Shallow Grave

South Shores #4

by Karen Harper

The truth won’t stay buried forever…

It’s been four months since forensic psychologist Claire Britten last crossed paths with danger. Finally feeling she can catch her breath, together with her partner, criminal lawyer Nick Markwood, Claire has settled into a new role, volunteering with a support group for children stressed by domestic violence. But a leisurely field trip to a wildlife sanctuary turns deadly, leaving Claire to question whether the death was an accident, suicide—or something far more sinister.

Nick gets the South Shores team on the case, hunting down anyone with a potential grudge against the sanctuary. But their investigation turns wild when other attacks come too close to home. With a hostile predator on the loose, Nick and Claire will have to race to unbury the truth before a killer wipes them from the endangered-species list for good.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Murder Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

384 pages, Hardcover

First published February 27, 2018

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[Sunflowerbooklover]

Ugh... sigh. I have such a hard time with not finishing books. DNF at 35 percent. I was having such a hard time with following all of the characters. There were too many too quickly in the beginning and I just could not follow the story at all. I was not feeling it and could not connect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced arc.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent addition to this series, Although 4th in line, it reads well as a stand-alone. However, I always recommend starting from the beginning.

Nick and Claire are in their new home, a few months after their last almost deadly encounter. Supposedly things are back to "normal" but unfortunately that doesn't last near long enough.

Claire volunteers with a support group for children affected by domestic violence. The kids are taken on a field trip to a wildlife sanctuary where they have acquired a Siberian tiger. But this turns deadly as the owner of the sanctuary is mauled and killed by the tiger while still caged.

Accident? Suicide? Murder?

Nick gets his investigative team to start hunting down anyone with a grudge against the sanctuary ... a competitor, animal rights protesters perhaps, even the tiger's former owner is suspect here.

But it gets really dangerous when other wildlife is found on Nick and Claire's acreage.... a vicious snake with its throat slashed, a large gator killed elsewhere and dumped literally in their front yard.

With a hostile predator on the loose, Nick and Claire will have to race to unearth the truth before a killer wipes them from the endangered-species list for good.

There's lot of action, although the beginning was a little slow. The suspense is palpable in certain areas. There's a lot of the slaying of different species of animals. The story premise is compelling and kept me rapidly turning pages to see what would happen next.

Many thanks to the author / Harlequin - Mira / Netgalley for the digital copy of SHALLOW GRAVE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forensic psychologist Claire Britton and new husband Nick Markwood can finally kick back and begin to enjoy life They spent months fighting more than one enemy, and have now been able to enjoy a nice, quiet time. Things have gone so well for Claire and Nick, and Claire's daughter Lexi, that Claire is even volunteering for a support group for children affected by domestic violence.

While visiting a sanctuary with the group of children, as well as Lexi and Nick, there is a sudden and deadly death. It most certainly has to be an accident, at least that is what everyone hopes. However, after this occurs, it becomes evident that things were not as they seemed at the sanctuary.

There is a deeper issue, and that clearly affects Claire and Nick. Claire's ex-husband, Jace, is still very involved in their lives. In large part, because he is very close to their daughter, Lexi. What is more, is that Claire and Jace still care for one another, especially due to the trauma they all experienced in the past (see the previous stories in this series). What is more is that Jace is now dating Brittany, who works at the sanctuary and is the daughter of the man that died.

Although I do my best to read entire series, those new to this series will be able to enjoy this book as a standalone. This is mostly due to the time when the story takes place, and the fact that Claire and Nick are settled, and Jace is dating again. So readers will have a lot to enjoy when they begin turning the pages of this book.

There is intrigue, extreme danger, romance and a strong family element. There is a bevy of wonderful characters that band together when needs must. Actually, I think that is one of the things that am enjoying most about this series, and that is the character development that goes alone with each story in the series.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book not for the faint of heart, but then none of the books in this series have been, and this one is going to keep you guessing and holding your breath right to the end.
We are back with Nick and Claire, and of course, precocious Lexie, and the extended family, and now we are settled down with a new home and a baby on the way, life is back to normal, right?
With tender hearted Claire, life will never be normal, and this is a story that she might not make it to the end, with the evil that is lurking in the background.
A book not to be missed and you will be quickly page-turning as the story gets better and better, enjoy!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

[☆.。.:*・°☆Love2Read♡HEAs☆.。.:*・°☆ {Anne} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated 4.8 Stars

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t say there was anything I enjoyed or could compliment this book on. First the writing; every section ended in a dramatic pause I found myself silently adding “dun dun dun” after everyone for some enjoyment. The storyline was very predictable and somewhat boring/ unrealistic. Now it’s a crime novel I don’t expect it to be extremely realistic or believable however the little details in the story like Nitas wedding happening in two weeks? Throughout the story weird, unimportant events were added in or stated over and over when there was no need to even be included. It served absolutely no purpose to state Ginas background every time she was mentioned. The repeat of information made it feel like each character was being introduced to the book every time they were mentioned. Being able to guess most of the plot twists beforehand made the story seem boring and to set up for a happy ending. Then the author sidelined the original plot at the end and made it all about Claire, just a few lines actually tying the case together which seemed like extremely lazy writing.
This also seemed to be a case of forgetting the story as it went on. It started as a “murder” case, with weird evidence that it was indeed murder, however by the end there were three or four different cases Nick mentioned. Bens death, Claire Kidnapped/ bones in the BAA, illegal hunting, illegal prostitution, Duncan’s abusive father. There was no consistency for the plot.
Next the characters, I can sum up in two words manipulative and plain. Nick and Claire surrounded themselves with people they could boss around and use. Their “friends” only seemed to appear when it was convenient for Nick or Claire, always being told to do something for the case. For example Bronco taking the job at the ranch. Did he want to no, but Nick worked it out in a lengthy monologue saying Bronco basically had to do it. Claire was just a messy repeat of the same information consistently, her having to take her medication was mentioned at least two dozen times. WE GET IT SHE HAS A DISEASE!! For two people that were supposed to be highly educated they could not seem to piece together anything. I found this extremely frustrating, more so like reading a kids mystery novel rather than one for an adult.
So many unneeded characters were add into the book, I’m unsure if this was meant to increase the population of the area or just to add confusion. About half of them could have been cut and not had a major impact on the book.

[Shai Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so happy when I saw that Ms. Harper had put out another book in her South Shores series! This is a series that I have been following from the beginning because I love the characters. And there is quite the cast which is why I do recommend starting this series from the beginning. Now that I states that, I do need to let it be known that SHALLOW GRAVE can be read as a stand alone book but you will be missing a lot of history of the characters that is brought up occasionally.

SHALLOW GRAVE does start off slow enough that I did start wondering if this series had perhaps lost its spark but I am happy to report it isn't so. The tension and pacing does pick up quite nicely by chapter three and by the next chapter, I was invested (reinvested) in the characters and the mystery to the point that I ended up staying up a bit late on a work night.

Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the book and it was a very good object lesson to myself to give a book more time to develop. The ending satisfied my curiosity yet I still have more questions that will hopefully be answered in the next book. I do think that my readers who enjoy romantic suspense would like this book especially if they have been following the series.

***I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the publisher or author.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good mystery to this series. The action took place around a family owned small petting zoo, that also contained a tiger that had been taken away from a woman. It was an endangered species. It began with a murder by the tiger , while being fed on a day children with problems in their homes, such as violence was visiting. More problems kept occurring both there, and with people who worked there. The last part of the book was very good, and full of action. Claire, and Nick make a good couple for finding trouble , and exploring the answers. This one had a good twist. Plus it had a happy ending. 4 stars.

[Notserp2002 · Rating 5 out of 5]

this kept me interested throughout the book. towards the end there were some surprises for me. I didn't realize this was part of a series - it was a free book i got through the mail. may go back & read others from the series at some point.

[ANNETTE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4 in series
Nick & Claire finally in their house with baby on the way. This starts off fast- paced and jumps in with a murder by a tiger. Nick & Claire are into a tail spin trying to solve this murder .
I loved the characters and had a hard time figuring out who done it.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I had to skim over a lot of parts, just because it was dragging. Some things seemed too weird to be plausible. Wasn't my favorite type of book.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a good murder mystery that is involved and hard to solve.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too contrived for me.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waited too long to review this. Don't recall why I was not impressed too much with it.

[Beth Besso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with the characters almost immediately. The love between Nick and Claire just bounces off the pages. I also like that Claire suffers from narcolepsy, something I'm unfamiliar with but enjoyed learning more of. I didn't know this was a series, just a random pick at the library, and
liked that there were recaps in the book as to what happened previously.

The only thing I didn't like was that the mystery was too easy for me to solve, I even thought of twists that were possible but just didn't happen. There were no surprises.

But overall, I really liked this book and will be reading more South Shores books. I can't wait to read how Nick and Claire met and fell in love (if that does happen in the first book, lol).

[Jennifer Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

there a lawyer two plot lines going along in her books and this one was the same. the plot line with Duncan and her group of kids that she was helping was really good but it snuck I the background. it suoildnhave been more last of the story, especially since out of the blue all of a sudden it was Duncan's terrible.dad who was the one that was the killer. the plot ine with brit, her brother and the tiger was good a d they emphasized that but then all of a sudden forgot all about it at the end to bring Duncan's father in as the killer lit of no where. both plots were good, but they needed more of a balance between the two.

[Tameka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know she wants to be all up in this, but for the most part, he's tired of staying safe. The moment them folka were having trouble with dead animals at their humble abode, the first thing I assumed was it was Duncan's father. He just didn't seem like the type of person to give up on a vendetta with his temper. The minute ol' boy said he thought he saw his father there would have been no second thoughts in my mind regardless. I will say it wasn't even her fault this time around. I am glad the adjustment period for everyone worked out.

[Julie Zude · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to give this author another try, but again I found the writing corny and forced. The author explained the plot instead of letting it unfold. I felt more like I was reading her outline of the plot and her ideas for the story. She explained too many things instead of letting them just be part of the story, assuming the reader would not be able to figure things out on his or her own. The book seems more like young adult fiction.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was likely juicy, but the intense amount of dialogue between smart characters and odd characters in her books just makes it a difficult read for me. She's obviously talented, just hoping to come back to her books another time and take a bit longer to try to dive into them.

[Donna Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

More exciting as the book continued.

[William Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

$th book in this series. Karen is an excellent author, She writes very good mysteries and I look forward to reading more books by her.

[Michele Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line was good but just took sooooo long to get there. The last 2-3 chapters were the best.

[Shannon Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this series, so good!!

[Katie Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! she is a new author for me, and I'll definitely read more.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weak 3 stars. There’s still two books left in the series and I am not going to read them.

[CherylB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in this series. It features Claire Britten and her husband Nick Markwood. She is a forensic psychologist who is now working with at risk youths. They take the children to visit a wildlife sanctuary when one of the owners is killed by their tiger. Fortunately her husband, a criminal attorney, is there and can help. Is it a suicide, an accident or murder. There are many avenues to pursue. And while they are doing that a dead gator is left in their pool. Then the animal caretaker is attacked and is in a coma. Then a dead boa constrictor and dead rats are left under a car in their driveway. Is it the former owner of the tiger? Is it the owner of the neighboring hunting game preserve who is trying to buy the land using any means necessary. This story has so many twists and turns. It kept me turning the pages late into the night. I love Karen Harper’s books because they are full of information and suspense.

Courtney Patterson does a great job narrating the audiobook. She helps immerse you completely so well that you feel you are right there with the characters.

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A title in the South Shores series, in which we follow forensic psychologist Claire Britten and her husband, criminal lawyer Nick Markwood. Claire is a volunteer with a support group devoted to helping children who have witnessed or been the victims of domestic violence. While escorting the children in a wildlife sanctuary, she is shocked at the death of one of the keepers of a big cat. Is it suicide or murder? To make things even worse, the owner of the wildlife sanctuary is convinced that a neighboring resort that offers hunts for high-end adventure-seekers is intent on buying out the owner. Is this death and several other unsettling events, like the discovery of a dead gator in Claire's and Nick's backyard pool, related?

I had to wait until almost the end to understand the significance of the title, which kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. Don't read this book without several lights being on.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick and Claire are in their new home with Claire's daughter,Lexie and hoping they will finally get in to a somewhat normal routine. With Claire pregnant with their first child, Nick would love nothing better than for her to just stay home. 

Along with her sister, Claire forms a group for kids of domestic or traumatic violence. On their outing to the BAA zoo, run by Claire's ex-husband's girlfriend. But when a man dies, killed by one of the animals, it's beginning to look as if Claire and Nick are once again in danger.

With suspicious characters on all sides and dead animals in the pool, this won't be an easy one for them to figure out!

What a good series and a good book! The characters were all very well-developed and the story line is fast paced. I would love to read another one!

NetGalley/Mira   February 27, 2018

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh. Karen Harper has a great series in South Shores. Claire and Nick are back with a new mystery. I enjoy the South Shores series because of the relationship between Claire and Nick. I love the chemistry and how they work together. I worried that after three books with them the series might start to lose something or slump, but no way. Shallow Grave is a wonderful addition to the series it is full of fast-paced action and the pages just keep turning. I didn't want to put it down. I really have enjoyed this series especially after I read Kick Back by Chelsea Cain, which is no longer being published as a series, so thank you Karen Harper for filling this void. I recommend this series to anyone who loves mysteries, crime, and suspense.
Thank you to #Netgalley and Harlequin for the E-arc copy of this novel.
#ShallowGrave