Close Her Eyes, book number 17 in the Detective Josie Quinn series delivered a well written and riveting police procedural. I am fairly new to the series, with this being the second book that I have read. Each book works well as a standalone, as they feature different cases. Regan also provides the relevant information to enlighten new readers and refresh the minds of fans of the series. For readers new to the series, this information will leave you wanting to pick up the other books in the series.
The young woman lay among the rocks next to the creek like a broken doll, strands of her long dark hair covering her face. Her body was the kind of cold that only the dead can be… 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. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Close Her Eyes
Author(s): Lisa Regan
Series: Detective Josie Quinn #17
Also in this series: The Innocent Wife , My Child is Missing , Face Her Fear, Her Dying Secret , Remember Her Name
Published by Bookouture on May 3, 2023
Pages: 389
Genre(s): Crime Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Source: Publisher
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: 
Series Rating:
A body lies beside Kettlewell Creek, the waters rushing and churning next to her broken form. When Detective Josie Quinn arrives at the scene, she finds few clues and a victim with no enemies. Nineteen-year-old Sharon Eddy was cherished by her beloved grandmother, who raised her, and her death shocks the Denton community where she worked at the local animal hospital.
When Josie is called to the morgue to hear the results of Sharon’s autopsy, the case takes a sinister turn. She is horrified to see that a mark has been burned on to Sharon’s left hip with a cattle brand: a horseshoe shot through with an arrow. Shaken and terrified, the usually cool and collected Medical Examiner Anya Feist lifts her own top to show Josie an identical mark. Ten years ago, Anya fled her hometown after her marriage to her high school sweetheart ended in terror.
But Josie can find nothing to connect Anya’s ex-husband Vance Hadlee to the murder. Her search of his family farm leads to more questions than answers.
Then another body is found. A young woman in a red coat, lying in her final resting place, her hip bearing the same tell-tale horseshoe mark. As Josie gets closer to finding the truth, the killer creeps ever closer to home, threatening the lives of those Josie loves the most. Can she put together the pieces of this terrifying puzzle before it’s too late?
A completely unputdownable crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Gripping, page-turning and guaranteed to keep you up all night, it’s perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.
The case featured in this installment centres around the murder of nineteen-year-old Sharon Eddy. At first it appeared the victim had fallen to her death, but after careful examination of the body revealed a case of murder. The findings of the examination also opened up old wounds for Anya, the medical examiner. It forced her to relive painful memories from her past. As Josie digs to learn if the person in Anya’s past is responsible for the death of Sharon, she discovers a connection to another murder in another county which occurred ten years ago. It so happened this was the same mystery Josie’s twin sister, Trinity, sought information for a feature on her television program.
Close Her Eyes pulled me in from the first page and refused to let me loose until the end. There were many guilty parties and the introduction of more victims made it interesting trying to unravel the connection between all parties. Although figuring out who the guilty party wasn’t difficult, the case had many moving parts, making it a complex one. Josie and her team had their work cut out for them.
Regan does an excellent job of giving Josie’s backstory. So despite not being with the series from the start, it allowed me to connect with her. Knowing what she has been through in the past made her real and not just a fictional character. The story hidden between the pages of Close Her Eyes will both thrill you and gut you as it unfolds. Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride as the past and present collides. The outcome, while bringing closure, the path to get there, was laden with tragedy.
I am enjoying this series, and I am glad I discovered the author. Fans of police procedurals, crime fiction and relatable characters should add this series to their reading list.
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About Lisa Regan
Lisa Regan is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series. Lisa is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S. with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I love this series! But I’m a little behind in it; I just finished the twelfth one, so it might take me a few months to get all caught up. But I think Josie is such a great character. 😀
I have some of these and really want to read this series. I’m really happy to see it holding up many books into the series.
This sounds great Nadene. I want to read all the crime/mystery series.
I love the sound of this book and the series in general. I definitely need to check them out.
Lovely review!
Great review Nadene that cover gives me the willies LOL
I’m glad you’re enjoying this series
That sound good. I like the premise a lot.