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Saving Kelby Creek #1
Uncovering Small Town Secrets
Dodging bullets isn’t the homecoming he expected.
When Detective Foster Lovett's pretty next door neighbor, Millie Dean, begs him to help her find her missing brother, the other deputies warn him not to investigate the case. But Foster’s gut says something is off, particularly once Millie becomes a target. Foster will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, but can he solve the most dangerous case of his career?
When Detective Foster Lovett's pretty next door neighbor, Millie Dean, begs him to help her find her missing brother, the other deputies warn him not to investigate the case. But Foster’s gut says something is off, particularly once Millie becomes a target. Foster will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, but can he solve the most dangerous case of his career?
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2021
34 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Tyler Anne Snell
179 books125 followersTyler Anne Snell spends her days plotting murders, creating mysteries, and weaving sexual tension, romance, and can't-live-without-you love throughout each. When she isn't writing romantic suspense she's reading urban fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and falling even more in love with Netflix.
Tyler lives in South Alabama with her same-named husband, their mini lions, and a burning desire to meet Kurt Russell.
Visit her: www.tylerannesnell.com
Tyler lives in South Alabama with her same-named husband, their mini lions, and a burning desire to meet Kurt Russell.
Visit her: www.tylerannesnell.com
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 12, 2021
5 Word Review: Family, danger, secrets, loyalty, justice.
Kelby Creek is a bit of a toxic mess when we start the story. It's the kind of place with a bad past and people who have seemingly given up. Except for Millie.
I loved Millie's determination, although her impulsiveness had me gasping at times. This is a very tense read, as at any moment I felt Millie was just going to go off and put herself in danger. But I wouldn't change it, Uncovering Small Town Secrets had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
I felt like the tone of the writing really brought the setting to life. From somewhat despondent and hopeless at first, as Millie and Foster's story progressed the tone itself changed. I thought it was very clever, the way the writing itself became more hopeful as the protagonists started to trust each other more and have some hope for what they would find out.
I really liked Foster - I loved his values and his own determination, the way he trusted his gut. I especially loved the way that he never took anything at face value and tried not to let prejudice cloud his judgment.
The relationship between Millie and Foster is intense. I'm not sure I'm fine with the ethics of it, and the power dynamic, but their passion is electric and kind of overtakes all that. The fast plot and tense situations really drive the romance. I loved the building of trust, the realisation that they can depend on each other, the forgiving of past secrets.
This is the first book in the Saving Kelby Creek Series, and I will definitely be reading more! Next up is Searching For Evidence which has just released this month and I have already purchased, and Surviving The Truth which comes out in August. Kelby Creek is a mess and I can't wait to see that rectified.
Kelby Creek is a bit of a toxic mess when we start the story. It's the kind of place with a bad past and people who have seemingly given up. Except for Millie.
I loved Millie's determination, although her impulsiveness had me gasping at times. This is a very tense read, as at any moment I felt Millie was just going to go off and put herself in danger. But I wouldn't change it, Uncovering Small Town Secrets had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
I felt like the tone of the writing really brought the setting to life. From somewhat despondent and hopeless at first, as Millie and Foster's story progressed the tone itself changed. I thought it was very clever, the way the writing itself became more hopeful as the protagonists started to trust each other more and have some hope for what they would find out.
I really liked Foster - I loved his values and his own determination, the way he trusted his gut. I especially loved the way that he never took anything at face value and tried not to let prejudice cloud his judgment.
The relationship between Millie and Foster is intense. I'm not sure I'm fine with the ethics of it, and the power dynamic, but their passion is electric and kind of overtakes all that. The fast plot and tense situations really drive the romance. I loved the building of trust, the realisation that they can depend on each other, the forgiving of past secrets.
This is the first book in the Saving Kelby Creek Series, and I will definitely be reading more! Next up is Searching For Evidence which has just released this month and I have already purchased, and Surviving The Truth which comes out in August. Kelby Creek is a mess and I can't wait to see that rectified.
July 5, 2022
Detective Foster Lovett has moved back home to help rebuild the police force in the town that was almost completely eradicated by a scandal. Millie Dean does not believe her brother ran away, but no one in town, including law enforcement, agrees with her. When Millie realizes there is new "blood" in town in the sheriff's office, she decides to ask for his help in locating her lost brother. The other deputies warn him not to get involved, but it soon becomes apparent that she may be onto something. Once the action starts in this book, it is chock full of action and suspense. The mystery is well written and will leave your jaw hanging at the end! Someone wants to keep secrets in this town, and they will stop at nothing to keep those secrets where they belong. The characters were very likable and relatable to me as the reader. I could not stop reading once I started. I had to know exactly what was going on in Kelby Creek!
December 29, 2021
Good start to the new series. Foster returned to his hometown of Kelby Creek to help turn around the sheriff's department. A few months earlier, the town was rocked by the exposure of massive corruption throughout the local government and law enforcement. As an experienced detective, Foster is assigned to look at cold cases and others that the corrupt officials may have impacted. One of the first cases he tackles is a missing person.
Millie's brother Fallon has been missing for six months. Her initial reports got nowhere as deputies didn't believe her brother was missing, thanks to some trouble in his past. Millie continued to investigate on her own. She had high hopes when she learned of the arrival of a new detective.
The suspense of the story grabbed me from the beginning. From the moment we learn of Fallon's disappearance and the lack of cooperation from the sheriff's department, there's a feeling that perhaps not all of the corruption was stopped. When Millie shows up at the sheriff's office on Foster's first day on the job, she hopes that he will be someone without preconceived ideas and will listen to what she has to say. Unfortunately, one of the other deputies stops Foster and warns him about Millie before she gets a chance. The meeting in his office ends up going the way she expects, with Foster relying on previously recorded information. I liked Millie's rebuttal and the effect it had on Foster. Though he told her nothing could be done, something kept pulling him back to Fallon's case file.
The tension begins to increase almost immediately. That evening Foster, who discovered that Millie lives next door to him, noticed her leave her house carrying a flashlight and a baseball bat. He immediately suspects trouble and follows her. Millie's hopeful side sends her to one of Fallon's favorite spots in the woods, believing that he might show up there. Instead, she encounters a man who is also looking for Fallon. She barely escapes him before running into Foster. Foster begins to suspect that there is something to Millie's story. That suspicion is borne out the next night when the man from the woods breaks into Millie's house, this time with a gun. I loved Millie's presence of mind as she tried to find a way to escape. Foster's providential appearance not only saves her but convinces him that she is in danger.
I loved that Foster began to trust his instincts when it came to Millie. After their initial encounters, they have trust issues to overcome. As they worked together, each brought a different perspective to the hunt for the truth. The suspense intensified as Foster and Millie were drugged and kidnapped, left on a boat miles from home, and nearly shot. They continued to have questions about people who may be involved, and pursuing those answers stirs up more questions and trouble. An unexpected twist at the end provided some answers, but there are still questions left hanging. I can't wait to read the next book and see where they go.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Millie and Foster. Despite the initial antagonism, the sparks of attraction between them are evident. I loved that Foster quickly began to trust his instincts where Millie was concerned. I especially liked the scenes where he stood up for Millie against those who spoke against her or cast suspicions on her honesty. It didn't take too long for Millie to realize that she could trust Foster. There were a couple of occasions when Foster would waver, and I ached for Millie when that happened. I could feel her hurt, but I also cheered when she pushed back. The intensity of their time together made the rapid growth of their feelings believable. I loved the ending and seeing the depth of their feelings for each other.
Millie's brother Fallon has been missing for six months. Her initial reports got nowhere as deputies didn't believe her brother was missing, thanks to some trouble in his past. Millie continued to investigate on her own. She had high hopes when she learned of the arrival of a new detective.
The suspense of the story grabbed me from the beginning. From the moment we learn of Fallon's disappearance and the lack of cooperation from the sheriff's department, there's a feeling that perhaps not all of the corruption was stopped. When Millie shows up at the sheriff's office on Foster's first day on the job, she hopes that he will be someone without preconceived ideas and will listen to what she has to say. Unfortunately, one of the other deputies stops Foster and warns him about Millie before she gets a chance. The meeting in his office ends up going the way she expects, with Foster relying on previously recorded information. I liked Millie's rebuttal and the effect it had on Foster. Though he told her nothing could be done, something kept pulling him back to Fallon's case file.
The tension begins to increase almost immediately. That evening Foster, who discovered that Millie lives next door to him, noticed her leave her house carrying a flashlight and a baseball bat. He immediately suspects trouble and follows her. Millie's hopeful side sends her to one of Fallon's favorite spots in the woods, believing that he might show up there. Instead, she encounters a man who is also looking for Fallon. She barely escapes him before running into Foster. Foster begins to suspect that there is something to Millie's story. That suspicion is borne out the next night when the man from the woods breaks into Millie's house, this time with a gun. I loved Millie's presence of mind as she tried to find a way to escape. Foster's providential appearance not only saves her but convinces him that she is in danger.
I loved that Foster began to trust his instincts when it came to Millie. After their initial encounters, they have trust issues to overcome. As they worked together, each brought a different perspective to the hunt for the truth. The suspense intensified as Foster and Millie were drugged and kidnapped, left on a boat miles from home, and nearly shot. They continued to have questions about people who may be involved, and pursuing those answers stirs up more questions and trouble. An unexpected twist at the end provided some answers, but there are still questions left hanging. I can't wait to read the next book and see where they go.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Millie and Foster. Despite the initial antagonism, the sparks of attraction between them are evident. I loved that Foster quickly began to trust his instincts where Millie was concerned. I especially liked the scenes where he stood up for Millie against those who spoke against her or cast suspicions on her honesty. It didn't take too long for Millie to realize that she could trust Foster. There were a couple of occasions when Foster would waver, and I ached for Millie when that happened. I could feel her hurt, but I also cheered when she pushed back. The intensity of their time together made the rapid growth of their feelings believable. I loved the ending and seeing the depth of their feelings for each other.
September 25, 2021
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
The action is fast-paced and the large-scale corruption that this small town is trying to recover from becomes obvious within a very short time. Uncovering Small Town Secrets, the opening title in the Saving Kelby Creek series caught my reluctant attention early on. Reluctant? Well, yes, there is world-building here, there has to be at the beginning of any series and for some reason, I wasn’t feeling swept away with the story at first. Although there is definitely action happening early on, it took me a few chapters to fall into the rhythm of Foster and Millie – and to be fair, there is a lot happening at first so keeping names straight and good guy/bad guy identities clear in my mind did give me pause. I’m not going to sugar-coat it, it did take me a bit to really get into this story… but once I got caught up in the tensions of this town I read the story straight through without stopping.
Millie is a strong character. In many ways, she’s had to be since her brother’s disappearance and the lack of help from the local sheriff’s department. It’s been six months since Fallon disappeared and on this anniversary Millie has had enough and sets out to get answers… and no one is going to stop her this time.
Foster is returning home after a divorce and learning the troubles his hometown is facing. His focus now is finding answers, helping rebuild the police force with good people, and helping out a town that he couldn’t get out of fast enough at one time. He just never figured that his work would begin on his first night in town as he sees his pretty neighbor heading to her car with a bat and a flashlight in hand. Or that he’d face that same woman in his office the next morning as she tried to get the new man on the force to actually listen to her concerns about her brother. She knew what the others thought – they were wrong, but no one would listen to her, Foster is her last hope before taking on the search by herself.
Uncovering Small Town Secrets is intense, it’s a puzzle with missing pieces to be fit into place and it’s up to Millie and Foster to find those puzzle pieces and the right places to fit them into in order to get a much larger picture of what’s happening to this couple, her brother, and this struggling town. I enjoyed this story and I don’t feel I can say much more without giving away spoilers in a complex series opener. We meet characters where my curiosity is now engaged in finding out more about them and how they fit into this small town. There are still puzzle pieces scattered about, and I’m certain the rest of the series will show us where they fit. It’s a good story and an intriguing series that I’ll follow to its conclusion.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.
The action is fast-paced and the large-scale corruption that this small town is trying to recover from becomes obvious within a very short time. Uncovering Small Town Secrets, the opening title in the Saving Kelby Creek series caught my reluctant attention early on. Reluctant? Well, yes, there is world-building here, there has to be at the beginning of any series and for some reason, I wasn’t feeling swept away with the story at first. Although there is definitely action happening early on, it took me a few chapters to fall into the rhythm of Foster and Millie – and to be fair, there is a lot happening at first so keeping names straight and good guy/bad guy identities clear in my mind did give me pause. I’m not going to sugar-coat it, it did take me a bit to really get into this story… but once I got caught up in the tensions of this town I read the story straight through without stopping.
Millie is a strong character. In many ways, she’s had to be since her brother’s disappearance and the lack of help from the local sheriff’s department. It’s been six months since Fallon disappeared and on this anniversary Millie has had enough and sets out to get answers… and no one is going to stop her this time.
Foster is returning home after a divorce and learning the troubles his hometown is facing. His focus now is finding answers, helping rebuild the police force with good people, and helping out a town that he couldn’t get out of fast enough at one time. He just never figured that his work would begin on his first night in town as he sees his pretty neighbor heading to her car with a bat and a flashlight in hand. Or that he’d face that same woman in his office the next morning as she tried to get the new man on the force to actually listen to her concerns about her brother. She knew what the others thought – they were wrong, but no one would listen to her, Foster is her last hope before taking on the search by herself.
Uncovering Small Town Secrets is intense, it’s a puzzle with missing pieces to be fit into place and it’s up to Millie and Foster to find those puzzle pieces and the right places to fit them into in order to get a much larger picture of what’s happening to this couple, her brother, and this struggling town. I enjoyed this story and I don’t feel I can say much more without giving away spoilers in a complex series opener. We meet characters where my curiosity is now engaged in finding out more about them and how they fit into this small town. There are still puzzle pieces scattered about, and I’m certain the rest of the series will show us where they fit. It’s a good story and an intriguing series that I’ll follow to its conclusion.
I own a Kindle edition of this title.
December 23, 2022
This story hits the ground running with exciting action and an intriguing mystery. But not before it tugs on your heartstrings with the story of a bereaved sister determined to find her brother. She's in a small town that has written her and her family off. The police department is also corrupt and recovering from a massive overhaul. And the man hired to bring the dept up to snuff is the only one determined to help her, and they fall in love along the way. They just seem to take care of each other in a way thats quite endearing. Here's why I took a point off. The ending got kind of convoluted to me. It was well written and wrapped up all the strings quite nicely. I was just not buying it. If anything the events of This story is not perfect and I bristled against some of the pressure the heroine was putting on the hero like when they found her brothers car and the hero theorized that it meant he was involved or dead. And she acted like he committed a crime by keeping an open mind and not being single minded like her. But there's a lot to enjoy between the pages of this one. It was a wild ride.
September 23, 2021
4 1/2 STARS!
Non-stop intrigue! From the first page to the last Tyler Anne Snell holds her reader's attention with UNCOVERING SMALL TOWN SECRETS, the first book in her Saving Kelby Creek series with Harlequin Intrigue. The plot is full of attention grabbing twists, the characters each have an intensity that melds well together and the danger lurking around every corner builds on the tension. I'm looking forward to more in the series!
Millie won me over instantly as soon as we heard her plight over her missing brother. She was flying blind on certain aspects of the case, but her diligence in not giving up on her brother was beneficial in getting more doors to open.
Foster proved his worth when he chose to listen to her that there was something wrong rather than accept all of the roadblocks that were thrown up to discourage his participation in believing a crime had been committed.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery filled with ups and downs as romance lingers in the background just waiting to take center stage.
Non-stop intrigue! From the first page to the last Tyler Anne Snell holds her reader's attention with UNCOVERING SMALL TOWN SECRETS, the first book in her Saving Kelby Creek series with Harlequin Intrigue. The plot is full of attention grabbing twists, the characters each have an intensity that melds well together and the danger lurking around every corner builds on the tension. I'm looking forward to more in the series!
Millie won me over instantly as soon as we heard her plight over her missing brother. She was flying blind on certain aspects of the case, but her diligence in not giving up on her brother was beneficial in getting more doors to open.
Foster proved his worth when he chose to listen to her that there was something wrong rather than accept all of the roadblocks that were thrown up to discourage his participation in believing a crime had been committed.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery filled with ups and downs as romance lingers in the background just waiting to take center stage.
July 10, 2021
An entertaining and engrossing romantic suspence that kept me hooked.
I liked the setting, the characters and the solid mystery.
It's the first I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I liked the setting, the characters and the solid mystery.
It's the first I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Read
June 1, 2021Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
The Saving Kelby Creek Series (Book #1)
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
The Saving Kelby Creek Series (Book #1)
Read
June 1, 2021Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
The Saving Kelby Creek Series (Book #1)
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
The Saving Kelby Creek Series (Book #1)
January 3, 2022
Great read. Hard to put down. Action packed.
Loved this book. Lots of twists and turns. Action packed. Was never able to figure out ending. Was hard to put down . Great read.
Loved this book. Lots of twists and turns. Action packed. Was never able to figure out ending. Was hard to put down . Great read.
July 8, 2025
Heel spannend boek, met een drie dubbele mega plottwist op het einde. Heel goed geschreven.
August 10, 2022
I like Snell's writing and read the second book in this series almost a year ago, so I did go into this kinda blind because I'd forgotten what had happened except I remembered THE FLOOD and thought, ok this is it this is the FLOOD book this is where it happens. Reader, this is not the book about the flood. Knowing how Snell crafts her series I think The Flood will be the big overarching mystery of the series and we won't find out who all was involved with the flood or what happened to the missing girl until the end of the series but somehow all of this will tie into the ending. Somehow. I am a little concerned how this arc is going to be spread out across 7(?) books. The 4 book arch about the Nash family was... not a story arch that necessarily needed 4 books to tell the overall mystery, but the romances of the Nash siblings themselves did need 4 books so this will be interesting.
That being said, I was in kinda a weird mood when I read this so that might be why I didn't connect with this one as much as I wanted to. This is a pro-police book so keep that in mind if you too might have some mixed feelings about that in light of recent events in the US. There's also, a lot to keep track of at the end in terms of who was working with who, who knew what and who thought what. Hopefully this doesn't play too much into the final reveal because I will forget all of this and then end up even more confused.
That being said, I was in kinda a weird mood when I read this so that might be why I didn't connect with this one as much as I wanted to. This is a pro-police book so keep that in mind if you too might have some mixed feelings about that in light of recent events in the US. There's also, a lot to keep track of at the end in terms of who was working with who, who knew what and who thought what. Hopefully this doesn't play too much into the final reveal because I will forget all of this and then end up even more confused.
June 30, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley, Mills and Boon and Tyler Anne Snell for an e arc copy of this book.
We meet Foster and Millie. Foster has returned to his hometown; he is a policeman and is looking forward to restoring the police reputation. He moves into the house next to Millie and from the first things seem a bit off. Why is she going out alone late at night?
Foster hears stories about her from other members of the force and when she turns to him, asking him to help find her missing brother. He is sceptical until various things happen that endanger not only Millie but himself. Now he will do all it takes to get to the bottom of the situation and solve the puzzle.
A well written book and a good start to a series.
We meet Foster and Millie. Foster has returned to his hometown; he is a policeman and is looking forward to restoring the police reputation. He moves into the house next to Millie and from the first things seem a bit off. Why is she going out alone late at night?
Foster hears stories about her from other members of the force and when she turns to him, asking him to help find her missing brother. He is sceptical until various things happen that endanger not only Millie but himself. Now he will do all it takes to get to the bottom of the situation and solve the puzzle.
A well written book and a good start to a series.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews