Fatal Perception

Oakwood Springs PD #2

by Rebecca Hemlock

Is she helping a killer escape justice?

Meg Holmes writes for the Oakwood Springs newspaper and simply states the facts, no matter who it affects or how it affects them. She just does her job and feels like she does it well. But when her latest article ruins the reputation of the son of a city councilman, things quickly spiral out of her control. She refused their bribe, but would they really stoop to destroying the career she worked so hard for? She isn’t certain of anything after following a dark figure through the woods, causing her to stumble upon her uncle’s body. The figure turns out to be Kyle Redman, the sheriff’s younger brother.

Kyle Redman came to Oakwood Springs for a case, nothing more. He hopes to be in and out before running into his goody two shoes brother. But circumstances force him to face the sibling who made him feel like he’d never be good enough. Now he’s the prime suspect in a murder investigation and must convince everyone that things aren’t always how you perceive them to be. Can he convince Meg, the most influential journalist in the county, that he’s innocent?

A Christian Romantic Suspense with an interesting modern twist on the story of The Prodigal Son.

62 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie - Books Less Travelled · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting if quick read. The story is only 60 pages long, so due to that did end up feeling a little rushed, and I would have loved to have more details about the characters, their past, and more time for their relationship to really develop and grow. Still, for as short as it was I still found it to be an interesting read, and it did provide an amusing mystery. Rather short, without any real clues and it was over a little too smoothly for my liking, but again impressive that both a decent romance and a fairly interesting mystery could both be accomplished in such a short read.

I know this is the second in the series, but I ended up reading it on it's own first, and maybe that's why I felt the way I did? I'm not sure if reading these in order would have helped much here, but it's possible. I did enjoy meeting the characters though, and hope to read more of this series soon.

If you enjoyed this story, try: Sherri Kukla's Dry Brook series starting with .

The story reminded me quite a bit of Kukla's Dry Brook series, especially Shane and Ronika's story (book 3) but as her books are also fairly quick reads, I recommend starting at the beginning and reading her books in order to get the most enjoyment out of the series.

[Tina Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Holmes is probably better known as the Investigative Journalist within Oakwood Springs. Digging up dirt and crime within her town limits seems to be a passion she can’t extinguish. Realistically, her investigative reporting seems to have its drawbacks too. Meg’s investigations rile the town’s elite, even when it does bring knowledge and understanding to others.
It is discovered that the perception Megan delivers in her stories are the catalyst to the murderous crime wave within the town limits. As terror tactics run amok, and the possible prime suspect noted as being the police chief’s brother, the near abduction of Meg’s mother provides a variety of clues toward nabbing the real suspect. As the curtain comes down on the final act of this story, its conclusion brings a moment of curious surprise and a possibility of many brighter tomorrows. In review, I give the author a solid rating of four stars, because I truly enjoyed this quick mystery with a dash of romance!

[Gretchen Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Once back outside, the figure stopped for a few seconds, then started moving again. If she hurried, she could see who was out there before they disappeared. She had to know who it was. Friendly or not, they would know better than to trespass here again when the park was closed."

Megan feels called to expose the truth in her newspaper articles. But when she finds herself in danger after a loved one is found dead, she wonders how to survive. Thankfully a PI is willing to help her find answers.

I would have really enjoyed this book if it was longer. The rather short novella format made it easier to solve the crime, and it pushed the romance to go too quickly. This was a good book. But I enjoyed the first Oakwood Springs more. The books are loosely connected.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little raw

First off, I feel like this could have been a great book! The characters were there, good plot, decent writing style. I’m always looking for some really good, clean suspense. Unfortunately this book was pretty raw. The characters weren’t fleshed out very well, little character arch meant they fell flat. Lots of scenes seemed rushed and/or didn’t make sense with what came just a paragraph or two before. The voice change between the male and female characters was confusing at times. And there were several spelling and grammatical errors that should have been caught by the editor before publication. Felt hastily put together,and could benefit from some good beta reading questions.

[Dali Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Read

This is a short, quick read loaded with suspense, a great faith message, and romance.

Book Quote:
But that was how God worked, wasn't it? He brings you exactly what you need when you least expect it. Even things you didn't know you needed.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and exciting story. Liked this one.