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Beacon Falls #3
Open Grave
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author CJ Lyons, a new installment in her award-winning thriller-suspense series featuring Lucy Guardino:
A secret buried in an open grave returns to haunt a small town…
When divers discover an antique car with a skeleton inside, the Beacon Group dispatches TK O’Connor to lead the investigation into the sixty-year-old cold case.
It’s TK’s first chance at lead investigator and the former Marine is determined not to let her team down. But, almost as soon as she arrives in the downtrodden rustbelt city, her challenges mount.
First, there’s the issue of identifying the man inside the car. Who was he and why did he seemingly drive off a cliff into a quarry, leaving no trace of his life behind?
Then, there’s the brewing racial tensions in the city. A white police officer is on trial for shooting a black man and the verdict is due any minute. When a second killing occurs, TK suddenly finds herself at the center of a new investigation while the town literally explodes around her.
As protesters storm the once peaceful town, it’s up to TK and her boss, Lucy Guardino, to untangle the truth, both past and present. But is the truth powerful enough to stop the violence before any one else is killed?
OPEN GRAVE is the ninth Lucy Guardino novel, but they can be read out of order. If you enjoy captivating suspense, intelligent storytelling, strong and vulnerable characters, and a freight-train pace, then you'll love this adrenaline rush of a heart-pounding thriller from "a master of the genre."
Join the millions of readers who've fallen for CJ’s Thrillers with Heart and grab your copy of DEVIL SMOKE today!
Want to read Book #1, SNAKE SKIN for FREE? Sign up for CJ’s Thrillers with Heart newsletter at CJLyons.net and receive a FREE copy of SNAKE SKIN!
Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers in order:
SNAKE SKIN
BLOOD STAINED
KILL ZONE (a Suspense Magazine Best Novel of the Year)
AFTER SHOCK: a Lucy Guardino novella
HARD FALL (Thriller Award Winner)
BAD BREAK: a Lucy Guardino novella
Beacon Falls Mysteries featuring Lucy Guardino:
LAST LIGHT
DEVIL SMOKE
OPEN GRAVE
GONE DARK, Winter 2017
Praise for CJ Lyons’ FBI Thrillers:
"A high stakes adventure with dire consequences." ~New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
"A compelling new voice in thriller writing…I love how the characters come alive on every page." ~New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver
"Everything a great thriller should be—action packed, authentic, and intense." ~#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child
"Highly engaging characters, heart-stopping scenes…one great rollercoaster ride that will not be stopping anytime soon." ~Bookreporter.com
"Storylines as hypnotic as the characters are magnetic...(Lyons) delights and satisfies." ~National Examiner
5 out of 5 stars: “CJ Lyons imparts such realism, it is hard not to become emotionally invested. Intense. Edgy. Believable. Highly recommend!” ~Best Fiction Books on SNAKE SKIN
TOP PICK! 4 1/2 Stars: Combine Dirty Harry with a loving wife and mother and you might end up with Lucy Guardino. Fans of Lyons’ hospital-set series will love the change of setting and thrilling pace. One note: readers with a fear of snakes should pick up this story carefully. Regardless, you won’t be able to put this one down.
A secret buried in an open grave returns to haunt a small town…
When divers discover an antique car with a skeleton inside, the Beacon Group dispatches TK O’Connor to lead the investigation into the sixty-year-old cold case.
It’s TK’s first chance at lead investigator and the former Marine is determined not to let her team down. But, almost as soon as she arrives in the downtrodden rustbelt city, her challenges mount.
First, there’s the issue of identifying the man inside the car. Who was he and why did he seemingly drive off a cliff into a quarry, leaving no trace of his life behind?
Then, there’s the brewing racial tensions in the city. A white police officer is on trial for shooting a black man and the verdict is due any minute. When a second killing occurs, TK suddenly finds herself at the center of a new investigation while the town literally explodes around her.
As protesters storm the once peaceful town, it’s up to TK and her boss, Lucy Guardino, to untangle the truth, both past and present. But is the truth powerful enough to stop the violence before any one else is killed?
OPEN GRAVE is the ninth Lucy Guardino novel, but they can be read out of order. If you enjoy captivating suspense, intelligent storytelling, strong and vulnerable characters, and a freight-train pace, then you'll love this adrenaline rush of a heart-pounding thriller from "a master of the genre."
Join the millions of readers who've fallen for CJ’s Thrillers with Heart and grab your copy of DEVIL SMOKE today!
Want to read Book #1, SNAKE SKIN for FREE? Sign up for CJ’s Thrillers with Heart newsletter at CJLyons.net and receive a FREE copy of SNAKE SKIN!
Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers in order:
SNAKE SKIN
BLOOD STAINED
KILL ZONE (a Suspense Magazine Best Novel of the Year)
AFTER SHOCK: a Lucy Guardino novella
HARD FALL (Thriller Award Winner)
BAD BREAK: a Lucy Guardino novella
Beacon Falls Mysteries featuring Lucy Guardino:
LAST LIGHT
DEVIL SMOKE
OPEN GRAVE
GONE DARK, Winter 2017
Praise for CJ Lyons’ FBI Thrillers:
"A high stakes adventure with dire consequences." ~New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
"A compelling new voice in thriller writing…I love how the characters come alive on every page." ~New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver
"Everything a great thriller should be—action packed, authentic, and intense." ~#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child
"Highly engaging characters, heart-stopping scenes…one great rollercoaster ride that will not be stopping anytime soon." ~Bookreporter.com
"Storylines as hypnotic as the characters are magnetic...(Lyons) delights and satisfies." ~National Examiner
5 out of 5 stars: “CJ Lyons imparts such realism, it is hard not to become emotionally invested. Intense. Edgy. Believable. Highly recommend!” ~Best Fiction Books on SNAKE SKIN
TOP PICK! 4 1/2 Stars: Combine Dirty Harry with a loving wife and mother and you might end up with Lucy Guardino. Fans of Lyons’ hospital-set series will love the change of setting and thrilling pace. One note: readers with a fear of snakes should pick up this story carefully. Regardless, you won’t be able to put this one down.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2016
550 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Lyons
80 books897 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.
Two times winner of the International Thriller Writers coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).
Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net
Two times winner of the International Thriller Writers coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).
Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 4, 2017
WOW. just that. wow
February 21, 2017
A Great Eye Opener
I have been reading CJ Lyons' books a long time, each book gets a little better. Open Grave solves a 60 year old murder case, is terrible to see how people in high places can harm another human being, but back in 1954 or so, racist was prominent, glad to see this story out there and to read the great speech at the end., so much better today, but still not how God intends for us to live.
Great book CJ
I have been reading CJ Lyons' books a long time, each book gets a little better. Open Grave solves a 60 year old murder case, is terrible to see how people in high places can harm another human being, but back in 1954 or so, racist was prominent, glad to see this story out there and to read the great speech at the end., so much better today, but still not how God intends for us to live.
Great book CJ
February 15, 2017
Another fast paced, can't put down, novel by C.J. Lyons. Can't wait for the next one!
February 16, 2017
Awesome
This was a great book sad but true the way things are going in the world today is despicable like we are moving backwards instead of forward we as human beings need to show more love and compassion and less fear and hate .
This was a great book sad but true the way things are going in the world today is despicable like we are moving backwards instead of forward we as human beings need to show more love and compassion and less fear and hate .
February 13, 2017
Truly thought provoking!
The speech at the end of this book by one of the characters is something I feel is so true.
I could not put this book down as I was so ingrossed as to what would happen next.
The speech at the end of this book by one of the characters is something I feel is so true.
I could not put this book down as I was so ingrossed as to what would happen next.
February 12, 2017
Dramatic
Interesting adaptation of the dialogue between characters. Very vivid, descriptive plot well developed . Perhaps a little too much lecture toward the end.
Interesting adaptation of the dialogue between characters. Very vivid, descriptive plot well developed . Perhaps a little too much lecture toward the end.
February 18, 2017
This is a story everyone should read. It is a heart rendering thought provoking book. I was captivated from page one and could not put the book down. The content is all there with plenty of mystery, suspense and interesting characters along with many reasons to think deeply about life and how we react to one another. I loved this story and highly recommend you reading it.
July 12, 2024
TK is assigned the lead on a cold case of 60 years in a small Pennsylvania town. Three black people and one white are found in a car submerged in a quarry. Unraveling the past, indicates that discrimination and hate boils beneath the surface currently. I thought this was one of the best stories in the series.
February 7, 2017
OPEN GRAVE immediately connects with fans of Lucy Guardino, introducing CJ Lyons’ readers to Lucy’s new role of team leader of an elite group of investigators for the Beacon Group. Lyons transitions back to the present time introducing TK O’Connor as lead investigator of a mystery in Greer, Pennsylvania. Beacon Group is investigating a divers’ discovery of a skeleton found in an antique car submerged in a quarry just outside of Greer, Pennsylvania. The author’s plot is full of suspense and intrigue. It is as if readers are watching a feature film. She transitions her readers into the past, sixty-five years and then back to the present. Readers meet key support characters learning the roles they play in both time-frames.
