Three Seconds To Rush

Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery #1

by Danielle Stewart (Laura Jennings (Narrator)

Tara Shiloh knows she’s not a drug addict. She’s positive she’s a good mother and hard worker. So why is she in an alley with a needle in her arm? Waking up in the hospital without her son is terrifying. Being told she can’t have him back nearly crushes her. With her memory spotty and the circumstances incriminating, Tara must fight to learn the truth and wrestle with the idea that maybe her son is better off without her.

Reid Holliston defends guilty people for a living and it's slowly killing him. He’s certain there is no such thing as a truly blameless client anymore. When his phone rings with a voice from his childhood his jaded views make him certain Tara is just one more criminal claiming innocence. But even his skepticism isn’t enough to keep him away.

Best friends from a lifetime ago, the two must find a way to trust each other again in spite of how the years apart have changed them. Can a promise made in childhood be enough to save them both?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks, Crime

Audiobook

First published September 11, 2016

About the author

Writing is a way to make a lot of different people do exactly what you want them to do. When I can’t get my toddler to listen to me, I turn to my characters. They always cooperate!

I currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina with my husband and seven year old son. I have perfected the ability to write in a noisy house and create story lines while folding laundry.

Ten Things to know about me:

1. I have a fear of whales. All whales. The noise they make. The sight of them (even on tv). I don't think this phobia has a name and I've never met anyone else who feels this way. I blame it on the 3D movie when I was 7 at the Boston Museum of Science. (Thanks Dad.)

2. When I get hungry it brings out the worst in me. My friends and family know to keep me well fed. They pack snacks now.

3. I can cook but not bake. Not even a little. Not even a box of brownies.

4. If there is a song I like it is normal to hear me listening to it a hundred times (give or take) in a row.

5. I do not, under any circumstances, read directions. Who has time for that? Making mac & cheese by the seat of my pants for the last 25 years.

6. Like a black-out drunk, I have lost hours of my life mysteriously to Pinterest. If you haven't tried it yet... don't. Save your self.

7. Before I became a mother, lots of things grossed me out. Now nothing does.

8. My favorite food is food... my least favorite food is no food. I love food. (apply the same rule to wine)

9. I do not have a green thumb. I have the kind of thumb that kills any type of plant ever given to me. Whatever kind of thumb that is... I have it.

10. Writing has changed my life. Not just the career it's created but the way I feel when I write. If you have something you love to do I hope you get the opportunity to do it.



Piper Anderson Series:
Book 1: Chasing Justice (FREE)
Book 2: Cutting Ties
Book 3: Changing Fate
Book 4: Finding Freedom
Book 5: Settling Scores
Book 6: Battling Destiny
Book 7: Chris & Sydney Collection (Choosing Christmas & Saving Love)

Betty's Journal - Bonus Material (suggested to be read after Book 4 to avoid spoilers)

The Edenville Series:
Book 1: Flowers in the Snow (FREE!)
Book 2: Kiss in the Wind
Book 3: Stars in a Bottle
Book 4: Fire in the Heart (pre-order)

The Clover Series:
(Book 1 & 2) Half My Heart & Change My Heart (FREE)
(Book 3) All My Heart
(Book 4) Facing Home

The Rough Waters Series:
Book 1: The Goodbye Storm(FREE)
Book 2: The Runaway Storm
Book 3: The Rising Storm

The Barrington Billionaire Series
Book 1: Fierce Love (Free)
Book 2: Wild Eyes
Book 3: Crazy nights
Book 4: Loyal Hearts

The Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery
Book 1: Three Seconds to Rush (Free)
Book 2: Just for a Heartbeat
Book 3: Not just an Echo

Stand Alones:
Yours for the Taking
Sweet Rendezvous
Running from Shadows

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a suspense and kind of thriller novel with an easily predictable twist (I guessed it in the second chapter), but enjoyable plot nonetheless.

Tara wakes up in hospital after an overdose, having never used drugs. She then embarks on a journey in order to retain custody of her son, Wylie, with the help of defence attorney and childhood friend Reid, who isn't altogether convinced of her innocence, and Reid's investigative friend Willow.

Tara was a well characterised character, even if at times she annoyed me. I much preferred Willow and Reid, especially Reid, who was very much a flawed individual.

The narrator, Laura Jennings, was also brilliant. Every character felt like they had distinctive voices and it felt much easier to sympathise with Tara through the narration.

[Tulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mystery.

Story about Tara and her friend Reid, they were there to support and help each other when they were growing up. Now Tara needs held, calls on him. Reid is not satisfied with his life, and defending guilty people. He has good and giving friends around. Angels and demons fighting to get what they want.

[Coco.V]

FREE on Amazon today (11/15/2017)!

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.
Quite light reading for a thriller - fairly predictable and lacks the depth to the characters that make a truly great read.
On the other hand I did spend the first few chapters screaming (on the inside, obv.) for somebody to check Tara for needle marks, and as a parent there was the whole empathy thing going on.
Overall: Light but interesting and entertaining. Worth the read for a freebie - and I might just check out the other books by this author too.

[Ted Tayler · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A steady-paced thriller"

This will appeal to several types of reader. It's a thriller, wrapped up in a romance, and tied with a mystery bow. Not really my kind of book, but it's well-written, and with believable characters and situations.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok for a quick read, could’ve been better. Tara was a likable character, if I was in her position I doubt I would be likable. I can’t imagine having my kid taken and nobody listening to me when I told the truth! Reid, I totally did not like. Shell of a person and a real asshole, imo. I really didn’t consider this a thriller, i could figure it out from the beginning, it all make sense clear as day (not going to give it away in a review, go read it and see if you can figure it out)

[Jenelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara is a widowed mother who finds herself facing charges of abandoning her son. She woke up in the hospital and doesn’t remember what happened. She contacts a dear childhood friend, Reid to provide her with legal help. They embark upon a journey to find out what happened and to help Tara fight the charges and investigate what happened. This book is a real page turner. I was very engaged, and I enjoyed the ride, all the way until the last page. This book had a few plot twists. Loved it!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out so promising!!! Not only was the twist relatively predictable, it was pretty far fetched. The characters were interesting but I still have unanswered questions

[Dalene W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable

This wasn’t a bad book to read, but I guessed the ending after the first few chapters. The characters were well developed.

[ElleEm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. The characters seemed like real people but not much of a mystery in my opinion. It was entertaining and something light to read. I will check out more books by this author.

[Suzy (readaholicmom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an absolute stomach twister. Just imaging all the things that Tara goes through makes my skin crawl. She tells the truth over and over but no one believes her. Not even the one person that should have believed her right from the beginning. And in the middle of all the drama, her little boy is taken, placed with the people that mean her harm, and Tara isn't even allowed to see or reach out to him. There was nothing for her but to fight, and fighting she sure did to prove everyone wrong and regain custody of her boy. Loved reading this story, loved Tara's will to survive even more.

[Villy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I didn't like:

I found Tara so freakin' annoying that I nearly didn't care who the bad guy was! She lied all the time (concealing the full truth = a lie as far as I'm concerned), she used Reid (and played on his guilt over their childhood actions), she kept repeating she was innocent/was set up yet she managed to be entirely unsympathetic, she claimed to love her son but in all the flashbacks we had of them she came across as playing pretend (no idea how the author managed that!) and naturally she had a heart condition that meant that when Reid had enough of her lies, she'd faint till he was over it. Never mind that when things were worse (waking up at the hospital in the beginning of the book) she had zero heart issues or fainting or anything to make her condition feel like anything but an attempt at manipulation.

Red wasn't much better. For a guy who claims to act tough and see right through guilty people and be fully immune to BS, he sure turned into putty every time she brought up their childhood or timely fainted.

The childhood backstory was... that she lied to the cops for him. That's it. There was a slight continuation of him not tracking her down when CPS removed her from her parents' house and to the house of a great-uncle but it felt forced. Are we really supposed to believe a guy in his late teens/early 20s would realistically track her down that much? And do what? Force her to come back and support her or something?

The bad guys were entirely far fetched, sorry. I could see them wanting Wylie and perhaps even go after Tara, but not this way and not to this extent.

What I did like:

Willow. She was the only person that seemed remotely interesting and real enough. I'd definitely read a book about her and her life (simply telling us she's a mother so she 'gets' Tara by default and has a hubby who is a doctor just when we need one, doesn't cut it).

The writing style and prose. The constant flashbacks isn't something I personally enjoy but Ms. Stewart is a very good writer on the whole. I'd try another of her books, who knows? Maybe this one was a fluke.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, quick read. Quick because I never wanted to have to stop reading! I figured out the "bad guys" pretty early in the book, but it was still a pleasure moving toward that conclusion. Ms. Stewart has created an incredible woman in Tara, and Reid's coming around was fun to read. The story is suspenseful and unique, and the story lines casual and believable.

[Star Shining Forever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tara wakes up in a hospital and is told she'd left her toddler in a parking lot and OD'ed on heroin. Now she's being arrested, needs to prepare a case, will likely lose her child to the system, and most probably will go to jail. The catch? She's never done drugs. And she's pretty sure someone's framing her for all this. Tara desperately calls her childhood friend Reid, now a defense attorney, and he must not only believe this crazy story, but build a case to prove it and defend it in court.

Several things make this novel tedious. Of course the villains are "religious"; though it's at least portrayed as more of a cult. Tara and Reid spend like 1/3 of the book going over and over her claim that she's innocent. Then, in spite of their "love" (or is it just the same type of "love" they had even they first met as teens?) they can't decide if they want to commit to be together. And the huge plot hole that instead of her in-laws framing her, WHY couldn't they just kill her and take the baby they so desperately wanted? The cultish punishment of evildoers could apply all well and good to others, but they made a big messy situation out of what could've ended them up with the kid easily.

The portrayal of a desperate mother is touching, and the action scenes are tense and realistic. But the anti-church agenda and ridiculous plot holes ruined it.

[Scott]

For some reason I thought this was Christian Fiction. Perhaps because searching Amazon for Christian Fiction brings up some of this authors books. However, the only characters associated with religion in this book are entirely crazy, murderous fanatics. So overall, the book paints an entirely negative view of people of faith. Yes it is fiction, and yes, there are bad people who twist and use religion to do bad things, however people of faith are generally good, honest, hardworking, decent loving people. If you can't offer some balance, at least offer a clue to this slant in your story in your descriptions, so customers of faith like me do not spend time and money on it and end up unhappy. I have taken the highly unusual step for me of deleting this book from my Amazon and Audible libraries.

[Lena Zhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this late into the night. I never thought that I would have this moment ever again, and with this type of book, no less. I have never really tried mystery books, but the plot of this had intrigued me so much that I had to read it. The way that the words are articulated and written is so captivating that it makes me flip the pages, making it a book that I could not put down. It was great, and I definitely loved it!

[Lucinda Tolmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

even though this book was quite predictable it was a great read. I could actually see something like this happening and that is scary.

[Danielle Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to mostly read YA novels, but this year I’ve inadvertently branched out. My preference is still the overall YA genre, but I’ve been extremely enjoying mysteries and thrillers lately.

Three Seconds to Rush by Danielle Stewart was one of my random Bookhub purchases and it’s one of the best book purchases I’ve ever made! There will be no spoilers in this book review.

The story starts off with Tara Shiloh, our female protagonist, waking up in the hospital handcuffed to the bed with cops around her. They informed her that she was under arrest for felony child endangerment. She was found passed out in an alley with a needle sticking out of her arm and her baby was found in a shopping cart and he’d almost frozen to death.

The problem is that Tara had never touched drugs a day in her life. So how did heroin get into her system? She also loved her child Wiley more than life itself and would never put him in any type of danger. She called her childhood best friend and her first love, Reid, who became a defense attorney, to help her. They had to work through their rocky past and Tara’s even rockier present in order to solve her mystery and clear her name.

This book captivated my interest from start to finish. I was immediately sucked in and was sad when it ended. It was pretty easy for me to figure out whodunnit but I still enjoyed the journey it took to get there.

The author gives us Tara’s POV as well as Reid’s which I really loved. The story was also mostly kept in the present with very few flashbacks which I appreciated. Sometimes authors have the present mixed with the past throughout a book and it can be confusing. I also love the way Tara’s character was written. She was a strong, independent woman who, although she was in distress, was not a damsel in distress who needed a man to save her. She fought for herself and for Wiley from start to finish and she was a very admirable character.

This was easily a 5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second and third books.

[Mya Elizabeth Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK ATE YALL
I was in a little bit of a slump so o just chose this book that’s been sitting in my library AND WAS SHOCKED HOW MUCH I LOVED IT
This book really sheds light on just how tough motherhood can be
Tara is a single mother struggling to make ends meet but doing her best to make sure her son Wylie is happy and healthy
She has no one in her life, she works multiple job all for her little boy
She puts his needs above her own 25/8 and will go without eating solid meals if that means he can have one
Like she is SO STRONG AND TOUGH
And for her to be accused of drug addiction and child neglect is INSANE
She calls the only person she can think of, the only person she KNOWD will show up no matter what. Reid
But Reid isn’t the same Reid she grew up with
Life hardened him, made him cold
By life I mean his job
This book also opened my eyes to the reality of what it means to be a defense Attorney
MAAAN
I sure as heck don’t want that job
NO SIR
Imagine having to DEFEND someone who you KNOW is GUILTY!
no wonder Reid is hollow inside
But they need each other so bad yall
The way I was so into this book yall
Your girl was up READING UNDER MY COVERS AT NIGHT
because I wanted to figure out how Tara got to an alley and almost died from an overdose and who set her up and why framing her was so lined up neatly
I just wanted her to get her Wylie back
That’s what kept me up reading at night
The pain she described of being apart from him GUTTED ME
I was TORN. UP.
To all the mothers out there doing their best I see you and I’m rooting for you
Motherhood is so beautiful but it’s not perfect
Never perfect
But it’s beautiful nonetheless with so many pure and simple and magical moments
Read this guys
Seriously
I’m sad I read it so quick
What am I gonna do now…

[Rebecca Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Danielle Stewart book and it says book 1 in the series but just before I started reading I realised there was an original Piper Anderson series that came before this so I was worried there would be some things I didn't understand/missed out on having not read those. I decided to read it anyway though and actually feel like I didn't miss anything having not read the original series. I do really want to read them though because I'm very intrigued! It was all a self-contained story and I actually forgot I'd even worried about until right at the end when we briefly see a Piper mentioned and I remembered haha!
But back to this book specifically, I loved the story, the plot was so gripping and not easy to guess at all! I loved Tara and felt so sorry for her that nobody trusted or believed her and she didn't have any close friends or family that could vouch for her. Because to be fair to the other characters who doubted her, the evidence was very damning! Going into it I assumed the point was that she was innocent and we were trying to work out what on earth happened to her, but it had me doubting it at some points. It took me right until a chapter or two before the big reveal to figure it out which I loved! I really liked our other characters too, Reid and in particular Willow. Based on what happened near the end I think Willow might be from the original Piper Anderson series, I think her story is probably one of the books so we got some spoilers for that but I really want to go back and find out her full story and I absolutely loved her. Reid and Tara I loved their friendship and the sort of dual timeline effect with the odd chapter from the past that told us the story of their time as childhood friends and how they lost touch which was such a shame. It was really well done, revealing parts of that story slowly to keep you guessing what could have happened back then as well as trying to work out the current problem. Anyway, I don't really want to give anything away but I would definitely recommend this book and I'll be reading the rest and maybe the original series first for sure!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the gap between the start and end dates fool you; I was in the middle of a lot of chaos and wasn’t reading anything for a few weeks. So, the delay does not reflect on the quality of the book. I would also say that this is probably around a 3.5, but I prefer to give the .5 star benefit, especially to a Goodreads author.

For the most part, this was a really good mystery. It also does a good job of showing some of the inner workings and interplay with criminal law, CPS law, and family law. There were also some very realistic depictions of addiction. It wasn’t exactly how I would see it in my area, but law also varies greatly from place to place, and the overall feel was pretty accurate.

My only real issue was with the Big Reveal and the very end. After being carefully paced and plotted through about 80% of the book, the last part felt rushed and not properly signaled. I didn’t see it coming, but I’m not sure if that’s because I missed something, or there just wasn’t any signposting for me to see. It also felt like that Big Reveal should have more…substance to it. This is #1 in a series, so it’s possible that there’s going to be dealt with more later, but I would have liked to see something more than “there is this huge complicated situation, we’re bringing it up and disposing of it in a couple of chapters!”

Although I felt like the ending should have been better handled (IMO), I really enjoyed the rest of it, and would recommend it. Parts of it were brutal, but for very good reasons, and paint a great picture.

[Radhika Venkatesan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting off, the book was good. It isn't the type of book to keep you anticipated, but one that'll be a simple and relaxing read. The 'mystery' in this book was very simple to figure out-you were able to figure it out in chapter 1 or 2. There were merely any antagonists, except for the 'bad guy' (nickname for the criminal in the novel). The 'bad guy' was barely in the story, and it almost felt like his/her character was 'forcefully' incorporated into the novel.
The flashbacks in the story shouldn't have been as long as they were. Though, these developed Reid's and Tara's love/friendship, there were many nonessential details in it. Now talking about the pacing, I think the author did a great job on that, as she had a slow pace in the beginning but increased it towards the middle and end, where it was necessary.
Finally, I specifically liked that this novel didn't include a lot of descriptions and imagery like other books do; It, however, did have plenty of great dialogues that moved the plot forward. Even though at certain points I lost track of who was talking, the dialogues included details that were significant to the story. Overall, I think it's a good read, but maybe not the best mystery novel.

[Roy Murry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Seconds to RUSH
Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery
DANIELLE STEWART

Reviewed by Roy Murry, Author

Tara is near death with a needle in her arm, and her child, a distance away from her, nearing pneumonia, when the police find her. When she wakes up in the hospital, the detective is reading her 'Her Rights.'

Using her only call, she calls a friend who she hadn't seen in ten years when she was fourteen and he sixteen. Luckily, he is an excellent defense, but he doesn't believe her.

Their childhood plays an integral part in how they move in the right direction as to solving Tara's legal problems. However, Reid has a problem acquainting himself with what they meant to each other and for each other.

They both have issues in dealing with society. Reid is a workaholic and lives like a hermit. Tara tries to do everything on her without a support system.

With conflicts and reevaluations of their selves, they meet in the right place, leading to a conclusion the may not see coming. With support, the story ends in their favor.

The characters are thoroughly developed; the plot is interesting; there are twists, and the prose is thrilling until the end.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara woke up in a hospital, strapped to the bed and confused. When she was told she was brought in for an overdose, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. When she was told that her three year old son, Wylie, was with child protective services, she lost her mind. Tara had never done drugs before and she would never endanger her son. He was her whole life. Yet, she was found in an alley with a needle in her arm and Wylie was found cold in a shopping cart, suffering from hypothermia.

She was stuck in a living nightmare. No one believed her. She was all alone. The only person she hoped to count on was her childhood friend, now defense attorney, Reid Holliston. It had been 10 years since she last saw him. Would he believe her? "A long time ago I was too young to help you. Then I was too caught up in myself to be there for you. But all that's done. You're not alone anymore. Never again."

~ a nightmare for any parent; this fast-paced story mixes agony and despair with hope and kindness. Great read!

[Naznin Azeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read a story with so much emotion & intense feeling in it, while having a good mystery too. Tara is found overdosing on heroin in an alley and accused of leaving her child to freeze in a supermarket lot. She has absolutely no idea what happened to herself, when she comes to but she knows that she is being charged with felony child endangerment. No one believes her when she says she doesn't do drugs. She has no clue how she ended up in that alley.

It's a refreshing story line. There are so many life lessons in simple sentences. It's a beautiful book with so many wonderful and kind people. Kindness can have such a profound effect. Relationships are given so much importance and most importantly, what will tug at your heart is Tara's unconditional motherly love for her son. She is strength personified but she doesn't know that herself. It's a really beautiful story that will melt your heart, make you cry sad and happy tears and overall make you fall in love with humanity itself. Also, the book cover is gorgeous and the title is so apt and attractive.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small child is found in a shopping cart in the parking lot in sub zero temps and no jacket while is mom is found in the alley by a dumpster overdosed on heroin with the needle still in her arm. Lucky for her a cop was in the area to save her.
Tara wakes up in the hospital wondering what happened and wants to know where her son is, she is told that her son is in protective services and she is facing felony charges for not protecting her son and for her drug addiction, only problem is, Tara's never used drugs in her life.
Tara calls upon her childhood friend Reid, who is a defense attorney to help her, they havent seen each other since they were teens, he doesnt have any hope of getting her out of this mess, to much evidense stacked against her. Reid hires a friend to help when Tara refuses to admitting to taking drugs and cutting a deal, soon pieces of the puzzle start to come together.

very interesting story, I had a feeling what happened and I was right. enjoyed this story and the suspense it offerd.

[Alan Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult to work out what genre Danielle Stewart was aiming for when she wrote this novel. It had moments of suspense when I found I was speed reading to see what was happing next and other times, particularly towards the end, it seemed to bog down.

There were essentially two (or three) plots occulting simultaneously, but all intertwined.

Tara Shiloh knows she’s not a drug addict but was found with a needle in her arm and a heroin overdose and she called her long-time bestie, Reid Holliston, to defend her. The plot develops from there and reaches a very good and enthralling climax with about two-thirds of the book to go.

And then there is the conspiracy behind the plot and the romance section of the book which was reasonably well done.

It was certainly an easy read and the jumps back in history between the two main characters was very well done and put some perspective on the current situation.

I am not sure of the book has been designed to be the first in a series but time and reading will tell.

[Cyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: In exchange for an unbiased review, the author, publisher, and/or narrator were kind enough to provide an audio version of this book at no charge via AudiobookBlast.

Most of this book was quite compelling to listen to; there weren't really any moments of "get ON with it", as it flowed so well. The narrator did a good job of bringing the characters to life and the mystery was decent enough (though not all that hard to figure out at all). The backstory of the two main characters helped to add depth to this story that make you really care of the characters. My only complaint is how everything wrapped up; there really wasn't a huge climax or anything, so it all felt kind of anti-climactic by the time it was all over. Still, it's probably worth a listen for anyone who likes this genre (mystery/romance - though the romance wasn't heavy-handed or annoying, fortunately).

I still have no clue who this "Piper Anderson" is, though. :p

[Ellen Behrens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe three-and-a-half stars...

Tara wakes up in a hospital room from an overdose and no memory of how she got there. Her toddler son was found in a shopping cart in the cold so Tara is in danger of losing custody of the one person in her life who makes her feel whole. With no one to turn to, she manages to get a childhood friend she hasn't seen in a decade to help her but even he can't seem to understand she doesn't do drugs, didn't take any that night, would never endanger her child... What ensues is her determined fight for the truth.

If we're not supposed to know what's really going on, this book deserves a two-star rating because it was pretty easy to see early on. So much of the book was a frustrating, "Can't they see what's happening?" "Why don't they...X Y Z because then they'd know!"

I don't have a lot of patience for transparent mysteries, which cost this otherwise well-written book some stars.