular team, Rivera, Peterson, and Sam are trying to piece together the clues they are getting from the kidnapper and zero in on what horrible thing one of the four men might be guilty of.
The author, as usual, weaves a twisty plot line within the framework of a police procedural. For fans of the series, there are still references to Victoria’s hunky veterinarian fiancé. And I always love that someone is always taking care of their dogs and other animals.
As usual, you can devour this latest Victoria Heslin book in a day, but if you finish too quickly, you’ll be craving the next one immediately! 5 stars.
Waiting for the dogs to be ringbearers and flower girls at the wedding….
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only Victoria’s ice-blue eyes get a mention.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Georgetown’s famous heritage tree canopy adds to the description of D.C.
Thank you to Greyt Companion Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
This thriller opens with an anonymous narrator. “He got away with murder” says our complainant. Except who is “he”?
Victoria is a speaker at Georgetown University commencement ceremonies when four men (including two other speakers) get into a black SUV under the guise of some emergency and are whisked away: her devoted father, Thomas Heslin, a financier; an arrogant billionaire donor, Lawrence Goodman; a self-centered diplomat, The United States Chief of Protocol, Harrison Porter; and CIA agent, currently diplomatic protection detail officer, Jake Miller.
The men wake up in a basement. They just casually know each other, and their captor bursts in with a command that “SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS!” but leaves out any context. Is this a game to get them to turn on each other?
Thomas Heslin finds himself trying to think like his FBI profiler daughter. Goodman is a jerk, and unbeknownst to Thomas, he inappropriately propositioned Victoria when she was only 11 years old. Porter is another jerk, also cocky, definitely not acting like his political title might indicate. Jake seems to be an innocent caught up in the kidnapping, but his failure to prevent his protectee will probably mean the end of his career.
On the outside, Victoria and her regular team, Rivera, Peterson, and Sam are trying to piece together the clues they are getting from the kidnapper and zero in on what horrible thing one of the four men might be guilty of.
The author, as usual, weaves a twisty plot line within the framework of a police procedural. For fans of the series, there are still references to Victoria’s hunky veterinarian fiancé. And I always love that someone is always taking care of their dogs and other animals.
As usual, you can devour this latest Victoria Heslin book in a day, but if you finish too quickly, you’ll be craving the next one immediately! 5 stars.
Waiting for the dogs to be ringbearers and flower girls at the wedding….
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only Victoria’s ice-blue eyes get a mention.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Georgetown’s famous heritage tree canopy adds to the description of D.C.
Thank you to Greyt Companion Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
enjoyed this very personal case for FBI agent Victoria Heslin. While it did not contain as many twists as usual it was still a captivating read.
The story is told from the perspective of three of the characters, each one experiencing the kidnapping in a different way. The main focus was Victoria's as she and her team struggle to put the clues together in time to save the four men. Her father was another, as one of the captive men, which gives you a glimpse of what the men were going through and how things started to unravel in the worst possible way. You also occasionally got the perspective from the kidnapper and why he felt like he had to do what he did. This meant the story was ripe with tension and suspicion.
I would say I liked the characters but as the story develops and the more you learnt about them the more you realised they could be the cause of the crisis. Well okay one of them was never guilty in my eyes, can you guess who?
The story does work as a standalone but as Victoria is such a great main character, tackling different and unusual cases, I don't know how you can stop at one. I personally can't wait for the next case.
Victoria is asked to speak to the college graduates ceremony for Georgetown but what starts as a celebration quickly turns into a nightmare. With so many influential people present it is no wonder why security is high but that doesn't stop four men from being kidnapped from the event, one of them Victoria's own father. With only the clue that one of them has to confess before they will be released, Victoria and her team turn to the victims past to find the answers. The kidnapper has been planning this for ten years but Victoria only has hours to find the answers before body parts start turning up. One of which could be her fathers but what does the kidnapper want them to confess about and who is the guilty party?
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
The story is told from the perspective of three of the characters, each one experiencing the kidnapping in a different way. The main focus was Victoria's as she and her team struggle to put the clues together in time to save the four men. Her father was another, as one of the captive men, which gives you a glimpse of what the men were going through and how things started to unravel in the worst possible way. You also occasionally got the perspective from the kidnapper and why he felt like he had to do what he did. This meant the story was ripe with tension and suspicion.
I would say I liked the characters but as the story develops and the more you learnt about them the more you realised they could be the cause of the crisis. Well okay one of them was never guilty in my eyes, can you guess who?
The story does work as a standalone but as Victoria is such a great main character, tackling different and unusual cases, I don't know how you can stop at one. I personally can't wait for the next case.
Victoria is asked to speak to the college graduates ceremony for Georgetown but what starts as a celebration quickly turns into a nightmare. With so many influential people present it is no wonder why security is high but that doesn't stop four men from being kidnapped from the event, one of them Victoria's own father. With only the clue that one of them has to confess before they will be released, Victoria and her team turn to the victims past to find the answers. The kidnapper has been planning this for ten years but Victoria only has hours to find the answers before body parts start turning up. One of which could be her fathers but what does the kidnapper want them to confess about and who is the guilty party?
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another high stakes home-run for Jenifer Ruff! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was so excited to see that USA Today best-selling author Jenifer Ruff added another installment to her award-winning Agent Victoria Heslin Series. I don’t wish to give any spoilers, but I will say that this nail-biter makes things very personal for Victoria. How could it not be personal when it directly affects the people dearest to her?
I loved the intense involvement of her family members in this story and was on tenterhooks the entire time her father was held captive as well as throughout her grandfather’s medical crisis. Somehow, through all of this, Victoria managed to keep a cool head. She analyzed clues, interviewed people of interest, and kept digging until all was resolved.
I also greatly enjoyed the inclusion of several small details of her home life with Ned and her precious dogs. It is these types of personal details that make Victoria such an endearing character. All the stories in this series can be enjoyed as standalones, but they have threads connecting various events in the characters' lives, affording the reader a sense of connectedness to the characters and intensifying their relationship with them as the series progresses.
All the stories also offer top-notch thrills and unexpected twists that have kept me reading late into the night under the influence of the “just-one-more-chapter” syndrome. I have no reservation offering my highest recommendation for this series and this author.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.
I was so excited to see that USA Today best-selling author Jenifer Ruff added another installment to her award-winning Agent Victoria Heslin Series. I don’t wish to give any spoilers, but I will say that this nail-biter makes things very personal for Victoria. How could it not be personal when it directly affects the people dearest to her?
I loved the intense involvement of her family members in this story and was on tenterhooks the entire time her father was held captive as well as throughout her grandfather’s medical crisis. Somehow, through all of this, Victoria managed to keep a cool head. She analyzed clues, interviewed people of interest, and kept digging until all was resolved.
I also greatly enjoyed the inclusion of several small details of her home life with Ned and her precious dogs. It is these types of personal details that make Victoria such an endearing character. All the stories in this series can be enjoyed as standalones, but they have threads connecting various events in the characters' lives, affording the reader a sense of connectedness to the characters and intensifying their relationship with them as the series progresses.
All the stories also offer top-notch thrills and unexpected twists that have kept me reading late into the night under the influence of the “just-one-more-chapter” syndrome. I have no reservation offering my highest recommendation for this series and this author.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.
October 6, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the advanced copy of this book.
Well respected FBI Agent Victoria Heslin is speaking at a prestigious university graduation when four influential men are abducted from campus and held captive. One of these men has committed a crime, but only the captor knows who and has been waiting years for justice.
Without a confession, all four men suffer. The longer the wait the more harrowing the situation becomes.
What results is a fast paced, locked-room scenario that Agent Heslin has to unravel before dire consequences, set by the abductor and sent to Heslin, are faced. Will her investigation uncover things that she would rather not know? Will one of the men confess? Will the captor make all four men pay for the sins of the one?
As the 11th installment for the Agent Victoria Heslin series I was pleased that I could become so engrossed in the story without having read any of the prior books. A fast paced read that pulled me in from the beginning, the story is twisty, intense, and disturbingly vivid. The suspense builds in waves and you can’t help but wonder who the real villain is. The ending is satisfying and wraps up the story well.
Definitely recommend this read!
Well respected FBI Agent Victoria Heslin is speaking at a prestigious university graduation when four influential men are abducted from campus and held captive. One of these men has committed a crime, but only the captor knows who and has been waiting years for justice.
Without a confession, all four men suffer. The longer the wait the more harrowing the situation becomes.
What results is a fast paced, locked-room scenario that Agent Heslin has to unravel before dire consequences, set by the abductor and sent to Heslin, are faced. Will her investigation uncover things that she would rather not know? Will one of the men confess? Will the captor make all four men pay for the sins of the one?
As the 11th installment for the Agent Victoria Heslin series I was pleased that I could become so engrossed in the story without having read any of the prior books. A fast paced read that pulled me in from the beginning, the story is twisty, intense, and disturbingly vivid. The suspense builds in waves and you can’t help but wonder who the real villain is. The ending is satisfying and wraps up the story well.
Definitely recommend this read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another fabulous suspenseful “Whodunit” book. It’s always a pleasure visiting the world of FBI agent Victoria Heslin. After being a commencement speaker at Georgetown University,she & her grandfather are supposed to meet her father Thomas at the reception afterwards,however he & CIA Agent Jake Miller,U.S. Chief of Protocol Harrison Porter & Diplomat Lawrence Goodman all left together & never show up. Shortly afterwards Victoria gets a message from her dad’s cell…”All 4 men are safe. For now.” Someone has a grudge against one of them & they’re told by the kidnapper,”you can leave once someone confesses to a crime that was committed 10 years ago.” They each wonder…who did what! This is #11 in the series,but can easily be read as a stand-alone book. Thank you Jenifer Ruff for entertaining me. It’s been a pleasure being on your review team.
October 18, 2026
Someone Has To Confess - a review by Rosemary Kenny.
A new suspense-thriller from Jenifer Ruff, Someone Has To Confess has non-stop action from the start, plus plenty of twists and turns throughout a book I can guarantee you'll be glad you didn't miss.
FBI Special Agent Victoria Heslin's made the reluctant go-between after her father James is taken hostage - along with an alcoholic diplomat, his bodyguard and a predatory mogul...who each guard dark secrets. Victoria and her team work relentlessly to get the men freed and I felt fully invested in their efforts, especially when she went above and beyond, despite a family emergency at the peak of the crisis.
Believable characters, plot and well-written dialogue made this book a 5 star experience for me.
Try it and see what the final twist is...my lips are sealed!
A new suspense-thriller from Jenifer Ruff, Someone Has To Confess has non-stop action from the start, plus plenty of twists and turns throughout a book I can guarantee you'll be glad you didn't miss.
FBI Special Agent Victoria Heslin's made the reluctant go-between after her father James is taken hostage - along with an alcoholic diplomat, his bodyguard and a predatory mogul...who each guard dark secrets. Victoria and her team work relentlessly to get the men freed and I felt fully invested in their efforts, especially when she went above and beyond, despite a family emergency at the peak of the crisis.
Believable characters, plot and well-written dialogue made this book a 5 star experience for me.
Try it and see what the final twist is...my lips are sealed!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Someone Has to Confess was exactly the kind of twisty thriller I love! Four powerful men trapped in a basement, one of them guilty, and a captor determined to make someone confess? YES. The tension kept building, and I was constantly trying to figure out who was telling the truth and what was really going on.
I loved the cat-and-mouse feeling of this one, especially as the secrets started coming out and the stakes kept getting higher. The connection to Victoria made everything feel even more personal, and I definitely had a few moments where I thought I had it figured out…only to question myself all over again.
Fast-paced, suspenseful, and full of secrets and twists. I flew through this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy.
I loved the cat-and-mouse feeling of this one, especially as the secrets started coming out and the stakes kept getting higher. The connection to Victoria made everything feel even more personal, and I definitely had a few moments where I thought I had it figured out…only to question myself all over again.
Fast-paced, suspenseful, and full of secrets and twists. I flew through this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Welcome back Victoria Heslin. “Someone has to Confess” is the latest addition to the thriller series but as stated before all can be read separately. Four men have been kidnapped one of which is Victoria’s father and it is her task to find them. One of the men has a hidden secret from his past that he must confess to or they suffer the consequences. Victoria follows different clues left by the kidnapper in an attempt to find a common thread among the four men after various dead ends that will lead to there rescue. A revaluation at the ends ties everything to an unexpected conclusion.
I have read majority of the authors works and believe this is up there as one of her best. Highly recommend.
I have read majority of the authors works and believe this is up there as one of her best. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get into the story and stopped reading around 20%.
The writing felt overly simplistic, with frequent short, choppy sentences that often seemed unnecessary or could have been combined and developed further. The dialogue and descriptions lacked the depth and natural flow I look for in a book, making the writing feel more like an early writing exercise than a polished novel. I struggled to stay engaged with the story as a result.
While the premise may appeal to other readers, the writing style wasn’t for me, and I ultimately decided not to continue.
The writing felt overly simplistic, with frequent short, choppy sentences that often seemed unnecessary or could have been combined and developed further. The dialogue and descriptions lacked the depth and natural flow I look for in a book, making the writing feel more like an early writing exercise than a polished novel. I struggled to stay engaged with the story as a result.
While the premise may appeal to other readers, the writing style wasn’t for me, and I ultimately decided not to continue.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for this free digital ARC read in exchange for my honest review of Someone has to Confess.
This is the eleventh book in the Agent Victoria Heslin series and I'm already looking forward to seeing what happens next. When four men end up trapped in a locked basement, secrets come to light and the truth needs to be heard before they run out of time. If you want to find out how it all plays out, you'll definitely want to pick this one up. The author did a good job writing this one and I liked every character in it. Overall, it's a fast paced, read that I did enjoy and would recommend to any reader who likes thriller books.
This is the eleventh book in the Agent Victoria Heslin series and I'm already looking forward to seeing what happens next. When four men end up trapped in a locked basement, secrets come to light and the truth needs to be heard before they run out of time. If you want to find out how it all plays out, you'll definitely want to pick this one up. The author did a good job writing this one and I liked every character in it. Overall, it's a fast paced, read that I did enjoy and would recommend to any reader who likes thriller books.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Jenifer Ruff has done it again! Four men are kidnapped, including a diplomat and Victoria Heslin's father. The kidnapper says that one of them must confess, but none of them knows what to confess. The kidnapper gives clues to the four men, and to Victoria and the FBI. Once the confession is given and the FBI arrests the kidnapper the story should end, right? Not this time there's a surprise waiting for the reader. I thought I had it all decided, but I didn't see this one coming.
Review from ARC received from the author.
Review from ARC received from the author.
Review of advance copy received from Storygraph
Release: Oct 16, 2026
Author: Jenifer Ruff
Publisher: Greyt Companion Press
Rating: 4★
Someone Has to Confess was a tense and engaging thriller that pulled me in quickly. I really enjoyed the locked-room setup and the mystery surrounding which of the four men was actually guilty. The accusations, secrets, and escalating danger kept me invested, while Victoria’s personal connection to the case added another layer to the story. I suspected a few things along the way, but there were still enough twists to keep me guessing. Overall, this was an entertaining and suspenseful 4-star read.
Author: Jenifer Ruff
Publisher: Greyt Companion Press
Rating: 4★
Someone Has to Confess was a tense and engaging thriller that pulled me in quickly. I really enjoyed the locked-room setup and the mystery surrounding which of the four men was actually guilty. The accusations, secrets, and escalating danger kept me invested, while Victoria’s personal connection to the case added another layer to the story. I suspected a few things along the way, but there were still enough twists to keep me guessing. Overall, this was an entertaining and suspenseful 4-star read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A tense and gripping thriller I’ve come to expect from Jenifer Ruff.
Four men are abducted. One is billionaire, one a diplomat, one an agent protecting the diplomat and one is the father of FBI Agent Victoria Heslin. Is the abduction for money, for political reasons?
One of these men has killed and no one will be released until he confesses.
The characters are real and the plot is twisted. An excellent read.
Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours/Greyt Compton Press for the arc. This review is my opinion without renumeration.
Four men are abducted. One is billionaire, one a diplomat, one an agent protecting the diplomat and one is the father of FBI Agent Victoria Heslin. Is the abduction for money, for political reasons?
One of these men has killed and no one will be released until he confesses.
The characters are real and the plot is twisted. An excellent read.
Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours/Greyt Compton Press for the arc. This review is my opinion without renumeration.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Someone Has to Confess by Jenifer Ruff was an exciting story. I’ve loved all the Agent Victoria Heslin thrillers. This one has Victoria’s father kidnapped with a three other important men with the kidnapper requiring that one of them confess to a crime from long ago. There are twists and turns as the perspective changes from Victoria to her father and even to the kidnapper. You’re never quite sure what crime needs to be confessed to or who needs to confess. Agent Heslin has a personal stake in the case and I’d definitely recommend picking this one up. Release date: October 16, 2026
October 16, 2026
Someone Has To Confess is the latest book in the FBI Agent Victoria Heslin series by Jenifer Ruff. I always enjoy Jenifer Ruff’s books. They are a quick read and keep you guessing until the end. In this book Victoria’s father is kidnapped and she must solve the mystery to save him. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read a a stand alone but if you haven’t read the rest, you need to!! I received an ARC copy of this book but this is my honest review. I always look forward to reading any book by Jenifer Ruff.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is another wonderful Victoria Heslin thriller. It is a fast-paced action read. Victoria and her fellow agents have to quickly solve a kidnapping and one of the victims is her father. This story will keep you guessing the whole way through. It gives you clues to who the kidnapper is and what he might want. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with nail biting suspense. And then it throws you a couple of real curve balls at the end. I highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another great addition to the Agent Victoria Heslin series! This is book 11, and it did not disappoint. Victoria is at Georgetown for graduation with her father and grandfather when, in the blink of an eye, her father and three other men are kidnapped. Who took them and why? Victoria will stop at nothing to find them, but will she be able to bring them home safely? A suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages!
October 18, 2026
Glad I moved this one to the top of my TBD list! Like all her other books one you start you cannot put it down. This one pulls you in right from the start! Keeps you guessing what will happen. As usual you will not be able to guess the twists! Love the twists with the confessions! The ending twists were crazy! Twists right to the last pages! Great job Jenifer Ruff! FYI we are not related just have the same last name! Folks this is a must read!
October 19, 2026
n Jenifer Ruff’s latest thriller, SOMEONE HAS TO CONFESS, you’ll find a suspenseful story of captivity and vigilante justice. The tension builds as secrets surface and the line between justice and revenge blurs. This time, the investigation hits close to home for FBI Agent Victoria Heslin when a family member becomes a victim. A gripping read with twists and turns you won’t see coming. I highly recommend this book.
November 3, 2026
I was soooo nosy throughout this book wanting to know what needed to be confessed. I already had scenarios in my head thinking of which man it was and what they did. Nope – not even close. Then the ending 😊 oh holy moly!! Oh my – not what I expected. Kinda made you cheer for the bad guy in this one. This was a fast paced page turner and made you want to be in the know!!! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Someone Has to Confess #Jenifer Ruff #SomeoneHastoConfess
September 13, 2026
“Someone Has To Confess” by Jenifer Ruff is a dark, intense, and suspenseful read! I absolutely loved this one! The tension was relentless, and the deeper I got into the story, the more uneasy I felt. The ending had me holding my breath, completely hooked and desperate to see how it would all unfold. It’s twisted, disturbing, and seriously hard to put down. This one kept me on edge until the very end!
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