The storyline’s momentum increases placing readers on the edge of their seats. The tension builds as Lyons continues to tell her story in two parallel storylines. Lyons gives insight the challenges of life in a community torn by racial strife. The Beacon Group team members unravel seven decades of secrets. Lyons expose her readers to the building dangers in Greer. She helps readers understand the fear and anger TK feels. The author places her readers in the dramatic ending that is close to reality. OPEN GRAVE delivers a thought-provoking reality check that will leave readers spellbound.
The storyline’s momentum increases placing readers on the edge of their seats. The tension builds as Lyons continues to tell her story in two parallel storylines. Lyons gives insight the challenges of life in a community torn by racial strife. The Beacon Group team members unravel seven decades of secrets. Lyons expose her readers to the building dangers in Greer. She helps readers understand the fear and anger TK feels. The author places her readers in the dramatic ending that is close to reality. OPEN GRAVE delivers a thought-provoking reality check that will leave readers spellbound.
March 17, 2022
Open grave by C.J. Lyons.
Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers Book 9.
When divers discover an antique car with a skeleton inside, the Beacon Group dispatches TK O’Connor to lead the investigation into the sixty-year-old cold case. It’s TK’s first chance at lead investigator, and the former Marine is determined not to let her team down. But almost as soon as she arrives in the downtrodden rustbelt Pennsylvania town, her challenges mount.First, there’s the issue of identifying the man inside the car. Who was he and why did he seemingly drive off a cliff into a quarry, leaving no trace of his life behind? Then there’s the brewing racial tension in the city. A white police officer is on trial for shooting a black man and the verdict is due any minute. When a second killing occurs, TK suddenly finds herself at the center of a new investigation while the town literally explodes around her.As protesters storm the once peaceful town, it’s up to TK and her boss, Lucy Guardino, to untangle the truth, both past and present. But is the truth powerful enough to stop the violence before anyone else is killed?
A really good read with good characters. I liked TK. She was my favourite. Great story. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers Book 9.
When divers discover an antique car with a skeleton inside, the Beacon Group dispatches TK O’Connor to lead the investigation into the sixty-year-old cold case. It’s TK’s first chance at lead investigator, and the former Marine is determined not to let her team down. But almost as soon as she arrives in the downtrodden rustbelt Pennsylvania town, her challenges mount.First, there’s the issue of identifying the man inside the car. Who was he and why did he seemingly drive off a cliff into a quarry, leaving no trace of his life behind? Then there’s the brewing racial tension in the city. A white police officer is on trial for shooting a black man and the verdict is due any minute. When a second killing occurs, TK suddenly finds herself at the center of a new investigation while the town literally explodes around her.As protesters storm the once peaceful town, it’s up to TK and her boss, Lucy Guardino, to untangle the truth, both past and present. But is the truth powerful enough to stop the violence before anyone else is killed?
A really good read with good characters. I liked TK. She was my favourite. Great story. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
March 15, 2020
I'm at a loss for words after reading this heart wrenching story. The speech at the end by Maybelle basically says it all. The history of generations of a family fueled with hate and fear. The loss of innocents lives because of the colour of their skin and lies. All in all the total ignorance of people. This book had my full attention from word one and I had to finally put it down at 5 am. but just finished the last few chapters this afternoon. The saddest fact is that all this hate and fear still exists today - families, people in general perpetuating the fear and hate - will it ever end - maybe in my wildest dreams? Humans have behaved this way for centuries so unfortunately I don't see it changing 100% ever. All we can do is take responsibility for our own actions and words!! One of the lines in this book that resonated was spoken by TK where she said (not exact words) with all the "freedoms" we have isn't the freedom to hate included?? I'll be pondering that one for a long time!
August 28, 2017
This book is a little different than C J's other books as Lucy now works with The Beacon Group, rather than the FBI. The crime takes place in 1954 in a narrow minded town led by a prejudiced mayor and judge. A black doctor and his family happen to be traveling through when a desperate white girl asks for help for her young black friend. He was beaten for helping her escape her abusive father. A violent mob wants the black boy and the black man, who happens to be a doctor, so a horrific act ensues. Sixty years later, the doctor's car is found in a quarry. TK O'Conner is the lead investigate - her first time in this position. The book bring s to light modern day racism in small town America as the current politicos try to protect themselves and their past.
July 30, 2018
Should Be Required High School Reading!
