I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.There are some authors whose books you just have to read whenever they have a new release, no matter how much your TBR is over flowing. Carolyn Arnold is one such author for me. So, you can imagine my level of enthusiasm when I received a copy for review purposes. 💃💃💃💃

Little Grave, the first book in The Detective Amanda Steele series, proved to be an interesting read with a shocking😲😲😲 conclusion.

The story follows detective Amanda Steele, who lost her husband and her six-year-old daughter and her unborn child in a motor vehicle accident at the hands of a drunk driver. Since then, her life was one roller coaster of one-night stands, drinking and pill popping. How she held it together and keep her job with the Prince William County Police Department was a mystery within itself.

She received a call informing her of the discovery of the dead body of the man responsible for her family’s death. Despite her personal connection to the victim, her sergeant allowed her to be a part of the investigation on the condition she worked with a partner who would be the lead investigator on paper.

I had a great time with this book, which came as no surprise. A well-paced storyline with a narrative steeped in pain and sorrow. Arnold’s ability to engage her readers by keeping them turning the pages while attempting to guess the outcome of the investigation was evident within her latest release.

The more Amanda dug, the bigger the can of worms she unearthed and the more danger she faced. The biggest shocker of all for everyone, including the reader, involved the revelation of the murderer’s identity. Never once did I see this person as being the guilty party.

Amanda, a severely damaged heroine, was on a road to destruction. This case may just be her saving grace despite the conflict of interest. Although I sympathised with her circumstances, I abhorred her behaviour and the way she treated her new partner. She did redeem herself as the story progressed.

Overall, a solid start to the series. If you enjoy police procedural and you are looking for a new series to sink your teeth in, I recommend you picking up a copy of a Little Grave.
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading