Category Archives: Dr Samantha Owens Series

May 18, 2015 · 11:56 pm

Review: What Lies Behind by J.T. Ellison

lies behindTitle: What Lies Behind by J.T. Ellison
Dr. Samantha Owens Series Book Four
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author J. T. Ellison delivers another riveting novel featuring the incomparable Dr. Samantha Owens 

Waking to sirens in the night is hardly unusual for Samantha Owens. No longer a medical examiner, she doesn’t lose sleep over them, but a routine police investigation in her neighborhood has her curious. When her homicide detective friend, Darren Fletcher, invites her to look over the evidence, she jumps at the chance and immediately realizes the crime scene has been staged. What seems to be a clear case of murder/suicide—a crime of passion—is anything but. The discovery of toxic substances in hidden vials indicates that something much more sinister is at play…

As Fletch and Sam try to understand what and who they are dealing with, they are summoned to a meeting at the State Department. High-level officials are interested in what they know and seem to be keeping secrets of their own. It’s up to Sam and Fletch to uncover what lies behind the deception as the threat of bioterrorism is exposed, and her boyfriend, Xander Whitfield, may be in the line of fire.

Unsure who to trust, Sam and Fletch find themselves up against very powerful people at every stage in the investigation. No one is who they appear to be and with every minute that passes, the danger escalates. It’s Sam’s most complex case yet and the terrifying reality is beyond anything she could have imagined.

Review:

What Lies Behind is a fast-paced and riveting mystery by J.T. Ellison. This fourth installment in the captivating Dr. Samantha Owens series is another meticulously plotted and intriguing police procedural that fans of the genre do not want to miss.

Former medical examiner Sam Owens’ curiosity is immediately piqued when a crime occurs in her neighborhood and she readily agrees to her good friend Detective Darren Fletcher’s request to take a look at the scene. Sam immediately concludes that what was thought to be a murder/suicide is in actuality a double homicide. When she uncovers hidden evidence that suggests a possible biological threat, a top ranking government official asks them to keep their investigation under wraps. Each clue leads to more dead bodies, and Sam is stunned when their case converges with her fiancé Xander Whitfield’s current protection detail of a wealthy businessman. Sam and Darren team up with Xander and once all of the pieces of puzzle fall into place, they are horrified by the diabolical plot they uncover.

As a consultant for the FBI, Sam is also working on a series of unsolved murders spanning twenty years. While there is only a tenuous link between the killings, she and her boss John Baldwin are convinced they are the work of the same killer. Although they have just begun to scratch the surface of their investigation, the case will take on an unexpected urgency by the time the double homicide is solved.

What Lies Behind is a complex murder mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. The plot is brilliantly executed and frighteningly realistic. The characters from the previous novels in the series continue to evolve as new facets of their personalities are revealed while a few new faces help keep the series fresh and interesting. The main mystery is completely solved by the novel’s conclusion, but J.T. Ellison ends the story with a cliffhanger that will leave fans impatiently awaiting the next installment of the Dr. Samantha Owens series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dr Samantha Owens Series, JT Ellison, Mira, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, What Lies Behind

February 17, 2014 · 11:58 pm

Review: When Shadows Fall by J.T. Ellison

whenTitle: When Shadows Fall by J.T. Ellison
Dr. Samantha Owens Series Book Three
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Dear Dr. Owens,

If you are reading this letter, I am dead and I would be most grateful if you could solve my murder…

Forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens thought life was finally returning to normal after she suffered a terrible personal loss. Settling into her new job at Georgetown University, the illusion is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a dead man imploring her to solve his murder. There’s only one catch. Timothy Savage’s death was so obviously the suicide of a demented individual that the case has been closed.

When Sam learns Savage left a will requesting she autopsy his body, she feels compelled to look into the case. Sam’s own postmortem discovers clear signs that Savage was indeed murdered. And she finds DNA from a kidnapped child whose remains were recovered years earlier.

The investigation takes Sam into the shadows of a twenty-year-old mystery that must be solved to determine what really happened to Timothy Savage. Nothing about the case makes sense but it is clear someone is unwilling to let anyone, especially Samantha Owens, discover the truth.

The Review:

When Shadows Fall is another riveting novel in J.T. Ellison’s spectacular series starring forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens. Unable to resist a dead man’s request to investigate his murder, Sam uncovers perplexing information that leads back to a long closed kidnapping case. The subsequent investigation takes many startling twists and turns and exposes a shocking secret that someone will go to any lengths to keep hidden.

When Shadows Fall opens with Sam happily settled into her new life with ex-Army Ranger Zander Whitfield and her new career as head of the Forensic Pathology department at Georgetown University. With her classes due to begin in a few days, Sam is beginning to have a few reservations about giving up law enforcement and a surprising offer to become an FBI consultant is weighing heavily on her mind. The arrival of the letter from Timothy Savage is an unwelcome reminder of what Sam has left behind and at first she refuses to become involved with his case. But the murder of Savage’s attorney piques her curiosity, and with the help of Xander and DC Detective (and close friend) Darren “Fletch” Fletcher, Sam delves a little deeper into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The trio have barely begun looking into Savage’s death when a young girl is kidnapped and Fletch is a paired up with FBI agent Jordan Blake to find the missing girl. Evidence from the Savage death leads back to a similar kidnapping years earlier and it soon becomes clear that present day events are somehow linked to this previously solved kidnapping. The trail takes them back to this long ago investigation and with a young girl’s life hanging in the balance, Sam, Xander and Fletch are frantically trying to fit the puzzling clues together.

When Shadows Fall is a fascinating and action filled thriller that is quite compelling. Intriguing chapters from an unknown person’s point of view add a sense of urgency to an already suspense laden storyline. Flashbacks offer chilling insight into a seemingly unrelated series of murders and the divergent story arcs begin to converge into a plausible scenario that is quite chilling.

Once again, J.T. Ellison provides readers a fresh and unique mystery that is infinitely fascinating but impossible to solve. Although it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend all of the novels in this incredible series.

Read my reviews of the other novels in the series HERE.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dr Samantha Owens Series, Harlequin, JT Ellison, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, When Shadows Fall

November 13, 2012 · 3:58 am

Review: Edge of Black by J.T. Ellison

Title: Edge of Black by J.T. Ellison
Dr. Samantha Owens Series Book Two
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HarlequinMIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Dr. Samantha Owens is starting over: new city, new job, new man, new life. She’s trying to put some distance between herself and the devastating loss of her husband and children—but old hurts leave scars.

Before she’s even unpacked her office at Georgetown University’s forensic pathology department, she’s called to consult on a case that’s rocked the capital and the country. An unknown pathogen released into the Washington Metro has caused nationwide panic. Three people died—just three.

A miracle and a puzzle…

Amid the media frenzy and Homeland Security alarm bells, Sam painstakingly dissects the lives of those three victims and makes an unsettling conclusion. This is no textbook terrorist causing mayhem with broad strokes, but an artist wielding a much finer, more pointed instrument of destruction. An assassin, whose motive is deeply personal and far from understandable.

Xander Whitfield, a former army ranger and Sam’s new boyfriend, knows about seeing the world in shades of gray. About feeling compelled to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. Only his disturbing kinship with a killer can lead Sam to the truth…and once more into the line of fire.

The Review:

Edge of Black, J.T. Ellison’s latest release starring Dr. Sam Owens, is a deeply compelling mystery that is action-packed and terrifyingly realistic. A biological attack at a Metro station in her new hometown of Washington, D.C. finds Sam back on the job as a medical examiner when Detective Darren Fletcher requests her assistance with an autopsy of a high profile victim.

Sam’s new life as a college professor comes to abrupt halt when one of her students falls deathly ill during class. Sam and the rest of the country are shocked at the news of a possible terrorist attack. One of the deceased is Congressman Peter Leighton and Sam’s autopsy reveals puzzling information about the possible pathogen and her subsequent investigation uncovers a surprising link between him and the other two victims who died. Sam’s lover, ex-Army Ranger Zander Whitfield, reaches a startling conclusion about the possible identity of the perpetrator, and the trail leads directly back to his past. Was the attack an act of terror? Or is there a far more twisted and personal reason for the deaths?

Sam has made considerable progress both emotionally and professionally since the end of A Deeper Darkness. More at peace with her past tragedies, she has settled into a romantic relationship with Xander and she is excited about her new teaching career. Sam cannot turn down Darren’s request to help out in the aftermath of the suspected terrorist attack and she is pleasantly surprised to find a renewed zeal for her former profession. With her professional interest piqued, Sam eagerly delves into the lives of the deceased and her discoveries change the possible course of the investigation.

Zander’s role in the investigation provides readers with important background information about his character. His experiences and contacts with the shadowy fringes of survivalists and hacktivists take him back to his hometown and the commune life he left behind when he joined the Army. His interactions with his parents and friends reveal different facets of his personality and give him much more depth.

Edge of Black is an action driven novel that moves at a blistering pace. Twists and turns keep the plot quickly moving in unexpected directions. Part political thriller, part murder mystery and part romance, J.T. Ellison brings her readers a realistic and chilling tale that I highly recommend.

Read my review of other novels in this series HERE.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dr Samantha Owens Series, Edge of Black, Harlequin, HarlequinMira, JT Ellison, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Suspense

April 24, 2012 · 3:56 am

A Deeper Darkness by J.T. Ellison

Title: A Deeper Darkness by J.T. Ellison
Dr. Samantha Owens Series Book One
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HarlequinMIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

First book in a brand new series by J.T. Ellison.

Into the flood again…

As a medical examiner, Samantha Owen’s job is to make a certain sense of death with crisp methodology and precision instruments.

But the day the Tennessee floods took her husband and children, the light vanished from Sam’s life. She’s pulled into a suffocating grief no amount of workaholic ardor can penetrate—until she receives a peculiar call from Washington, D.C.

On the other end of the line is an old boyfriend’s mother, asking Sam to do a second autopsy on her son. Eddie Donovan is officially the victim of a vicious carjacking, but under Sam’s sharp eye the forensics tell a darker story. The ex-Ranger was murdered, though not for his car.

Forced to confront the burning memories and feelings about yet another loved one killed brutally, Sam loses herself in the mystery contained within Donovan’s old notes. The trail leads her to the untouchable Xander—a soldier off-grid since his return from Afghanistan—and then to a series of brutal crimes stretching from that harsh mountainous war zone to this nation’s capital. The tale told between the lines makes it clear that nobody’s hands are clean, and that making sense of murder sometimes means putting yourself in the crosshairs of death.

The Review:

A Deeper Darkness is a compelling mystery that provides an in-depth view into the oftentimes unseen toll that war takes on servicemembers and their families. J.T. Ellison brings many of war’s hidden battles to the forefront as Dr. Samantha Owens is unwittingly drawn into the investigation of the death of her former boyfriend Eddie Donovan.

Dr. Sam Owens is emotionally fragile and wracked with guilt over the deaths of her husband and children. Her trip to Washington, DC offers her some much needed distance from her tragic past. It provides her with valuable insight that allows her to begin to heal and move on with her life.

It is Sam’s forensic findings and a second murder involving one of Eddie’s Ranger buddies that changes the course of the murder investigation. Sam and Detective Darren Fletcher’s hunt for the killer exposes a horrific series of events that haunts the men whose close bond of friendship was forged by their wartime experiences.

A Deeper Darkness has an outstanding cast of well rounded three dimensional characters and a superb storyline. The plot goes in many varied and unexpected directions. J.T. Ellison provides a long list of suspects and she does a fantastic job keeping readers guessing the killer’s identity.

The ending of A Deeper Darkness is more of a beginning as Sam comes to terms with her past and moves forward with the help of her surprising new love interest. I am very much looking forward to seeing what Ms. Ellison has planned for this marvelous new series.

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Filed under A Deeper Darkness, Contemporary, Dr Samantha Owens Series, Harlequin, HarlequinMira, JT Ellison, Mystery, Rated B