Under the darkness of the winter night sky, in the small town of Hidden Cove. A disturbing plan was hatched. What happened afterwards may never be understood. Now at 509 Pleasant Hill Drive, the lives of the Johnsons will never be the same.
Agent Ava James has settled in the town of Harlan just outside of Washington, D.C. in her new field office. Amid this big change, her mother goes missing somewhere in South Africa, leaving her and her father distraught. Ava is immediately taken out of the field and placed on the Cold Case Initiative and is forbidden to look for her mother. To keep herself from doing something brash, Ava buries herself in her work.
While looking through cold cases Ava is drawn to the case of Hidden Cove. A cold case involving a young married couple. The husband was found murdered in his living room and the wife disappeared without a trace. Recently, another young couple with a three-year-old daughter had moved into that same house. They were both found murdered, leaving their baby orphaned.
Was there a murderer loose in the community? Were the two cases linked? When Ava is sent to the small town in Kentucky, she finds that the only thing colder than the mid-December weather in Kentucky is her reception. The locals are leery of her because she’s an outsider. The cold case heaves up one dead-end after another. Leading Ava to be blindsided by what happens next.
In the small-town of Hidden Cove, some cases are best left forgotten...
I really enjoy all of AJ Rivers books. They are fast reads and available with Prime reading. The characters are well developed and have become “friends.” It is like waiting for a new episode of a TV series. Read in order.
Book Review: Ava James & the Forgotten Bones by A.J. Rivers
Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 Genre: Thriller Published: 2/1/22
Review: After reading the first book in this series, I definitely had to buy the next book in the series. This one was so good and I found myself not wanting to stop listening to the book! Trying to figure out if 2 murders were connected made this book twice the amount of "thrilling". I really like that on top of her detective work with the FBI, she is trying to find her best friend who was taken on their trip to Prague 6 years ago and trying to find her mom who recently went off the radar. There is a lot going on in this book, but Rivers does a great job at making everything flow smoothly. I will definitely be continuing this series as the new books are released!
Summary: Under the darkness of the winter night sky, in the small town of Hidden Cove. A disturbing plan was hatched. What happened afterwards may never be understood. Now at 509 Pleasant Hill Drive, the lives of the Johnsons will never be the same. Agent Ava James has settled int he town of Harlan just outside of Washington, D.C. in her new field office. Amid this big change, her mother goes missing somewhere in South Africa, leaving her and her father distraught. Ava is immediately taken out of the field and placed on the Cold Case Initiative and is forbidden to look for her mother. To keep herself from doing something brash, Ave buries herself in work. While looking through cold cases Ava is drawn to the case of Hidden Cove. A cold case involving a young married couple. The husband was found murdered in his living room and the wife disappeared without a trace. Recently, another young couple with a three-year-old daughter had moved into that same house. They were both found murdered, leaving their baby orphaned. Was there a murderer loose in the community? Were the two cases linked? When Ava is sent to the small town in Kentucky, she finds the only thing colder than the mid-December weather in Kentucky is her reception. The locals are leery of her because she's an outsider. The cold case heaves up one dead-end after another. Leading Ava to be blindsided by what happens next. In the small-town of Hidden Cove, some cases are best left forgotten...
I enjoy the Emma Griffin series quite a bit, but am definitely disappointed in the Ava James books so far. The writing is choppy, but my main issue is that Ava is insufferable. She's young and definitely has an inflated sense of her skills based on having solved very few cases in her short career.
This second book is particularly egregious because her ego is combined with the author's lazy and stereotypical depiction of a small Kentucky town, the overused trope of the small town cops not doing their jobs right and the FBI agent, who they resent, coming in to clean up their mess, etc. Most of the characters aren't very developed, so you're relying on Ava, who I would label an unreliable narrator because she seems to have little awareness of her own flaws and stays focused on everything that she thinks is wrong with her peers.
I'm still giving it three stars despite this because there is something interesting in there - I am interested in knowing more about Molly and Ava's mother - but Ava as a character is suffering because she's mostly alone and doesn't have much in the way of honest interaction with others. Part of the strength of Emma Griffin's character is the work she puts into her close relationships, despite her fears. That's what makes her a compelling character. Ava, on the other hand, is just difficult and a bit full of herself. Maybe there's a chance for her to develop going forward if some other regular characters are introduced that allow her to be more human.
I was already a fan of the Emma Griffin books and this is a spin off of those books. Ava is another great character! She's incredibly smart and quick like Emma and she's quickly becoming a fantastic agent. While she has her own issues going on, namely the disappearance of both her mother and close friend, she throws herself into solving a close case. I love that her attention to detail was the key. It is very well written. The characters are well described and Rivers is talented at dialog the flows naturally. It is well described and easy to visualize while reading. Most importantly it is a great story. An extra bonus for me though is that some of the characters make an appearance from the other series. I certainly hope to see many more Ava James books.
In the second edition of the Ava James FBI series, Ava finds herself in a small town following up on a five year old cold case. The cold case just happens to have taken place in the exact same house as a double murder several weeks ago. I enjoyed this book even more than the first because we get to see a little more into Ava's life including her missing mother and lost childhood friend mysteries that haunt her. As usual, AJ Rivers keeps you guessing until the very end when you finally found out who dunnit. If you are a fan of the Emma Griffin FBI mystery series you will love Ava James as well. I look forward to learning more about her in her next mystery. Cheers to AJ Rivers who always leaves me wanting more.
Love, love, love this new series by A.J. Rivers. I really love that the character is off on her own , but there are still references to the characters from “The Girl…” series where she was first introduced. Both series are so well written and leave you anxious for the next book! In this episode Ava is given a cold case to investigate and she is very meticulous in covering every detail. The author is so good at her descriptions that I could see in my mind everything that was happening. Ava and Emma are very different in personalities but both exceptionally good at their FBI jobs. Read both series in order to fully understand all the characters and events!
A.J. Rivers The author writes concisely with great descriptions and clarity. The story flows from the start to finish. In other words a well written story presented in a readable manner. I am getting a copy of "Ava James and the Ivy Grove" as I found the second book in the series and started there. I have found a new series to read and want to get to the beginning and will be search for number three soon I am sure.
Two sets of crimes, at the same address, five years apart, pique the curiosity of Ava as she is assigned to work the five-year-old cold case of the husband found with a single bullet wound in his head, his wife missing and never found.
A second young married couple is then slain, leaving a toddler an orphan.
Her gut says the two cases are related - but the suspect pool and motive are difficult to ascertain if, indeed, there is one.
James is growing in her expertise as an agent and this cold case stretches her further. Dead men, missing and dead women and no viable motive. A cold case and a new one, eerily similar. Can Ava get through the snow and ice and small town mistrust to find the truth? And what about her missing mother? Good solid detecting and stubbornness are the right tools in this one.
Ava James is sent to a small town in the Kentucky mountains her assignment is Cold Cases. Her frustrations abound trying to work with local law enforcement and the towns people. Plus her Mom is missing and the bureau is determined to keep Ava out of it. A story of determination, failure and the need to see more than meets the eye. This is another great series starting
The book has a really great plot to it, but there are several mistakes that make it a bit hard to follow at times. At one point, Ava is laying in bed talking to Dean, then she gets up to call one of her interviewees, but it says Ava is on her way BACK to the hotel. In another scene, she and Sal go to a house near a contractor's old office to find out about the business, and the conversation jumps straight into him being the owner, without any kind of introduction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A small rural murder mystery happens twice….5 years apart…only Agent Ava James feels that the coincidence is too great not to be taken seriously. Small town attitudes and snowy, icy conditions complicate investigations…Are you ready for the many twists and turns…? How many men loved the kidnapped woman…why 5 years later did they leave a child an orphan? Read on and don’t stop…it’s too twisted to resist…
As Ava was working on her new assignment and wondering about how she was doing as an FBI Agent she came across a case that drew her interest. She went to Kentucky on an assignment to solve the five year old case. The town was exactly over welcoming and the weather wasn't good. She solved the five year old case and a current case. The story was good and I couldn't put the book down.
Love the story continued, keeps the characters alive and in my vision. Rooting for Ava James is easy, she's smart, dedicated, and works her cases until they satisfy her. Well written, well defined storyline, and characters you come to love or hate. A breathless story and a surprisingly thoughtful book. Love AJ Rivers!
The main story, the cold case was really a massive puzzle that took a lot of time, patience and effort to solve. That part of the story was well worth the time BUT the constant weather reports and Ava's mind wanderings grew tiresome. Her character needs to rely a little less on her need for reassurance that things will turn out okay.
Awesome read, kept me intrigued and staying up late lol. I love a great mystery and A.J. Rivers definitely feeds my reading addiction. I'm looking forward to the continuation of Ava James story of her missing mother and especially hoping she finds her friend alive. Thanks for the awesome stories 😀
Ava's first solo case and it's a cold case. Ava's in a small town in Kentucky called Hidden Cove trying to find answers for several murders and a missing wife. Trying to pry answers from the not so friendly towns folk is not so easy. An interesting read and an invite to her next adventure! 🙂
Excellent , I think A.J. Rivers is up there with my favorite authors, Rita Herron, Ann Frasier, and Nora Roberts. I am so looking forward to the next Ava James adventure. It was difficult to put down and do other things. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. Thank you .
This book was not well written nor well edited. Too many plots involved with no explanations. Too much talk of food, family etc with seemingly no coherent meanings. I struggled to finish it thinking I might understand it all if it had been truly wrapped up. But no. Just a colossal waste of time.
Wow, this was a page-turner! Ava is like a dog with a bone, not letting go until she gets to the bottom of things to solve the case. I am loving her stories just like I love Emma’s. Keep them coming, I want to know what Ava’s mom is up to and that she will be ok.
I was looking forward to following the Ava James character, but have been disappointed. The character seems confused about who she is despite working with the FBI. Extremely weak at times and suddenly very strong. This books plot line seems to be drawn out and repetitive. Hopefully, the next book will be better. I love the author and look forward to reading her books.
This focuses on an agent we were introduced to in the latter books of the Emma Griffin series. No step has been lost. While there are similarities between the series, but I don’t get the feeling that only the name has changed. There are similarities, but it feels fresh.
For the most part, Rivers can tell a good story, but this felt dashed off without much effort. Many of the descriptions were repeated again and again, characters had the same names, many were one-dimensional...and this particular story was just dull and predicable. I know she's setting up an arc for Ava but it feels like more attention could've been paid.
FBI Agent Ava James has been assigned to the Cold Cases. She comes across one in a small Eastern Kentucky town from 5 years ago. Oddly enough, the same house in that case is the site of a recent murder which was eerily similar. Is there a link between the two, or are coincidences real?
AJ rivers you did it again with this one!!! At first I really didn’t think I’d like Ava as I do Emma but gosh she’s definitely getting there on my list of fave characters!
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I’m 100% hooked on this author’s books and I just stay up late and binge read. Who needs sleep right?
This was a good story, but it seemed to take a long time to develop. Seemed very scattered at times and hard to read. Available seemed to take too much crap from the good Ole boys. That was annoying, and I am not sure how it added to the flavor of the book. I liked the tie-ins with characters from the other series.
Another good mystery and continuing back story about Ava’s missing mother. The only complaint I have is how Ava feels the need to shelter her father about her missing mother. He’s an adult not some fragile old man and it’s not as if Ava is a seasoned FBI agent either. Just a small detail that left me rolling my eyes.
Loved this book. As great as the last one. It is filled with twist and turns which keep you in suspense. I could not put this book down. Can't wait for the next book to come out. I highly recommend this book
I absolutely love theses Ava James books!! Ava is like a bulldog when she is on a chase!! This book, has she searching for the man, who killed people that Ava Jsmes loved! An EPIC ending!!
This intense and suspenseful story was one of my new favorites. I was pretty sure I had it (mostly) figured out about halfway through, but there were still a few twists to keep my interest until the end.