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Wolf Lake #1
Her Last Breath
He’s hunting a psychopath. And now the killer wants him dead.
After he’s shot in the line of duty, Detective Thomas Shepherd returns to Wolf Lake to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. Living beside the water, he finds peace…until the body of a missing woman washes up on his shore and the town blames a teenage boy with a history of violence. Is a killer stalking the sleepy resort village?
Thomas isn’t convinced the teenager committed murder. Challenging a village that wants justice at any cost, he pursues the real killer as evidence mounts against the teenager. If he fails, an innocent boy will go to prison.
Can Thomas clear the boy’s name before he becomes the killer’s next victim?
After he’s shot in the line of duty, Detective Thomas Shepherd returns to Wolf Lake to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. Living beside the water, he finds peace…until the body of a missing woman washes up on his shore and the town blames a teenage boy with a history of violence. Is a killer stalking the sleepy resort village?
Thomas isn’t convinced the teenager committed murder. Challenging a village that wants justice at any cost, he pursues the real killer as evidence mounts against the teenager. If he fails, an innocent boy will go to prison.
Can Thomas clear the boy’s name before he becomes the killer’s next victim?
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2020
4018 people are currently reading
2522 people want to read
About the author
Dan Padavona
100 books607 followersAuthor of the Wolf Lake and Darkwater Cove series.
Want a free thriller and mystery book? Please join my VIP thriller readers club at
www.danpadavona.com.
I'm a father, husband, dog lover, and an advocate for animals and the homeless.
My kryptonite is ice cream, and my super power is cranking heavy metal.
More than anything, I love a good story. Let me tell you one.
Want a free thriller and mystery book? Please join my VIP thriller readers club at
www.danpadavona.com.
I'm a father, husband, dog lover, and an advocate for animals and the homeless.
My kryptonite is ice cream, and my super power is cranking heavy metal.
More than anything, I love a good story. Let me tell you one.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
May 6, 2024
**Seemed promising, but it was just an illusion**
Man, I've been too deep in these mediocre books lately. They're cramping my style. Here I've run into yet another story that was just never interesting enough for me to devour it all the way through in my usual 2-3 day sitting. Nope. This one was perfectly boring through and through, so much so that I had to escape into other books just for the sake of giving myself breaks. But I dragged myself through it eventually, thankful to reach the end with a big sigh of blessed relief from the strain.
Plot is straightforward. Thomas Shepherd is injured in the line of duty, moves back to his usually peaceful hometown to be a deputy, then is thrown smack dab into a murder case involving a woman whose brutal slaughter was filmed and thrown on the internet. There's a hefty mix of plot points: obvious suspects for bad things, awkward reunions with folks from his past. Multiple characters share the spotlight in telling this story, which isn't automatically a bad thing, but in THIS book's case, it was a sloppy thing. VERY sloppy. And here's why:
Since he's the main character, you're in Thomas's POV the most, so of course you get accustomed to being there. Other characters disrupt things a bit, which is fine if you return to Thomas, but sadly, that wasn't always the case. For example, dude carried on and on and ON about avoiding someone only to suddenly find himself smack dab in that person's presence. Unfortunately, the entire interaction is in that other person's POV, and you never return to Thomas's at all. How were his thoughts? How'd he deal? I'm game for other POVs, but not at the expense of the main character's.
To make matters worse, this is one of THOSE stories where you don't get to have ANY fun trying to figure out who the killer is. Why? Well, because you're provided the information, of course! That's right, folks. You get the killer's name, thoughts, behavioral patterns, and intentions all on a silver platter. Now the only point of even READING this thing is to see when the other characters catch up with you, and then figure out how to apprehend the killer. It boggled my mind how oblivious people were to the many clever or obvious methods to get the job done. The incompetence of people in this story was astounding. Even the killer had moments of seeming incompetent.
Oyyy. So yeah. Another disastrous failure to my 1-star shelf this goes. I've no interest in continuing this series at all. Moving on....
Man, I've been too deep in these mediocre books lately. They're cramping my style. Here I've run into yet another story that was just never interesting enough for me to devour it all the way through in my usual 2-3 day sitting. Nope. This one was perfectly boring through and through, so much so that I had to escape into other books just for the sake of giving myself breaks. But I dragged myself through it eventually, thankful to reach the end with a big sigh of blessed relief from the strain.
Plot is straightforward. Thomas Shepherd is injured in the line of duty, moves back to his usually peaceful hometown to be a deputy, then is thrown smack dab into a murder case involving a woman whose brutal slaughter was filmed and thrown on the internet. There's a hefty mix of plot points: obvious suspects for bad things, awkward reunions with folks from his past. Multiple characters share the spotlight in telling this story, which isn't automatically a bad thing, but in THIS book's case, it was a sloppy thing. VERY sloppy. And here's why:
Since he's the main character, you're in Thomas's POV the most, so of course you get accustomed to being there. Other characters disrupt things a bit, which is fine if you return to Thomas, but sadly, that wasn't always the case. For example, dude carried on and on and ON about avoiding someone only to suddenly find himself smack dab in that person's presence. Unfortunately, the entire interaction is in that other person's POV, and you never return to Thomas's at all. How were his thoughts? How'd he deal? I'm game for other POVs, but not at the expense of the main character's.
To make matters worse, this is one of THOSE stories where you don't get to have ANY fun trying to figure out who the killer is. Why? Well, because you're provided the information, of course! That's right, folks. You get the killer's name, thoughts, behavioral patterns, and intentions all on a silver platter. Now the only point of even READING this thing is to see when the other characters catch up with you, and then figure out how to apprehend the killer. It boggled my mind how oblivious people were to the many clever or obvious methods to get the job done. The incompetence of people in this story was astounding. Even the killer had moments of seeming incompetent.
Oyyy. So yeah. Another disastrous failure to my 1-star shelf this goes. I've no interest in continuing this series at all. Moving on....
May 14, 2022
Not bad, but not great. Very cookie cutter, garden variety, generic suspense novel. Been there, read that, kind of book. Other than some diverse characters - e.g., a Deputy with Aspergers, and a disabled neighbor, there is really nothing special about this book I'm sorry to say. On to the next read!
February 22, 2023
Started this new series - I’m liking it!
February 5, 2021
My first "adventure" with this author - won't be my last. Mr. Padavona weaves a tale of mystery that holds you captive throughout the book. For those that like police procedurals, this is the book for you! The book is very well written and not filled with "flowery" fillers. This is the first book in his latest series!
4.5 stars and 2 thumbs up!
4.5 stars and 2 thumbs up!
June 22, 2022
Her Last Breath
Dan Padavona
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book wasn’t what I thought it would be but that’s why they say don’t judge a book by it’s cover…. It wasn’t horrible but I wish it had more too it. A gang member for a brother and trying to claim his innocence in a murder I thought it would have more action in it. But if your looking for something to be a quick read that’s what this book would be good for.
#bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookstagram #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2022 #ilovebooks #booknerdigans #currentlyreading #library
#readersofinstagram #readingtime #weekendreading #bookworm #readmorebooks #bookwrapup #igbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations
Dan Padavona
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book wasn’t what I thought it would be but that’s why they say don’t judge a book by it’s cover…. It wasn’t horrible but I wish it had more too it. A gang member for a brother and trying to claim his innocence in a murder I thought it would have more action in it. But if your looking for something to be a quick read that’s what this book would be good for.
#bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookstagram #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2022 #ilovebooks #booknerdigans #currentlyreading #library
#readersofinstagram #readingtime #weekendreading #bookworm #readmorebooks #bookwrapup #igbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations
January 21, 2022
I am giving this a 4.5 out of 5
A) I really like how the Author made his main character Thomas unique and different than allllll of the male leads in other books by making Thomas have Aspergers. Not to many people know what that is, so that leads people having to look that up making people aware of what that is. Nice work.
B) I did notice a few small details that were missed. For example, Thomas eating his dinner outside, his phone rings so he stands up, opens his sliding door and picks up the phone. The book never mentions of him closing the door. Second example, Grocery scene. Chelsea unlocks her car to put away her groceries when she notices Thomas, She then drops her groceries on the ground. Has a conversation with Thomas and then says she has to go, so she gets in her car and leaves. Did she not pick up her groceries from the ground? Another example was when Thomas and Darren heard a scream near the lake and as they arrived to the lake, They see a body and woman who drops to her knees shaken. Thomas tells Darren to keep the woman back as he pressed his phone to his ear. Wait when did he have a phone??? Book doesn't mention Thomas having a phone until that moment.
There were several other discrepancies but if you can ignore the details that are missed or repeated, its still a good book.
C) I really liked how there are so many characters and each of them has a story. The book is so neatly woven it's very interesting how the Author pulled it off. Kudos 👏
D) It didn't have a whole lot of action but just enough to make it good. The mystery was top notch. The suspense was good. And for ONCE the man doesn't get the woman lol. It gets too cliche after awhile so it was nice for a change.
The conclusion was good. A nice wrap up to a good story. I'm not 100% sure if I'll read the whole series but...If your looking for a good decent book this it
A) I really like how the Author made his main character Thomas unique and different than allllll of the male leads in other books by making Thomas have Aspergers. Not to many people know what that is, so that leads people having to look that up making people aware of what that is. Nice work.
B) I did notice a few small details that were missed. For example, Thomas eating his dinner outside, his phone rings so he stands up, opens his sliding door and picks up the phone. The book never mentions of him closing the door. Second example, Grocery scene. Chelsea unlocks her car to put away her groceries when she notices Thomas, She then drops her groceries on the ground. Has a conversation with Thomas and then says she has to go, so she gets in her car and leaves. Did she not pick up her groceries from the ground? Another example was when Thomas and Darren heard a scream near the lake and as they arrived to the lake, They see a body and woman who drops to her knees shaken. Thomas tells Darren to keep the woman back as he pressed his phone to his ear. Wait when did he have a phone??? Book doesn't mention Thomas having a phone until that moment.
There were several other discrepancies but if you can ignore the details that are missed or repeated, its still a good book.
C) I really liked how there are so many characters and each of them has a story. The book is so neatly woven it's very interesting how the Author pulled it off. Kudos 👏
D) It didn't have a whole lot of action but just enough to make it good. The mystery was top notch. The suspense was good. And for ONCE the man doesn't get the woman lol. It gets too cliche after awhile so it was nice for a change.
The conclusion was good. A nice wrap up to a good story. I'm not 100% sure if I'll read the whole series but...If your looking for a good decent book this it
November 30, 2020
What a great story! This is the start of an exciting series. I totally became immersed in the plot and each character. I don't usually remember each character in a book, but Dan Padavona created such personable people that I had to remember who was who and what they contributed to the story. This is a Thriller worth reading. I received a copy to read and this is my honest review.
August 8, 2025
2.5. There were a couple parts that were good. Overall boring and forgettable.
July 19, 2021
2.5 stars.
The idea seems interesting. A scenic small town in upstate NY, and a sheriff's deputy with high functioning asperger's. His love interest battles depression, he has PTSD from being a cop in LA and getting shot, and seemingly some from the cruel bullying he took as a child. His next door neighbors are a single mom and her wheelchair-bound teenage daughter, there are POC throughout and not all are criminals, and his partner at work is Latina. At one point I laughed and asked myself where the LGBTQIA+ character was, but I await the revelation that his Hispanic partner is a lesbian. Maybe that will come out in the second book and there will be Asians and Native Americans. I can feel the environmental respect too, and I'm guessing the park ranger will have some land to defend as the author attempts to check every possible box.
It just seems to try too hard. The dialogue doesn't feel right, the characters had potential but fell flat, and there's this weird way everyone just opened their lives to Thomas and started treating him like family, except of course for his actual family, and the act of kindness in the end, just felt way way way too idealized for the real world. Like all these fundamentally nice and generous people who were lost were waiting for this awkward guy to bring them all to where they were meant to be in the few weeks since he moved in. Is it wrong to call a book about a serial killer too saccharine? Well, that's why the book didn't feel right to me. You have PTSD, asperger's, serial killer, family estrangement, a beheading, drugs, and bullies in a book and it expects you to feel good about humanity at the end. Dude, the ingredients were dark and you made a rainbow with them. I knew when the sheriff quoted poetry I was in the wrong series and wouldn't be returning. Too bad. It could've been meaningful instead of tv murder show quality.
The idea seems interesting. A scenic small town in upstate NY, and a sheriff's deputy with high functioning asperger's. His love interest battles depression, he has PTSD from being a cop in LA and getting shot, and seemingly some from the cruel bullying he took as a child. His next door neighbors are a single mom and her wheelchair-bound teenage daughter, there are POC throughout and not all are criminals, and his partner at work is Latina. At one point I laughed and asked myself where the LGBTQIA+ character was, but I await the revelation that his Hispanic partner is a lesbian. Maybe that will come out in the second book and there will be Asians and Native Americans. I can feel the environmental respect too, and I'm guessing the park ranger will have some land to defend as the author attempts to check every possible box.
It just seems to try too hard. The dialogue doesn't feel right, the characters had potential but fell flat, and there's this weird way everyone just opened their lives to Thomas and started treating him like family, except of course for his actual family, and the act of kindness in the end, just felt way way way too idealized for the real world. Like all these fundamentally nice and generous people who were lost were waiting for this awkward guy to bring them all to where they were meant to be in the few weeks since he moved in. Is it wrong to call a book about a serial killer too saccharine? Well, that's why the book didn't feel right to me. You have PTSD, asperger's, serial killer, family estrangement, a beheading, drugs, and bullies in a book and it expects you to feel good about humanity at the end. Dude, the ingredients were dark and you made a rainbow with them. I knew when the sheriff quoted poetry I was in the wrong series and wouldn't be returning. Too bad. It could've been meaningful instead of tv murder show quality.
February 5, 2022
I am not disappointed in the story at all. The issue Thomas faces is introduced very well, with realness and subtleness. The downside (and I hope this doesn't sound sexist) The story seemed to follow the formula of what some people call ''chic lit''-however unlike those mysteries/suspense books, I spared was the romance novel sex chapters (that is plus, I don't want a mystery with several chapters long descriptions of a man's tan body like nordic god, and the result of that). The only other thing I could say is after having a great introduction to Thomas's issue, the author just skims over the girl who will be a continuing character's depression by suggesting suddenly one day she was normal the next day it was crippling. I am sure the author is saving the back story for later in the series, but that didn't seem authentic. That's not the way depression works and Thomas as intelligent as he is, would have caught on. I really did like the book and I will read the series, just a little less formula and a little more realistic approach to mental health.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2020
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
October 18, 2024
Rounding up from 3.5 stars. So I originally started to read a book by this author and turned out it was apart of a series and I was going to start with book #10. I prefer to read series in order, so that led me to this one. It was entertaining from beginning to end. I look forward to reading the entire series.
August 4, 2024
Super fast read. According to the cover synopsis, the main protagonist was to be the “next” victim. The story builds slowly with sleuthing and under cover work in order to find the psychopath.
Set in a small town with unwarranted gang trouble, the scenario, to me, did not fit with what “thriller” genre the author wanted to create. For that reason, I gave it an okay 3 star review.
And! It’s written like a 2season Netflix series. Yep, there’s a cliff hanger. Yep, I’m gonna read the next book in the Wolf Lake Thriller series.
Set in a small town with unwarranted gang trouble, the scenario, to me, did not fit with what “thriller” genre the author wanted to create. For that reason, I gave it an okay 3 star review.
And! It’s written like a 2season Netflix series. Yep, there’s a cliff hanger. Yep, I’m gonna read the next book in the Wolf Lake Thriller series.
October 18, 2021
I'm a huge fan of this author, and it's a start o a series like this which is why I'll read everything he releases. The characters (major and minor) are well-written and add so much to the story. There are enough subplots and interactions to keep them interesting for the rest of the series, too. I'll be diving into book two very soon!
December 4, 2020
I found this to be a great start to a new series. Dan Padavona grabbed my attention in chapter one and kept it till the end. I found the characters very intriguing and I can't wait to get to know them more. Thomas has an affliction that I figured out right off the bat, in my opinion it made Thomas even more interesting. I loved Thomas he is determined, hard-working and protective. I loved how he dealt with Scout, Naomi, Raven, LaVar and Chelsey. I really enjoyed Thomas and Scout's interaction and how they worked together, I can't wait for more of these two. I loved how he worked through his issues and he never gave up. Dan Padavona gave me everything I look for in thrillers suspense, intrigue and mystery. In my opinion if you are a Dan Padavona fan, I feel he didn't disappoint. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy.
January 15, 2024
This book is so lifeless- I can’t understand how it has such high ratings. I couldn’t even finish it. I tried, got to about page 150 and didn’t want to waste anymore of my time on earth with it. There was no mystery and no reason to care about any of the characters.
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June 2, 2025DNF Couldn't get into this one after 3 tries. Too violent at the beginning was not the only issue. On to more promising fare. Not a fan of the prose forms at all. But it was the cliche charater "types" that killed it for me.
March 13, 2022
Good story & I liked the main character. The main storyline was resolved but a lot of other things were left hanging so I’m looking forward to book 2.
March 28, 2022
This book was suspenseful from the beginning!! I really enjoyed it !! It had some twist and turns ! Very well written and easy to follow. I am excited to read the 2nd book in this series !!
March 18, 2022
No flash backs No clue to help you Good story line
July 28, 2024
A bit different kind of murder/mystery thriller for me than I'm used to, particularly the style. And yet, I found it enjoyable enough I'll probably finish the series on audio on my Hoopla. Good story and I did enjoy the characters. Especially Thomas Shepherd and his story with his ex-flame from high school which I feel invested in their story now. Definitely will keep going with this series for sure when a get to book 2 someday. Hopefully soon.
May 17, 2024
Enjoyed this one.
August 18, 2024
I find the way that Dan writes his characters to be so fascinating. They have their "flaws" but while it affects the story it is not shoved in your face. I really do find the way that he weaves the stories of the characters together to make the story feel more fleshed out and to keep things moving, there is less downtime it feels because he switches to the action. It is fun to have accidentally started at the newest and work my way back because I am watching the relationships in reverse almost and it is now fun to see where they have started. This book is a great mix of characters and plot and one never outshines the other and you genuinely feel nervous for the characters as if you yourself were living among them on Wolf Lake. Also, I would kill for Thomas's lake house just saying.
November 9, 2025
I thought it was a decent introduction to a series but it was a lot of characters introduced in a very small page count.
My biggest complaint was that it was just too predictable and the major plot hooks were just telegraphed far too much.
A friend and I read it together. With the characters now introduced we're both interested enough to continue the series.
My biggest complaint was that it was just too predictable and the major plot hooks were just telegraphed far too much.
A friend and I read it together. With the characters now introduced we're both interested enough to continue the series.
February 20, 2022
So the thriller genre is something a bit new to me. I'm more of a horror guy, but I'm trying to dip my toes into other genres see what they have to offer. I've heard great things about Dan Padavona, so I decided to make this my first read.
The story was well done, not groundbreaking, but it was well told and I think that the main character is a guy that could grow on me, given more time. My main problem with this was the pacing. There were some good parts at the beginning but it frequently got stuck in the mud. I think I was looking for something a bit more fast paced than what is going on here.
I'll give the next book in the series a read, see if I enjoy it more. This is by no means a bad book, it was "ok" but I'm not sold on coming back over and over yet.
The story was well done, not groundbreaking, but it was well told and I think that the main character is a guy that could grow on me, given more time. My main problem with this was the pacing. There were some good parts at the beginning but it frequently got stuck in the mud. I think I was looking for something a bit more fast paced than what is going on here.
I'll give the next book in the series a read, see if I enjoy it more. This is by no means a bad book, it was "ok" but I'm not sold on coming back over and over yet.
November 22, 2023
I was looking forward to a story about a metropolitan detective who returns to a sleepy town and restarts his life. The author revealed a disconnect with the main character and his family and former peers but does not tell the reader about the rift. Having a Spectrum Disorder was not apparent in the storytelling. The author had an opportunity to invest in the positive aspects of being totally focused on order, and the lack of filters and boundaries causes the social discomforts. Allowing past untrained acquaintances into an ongoing investigation spoiled the story, knowing that the suspect would have cause to dismiss the Case.
I would recommend this book to a young audience or those who enjoy solving the crime.
I would recommend this book to a young audience or those who enjoy solving the crime.
March 1, 2024
Eh. A little slow. I didn’t stay up all night with it. Took me several days to finish it. Perspective jumped around. You’re in the killer’s head and his name given early so no trying to guess who this was. A large cast of characters, but since this is a series…I guess that’s why.
Biased cops. Small town. High school love you’re still pining for years later. Gangs. Teenage kid smarter than the cops. Immediate friendships. Autism. Racism. Drugs and prostitution. Really good donuts. Strained relationship with rich parents. I mean, there’s so much here it felt like we were all over the place.
Biased cops. Small town. High school love you’re still pining for years later. Gangs. Teenage kid smarter than the cops. Immediate friendships. Autism. Racism. Drugs and prostitution. Really good donuts. Strained relationship with rich parents. I mean, there’s so much here it felt like we were all over the place.
December 20, 2022
I did not like this book. I’m actually surprised I didn’t DNF it. None of the characters were likable. The storyline behind each character was shallow. The plot was overdone. I mean, how many books have to be written about a prostitute getting murdered?? Ugh! I hated the chaos of all the different POVs.
June 24, 2022
Pretty bad
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews