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Inland Empire #2
Tell Me
What really happened in the forest? Hidden crimes and secrets of the past converge in a riveting thriller by Anne Frasier, the New York Times bestselling author of Find Me.
No strangers to evil, criminal profiler Reni Fisher and detective Daniel Ellis both still grapple with traumatizing pasts. It unites them. So has a crime they must solve before someone else dies.
At a campsite on California’s Pacific Crest Trail, a guide is murdered and three young hikers vanish without a trace. The only lead is a puzzle in itself: a video of the crime scene, looking eerily staged, uploaded to social media. The girl who posted it can’t be found. Is it a viral hoax gone unspeakably wrong, or is there something more sinister at play in the forest?
The case intensifies when one of the missing is found wandering down a dirt road, confused and afraid. As Reni and Daniel struggle to sort fact from fiction, a secret past collides with the present, threatening to sever their relationship. Are some truths too much to bear? Will this be the case that finally breaks them?
No strangers to evil, criminal profiler Reni Fisher and detective Daniel Ellis both still grapple with traumatizing pasts. It unites them. So has a crime they must solve before someone else dies.
At a campsite on California’s Pacific Crest Trail, a guide is murdered and three young hikers vanish without a trace. The only lead is a puzzle in itself: a video of the crime scene, looking eerily staged, uploaded to social media. The girl who posted it can’t be found. Is it a viral hoax gone unspeakably wrong, or is there something more sinister at play in the forest?
The case intensifies when one of the missing is found wandering down a dirt road, confused and afraid. As Reni and Daniel struggle to sort fact from fiction, a secret past collides with the present, threatening to sever their relationship. Are some truths too much to bear? Will this be the case that finally breaks them?
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2021
1197 people are currently reading
2834 people want to read
About the author
Anne Frasier
37 books2,274 followersAnne Frasier is the New York Times, #1 Amazon Charts, and USA Today bestselling author of the Detective Jude Fontaine Mysteries, the Elise Sandburg series, and the Inland Empire novels. With more than a million copies sold, her award-winning books span the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, and memoir. The Body Reader received the 2017 Thriller Award for Best Original Paperback Novel from International Thriller Writers. Other honors include a RITA for Romantic Suspense and a Daphne du Maurier Award for Paranormal Romantic Mystery/Suspense. Her thrillers have hit the USA Today bestseller list and have been featured in Mystery Guild, the Literary Guild, and Book of the Month. Her memoir, The Orchard, was an O, The Oprah Magazine Fall Pick; a One Book, One Community read; and one of the Librarians’ Best Books of 2011. Visit her website at www.annefrasier.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
July 30, 2021
Tell Me (Inland Empire #2) by Anne Frasier
Former FBI criminal profiler, Reni Fisher, and Detective Daniel Ellis are back about two months after the events Find Me, the first book in the Inland Empire series. Reni, never on stable ground after learning that she was bait in her late father's serial killing spree, is even on shakier ground now and is continuing her reclusive life in the desert. Daniel has asked her to stop searching for his mother, who disappeared one night, when he was eight years old.
Daniel needs help when a video of a body in an orange tent starts trending on social media. They have a general idea where the tent might be located but the person who uploaded the video can't be located. Daniel requires Reni's expertise with the camping area and her skills at finding missing people.
What the reader knows is that three girls and their counselor, from a treatment program, designed to sever addiction to social media, have been on a short camping trip. The wealthy girls are obviously spoiled and very angry that all their devices have been removed from their possession. These are not happy campers and there is no doubt they plan to go back to their social media ways as soon as they are released from the confines of the program.
The story has a very small world feel to it when it seems that there is a connection between so many of the characters. Still, I'd been looking forward to this follow up from the first story and enjoyed how Reni and Daniel brainstorm the mystery while also coping with their past traumas. This book ended in such a way that it doesn't need a third book but I wouldn't mind getting to follow Reni and Daniel into what looks like a brighter future.
Published July 27, 2021
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.
Former FBI criminal profiler, Reni Fisher, and Detective Daniel Ellis are back about two months after the events Find Me, the first book in the Inland Empire series. Reni, never on stable ground after learning that she was bait in her late father's serial killing spree, is even on shakier ground now and is continuing her reclusive life in the desert. Daniel has asked her to stop searching for his mother, who disappeared one night, when he was eight years old.
Daniel needs help when a video of a body in an orange tent starts trending on social media. They have a general idea where the tent might be located but the person who uploaded the video can't be located. Daniel requires Reni's expertise with the camping area and her skills at finding missing people.
What the reader knows is that three girls and their counselor, from a treatment program, designed to sever addiction to social media, have been on a short camping trip. The wealthy girls are obviously spoiled and very angry that all their devices have been removed from their possession. These are not happy campers and there is no doubt they plan to go back to their social media ways as soon as they are released from the confines of the program.
The story has a very small world feel to it when it seems that there is a connection between so many of the characters. Still, I'd been looking forward to this follow up from the first story and enjoyed how Reni and Daniel brainstorm the mystery while also coping with their past traumas. This book ended in such a way that it doesn't need a third book but I wouldn't mind getting to follow Reni and Daniel into what looks like a brighter future.
Published July 27, 2021
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 14, 2021
similar to its predecessor, this sequel is relatively short and im still impressed with how AF manages to completely fill each page. this is a very complete installment that picks up where ‘find me’ leaves off.
while this technically could be read as a standalone, i would recommend reading the first book to truly understand the characters and their backgrounds. there is some development regarding character histories, so having that prior knowledge would be beneficial.
and although i enjoyed the pacing and character stories, i cant help but feel a little let down with the way certain events unfold. its a bit too simplistic for my liking. while i think the straightforward narrative worked for the content of the first book, i think it actually gives away too much of the mystery too soon for this particular story.
but overall, a quick and entertaining investigation.
thanks thomas & mercer for the ARC.
↠ 3 stars
while this technically could be read as a standalone, i would recommend reading the first book to truly understand the characters and their backgrounds. there is some development regarding character histories, so having that prior knowledge would be beneficial.
and although i enjoyed the pacing and character stories, i cant help but feel a little let down with the way certain events unfold. its a bit too simplistic for my liking. while i think the straightforward narrative worked for the content of the first book, i think it actually gives away too much of the mystery too soon for this particular story.
but overall, a quick and entertaining investigation.
thanks thomas & mercer for the ARC.
↠ 3 stars
August 6, 2021
Reni Fisher is a missing person detective on leave due to the horrific and devastating events she was personally involved in several months ago and has been suffering from traumatic PTSD episodes almost daily and she is now unsure if she will ever be able to return to the work that was her entire life. Daniel Ellis, also a detective and close friend to Reni keeps tabs on her so she doesn't bury herself in the isolation that she has chosen to retreat into. When Daniel is presented with a case somewhere in the mountains where three young hikers have vanished and their guide murdered, the only clue is a mysterious video showing the gruesome scene left behind and the owner of the video nowhere to be found. Daniel knows Reni Fisher is the only person who can help him since she knows the mountain trails inside and out. Daniel doesn't have much time to spare and knows this case could help Reni as much as break her but he needs her wilderness expertise as well as her sharp detective skills if there is any chance to find these girls and if they act quickly, hopefully they can bring them home alive.
I really enjoyed this mystery/crime thriller written by Anne Frasier. There are many clever and some surprising twists and turns throughout the story (which I love) that made it hard putting the book aside when I only wanted to keep reading. The story has a great pacing and momentum where I felt very connected to the characters and cared about what was happening to them as they encountered some very tricky and deadly situations. A great cast of many characters but written in a style where I remembered who everyone was and I never felt lost within the story. This is a second book in a series which I didn't realize at the time but this story definitely can be read as a stand-alone without any problems although I can't wait to read the first book "Find Me" to discover the previous history of Reni and Daniel and hopefully there will be a third and fourth book because I am soooo hooked! I highly recommend this descriptive and well-written and atmospheric story to any mystery reader!!
I want to thank the publisher "Thomas & Mercer" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this exciting story 4 ATMOSPHERIC AND DRAMATIC 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
I really enjoyed this mystery/crime thriller written by Anne Frasier. There are many clever and some surprising twists and turns throughout the story (which I love) that made it hard putting the book aside when I only wanted to keep reading. The story has a great pacing and momentum where I felt very connected to the characters and cared about what was happening to them as they encountered some very tricky and deadly situations. A great cast of many characters but written in a style where I remembered who everyone was and I never felt lost within the story. This is a second book in a series which I didn't realize at the time but this story definitely can be read as a stand-alone without any problems although I can't wait to read the first book "Find Me" to discover the previous history of Reni and Daniel and hopefully there will be a third and fourth book because I am soooo hooked! I highly recommend this descriptive and well-written and atmospheric story to any mystery reader!!
I want to thank the publisher "Thomas & Mercer" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this exciting story 4 ATMOSPHERIC AND DRAMATIC 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
July 31, 2021
This story loosely continues a short time after Find Me left off. Reni prefers the dessert to civilization. She spends her days painting and surviving. Her father was a serial killer, and her mother was no angel... as we find out in Find Me. It was a wonder that Reni didn't follow in the family footsteps.
Instead, Reni teams up with Daniel once again to catch another killer. The victims, who eventually become suspects, are a group of teenage girls who are popular "influencers" on the internet. The parental involvement in this story is a stark contrast to the type of parenting that Reni had endured as a child.
I liked that Daniel and Reni are moving closer together. That, for me, was inevitable, but I loved those subtle touches and looks. Slowly but surely....!
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. The writing could be a tad quirky at times, and Reni has to grow on you, so I wouldn't suggest reading these books out of order. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Instead, Reni teams up with Daniel once again to catch another killer. The victims, who eventually become suspects, are a group of teenage girls who are popular "influencers" on the internet. The parental involvement in this story is a stark contrast to the type of parenting that Reni had endured as a child.
I liked that Daniel and Reni are moving closer together. That, for me, was inevitable, but I loved those subtle touches and looks. Slowly but surely....!
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. The writing could be a tad quirky at times, and Reni has to grow on you, so I wouldn't suggest reading these books out of order. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2021
In Tell Me, Anne Frasier’s gripping sequel to Find Me, we are back to the Mojave Desert and the Inland Empire area in Southern California. If you haven’t read Find Me, but are planning to do it, you should start from it. Tell Me provides re-cap of the main points of the previous book, so it would definitely diminish the effect of the narrative.
Find me provides closure for one of the two protagonists (Reni Fisher, a former FBI profiler and daughter of the Inland Empire killer, and Detective Daniel Ellis, whose mother disappeared when he was eight and might have been a victim of Ben Fisher) and we know there is more to the story. The new case of three sixteen-year-old hikers who disappeared from a campsite on the Pacific Crest Trail is fascinating on its own. The girls were sent to a digital detox retreat by their parents and went on a three-day hike with an experienced guide. The dead body of the guide was later found lying in her tent by two passing hikers, one of whom posts a video on the social media. Some people suspect it's a hoax, but Daniel instinct tells him to check the story out and there isn't anyone he'd rather ask to help him than Reni.
Overall, I liked the plot, but there was so much going on, so many topics: social media, school shootings, PTSD, incels ( I had to look the word up), pressures of parenthood and others. It could have all falen apart, but for Anne Frasier's superb writing style-she really knows how to engage the reader with plenty of action and clever twists. Told in short, snappy chapters, the book is very easy to read.
Both Reni and Daniel are wonderful protagonists. Their empathy with the victims and perpetrators alike (for Daniel there are no evil people, just terrible choices these people made) helps them in their investigations. By the way, the sinister bird on the cover for both Find Meand Tell Me isn't just there to give the readers creeps. Reni used to be fascinated by birds as a child and drew them a lot. Her father taught her to make her drawings as accurate as possible and this ability to focus on details is another factor (together with empathy) that makes Reni so good in her job of finding missing people.
The setting is one of the best features of these two books. Here we have hiking trails in addition to the desert and its healing powers. For Reni, the barrenness of the dry season is temporary-she knows good months, full of magical flowers and amazing colours, will come.
The ending was just perfect. With all the loose ends tied up, The Inland Empire series can end here, but we have two likeable protagonists who make a wonderful team together and perhaps Anne Frasier will decide to give us another story- I'll be there for it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Thomas & Mercer) for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Find me provides closure for one of the two protagonists (Reni Fisher, a former FBI profiler and daughter of the Inland Empire killer, and Detective Daniel Ellis, whose mother disappeared when he was eight and might have been a victim of Ben Fisher) and we know there is more to the story. The new case of three sixteen-year-old hikers who disappeared from a campsite on the Pacific Crest Trail is fascinating on its own. The girls were sent to a digital detox retreat by their parents and went on a three-day hike with an experienced guide. The dead body of the guide was later found lying in her tent by two passing hikers, one of whom posts a video on the social media. Some people suspect it's a hoax, but Daniel instinct tells him to check the story out and there isn't anyone he'd rather ask to help him than Reni.
Overall, I liked the plot, but there was so much going on, so many topics: social media, school shootings, PTSD, incels ( I had to look the word up), pressures of parenthood and others. It could have all falen apart, but for Anne Frasier's superb writing style-she really knows how to engage the reader with plenty of action and clever twists. Told in short, snappy chapters, the book is very easy to read.
Both Reni and Daniel are wonderful protagonists. Their empathy with the victims and perpetrators alike (for Daniel there are no evil people, just terrible choices these people made) helps them in their investigations. By the way, the sinister bird on the cover for both Find Meand Tell Me isn't just there to give the readers creeps. Reni used to be fascinated by birds as a child and drew them a lot. Her father taught her to make her drawings as accurate as possible and this ability to focus on details is another factor (together with empathy) that makes Reni so good in her job of finding missing people.
The setting is one of the best features of these two books. Here we have hiking trails in addition to the desert and its healing powers. For Reni, the barrenness of the dry season is temporary-she knows good months, full of magical flowers and amazing colours, will come.
The ending was just perfect. With all the loose ends tied up, The Inland Empire series can end here, but we have two likeable protagonists who make a wonderful team together and perhaps Anne Frasier will decide to give us another story- I'll be there for it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Thomas & Mercer) for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
December 1, 2022
Once upon a time the criminals were the ones with the horrible, heartbreaking backgrounds. Now it seems to be the protagonists. These two, Reni Fisher and Daniel Ellis are definitely in the top five of the last few years. Reni was a famous FBI profiler who retired due to a breakdown; Daniel is a San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office detective.
They were brought together to work in 2020’s terrific Find Me Inland Empire #1; Reni’s father has promised to point out Mojave Desert burial spots for some of his murder victims. As a very young girl Reni was used as bait for some of her father’s victims. Daniel believes his mother is one of the victims. When he was a young boy she left him with a babysitter to go on a date, never to be seen again. (This is NOT a spoiler for first book)
In the outstanding Tell Me Daniel once again contacts Reni for help. He needs her to find a possible murder site in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. A murder scene posted on YouTube. If this is not a hoax, he needs her astute reading of the crime scene
The parents of three teenage girls put them into a luxury rehab center to help break them of their severe social media and electronic device addiction. As part of the treatment program the girls and their counselor/guide were hiking and camping along the Pacific Crest Trail which runs for 2600 miles through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.
Reni and Daniel find the guide brutally murdered, while the three teens have gone missing; showing signs of a panicked, scattered run in the middle of the night. The sheriff’s office launches a massive search for the three girls involving all the of the area’s SAR teams, along with volunteers.
