Forsaken Trust

Forsaken Trust was a breath of fresh air in the mystery/ thriller genre. I just wish I had known it was a sequel before I picked it up. That being said, I probably didn't need to read the first book as Forsaken Trust explained a few things that happened previously and painted a picture for you.

The novel begins with four women's bodies being found on the shore of a lake in a small town. The town is known for it's addictions to opiates so you would think the deaths would be kind of open and shut, but not in this case. This is where Luce Hansen comes in. Luce is a tough detective battling her own demons and she comes onto this case introducing a whole host of new characters. I must admit I thought this novel was going one way and was going to be quite predictable, however it switched tones and took me by pleasant surprise. I won't go into it however as it would spoil it for you, but definitely pick this one up if you like a twisty small town tale.

Reviewed by Aleasha Newby

Forsaken Trust was the second book in the Luce Hansen Thriller. Initially, I wanted to read this book because the title intrigued me. After reading this book, I felt the author did a great job telling the story of those characters who experienced “forsaken trust” in their lives. The unwritten question throughout was-who to trust? Luce, a very complex and multidimensional character, was needed to investigate murders in a town filled with secrets and misplaced trust. It was a task that Luce took to heart. Near the end of the story, Luce offered her trust to a major secondary teenage character and vowed not to forsaken her like others did.

The plot was very interesting with realistic problems such as drug abuse, prostitution, abuse of power, and human trafficking. There were twists and turns throughout the story which engaged the reader. The writing was very detailed and gave the reader powerful strong images to absorb, especially of the crime scenes. The author brilliantly weaved these gruesome images to the forefront of the story once again with her very vivid description of the last victim; and this grisly scene became a major turning point and breakage of the trust factor in this town.

Forsaken Trust is a story you will remember long after the last page is read.

Reviewed by Rose Swier

I really enjoyed the first Luce Hansen book by Meredith Doench and eagerly awaited the next. I wasn't disappointed. There is much to the story here - it is complex, well thought through and demands a fair amount of attention. The new characters are excellent and I particularly liked Harper. If I was so inclined, the descriptions of kayaking would make me want to take to the water immediately. The changes in Luce (no spoilers here) are well handled and sympathetic to her behaviour in the first book. And the solution to the murders of several women is unexpected and yet credible. There are moments when you are anticipating Luce's behaviour and it was almost tempting to jump ahead and see what she actually did. Ms Doench grows better with each book and I look forward to more about Luce.

Reviewed by Anne Maguire

This is the second book in the Luce Hansen series. While this is not as exciting at the first book Crossed, I still really enjoyed it. Doench, can really write. Her style is very appealing and makes for excellent mysteries. There is a few small loose ends that this book wraps up from book 1, but most of the story is contained in this book. Therefore, you could read this without reading Crossed. I'm anal about reading series in order, so I would personally recommend reading Crossed first, plus it is a good book.

In the beginning of this book, we find Luce struggling to deal with a break-up and loosing her house. She still has not made it to the FBI, and is drinking too much in frustration. When she gets called in to a new serial killer case, Luce has to get herself back together. With four bodies of women found near each other, Luce knows it is only time before the killer will strike again...

Most of the book is dealing with the mystery. This is way more of a mystery book than a romance. The mystery had a lot of moving parts, but it didn't get convoluted. I totally understood everything going on, and it all flowed well. After a tough case of murder and crime, I really liked the ending of the book including the epilogue. It was happy, but not perfect, and just fit the series well.

I hope Doench will write a book 3. I have really gotten to like Luce as a character and I want to know what happens next. If you are a fan of a more hard hitting mystery/crime type book, then this series will be right up your alley.

Reviewed by Lex Kent

I enjoyed this book very much. I didn't read the first book in the series so I think it's safe to say, this could be a stand alone. However, I am now going to read the first one. I like to connect the dots and really enjoyed this authors writing style. The way she tells a story and her wit that just falls into place will keep the pages turning. The ending was a bit of a surprise too. Forsaken Trust is well written with likable characters that will grab you from the beginning page to the last page. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Kris Johnson