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The Redwood Con: A Suspense Thriller

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After a divorced Chicago father is charged with killing his girlfriend and unexplainable secrets about her come to light, he’ll have to figure out how much he’s willing to risk to find out the truth . . . and how much of it he wants to know.

Liam Parker finds his girlfriend, Elise, dead in the bathtub, wrists cut. Suicide, he figures. But the truth turns out to be more complex than anyone might expect. While trying to clear his name, Liam uncovers clues that suggest Elise was not who he thought she was: she was living under an alias, has a record, and lied about where she worked and where she grew up.

Making matters worse, his relationship with her has tied his fate to those of a conman and a stock broker, neither of whom he has ever met. And as these three men’s lives hurl unexpectedly toward each other, Liam learns he’ll have to do more than just prove he’s innocent—he’ll have to unravel a mystery that threatens to destroy everything he cares about.

The Redwood Con is the kind of thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2020

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51 people want to read

About the author

Reagan Keeter

10 books37 followers
Reagan Keeter's mystery and thriller novels have topped Amazon charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. He is a National Indie Excellence Awards finalist and has worked as a writer and editor at Georgia newspapers. He graduated from Georgia State University with a major in print journalism and a minor in English literature. He has lived in Bucharest, Prague, Manchester, and Chicago. Currently, he resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Pat.
2,310 reviews504 followers
May 14, 2020
I went into this blind which was a good thing as I may not have picked it up otherwise. As it turns out I really enjoyed this story. No doggie heroes this time and still no serial killers (but that doesn’t mean no one died). Instead it was a very twisty mystery that was cleverly done and hugely entertaining.

Liam Parker arrives at his girlfriend Elise’s place after a poker night to find her dead in the bathtub. It looks like suicide. He attempts to revive her and calls an ambulance but to no avail. Why would she want to kill herself? At that point Liam’s life begins to unravel and spiral down the toilet. It was not, after all, a suicide and the police start to look at him as a suspect so he goes on the run as he really does look very guilty on the available evidence. So he calls on the one person that may be able to help him. Big mistake Liam! He decides that the only way to clear his name is to find out who really did kill Elise.

But the twists keep coming and amateur sleuth Liam is betrayed by one person after another. Someone seems determined to ruin his life and the final betrayal is almost a step too far. With the help of some unlikely allies Liam fights back - but is he in time? And is it enough? This is the story of a con gone horribly wrong. It was almost comedic in places and very well written. Thoroughly entertaining!
Profile Image for Linda Strong.
3,878 reviews1,711 followers
May 19, 2020
Liam Parker is busy at an illegal poker game when his girlfriend calls and leaves several text messages. He finally gives it up and goes to Elise's apartment where he finds her dead in the bathtub, her wrists are cut. His first thought is suicide and he makes the mistake of hauling her out of the tub. His now bloody clothes, his fingerprints, not to mention he tries using her phone to call for help, make him the number one suspect in her murder.

While trying to clear his name, Liam discovers that Elise was using an alias, she lied about her family, her upbringing, her work history, and she has a criminal record. Did any of her secrets cause her death?

Throw in a conman and stock broker, neither of whom he has met will help Liam unravel a mystery that threatens his very existence.

As this is a new author to me, I was not expecting such a riveting story with a solid plot and well drawn characters. And there are many characters to follow .... everyone from an illegal poker manager ....to an ex-wife and kids ... to his business partner ... to his girlfriend's family .. and many more. There are twists and turns that seem to magically appear and throw the reader in an entirely new direction.

Many thanks to the author / Irresistible Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Profile Image for Lorrea - WhatChaReadin'?.
641 reviews103 followers
May 5, 2020
When Liam Parker doesn't initially see the texts from his girlfriend, Elise, since he is at a place where he can't answer his phone. We he finally seems them, and tries to call her, he finds it strange that she isn't answering. He rushes to her house to find her dead from an apparent suicide. This doesn't seem like something she would do. The police don't believe that it is a suicide either and all evidence points to Liam as the number one suspect. Will he be able to clear his name or will he go down for a crime he didn't commit.

Thanks to Reagan Keeter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This title hooked me from the beginning. I had to know what was going to happen next. I didn't know what to expect from this book. I didn't know if Liam Parker was a reliable character or not, but I was on his side. When the secret is revealed, I couldn't believe it.

Can you imagine being wanted for a crime you didn't commit? Too many times in life this happens. Liam Parker was determined not to let that happen to him. He was going to find out who was behind all of this even if it meant that he would put his own life in danger in order to do so. When his children are brought into the equation, it makes things even more difficult to deal with and to understand.

Reagan Keeter is a new to me author, but I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his books.
Profile Image for Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews.
2,911 reviews214 followers
May 7, 2020
I enjoy a good suspense/thriller novel and this one did not disappoint.  The interactions, secrets, and the devious nature of multiple characters will keep the reader on their toes.

This story is woven together with insights from multiple characters and no one character knows everything or the how and why events play out as they do in this tale.  But the tale they tell all comes together in the end and it all makes sense.  It may not be right, but the answers fall together.

Liam seems to have his life in order until he discovers his girlfriend dead in her apartment.  That triggers the first domino to fall and life gets out of control for Liam in ways he cannot even imagine.  I won't spoil it but some of the revelations at the end shocked me because I didn't expect those answers.  I'm surprised that Liam was able to investigate as much as he could, even with the help of some unlikely characters.

When we learn the why of this story, it saddens me a bit because of the motive of those behind Liam's downfall.  While I understand their reasoning, it doesn't make it right and perhaps a different result could have happened with a different approach.

We truly enjoyed this book and will have to look at this author's other works to see if they are just as suspenseful to this reader.

We give this book 5 paws up.
Profile Image for Steph Warren.
1,761 reviews40 followers
May 5, 2020
*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

The Redwood Con is a gripping suspense thriller with, as the title suggests, a few surprises up its sleeve.

The main character is Liam Parker, who stands accused of the murder of his girlfriend, and finds his efforts to clear his name just tangle him further in a complicated web of thieves, gamblers and confidence tricksters. And, of course, one of them is apparently not averse to a bit of murder on the side.

As the net tightens around Liam and he struggles to prove his innocence against an increasingly clever frame job, we start to build a picture of the lies and subterfuges all around him and it becomes ever clearer that Elise was not all she seemed.

Reagan Keeter tells the story from a variety of different character viewpoints, which allows the reader access to information that Liam doesn’t have and lets us feel very clever as we keep one step ahead of the characters in piecing the clues together. Until suddenly he turns a cup and the dice we thought we were following isn’t there!

I was fascinated by the various con trick details scattered throughout the book and it certainly made me feel more wary about everything from walking down a busy street, to how I choose my security passwords. The world of confidence tricksters is one of smoke and mirrors, and exceedingly unnerving.

I really felt for Liam too; it was nerve wracking watching the trap inexorably close in on an innocent man, with no obvious way for him to escape it. Similarly, it was great to see the plot ‘from above’ almost, and be able to see the threads of the individual characters crossing back and forth before eventually converging for the climax and reveal.

Recommended for fugitive thriller fans who enjoy tight-spun plot patterns and an intimate cast of characters.



From the window, Elise could see the quiet, tree-lined street that ran in front of her building. The old three and four-story condominium buildings lining most of it were charming. The neighbours were friendly, and she could walk to a grocery store and a coffee shop.
She hoped that after tonight she wouldn’t have to leave. She hoped that by being honest with Liam her life would become something new and better than it was now. But if he didn’t take the news well, she knew she’d have no choice. She’d pack up the things she could as soon as everyone was gone and disappear.

– Reagan Keeter, The Redwood Con


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Profile Image for Megan Leprich.
646 reviews16 followers
March 16, 2021
*Thanks to Irresistible Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review*

This story immediately drew me in from the beginning when the main character arrives at his girlfriend's house and finds her dead in the bathtub. There were plenty of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and some parts of the story really did surprise me. It had a pretty solid plot and well-developed characters also. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because I got a little confused with all of the characters and how they each contributed to the story but overall, it was pretty solid.
Profile Image for Allison.
23 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2020
Who can refuse to read a book about a divorced guy who finds his girlfriend dead in a bathtub? And the guy has no idea who the girl really was? Nope, not me - this is not something I walk away from. And that's what we get at the beginning of The Redwood Con. It doesn't waste any time setting the scene; we just jump right in.

Our main character is a guy named Liam. He's a successful businessman, he's divorced, he loves his kids, and he loves to play poker. He's also casually dating a girl named Elise, who he met at poker. But it doesn't take long before Liam goes to see Elise (after playing poker), finds her apartment unlocked, and then finds her dead in the bathtub. Unsurprisingly, the police quickly decide Liam is the likely culprit and he must solve the case himself to prove his innocence. And that's when all hell breaks loose.

There are lots of characters involved in the story - some of whom are seemingly random until you get further into the book, and few of whom are involved for the reasons you initially think. It does get a little confusing sometimes trying to keep everything straight. There's a conman, some family members, an ex-wife, an underground-poker-club proprietor, business partners and lawyers and kids, and a whole slew of others. And a cute dog (even if the dog is, sadly, a little dog and we all know bigger dogs are better). The chapters are helpfully titled with character names so readers know what perspective they're reading from (which is nice because the chapters are shorter and the book changes perspective almost every chapter). But when few people are who they seem to be, sometimes the names are not super helpful.

I'm really not sure what else I could say here that wouldn't ruin any of the twists and turns. Personally, I thought I knew how it would resolve and I was only about 40% right. And even that 40% was more of "I thought maybe this person was involved, but not like that". It's always good to read something that I can't predict, so I appreciated that. I won't lie - I read this once and then had to re-skim it to make sure I was clear on what was going on. And I'll probably read it a third time just to see what else I pick up on now.

If you aren't familiar with Reagan Keeter, he's an Amazon best seller and a National Indie Excellence Awards finalist. In other words, he knows what he's doing. The style is easy to read; you won't need a dictionary, although you may need a chart to keep track of all the characters. And it was a quick read for me, which I enjoyed. I don't always want to spend days and weeks trying to get into a groove with something or having to slog my way through unnecessary prose and narrative. Sometimes I want to read for fun of reading, and this book hit the mark.

Kudos to Reagan Keeter for putting out something that was interesting and kept me guessing.
Profile Image for Paige.
1,868 reviews89 followers
April 30, 2020
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Redwood Con

Author: Reagan Keeter

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: May 5, 2020

Genre: Thriller

Recommended Age: 17+ (suicide TW, murder, gore, violence, language, mystery)

Publisher: Irresistible Publishing

Pages: 312

Amazon Link

Synopsis: After a divorced Chicago father is charged with killing his girlfriend and unexplainable secrets about her come to light, he’ll have to figure out how much he’s willing to risk to find out the truth . . . and how much of it he wants to know.

Liam Parker finds his girlfriend, Elise, dead in the bathtub, wrists cut. Suicide, he figures. But the truth turns out to be more complex than anyone might expect. While trying to clear his name, Liam uncovers clues that suggest Elise was not who he thought she was: she was living under an alias, has a record, and lied about where she worked and where she grew up.

Making matters worse, his relationship with her has tied his fate to those of a conman and a stock broker, neither of whom he has ever met. And as these three men’s lives hurl unexpectedly toward each other, Liam learns he’ll have to do more than just prove he’s innocent—he’ll have to unravel a mystery that threatens to destroy everything he cares about.

The Redwood Con is the kind of thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Review: This book was pretty good overall! The characters were well developed throughout the novel. The world building was done well and the writing was impressive. I really liked the story and the plot.

However, I did think the book was a bit slower paced than what I would have liked it and I figured out the ending fairly early on in the book, but it was a good book overall.

Verdict: It was a good book!
Profile Image for Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read.
3,441 reviews113 followers
May 6, 2020
The Redwood Con is a quick read and a pretty entertaining story overall. The suspense is a bit of a mixed bag for me. There's a line at the end of the blurb that claims this story will 'keep you guessing until the very end.' Umm, not quite. In fact, I can tell you the exact spot where I knew at least part of the whodunit, and the other part wasn't far behind. I also figured out at least some of the motivation. Some, definitely not all. That gets a bit more complicated and the story gets somewhat convoluted toward the end with a lot of rapid-fire back and forth between the characters as Liam figures things out. There are several players in this twisted game, and the lines are clearly drawn between good guys and bad guys for the most part. There are a couple of characters who are kind of in the middle, but it's still easy to see which side they're on as the story unfolds. I do like the way the author laid this one out in terms of style. The chapters are relatively short, and they bounce from character to character with Liam getting the lion's share of page time. There are a couple of characters who only get one or two brief chapters, which can be a tricky business when it comes to story flow, but it works well for this one. In the end, this book was a little too predictable for me, but the author does give us a likable guy to root for in Liam, and the story is great for whiling away a rainy afternoon or weekend. Reagan Keeter is certainly talented and I would check out future books by him.
Profile Image for Sara Reads Romance.
742 reviews123 followers
May 5, 2020
Overall, I thought this book was really good. The characters were very well developed and I was able to vividly picture everything that was going on. So some parts of this book did seem to move along a little slowly, but the overall pace of the book was good and didn’t rush into anything. The one and only thing that really bugged me about this book was that it had so many points of view. I was often confused on who I was reading and often had to go back and re-read paragraphs or sentences to remind myself which person we were on. I always enjoy dual points of view, but when it becomes any more than three for me personally it gets a little too confusing. Other than that, I thought this book was very well thought out. It had great characters and really left me wanting more each chapter. It was a solid read that had lots of twists and turns and that kept me on my toes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for a review!
Profile Image for Teresa Collins.
1,121 reviews19 followers
June 13, 2020
I received a review copy from Reading DIeals and this is my honest opinion. Talk about a complicated thriller?! This is one in spades! Nobody tells the truth and isn't whom they say they are, nor are they doing what they said they were for the reasons they said. (See, what I mean by complicated!) But don't let complicated scare you off. This is a very well-written, intense mystery with an involved plot and plenty of twists and turns. I have to admit that I figured out who the "bad guy" was but not the real motive. And that did not interfere with my enjoyment of the story. at all.
Anyone who has seen even one or two of my reviews knows that typos are a major pet peeve. Well, Mr. Keeter's previous book "Buried" drove me nuts on that score; not this one. Mr. Keeter must have gotten a new editor or something because I think I only came across one if that. Great job! All in all, a really good read and I recommend it.
Profile Image for Heath Henwood.
299 reviews5 followers
December 9, 2020
Redwood Con
By Reagan Keeter

3 stars

A slow build thriller that never quite delivers. The ending, while wrapping up the story fails to hit the climatic impact it should.

Liam Parker finds his girlfriend, Elise, dead in the bathtub, wrists cut. Suicide, he figures. But the truth turns out to be more complex than anyone might expect. While trying to clear his name, Liam uncovers clues that suggest Elise was not who he thought she was: she was living under an alias, has a record, and lied about her life.

A title that will entertain some, without gripping them at any point through the story.

This title has been reviewed by www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

#ThRedwoodCon #NetGalley
Profile Image for Margaret Yelton.
2,140 reviews44 followers
April 15, 2020
The Redwood Con is a suspense thriller by a new author for me, but I am always up for trying out new authors in a genre that I love. This was a book with many twists and turns, which was also well written. Overall I wouldn't say it was an amazing book, but it was a good solid read. There was alot going on in the book and at times I found it a little hard to keep up with, but I would still recommend it to others that enjoy suspense thrillers.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.
382 reviews8 followers
April 18, 2020
This is my first exposure to this author and indeed it didn’t disappoint. A well-written, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave you breathless at times in anticipation of the next twist in the plot. Non-stop action with multiple twists and turns leave you wondering at times who the good guys really were. It was so captivating and exciting that I simply couldn't put it down! I definitely look forward to reading other books by this author.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.
374 reviews22 followers
April 29, 2020
Reagan Keeter has written a captivating mysterious thriller with Redwood Con.
The characters were well developed throughout. Liam was easily the most likeable for me.
There were an amazing number of surprising twists along the way.
I read this novel in 1 sitting as it was difficult to put down.
The surprising unexpected ending was fantastic!!!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.
Profile Image for karin whitehead.
1,021 reviews9 followers
May 2, 2020
This was an awesome read! Love the author's style, it was helpful by telling who the chapter was, so you could keep all the characters straight! And there were plenty of characters, some likeable and some not so much! The title tells you the nature of the story/plot=CON! Keep that in the back of your mind because this is a masterpiece of twisty book! Loved it every minute spent all night reading to get the answers, I never figured it it to the last page. Excellent writing, a must read!
129 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2021
Liam has it made. He owns his own company, drives a Tesla, life is good, or so he thinks. While he is participating in an illegal poker game, his girlfriend is murdered. All the fingers of guilt point to Liam. Is it an elaborate frame, a con or what? The story unfolds quickly, making this one hard to put down. All is not as it seems as events unfold. Try this one..it is quick and easy and I think you will enjoy it.
108 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2021
New to me

I had no idea this book made it to tv with actors; thus, I was blind to a new read for me. The story flows well and each chapter is labeled to know who is the focal point. My only real gripe concerns the lack of relation to pages and a lack of numbering chapters. One never knows how far they are into the book if it were to crash and the app did not retain your last page read.

Overall, this is a great who done it with a spin as soon as you think you know.
Profile Image for Juliann Guerra.
37 reviews7 followers
May 12, 2020
This one is going to be hard to talk about because I don't want to give anything away. Liam finds his girlfriend dead in her apartment, and after the evidence points to him he takes it upon himself to find her killer. In the process, he discovers a spiderweb of secrets that all come together at the last possible moment.

I love the TV show Criminal Minds, and one of the reasons is that I love trying to see how quickly I can guess who the killer is. Since it's a TV show, no character is there by accident. That's how I feel about mystery novels as well, so that's the approach I took to this novel. And to an extent that was true: every detail in this novel counts. However, I wasn't able to guess the ending until I was reading it. That's what I loved about it. This novel was unpredictable. And even if I started to make a guess, I would never be more than half correct. It was amazing seeing everything come together at the end.
Profile Image for Romaine Heart.
2,337 reviews30 followers
June 22, 2020
After arriving home to find his girlfriend murdered Liam is a suspect since all the evidence points to him. Now he is on the run trying to prove his innocence. The deeper he digs into Elise's past and tries to find the murderer the closer it hits home.
Thank you BookSirens and the author for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest
Profile Image for Rachel.
213 reviews10 followers
May 6, 2020
Original review posted on my blog From Ink to Paper

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am always up for a good mystery/thriller and was glad when I had the chance to read this. I like that each chapter was broken up into a different character so you had multiple versions of what was happening and they all flowed together nicely. I liked that from the beginning of the book you are thrown into the mystery of what happening and who killed Elise. Then you find out a twist about who Elise really was (or was she?).

I thought over all the story was good, some of the twists I expected, some I didn’t. I thought there might could have been a few more surprises that would have made the story really stand out. However, even with my thoughts on what the twist might be I was still intrigued to find out if I was right and how it was all going to play out.

I thought the main character was pretty good, he was likable and you wanted him to win, especially for his children. Elise was interesting because she was the victim and had some secrets and you learned them along the way. I thought the supporting characters were well written and helped the story move along.

Overall I thought this was a good read, it wasn’t my favorite mystery/thriller but I still enjoyed it and am glad I got to read it. I would say it is a good quick read if anyone is looking for a mystery/thriller.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,272 reviews98 followers
May 1, 2020
Reagan Keeter has a winner in this story! Just when you think you know where the story is going...BAM! it reveals something you never even thought would be a part of the story! Great job! I enjoyed this very much! I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Profile Image for Kira.
311 reviews6 followers
May 18, 2020
Reagan my friend, you are devious with a twisted mind! Mind blown! What a fantastic and thrilling book. Turn after turn and twist after twist. I did not predict the ending at all. I loved this book!!! I received a free advance copy of the book and am submitting my review voluntarily
1,918 reviews9 followers
May 22, 2020
Just WOW! I did not know what to do with this book. I could not put it down. Was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was well worth the read.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for LORRIE.
3,537 reviews63 followers
April 4, 2020
An excellent mystery!!!! I truly enjoyed this book as you never knew what was coming around the corner
Profile Image for Barbara Huskey.
750 reviews16 followers
April 9, 2020
This was a well written, well paced who done it kind of mystery suspense book. I enjoyed reading it and trying to figure out how all these storyline threads would come out in the end.
72 reviews12 followers
May 11, 2020
Great book, a lot of twists and turns. Pretty complex, love that the title for each chapter is the person it is about.
Profile Image for Carrie B.
344 reviews146 followers
July 26, 2020
Easy to dive into. A fast paced “who dunnit.”
94 reviews
October 26, 2020
Not sure why I waited so long to read this book. It’s an outstanding story. Great character development. Great page turner. If not for interruption I’d have finished last week.
129 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2021
Liam has it made, or so he thinks. Overnight, his world implodes. Who is doing this, and why? You’ll read the rest of this book as fast as you can to find out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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