Joanna Grey injects the deadly poison into the chamber of the syringe—time after time. She's murdered before and she'll do it again. She's intelligent, educated, and beautiful. At thirty-five, Rylee Hayes is a respected homicide detective. Her best friends are her grandparents, her coonhound, and her partner—in that order. She's about ready to give up on the idea of a relationship. She hasn't seen the love of her life, Kenzie Bigham, since college. At thirty-four, Kenzie Bigham is the single mom of a thirteen-year-old, a church secretary, and a woman who's struggled much of her adult life with her own sexuality. Their paths will cross when Rylee's new investigation involves members of Kenzie's congregation. They'll discover that the passage of time may have offered them a second chance at love—just as Joanna sights her next target. Will Rylee have what it takes to meet the challenge of a serial killer who's proven herself to be a more than worthy opponent?
Cade Brogan writes romantic thrillers with lesbian protagonists; stories that'll make your hair stand on end. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois. Also, she holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Eastern Illinois University. Her professional background is in mental health and child abuse investigations. She enjoys golf, bridge, and of course, reading and writing lesbian fiction.
Fantastic series! A well disguised psychotic and dramatic suspenseful thriller of a first series. Good storytelling with an indepth plot twist scrutinized by a few indispensable secondary characters along with one well determine female detective. A highly recommended series!
I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest and unbiased review.
A woman is murdered in an unusual manner and it is up to Chicago detectives Rylee Hayes and her partner Rich Winters to hunt down a killer who leaves few clues behind. When a second victim from the same church congregation dies with a similar but different poison in her system, the detectives begin to suspect a serial killer is on loose, one who has a specific target group in their sights. While interviewing witnesses and friends of the two victims, Rye (Rylee) runs into an ex-girlfriend from her college days. Will Kenzie’s job as church secretary put her at risk just as she and Rye rekindle the relationship they once shared?
I enjoyed this first book in the Rylee Hayes Thriller series. We readers have the advantage from the first page of getting inside the twisted and sociopathic mind of Joanna Grey. She has a genius IQ and uses it to punish those she targets. Her demons follow her as closely as she stalks her own prey. Think Silas from the DaVinci Code. She is one sick puppy.
Rye and Rich are a good team and work well together but seemed to lose focus and miss many clues in their efforts to solve the murders. The added complications in their personal lives do not help their problem-solving skills. The sometimes-sloppy police procedural aspect of this novel is off-set by the author’s ability to build suspense. I finished the book in less than a day because I couldn’t put it down. I had to know whether Joanna would find a way to get around Rye’s defences.
The cast is easy to visualize and except for Joanna, easy to like. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Rye’s grandparents Gladys and Omar.
Three stars for the detective work and a solid four stars for the characters, pacing and overall thriller aspect of Close Enough to Touch.
A freebie I've had sitting on the e-reader for quite a bit, and I notice is currently still 0.00.
A good thriller, with a psychotic POV from the murderess, and her disturbing thoughts, self harm, and killings.
Two past lovers trying to reconnect after a lot of angst and history, but with the killer looming so closely, nearby; threatening to permanently keep them apart in death.
One of our MC's Rylee, a homicide detective, is desperately trying to sort clues and track down the culprit. Her love interest and former lover in college, Kenzie, is a complicated woman who had left a mark on Rylee's heart, and has issues with her sexuality and her faith. Unfortunately a lot of this stuff was never fully fleshed out enough. We get some back and forth between the couple, frustrating moments, but quick laments that it will all work out, and them dating and doing more rather quickly.
I felt like no real work was put in to reconnect the two women after so much time apart, nor for Kenzie to atone and also simply come to terms with her sexuality and love for Rylee, in the face of the faith and the pressure from parents and religion. She kept flip-flopping, Rylee kept getting upset with her, then apologizing, then Kenzie would stop and start again, and repeat.
It's certainly not 'bad' in any way, don't get me wrong - but I guess I just wanted more, from all of it... I would be interested in the sequel - but will wait for a sale. I wish it were on KU.
The villain has been an easy guess. You don’t have to wonder whodunnit. The way the murders take place, the reasons, the hunt, the investigation and the question when will the killer strikes again, make this story spectacular. This first book of this new series is very captivating and had me immersed from the beginning. The story flows with ease and the buildup is excellent. An irresistible story with danger, excitement, a brilliant mind, a twisted soul, flagellation, characters you can relate to and care about and to top it off, you get a love story that makes your heart melt. A well-constructed thriller and totally satisfying. I certainly look forward to reading more about Rylee, Kenzie and Abby.
I chose to read this book because I saw that Cade Brogan studied psychology and the blurb called to me..... I think I would say the book as a whole was okay.... I loved that we could get in Joanna's mind but there is still a lot I want to know about her, but I guess that will come out in the 2nd book. I seriously felt no chemistry between Kenzie and Ry, all they do is reminenc about their relationship in high school. So for me this book was 3 stars
I liked both main characters but I'd love to see more interaction with the secondary characters. Being able to see the killers perspective in this case was an interesting take and there were times I actually felt sorry for her, but man she's so psycho!!
I also understand Rye's feelings of rejection, but for a while there I got annoyed at her lack of empathy towards Kenzie's fear and uncertainty... and then the whole thing about Abby. It was immature but I was happy she built that bridge and got over it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This story hit home with issues the LGBTQ+ deal with on a daily basis as well as anyone not Caucasian. I had a little hate bubbling up inside me toward the church(es) that preach about sin and sinners who don't conform to the norm. It was very real and just a reminder of how much hate there is in this big ol world, and how many people are brainwashed into believing such asinine beliefs. I don't believe the Lord would think this way, unfortunately, man wrote the Bible and man tends to believe the written word of "God". God did not write the Bible. I don't generally bring in my personal beliefs of religion, but I feel I must since the antagonist was a devout, brain-washed, bible-thumping, psychopath, that it seems fitting. I liked the originality the author brought to the story for the antagonist and how they "observed" their victims and how and what they used to kill the victims. It wasn't the typical kitchen knife, or gun, or torture, it was something organic, natural from earth's bountiful supply. In my opinion, it's rather ironic that the bad guy who saw homosexuality and biracial people unnatural, used something that was natural to kill, which is a sin. Irony on top of irony on top of irony, if asked me. As for the romantic/erotic aspect of the story, fell flat for me. I understand that it was Brogan who wrote the story, but the rushed details of the relationship was similar to Moll's writing. A more fleshed-out of the details for both protags and their past would've made this a richer story to sink our teeth in. I also felt the author skimped on little details of certain scenes that would've helped with confusion. For example, Rylee is leaving the house and stops at the door to talk, but then there was mention of her rolling her truck window down. I'm assuming Rylee had walked to her truck and the door she was standing at was her trucks door, not the house door, but the author never specified that she had left the house. Little things like that irk me and ruin the moment.
I give this a 3.5 for keeping me entertained where the antagonist was concerned. Oh, and Rylee, she was rather hot ;)
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: butch character, favorite trope, unusual job, out of your comfort zone, coming-out story, not a romance; UNICORN: faith, more than two POV's (possibly other categories)
There were three MC's in the story, and one was a fanatical serial killer - something that's less common in books and in real life. The characters were fairly complex, especially the killer, and each contributed significantly to the story. There were elements of the TV series, Dexter, that added exciting suspense to the plot. Looking forward to the next book.
This book is amazing! I had no real expectations for this book. I was reading it on the recommendation of a friend. WOW! I must say this book is so good!!! CEtT is so well thought out and written, I felt like I was watching the story as I read. There are two story lines in the book. The romance and the suspenseful thriller.
The thriller side of the book is what really rocked!!! It is a wonderful suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I truly was mesmerized by the danger. I loved how smart and yet delusional the clever Joanna was. She was the perfect “bad guy”. The setting was also the perfect environment for the dastardly diabolical killer. Rylee was also pretty exciting. She was so intense and realistic… if she got little sleep she was portrayed that way instead of that super hero like cop who can go for days without sleep and still function as if she were daisy fresh. I liked that a lot! I LOVED the humanness of all of the characters. They were very realistic and believable.
The romance was not as strong as the thriller but it was still pretty good. There were a lot of factors in the romance side: the renewal of an old love, the coming out, a sullen thirteen-year-old girl and the threat of a killer intent on destruction of the new family. I loved that Kenzie was a true mom struggling to come out to her daughter and trying to introduce a new person into the mix. As a mom, I struggled with the exact same thing when my child was thirteen (the coming out and adding a new woman into our lives, not the creepy religious and killer stuff lol). It is SO not easy!!! I think Cade did a great job making everything work out positively in the relatively short amount of time she had.
This is a book that is already in my To Be Read Again list and I cannot wait for the second book in the series!!
I was put off at the first paragraph. The tone just irked me. I tried to push for the second and I couldn't. One of the main character is a serial killer on an ego trip and apparently the untreated victim of a child abuser. The weird correlation between the two fact that the reader is suppose to make felt so over-simplistic. Adding to that a rythm that is a very very aerated one, with one-word sentences, very short sentences, lots of virgules and fewww. I think I had a brain-faint from too much oxygen.
This was a riveting story! You’re glued to the story from the get go! Well developed story and the main characters were excellent. Riley and Kenzie were sweet and their background story was bittersweet. Joanna was quite an evil protagonist. Clearly there will be a sequel to this story I’m certainly looking forward to it! Loved it!
This book grew on me then it didn't. It was hard to get into it though… having it begin with the serial killer’s POV made it hard to continue, especially how deranged Joanna sounds. I have a tolerable relationship with K.A. Moll’s books and Emily Beresford’s narration. The angst seems so uncomfortable and harsh that idk why I even give them a try.
Rylee annoys me with her lashing out whenever she encounters relationship problems. Then at the end, Also, how is she a good detective when there are so many warning signs? I expect her to be more paranoid and vigilant
A serial killer studies scripture, collects poisonous plants and murders biracial lesbians. A lesbian cop is on the case and soon suspects her ex-girlfriend is being targeted. Romance blooms. But the killer is closer than she realizes.
The plot is decent but the dialogue is hokey. Everyone except the killer talks like a hick. It is chock full of 'em and no gs, is, singin', drivin,', etc. Much of the writing is repetitious. If another person had a thin smile I was going to scream. The story apparently continues as the killer is free to kill again and the cop is determined to kill her.
Regular. La historia entre las protagonistas me pareció poco creíble, había demasiadas cosas por solucionar antes como se vio en cada interacción como para pasarlo por arriba como si nada.
Y otra cosa que me desagradó profundamente fue como Rylee trata con Abby ante la actitud de la última con Kenzie... me parece perfecto que le hable, pero que le haga una amenaza velada de violencia en caso de volver a faltarle el respeto a la madre... no. Recién la conoce y la intimida y trata de esa forma? Nooo.
I enjoy thrillers and this one was good. I love the character of Rylee Hayes. Tough, driven and just a badass who follows her instincts. The plot line was a really good idea with the church connection. As things developed with her ex and believing there was also a connection to her, I felt Rylee was a little careless with her instincts in two instances, not at all like the character was supposed to be. I still loved the story and look forward to next book in the series. I am a fan of KA Moll and looking forward to her as Cade Brogan.
This novel is sick and wonderful all in one. The action starts and never stops. The religious premise is so real that this doesn't seem like fiction. It is a great Lesbian thriller that I highly recommend. I am looking for more Cade Brogan to enjoy. Emily Beresford did a wonderful job with narrating this novel. She did an incredible job bringing the emotions in the story to life.
Wow what a story…….. and not finished yet. Can’t wait for the next edition, so hopefully won’t be long in the waiting. I’m not one for detective stories but thought I would take a chance with this one. I am not disappointed. Has an easy to follow storyline and I love the characters. Keep up the writing Cade.
Rylee Hayes is a homicide detective who is dedicated to her job just like her father before his retirement. A new case reunites her with her college sweetheart who is a church secretary where the victim attended. When a second church official is a victim she knows they have a serial killer. A great mystery and second chance sapphic romance.
Religion, racism, homophobia & homicide in 1 story
Religion, racism, homophobia & homicide in one story about a serial killer murdering women with poisonous plants, & Det. Rylee's college ex-girlfriend & her anti-gay church is connected to the victims.
I asked for recommendations of books that feature psycho killers, and picked up this one and a couple others. This satisfied. Joanna is a nut job all right, exactly what I was looking for, and I really liked the ending, to the point I'm uncertain whether I'll continue the series.
A woman is found dead in her shower. Is it a natural death or murder? The detectives must solve the mystery of what happened. Then another death occurs under similar circumstances. It is a pretty decent story.
A well plotted thriller with a serial killer who is chilling and creepy as heck. The leading ladies are also well written and their relationship is well developed.
When authors use sexist and racist motivated violence as a tool to prove how depraved a character is, I just get tired. This book did exactly that within the first few pages.