[Book Review] Shadow Ridge by M.E. Browning

Shadow Ridge by M.E. Browning is a police procedural, heavy on the mystery, that is centered around a video game that changed everything.

When a young man is found dead, the police are quick to label it as a suicide, but one detective isn’t convinced. She is about to find herself rushing down a twisted path to find the truth.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review during this book tour via Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours. This did not affect my rating in any way. 

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Shadow Ridge by M.E. Browning

Genre: Mystery (police procedural)
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 6th 2020
Number of Pages: 395
Series: A Jo Wyatt Mystery, #1

TW: Suicide, sexual abuse, drug use, sexism

Synopsis:

Death is one click away when a string of murders rocks a small Colorado town in the first mesmerizing novel in M. E. Browning’s A Jo Wyatt Mystery series.

Echo Valley, Colorado, is a place where the natural beauty of a stunning river valley meets a budding hipster urbanity. But when an internet stalker is revealed to be a cold-blooded killer in real life the peaceful community is rocked to its core.

It should have been an open-and-shut case: the suicide of Tye Horton, the designer of a cutting-edge video game. But Detective Jo Wyatt is immediately suspicious of Quinn Kirkwood, who reported the death. When Quinn reveals an internet stalker is terrorizing her, Jo is skeptical. Doubts aside, she delves into the claim and uncovers a link that ties Quinn to a small group of beta-testers who had worked with Horton. When a second member of the group dies in a car accident, Jo’s investigation leads her to the father of a young man who had killed himself a year earlier. But there’s more to this case than a suicide, and as Jo unearths the layers, a more sinister pattern begins to emerge–one driven by desperation, shame, and a single-minded drive for revenge.

As Jo closes in, she edges ever closer to the shattering truth–and a deadly showdown that will put her to the ultimate test.

My Thoughts on Shadow Ridge

Boy were the two main characters here similar! They were both incredibly stubborn, quick-witted, and unapologetically blunt. While I wasn’t a huge fan of either of them at first, they grew on me as the story unfolded and we got to learn more about them.

Overall, I thought that the plot was interesting! I loved that it centered around video games and cyberspace. I also really appreciated how determined Detective Jo Wyatt was, and how she refused to let go, even when everyone else was ready to close the case. And the banter between Wyatt and Squint was hilarious! Their dialogue had me chuckling a few times.

We also got to see a few glimpses into Jo’s personal life here and there. I’d be curious to see what happens in a future book as a few plot elements were just sprinkled in here.

I loved the bit of foreshadowing that occurred very briefly in one scene. Sorry to be wicked brief here, but I’ll let you discover that on your own if you pick this one up!

One last thing I wanted to mention was how well this author handled the sexism that the main character faced. It was clear that the author added this in with a lot of care, but also wasn’t afraid to show how bad it can get. Many scenes had my blood boiling.

My Favorite Passages from Shadow Ridge

Squint peered over his computer. “Any luck?”“Does bad count?”“Wasn’t exactly what I was hoping to hear.” 

She turned to her email. The Denver agent had sent her a series of messages containing several links and numerous PDFs. The sheer number of attachments meant one thing: she needed more coffee.

Sully pulled a Guinness behind the bar. He was a bear of a man, but whether that was a grizzly or a teddy bear depended on how a person held his liquor. 

Rogue snowflakes blown from the trees entered the apartment when Alice left. They twirled like drunken butterflies and then fell to the ground, spent.

My Final Thoughts on Shadow Ridge

I enjoyed this read! I loved how everything came together at the end as the tangled path of mystery was finally mapped out.

If you enjoy mysteries featuring headstrong characters with a lot of heart, this is one that I would recommend!

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About The Author

M.E. BROWNING served twenty-two years in law enforcement and retired as a captain before turning to a life of crime fiction. Writing as Micki Browning, she penned the Agatha-nominated and award-winning Mer Cavallo mysteries, and her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in anthologies, mystery and diving magazines, and textbooks. As M.E. Browning, she recently began a new series of Jo Wyatt mysteries with Shadow Ridge (October 2020).

Micki is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime—where she served as a former president of the Guppy Chapter. A professional divemaster, she resides in Florida with her partner in crime and a vast array of scuba equipment she uses for “research.”

Catch Up With M.E. Browning On:
MEBrowning.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

Thanks for reading!