I bought this ebook, and the audible version, for a few dollars back in October of 2014. I really didn’t know what it was about – I still haven’t read the blurb! – but I saw friends of mine putting it on their lists and giving it pretty high ratings so I figured for the price, I’d go ahead and grab it. I’d eventually get to it. It sat on my TBR list until a few days ago when a friend mentioned she was going to read it and I decided to join her.

In a nutshell, this is the first in a series featuring the protagonist, Tracy Crosswhite. She’s not the only one in the book with a POV but she’s the main character. She’s a homicide detective in Seattle who’s sister disappeared twenty years earlier. She always felt that the man convicted of her sister’s murder had been framed and the focus of her life seemed to be proving it. The discovery of her sister’s remains takes Tracy back to her hometown and forces her to deal with people and feelings she thought she wouldn’t ever have to face again.

After that, lots of stuff happens that you’ll have to read about if you decide to pick up the book. By the way, it’s still dirt cheap or free if you have Kindle Unlimited.

Before I get to the things that I liked, there were a few things I didn’t care for. The author uses some of the same words and phrases to describe things. For example, it got a tad annoying to have each person blowing on and flexing their freezing fingers and how their bodies were numb or going to shut down. Or talking about the sashes of doors and windows. There are plenty of other examples but it got to the point where I would roll my eyes and just move on. There were also several places toward the very end that felt overly cheesy and melodramatic with the intent of emotionally manipulating the reader but didn’t actually make me feel anything.

There are also loads and loads of flashbacks. Most of them didn’t disrupt the flow and I felt that they added to the story the way they were done. But if you’re someone who absolutely hates flashbacks, you may want to download the sample to see how it goes for you.

I recommend reading this one with your eyes instead of the audio. I listened to a good chunk of the first half and had a tough time knowing when I hit a transition to the past since there were no announcements and I needed cues from the narration to place me in the right time. The narrator also made all the characters who Tracy views as antagonistic sound like total douchebags. Definitely one for the eyes.

The good parts far outweighed any of my negative feelings about the stuff above. The mystery was well done, I thought. I made my pick for the bad guy fairly early but quickly dismissed that one. After that, I just didn’t know and I was very satisfied with the way it played out. I thought the action bits were exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was certainly engaged throughout and had a tough time putting the book down.

All in all, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It was by no means perfect but it kept my attention and had me yelling out in surprise or shock several times. Once I got to about 60%, it was nearly impossible to stop. Not to say that the first half wasn’t good, it just wasn’t as quick-paced. Once things get moving, they don’t stop.

I absolutely think it’s worth a read and I’m looking forward to starting the next in the series soon.

You can download a sample or purchase My Sister’s Grave by clicking here.