To say that I was moved, emotionally torn from the writers portraying of characters and intensity of material is an understatement. Eloquent, poignant message so well written I don’t know how to elaborate the value of this book. It’s quality reading, completely unexpected and a shame that it’s not recognized at its value, bringing life to very difficult issues. I in no way diminish its value by saying required high school level material, I believe that it’s a time of growth and value shaping, hence the valuable life lessons the young could gain from this, priceless! It’s also a terrific thriller, captivating. C.J. Bravo, Thank You.God Bless You Girl! You’re something special!
To say that I was moved, emotionally torn from the writers portraying of characters and intensity of material is an understatement. Eloquent, poignant message so well written I don’t know how to elaborate the value of this book. It’s quality reading, completely unexpected and a shame that it’s not recognized at its value, bringing life to very difficult issues. I in no way diminish its value by saying required high school level material, I believe that it’s a time of growth and value shaping, hence the valuable life lessons the young could gain from this, priceless! It’s also a terrific thriller, captivating. C.J. Bravo, Thank You.God Bless You Girl! You’re something special!
March 13, 2017
Intense, thought provoking, thrilling. I can't think of any better words to describe this book. This book will pull you in and keep you captivated until the very end!
A 60 year old murder case that help fan the flames of the very real issues facing us still today!
Well done CJ Lyons!
A 60 year old murder case that help fan the flames of the very real issues facing us still today!
Well done CJ Lyons!
March 20, 2017
I hear enough about this thanks to #45
I missed Lucy. The story is a vivid reminder of these times. I wish I liked TK more but she kind of gets on my nerves. I look forward to the next book.
I missed Lucy. The story is a vivid reminder of these times. I wish I liked TK more but she kind of gets on my nerves. I look forward to the next book.
November 14, 2020
Thought provoking
As always intense, mind catching and holding. More insightful than I ever expected . So much of it pertains to what our country and people are facing right now. Gave me lots to think about.
As always intense, mind catching and holding. More insightful than I ever expected . So much of it pertains to what our country and people are facing right now. Gave me lots to think about.
October 23, 2025
My favorite, it really tackles societal issues in a mostly believable way. A couple of characters are typecast but the author does a good job of making even them believable. We know what happened from the beginning, but the discovery process is the point and we'll done.
June 9, 2017
Superb. A must read. The storyline hit the mark in regards to a past era and what is happening now. The characters were dynamic. Bravo CJ.
December 18, 2017
Did not like...find not finish,.
October 10, 2019
Good book but not as good as the 2 previous in the series.
February 20, 2020
Powerful
Do t much history in this story. Hate has ravaged this country and locked the minds of people behind their eyes
Do t much history in this story. Hate has ravaged this country and locked the minds of people behind their eyes
July 10, 2020
Open grave
Very interesting reading this book kept me guessing from beginning of this story to the very last word great ending to a cold case
Very interesting reading this book kept me guessing from beginning of this story to the very last word great ending to a cold case
June 13, 2024
I sincerely doubt I have ever read a more touching story.As a child of the sixties, I almost cried.
September 24, 2021
A powerful book with s big story to tell...
I have greatly enjoyed a number of CJ Lyons' novels, but this one impressed me most deeply. Reaching into the past and connecting it inevitably with our society's current crises around racial inequality, division and the naked hatred born of fear, in the end this 'thriller' invites us to open our eyes and hearts, and to create a better future - together.
Well done, and thank you.
I have greatly enjoyed a number of CJ Lyons' novels, but this one impressed me most deeply. Reaching into the past and connecting it inevitably with our society's current crises around racial inequality, division and the naked hatred born of fear, in the end this 'thriller' invites us to open our eyes and hearts, and to create a better future - together.
Well done, and thank you.
March 29, 2017
The emotions ...
I know I've said it before but I couldn't put it down! I had a hard time at first getting into the back and forth story telling but when it grabbed a hold of me, I cried and I felt shame! I hurt for this family, I cried for those 2 little girls, I had bad dreams fueled by shame and disbelief! How could people be so horrible to each other? This book, I don't even have words for, the emotions it put me through! I wish I had the words to express what I am trying to say, so I will just leave it at that! Thank you CJ !
I know I've said it before but I couldn't put it down! I had a hard time at first getting into the back and forth story telling but when it grabbed a hold of me, I cried and I felt shame! I hurt for this family, I cried for those 2 little girls, I had bad dreams fueled by shame and disbelief! How could people be so horrible to each other? This book, I don't even have words for, the emotions it put me through! I wish I had the words to express what I am trying to say, so I will just leave it at that! Thank you CJ !
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews