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A Lily Dawn FBI Suspense Thriller #3
Still Awake
FBI BAU Special Agent Lily Dawn, half Dutch, half Hispanic, raised in the Caribbean, knows the isles like the back of her hand. When a surge in serial killers in the region prods the FBI to assemble a task force, Lily is the natural choice. But Lily is reluctant to face the demons of her past, including her missing sister, and when victims of a new serial killer appear at high end resorts on the Caribbean coast, it is up to Lily to uncover the truth. Who is this killer targeting? And why?
“The plot has many twists and turns, but it is the ending, which I did not see coming at all, that totally defines this book as one of the most riveting that I have read in years.”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
STILL AWAKE is book #3 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller Ava Strong, whose bestseller NOT LIKE US (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star ratings and reviews.
A complex psychological crime thriller full of twists and turns and packed with heart-pounding suspense, the LILY DAWN mystery series will make you fall in love with a brilliant new female protagonist and keep you turning pages late into the night.
Books #4 and #5 in the series—STILL HERE and STILL MAD—are now also available.
“This is a chilling, suspenseful page turner that just might leave you scared at night!”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Very intriguing, kept me turning page after page… Lots of twists and turns and a very unexpected ending. Cannot wait for the next in this series!”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A roller coaster ride of events… Can’t put down until you finish it!”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Excellent read with very realistic characters that you become emotionally invested in… Couldn't put it down!”
—Reader review for The Death Code
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An excellent read, lots of twists and turns, with a surprising ending, leaving you wanting to read the next book in the series! Well done!”
—Reader review for The Death Code
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Well worth the read. Cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!”
—Reader review for The Death Code
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Quickly became a story I couldn’t put down! I highly recommend this book!”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I really enjoyed the fast-paced action, plot design and characterization... I didn't want to put the book down and the ending was a total surprise.”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The characters are extremely well developed… There are twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing. An extremely well written story.”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“One of the best books I have ever read… The ending was perfect and surprising. Ava Strong is an amazing writer.”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Holy cow, what a rollercoaster… Many times I absolutely KNEW who the killer was—only to be proven wrong
“The plot has many twists and turns, but it is the ending, which I did not see coming at all, that totally defines this book as one of the most riveting that I have read in years.”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
STILL AWAKE is book #3 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller Ava Strong, whose bestseller NOT LIKE US (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star ratings and reviews.
A complex psychological crime thriller full of twists and turns and packed with heart-pounding suspense, the LILY DAWN mystery series will make you fall in love with a brilliant new female protagonist and keep you turning pages late into the night.
Books #4 and #5 in the series—STILL HERE and STILL MAD—are now also available.
“This is a chilling, suspenseful page turner that just might leave you scared at night!”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Very intriguing, kept me turning page after page… Lots of twists and turns and a very unexpected ending. Cannot wait for the next in this series!”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A roller coaster ride of events… Can’t put down until you finish it!”
—Reader review for Not Like Us
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Excellent read with very realistic characters that you become emotionally invested in… Couldn't put it down!”
—Reader review for The Death Code
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An excellent read, lots of twists and turns, with a surprising ending, leaving you wanting to read the next book in the series! Well done!”
—Reader review for The Death Code
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Well worth the read. Cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!”
—Reader review for The Death Code
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Quickly became a story I couldn’t put down! I highly recommend this book!”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I really enjoyed the fast-paced action, plot design and characterization... I didn't want to put the book down and the ending was a total surprise.”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The characters are extremely well developed… There are twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing. An extremely well written story.”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“One of the best books I have ever read… The ending was perfect and surprising. Ava Strong is an amazing writer.”
—Reader review for His Other Wife
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Holy cow, what a rollercoaster… Many times I absolutely KNEW who the killer was—only to be proven wrong
- GenresThriller
175 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2023
25 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Ava Strong
149 books224 followersAva Strong is author of the REMI LAURENT mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the ILSE BECK mystery series, comprising seven books (and counting); of the STELLA FALL psychological suspense thriller series, comprising six books (and counting); of the DAKOTA STEELE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising six books (and counting); of the LILY DAWN suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the MEGAN YORK suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting).
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Ava loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit her website.
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Ava loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit her website.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 25, 2023
Terribly corny and predictable writing. Only the main character Lily can do anything right… everyone else is written to be clueless, helpless, and incompetent. The personal story line is drug out wayyy to long
February 29, 2024
I think Ava Strong does a good job writing a fast paced attention grabbing story. I also live for a slow burn romance and I am definitely picking up those vibes. Is it the absolute best story i’ve ever read? no. But it’s a quick read, with an interesting detective storyline and subtle romance. I think it’s the perfect choice if you need a fun easy read, some of the reviews are a bit too harsh in my opinion.
July 5, 2023
I Think I'm Through.
I may rescind my statement later, but at this point, I don't believe I'll bother to follow this series anymore. The reason I'm not 100% sure is that the author writes pretty good stories with really bizarre antagonists. On that subject, this book was dead on, so to speak...
The antagonist for this storyline is a total creep, a dirtbag, and seriously out of his mind. But he creates death scenes like no one else. As Lily and her FBI partner struggle to find their elusive target, though, the same old problems are back in play. Every person of interest becomes "the one." "It's got to be him!" is their natural response to everyone they discover that has any link to any witness anywhere. At all. Then they go chasing "the one" only to find out that it really wasn't that person. *sigh* It's like the boy crying wolf, and by the time they actually hit on the real "one" I pretty much don't care anymore.
The dialogue, which has always been a little bit of a problem for me, was just too elementary in this particular book. It's like Captain Obvious wrote this one, delighting in repeating the same information to the point that it's laughable. One character might say the sky is blue. The next character may go into a long-winded soliloquy, then announce that the sky is blue! As if it's a brand-new concept. There is way too much repetition of dialogue, especially between the two agents, and even Lily's inner monologues are fat with repetition. It makes me wonder if the author assumes her readers are not capable of getting the point the first time around.
As if this weren't enough to make me throw in the towel Lily's partner, Jackson, seems to be going off the rails. He's always been known as a hothead, although he generally keeps it in check when dealing with witnesses or criminals. But in this storyline, he just kept erupting and doing inappropriate things. I thought there would be a point to his quick temper, but one never came out or was even hinted at during the novel. Likewise, Lily's former partner/mentor reappears in this episode, as if setting up another storyline for later. He may be, but it created rather awkward pacing.
All combined, it was just a bit too much for me. I hate writing bad reviews, and I hate quitting a series without completing it. But if I'm not going to be honest, there is no point in writing a review. So, this book is just okay at best, in my opinion. My issues may not bother you at all. If you've been enjoying the series with its quirks, congrats, and keep reading.
I may rescind my statement later, but at this point, I don't believe I'll bother to follow this series anymore. The reason I'm not 100% sure is that the author writes pretty good stories with really bizarre antagonists. On that subject, this book was dead on, so to speak...
The antagonist for this storyline is a total creep, a dirtbag, and seriously out of his mind. But he creates death scenes like no one else. As Lily and her FBI partner struggle to find their elusive target, though, the same old problems are back in play. Every person of interest becomes "the one." "It's got to be him!" is their natural response to everyone they discover that has any link to any witness anywhere. At all. Then they go chasing "the one" only to find out that it really wasn't that person. *sigh* It's like the boy crying wolf, and by the time they actually hit on the real "one" I pretty much don't care anymore.
The dialogue, which has always been a little bit of a problem for me, was just too elementary in this particular book. It's like Captain Obvious wrote this one, delighting in repeating the same information to the point that it's laughable. One character might say the sky is blue. The next character may go into a long-winded soliloquy, then announce that the sky is blue! As if it's a brand-new concept. There is way too much repetition of dialogue, especially between the two agents, and even Lily's inner monologues are fat with repetition. It makes me wonder if the author assumes her readers are not capable of getting the point the first time around.
As if this weren't enough to make me throw in the towel Lily's partner, Jackson, seems to be going off the rails. He's always been known as a hothead, although he generally keeps it in check when dealing with witnesses or criminals. But in this storyline, he just kept erupting and doing inappropriate things. I thought there would be a point to his quick temper, but one never came out or was even hinted at during the novel. Likewise, Lily's former partner/mentor reappears in this episode, as if setting up another storyline for later. He may be, but it created rather awkward pacing.
All combined, it was just a bit too much for me. I hate writing bad reviews, and I hate quitting a series without completing it. But if I'm not going to be honest, there is no point in writing a review. So, this book is just okay at best, in my opinion. My issues may not bother you at all. If you've been enjoying the series with its quirks, congrats, and keep reading.
September 20, 2023
Uses profanity. I realized this writing feels elementary. I actually looked to see if it was a YA book. This series is more a light read. There is some repetitiveness. At times, Lilly just knows she is on to something, only to find out she wasn’t - I forget how it’s worded exactly. Several times Lilly feels such pride in herself knowing she does a good job. Her partner calls her an endearment and Lilly realizes it doesn’t anger her anymore for the first time. This same sentiment was in the last book. Anyway, good series to read/listen to if you can let go of the lack of depth. That and what at times feels like an attempt to use stereotypical statements to fill the book. 2.0 audio.
I’ll finish this series if I need something that doesn’t completely engross me.
I’ll finish this series if I need something that doesn’t completely engross me.
February 28, 2023
Conflicted between staying with her family and going back to Miami to work on a new case, Lily goes on the hunt for a serial killer who kills and poses his victims. Her relationship with Jackson has improved and she realizes she likes him a lot and finds it easy now to work with. The story has a lot of twists and turns and a satisfactory ending.
I thank the author for the ARC.
I thank the author for the ARC.
February 15, 2023
I really enjoyed it. Ava Strong's books always keep my interest and suspense. I'm really looking forward to the next book , Still Alive. I wonder if it's possible that Kara is still Alive.
May 30, 2023
I really enjoy this series but which the sun plot with the sister would be resolved or dropped personally. I like her dynamic w her partner and the mysteries.
December 10, 2025
carino
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews