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A Stillwater General Mystery #2
No One Can Know
When a pregnant car crash victim arrives at Stillwater General, ER nurse Frankie Stapleton and the team must work swiftly to deliver the baby safely. After hours of grueling effort, they finally save the baby, but the mother dies. The staff is already rattled, but then they learn that the accidental car crash was actually deliberate.
Just when they thought the hard work was over, suspects begin rearing their heads one by one and no one is safe. There’s no shortage of motives. The victim was a social worker, and someone may have been seeking revenge. Or perhaps someone was trying to intimidate her up-and-coming politician husband. Then the baby goes missing.
Now Frankie must race to uncover the truth in time to catch a killer and save a child in Lucy Kerr’s riveting second Stillwater General Mystery, No One Can Know.
Just when they thought the hard work was over, suspects begin rearing their heads one by one and no one is safe. There’s no shortage of motives. The victim was a social worker, and someone may have been seeking revenge. Or perhaps someone was trying to intimidate her up-and-coming politician husband. Then the baby goes missing.
Now Frankie must race to uncover the truth in time to catch a killer and save a child in Lucy Kerr’s riveting second Stillwater General Mystery, No One Can Know.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 13, 2018
23 people are currently reading
872 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 10, 2018
Why This Book
Crooked Lane has become one of my favorite publishers. They email me from time to time to suggest books I might want to read and send me copies of upcoming releases. I will forgive them for declining me on the last three I requested on NetGalley (really???), but that's another story! They asked if I would read this book, which is #2 in the series, so I had to ask for #1 first and read it. I finished that last month, so it was time to read Lucy Kerr's second in the series, No One Can Know. I've given it 3.5 stars, and I'd recommend the series to mystery readers looking for something between a cozy and a thriller/suspense novel.
Plot, Characters & Setting
Frankie has agreed to remain in her hometown, Stillwater, Illinois, to help her sister re-build the family business and care for her premature baby. Frankie left to work in Chicago after some family issues and a failed engagement, then rarely returned during the ten year absence. As an ER nurse, she sees it all, then feels compelled to solve whatever mystery has landed at her feet. In this second book, a male car accident victim seeks help, but Frankie knows he's lying. When 8-month pregnant woman is also brought in after a car accident, she knows it's connected, but can't do anything until she's saved the woman's life. Unfortunately, only the baby makes it, and then the male victim disappears. Add in some trouble with the hospital administration, a political candidate and an old fiancee-turned-detective, Frankie's smack in the middle of chaos. As she tries to solve the mystery, she steps in danger and opens her family up to potential risk. When the baby is kidnapped, Frankie pushes everyone to the brink, but ultimately, she leads them to the culprit.
Approach & Style
I read an advanced physical copy of this 325 page book. It's broken into 31 chapters, each about ten pages long, and told in first person POV. The perspective remains on Frankie the entire novel, showing her thoughts and opinions on each event she encounters. It took about 4 hours over the course of 2 days - a relatively quick read with minimal hospital & medical terminology, just enough to keep it feeling real.
Key Thoughts
I really enjoyed the first book in the series. All those aspects carried into this second book, but the plot was a bit weaker than the first. When the crime centers around a car accident, politics and baby theft, you expect something quite complex. If you read a lot of these types of novels, you'll know the culprit pretty early on, as well as guess why it happened. I would have liked a few more red herrings, a couple of other suspects and some additional side-stories that wove in and out of the main story, creating some interesting dilemmas and confusion. It was just too straightforward for me to give it a 4 or 5 star rating. It was a good book, just needed a bit more darkness, depth and puzzles to solve.
That said, I'm a big fan of the author for her writing style, character creation, and approach to balancing medical terminology and creating a truly realistic setting. She builds a world that is fast-paced, rough and keeps your attention. There's a lot going on in the ER and you bounce back and forth between a few cases, giving readers time for suspense, questions and connections to the story. When Frankie's out of the ER, you feel the draw with the former fiancee, the love with her family, and the concern about coming home forever. I look forward to each interaction she has because you learn more about who she is and what she's made of. There's no filler in these books -- the substance is pretty strong, which is why I will continue to read them. I just want to push the author on a bit more complexity to help break the series out of 'just another decent mystery series.' I think there's potential for this to be quite big if some focus is put on long-term development options.
Summary
I will keep reading the series. I like the main character, the setting and the author's writing style. The small concerns with the overall tone and citizens being too close to the police work are not enough to bother me. I mention them only because it is something you just need to accept. The characters and family dynamics are very strong, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next release.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon. I write A LOT. I read A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge – words and humor. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Crooked Lane has become one of my favorite publishers. They email me from time to time to suggest books I might want to read and send me copies of upcoming releases. I will forgive them for declining me on the last three I requested on NetGalley (really???), but that's another story! They asked if I would read this book, which is #2 in the series, so I had to ask for #1 first and read it. I finished that last month, so it was time to read Lucy Kerr's second in the series, No One Can Know. I've given it 3.5 stars, and I'd recommend the series to mystery readers looking for something between a cozy and a thriller/suspense novel.
Plot, Characters & Setting
Frankie has agreed to remain in her hometown, Stillwater, Illinois, to help her sister re-build the family business and care for her premature baby. Frankie left to work in Chicago after some family issues and a failed engagement, then rarely returned during the ten year absence. As an ER nurse, she sees it all, then feels compelled to solve whatever mystery has landed at her feet. In this second book, a male car accident victim seeks help, but Frankie knows he's lying. When 8-month pregnant woman is also brought in after a car accident, she knows it's connected, but can't do anything until she's saved the woman's life. Unfortunately, only the baby makes it, and then the male victim disappears. Add in some trouble with the hospital administration, a political candidate and an old fiancee-turned-detective, Frankie's smack in the middle of chaos. As she tries to solve the mystery, she steps in danger and opens her family up to potential risk. When the baby is kidnapped, Frankie pushes everyone to the brink, but ultimately, she leads them to the culprit.
Approach & Style
I read an advanced physical copy of this 325 page book. It's broken into 31 chapters, each about ten pages long, and told in first person POV. The perspective remains on Frankie the entire novel, showing her thoughts and opinions on each event she encounters. It took about 4 hours over the course of 2 days - a relatively quick read with minimal hospital & medical terminology, just enough to keep it feeling real.
Key Thoughts
I really enjoyed the first book in the series. All those aspects carried into this second book, but the plot was a bit weaker than the first. When the crime centers around a car accident, politics and baby theft, you expect something quite complex. If you read a lot of these types of novels, you'll know the culprit pretty early on, as well as guess why it happened. I would have liked a few more red herrings, a couple of other suspects and some additional side-stories that wove in and out of the main story, creating some interesting dilemmas and confusion. It was just too straightforward for me to give it a 4 or 5 star rating. It was a good book, just needed a bit more darkness, depth and puzzles to solve.
That said, I'm a big fan of the author for her writing style, character creation, and approach to balancing medical terminology and creating a truly realistic setting. She builds a world that is fast-paced, rough and keeps your attention. There's a lot going on in the ER and you bounce back and forth between a few cases, giving readers time for suspense, questions and connections to the story. When Frankie's out of the ER, you feel the draw with the former fiancee, the love with her family, and the concern about coming home forever. I look forward to each interaction she has because you learn more about who she is and what she's made of. There's no filler in these books -- the substance is pretty strong, which is why I will continue to read them. I just want to push the author on a bit more complexity to help break the series out of 'just another decent mystery series.' I think there's potential for this to be quite big if some focus is put on long-term development options.
Summary
I will keep reading the series. I like the main character, the setting and the author's writing style. The small concerns with the overall tone and citizens being too close to the police work are not enough to bother me. I mention them only because it is something you just need to accept. The characters and family dynamics are very strong, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next release.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon. I write A LOT. I read A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge – words and humor. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
October 20, 2017
Strange, peculiar things happen during a full moon.
Ratchet that up even more when it's a night encased in thunderstorms.
Frankie Stapleton, ER nurse at Stillwater General outside of Chicago, can certainly attest to that. The night winds slam open the door to the emergency room. An injured man holding his arm against his body moans in extreme pain. He claims to have hit a deer with his car and gives sketchy information to the admitting clerk. And just like the thrust of that powerful wind, this individual disappears from the examining room and back into the night.
But that storm continues to rage.....
EMS attendants bring in a young late-term pregnant woman who was found off the road. Her vehicle was involved in an automobile accident and her trauma rings off the charts. With that same lightning speed, the OB physician and her team deliver the baby successfully, but the mother doesn't make it. The police reveal that the woman's husband is Steven Tibbs, a local politician who is running for office. Tibbs is overcome with grief.
Frankie suggests that perhaps the escaped patient earlier in the evening may have had something to do with that car accident. Guilt floods through her as her sixth sense pressed her to have called security immediately. ER nurses know that priority is given to the most serious of cases. Even though no one blames her, Frankie blames herself. The horrible accident finally shakes out as no accident at all.
No One Can Know reads like a teacup full of fiction with a stabilizing saucer of mystery. Although this is the second book in this series, it reads as a standalone. That teacup introduces us to Frankie who has moved back to Stillwater from Chicago. The move is temporary as she now lives in the cramped home of her mother and her sister's family. We learn that Frankie can't quite permanently stabilize any previous relationships. Her mother leans on her constantly and can be a bit overbearing. A tad too many sugar cubes in this tea at times.
Lucy Kerr actually carries more weight in this storyline when she pivots the plot more to the ER with Frankie's professional life rather than her personal life. That's where the tension lies and that's where Frankie's investigative mind excels. I certainly hope that Kerr will move away from the family circumstances and surround Frankie with more challenging situations that accent both her medical and her sleuthing skills. What an abundant source of bizarre tales that drift in and out of any ER any day of the week! Just ripe for the pickin', Lucy Kerr.
I received a copy of No One Can Know through the publisher, Crooked Lane Books. My sincere thanks to them and to Lucy Kerr for the opportunity.
Ratchet that up even more when it's a night encased in thunderstorms.
Frankie Stapleton, ER nurse at Stillwater General outside of Chicago, can certainly attest to that. The night winds slam open the door to the emergency room. An injured man holding his arm against his body moans in extreme pain. He claims to have hit a deer with his car and gives sketchy information to the admitting clerk. And just like the thrust of that powerful wind, this individual disappears from the examining room and back into the night.
But that storm continues to rage.....
EMS attendants bring in a young late-term pregnant woman who was found off the road. Her vehicle was involved in an automobile accident and her trauma rings off the charts. With that same lightning speed, the OB physician and her team deliver the baby successfully, but the mother doesn't make it. The police reveal that the woman's husband is Steven Tibbs, a local politician who is running for office. Tibbs is overcome with grief.
Frankie suggests that perhaps the escaped patient earlier in the evening may have had something to do with that car accident. Guilt floods through her as her sixth sense pressed her to have called security immediately. ER nurses know that priority is given to the most serious of cases. Even though no one blames her, Frankie blames herself. The horrible accident finally shakes out as no accident at all.
No One Can Know reads like a teacup full of fiction with a stabilizing saucer of mystery. Although this is the second book in this series, it reads as a standalone. That teacup introduces us to Frankie who has moved back to Stillwater from Chicago. The move is temporary as she now lives in the cramped home of her mother and her sister's family. We learn that Frankie can't quite permanently stabilize any previous relationships. Her mother leans on her constantly and can be a bit overbearing. A tad too many sugar cubes in this tea at times.
Lucy Kerr actually carries more weight in this storyline when she pivots the plot more to the ER with Frankie's professional life rather than her personal life. That's where the tension lies and that's where Frankie's investigative mind excels. I certainly hope that Kerr will move away from the family circumstances and surround Frankie with more challenging situations that accent both her medical and her sleuthing skills. What an abundant source of bizarre tales that drift in and out of any ER any day of the week! Just ripe for the pickin', Lucy Kerr.
I received a copy of No One Can Know through the publisher, Crooked Lane Books. My sincere thanks to them and to Lucy Kerr for the opportunity.
December 11, 2017
A good, solid, breezy mystery full of likeable characters and lots of dialog and a plot that moves through its various twists and turns with precision. I generally like my fiction darker and more difficult or at least possessed of a sharper edge, but I can appreciate this book's charms. The main character is earnest and smart and the prose moves everything along swiftly and well, so the pages fly by. I'd rate this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because so much of this comes down to personal preference.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for an advance reader's edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for an advance reader's edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Crooked Lane was the first publisher who ever believed in my crappy little space fillers enough to send me actual physical reader copies. I tend to hoard these until both the mood and season strikes me. Guess what? It’s finally the right time of year. No One Can Know is what I like to call a “palate cleanser.” A step above a cozy mystery due to the fact that the MC has a job that actually puts her in the middle of the action surrounding the whodunit rather than being some sort of nosey baker/librarian/antique store owner/etc.
The story here is about a pregnant car crash victim who winds up in nurse Frankie Stapleton’s ER at Stillwater General soon after a man who claimed to have hit a deer. The mother dies immediately, the man bolts from the hospital and the questions start flowing.
This was the perfect chilly Saturday afternoon read. I curled up on the oversize comfy chair, got out the blanket, drank coffee until my kidneys told me clear water is an option occasionally too and read this in a couple of hours. Obviously books like these aren’t meant to change your life, but I find them to be a great in-between sort of go-to when I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for next.
Copy provided by Crooked Lane in exchange for my honest review.
Crooked Lane was the first publisher who ever believed in my crappy little space fillers enough to send me actual physical reader copies. I tend to hoard these until both the mood and season strikes me. Guess what? It’s finally the right time of year. No One Can Know is what I like to call a “palate cleanser.” A step above a cozy mystery due to the fact that the MC has a job that actually puts her in the middle of the action surrounding the whodunit rather than being some sort of nosey baker/librarian/antique store owner/etc.
The story here is about a pregnant car crash victim who winds up in nurse Frankie Stapleton’s ER at Stillwater General soon after a man who claimed to have hit a deer. The mother dies immediately, the man bolts from the hospital and the questions start flowing.
This was the perfect chilly Saturday afternoon read. I curled up on the oversize comfy chair, got out the blanket, drank coffee until my kidneys told me clear water is an option occasionally too and read this in a couple of hours. Obviously books like these aren’t meant to change your life, but I find them to be a great in-between sort of go-to when I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for next.
Copy provided by Crooked Lane in exchange for my honest review.
February 4, 2018
No one can know by Lucy Kerr was set in Stillwater General Hospital where a pregnant woman was admitted after a car accident. The doctors and nurses fight to save her and her baby. Then the staff find out that it was not an accident at all but an attempt to kill her. A suspense novel with a difference. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2017
ER nurse Frankie Stapleton is working the night shift... and what a shift it turns out to be. A young man comes stumbling in, screaming for pain meds after a car accident. Frankie has a suspicion he isn't giving his real name, or details concerning his accident. She offers him aspirin, per her supervising physician, and he flies into a rage.
Meanwhile, a car crash victim arrives in an ambulance. A young woman, who is very, very pregnant. They do all they can do to save the mother .. but she doesn't make it. The baby is delivered and miraculously he survives.
The surprises don't stop there. The young man in the other exam room has disappeared. The staff learns that the young woman who died was the wife of a gentleman running for Congress. And the kicker .. the car accident wasn't really an accident.
Frankie does what Frankie does best ... tries to help find a killer at great personal risk ... especially when the infant is taken from the hospital.
If you like medical thrillers, you will love this one. Although second in a series, it does well as a stand alone. There are some references to the first book, just enough to whet your appetite to go back and pick up all those tidbits of info that make the book what it is.
For the moment, Frankie is staying with her family ... her mother, sister, and nieces. It's a full house, fraught with a mom who tries to find a man for her single daughter, a sister who doesn't understand why Frankie doesn't make this move permanent and a young niece who idolizes her. She and the sheriff have a history ... they were engaged right after high school. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else ... she couldn't imagine staying. The personal issues make the characters so much more credible.
The mystery is well-written with lots of action, lots of suspense. A touch of humor, a possibility of romance only add to the whole experience that is NO ONE CAN KNOW.
Many thanks to the author / Crooked Lane Books / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unsolicited, unbiased, and entirely my own.
Meanwhile, a car crash victim arrives in an ambulance. A young woman, who is very, very pregnant. They do all they can do to save the mother .. but she doesn't make it. The baby is delivered and miraculously he survives.
The surprises don't stop there. The young man in the other exam room has disappeared. The staff learns that the young woman who died was the wife of a gentleman running for Congress. And the kicker .. the car accident wasn't really an accident.
Frankie does what Frankie does best ... tries to help find a killer at great personal risk ... especially when the infant is taken from the hospital.
If you like medical thrillers, you will love this one. Although second in a series, it does well as a stand alone. There are some references to the first book, just enough to whet your appetite to go back and pick up all those tidbits of info that make the book what it is.
For the moment, Frankie is staying with her family ... her mother, sister, and nieces. It's a full house, fraught with a mom who tries to find a man for her single daughter, a sister who doesn't understand why Frankie doesn't make this move permanent and a young niece who idolizes her. She and the sheriff have a history ... they were engaged right after high school. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else ... she couldn't imagine staying. The personal issues make the characters so much more credible.
The mystery is well-written with lots of action, lots of suspense. A touch of humor, a possibility of romance only add to the whole experience that is NO ONE CAN KNOW.
Many thanks to the author / Crooked Lane Books / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unsolicited, unbiased, and entirely my own.
November 6, 2017
This was my first time reading Lucy Kerr and I know it will be a name I look for over and over again. The mystery was really engrossing and had me trying to pull all the clues together for myself.
Frankie Stapleton is a nurse that is back in her childhood home after living in Chicago. On her first night back several events happen that shake her up and make her quite curious. As this is book two in the series it seems that she had solved a mystery before. It was mentioned several times as well.
I enjoyed the characters and I liked their interaction with each other. Lucy Kerr kept a lot of different activity going on with the characters so you grew attached to the family and friends of Frankie. There was a little hint if possible romance and I hope that continues in future books.
Tension was thick as time was against the kidnapped baby being found. Emotions ran high as you would expect in such a crime happening in s small town. Good read.
Frankie Stapleton is a nurse that is back in her childhood home after living in Chicago. On her first night back several events happen that shake her up and make her quite curious. As this is book two in the series it seems that she had solved a mystery before. It was mentioned several times as well.
I enjoyed the characters and I liked their interaction with each other. Lucy Kerr kept a lot of different activity going on with the characters so you grew attached to the family and friends of Frankie. There was a little hint if possible romance and I hope that continues in future books.
Tension was thick as time was against the kidnapped baby being found. Emotions ran high as you would expect in such a crime happening in s small town. Good read.
November 13, 2017
I found this book really easy to get to and was pleased that it seemed to be something quite different to the usual mysteries I read. Based around Stillwater General and an ER nurse, Frankie Stapleton, it pieces together the events following a car accident, when all is not as it seems. Frankie sees herself as quite the detective, and the plot follows what Frankie discovers. Unfortunately the fact that Frankie sees herself as a detective and gets overly involved in police matters, did not sit well with me. It was something completely fictional and not something that I found terribly believable - after all, as a nurse myself I can vouch for the fact that at the end of a long shift the last thing you want to be doing is digging into other peoples' business, you want to go home and enjoy your evening!
As the book progressed, some of the characters got a little confusing, and I struggled with who's who and therefore had to keep re-reading some chapters to refresh my memory.
On the whole, the writing is good and strong, but the plot just didn't do it for me. The way everything all linked together at the end I found really unbelievable, and it's when books become so far-fetched that they are unbelievable that puts me off.
As the book progressed, some of the characters got a little confusing, and I struggled with who's who and therefore had to keep re-reading some chapters to refresh my memory.
On the whole, the writing is good and strong, but the plot just didn't do it for me. The way everything all linked together at the end I found really unbelievable, and it's when books become so far-fetched that they are unbelievable that puts me off.
December 10, 2017
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of No One Can Know by Lucy Kerr that I read and reviewed.
This was the second book on the Stillwater General series and for me it was a lot like the first. Nurse gets involved in solving a mystery because of something that happens in the ER.
With that I said I did like that book but it was really predictable and very easy to figure out. I really hope the next one it stronger and as good as the first and not like this one. I like Frankie and I really like her family and the dynamics between her and the other people in the book. I can't wait to see if she ends up having a romance with one of the males in her life and also what happens with her niece because she seems like a bit of a pistol.
I am giving No One Can Know three out of five stars.
This was the second book on the Stillwater General series and for me it was a lot like the first. Nurse gets involved in solving a mystery because of something that happens in the ER.
With that I said I did like that book but it was really predictable and very easy to figure out. I really hope the next one it stronger and as good as the first and not like this one. I like Frankie and I really like her family and the dynamics between her and the other people in the book. I can't wait to see if she ends up having a romance with one of the males in her life and also what happens with her niece because she seems like a bit of a pistol.
I am giving No One Can Know three out of five stars.
February 21, 2018
No One Can Know by Lucy Kerr is the second book in A Stillwater General Mystery series. Francesca “Frankie” Stapleton has temporarily moved back home to Stillwater, Illinois to assist her family. She has taken a part time job as an ER nurse at Stillwater General as well as working at family hardware store. On a Tuesday evening, a man comes into the ER with a dislocated shoulder after a hitting a deer with his car. Frankie is then pulled away to help with a trauma involving a pregnant woman who was severely injured in a car crash. The staff safely delivers the baby (a little boy), but the patient passes away from her severe injuries. The patient was Katherine Tibbs whose husband is running for Congress. He is the local town hero who stopped a fire from destroying the business district when he was in high school. When Frankie returns to her dislocated shoulder patient, he has disappeared. It is then that Frankie realizes that her patient with the dislocated shoulder hit Katherine (not a deer) and he vanished on her watch. Then they learn that the crash was not an accident. Why was Katherine targeted? Does it relate to her husband or her job as a social worker? Frankie feels compelled to locate the killer. The situation escalates when Baby Tibbs disappears from the hospital. What is Frankie willing to do to find the baby and catch a killer?
No One Can Know can be read as a standalone novel. The author provided Frankie’s history as well as a summary of what happened in Time of Death. The mystery had potential, but it was not fulfilled. With a woman is murdered, a baby stolen, political candidate, and a social worker, I expected the mystery to be complex. I was hoping for a good twist or unexpected revelation. Unfortunately, I accurately pegged the killer early in the story along with the reason for the crime. I appreciate that Frankie is a strong, intelligent female character, but she seems to have a death wish in No One Can Know. She repeatedly put herself into dangerous situations. I lost track of the number of times (at minimum once a chapter) she was told to stay out of the investigation (Noah should have worked with her instead of fussing at her). Frankie’s reason for looking in to the crime was weak. There was also too much speculation (thinking, questioning, wondering) and reiteration of facts regarding the murder. I do, though, like the author’s writing and the pace of the book (steady). I enjoy the medical scenes which enhance the book, and they are not overly technical. I am hoping that there will be some crimes centered in the hospital in future books. I also enjoy the interactions between Frankie and her family especially her niece, Riley (she is very inquisitive). The ending felt incomplete. Readers are left with unanswered questions. A Stillwater General Mystery series has the capability of being a good mystery series with a few tweaks. No One Can Know, unfortunately, only gets 3 out of 5 stars.
No One Can Know can be read as a standalone novel. The author provided Frankie’s history as well as a summary of what happened in Time of Death. The mystery had potential, but it was not fulfilled. With a woman is murdered, a baby stolen, political candidate, and a social worker, I expected the mystery to be complex. I was hoping for a good twist or unexpected revelation. Unfortunately, I accurately pegged the killer early in the story along with the reason for the crime. I appreciate that Frankie is a strong, intelligent female character, but she seems to have a death wish in No One Can Know. She repeatedly put herself into dangerous situations. I lost track of the number of times (at minimum once a chapter) she was told to stay out of the investigation (Noah should have worked with her instead of fussing at her). Frankie’s reason for looking in to the crime was weak. There was also too much speculation (thinking, questioning, wondering) and reiteration of facts regarding the murder. I do, though, like the author’s writing and the pace of the book (steady). I enjoy the medical scenes which enhance the book, and they are not overly technical. I am hoping that there will be some crimes centered in the hospital in future books. I also enjoy the interactions between Frankie and her family especially her niece, Riley (she is very inquisitive). The ending felt incomplete. Readers are left with unanswered questions. A Stillwater General Mystery series has the capability of being a good mystery series with a few tweaks. No One Can Know, unfortunately, only gets 3 out of 5 stars.
December 29, 2017
Book 2 in the Stillwater General mystery series can stand alone.
ER nurse Frankie Stapleton has accepted a short-term job in her hometown in order to help her family. When a trauma patient dies and an ER patient disappears, Frankie finds herself dealing with ER Dr. Paul Costello & Deputy Sheriff Noah MacLean - the latter was her first fiance. An election campaign for the small town hero is fueled by tragedy. Frankie can't put all the pieces together and stay on the sidelines.
I am going to purchase book 1 to fill out the interesting details hinted at in book 2 while I wait for book 3!
ER nurse Frankie Stapleton has accepted a short-term job in her hometown in order to help her family. When a trauma patient dies and an ER patient disappears, Frankie finds herself dealing with ER Dr. Paul Costello & Deputy Sheriff Noah MacLean - the latter was her first fiance. An election campaign for the small town hero is fueled by tragedy. Frankie can't put all the pieces together and stay on the sidelines.
I am going to purchase book 1 to fill out the interesting details hinted at in book 2 while I wait for book 3!
January 10, 2018
Frankie's quiet night in Stillwater General comes to a quick end when a man comes in for treatment of a dislocated shoulder after a car accident. Frankie thinks he's lying about something but doesn't really get a chance to pursue her suspicions because there has been another car accident. This time the victim is a pregnant woman. While the team rushes to treat the victims her dislocated shoulder patient disappears.
The team loses the mother but manages to save her baby boy. Only afterwards does Frankie learn that the victim was the wife of an old schoolmate of hers who is now running for Congress. The hunt is on for the missing dislocated shoulder patient who gave a false name because two car accidents in the same evening makes it likely that he was involved in the accident that claimed a life.
Frankie's old flame Noah is not a deputy with the sheriff's office investigating the death and the disappearance and it soon becomes evident that the accident that claimed Kate Tibbs was more likely murder. Noah asks Frankie to stay out of the investigation but her curiosity and her feeling that she could have done more won't let her step back.
Add in a couple more murders and you have an edge-of-your seat thriller. The murders are set beside Frankie's feelings about being back in her home town after escaping after high school. She is trying to convince herself that her return is just temporary and, once her newborn niece is out of intensive care and her family's hardware store is back on its feet, she'll be off to another adventure. I liked the family dynamics in this story which includes and 8-year-old niece who looks at Frankie and her hero and a mother who is determined to fix up her daughter with someone so that she'll stay in town.
This was an engaging mystery with an interesting set of characters and lots of tension.
The team loses the mother but manages to save her baby boy. Only afterwards does Frankie learn that the victim was the wife of an old schoolmate of hers who is now running for Congress. The hunt is on for the missing dislocated shoulder patient who gave a false name because two car accidents in the same evening makes it likely that he was involved in the accident that claimed a life.
Frankie's old flame Noah is not a deputy with the sheriff's office investigating the death and the disappearance and it soon becomes evident that the accident that claimed Kate Tibbs was more likely murder. Noah asks Frankie to stay out of the investigation but her curiosity and her feeling that she could have done more won't let her step back.
Add in a couple more murders and you have an edge-of-your seat thriller. The murders are set beside Frankie's feelings about being back in her home town after escaping after high school. She is trying to convince herself that her return is just temporary and, once her newborn niece is out of intensive care and her family's hardware store is back on its feet, she'll be off to another adventure. I liked the family dynamics in this story which includes and 8-year-old niece who looks at Frankie and her hero and a mother who is determined to fix up her daughter with someone so that she'll stay in town.
This was an engaging mystery with an interesting set of characters and lots of tension.
January 19, 2018
No one can know by lucy kerr.
Three months. That’s how long ER nurse Frankie Stapleton has agreed to stay in her sleepy little hometown of Stillwater, helping her estranged sister save the family hardware store, working a few shifts at the local hospital, and most importantly, rebuilding the bridges she burned on her way out of town twelve years ago.
A very good read. I liked the story. 4*.
Three months. That’s how long ER nurse Frankie Stapleton has agreed to stay in her sleepy little hometown of Stillwater, helping her estranged sister save the family hardware store, working a few shifts at the local hospital, and most importantly, rebuilding the bridges she burned on her way out of town twelve years ago.
A very good read. I liked the story. 4*.
February 4, 2018
I think this was a 3.5* for me. It took me a long while to settle into the story- but once I got immersed in the book I started to really enjoy it. Frankie has agreed to come home to help out with the family business and some shifts in the local A&E. She is catching up with family and friends and her mum is desperate to act as a matchmaker.
This is the second in the series and maybe I would have connected with the story more easily if I'd read the first book. Frankie is working in A&E one evening when a patient they've been treating discharges himself whilst they start to work on a pregnant lady involved in a car accident.
She thinks there is a connection between the two patients and is desperate to help investigate. She puts herself in danger but loved seeing work out clues.
I did enjoy getting to know the characters and loved her little niece.
This is the second in the series and maybe I would have connected with the story more easily if I'd read the first book. Frankie is working in A&E one evening when a patient they've been treating discharges himself whilst they start to work on a pregnant lady involved in a car accident.
She thinks there is a connection between the two patients and is desperate to help investigate. She puts herself in danger but loved seeing work out clues.
I did enjoy getting to know the characters and loved her little niece.
November 8, 2017
Stillwater, IL. Stillwater General Hospital (ER). Esme Vargas was the charge nurse, Eileen was the admitting clerk on duty.
John Mueller or so he said was trying to bypass the paperwork & formality to getting admitted.
Dr. John Costello was on call & needed to look at him.
He refused an X-Ray, & insisted on his dislocated shoulder being popped back in place.
You could hear his scream clear in Chicago.
He signed the paper work & left immediately.
Francesca “Frankie” Stapleton (nurse) & her trauma team received a 911 MVA call.
The body of Katherine Tibbs (36, wife/expectant mother, CFS) finally arrived.
Skull fracture & immediate C-section.
Nurse Jess, Frankie, Esme & Garima were assisting Dr. Costello.
Katherine did not make it but there was a new baby boy brought into the world.
Dr. Solano put the newborn in neonatal ICU.
ADA Steven Tibbs (husband, congressional candidate) had later arrived.
Dr. Costello informed him of what happened.
Officer Noah MacLean (Stillwater PD), & Sheriff Michael Flint (Stillwater) came to tell the ER staff what might have happened to Katherine.
Why did Grace Fisher (Stillwater General hospital president) call Frankie to her office?
Deputy Sheriff Travis Anderson (Stillwater) came to see Frankie.
Will the crime get solved & someone brought to justice?
What about Frankie & Noah?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Crooked Lane; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
John Mueller or so he said was trying to bypass the paperwork & formality to getting admitted.
Dr. John Costello was on call & needed to look at him.
He refused an X-Ray, & insisted on his dislocated shoulder being popped back in place.
You could hear his scream clear in Chicago.
He signed the paper work & left immediately.
Francesca “Frankie” Stapleton (nurse) & her trauma team received a 911 MVA call.
The body of Katherine Tibbs (36, wife/expectant mother, CFS) finally arrived.
Skull fracture & immediate C-section.
Nurse Jess, Frankie, Esme & Garima were assisting Dr. Costello.
Katherine did not make it but there was a new baby boy brought into the world.
Dr. Solano put the newborn in neonatal ICU.
ADA Steven Tibbs (husband, congressional candidate) had later arrived.
Dr. Costello informed him of what happened.
Officer Noah MacLean (Stillwater PD), & Sheriff Michael Flint (Stillwater) came to tell the ER staff what might have happened to Katherine.
Why did Grace Fisher (Stillwater General hospital president) call Frankie to her office?
Deputy Sheriff Travis Anderson (Stillwater) came to see Frankie.
Will the crime get solved & someone brought to justice?
What about Frankie & Noah?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Crooked Lane; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
February 14, 2018
No One Can Know is the second entry in Lucy Kerr's thoroughly entertaining and thrilling Stillwater General Mystery series. The debut, Time of Death, introduced readers to our protagonist: emergency room nurse Frankie Stapleton and her rather complicated return to her small hometown of Stillwater. In my review of Time of Death, I noted that I was captivated early on with Frankie's voice and the series' intriguing premise of combining suspense and murder investigation with medical emergencies and family drama. In No One Can Know, Kerr continues to excel with a tightly written mystery that manages to entertain, engage and keep the reader guessing all at once.
Still experiencing the aftereffects of her involvement in investigating the death of Stillwater community member Clem Jensen, Frankie finds herself at the centre of another highly suspicious, horrendous tragedy. When Frankie and her ER colleagues try and save the life of a highly pregnant women involved in a car wreck, the case ends up being larger than anything Frankie or her colleagues could have imagined. As Frankie learns more about the mother who lost her life and the deceased's husband- who has high political aspirations- she finds herself deeply involved in the case and unable to let go- much to the frustration of the Stillwater police officer heading the case (who happens to be her former fiance Noah). Frankie continues her own sleuthing into the increasingly tangled murder investigation and as the media frenzy surrounding the politician's wife's death grows, she discovers that Noah might need her help and support more than ever. As with Time of Death, Kerr does a great job here in combining relationship drama (both family and romantic) with elements of suspense and genuine twists. The ending of No One Can Know is one of quiet surprise and reveal, leaving a lot of room open for darker and bigger directions the series could take!
Overall, a strong, more than worthy second entry in a solid mystery series that looks to have many more exciting and riveting stories in it. Though not absolutely essential to have read book one, I do recommend starting with Time of Death as it offers a lot of background and character introduction to Frankie, her family, and more details into her long history with Noah. Readers who enjoy amateur sleuth mysteries, medical dramas, or slightly darker cozy mysteries with a strong protagonist might do very well to check Lucy Kerr's series out.
I received a copy of this title courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.
March 22, 2018
I enjoyed the first mystery in the Stillwater General series enough that I wanted to read this one, too. However, I don’t think the story was as strong this time around.
In No One Can Know, ER nurse Frankie Stapleton again encounters a mystery when a local politician’s pregnant wife dies in a car accident that turns out to have been no accident. Frankie feels guilty because she had treated the likely killer in the ER and let him get away before the police arrived. So she decides to investigate the death herself, a task that gets even more complicated when the victim’s newborn son is kidnapped from the NICU at her hospital.
The mystery in this book wasn’t very strongly plotted. It was hard for me to see why Frankie would feel it necessary to involve herself in the investigation, but that’s par for the course in mysteries featuring an amateur sleuth. Her attempts to solve the crime mostly aren’t very fruitful, however, and she just kind of stumbles to solution. In particular, there’s one point where I just kind of had to roll my eyes when an important bit of information falls into her lap and she makes a somewhat illogical leap using that info that turns out to be correct. That kind of thing bugs me in a mystery novel.
I found myself much more interested in Frankie’s personal life than in the mystery. She’s always been a rolling stone, the kind of person who felt stifled in her small town and so left her family and fiancée behind. Her fumbling efforts to reconnect with them and to decide whether she wants to keep moving or finally stay in her hometown were what kept me reading even after I lost interest in the mystery aspect of the book.
Readers who enjoyed the previous Stillwater General book should go ahead and read this one. I’m probably going to pick up the next in the series just to see what happens in her personal life; hopefully the mystery will be stronger, too.
A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
In No One Can Know, ER nurse Frankie Stapleton again encounters a mystery when a local politician’s pregnant wife dies in a car accident that turns out to have been no accident. Frankie feels guilty because she had treated the likely killer in the ER and let him get away before the police arrived. So she decides to investigate the death herself, a task that gets even more complicated when the victim’s newborn son is kidnapped from the NICU at her hospital.
The mystery in this book wasn’t very strongly plotted. It was hard for me to see why Frankie would feel it necessary to involve herself in the investigation, but that’s par for the course in mysteries featuring an amateur sleuth. Her attempts to solve the crime mostly aren’t very fruitful, however, and she just kind of stumbles to solution. In particular, there’s one point where I just kind of had to roll my eyes when an important bit of information falls into her lap and she makes a somewhat illogical leap using that info that turns out to be correct. That kind of thing bugs me in a mystery novel.
I found myself much more interested in Frankie’s personal life than in the mystery. She’s always been a rolling stone, the kind of person who felt stifled in her small town and so left her family and fiancée behind. Her fumbling efforts to reconnect with them and to decide whether she wants to keep moving or finally stay in her hometown were what kept me reading even after I lost interest in the mystery aspect of the book.
Readers who enjoyed the previous Stillwater General book should go ahead and read this one. I’m probably going to pick up the next in the series just to see what happens in her personal life; hopefully the mystery will be stronger, too.
A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
January 22, 2018
Working in a small town ER is a lot different from Chicago for nurse Frankie Stapleton. I
Until a mysterious man shows up in the ER, giving as little detail and personal information as possible. Frankie senses he is lying but before she can chase that thread they receive a patient who has been in a motor vehicle accident. Or was it an accident?
Frankie can't shake the feeling that he has something to do with their current patient and even more so when he slips out while the team tries to save two lives.
In a small town where everyone knows everyone's business, Frankie's own mother seems to be the head of the gossip mill. And between her mother trying to get information out of her and marry her off at the same time, things are a bit tense around the house. But Frankie is only here for a few months she says so she tries to keep her info to herself. But she is nosy and is determined to see justice done for Kate and her baby.
This was not what I would call a cozy mystery even though it had quite a few of the elements of one. I would call it a cozy with an edge. The characters that were at the forefront of the story I felt were fleshed out well. Although this is book two and I would have liked to have seen a bit more development in the others.
It has all the ingredients of a good mystery; Greed, Politics, Money, Jealousy and Drugs in a small California town.
There were a lot of loose lips and insider information from the police as well as the hospital workers and that I didn't care for.
She is an author that I will read again.
Netgalley/Crooked Lane Books February 13, 2018
Until a mysterious man shows up in the ER, giving as little detail and personal information as possible. Frankie senses he is lying but before she can chase that thread they receive a patient who has been in a motor vehicle accident. Or was it an accident?
Frankie can't shake the feeling that he has something to do with their current patient and even more so when he slips out while the team tries to save two lives.
In a small town where everyone knows everyone's business, Frankie's own mother seems to be the head of the gossip mill. And between her mother trying to get information out of her and marry her off at the same time, things are a bit tense around the house. But Frankie is only here for a few months she says so she tries to keep her info to herself. But she is nosy and is determined to see justice done for Kate and her baby.
This was not what I would call a cozy mystery even though it had quite a few of the elements of one. I would call it a cozy with an edge. The characters that were at the forefront of the story I felt were fleshed out well. Although this is book two and I would have liked to have seen a bit more development in the others.
It has all the ingredients of a good mystery; Greed, Politics, Money, Jealousy and Drugs in a small California town.
There were a lot of loose lips and insider information from the police as well as the hospital workers and that I didn't care for.
She is an author that I will read again.
Netgalley/Crooked Lane Books February 13, 2018
December 13, 2020
Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of No One Can Know. The choice to review this book was my own.
ER nurse Frankie Stapleton is new to Stillwater General, but definitely knows how to stir up trouble. Temporarily back in her hometown to help her family, Frankie is burning the candle at both ends by taking shifts at the hospital, working at the family store, and taking care of her niece. When a pregnant woman comes into the ER after being in a horrific traffic accident, will Frankie's curiosity about the situation lead her into trouble?
No One Can Know was the second book in a series featuring Frankie Stapleton, though it was not strictly necessary to have read the previous novel. I found most of this book to be a little overblown, from the meddling and overbearing mother, the demanding sister, and the obnoxious boss. The amateur sleuth aspect of the story was expected and a little disappointing. Frankie stumbled around the novel, getting herself into situations and figuring things out despite having no training. I like medical mysteries and I was hoping that No One Can Know would be more like Robin Cook's novels. More of this novel took place outside of the hospital than inside, which led me to think why the subtitle was A Stillwater General Mystery. The constant meddling by the mother was overdone and the novel ended without much fanfare. I have no interest in reading the first book, nor would I read subsequent books.
ER nurse Frankie Stapleton is new to Stillwater General, but definitely knows how to stir up trouble. Temporarily back in her hometown to help her family, Frankie is burning the candle at both ends by taking shifts at the hospital, working at the family store, and taking care of her niece. When a pregnant woman comes into the ER after being in a horrific traffic accident, will Frankie's curiosity about the situation lead her into trouble?
No One Can Know was the second book in a series featuring Frankie Stapleton, though it was not strictly necessary to have read the previous novel. I found most of this book to be a little overblown, from the meddling and overbearing mother, the demanding sister, and the obnoxious boss. The amateur sleuth aspect of the story was expected and a little disappointing. Frankie stumbled around the novel, getting herself into situations and figuring things out despite having no training. I like medical mysteries and I was hoping that No One Can Know would be more like Robin Cook's novels. More of this novel took place outside of the hospital than inside, which led me to think why the subtitle was A Stillwater General Mystery. The constant meddling by the mother was overdone and the novel ended without much fanfare. I have no interest in reading the first book, nor would I read subsequent books.
January 29, 2018
No One Can Know
A Stillwater General Mystery
by Lucy Kerr
Crooked Lane Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 13 Feb 2018
I am reviewing a copy of No One Can Know through Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley:
Frankie Stillwater is an E.R nurse who has agreed to spend three months in her sleepy hometown of Stillwater. She is there to try to help the sister she has been estranged too, to see if they can save their families hardware store. While there she also works a few shifts at the local hospital, but more importantly she is working towards rebuilding the bridges she burned when she left town twelve years later.
A Pregnant car crash victim arrives at Stillwater General where Frankie and the team fight to save the lives of Mother and baby but only the baby survives. A rumor goes around saying this was no accident that the pregnant women was intentionally targeted, but who would want to kill Kate Tibbs, she was a social worker and the wife of an up and coming local politician? Frankie investigates and discovers there were a lot of motives and even more suspects.
When the Baby disappears her search for the truth becomes a deadly race against the clock, and it doesn't matter to Frankie the cost as long as she can save the baby.
Will Frankie find who has the baby and a tiny life? Or will it be to late? Find out in No One Can Know!
Five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
A Pregnant car crash victim arrives at Stillwater General where Frankie and the team fight to save the lives of Mother and baby but only the baby survives. A rumor goes around saying this was no accident that the pregnant women was intentionally targeted, but who would want to kill Kate Tibbs, she was a social worker and the wife of an up and coming local politician? Frankie investigates and discovers there were a lot of motives and even more suspects.
When the Baby disappears her search for the truth becomes a deadly race against the clock, and it doesn't matter to Frankie the cost as long as she can save the baby.
Will Frankie find who has the baby and a tiny life? Or will it be to late? Find out in No One Can Know!
Five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
February 15, 2018
4.5 stars.
No One Can Know is another perplexing mystery starring ER Nurse Frankie Stapleton. This second installment in Lucy Kerr's Stillwater General Mystery series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the first novel as well.
Frankie is on duty during a violent storm when John Mueller arrives with minor injuries he claims were sustained in collusion with a deer. Just as his treatment is wrapping up, Katherine Tibbs is rushed into the ER barely clinging to life. Pregnant with her first child, her injuries are so severe that ER Dr. Paul Costello quickly turns his ministrations to saving her unborn baby. Once the baby boy is safely delivered and rushed to the NICU, Kat unfortunately succumbs to her injuries. Katherine's husband, Steven Tibbs, an assistant district who is in the middle of a political campaign, arrives in the ER just as Frankie discovers the first patient she was treating walked out of the hospital which immediately raises suspicions he was involved in Katherine's accident. Plagued with guilt over not acting on her instincts that something was off with John, Frankie cannot help but poke around the investigation despite her ex-fiancée Sheriff Noah MacLean's warning to stay out of the case.
Frankie has reluctantly made peace about her extended stay in her small hometown for the next few months. She is working part-time at the ER while also filling in at the family's financially precarious hardware business. frankie is temporarily bunking with her eight year old niece Riley who has a huge case of hero worship on her fun aunt. She dodges her mother's matchmaking efforts while at the same time putting up with her sister Charlie's verbal barbs. Frankie gets along great with her fellow nurses, but her relationship with Dr. Costello remains a bit acrimonious.
The police investigation quickly arrives at a standstill since they have the daunting task of trying to unearth a motive for Katherine's accident. Frankie just cannot sit around waiting for the police to locate missing patient John so she begins looking for him on her own. Running into him at the cemetery, he tells her some very puzzling information before disappearing once again. Following a couple of troubling murders and a shocking kidnapping, the pressure is on to figure out who is responsible for these crimes and why.
No One Can Know is a very clever whodunit that is fast-paced and engaging. Frankie is an excellent nurse and a very adept amateur sleuth. Her situation with her family adds interest to her character (although it would be nice if Charlie would take her sniping down a few notches). With a few well placed red herrings, Lucy Kerr brilliantly keeps the identity of the perpetrator(s) and motive for the nefarious goings on carefully under wraps until a somewhat dramatic and nail biting conclusion. Another outstanding installment in the Stillwater General Mystery series that old and new fans will enjoy.
No One Can Know is another perplexing mystery starring ER Nurse Frankie Stapleton. This second installment in Lucy Kerr's Stillwater General Mystery series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the first novel as well.
Frankie is on duty during a violent storm when John Mueller arrives with minor injuries he claims were sustained in collusion with a deer. Just as his treatment is wrapping up, Katherine Tibbs is rushed into the ER barely clinging to life. Pregnant with her first child, her injuries are so severe that ER Dr. Paul Costello quickly turns his ministrations to saving her unborn baby. Once the baby boy is safely delivered and rushed to the NICU, Kat unfortunately succumbs to her injuries. Katherine's husband, Steven Tibbs, an assistant district who is in the middle of a political campaign, arrives in the ER just as Frankie discovers the first patient she was treating walked out of the hospital which immediately raises suspicions he was involved in Katherine's accident. Plagued with guilt over not acting on her instincts that something was off with John, Frankie cannot help but poke around the investigation despite her ex-fiancée Sheriff Noah MacLean's warning to stay out of the case.
Frankie has reluctantly made peace about her extended stay in her small hometown for the next few months. She is working part-time at the ER while also filling in at the family's financially precarious hardware business. frankie is temporarily bunking with her eight year old niece Riley who has a huge case of hero worship on her fun aunt. She dodges her mother's matchmaking efforts while at the same time putting up with her sister Charlie's verbal barbs. Frankie gets along great with her fellow nurses, but her relationship with Dr. Costello remains a bit acrimonious.
The police investigation quickly arrives at a standstill since they have the daunting task of trying to unearth a motive for Katherine's accident. Frankie just cannot sit around waiting for the police to locate missing patient John so she begins looking for him on her own. Running into him at the cemetery, he tells her some very puzzling information before disappearing once again. Following a couple of troubling murders and a shocking kidnapping, the pressure is on to figure out who is responsible for these crimes and why.
No One Can Know is a very clever whodunit that is fast-paced and engaging. Frankie is an excellent nurse and a very adept amateur sleuth. Her situation with her family adds interest to her character (although it would be nice if Charlie would take her sniping down a few notches). With a few well placed red herrings, Lucy Kerr brilliantly keeps the identity of the perpetrator(s) and motive for the nefarious goings on carefully under wraps until a somewhat dramatic and nail biting conclusion. Another outstanding installment in the Stillwater General Mystery series that old and new fans will enjoy.
August 16, 2018
The delight of mystery series such as the Stillwater General books is the opportunity to revisit familiar people and places. No One Can Know, book #2 in the series, picks up the thread of Frankie Stapleton's life. She's more firmly ensconced in the ER of Stillwater General...not permanently, of course. Frankie has signed a contract for a few months, after which she will return to Chicago or go on to another adventure. But, first she needs to involve herself in another murder.
Once again, Frankie was a compelling character, sometimes irritating, sometimes hot-headed, brave and foolhardy. But always interesting. It was a treat to watch her interact with the young women in her life: niece Riley, who is becoming attached to her peripatetic aunt; Meg Costello, the artistic daughter of cranky ER chief Paul Costello. Meg has a dream that is contrary to her father's wishes for her future. Frankie encourages Meg, much to Dr. Costello's irritation. I have to say that Frankie really has no business interfering with Meg's future; however, if she and Dr. Costello were romantically connected, Frankie would have more leverage in advocating for Meg. Just saying....
Looking forward to a third visit to Stillwater. Hopefully we'll spend more time with Frankie's family -- especially her brother-in-law, who seems to have hidden depth.
Once again, Frankie was a compelling character, sometimes irritating, sometimes hot-headed, brave and foolhardy. But always interesting. It was a treat to watch her interact with the young women in her life: niece Riley, who is becoming attached to her peripatetic aunt; Meg Costello, the artistic daughter of cranky ER chief Paul Costello. Meg has a dream that is contrary to her father's wishes for her future. Frankie encourages Meg, much to Dr. Costello's irritation. I have to say that Frankie really has no business interfering with Meg's future; however, if she and Dr. Costello were romantically connected, Frankie would have more leverage in advocating for Meg. Just saying....
Looking forward to a third visit to Stillwater. Hopefully we'll spend more time with Frankie's family -- especially her brother-in-law, who seems to have hidden depth.
January 31, 2018
They say that full moons keep the cops running and fill the ER. We find that to be true in No One Can Know by Lucy Kerr. Frankie Stapleton is back home and helping out at the small-town hospital after living in Chicago. A mysterious man arrives in the ER, hurt but not quite giving his real name. A trauma patient comes in soon after, very pregnant and though they valiantly try to save her and the baby, only the baby survives.
With a touch of politics – the pregnant woman was the wife of a man running for congress. And enough intrigue and twists to keep the reader’s interest, No One Can Know was one of those books I couldn’t help but read in almost a single session.
If you like mysteries with characters you can’t help but life, moments of levity in a serious situation, and medical thrillers, you’re going to like No One Can Know (and the rest of the Stillwater General Series.) I'm adding this series - and the author - to my must read list!
Four stars!
(Thanks to Net Galley, Lucy Kerr, and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book. Opinions are my own)
With a touch of politics – the pregnant woman was the wife of a man running for congress. And enough intrigue and twists to keep the reader’s interest, No One Can Know was one of those books I couldn’t help but read in almost a single session.
If you like mysteries with characters you can’t help but life, moments of levity in a serious situation, and medical thrillers, you’re going to like No One Can Know (and the rest of the Stillwater General Series.) I'm adding this series - and the author - to my must read list!
Four stars!
(Thanks to Net Galley, Lucy Kerr, and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book. Opinions are my own)
February 21, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn’t read the first book in the Stillwater General series but that didn’t matter, there was enough back story peppered throughout.
Frankie is a nurse who has returned to her home town after a long period. She is on duty when a pregnant patient is brought in after a car accident. When the patient doesn’t make it Frankie sees herself as a wannabe detective and inserts herself into a potential murder investigation.
The book is told exclusively from Frankie’s point of view and in a linear format, no jumping back and forth through time.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of Diane Chamberlain as it was in a similar style.
I hadn’t read the first book in the Stillwater General series but that didn’t matter, there was enough back story peppered throughout.
Frankie is a nurse who has returned to her home town after a long period. She is on duty when a pregnant patient is brought in after a car accident. When the patient doesn’t make it Frankie sees herself as a wannabe detective and inserts herself into a potential murder investigation.
The book is told exclusively from Frankie’s point of view and in a linear format, no jumping back and forth through time.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of Diane Chamberlain as it was in a similar style.
February 2, 2018
3.5 stars
It took me a while to get into this one, but once I did I finished in one sitting. The characters were likable and while the mystery was a little thin, I would definitely pick up the next book (in fact I’ve got the first one on hold my local library because I didn’t realize it was in a series).
I received an early copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
It took me a while to get into this one, but once I did I finished in one sitting. The characters were likable and while the mystery was a little thin, I would definitely pick up the next book (in fact I’ve got the first one on hold my local library because I didn’t realize it was in a series).
I received an early copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
May 28, 2019
Another page turner by Lucy Kerr. Love the characters and the continuation of Frankie’s life back in her hometown. This book kept me guessing throughout as to what happened. I did have suspicions though...I really needed to go to bed 1 1/2 hours ago...even turned off the light, but I just had to keep reading. Well worth the late night!
January 6, 2025
Frankie’s just a nurse but she’s being nosey in an investigation that turns up a politicians wife dying while pregnant. Lucy Kerr did great with the storyline. I was able to put the pieces together early on based on how she wrote one of the characters reactions and responses. The plot twist was as big as the story lead on.
January 25, 2018
This book grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. I cared about all individuals, main characters and secondary. ER intensity, politics, murder, kidnapping, and more. I look forward to reading the next one in this series. The publisher provided a copy via NetGalley for my voluntary review.
April 2, 2018
I adored NO ONE CAN KNOW, possibly even more than TIME OF DEATH (the first in this series). The characters are magnetic and the plot was full of unexpected twists. Lucy Kerr is a fantastic writer who knows how to keep a mystery feeling fresh. Keep these books coming, please!
April 26, 2018
I love Frankie, a nurse with a fiery stubborn streak. I love the story line with twists and turns that flow seamlessly. I appreciate the family dynamics and how they're not perfect but still filled with love. Super quick read because it was hard to put down.
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