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Badge of Courage #2
The Body in the Wall
This place had been her homeNow it was a crime sceneThe sooner Special Agent Macy Stark can sell her childhood home, the sooner she can escape her small town and shameful past—until she discovers a body in the wall and her childhood nightmares return. Handsome local Sheriff Stone Lawson joins the cold case to help Macy locate her missing mother and uncover a dark web of secrets about both her parents. But someone’s willing to kill to keep the past hidden…for good.For fans of thrillers cold case hidden past missing personFrom Harlequin Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.Discover more action-packed stories in the A Badge of Courage Novel series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following Book 1: The Secret She KeptBook 2: The Body in the Wall
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2022
49 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Rita Herron
321 books942 followersUSA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on www.Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter.com/ritaherron.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on www.Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter.com/ritaherron.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 5, 2022
I picked this book up because of the title. I mean, who can resist "the body in the wall"?? Unfortunately, the story itself did not live up to the promise of the title.
Premise: Special Agent Macy Stark has returned to her small hometown of Briar Ridge, NC to clear out and sell her mother's home. She hasn't been back since she graduated from high school, and she's not really here on a pleasure trip (though apparently this is book 2 in a series and she played a prominent role in book 1). Her mother is mentally ill and abused Macy for most of her childhood, but now mom is in a psychiatric facility and its time to get rid of the old homestead, which is practically falling down.
While cleaning out the building, Macy ventures down into the basement for the first time ever (seriously) and discovers a skeleton in the wall. She calls in local sheriff Stone Lawson for assistance. They were classmates in high school but never really associated, and now they're thrown headfirst into a cold case murder investigation.
I am a fan of crime/noir, mystery novels, and cold case documentaries, and I'm fairly sure my familiarity with the genre is what made it impossible for me to enjoy this book. I just could not suspend my disbelief this far. First of all, Macy Stark wouldn't have passed the psychological evaluation to get into the police academy, much less rising through the ranks of the FBI in record time (she's mid-30s). She has so much repressed trauma that it practically radiates from her.
Second of all, she would NOT be allowed to investigate a body found in her childhood home (conflict of interest, much??). The author goes to some trouble to demonstrate her familiarity with HIPAA when Stone & Macy try to visit her mother in the psychiatric home, which only jarred me further. And talk of Macy arresting her ex-husband in the previous book? Also would not happen, JFC.
Stone is super impressed with Macy. She's supposedly smart and tough because she's an FBI agent, but she certainly did not demonstrate these qualities over the course of this book. She continually does stupid things and places herself in danger in service of the plot, and as I mentioned before, this woman is basically a walking time bomb, having not dealt with the severe abuse she suffered as a child and in her marriage.
Stone lets Macy take the lead in the investigation, though he insists on accompanying her because he feels super-protective of her, even though he barely knows her. I'm assuming there was some interaction in Book 1 of this series to prompt these feelings?
The suspense plot itself is ridiculously obvious, starting with the cast of characters list at the beginning of the book. Who even does that anymore?! Especially when there's only 5?! Talk about giving the game away from the start. It becomes really obvious who had the man in the wall killed, and why, about 2/3 of the way through the book. Watching Macy do stupid things because she can't cotton onto it for another 30 pages or so was supremely irritating. There were absolutely no variations on the theme: if you are a mystery fan, this is beyond well-tread territory.
There's a subplot with Stone being upset about his alcoholic younger brother, Mickey, which wraps up at warp speed at the end. Unless Mickey resurfaces as a main character in a later book in the series, this little side story served absolutely no purpose.
The romance is literally tacked on the end of chapter 21 (of 24), as if the author realized, oh, hey, I'm supposed to get my MCs together. They've had a few thoughts about each other, but now after a thunderstorm and a resurfaced memory, they are jumping into bed together to fulfill this requirement.
This was my first taste of the Harlequin Intrigue line, and it was a massively disappointing one. I've already added this to my PBS shelf. I have a couple of other novels that I've bought based on their blurb and sample, so hopefully those will be a bit more palatable than this one.
Premise: Special Agent Macy Stark has returned to her small hometown of Briar Ridge, NC to clear out and sell her mother's home. She hasn't been back since she graduated from high school, and she's not really here on a pleasure trip (though apparently this is book 2 in a series and she played a prominent role in book 1). Her mother is mentally ill and abused Macy for most of her childhood, but now mom is in a psychiatric facility and its time to get rid of the old homestead, which is practically falling down.
While cleaning out the building, Macy ventures down into the basement for the first time ever (seriously) and discovers a skeleton in the wall. She calls in local sheriff Stone Lawson for assistance. They were classmates in high school but never really associated, and now they're thrown headfirst into a cold case murder investigation.
I am a fan of crime/noir, mystery novels, and cold case documentaries, and I'm fairly sure my familiarity with the genre is what made it impossible for me to enjoy this book. I just could not suspend my disbelief this far. First of all, Macy Stark wouldn't have passed the psychological evaluation to get into the police academy, much less rising through the ranks of the FBI in record time (she's mid-30s). She has so much repressed trauma that it practically radiates from her.
Second of all, she would NOT be allowed to investigate a body found in her childhood home (conflict of interest, much??). The author goes to some trouble to demonstrate her familiarity with HIPAA when Stone & Macy try to visit her mother in the psychiatric home, which only jarred me further. And talk of Macy arresting her ex-husband in the previous book? Also would not happen, JFC.
Stone is super impressed with Macy. She's supposedly smart and tough because she's an FBI agent, but she certainly did not demonstrate these qualities over the course of this book. She continually does stupid things and places herself in danger in service of the plot, and as I mentioned before, this woman is basically a walking time bomb, having not dealt with the severe abuse she suffered as a child and in her marriage.
Stone lets Macy take the lead in the investigation, though he insists on accompanying her because he feels super-protective of her, even though he barely knows her. I'm assuming there was some interaction in Book 1 of this series to prompt these feelings?
The suspense plot itself is ridiculously obvious, starting with the cast of characters list at the beginning of the book. Who even does that anymore?! Especially when there's only 5?! Talk about giving the game away from the start. It becomes really obvious who had the man in the wall killed, and why, about 2/3 of the way through the book. Watching Macy do stupid things because she can't cotton onto it for another 30 pages or so was supremely irritating. There were absolutely no variations on the theme: if you are a mystery fan, this is beyond well-tread territory.
There's a subplot with Stone being upset about his alcoholic younger brother, Mickey, which wraps up at warp speed at the end. Unless Mickey resurfaces as a main character in a later book in the series, this little side story served absolutely no purpose.
The romance is literally tacked on the end of chapter 21 (of 24), as if the author realized, oh, hey, I'm supposed to get my MCs together. They've had a few thoughts about each other, but now after a thunderstorm and a resurfaced memory, they are jumping into bed together to fulfill this requirement.
This was my first taste of the Harlequin Intrigue line, and it was a massively disappointing one. I've already added this to my PBS shelf. I have a couple of other novels that I've bought based on their blurb and sample, so hopefully those will be a bit more palatable than this one.
January 1, 2023
Macy Stark's Mother has always been troubled....But is she also a murderer??? Macy Stark left her hometown to further her education and joined the F.B.I. after a school shooting left the town in tragedy...Now 10 years have passed and Macy is back to sell her Mother's house if possible but, what she finds there in her once family home makes the house a crime scene and sends Macy on a hunt to find answers to long time questions...."Never go in the basement Macy NEVER" she remembers hearing since she was a child but cleaning out the old house means clearing the basement too and in the basement Macy finds in the rotting wall a human skeleton....How did it get there?? Who is it?? Who killed the person?? and is her troubled Mother a murderer???
September 7, 2022
Good book with intense suspense. Macy returned to her hometown for a school reunion and to dispose of her childhood home, hoping to put her past behind her once and for all. The book opens as Macy enters her home for the first time in years, determined to clear it out. Her mom clearly let the place go before entering a psychiatric facility for her mental issues. Macy tears through the house like a whirlwind, bagging things for disposal while fighting off the memories of her painful childhood. I ached for Macy as she remembered Lynn's volatility and abusiveness.
When Macy was a child, she was forbidden to go into the basement, but now it is one more place to clear out. I could feel her trepidation as she unlocked the door and went down the steps. The author's description was so vivid that I could almost smell the mildew and mustiness. And despite the book title, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Macy saw that bony hand sticking out of the wall. She quickly realizes that her departure will be delayed with the house now a crime scene. Recalling her childhood nightmares, she is also concerned that her mother may be a murderer.
As sheriff, Stone is first on the scene when she calls him. He and Macy worked together to solve the mystery in the series' first book, and he respects her abilities as an agent. He is also drawn to her as a person. He is slightly concerned about how she'd handle an investigation that involves her mother. When they arrive at the facility to question Macy's mom, they discover that she has disappeared. Finding her and getting answers becomes a high priority.
I was intrigued by the twists and turns of their investigation into past events. From identifying the body to tracking Lynn's activities all those years ago, each new revelation only created more questions. The intensity ramped up when someone knocked Macy out and set fire to the house with Macy in it. Stone's timely arrival saved her life but left her wondering if her mother tried to kill her. As Macy and Stone delved deeper into Lynn's past, an unexpected connection sent them on a new path. The final confrontation had one last twist and a revelation that would alter Macy's relationship with her mother.
I liked seeing the development of Macy and Stone's relationship. The sparks were there early, but with Macy due to return to her FBI post and Stone staying in Briar Ridge, neither planned to pursue the attraction. I loved Stone's kindness and compassion as he learned more about Macy's childhood and the protectiveness he couldn't help feeling. Macy is so used to burying her memories and feelings of her childhood that she isn't sure how to handle her reactions to his care. When everything was over, Macy had to decide whether to return to her old life or take a chance that Stone cared about her as much as she did him. I liked the scene with the rocks at the end.
When Macy was a child, she was forbidden to go into the basement, but now it is one more place to clear out. I could feel her trepidation as she unlocked the door and went down the steps. The author's description was so vivid that I could almost smell the mildew and mustiness. And despite the book title, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Macy saw that bony hand sticking out of the wall. She quickly realizes that her departure will be delayed with the house now a crime scene. Recalling her childhood nightmares, she is also concerned that her mother may be a murderer.
As sheriff, Stone is first on the scene when she calls him. He and Macy worked together to solve the mystery in the series' first book, and he respects her abilities as an agent. He is also drawn to her as a person. He is slightly concerned about how she'd handle an investigation that involves her mother. When they arrive at the facility to question Macy's mom, they discover that she has disappeared. Finding her and getting answers becomes a high priority.
I was intrigued by the twists and turns of their investigation into past events. From identifying the body to tracking Lynn's activities all those years ago, each new revelation only created more questions. The intensity ramped up when someone knocked Macy out and set fire to the house with Macy in it. Stone's timely arrival saved her life but left her wondering if her mother tried to kill her. As Macy and Stone delved deeper into Lynn's past, an unexpected connection sent them on a new path. The final confrontation had one last twist and a revelation that would alter Macy's relationship with her mother.
I liked seeing the development of Macy and Stone's relationship. The sparks were there early, but with Macy due to return to her FBI post and Stone staying in Briar Ridge, neither planned to pursue the attraction. I loved Stone's kindness and compassion as he learned more about Macy's childhood and the protectiveness he couldn't help feeling. Macy is so used to burying her memories and feelings of her childhood that she isn't sure how to handle her reactions to his care. When everything was over, Macy had to decide whether to return to her old life or take a chance that Stone cared about her as much as she did him. I liked the scene with the rocks at the end.
March 10, 2023
This book was rather sad and traumatic. This book revolved around a woman named Macy Stark who is a Special Agent. Her childhood was rather sad because her mother was said to be mentally unstable but at the end that wasn’t true in certain ways.
Macy returns to Briar Ridge to clean out her childhood home in which she lived with her mother. In the basement along with mess she discovers a body in the wall. She calls local sheriff Stone Lawson to come to the house. He has issues of his own with his brother who is an alcoholic. You have to read the first book because the story of the town happens in book one. Macy and Stone go around trying to find her mother and to learn who the person is who died in Macy’s home. You learn about Macy’s mom and what her life was like and you learn secrets from the past. This book wasn’t spicy 🌶️. Macy and Stone don’t get together as a couple until the very end of the book. I think that the book ended too quickly in my opinion. It wrapped up too neatly in a bow for me.
Macy returns to Briar Ridge to clean out her childhood home in which she lived with her mother. In the basement along with mess she discovers a body in the wall. She calls local sheriff Stone Lawson to come to the house. He has issues of his own with his brother who is an alcoholic. You have to read the first book because the story of the town happens in book one. Macy and Stone go around trying to find her mother and to learn who the person is who died in Macy’s home. You learn about Macy’s mom and what her life was like and you learn secrets from the past. This book wasn’t spicy 🌶️. Macy and Stone don’t get together as a couple until the very end of the book. I think that the book ended too quickly in my opinion. It wrapped up too neatly in a bow for me.
May 3, 2022
Macy Stark goes home to put her childhood home up for sale and gets way more than she bargained for.
The squeaky steps sounded even more eerie now, her erratic breathing louder. She fought images of her mother in one of her out-of-control states unleashing her rage in such a violent manner.
Stone and Macy are trying to solve this cold case and someone will kill to keep there secrets.
Creepy and suspenseful with a touch of romance. Those pages were flying until the last page.
The squeaky steps sounded even more eerie now, her erratic breathing louder. She fought images of her mother in one of her out-of-control states unleashing her rage in such a violent manner.
Stone and Macy are trying to solve this cold case and someone will kill to keep there secrets.
Creepy and suspenseful with a touch of romance. Those pages were flying until the last page.
May 18, 2022
What a exciting new series The Bagde of Courage from Rita Herron. Book number #2 The Body In The Wall will have you glued to the book until the very end. And you will be surprised as to who the Killer is and why.
Read
April 1, 2022Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Badge of Courage Novel (Book #2)
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Badge of Courage Novel (Book #2)
Read
April 1, 2022Categories
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Badge of Courage Novel (Book #2)
Romantic Suspense, Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Badge of Courage Novel (Book #2)
January 2, 2023
Enjoyed the plot and ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2023
2.5 ^^
I feel like this was just labeled wrong and that was the whole problem I had with this book. This is not suspense or thriller. This is two ppl solving a crime step by step with a little romance.
I feel like this was just labeled wrong and that was the whole problem I had with this book. This is not suspense or thriller. This is two ppl solving a crime step by step with a little romance.
April 5, 2022
Intense book. Hits on hard emotional topics. Great story but heavy and dark themes.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews