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Savannah PD #1
Instincts
When a business woman is discovered hanging from the rafters of an abandoned building in Savannah, police initially suspect suicide.
The trained eye of Homicide Detective Eliza Sheppard questions the death. Having spent years walking in her police chief father’s footsteps, she immediately realizes this was murder.
Despite struggling in her personal life, Eliza has a successful career. Married to her work, she takes on the role of Captain when her superior goes on medical leave, leading the team of young, but quick witted detectives tasked with the job of finding the woman’s killer.
With little evidence and doubts from others, Eliza is driven to follow a lead that many suspect could be a wild goose chase. In the end, her instincts are all she has and where they’ve led her, there is no turning back.
The trained eye of Homicide Detective Eliza Sheppard questions the death. Having spent years walking in her police chief father’s footsteps, she immediately realizes this was murder.
Despite struggling in her personal life, Eliza has a successful career. Married to her work, she takes on the role of Captain when her superior goes on medical leave, leading the team of young, but quick witted detectives tasked with the job of finding the woman’s killer.
With little evidence and doubts from others, Eliza is driven to follow a lead that many suspect could be a wild goose chase. In the end, her instincts are all she has and where they’ve led her, there is no turning back.
- GenresMystery
423 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2016
92 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Renee
12 books170 followersRachel Renee, born and raised in and around Cincinnati, Ohio, finds herself residing with her family in the suburb of Loveland. After completing a degree in psychology and racking up thousands of dollars in debt, she decided to become a stay at home mom and homeschool her children, all the while working on her writing career. While she is not using her degree in the secular world she uses it on a daily basis, psychoanalyzing her husband of nearly 20 years and two children (15 and 12), her 2 dogs, and her life as a writer and teacher. Just like Rachel enjoys reading books from many different genres, she also enjoys writing different genres as well.
Stay tuned as Rachel continues her journey!
Stay tuned as Rachel continues her journey!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
February 15, 2018
I read this as a precurser to starting my ARC copy of the 2nd book in Rachael Renee’s Savananah PD series. I enjoy reading a good murder mystery and this book was no exception. This is the story of Eliza Shepphard and her team’s quest to find a killer. We are lead to a Mystery Man and it was a mystery right up until the end. I am looking forward to starting my ARC copy of book 2.
December 18, 2016
The book follows the journey of detective Eliza and her team to find their Mystery Man who commited an atrocious murder. The story keeps you invested and intrigued to know what's happening next until the last chapter.
The main character Eliza is a strong woman with strong instincts that help her solve her case. She's likeable, fun, and smart.
The book is not like any other detective/mystery book out there. It is unique on its own, intriguing, and overall beautiful. It was really fun reading it and extremely enjoyed its ending. It really reminded me why I liked mystery books in the first place: the anticipation and enjoyment of trying to guess the killer with the characters. And what's even more beautiful about this book is, I never guessed right.
Its epilogue makes want to read more.
The main character Eliza is a strong woman with strong instincts that help her solve her case. She's likeable, fun, and smart.
The book is not like any other detective/mystery book out there. It is unique on its own, intriguing, and overall beautiful. It was really fun reading it and extremely enjoyed its ending. It really reminded me why I liked mystery books in the first place: the anticipation and enjoyment of trying to guess the killer with the characters. And what's even more beautiful about this book is, I never guessed right.
Its epilogue makes want to read more.
July 31, 2018
Ok
Started out good, middle was so slow, ending was good. Knowing everything that went thru Eliza's thoughts was too much. Putting on clothes, taking a shower, where her snacks were, etc. Could be left out.
Author should keep trying, she has potential!!
Started out good, middle was so slow, ending was good. Knowing everything that went thru Eliza's thoughts was too much. Putting on clothes, taking a shower, where her snacks were, etc. Could be left out.
Author should keep trying, she has potential!!
March 6, 2018
This is a great start to the Savannah, PD series. The plot is gripping, unpredictable and moves at a rapid pace. Eliza and her team are very well-written and interesting characters. I definitely will want to read furthers offerings in this series!
*I received a complimentary copy of this story in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
*I received a complimentary copy of this story in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
June 14, 2018
Eliza Sheppard is a detective in the Savannah Police Department and along with her team (Cooper, Dan, Jimmy, and Paul) they are investigating the murder of a woman found hanging in a deserted building. Lots of twists but I "suspected" the killer but wasn't sure until near the end. For a woman dedicated to her career she seemed overly concerned with a male's physical appearance (which she dismissed as her hormones speaking or her loneliness) and those thoughts distracted her from the case. Eliza's misuse of I/me was very irritating.
No sex
No violence
No sex
No violence
October 7, 2018
Very good! Can’t wait to read the second one now! Love when a book has me questioning everything and everyone throughout the whole story :)
March 23, 2019
This book has an extremely interesting summary, and, as somebody who can appreciate a good crime read, I was definitely hooked. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into a gritty murder mystery. (Not to mention it takes place in Savannah, GA, and I’ve been fascinated with Savannah since going in the 6th grade, lol)
Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn’t really match with the intrigue I found in the summary.
Instincts could have had a lot of potential. The summary was great and paved the way for a fantastic murder mystery. But, the writing wasn’t all that fantastic — I found that the dialogue, in particular, was very choppy and basic, didn’t really read like grown adults in the police force at all — and the plot ended up dragging on, and a lot of it ended up focusing more on Eliza’s personal life than it did her job as a member of law enforcement. The story is told in first person POV, but Eliza doesn’t really narrate like a 30-something police officer. Actually, she didn’t sound much older than me or my group of friends, and I’m 20. I know you can be “young at heart,” but I’d think that there’d be a difference in voice or maturity with the narration... Eliza kinda felt like she had just come fresh out of high school.
Going back to all that I said about the plot having a whole lot of potential — it’s true. This could have been a fantastic darker read, but Eliza was too caught up in her personal life. Hell, most of the first half, and even parts of the second, was focused on one of her work colleagues having relationship issues, and then she ended up being reintroduced to some guy she hadn’t seen in years. That... doesn’t really spell out dark murder mystery, if you ask me. And, the mystery that there was... wasn’t very compelling. I’m not going to be like one of those people who’s all like “I kNeW wHo iT wAs FrOm ThE bEgInNiNg,” but I did pick up on it well before the ending. I just... I know some murder mysteries CAN work that way, that dramatic irony when the reader knows “whodunnit” before the characters, but I feel like after awhile it became rather obvious and Eliza was just... spinning in circles. I’m not going to say it’s like that for *every* reader — some people very well might have been kept guessing until the big reveal — but once I caught on, it became rather dull waiting for Eliza and the rest of the crew to figure it out. Especially when Eliza was more concerned with going out with some guy she hadn’t seen since she was 20.
Overall, I DO think this book and series could have had potential had the tone and editing been slightly better. And I DO think some readers will enjoy it and be kept guessing throughout the duration of the story, but I just wasn’t one of them. It was just too predictable for me, and focused a lot on all of the wrong things.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn’t really match with the intrigue I found in the summary.
Instincts could have had a lot of potential. The summary was great and paved the way for a fantastic murder mystery. But, the writing wasn’t all that fantastic — I found that the dialogue, in particular, was very choppy and basic, didn’t really read like grown adults in the police force at all — and the plot ended up dragging on, and a lot of it ended up focusing more on Eliza’s personal life than it did her job as a member of law enforcement. The story is told in first person POV, but Eliza doesn’t really narrate like a 30-something police officer. Actually, she didn’t sound much older than me or my group of friends, and I’m 20. I know you can be “young at heart,” but I’d think that there’d be a difference in voice or maturity with the narration... Eliza kinda felt like she had just come fresh out of high school.
Going back to all that I said about the plot having a whole lot of potential — it’s true. This could have been a fantastic darker read, but Eliza was too caught up in her personal life. Hell, most of the first half, and even parts of the second, was focused on one of her work colleagues having relationship issues, and then she ended up being reintroduced to some guy she hadn’t seen in years. That... doesn’t really spell out dark murder mystery, if you ask me. And, the mystery that there was... wasn’t very compelling. I’m not going to be like one of those people who’s all like “I kNeW wHo iT wAs FrOm ThE bEgInNiNg,” but I did pick up on it well before the ending. I just... I know some murder mysteries CAN work that way, that dramatic irony when the reader knows “whodunnit” before the characters, but I feel like after awhile it became rather obvious and Eliza was just... spinning in circles. I’m not going to say it’s like that for *every* reader — some people very well might have been kept guessing until the big reveal — but once I caught on, it became rather dull waiting for Eliza and the rest of the crew to figure it out. Especially when Eliza was more concerned with going out with some guy she hadn’t seen since she was 20.
Overall, I DO think this book and series could have had potential had the tone and editing been slightly better. And I DO think some readers will enjoy it and be kept guessing throughout the duration of the story, but I just wasn’t one of them. It was just too predictable for me, and focused a lot on all of the wrong things.
September 19, 2017
This is the first book I've read in this series - and it wastes no time tossing the reader into the midst of a puzzling murder. Eliza has worked hard to get where she is; the drive to put criminals behind bars is in her blood, being passed down from her father. She's a flawed, charismatic protagonist with a strong affinity for margaritas, a determined, match-making mother, a best friend who may or may not want to be more, and little time for a personal life. In short - someone most readers can identify with in some way.
With several characters seemingly having motive and opportunity, it's not immediately clear who the murderer is, and I suspected nearly everyone at some point. That's what makes an engaging crime thriller, right?
If you're a fan of intriguing crime fiction that keeps you guessing, this is a series to look into.
With several characters seemingly having motive and opportunity, it's not immediately clear who the murderer is, and I suspected nearly everyone at some point. That's what makes an engaging crime thriller, right?
If you're a fan of intriguing crime fiction that keeps you guessing, this is a series to look into.
November 27, 2017
4 Cranky Stars
Savannah PD Series Book 1 by Rachel Renee is a good read. I love murder mysteries, and this was one great. It starts off with a mystery that Detective Eliza Sheppard and her crew have to solve. What I really enjoyed about this story is that it is face paced. The action doesn’t slow down at all. Eliza is a strong female character who proves that she is prone to the occasional mistake and feeling emotions.
While Rachel Renee is a talented writer, the only thing I did not like about the story is that it was basically all tell and no showing. This did take me out of the story for a bit. I will recommend this story to others.
Savannah PD Series Book 1 by Rachel Renee is a good read. I love murder mysteries, and this was one great. It starts off with a mystery that Detective Eliza Sheppard and her crew have to solve. What I really enjoyed about this story is that it is face paced. The action doesn’t slow down at all. Eliza is a strong female character who proves that she is prone to the occasional mistake and feeling emotions.
While Rachel Renee is a talented writer, the only thing I did not like about the story is that it was basically all tell and no showing. This did take me out of the story for a bit. I will recommend this story to others.
August 18, 2017
Instincts is a great beginning to what I believe will be a super exciting series! It follows Detective Eliza Sheppard, and her team, who are brought to an abandoned factory in the middle of the night, with a crime scene straight out of a horror movie. The stage is set to hint at suicide, but Eliza knows quickly that it's more than that. And when her instincts send her on a lead that other's think is crazy, will she be proven right? It's great to see a female lead detective who is smart, and pretty controlled, and I LOVED her! She isn't easily distracted by a hot man, and that makes her my newest girl crush. Rachel Renee showed a talented writing style that I truly believe will only evolve into bigger things. Her twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, and colorful metaphors coming out of my mouth. There was a lot of info while introducing so many secondaries, so I got confused a bit, and that's the thing that kept me from giving this a 5 Star. Be that as it may, I CANNOT WAIT to see what she comes out with, and hopefully more Eliza, as I'm not sure that I'll ever get enough of her! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
August 9, 2018
I liked this book. Solid main character. The twists and turns kept me fully engulfed in the story. I liked the fact that she hinted throughout the book who the killer was by giving you an uneasy feeling here and there all while leading you in different directions towards different suspects. Nothing stood out in the story that you do the oh I think that's the killer, just a feeling the actions in the book give you, you doubt each suspect and wonder what is really going on. Makes the story line so much more interesting to me. There probably could have been few less of the mundane details left out. But all in all, good book and looking forward to reading the 2 that follow in this series!
August 15, 2017
Instincts grabbed me from the first page! Throwing me right in the middle of a CSI crime scene with intricate details of evidence collected, angles and position of victim and furniture. You could tell the author had done her research!
I loved how Detective Eliza worked with her team and how they engaged with one another even with the banter. A tight knit family. The close friendship between Eliza and Coop as friends only.
This is an amazing crime thriller that spins a web of mystery, suspense, deceit and drama as the team of detectives encounter twists and turns as they try to unravel the victim's events leading to her murder. Who is the Mysterious Man and what are his ties to the victim and Eliza?
I would strongly recommend this book! Can't wait for another adventure with Detective Eliza!
I loved how Detective Eliza worked with her team and how they engaged with one another even with the banter. A tight knit family. The close friendship between Eliza and Coop as friends only.
This is an amazing crime thriller that spins a web of mystery, suspense, deceit and drama as the team of detectives encounter twists and turns as they try to unravel the victim's events leading to her murder. Who is the Mysterious Man and what are his ties to the victim and Eliza?
I would strongly recommend this book! Can't wait for another adventure with Detective Eliza!
August 17, 2017
INSTINCTS was an interesting story. It is centered around Lead Homicide Detective Eliza Shepard and the latest case that come up for her group. It is not unusual for her and her team to see death in its many different ways, but seeing the body hanging from rafters causes her instincts to kick in and say that this is no ordinary death. Calling on her group, she will hunt down the answers that continue to pop up as they look into the death of Loretta Michaels. No lead will go undiscovered. Even if those leads follow to revelations that no one was expecting.
I liked INSTINCTS. It is a thriller that takes readers through the highs and lows of the hunt for the what caused the death of a young woman. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and the end was an interesting twist. The characters are engaging, but there are times that I got irritated with Eliza’s character at times because she became a bit wishy washy. However, I did it funny how the guys seemed to go through contests to win 2nd position by Eliza’s side (not romantically). Overall the book was enjoyable and kept me engaged.
eARC through Enticing Journey Book Promotions
I liked INSTINCTS. It is a thriller that takes readers through the highs and lows of the hunt for the what caused the death of a young woman. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and the end was an interesting twist. The characters are engaging, but there are times that I got irritated with Eliza’s character at times because she became a bit wishy washy. However, I did it funny how the guys seemed to go through contests to win 2nd position by Eliza’s side (not romantically). Overall the book was enjoyable and kept me engaged.
eARC through Enticing Journey Book Promotions
February 25, 2020
This is the first time I’ve read this author, and I am so glad I did!
THANK YOU for a really good book that didn’t have an onslaught of curse words in every sentence!
THANK YOU for having realistic relationships between the opposite sex, in a work environment without hitting the reader over the head with sex! Sex, and more sex.
THANK YOU for sticking to the story, for having excellent characters that I want to know more about, a plot that wasn’t cookie-cutter, and an ending that left me wanting more.
I can’t wait for the next in the series.
I hope it’s Cooper, but I wouldn’t mind finding out what Liam has been up to.
THANK YOU for a wonderful time.
THANK YOU for a really good book that didn’t have an onslaught of curse words in every sentence!
THANK YOU for having realistic relationships between the opposite sex, in a work environment without hitting the reader over the head with sex! Sex, and more sex.
THANK YOU for sticking to the story, for having excellent characters that I want to know more about, a plot that wasn’t cookie-cutter, and an ending that left me wanting more.
I can’t wait for the next in the series.
I hope it’s Cooper, but I wouldn’t mind finding out what Liam has been up to.
THANK YOU for a wonderful time.
February 15, 2018
I read this as a precurser to starting my ARC copy of the 2nd book in Rachael Renee’s Savananah PD series. I enjoy reading a good murder mystery and this book was no exception. This is the story of Eliza Shepphard and her team’s quest to find a killer. We are lead to a Mystery Man and it was a mystery right up until the end. I am looking forward to starting my ARC copy of book 2. ~ A Bibliophile ❤️📚
July 1, 2018
Instincts:, Savannah PD Series
Very entertaining and interesting storyline about an group,police detectives who are investigating the murder of a business woman. The case seems baffling at first as there are multiple suspects but none of them appear to be the murderer. Someone has to be guilty and their search for answers just keeps on going.
Very entertaining and interesting storyline about an group,police detectives who are investigating the murder of a business woman. The case seems baffling at first as there are multiple suspects but none of them appear to be the murderer. Someone has to be guilty and their search for answers just keeps on going.
August 18, 2017
At the very beginning we are thrown straight into the crime scene. This story features just about everything; deceit, murder, drama, mystery, with twists & turns throughout, which all lead to a great thriller, which had me on tenterhooks throughout.
This is the first book I've read from this author and I will be reading more. It was brilliant, the way the author had me gripped from beginning to end. I really don't want to comment any further on the story as I don't want to reveal any spoilers however I will say, don't start this book if you're looking to pass some time because you'll want to finish it in one sitting.
This is the first book I've read from this author and I will be reading more. It was brilliant, the way the author had me gripped from beginning to end. I really don't want to comment any further on the story as I don't want to reveal any spoilers however I will say, don't start this book if you're looking to pass some time because you'll want to finish it in one sitting.
August 17, 2019
The author brings us into the life of Detective Eliza and how she handles her cases. She is good with her team, and the work that needs to be done. The woman was from Miami traveling to Savannah and back. A highly recognized business woman, young, married and two sons. Following her instincts she goes deeper to find out how she ended up here, a tragic victim. Good detailed plot, and a new author that I enjoyed reading.
August 30, 2017
Good book. Easy read
September 5, 2017
Fell in love with Eliza and her team... so excited for this series to continue to unravel and follow Eliza.
August 19, 2017
I received this book from Eye Candy Bookstore. I read and reviewed this voluntarily.
Eliza is a strong woman with instincts to match. Together she and her team catch their killer. Team members are more like family members and they're a tight unit 💟
Rachel has a style that'll keep you o your toe and guessing. Just as you think you've nailed it another twist will sneak up on you . You can picture and feel the characters and scenes . It's everything you want in a book!
A damn good read 😉
Eliza is a strong woman with instincts to match. Together she and her team catch their killer. Team members are more like family members and they're a tight unit 💟
Rachel has a style that'll keep you o your toe and guessing. Just as you think you've nailed it another twist will sneak up on you . You can picture and feel the characters and scenes . It's everything you want in a book!
A damn good read 😉
June 9, 2018
very good
August 16, 2017
I was hooked and intrigued from the very beginning with this story. At the very beginning we are thrown straight into the crime scene. This story has deceit, murder, drama, mystery, with twists & turns throughout, which all lead to a great thriller, which had me on tenterhooks throughout. This very talented author has done an amazing job in writing this storyline, and I cannot wait to read more, and I recommend this author’s work for all crime drama lovers out there!
February 22, 2020
Eliza has great instincts, this one had me guessing up to the end. Dan was so good at hiding in plan sight. Hope there is more.
June 15, 2018
Intense!
Wow! I just finished the book, it's been a while since I read something that I just couldn't put down! I'm looking forward to reading the second book, I need to know what happens with several of the characters! This has been on my reading list for a while, I read A LOT, and I'm so glad I finally got it and read it!
Wow! I just finished the book, it's been a while since I read something that I just couldn't put down! I'm looking forward to reading the second book, I need to know what happens with several of the characters! This has been on my reading list for a while, I read A LOT, and I'm so glad I finally got it and read it!
January 10, 2019
Instincts begins with an horrific crime which temporary head of major crimes Eliza isn’t really ready to deal with. Facing self doubt but buoyed by her team, she must lead the investigation. An engrossing venture into the challenges of police work, with each new discovery gradually moving the investigation forward and relationships hesitantly developing. A satisfying read with interesting characters and a well developed plot.
July 28, 2017
I loved this book! I was hooked from from the fist paragraph. I couldn't put the book down! Just when I thought I had a theory about how the story would go there was a twist. I was on the edge of my seat with every word. I finished the book in two days!
January 28, 2020
I do love a good police mystery. Add a strong female lead detective and I’m hooked. Eliza Sheppard is a lead detective handling murders in Savannah GA. She works with 4 male detectives and has their respect. They are trying to solve the murder of a 40 years old mother of 3. There are many twists and turns and you need to buckle up for the ride. Her right hand man is her best friend since childhood is Cooper Wrigley aka Coop. They have a special relationship and I love it. This is the first book in the series and I’ll definitely be reading this series.
February 15, 2017
This was a great mystery/thriller and a perfect choice, if that's what you're looking for! This book kept me guessing from the first page until the last and kept me engaged throughout. This book was so detailed that I could picture every character and every move that they made. It's impossible not to connect with these characters and care about them and the journey that they're on. I love the writing style of this author, Rachel Renee. I can't wait for the next book of this series to come out to see where Detective Eliza Sheppard's story goes next! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in crime dramas, murder mysteries, or suspense thrillers. It was so exciting following Detective Eliza Sheppard and her group of detectives through their investigation and I can't wait to see what comes next!
February 15, 2017
This was a great mystery/thriller and a perfect choice, if that's what you're looking for! This book kept me guessing from the first page until the last and kept me engaged throughout. This book was so detailed that I could picture every character and every move that they made. It's impossible not to connect with these characters and care about them and the journey that they're on. I love the writing style of this author, Rachel Renee. I can't wait for the next book of this series to come out to see where Detective Eliza Sheppard's journey goes next! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in crime dramas, murder mysteries, or suspense thrillers. It was so exciting following Detective Eliza Sheppard and her group of detectives through their investigation and I can't wait to see what comes next!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews