The Day She Died by Shannon Hollinger is the fifth book in the Chief Maggie Riley series. A cold case and a current murder investigation raised many questions for Maggie. Despite the stress of her upcoming nuptials, Maggie sets out with determination to find answers and catch a killer.
Title: The Day She Died
Author(s): Shannon Hollinger
Series: Chief Maggie Riley #5
Also in this series: The Girl Who Lied, The Shadow Girl, Their Angel’s Cry , One Little Sigh
Published by Bookouture on April 14, 2025
Pages: 370
Genre(s): Crime Fiction
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Netgalley
Format: eBook
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating:
Series Rating:
Maggie’s heart pounds as she clutches the autopsy report. What she’s reading is impossible. Yesterday, a woman died in a fire. But her remains belong to someone who died twenty years ago.
When the body of Ruby Anderson is found in a burnt-out trailer, Chief Maggie Riley is called to solve the biggest case Coyote Cove has ever seen. Ruby supposedly drowned on a kayaking trip twenty years ago—how could she have been alive today?
For years there have been whispers about how Ruby died. There was one witness who swore they saw the river drag Ruby away. Ruby’s body was never found, and she was presumed dead.
But when the autopsy report is returned, Maggie makes a shocking discovery. It shows that Ruby never drowned at all. She’d been hiding in plain sight for the past twenty years. Who was she hiding from and why would they want her dead?
As Maggie unravels the web of lies around Ruby’s murder, she discovers that the witness to Ruby’s drowning is her closest colleague at the Coyote Cove Police Department. And they’re protecting a dark secret from Ruby’s past that Maggie must uncover before anyone else loses their life.
But how deep do the lies around Ruby’s death truly go? With no one to trust, Maggie needs to uncover a deadly secret alone and it lies at the heart of the police force. How much will she have to sacrifice to discover the truth?
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Secrets, lies, and deceit drive the plot of The Day She Died. Based on experience with prior books in the series, expectations were high, and it did not disappoint. There were so much happening and when combined it delivered an exciting and suspenseful read
The story begins when Maggie received an anonymous call, which led to her witnessing an explosion. After the dust cleared, Maggie discovered that one of the bodies belonged to Ruby Anderson. Twenty years ago, the sheriff at the time closed the case regarding her disappearance and declared her dead. To make matters worse, someone Maggie considers a friend reported the supposed death. A discovery that has her wondering if her trust in the person was misplaced.
Her upcoming nuptials in two weeks’ time didn’t help the situation. Her fiancé, Steve, has his share of drama to deal with. In addition to that, a piece of evidence discovered at the explosion site is likely to bring more chaos into both their lives. Steve’s situation, which is linked to that piece of evidence, will significantly impact their lives.
As mentioned earlier, secrets drove the plot. Some secrets came to light. While Steve came clean to Maggie in the previous installment, he still harbors more secrets. Maggie is no better, as she has been keeping things from him too.
The suspense, twists, and surprises all combined kept me on the edge of my seat. It kept me guessing the whole time. This gripping and mysterious tale made a great addition to the series, and it left me looking forward to the next book.
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About Shannon Hollinger
With degrees in Crime Scene Technology & Physical Anthropology, Florida author Shannon Hollinger hasn’t just seen the dark side of humanity – she’s been elbow deep inside of it! She finds writing to be a much cleaner way to spend her time than the autopsy suite. Most days it smells better, too. Her debut novel, the psychological thriller Best Friends Forever, is the first of a five-book deal with publisher Bookouture. Her short fiction has appeared in Suspense Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and The Saturday Evening Post, among a number of other magazines and anthologies, and her story Lady Killer was a finalist for the 2021 Al Blanchard Award sponsored by the New England Crime Bake.
