Tell No Lies: A Novel

I loved Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan, the second book in her Quinn and Costa series. Tell No Lies kept me on the edge of my seat and up many late nights reading. Allison Brennan as once again proven that she is a wonderful storyteller who always delivers truly page turning thrillers. I loved every page and could not put it down. Tell No Lies is filled with all those things that we have come to love and expect in a Allison Brennan thriller. Especially the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner, and the many surprise plot-twists. Tell No Lies is the story of the newly created D.C. based FBI mobile response team, under the leadership of Mathias "Matt" Costa, and team members: L.A. detective Kara Quinn, white-collar crimes expert Zack Heller, team analyst Ryder Kim, veteran Navy SEAL Michael Harris, and forensics expert Jim Esteban. The team is in Patagonia, Arizona trying to solve the murder case of Emma Perez. The investigation starts with the premise of illegal dumping of slag by Southwest Copper. Kara is working undercover as a bartender at The Wrangler, the local bar and Michael is working his first undercover case inside Southwest Copper. Matt is working with Joe Molina, the son of the owner of Southwest Copper, John Molina. The case takes some surprise twists and turns, and it ends up being so much more that illegal dumping. I love how the team is able to gather the information and connect all the pieces of the case together to find the killer and what is really going on in Patagonia. I love that there is a hint of a relationship between Matt and Kara. Cannot wait to see what happens between them in the coming books. Like all of Allison Brennan's, Tell No Lies is filled with incredible characters, thrilling plot twists and unexpected turns of events. I really love everything about this series and cannot wait for the upcoming books in the series. Allison Brennan continues to amaze me with her writing and to deliver incredible thrillers. Highly recommend this thriller.

Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan Quinn & Costa #2 Detective Kara Quinn is on leave from her job with LAPD working with FBI Agent Matt Costa and his mobile unit. She is a “cop” through and through but is unsafe in Los Angeles. Matt & Kara worked together in book one of the series, had a romantic interlude, and now are working to find the murderer of a college student who was killed while searching with her boyfriend for a toxic waste dump impacting the dessert environment. With team in place the story begins just after Billy rushes Emma finds Emma and tries to save her. Will the team be able to find the murderer? Is toxic dumping taking place and if so, by whom? Will the romance between Matt and Kara continue? And, what else will be unearthed as the story unfolds? What I liked: * Kara: intelligent, quick thinking, loves her job, a chameleon, does what it takes, uses her childhood con artist skills in her current undercover jobs, interesting, fierce, capable…someone I am becoming more and more invested in. * Matt: intelligent, a bit of a workaholic, work has impacted his relationships in the past, cares about his team, an enigmaMichael, interested in learning more about him. * The relationship development between Kara and Matt – not much at first in this book but see a great deal of potential as the series progresses. * The complexity of the case: started simply and became more involved as the story progressed. * The FBI team members: Michael, Ryder, Zack – the bits and pieces about each one that were shared in this story made me wonder about them and want to know more. It will be fun to see how these characters (and others) grow as the series continues. * The many threads, that at times seemed too many, all being pulled together by the end of the story. Better than a simple plot executed quickly. * Billy: I felt for him and hoped that in the future he would heal and be able to move on. I also wondered if he might end up joining the FBI when he finishes school. * Frank: Emma’s boss, a good man, haunted, focused, provided a safe haven to more than one in the end. * The dark, gritty, harsh, realness that immersed in the story. * The twists and turns. * That there was a resolution to the case even if some were not 100% satisfied with the results What I didn’t like: * Knowing that such things happen all too often * Having to wait for book three ;) Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

This was a complex, multi-faceted, and intriguing tale with haunting issues and a well-crafted writing style that packed a visceral punch without being gruesome. The gripping storylines were unpredictable and needled and poked at my curiosity throughout. The characters were as interesting and complicated as the case they were working and the clever author textured them well with authentic flaws and quirks. I can’t wait to dive into the next in the series as I’m well primed for more of the same of this wily wordsmith’s work.