In some of Reni’s down time she has decided to put her mad skills finding people into looking at Daniel’s mother’s disappearance. By the time she has finished her investigation she wishes she had left well enough alone. Fascinating to ‘watch’ an expert at work.
There were five books I anxiously awaited for release on NetGalley this year. Tell Me is one of those five. Well worth the wait. One of the main reasons is for what Anne Frasier does with her settings. I barely know anything about the Mojave, and had never heard of the Pacific Crest Trail. Frasier brings it all alive and almost makes those places the stars.
Competition with stardom comes from what Frasier does with her amazing, intricate story; showcasing the spoiled teenage girls on the loose in an alien environment that doesn’t take well to newcomers.
Equal competition for book stardom comes from Daniel and Reni; trying their best to recover from the severe trauma of their childhoods and their last case. They are forming a tentative friendship where each might help the other.
Inland Empire is a superb series. I urge you to read both Find Me and Tell Me.
I have to admit I was amused by the idea of social media rehab, silly idea that it is. It’s not real is it? Hmmmm, maybe I squirmed a bit.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for review purposes.
They were brought together to work in 2020’s terrific Find Me Inland Empire #1; Reni’s father has promised to point out Mojave Desert burial spots for some of his murder victims. As a very young girl Reni was used as bait for some of her father’s victims. Daniel believes his mother is one of the victims. When he was a young boy she left him with a babysitter to go on a date, never to be seen again. (This is NOT a spoiler for first book)
In the outstanding Tell Me Daniel once again contacts Reni for help. He needs her to find a possible murder site in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. A murder scene posted on YouTube. If this is not a hoax, he needs her astute reading of the crime scene
The parents of three teenage girls put them into a luxury rehab center to help break them of their severe social media and electronic device addiction. As part of the treatment program the girls and their counselor/guide were hiking and camping along the Pacific Crest Trail which runs for 2600 miles through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.
Reni and Daniel find the guide brutally murdered, while the three teens have gone missing; showing signs of a panicked, scattered run in the middle of the night. The sheriff’s office launches a massive search for the three girls involving all the of the area’s SAR teams, along with volunteers.
In some of Reni’s down time she has decided to put her mad skills finding people into looking at Daniel’s mother’s disappearance. By the time she has finished her investigation she wishes she had left well enough alone. Fascinating to ‘watch’ an expert at work.
There were five books I anxiously awaited for release on NetGalley this year. Tell Me is one of those five. Well worth the wait. One of the main reasons is for what Anne Frasier does with her settings. I barely know anything about the Mojave, and had never heard of the Pacific Crest Trail. Frasier brings it all alive and almost makes those places the stars.
Competition with stardom comes from what Frasier does with her amazing, intricate story; showcasing the spoiled teenage girls on the loose in an alien environment that doesn’t take well to newcomers.
Equal competition for book stardom comes from Daniel and Reni; trying their best to recover from the severe trauma of their childhoods and their last case. They are forming a tentative friendship where each might help the other.
Inland Empire is a superb series. I urge you to read both Find Me and Tell Me.
I have to admit I was amused by the idea of social media rehab, silly idea that it is. It’s not real is it? Hmmmm, maybe I squirmed a bit.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for review purposes.
August 3, 2021
Tell Me is the second in the Inland Empire series. I have not read the first book and it made a difference. Frasier does give us a fair amount of background, but I still felt there were holes in my understanding of both Daniel’s and Reni’s backgrounds, especially at the beginning of the book. Still, I enjoyed the story.
Three girls and their guide are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail as part of a social media addiction treatment program. The guide is murdered and the three girls go missing. A pair of hikers stumble on the camp, take pictures of the dead body and upload the video to social media. A bit of irony, mais oui? Then they go missing.
I connected with both of the main characters. They both have emotional baggage but are smart and committed and finding ways to deal with their own issues that don’t involve alcohol or drugs. Of course, it helps that Reni is a dog parent, even though Edward isn’t a big factor in the storyline.
The story was nicely complex with lots of moving parts. The pace was Goldilocks right, not too slow, not too fast. I was really impressed by the ending and all the twists at the end. There’s a great sense of place. Of course, after reading the Author’s Note, it made perfect sense as because of the pandemic she changed the location of the story to her own backyard. And after this book, I have a much better appreciation for how bad the Santa Ana winds are.
I fully intend to follow this series going forward.
My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.
Three girls and their guide are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail as part of a social media addiction treatment program. The guide is murdered and the three girls go missing. A pair of hikers stumble on the camp, take pictures of the dead body and upload the video to social media. A bit of irony, mais oui? Then they go missing.
I connected with both of the main characters. They both have emotional baggage but are smart and committed and finding ways to deal with their own issues that don’t involve alcohol or drugs. Of course, it helps that Reni is a dog parent, even though Edward isn’t a big factor in the storyline.
The story was nicely complex with lots of moving parts. The pace was Goldilocks right, not too slow, not too fast. I was really impressed by the ending and all the twists at the end. There’s a great sense of place. Of course, after reading the Author’s Note, it made perfect sense as because of the pandemic she changed the location of the story to her own backyard. And after this book, I have a much better appreciation for how bad the Santa Ana winds are.
I fully intend to follow this series going forward.
My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.
July 19, 2021
3.5 stars!
The forest can hide many things but as three young campers and their guide set out on a trail and hope to spend some quality time with nature, all that changes when the counselor is killed and the three girls disappear. In horrible fashion another couple out hiking is also murdered. Do we have a serial killer on a rampage in the forest?
Reni Fisher who herself had experienced the horrendous crimes of her serial killer parents is a criminal profiler. She and Daniel Ellis, team up once again as in the previous book to figure out what is going on as well as try to find the girls. who have gone missing. Daniel is no stranger to grief as his mother deserted him when he was young and he searches for her always believing she was a victim of Reni's parents. It's an odd combination, but somehow these people make it work.
The girls were campers at a camp dedicated to the avoidance of electronic gadgets so the girls have no cell phones. Strangely there is a video taken of the crime scene and posted that seems to be the only clue Daniel and Reni have.
Thankfully one of the girls escapes but the question still remains who is the killer and why has he kept the girls. As the second one is found, once again we wonder if and where the third girl is and if she has survived?
Are the girls hiding something and can Reni and Daniel survive a case that tests their belief in one another?
This was an easily readable story, not quite up to the fist in the series, but still one that was clever and well put together.
Thank you to Anne Frasier, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out July 27, 2021.
The forest can hide many things but as three young campers and their guide set out on a trail and hope to spend some quality time with nature, all that changes when the counselor is killed and the three girls disappear. In horrible fashion another couple out hiking is also murdered. Do we have a serial killer on a rampage in the forest?
Reni Fisher who herself had experienced the horrendous crimes of her serial killer parents is a criminal profiler. She and Daniel Ellis, team up once again as in the previous book to figure out what is going on as well as try to find the girls. who have gone missing. Daniel is no stranger to grief as his mother deserted him when he was young and he searches for her always believing she was a victim of Reni's parents. It's an odd combination, but somehow these people make it work.
The girls were campers at a camp dedicated to the avoidance of electronic gadgets so the girls have no cell phones. Strangely there is a video taken of the crime scene and posted that seems to be the only clue Daniel and Reni have.
Thankfully one of the girls escapes but the question still remains who is the killer and why has he kept the girls. As the second one is found, once again we wonder if and where the third girl is and if she has survived?
Are the girls hiding something and can Reni and Daniel survive a case that tests their belief in one another?
This was an easily readable story, not quite up to the fist in the series, but still one that was clever and well put together.
Thank you to Anne Frasier, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out July 27, 2021.
July 29, 2021
I read this book almost immediately following Find Me (Inland Empire #1). I thought the first book was a fun, engaging read. I think this book is even better.
I read this book in 3 days, which is quick for me, and I did not get bored at all. I really enjoy the pacing in this series. It is pretty consistent and neither too slow nor stuffed with over the top action. You get to know the characters and watch them grow as people. There are some side stories, but they do not distract from the case which is the main storyline. Instead, they add to your understanding of, and the connection you have with, the main characters.
For those who enjoyed the first story and wanted to know what happened to Daniel's mother, Frasier does not drag this out for several books. You will know her fate in this book.
I look forward to seeing where Frasier takes this series next.
#TellMe #NetGalley
Initial review:
I am currently reading Find Me and enjoying it so much that I grabbed a copy of this book from NetGalley before I even finished. I am really looking forward to it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I read this book in 3 days, which is quick for me, and I did not get bored at all. I really enjoy the pacing in this series. It is pretty consistent and neither too slow nor stuffed with over the top action. You get to know the characters and watch them grow as people. There are some side stories, but they do not distract from the case which is the main storyline. Instead, they add to your understanding of, and the connection you have with, the main characters.
For those who enjoyed the first story and wanted to know what happened to Daniel's mother, Frasier does not drag this out for several books. You will know her fate in this book.
I look forward to seeing where Frasier takes this series next.
#TellMe #NetGalley
Initial review:
I am currently reading Find Me and enjoying it so much that I grabbed a copy of this book from NetGalley before I even finished. I am really looking forward to it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 13, 2024
Halloween Bingo 2022
How could I resist this book with the gorgeous raven on the cover? I'm not exactly sure what it's doing there—ravens don't have a significant role in the story. I guess it did its job, though, since I picked up the book.
”When you lived in the desert, it was easy to forget the good months. The months of magical and riotous flowers. Reni always had to remind herself that the barrenness was temporary. But when you were in the middle of it, it could feel permanent and endless and inescapable.”
I was conflicted about the first book in this series because I have mixed feelings about books that centre on serial killers. Thankfully this book doesn't have that focus, involving a kidnapping instead. Frasier writes a good tense mystery, plus she builds up our knowledge of Daniel, the homicide detective, and Reni, the retired profiler and daughter of a serial killer. Daniel has his own issues—his mother disappeared when he was eight years old and, now in his 30s, he is still searching for her. As a detective, he is in an excellent position to be able to investigate any mysterious bodies found in the area.
Frasier uses current events to inform her fiction. This one featured school shooting victims, YouTube make-up divas, Doomsday preppers, and incels. These may seem like they don't all go together, but she makes them fit and leaves you slightly uneasy that it feels highly possible.
Reni lives out in the Mojave desert, where a lot of the action takes place, and the initial crime happens in a remote location on the Pacific Crest Trail. Both of these settings qualify this novel for use to fufill my The Barrens Bingo square.
How could I resist this book with the gorgeous raven on the cover? I'm not exactly sure what it's doing there—ravens don't have a significant role in the story. I guess it did its job, though, since I picked up the book.
”When you lived in the desert, it was easy to forget the good months. The months of magical and riotous flowers. Reni always had to remind herself that the barrenness was temporary. But when you were in the middle of it, it could feel permanent and endless and inescapable.”
I was conflicted about the first book in this series because I have mixed feelings about books that centre on serial killers. Thankfully this book doesn't have that focus, involving a kidnapping instead. Frasier writes a good tense mystery, plus she builds up our knowledge of Daniel, the homicide detective, and Reni, the retired profiler and daughter of a serial killer. Daniel has his own issues—his mother disappeared when he was eight years old and, now in his 30s, he is still searching for her. As a detective, he is in an excellent position to be able to investigate any mysterious bodies found in the area.
Frasier uses current events to inform her fiction. This one featured school shooting victims, YouTube make-up divas, Doomsday preppers, and incels. These may seem like they don't all go together, but she makes them fit and leaves you slightly uneasy that it feels highly possible.
Reni lives out in the Mojave desert, where a lot of the action takes place, and the initial crime happens in a remote location on the Pacific Crest Trail. Both of these settings qualify this novel for use to fufill my The Barrens Bingo square.
July 9, 2021
Three young hikers are missing, their guide found murdered on the Pacific Crest Trail. The only lead is a video of the crime scene and the girl who posted it to social media is now conveniently missing also. Detective Daniel Ellis and criminal profiler Reni Fisher are called in to investigate and determine if it’s a hoax.
When the crime scene is located and confirmed to be real, the fate of the hikers appears grim until one is found alive. Daniel and Reni begin to piece together what happened and why as they rush to locate those still missing.
At the same time, Reni has uncovered some surprising information regarding Daniel’s past and hesitates to share it with him over concern it will threaten their complicated personal and professional relationship.
I really enjoyed the first book in the Inland Empire series, Find Me. I loved the back stories for Daniel and Reni, how their complicated pasts drive them, the case that brought them together, and the twist.
This book failed to deliver the same energy for me. I enjoyed the case but saw the twist coming from a mile away. The way that Reni uncovers information for Daniel seems far too easy and convenient and the reveal/confrontation was very anticlimactic. This was just an average thriller that felt rushed to me.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Tell Me is scheduled for release on July 27, 2021.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
When the crime scene is located and confirmed to be real, the fate of the hikers appears grim until one is found alive. Daniel and Reni begin to piece together what happened and why as they rush to locate those still missing.
At the same time, Reni has uncovered some surprising information regarding Daniel’s past and hesitates to share it with him over concern it will threaten their complicated personal and professional relationship.
I really enjoyed the first book in the Inland Empire series, Find Me. I loved the back stories for Daniel and Reni, how their complicated pasts drive them, the case that brought them together, and the twist.
This book failed to deliver the same energy for me. I enjoyed the case but saw the twist coming from a mile away. The way that Reni uncovers information for Daniel seems far too easy and convenient and the reveal/confrontation was very anticlimactic. This was just an average thriller that felt rushed to me.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Tell Me is scheduled for release on July 27, 2021.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
July 29, 2021
Tell Me is a sequel to last year’s Find Me, which was the start of the Inland Empire series set in California’s Mojave desert, about Reni Fisher, a former FBI profiler who is the daughter of a serial killer, and Daniel Ellis, a homicide detective from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office. While you could just about read this as a stand-alone, it would make a lot more sense if you read them in order, and this one has major spoilers for Find Me. I enjoyed both books for the gorgeous descriptions of the desert and mountain scenery, sympathetic and interesting lead characters and compelling plots.
Three teenagers go on a mountain hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, as part of their stay in a luxury retreat called Kaleidoscope, which specialises in “digital detox” for youths obsessed with social media. In the middle of the night their guide is murdered, and the girls disappear, then the couple who discover the body upload a video of the scene to the internet before themselves being attacked. Daniel asks Reni for help with the case, but she is initially reluctant as she has her own project - finding his mother, who disappeared when he was a child - but after seeing the scene and discovering that one of the missing girls has a previous connection to him, both Reni and Daniel will put their lives on the line to bring them home.
This had a strong start, introducing sullen traumatised Emerson, sent to Kaleidoscope by her desperate parents after being involved in a school shooting, and stuck on the trail with a spoiled pair of Influencers, and their clean cut but hypocritical guide. The central mystery is what happened to the missing girls, and can they survive alone in the wilderness. The villain is revealed rather early, but while the plot seemed rather obvious, the author cleverly wrong-foots us as to exactly what’s going on. The secondary plot about Daniel’s mother continues the mystery from the first book, and showcases Reni’s skills as an investigator. While perhaps a little slow in the middle, this builds to some exciting final scenes and a satisfying ending. It’s unclear whether the series will continue - I do hope so as I liked both characters in spite of all their baggage.
The author’s note describes how this was written during the pandemic - but it is set afterwards with only the briefest mention of it - and without naming it. She thanks the state of California for legalising marijuana and credits “edibles” for getting her through the Lockdown - this is reflected in some of the vivid landscapes described in almost hallucinatory detail - you can almost feel the heat and smell the dust - it almost made me want to go hiking to see the colours for myself. Almost. Finding a fly infested corpse in a tent would be pretty off putting.
The concept of rehab for social media was interesting - only in California? - and the short but macho movie star throwing his weight around but then reduced to tears by his daughter’s plight had me wondering who she based this on...
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. I am posting this review voluntarily. Tell Me is available now.
Three teenagers go on a mountain hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, as part of their stay in a luxury retreat called Kaleidoscope, which specialises in “digital detox” for youths obsessed with social media. In the middle of the night their guide is murdered, and the girls disappear, then the couple who discover the body upload a video of the scene to the internet before themselves being attacked. Daniel asks Reni for help with the case, but she is initially reluctant as she has her own project - finding his mother, who disappeared when he was a child - but after seeing the scene and discovering that one of the missing girls has a previous connection to him, both Reni and Daniel will put their lives on the line to bring them home.
This had a strong start, introducing sullen traumatised Emerson, sent to Kaleidoscope by her desperate parents after being involved in a school shooting, and stuck on the trail with a spoiled pair of Influencers, and their clean cut but hypocritical guide. The central mystery is what happened to the missing girls, and can they survive alone in the wilderness. The villain is revealed rather early, but while the plot seemed rather obvious, the author cleverly wrong-foots us as to exactly what’s going on. The secondary plot about Daniel’s mother continues the mystery from the first book, and showcases Reni’s skills as an investigator. While perhaps a little slow in the middle, this builds to some exciting final scenes and a satisfying ending. It’s unclear whether the series will continue - I do hope so as I liked both characters in spite of all their baggage.
The author’s note describes how this was written during the pandemic - but it is set afterwards with only the briefest mention of it - and without naming it. She thanks the state of California for legalising marijuana and credits “edibles” for getting her through the Lockdown - this is reflected in some of the vivid landscapes described in almost hallucinatory detail - you can almost feel the heat and smell the dust - it almost made me want to go hiking to see the colours for myself. Almost. Finding a fly infested corpse in a tent would be pretty off putting.
The concept of rehab for social media was interesting - only in California? - and the short but macho movie star throwing his weight around but then reduced to tears by his daughter’s plight had me wondering who she based this on...
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. I am posting this review voluntarily. Tell Me is available now.
September 8, 2025
Tell Me is an excellent sequel (but not a standalone).
The story is not as straightforward as it first appears, with the full truth coming out only at the end. The short chapters and relentless pacing made for compulsive reading.
Both Daniel and Reni are still healing, but they are closer than ever, and there's more than a hint of romance on the horizon. I can't begrudge them happiness but am grateful the author kept it off-page.
I would have read more books in this series and will be checking out Frasier's other work in the near future.
The story is not as straightforward as it first appears, with the full truth coming out only at the end. The short chapters and relentless pacing made for compulsive reading.
Both Daniel and Reni are still healing, but they are closer than ever, and there's more than a hint of romance on the horizon. I can't begrudge them happiness but am grateful the author kept it off-page.
I would have read more books in this series and will be checking out Frasier's other work in the near future.
August 19, 2024
4⭐️
Тут знову є ляп з підозрюваним))) (у першій так само було). Загалом мені була цікавіша лінія основних Гг і як все там у фіналі у них, хоча вбивство та розкриття теж норм, і нагадало стиль Діккера та Крісті (вже все ясно, але по факту ні). Дилогію читати можна.
Тут знову є ляп з підозрюваним))) (у першій так само було). Загалом мені була цікавіша лінія основних Гг і як все там у фіналі у них, хоча вбивство та розкриття теж норм, і нагадало стиль Діккера та Крісті (вже все ясно, але по факту ні). Дилогію читати можна.
April 23, 2022
This was NOTHING compared to the first book.
A hurriedly drafted disappointment.
A hurriedly drafted disappointment.
March 31, 2023
As aventuras de Daniel e Reni continuam.
Se no primeiro livro o passado de Reni é o foco, neste segundo volume ficamos a saber mais sobre Daniel.
Os últimos capítulos são bastante intensos, mas esperava mais do mistério que estava por concluir desde o primeiro livro.
A ação desenrola-se ao longo de cinco dias, a escrita continua a ser direta e intensa.
Espero que haja mais livros com esta dupla.
Se no primeiro livro o passado de Reni é o foco, neste segundo volume ficamos a saber mais sobre Daniel.
Os últimos capítulos são bastante intensos, mas esperava mais do mistério que estava por concluir desde o primeiro livro.
A ação desenrola-se ao longo de cinco dias, a escrita continua a ser direta e intensa.
Espero que haja mais livros com esta dupla.
July 11, 2021
For some reason, female hikers going missing in the wilderness seem to be pretty popular in Bookland right now. I can't say I mind, in fact I love it -- I thought Jane Harper's "Force of Nature" was one of the year's best books. Sadly, "Tell Me" is more in the vein of Kyle Perry's "The Bluffs"... not nearly as terrible (thankfully), but still quite ludicrous. First of all, the dynamic between the two main characters did not strike me as convincing at all. Supposedly these are two seasoned law enforcement professionals who are "the best" at what they're doing (in case we forget, the author helpfully reminds us just how unbelievably great they are every other page or so, which is all the more jarring because neither one of them actually *delivers*; Reni in particular seems like a watercolor-obsessed borderline nutcase despite describing herself as "while ... not the best in the country for the job, I'm one of the best"... which made me feel very, very afraid for the lost and kidnapped in California), but on the page they come across mostly as lovestruck middleschoolers, constantly giving each other googly eyes while hoping the other one won't notice. Please.
What annoyed me even more than the constant puerile "he's so attentive/can't stop thinking about her" was the author's love of Stating The Obvious. Now, maybe there are people out there who are unclear on what's at stake when dealing with a possible kidnapping ("It was about a missing girl. It was about finding her before she was killed, if she hadn't been killed already. It was about finding her before horrible things happened to her. That was unlikely, but not impossible."); I'd say that's unlikely, but not impossible. Those same people probably find it helpful to be told that "when a person's livelihood was at stake, many of those people lied. That was one of the toughest things about this business. Sorting the lies from the truth." What! Thanks for clearing that up.
Ever wonder what the deal was with that age progression business? Here you go: "Age progression was a fairly broad supposition. A could be. A might be. Some drawings ended up being remarkably accurate; others were horribly off, bearing little similarity to the person today." Got that sorted! Then again, maybe police work is still one big mystery to you, so you'll appreciate Reni sharing this particular piece of wisdom: "If Daniel's mother was still alive, and Reni leaned toward her being dead, she could be anywhere in or out of the country." I. Had. Not. Thought of that.
I really hope you like tons of useless info and endless descriptions of stuff that has nothing to do with anything. As an example, here's what the author has to say about the desk of a tech guy who figures in exactly 1 scene, the most forgettable character imaginable: "The desktop was strewn with personal items, like a small stuffed elephant and a framed photo of a girl standing in front of the entrance to Disneyland. Snacks to alleviate boredom. A can of cranberry soda that fizzed and popped every now and then. A bag of tortilla chips." I mean, "messy desk" would have done it for me.
"Tell Me" also isn't shy about stereotyping; when describing a school shooting, the author offers this: "The shooter fit a familiar profile with very little divergence. White. Hair dyed black. Hand and neck tattoos. Facial hair and pimples. Military clothing. Long black coat for hiding weapons. Laced military boots and tucked black pants." Right! Let's lock up all the emos and put an end to school shootings forever, problem solved!
On the other end of the scale, if you ever happen to become a victim it's basically game over for you, no chance for growth or healing or moving on, because "Tragedies had a way of locking people into the age they were when the disaster hit." (This because a 15-year-old's room is decorated with a pink fuzzy blanket and photos of her classmates. I don't know, was she supposed to upgrade to black wallpaper and tubular steel furniture?) Then again, being stuck at 15-going-on-12 might not be the worst that can happen to you, because once you hit 50, this is what's in store for you: hair with "a touch of gray, a fatter face, smaller eyes, pinched mouth, slight jowls." Ooof.
This kind of thing goes on and on, reading at times like a particularly pointless but certainly opinionated infodump (we get to hear A LOT about the desert, and the Santa Ana winds, and the perks and pains of watercoloring, and the desert, and what Reddit has to say on the correct treatment of snake bites, and lots and lots of desert). It gets especially tiresome when the author uses her characters as mouthpieces for what I tend to fear are personal opinions that only vaguely connect to the story, such as Sensitive Man Daniel bemoaning the state of modern society ("It's disturbing that we see an uptick in young men who feel society and women in general have nothing to offer them. And they have nothing to offer in return but rage." Insert massive eye-roll here), or cutting commentary on that nasty new-fangled "social media" thing ("That's how screwed up social media was. Likes were more important than a life.").
Solving this particular double murder/kidnapping actually isn't all that tough, the first suspect to pop up also turns out to be the killer. Phew! Talk about a lucky break! Especially since it takes some heavy-duty suspension of disbelief to accept how said suspect even makes it onto the radar. And then we take a sharp turn into "The Bluffs" territory and things get truly, I guess "baffling" is a good word. It's hard to describe exactly what was bothering me about that particular turn of events without giving too much away, but I really, really don't see that thing going down. It simply doesn't make sense, character-wise.
We don't get a lot of subplots, mainly there's just the question of Daniel's missing mom, and if you have any suspended disbelief left over from that Suspect Putting Himself on the Map incident, now would be the time to let it loose, because that's what it was made for. This I sadly can't get into without spoiling the, um, surprise?, but. Well. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
This is basically a beach read masquerading as something more high-brow (or maybe I misread the cover & description and the joke is on me); if you don't want to think too hard and like your characters simple yet over-explained and romantically stuck up, *and* have a high improbability threshold, I daresay you'll enjoy it. Me, I sadly found it hilarious for all the wrong reasons. 2.5 stars, rounded down because of the MCs' constant fawning.
What annoyed me even more than the constant puerile "he's so attentive/can't stop thinking about her" was the author's love of Stating The Obvious. Now, maybe there are people out there who are unclear on what's at stake when dealing with a possible kidnapping ("It was about a missing girl. It was about finding her before she was killed, if she hadn't been killed already. It was about finding her before horrible things happened to her. That was unlikely, but not impossible."); I'd say that's unlikely, but not impossible. Those same people probably find it helpful to be told that "when a person's livelihood was at stake, many of those people lied. That was one of the toughest things about this business. Sorting the lies from the truth." What! Thanks for clearing that up.
Ever wonder what the deal was with that age progression business? Here you go: "Age progression was a fairly broad supposition. A could be. A might be. Some drawings ended up being remarkably accurate; others were horribly off, bearing little similarity to the person today." Got that sorted! Then again, maybe police work is still one big mystery to you, so you'll appreciate Reni sharing this particular piece of wisdom: "If Daniel's mother was still alive, and Reni leaned toward her being dead, she could be anywhere in or out of the country." I. Had. Not. Thought of that.
I really hope you like tons of useless info and endless descriptions of stuff that has nothing to do with anything. As an example, here's what the author has to say about the desk of a tech guy who figures in exactly 1 scene, the most forgettable character imaginable: "The desktop was strewn with personal items, like a small stuffed elephant and a framed photo of a girl standing in front of the entrance to Disneyland. Snacks to alleviate boredom. A can of cranberry soda that fizzed and popped every now and then. A bag of tortilla chips." I mean, "messy desk" would have done it for me.
"Tell Me" also isn't shy about stereotyping; when describing a school shooting, the author offers this: "The shooter fit a familiar profile with very little divergence. White. Hair dyed black. Hand and neck tattoos. Facial hair and pimples. Military clothing. Long black coat for hiding weapons. Laced military boots and tucked black pants." Right! Let's lock up all the emos and put an end to school shootings forever, problem solved!
On the other end of the scale, if you ever happen to become a victim it's basically game over for you, no chance for growth or healing or moving on, because "Tragedies had a way of locking people into the age they were when the disaster hit." (This because a 15-year-old's room is decorated with a pink fuzzy blanket and photos of her classmates. I don't know, was she supposed to upgrade to black wallpaper and tubular steel furniture?) Then again, being stuck at 15-going-on-12 might not be the worst that can happen to you, because once you hit 50, this is what's in store for you: hair with "a touch of gray, a fatter face, smaller eyes, pinched mouth, slight jowls." Ooof.
This kind of thing goes on and on, reading at times like a particularly pointless but certainly opinionated infodump (we get to hear A LOT about the desert, and the Santa Ana winds, and the perks and pains of watercoloring, and the desert, and what Reddit has to say on the correct treatment of snake bites, and lots and lots of desert). It gets especially tiresome when the author uses her characters as mouthpieces for what I tend to fear are personal opinions that only vaguely connect to the story, such as Sensitive Man Daniel bemoaning the state of modern society ("It's disturbing that we see an uptick in young men who feel society and women in general have nothing to offer them. And they have nothing to offer in return but rage." Insert massive eye-roll here), or cutting commentary on that nasty new-fangled "social media" thing ("That's how screwed up social media was. Likes were more important than a life.").
Solving this particular double murder/kidnapping actually isn't all that tough, the first suspect to pop up also turns out to be the killer. Phew! Talk about a lucky break! Especially since it takes some heavy-duty suspension of disbelief to accept how said suspect even makes it onto the radar. And then we take a sharp turn into "The Bluffs" territory and things get truly, I guess "baffling" is a good word. It's hard to describe exactly what was bothering me about that particular turn of events without giving too much away, but I really, really don't see that thing going down. It simply doesn't make sense, character-wise.
We don't get a lot of subplots, mainly there's just the question of Daniel's missing mom, and if you have any suspended disbelief left over from that Suspect Putting Himself on the Map incident, now would be the time to let it loose, because that's what it was made for. This I sadly can't get into without spoiling the, um, surprise?, but. Well. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
This is basically a beach read masquerading as something more high-brow (or maybe I misread the cover & description and the joke is on me); if you don't want to think too hard and like your characters simple yet over-explained and romantically stuck up, *and* have a high improbability threshold, I daresay you'll enjoy it. Me, I sadly found it hilarious for all the wrong reasons. 2.5 stars, rounded down because of the MCs' constant fawning.
July 19, 2023
Not as chilling as the first book, but still a nice detective story.
Actual rating:3.5
Actual rating:3.5
September 19, 2024
Гарна розвʼязка і про правду, яку ми стараємось не помічати. Океан чи пустеля) кінець книги аж зворушив і взагалі гарні ці герої
September 29, 2021
+ Labai gražūs, taupūs scenų aprašymai, ypač pradžioje sukuria atšiaurią ir kažkuo pažįstamą atmosferą. Fainas nusikaltimas, toks savo paprastumu netikėtas.
- Du pagrindiniai personažai labai daug galvoja apie savo ir vienas kito traumas, daugiau negu apie nusikaltimą. Ir kodėl kriminaliniuose romanuose moterys taip dažnai užsiiminėja vizualiaisiais menais? Tos akvarelės biškį meh.
- Du pagrindiniai personažai labai daug galvoja apie savo ir vienas kito traumas, daugiau negu apie nusikaltimą. Ir kodėl kriminaliniuose romanuose moterys taip dažnai užsiiminėja vizualiaisiais menais? Tos akvarelės biškį meh.
July 9, 2021
3.5 rounded up
Tell Me, the second in the Inland Empire (a specific area with the Mojave desert) series, picks up a few months after the first with Remi back in her desert abode and she and Daniel physically recovered from their previous ordeal. Daniel is called out to the Pacific Coast Trail in search of hikers who are missing after one of the hikers is found brutally murdered. He, of course, enlists the help of Remi because of her tracking skills. The secondary story line, searching for Daniel's mother, also plays a key role in this offering.
Tell Me ultimately circles back to the role of social media influence, how much young girls will do in order to attract attention and gain viewers. The story here asks that question - is this really what has happened? Have these girls set up a fake scene in order to gain more followers?
While I didn't find Tell Me to be as fast paced or compelling as the first in the series, I realize that second books seldom are. However, I love Frasier's writing, her ability to illustrate the atmosphere from the claustrophobic woodlands of the Pacific Coast Trail to the sheering winds and glorious colors of the Mojave desert. I would read her books for her descriptions of locale alone, the fact that I also like her characters is just icing.
I highly recommend this series but you really must read the books in order or you will be totally lost in Tell Me. Then, after you've read these two, go back and pick up her other series. They are terrific as well.
Tell Me, the second in the Inland Empire (a specific area with the Mojave desert) series, picks up a few months after the first with Remi back in her desert abode and she and Daniel physically recovered from their previous ordeal. Daniel is called out to the Pacific Coast Trail in search of hikers who are missing after one of the hikers is found brutally murdered. He, of course, enlists the help of Remi because of her tracking skills. The secondary story line, searching for Daniel's mother, also plays a key role in this offering.
Tell Me ultimately circles back to the role of social media influence, how much young girls will do in order to attract attention and gain viewers. The story here asks that question - is this really what has happened? Have these girls set up a fake scene in order to gain more followers?
While I didn't find Tell Me to be as fast paced or compelling as the first in the series, I realize that second books seldom are. However, I love Frasier's writing, her ability to illustrate the atmosphere from the claustrophobic woodlands of the Pacific Coast Trail to the sheering winds and glorious colors of the Mojave desert. I would read her books for her descriptions of locale alone, the fact that I also like her characters is just icing.
I highly recommend this series but you really must read the books in order or you will be totally lost in Tell Me. Then, after you've read these two, go back and pick up her other series. They are terrific as well.
November 30, 2021
I received a free electronic ARC of this excellent novel on June 28, 2021, from Netgalley, Anne Frasier, and Thomas & Mercer publishers. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. This review reflects my honest opinion of this work. The second of a series titled Inland Empire, Tell Me is completely stand-alone, but I liked it well enough to put this series on my need-to-read list. The plus to this story is that Anne Frasier has several series just waiting
This novel is that creepy/scary type of story that keeps you up at night. Taking place in California, we spend a bit of time on the Pacific Coast Trail with a group of teenage girls sent to a special retreat at an expensive, exclusive camp called Kaleidoscope, in an attempt to break their habits of living on their phones and computers, and get them outside. Emerson, Portia, and JoJo are friends, despite their differences. These girls are unwilling participants in this wooded escapade, perfectly happy with their 'influencer' status and measuring their 'success' by the number of YouTube 'likes' they have received. All feel lost without their electronics. The only thing they find good about the retreat is they are all three there together.
And then the counselor in charge of the three-day camping retreat on the Pacific Coast Trail with the girls is found in her tent, murdered. The girls are nowhere to be found. It is obvious they had fled into the night, but there is only a vague trail that peters out not far from the campsite. A massive search is instituted. One of the girls is the daughter of a well-known actor and the parents of the other two girls are wealthy and socially involved, as well. Then there is the additional disappearance of another couple, three weeks into a full traverse of the Pacific Coast Trail. All too soon Jordan and Deidra are found at the bottom of a cliff, both shot and Deidra dead, Jordan in critical condition, with still no sign of the girls.
Parents are frantic, police are mystified, forest rangers have pulled out all the stops, and representatives of Kaleidoscope are in hiding. The internet is seething with information both true and false, as usual. Really, alien abductions?
Criminal profiler Reni Fisher and her dog Edward become involved in the searches as does Daniel Ellis, a detective with the San Bernardino sheriff's department. They have a history from way back but can work together well despite it. This is good because this case seems never-ending...
pub date July 27, 2021
Thomas & Mercer
Reviewed on July 15, 2021, at Goodreads and NetGalley. Reviewed on July 27, 2021, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.
This novel is that creepy/scary type of story that keeps you up at night. Taking place in California, we spend a bit of time on the Pacific Coast Trail with a group of teenage girls sent to a special retreat at an expensive, exclusive camp called Kaleidoscope, in an attempt to break their habits of living on their phones and computers, and get them outside. Emerson, Portia, and JoJo are friends, despite their differences. These girls are unwilling participants in this wooded escapade, perfectly happy with their 'influencer' status and measuring their 'success' by the number of YouTube 'likes' they have received. All feel lost without their electronics. The only thing they find good about the retreat is they are all three there together.
And then the counselor in charge of the three-day camping retreat on the Pacific Coast Trail with the girls is found in her tent, murdered. The girls are nowhere to be found. It is obvious they had fled into the night, but there is only a vague trail that peters out not far from the campsite. A massive search is instituted. One of the girls is the daughter of a well-known actor and the parents of the other two girls are wealthy and socially involved, as well. Then there is the additional disappearance of another couple, three weeks into a full traverse of the Pacific Coast Trail. All too soon Jordan and Deidra are found at the bottom of a cliff, both shot and Deidra dead, Jordan in critical condition, with still no sign of the girls.
Parents are frantic, police are mystified, forest rangers have pulled out all the stops, and representatives of Kaleidoscope are in hiding. The internet is seething with information both true and false, as usual. Really, alien abductions?
Criminal profiler Reni Fisher and her dog Edward become involved in the searches as does Daniel Ellis, a detective with the San Bernardino sheriff's department. They have a history from way back but can work together well despite it. This is good because this case seems never-ending...
pub date July 27, 2021
Thomas & Mercer
Reviewed on July 15, 2021, at Goodreads and NetGalley. Reviewed on July 27, 2021, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.
April 30, 2025
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, you are at the mercy of your own training and body abilities. And there are large areas that don't get cell service, so without a satellite phone or some kind of transmitter, you can be all alone at the mercy of others on the trail too.
This was an interesting story that kept my attention. The feelings of making eye-contact being ominous and sending secret messages was so creepy and well done. I liked the back and forth and the complication of social media.
I did think the middle had a little slow pacing, I wasn't as pulled into the back and forth of the profiler and detective. Nor was I drawn into the search for the mother, but I think that's because it had been so long since I'd read book 1, that I didn't remember what it would mean to them.
Entertaining and reminds me how fun and dangerous hiking is.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This was an interesting story that kept my attention. The feelings of making eye-contact being ominous and sending secret messages was so creepy and well done. I liked the back and forth and the complication of social media.
I did think the middle had a little slow pacing, I wasn't as pulled into the back and forth of the profiler and detective. Nor was I drawn into the search for the mother, but I think that's because it had been so long since I'd read book 1, that I didn't remember what it would mean to them.
Entertaining and reminds me how fun and dangerous hiking is.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
July 25, 2021
I was fortunate enough to discover Anne Frasier last year with her Inland Empire series and the second book, Tell Me, is a great follow up to Find Me. Thank you so much to Amazon Publishing and Anne Frasier for my finished copy of this book. After finding out her father is a serial killer, Reni Fisher is not okay. She leaves her job at the FBI and wants a simple life of creating the art she loves so much...even if her paintings are of the places her father left his victims. But when detective Daniel Ellis calls, needing help with a case, she knows she is best suited to head up to the Pacific Crest Trail to survey the scene. Reni is also called because something isn’t quite right at the scene...it looks staged.
The only lead they have in the case is a video uploaded to social media showing the murder scene. The woman who uploaded it disappeared into thin air and no one is sure if it’s a hoax or the real thing. Regardless, there is the dead body of a hiking guide and three missing teenage girls, so something has gone horribly wrong.
Thoughts: After reading her first in the Inland Empire series, Find Me, I knew this series would be a hit, and Tell Me is just as compelling. Anne Frasier does an amazing job of drawing the reader into the story immediately. Reni is a dynamic, interesting, and flawed character that is easy to connect with. Her relationship with Daniel is real and heartwarming, especially when they’ve both been through so much. Broken characters are beautiful and these form a connection despite their pain.
The setting in this book is a character in itself. Being from this exact area in California, I know how well written these places are and could imagine myself in every one. The dry heat of the desert, the fresh air of the mountains, and the lonely stretches of drive all add context and atmosphere to a heart-pounding story.
This book includes social commentary about and the male entitlement, anger and fear of students in school and the dangers of social media. This book is perfect for people who are just starting to read thrillers and want to go on a fun and mysterious journey. It is easy to follow, easy to connect with, and has a satisfying ending. 4-stars!
The only lead they have in the case is a video uploaded to social media showing the murder scene. The woman who uploaded it disappeared into thin air and no one is sure if it’s a hoax or the real thing. Regardless, there is the dead body of a hiking guide and three missing teenage girls, so something has gone horribly wrong.
Thoughts: After reading her first in the Inland Empire series, Find Me, I knew this series would be a hit, and Tell Me is just as compelling. Anne Frasier does an amazing job of drawing the reader into the story immediately. Reni is a dynamic, interesting, and flawed character that is easy to connect with. Her relationship with Daniel is real and heartwarming, especially when they’ve both been through so much. Broken characters are beautiful and these form a connection despite their pain.
The setting in this book is a character in itself. Being from this exact area in California, I know how well written these places are and could imagine myself in every one. The dry heat of the desert, the fresh air of the mountains, and the lonely stretches of drive all add context and atmosphere to a heart-pounding story.
This book includes social commentary about and the male entitlement, anger and fear of students in school and the dangers of social media. This book is perfect for people who are just starting to read thrillers and want to go on a fun and mysterious journey. It is easy to follow, easy to connect with, and has a satisfying ending. 4-stars!
October 11, 2021
What really happened in the forest??
I found Tell Me to be a little more believable than I did Find Me and that was a nice surprise. In fact, I'm hoping there will be more books in the series!
Reni and Daniel worked better as a team for the most part. Reni is still rather prickly (A little desert humor there.) and still tends to go off on her own at times. I liked this book, though. The storytelling and unpredictable twists were well told - and there were some real shockers!
I started reading this series because I was born and raised in the Inland Empire, but I plan on staying because this series is really growing on me!
PS. I did some investigating to learn more about Social Media Disorder and this is one of the things I found: "People who have a tendency to be addictive might head toward social media, as well as people who are sedentary." Hmm. Sedentary? Okay, I'm off to take a walk.😄
I found Tell Me to be a little more believable than I did Find Me and that was a nice surprise. In fact, I'm hoping there will be more books in the series!
Reni and Daniel worked better as a team for the most part. Reni is still rather prickly (A little desert humor there.) and still tends to go off on her own at times. I liked this book, though. The storytelling and unpredictable twists were well told - and there were some real shockers!
I started reading this series because I was born and raised in the Inland Empire, but I plan on staying because this series is really growing on me!
PS. I did some investigating to learn more about Social Media Disorder and this is one of the things I found: "People who have a tendency to be addictive might head toward social media, as well as people who are sedentary." Hmm. Sedentary? Okay, I'm off to take a walk.😄
Read
September 15, 2021⭐⭐ -- Disappointing sequel
I had such high hopes for this one. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one was just...bad. It was slow. Predictable. The plot was all over the place. I even found Reni to be annoying and self-absorbed...sigh. It is what it is. I am still onboard to give this series another try. So 🤞🏻 the next book gets back on track!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
I had such high hopes for this one. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one was just...bad. It was slow. Predictable. The plot was all over the place. I even found Reni to be annoying and self-absorbed...sigh. It is what it is. I am still onboard to give this series another try. So 🤞🏻 the next book gets back on track!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
October 22, 2025
Сподобалось! Навіть цікавіша й динамічніша за першу книгу — тримає в напрузі до кінця.
July 28, 2022
4/5 ⭐️
Not as good as the first book but still super enjoyable
Not as good as the first book but still super enjoyable
July 3, 2021
What happens when you go hiking in the woods and give up all your mobile devices beforehand? Well, something terrible happens, of course! Any reader of the mystery/horror genre could tell you that.
Three teenage girls are sent to a “rehabilitation” camp in California on the Pacific Coast Trail by their parents to break them of their social media fixations. While on a nature hiking trip, their counselor is murdered, and they disappear.
Detective Daniel Ellis and criminal profiler Reni Fisher from the first book, Find Me, are back to solve the crime and find the missing girls. Both are still dealing with the pain of their own disturbing pasts, and Reni in particular is hesitant to jump into this case. But jump right in they do and must follow confusing clues to find the missing girls, all the while trying to soothe the distraught parents. Then another young woman is found missing who took a video of the crime scene and posted it on social media. As the case ramps up, Reni discovers something from Daniel’s past they may be too much for him to handle.
I was excited to be able to read this book as I enjoyed the first one so much. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion. I’m looking forward to more Daniel and Reni cases. I gave this four stars.
Three teenage girls are sent to a “rehabilitation” camp in California on the Pacific Coast Trail by their parents to break them of their social media fixations. While on a nature hiking trip, their counselor is murdered, and they disappear.
Detective Daniel Ellis and criminal profiler Reni Fisher from the first book, Find Me, are back to solve the crime and find the missing girls. Both are still dealing with the pain of their own disturbing pasts, and Reni in particular is hesitant to jump into this case. But jump right in they do and must follow confusing clues to find the missing girls, all the while trying to soothe the distraught parents. Then another young woman is found missing who took a video of the crime scene and posted it on social media. As the case ramps up, Reni discovers something from Daniel’s past they may be too much for him to handle.
I was excited to be able to read this book as I enjoyed the first one so much. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion. I’m looking forward to more Daniel and Reni cases. I gave this four stars.
Want to read
April 18, 2021April 18, 2021
Things Happen And Answers Are Needed...
When A Murder With Three Missing Persons...
Takes Place Clues Need To Be Found...
Yet For This Case Is Not Following...
The Regular Steps...
First, This Guide Is Definitely Killed...
But The Three Hikers Vanish...
Poof...
There is a Lead, A Video On Social Media...
But Is It Real...
Or Is Someone Doing Another "Blair Witch Project"...
Next, One Of The Hikers Is Found...
Confused, Afraid, And Not Making Sense...
Criminal Profiler Reni Fisher...
And Detective Daniel Ellis...
Have History With Crimes...
And Their Personal Lives...
There Seems To Be...
Too Much To Handle With This Case...
What Is Real, What Is Made Up...
What Comes From Their Personal Pasts...
It Is Like They Want The Clues To Just...
Tell Me-July 27, 2021
Find Me (Inland Empire, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tell Me (Inland Empire, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Things Happen And Answers Are Needed...
When A Murder With Three Missing Persons...
Takes Place Clues Need To Be Found...
Yet For This Case Is Not Following...
The Regular Steps...
First, This Guide Is Definitely Killed...
But The Three Hikers Vanish...
Poof...
There is a Lead, A Video On Social Media...
But Is It Real...
Or Is Someone Doing Another "Blair Witch Project"...
Next, One Of The Hikers Is Found...
Confused, Afraid, And Not Making Sense...
Criminal Profiler Reni Fisher...
And Detective Daniel Ellis...
Have History With Crimes...
And Their Personal Lives...
There Seems To Be...
Too Much To Handle With This Case...
What Is Real, What Is Made Up...
What Comes From Their Personal Pasts...
It Is Like They Want The Clues To Just...
Tell Me-July 27, 2021
Find Me (Inland Empire, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tell Me (Inland Empire, #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews