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Nichelle Clarke Crime Thriller #8
Hidden Victims
A letter from a dead man catapults Nichelle Clarke into the biggest story of her career...if she can stay alive long enough to report it.
Nichelle Clarke needs a big break.
With a new job and a new boss, she’s under pressure to find a story that will send papers flying off the racks—and money flying in the door.
When she learns that the widow of a beloved athlete is entangled in the opioid crisis, Nichelle sets out to track her down. But the story takes a turn when her interview prospect becomes a suspect—for murder.
Detectives have found a dead body, along with a letter addressed to Nichelle. Determined to uncover the truth, she jumps into the race to find the killer—even as it turns into a police manhunt for the now-missing widow.
But this story leads Nichelle deep into a mystery where nothing is what it seems, and the truth behind a brutal murder is just the beginning.
A murder mystery series taut with gripping, authentic plots that only a former crime reporter could write.
Nichelle Clarke Crime Thrillers can be read in any order. Start here!
Nichelle Clarke needs a big break.
With a new job and a new boss, she’s under pressure to find a story that will send papers flying off the racks—and money flying in the door.
When she learns that the widow of a beloved athlete is entangled in the opioid crisis, Nichelle sets out to track her down. But the story takes a turn when her interview prospect becomes a suspect—for murder.
Detectives have found a dead body, along with a letter addressed to Nichelle. Determined to uncover the truth, she jumps into the race to find the killer—even as it turns into a police manhunt for the now-missing widow.
But this story leads Nichelle deep into a mystery where nothing is what it seems, and the truth behind a brutal murder is just the beginning.
A murder mystery series taut with gripping, authentic plots that only a former crime reporter could write.
Nichelle Clarke Crime Thrillers can be read in any order. Start here!
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2020
About the author
LynDee Walker
46 books659 followersLynDee Walker writes about strong women who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Her books have appeared on finalist lists for the Agatha and International Thriller awards—and once, on the weekly Amazon Charts US national bestsellers list smack in between two of her writing heroes.
LynDee is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Before she started writing fiction, LynDee was an award-winning journalist who covered everything from ribbon cuttings and high school football to capital murder trials and high level police corruption. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the United States. She has written more than 20 novels and feels lucky every day to get to play with her imaginary friends for a living.
LynDee's favorite things are family, hydrangeas, porches, beaches, and books. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she's not juggling laundry, children's sports schedules, and two very happily spoiled rescue dogs.
LynDee is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Before she started writing fiction, LynDee was an award-winning journalist who covered everything from ribbon cuttings and high school football to capital murder trials and high level police corruption. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the United States. She has written more than 20 novels and feels lucky every day to get to play with her imaginary friends for a living.
LynDee's favorite things are family, hydrangeas, porches, beaches, and books. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she's not juggling laundry, children's sports schedules, and two very happily spoiled rescue dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 12, 2020
What do a dead man in a map lined hotel room, bones at a construction site, dirty cops, a missing widow and an ambitious, if preoccupied, crime reporter all have in common? Find out in this, the eighth installment of LynDee Walker’s Nichelle Crime Thriller series.
When last we met our intrepid, designer shoe clad heroine, she’d uncovered and was instrumental in thwarting a plot to assassinate the president.
In the process, she lost her long-held position at the Telegraph, her freedom and, very nearly, her life.
This time, she’s up against something that hits home.
Katie Deluca, the young widow of a slain sports superstar from an earlier installment, is caught up in the brutal murder of a down-on-his-luck professor bent on stopping an unethical and socially unjust project.
The pressure is on; as readership dwindles and money hemorrhages, Nichelle’s new boss is counting on her to pull their fledgling paper out of the dumps.
Meanwhile, she’s heartbroken and worried about her boyfriend Joey’s fate and whereabouts. Worse still, things are arctic between her and Kyle Miller, her ex-boyfriend and go-to ATF agent who, annoyingly, knows where Joey is and flatly refuses to disclose any details.
His silence, coupled with the pain of his betrayal in Deadly Politics, has their friendship on shakier ground than it’s ever been on before.
Against the backdrop of all of *that* chaos is a dangerous and high-pressure investigation that puts her in the crosshairs of one of the most ruthless entities with which she’s ever had the misfortune to tangle.
What she ultimately uncovers could crater everything she thought she knew about the people she loves.
Nichelle, as usual, tries to work under the watchful and paternalistic eyes of the overprotective men who surround her.
Insulting and Redundant warnings to “watch [herself],” threats of arrest by resentful cops, manipulative and flirtatious, talent-questioning media consultants, stonewalling and lies by omission because “protection,” and finger-shaking editors abound.
This was expected but no less annoying.
Overall, though, Walker does an excellent job of crafting an intense, twisty and fast-paced story that will keep you up all night. Four stars.
When last we met our intrepid, designer shoe clad heroine, she’d uncovered and was instrumental in thwarting a plot to assassinate the president.
In the process, she lost her long-held position at the Telegraph, her freedom and, very nearly, her life.
This time, she’s up against something that hits home.
Katie Deluca, the young widow of a slain sports superstar from an earlier installment, is caught up in the brutal murder of a down-on-his-luck professor bent on stopping an unethical and socially unjust project.
The pressure is on; as readership dwindles and money hemorrhages, Nichelle’s new boss is counting on her to pull their fledgling paper out of the dumps.
Meanwhile, she’s heartbroken and worried about her boyfriend Joey’s fate and whereabouts. Worse still, things are arctic between her and Kyle Miller, her ex-boyfriend and go-to ATF agent who, annoyingly, knows where Joey is and flatly refuses to disclose any details.
His silence, coupled with the pain of his betrayal in Deadly Politics, has their friendship on shakier ground than it’s ever been on before.
Against the backdrop of all of *that* chaos is a dangerous and high-pressure investigation that puts her in the crosshairs of one of the most ruthless entities with which she’s ever had the misfortune to tangle.
What she ultimately uncovers could crater everything she thought she knew about the people she loves.
Nichelle, as usual, tries to work under the watchful and paternalistic eyes of the overprotective men who surround her.
Insulting and Redundant warnings to “watch [herself],” threats of arrest by resentful cops, manipulative and flirtatious, talent-questioning media consultants, stonewalling and lies by omission because “protection,” and finger-shaking editors abound.
This was expected but no less annoying.
Overall, though, Walker does an excellent job of crafting an intense, twisty and fast-paced story that will keep you up all night. Four stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2021
After the ending of the last book, I knew… I knew this book was going to be interesting.
Not only because the 3 are not attached to the paper anymore that was going to be exciting either way.
But the Joey and Nichelle and Kyle thing, I think Kyle finally knows Nichelle isn’t looking to him for comfort. She is all about Joey but to keep them both safe he can’t actually be with her.
Then the news doesn’t sleep and Nichelle finds herself in the middle of a really big pickle.
I will say her finding the dead bodies like she did threw me. Because at that point I had no idea what was going on.
I never suspected, then when she finds Joey like she did it was INTENSE.
I loved it, I want more like now, ha ha. And Therese Plummer does such a great job with this series she makes me want more.
Not only because the 3 are not attached to the paper anymore that was going to be exciting either way.
But the Joey and Nichelle and Kyle thing, I think Kyle finally knows Nichelle isn’t looking to him for comfort. She is all about Joey but to keep them both safe he can’t actually be with her.
Then the news doesn’t sleep and Nichelle finds herself in the middle of a really big pickle.
I will say her finding the dead bodies like she did threw me. Because at that point I had no idea what was going on.
I never suspected, then when she finds Joey like she did it was INTENSE.
I loved it, I want more like now, ha ha. And Therese Plummer does such a great job with this series she makes me want more.
March 26, 2020
WOWZERS!!! This is my favorite Nichelle Clarke book to date!!! LynDee Walker keeps getting better with every book she writes! There are so many layers to her characters and the stories she tells in each book! I was blown away by her previous offering, Deadly Politics (Nichelle Clarke Crime Thriller #7), so I had high hopes when I was provided with a golden opportunity to proofread an advance reading copy of Hidden Victims. Walker did not disappoint one bit. I did not see the surprise ending coming at all, despite subtle clues throughout, now that I have had time to rehash the events leading up to the finale in my mind. You hear about the opioid epidemic every day, but she puts faces to the victims and tells their stories, digging right into the ugly, heartbreaking side of it that so few people ever really see because we are either oblivious to it or simply because we just want to avoid it altogether. It will pull at your heartstrings and break your heart all at once while providing readers with mystery after mystery at the heart of it all. If you love great mysteries that have depth and heart, you need not look any further than LynDee Walker's Hidden Victims. And if you love Walker's Nichelle Clarke series, check out her other series featuring Texas Ranger Faith McClellan. You'll fall in love with her, too.
April 18, 2020
Newspaper crime reporter Nichelle Clarke is under pressure from her boss to produce a sizzling front page story that will sell a lot more papers than they have been recently. Nichelle decides to track down the widow of a beloved athlete who is now an addict to put a "face" on the opioid crisis, but plans change when Nichelle finds a dead body and the widow becomes a suspect in that murder.
Hidden Victims is entertaining, while also shining a light on serious issues such as drug addiction and how our system allows people to fall through financial and medical cracks. The plot is multi-faceted and pulls in strings from prior books. I would recommend reading the series in order to avoid spoilers and to better understand character histories and connections.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.
Hidden Victims is entertaining, while also shining a light on serious issues such as drug addiction and how our system allows people to fall through financial and medical cracks. The plot is multi-faceted and pulls in strings from prior books. I would recommend reading the series in order to avoid spoilers and to better understand character histories and connections.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.
July 24, 2020
Nichelle has a new job at a weekly paper and is having a bit of trouble getting her mojo. The whole paper is, in fact. They need to get a big cover story and some ad placement to survive. They decide to hire the best media consultant, Jordan.
For her part, Michelle decides to go on a ride along with a local cop, Brooks. They will spend time feeding and caring for the downtrodden in a local motel. But the day doesn’t go as planned when the man they are there to visit is found shot in the head. It could be a simple drug issue, but something tells Nicey it’s not. Instead it was something with so many pieces she has no idea who to trust.
Nichelle eventually puts the pieces together and solves the crime, even putting together a few items that were left hanging from the previous story.
For her part, Michelle decides to go on a ride along with a local cop, Brooks. They will spend time feeding and caring for the downtrodden in a local motel. But the day doesn’t go as planned when the man they are there to visit is found shot in the head. It could be a simple drug issue, but something tells Nicey it’s not. Instead it was something with so many pieces she has no idea who to trust.
Nichelle eventually puts the pieces together and solves the crime, even putting together a few items that were left hanging from the previous story.
June 2, 2020
I really enjoy this series and am always excited for a new instalment. This one represents a time of extreme change in Nichelle’s life. After a few books of her struggling to find a place of harmony with the “big boss” at the daily newspaper where she worked, Nichelle and Bob both left to join a rival start up. Fast forward a few months and it’s been mixed. It’s not a daily which means that Nichelle is always behind Shelby (who now has her old job) and TV for scoops. She’s lost her mojo and her new boss Evan Connally isn’t as happy as he could be. Advertising is down and the lower it is, the fewer pages they can print. He might be wealthy but he’s also looking to make money. He needs Nichelle to find a story that is quintessentially what she’s become known for – gritty, exclusive and hard hitting. That’s a little hard to do when everyone else beats you to publication. And Nichelle knows that she’s not at her best. Enter Jordan Pierce, a marketing guru hired to bring in the dollars and he’s not afraid to tell Nichelle that what she’s following has no clicks….he hasn’t met Nichelle before though, so telling her not to do something is basically pointless.
Around the same time she changed jobs, Joey, Nichelle’s lover with “connections” made a decision so that they might have a future and for now, he’s essentially lost to her. Nichelle has no idea where he is or even if he’s okay. What he’s doing is incredibly dangerous and she’s well aware of the fact that she may never see him again. It makes it hard to concentrate and she must keep up a role-play that he dumped her and disappeared, so that she’s safe and people are thrown off the scent. She’s also incredibly mad at Kyle, her friend and ex, for lying to her. In short, Nichelle has lost several of the people she cared about the most and also her “sounding boards” when she needed to figure stuff out.
A chance ride-a-long with a cop through the drug shanty town in Richmond, Virginia provides an answer to the question that Nichelle and her new boss have been looking for, when she and Officer Brooks discover one of the residents dead via an execution style gunshot to the head. Why would someone want to execute this man? Nichelle’s senses are tingling and this is exactly the sort of story she needs to feel like herself again, if she can just get the powers that be in her new job to trust her and let her follow her instincts.
This was such a ride. It starts with Nichelle’s grief and frustration – everything is kind of going wrong for her, she’s alone and feeling isolated and the dream new job is something she’s starting to struggle with. I was really intrigued by the ride-a-long she goes on with a young, idealistic cop who has ideas about change in terms of drug addiction. This book looks at America’s opioid addiction in a sympathetic light, which is a fascinating but also incredibly tragic thing. I’ve seen pieces that people like John Oliver have done on it, particularly the pharmaceutical companies. Despite being a pretty seasoned crime reporter, even Nichelle is shocked by what she sees in the shanty town type thing, and it showcases some examples of how people fell into desperate drug addictions – even people who were well educated, with good jobs and families. Anyone could end up in this situation and I think a lot of that is what Nichelle wants to tell. She wants to humanise the addicts for her readers, make them see them for the people they are, not just as addicts who have ended up in a hopeless situation. It made me really interested in the origins of the crisis, so I started looking for some non-fiction books to read on the topic and discovered that there is plenty out there.
This was an excellent instalment to this series. Once Nichelle gets her idea, she’s off and running, researching and piecing things together meticulously, stumbling on information that suddenly makes everything seem so much bigger, so much more important. It’s not just about the death of an addict anymore, it’s about what he knew – and what he was going to reveal. I did not expect a lot of the twists but they shouldn’t be a surprise in a Nichelle Clarke book! The ties back to a certain missing someone were interesting too, as was puzzling out who exactly was “dirty” – there are numerous suspects, the possibility brought to Nichelle by her old friend, Aaron White. I also liked the realisation by Shelby that Nichelle’s job wasn’t as easy as it sounded and that to get the scoop, a lot of the times Nichelle was putting herself in danger and this case was really no exception, especially when she figured out the danger someone was in.
I enjoyed all facets of this – the look at the opioid crisis and how so many people were affected, Nichelle’s struggles with her new job not working a daily and being a victim of the 24 hour news cycle, her desire for freedom in choosing her pieces and trying to get people to trust her in her ability to find a good story and execute it. Nichelle is a people person, she manages to forge connections with lots of people and it’s part of the reason she gets the information she requires. She’s personable but also tough. I liked the ending as well….it’s a little bit of a positive vibe for the future. I do hope there’ll be another one.
***A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
Around the same time she changed jobs, Joey, Nichelle’s lover with “connections” made a decision so that they might have a future and for now, he’s essentially lost to her. Nichelle has no idea where he is or even if he’s okay. What he’s doing is incredibly dangerous and she’s well aware of the fact that she may never see him again. It makes it hard to concentrate and she must keep up a role-play that he dumped her and disappeared, so that she’s safe and people are thrown off the scent. She’s also incredibly mad at Kyle, her friend and ex, for lying to her. In short, Nichelle has lost several of the people she cared about the most and also her “sounding boards” when she needed to figure stuff out.
A chance ride-a-long with a cop through the drug shanty town in Richmond, Virginia provides an answer to the question that Nichelle and her new boss have been looking for, when she and Officer Brooks discover one of the residents dead via an execution style gunshot to the head. Why would someone want to execute this man? Nichelle’s senses are tingling and this is exactly the sort of story she needs to feel like herself again, if she can just get the powers that be in her new job to trust her and let her follow her instincts.
This was such a ride. It starts with Nichelle’s grief and frustration – everything is kind of going wrong for her, she’s alone and feeling isolated and the dream new job is something she’s starting to struggle with. I was really intrigued by the ride-a-long she goes on with a young, idealistic cop who has ideas about change in terms of drug addiction. This book looks at America’s opioid addiction in a sympathetic light, which is a fascinating but also incredibly tragic thing. I’ve seen pieces that people like John Oliver have done on it, particularly the pharmaceutical companies. Despite being a pretty seasoned crime reporter, even Nichelle is shocked by what she sees in the shanty town type thing, and it showcases some examples of how people fell into desperate drug addictions – even people who were well educated, with good jobs and families. Anyone could end up in this situation and I think a lot of that is what Nichelle wants to tell. She wants to humanise the addicts for her readers, make them see them for the people they are, not just as addicts who have ended up in a hopeless situation. It made me really interested in the origins of the crisis, so I started looking for some non-fiction books to read on the topic and discovered that there is plenty out there.
This was an excellent instalment to this series. Once Nichelle gets her idea, she’s off and running, researching and piecing things together meticulously, stumbling on information that suddenly makes everything seem so much bigger, so much more important. It’s not just about the death of an addict anymore, it’s about what he knew – and what he was going to reveal. I did not expect a lot of the twists but they shouldn’t be a surprise in a Nichelle Clarke book! The ties back to a certain missing someone were interesting too, as was puzzling out who exactly was “dirty” – there are numerous suspects, the possibility brought to Nichelle by her old friend, Aaron White. I also liked the realisation by Shelby that Nichelle’s job wasn’t as easy as it sounded and that to get the scoop, a lot of the times Nichelle was putting herself in danger and this case was really no exception, especially when she figured out the danger someone was in.
I enjoyed all facets of this – the look at the opioid crisis and how so many people were affected, Nichelle’s struggles with her new job not working a daily and being a victim of the 24 hour news cycle, her desire for freedom in choosing her pieces and trying to get people to trust her in her ability to find a good story and execute it. Nichelle is a people person, she manages to forge connections with lots of people and it’s part of the reason she gets the information she requires. She’s personable but also tough. I liked the ending as well….it’s a little bit of a positive vibe for the future. I do hope there’ll be another one.
***A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
June 13, 2023
I’m upping this from 3 stars to 3.5 stars because (to me) it didn’t become interesting until the last 30 minutes. So the ending made me want to increase the rating a bit.
April 21, 2020
When Nichelle's new boss, Evan Connally, calls a meeting with his staff it's to say circulation is down. Part of the problem is not being able to sell ads to business owners and the fact they haven't had a good story to draw in since Nichele's story about President Denham's speech. The fact that they (RVA Weekly) are a weekly newspaper doesn't help as their competitors at their old paper, the Telegraph, and the news stations have already broken the news.
That's when Connolly brings in Jordan Pierce, a media consultant, to help increase their circulation by reviewing what stories they should be working on to increase circulation. When asked what she was working on, Nichelle states she has a ride-a-long with a police officer that afternoon in an area where drug pushers and addicts hang out. Jordan insists that it's old news and to move on to something else, but Nichelle wants to write the story from a different perspective. What started out as a ride-a-long with the police officer , turns out to be a much bigger story then she thought. One of the first stops Nichelle and Officer Brooks makes, is to Hideaway, a motel that had the most arrests according the police records. When he knocked on the door of Tuck, one of the occupants of the Hideaway who was a former lawyer and professor down on his luck due to drug use, he doesn't get an answer. When Officer Brooks and Nichelle get in, it's to find Tuck dead from a gun shot wound. This is the beginning of another well written, well plotted book from Lyndee Walker.
There are some twists and turns and a few surprises at the end that surprised me enough to drop my jaw. It will definitely hold your interest. I recommend this series to all who like well written, engaging mysteries.
Please note: I was given a copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
That's when Connolly brings in Jordan Pierce, a media consultant, to help increase their circulation by reviewing what stories they should be working on to increase circulation. When asked what she was working on, Nichelle states she has a ride-a-long with a police officer that afternoon in an area where drug pushers and addicts hang out. Jordan insists that it's old news and to move on to something else, but Nichelle wants to write the story from a different perspective. What started out as a ride-a-long with the police officer , turns out to be a much bigger story then she thought. One of the first stops Nichelle and Officer Brooks makes, is to Hideaway, a motel that had the most arrests according the police records. When he knocked on the door of Tuck, one of the occupants of the Hideaway who was a former lawyer and professor down on his luck due to drug use, he doesn't get an answer. When Officer Brooks and Nichelle get in, it's to find Tuck dead from a gun shot wound. This is the beginning of another well written, well plotted book from Lyndee Walker.
There are some twists and turns and a few surprises at the end that surprised me enough to drop my jaw. It will definitely hold your interest. I recommend this series to all who like well written, engaging mysteries.
Please note: I was given a copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 21, 2020
Struggling in a new job with pressure from the new boss to help save the newspaper she works for; Nichelle (Nicey) Clarke decides to come at the drug epidemic from another angle. Nichelle wants to put a face to the addict that would cause people to care about the drug problem. Nicey decides to find Katie DeLuca, the widow of the local hero, who is an addict.
Going along for a ride-along with Officer Brooks, the first stop isn't what is expected, inside a low run hotel, is the murdered victim, Tuck, that they were to visit. A victim, that had a PH.D., and a letter sitting in the printer with Nichelle's name on it.
The clues build from the maps found on the wall in the hotel of the deceased, information from Katie's parents, to a discovery where Nichelle will have to decide to handle an issue that she's tried to avoid knowing about, but may be the only way to save lives.
This was absolutely a fantastic read! The story is filled with plot twists that I did not see coming, and kept me on the edge of my seat. This story does a wonderful job of touching on the human component that good people often get trapped into becoming an addict, and that they are so much more than just an addict. I, highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers, mysteries, or crime stories.
I received an ARC and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
Going along for a ride-along with Officer Brooks, the first stop isn't what is expected, inside a low run hotel, is the murdered victim, Tuck, that they were to visit. A victim, that had a PH.D., and a letter sitting in the printer with Nichelle's name on it.
The clues build from the maps found on the wall in the hotel of the deceased, information from Katie's parents, to a discovery where Nichelle will have to decide to handle an issue that she's tried to avoid knowing about, but may be the only way to save lives.
This was absolutely a fantastic read! The story is filled with plot twists that I did not see coming, and kept me on the edge of my seat. This story does a wonderful job of touching on the human component that good people often get trapped into becoming an addict, and that they are so much more than just an addict. I, highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers, mysteries, or crime stories.
I received an ARC and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
April 27, 2020
Nichelle Clarke is now working at RVA Week, a weekly Virginia newspaper. She is in the doldrums about her job and personal life. Her new boss, Evan Connally, brings in media consultant Jordan Pierce to help boost the newspaper's poor circulation numbers. What they really need is one of Nichelle's killer stories to lure readers and advertisers onboard.
Nichelle goes on a ride-along with a police officer in an area frequented by drug addicts and pushers. They are surprised to find former lawyer and professor Tucker Armstrong dead in a seedy hotel room. The police dismiss Tucker's death as a tragic end related to his drug use but detailed maps on his wall and a letter addressed to Nichelle point towards another more sinister motive.
Tucker was also working with Katie DeLuca, the drug-addicted widow of a local sports hero was also gone missing. Now Nichelle's original story on the fate of drug addicts morphs into a more complex conspiracy involving politicians, an oil pipeline, a major Mafia crime family, and some long-forgotten hidden victims.
The Nichelle Clarke series continues to get better and better with a fast-filled story full of twists and turns and a feisty protagonist determined to find the truth at any cost.
I received an eARC from Severn River Publishing with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
Nichelle goes on a ride-along with a police officer in an area frequented by drug addicts and pushers. They are surprised to find former lawyer and professor Tucker Armstrong dead in a seedy hotel room. The police dismiss Tucker's death as a tragic end related to his drug use but detailed maps on his wall and a letter addressed to Nichelle point towards another more sinister motive.
Tucker was also working with Katie DeLuca, the drug-addicted widow of a local sports hero was also gone missing. Now Nichelle's original story on the fate of drug addicts morphs into a more complex conspiracy involving politicians, an oil pipeline, a major Mafia crime family, and some long-forgotten hidden victims.
The Nichelle Clarke series continues to get better and better with a fast-filled story full of twists and turns and a feisty protagonist determined to find the truth at any cost.
I received an eARC from Severn River Publishing with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2020
Hiding in plain sight…
Journalist Nichelle Clarke’s new boss, Evan Connally, is trying to revive the ailing RVA Week newspaper. The push is on for articles that will grab the attention of readers and pull in more advertisers. Nichelle “Nicey” is hoping her ride-along with Officer Brooks from the second precinct will provide a new angle into the addiction and poverty that is taking over that area of Richmond. By focusing on a more personal approach and making the story about Katie DeLuca, a local hero’s widow who is now an addict, readers may become interested in the people behind the addiction. What starts out as a simple, but informative, ride-along quickly changes when one of their stops turns up a corpse. The clues point Nichelle in a much different direction than the police are taking as a sinister picture of the possible motives begins to form.
The story has some good intrigue and plot twists that kept me guessing. This book has it all - murder, suspense, and likable characters!
Journalist Nichelle Clarke’s new boss, Evan Connally, is trying to revive the ailing RVA Week newspaper. The push is on for articles that will grab the attention of readers and pull in more advertisers. Nichelle “Nicey” is hoping her ride-along with Officer Brooks from the second precinct will provide a new angle into the addiction and poverty that is taking over that area of Richmond. By focusing on a more personal approach and making the story about Katie DeLuca, a local hero’s widow who is now an addict, readers may become interested in the people behind the addiction. What starts out as a simple, but informative, ride-along quickly changes when one of their stops turns up a corpse. The clues point Nichelle in a much different direction than the police are taking as a sinister picture of the possible motives begins to form.
The story has some good intrigue and plot twists that kept me guessing. This book has it all - murder, suspense, and likable characters!
April 22, 2020
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Nichelle Clark has a new job and a new boss who is wanting her to work her magic and bring in a blockbuster story to bring in sales. When the widow of a former Pro Baseball Player goes missing after she becomes involved with a murder in which a letter addressed to Nichelle is discovered, it becomes a race to find her. As with any investigation Nichelle is after the truth and will go to any lengths to discover it.
This is the 8th book in the Nichelle Clark Headline Mysteries (previously titled Headlines in High Heels). I loved this book and it was well-written with strong characters and storyline. I don't give away spoilers so you are going to have to read the book to see if she finds the truth and her missing widow.
For those looking for a new writer to read LynDee Walker might just be what you are looking for in a mystery/thriller writer. Her books are page turning enough that you what you read thru the night to get to the end to see what happens. She is a one-click author that I will always buy and hopefully you will too.
Nichelle Clark has a new job and a new boss who is wanting her to work her magic and bring in a blockbuster story to bring in sales. When the widow of a former Pro Baseball Player goes missing after she becomes involved with a murder in which a letter addressed to Nichelle is discovered, it becomes a race to find her. As with any investigation Nichelle is after the truth and will go to any lengths to discover it.
This is the 8th book in the Nichelle Clark Headline Mysteries (previously titled Headlines in High Heels). I loved this book and it was well-written with strong characters and storyline. I don't give away spoilers so you are going to have to read the book to see if she finds the truth and her missing widow.
For those looking for a new writer to read LynDee Walker might just be what you are looking for in a mystery/thriller writer. Her books are page turning enough that you what you read thru the night to get to the end to see what happens. She is a one-click author that I will always buy and hopefully you will too.
April 26, 2020
I bought the first 3 books of this series on a whim. It was one of those Amazon 3 books for $1.99 as I recall and I was in need of something new to read. After the first one, I knew I was hooked and I continued to buy every other book in the series, going so far as to pre-order every one as it came out. And every one of the books I devoured, only to realize the end of the book meant the beginning of the wait for the next one. So, I decided, this book I was going to read slowly so I could enjoy it as long as possible. And I dismally failed, I still got so hooked on the story, I raced through it again and here I am. Such a fun mystery series and the characters are complex and relationships are complicated. Nichelle the journalist, Joey, the mafioso, not mafioso? boyfriend, and assorted family members and law enforcement folks who may or may not be good guys. So fortunately, LynDee Walker has another series that I also enjoy and Faith has a new book coming soon. That will help the waiting.
December 9, 2021
Nichelle is working at her new job along with Bob & Parker. Feeling she has lost her headline grabbing she's working on a boring story about the opiate crisis. Riding along with a new police officer (Brooks) that she was referred to by Andy & Landers, they stumble across a murder in a flea bag motel. The victim turns out to be a former professor connected to politics, college, & environmental law. He had also been holed up with the missing Katie DeLuca. Still reeling from Kyle's lies that put Joey into witsec, Nicey has been on her own flying blind trying to stay out of trouble and solve the murder. Connected pieces that aren't what they seem, Joey's past connections with the mob family, Kyle's distance, and Landers feeding her information, she isn't sure she's on the right track. Connecting dots that may point to a dirty cop, piecing together seemingly unrelated information, & not knowing who to trust has Nicey on a collision course with exposing the murderer that may prove too close to home.
May 13, 2020
This eighth book in the Nichelle Clarke series is just as good as the others. In fact, maybe better. This time Nichelle, dealing with a new job and new boss, has to find a story that will really sell papers. She thinks she’s got a great lead on an opioid crisis story that includes the widow of a favorite athlete. While following a police officer for the day, they come across a dead body in a motel full of users. There happens to be a letter from this dead person addressed to her asking for help that was never sent. While trying to uncover the truth, Nichelle gets into one of the biggest stories ever. There is always a mixture of laughter, shoes, tears, and intrigue throughout the story. It’s very well written and keeps you interested with all the plot twists. And her relationship with Joey looks it’s finally how she hoped it would be. Definitely looking forward to the next one in the series.
October 4, 2022
Eighth in the Nichelle Clarke series, this book begins with Nichelle starting work as a crime reporter at a weekly newspaper in Richmonmd, Va. She has not seen her boyfriend, Joey, a high-placed man in the local mafia, in almost two years. Joey is now secretly working with ATF officers to bring down his family.
Nichelle is riding with a local cop to get the feel of his dense beat of narcotic addicts to help her with an upcoming story on addiction. There is someone the cop wants her to meet, a former college professor, but when they arrive at his hotel room they find him dead, shot through the head, the walls of his room covered with maps of Virginia. Nichelle's ex-fiance works for ATF and she calls him in to help her solve the murder. A story of addiction, out of today's headlines, made very real by the writer, LynDee Walker, who was a crime reporter in Richmond herself.
Nichelle is riding with a local cop to get the feel of his dense beat of narcotic addicts to help her with an upcoming story on addiction. There is someone the cop wants her to meet, a former college professor, but when they arrive at his hotel room they find him dead, shot through the head, the walls of his room covered with maps of Virginia. Nichelle's ex-fiance works for ATF and she calls him in to help her solve the murder. A story of addiction, out of today's headlines, made very real by the writer, LynDee Walker, who was a crime reporter in Richmond herself.
September 6, 2022
As usual, this book pulled me back into Nichelle’s world of crime newspaper reporting. This time things have completely changed and Nichelle no longer works for her newspaper. Nichelle, her boss, her friend Grant and even the digital photographer from the previous books have all been recruited to bring back a local magazine from the brink of closing. With deadlines further apart, Nichelle has time to write a good story that will get the magazine out of the red. If only she could find it. Of course she does and this read ended up being a well paced mystery and Nichelle comes into the crosshairs of the bad guys yet again.
The reason for 4 stars and not 5 concerns Nichelle’s boyfriend being pretty much missing in action. I’ve come to love that relationship and it was sorely lacking this. I know it was part of the story line, but still.
I highly recommend this series to adults readers of mysteries, suspense or romantic suspense. I’m excited to read the next one and I’ve already got it In my gigantic to be read pile.
The reason for 4 stars and not 5 concerns Nichelle’s boyfriend being pretty much missing in action. I’ve come to love that relationship and it was sorely lacking this. I know it was part of the story line, but still.
I highly recommend this series to adults readers of mysteries, suspense or romantic suspense. I’m excited to read the next one and I’ve already got it In my gigantic to be read pile.
April 22, 2020
I am still reeling from all the fast-paced action, the drama, the twists and turns, and the exciting climax of this well-crafted story! I was thoroughly engaged in the plot and invested in the characters, and felt as if I was racing alongside Nichelle from one scene to the next as she searched for clues to the murder of a former professor and the search for his missing former student. Ms. Walker has delivered an impassioned and exciting story that will stay with me for some time. I received an advanced copy of this book from the author and am giving my honest opinion.
April 8, 2020
I have loved this series from the start, but this one is my favorite! LynDee Walker keeps getting better and better! The characters are deep, well-written, and truly realistic. There are twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing, but the author plays fair and gives you everything you need to figure out the ending. But you'll still never see it coming! If you love a good mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further.
April 13, 2020
This Nichelle Clarke thriller is an edge of the seat story that has several unforeseen twists that make it a very entertaining story. At several points thought the story I believed I knew how the rest of the story would evolve only to be proven totally wrong by one tiny detail, these elements of misdirection made this story so entertaining. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to provide this review.
April 26, 2020
Nichelle is one of my favorite book characters ever and each story is a joy to read. Worried about Joey being in hiding and adjusting to her new weekly news format, she feels unsettled and off her game. When she discovers a dead body the story gets twistier and more complicated the deeper she digs. Finding the truth is increasingly dangerous but Nichelle can’t back down until the end. I received an advance copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.
August 17, 2020
The new Nichelle Clarke is intense in searching out the truth in her designer footwear. Nichelle is getting used to working for RVA Week, a weekly newspaper with online editions. Kyle had Joey working undercover in the mob for the ATF, leaving Nicey anxious and worried about his safety. Uncovering the reasons and persons behind the murders of a former professor, Tucker Armstrong and widow, Katie DeLuca provide investigation twists that keep the novel moving quickly. Risking life and limb is in her blood and the conclusion is wrapped up nicely.
This is not the cozy Nichelle Clarke she started out being in the beginning of this series. If you are looking for her she does appear at the end with Joey. In getting there she is quite intense!
This is not the cozy Nichelle Clarke she started out being in the beginning of this series. If you are looking for her she does appear at the end with Joey. In getting there she is quite intense!
July 26, 2021
I would have given this a 5 star because it is quite good but not really a stand alone book. I have read all the rest in the series but it’s been a while…and I was confused a number of times by who someone was. Great authors explain, albeit briefly, who folks are as they are introduced to the story. Not this one. Had to really think hard about who someone was or what happened before…not always successfully
September 25, 2024
Always a treat to read one of these books because they don't always follow the same path. Sure, there is always a crime and dead body or bodies which she ends up sleuthing for a story but how and where and when and why are different in each one. I picked up on this character from her future involvement with Faith McClellan. Both of these ladies are really good read. I enjoy the newspaper aspect with Nichelle.
December 18, 2024
I was enthralled and entertained with this book! The hunt for Katie DeLuca throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia was intense, and Nichelle led a search team to the Great Dismal Swamp. At the Swamp, Katie was killed by a huge bear. Her death was planned by the Caccione crime family, who wanted information about the oil wells kept secret. But the FBI dismantled the crime syndicate of the Caccione family. This book had the drama and action of a typical LynDee Walker novel.
January 30, 2026
Another good book in the series where Nichelle happens upon a big story almost by accident. She is trying to get a good story for her new weekly paper so she does a ride along with a police officer to visit some addicts. The first stop they make the addict turns out to be dead and when the detectives show up they find he left a note for Nichelle.
In this one everyone is a suspect and we don't know who to believe.
Implausible but still interesting.
In this one everyone is a suspect and we don't know who to believe.
Implausible but still interesting.
April 13, 2020
"Hidden Victims" was another of LynDee Walker's books that I had a hard time putting down! Nichelle Clark, an investigative reporter, is one of my favorite characters and LynDee didn't disappoint with the hair raising adventures that she exposed Nichelle to with an especially nail biting ending. . .can hardly wait for her next exploit!
April 28, 2020
Well worth the wait!
I loved this series. This woman was fearless and had great instincts. The stories were incredibly complex and hard to unravel. I was completely engaged with the story and the characters. This final book was the perfect ending. It tied up all the loose ends and have one the feeling that things ended exactly as they should have.
I loved this series. This woman was fearless and had great instincts. The stories were incredibly complex and hard to unravel. I was completely engaged with the story and the characters. This final book was the perfect ending. It tied up all the loose ends and have one the feeling that things ended exactly as they should have.
January 17, 2021
Thanks for another great story
I don't often give fiction books a five star rating, but I think that Lyndee Walker deserves one with this novel. I loved the first six Nichelle Clarke books. I recommend the series to anyone who loves a good mystery with a strong, gutsy, funny female main character. Lyndee Walker, this one is definitely a winner. Thank you.
I don't often give fiction books a five star rating, but I think that Lyndee Walker deserves one with this novel. I loved the first six Nichelle Clarke books. I recommend the series to anyone who loves a good mystery with a strong, gutsy, funny female main character. Lyndee Walker, this one is definitely a winner. Thank you.
March 5, 2022
Nichelle at her absolute best
A tale of good cops, bad cops, drug addicts, and the mafia - what else do you expect in this wonderful series? A number of characters and stories from previous outings in this series come together in a page turning thriller that defies any attempt at figuring out who are the good guys and who aren't. A great read from one of the best writers in the genre.
A tale of good cops, bad cops, drug addicts, and the mafia - what else do you expect in this wonderful series? A number of characters and stories from previous outings in this series come together in a page turning thriller that defies any attempt at figuring out who are the good guys and who aren't. A great read from one of the best writers in the genre.
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