UNTIL SHE DIES by Kendra Elliott

 4* Good, but best to re-read book 2 so as not to be lost here. 

I'm glad that the romance that was a non-starter for me in both books 1 and 2 takes a back seat in this book that starts with a walk in a forest, only for Nicole, Rowan and Thor the dog to discover a serial killer's lair. And connections to Emma, Nicole's adopted daughter. 

It becomes a battle against an adversary that seemingly has the upper hand, until a spectre from Emma's past is revealed. Not a scary spectre, but one that was self-serving for the most, until it decided to do the right thing, and paid the price.

The red herrings and investigation are solid. There's a glimpse of Mercy and Truman, but the book sticks to the policing aspects. The romance still doesn't work for me. Nicole and Bloke kind of feel dead from the waist down in those stakes. But they're better working together, thankfully. 

Emma is the heroine of this tale, and boy does that woman deserve a break. It was bad enough what happened to her in the last book but this one's ending was shocking in its brutality. She'll recover, she'll be stronger for having endured and not been broken, and for getting answers. I think she'll be the heroine of a future series. 

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Montlake for my reading pleasure.

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