Bad sheriff!

Bones Don't Lie is Book 3 in the attorney Morgan Dane (and PI Lance Kruger) suspense mystery series. The novel is excellent, but I enjoyed the first two novels in the series more. Cris Dukehart narrates this series; I'm not a fan of her narration.

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Riveting Suspense and Sizzling Romance Partnership

This book was inevitable in my mind from the moment Lance's past was introduced even back in the earlier Scarlet Falls series building through the Morgan Dane series. Lance is an ex-cop turned private investigator. Eventually, his dad's disappearance over twenty years prior leaving no resolution for him and his mother was going to take center stage. I was thrilled to finally get Bones Don't Lie knowing it was going to be deeply emotional, riveting, and taunt with gritty, dark suspense while carrying forth Lance and Morgan's romance.

As I said in the intro, Bones Don't Lie, the third Morgan Dane series book, is closely tied to the books that came before it and the series that came before it. I was tickled to see the crossover characters from the Scarlet Falls series and a large cast of familiars playing strong roles.

An old rusted car gets fished out of a nearby lake and it belongs to the missing Vick Kruger, Lance's dad. It gets complicated when a skeleton found in the trunk is not his dad, but a woman. Lance knows the only way he can lay the past demons to rest is to find the truth. Unfortunately, the witnesses who might shed light on the situation are being eliminated one by one. Someone doesn't want Lance, Morgan, and Sharp to find out the truth and is coming after them next.

I anticipated this one to go deep and get painful for Lance and his mom as past secrets are brought into the light. I was even a tad wary that it would start wallowing in the emotions and stall out on the action. But, no worries. This one kept up the usual steady pace that frequently got my heart racing at a suspenseful moment. The balance of elements was also kept even so that the rich layering I've come to enjoy about these books was still there.

That said, I appreciated that this was more Lance's book than anything else even though Morgan and a few others got narration time, too. This was make it or break it time for Lance. He can either give in and get lost in his past and the anger and pain he keeps locked away or let the wound open to be cleaned up and for the first time, let someone else get close to him and help in the form of Morgan. Morgan remains an amazing heroine. She could have let Lance's attempts to push her away cause her to lash out in pain or storm away and leave him alone when he most needed her, but she swallowed the hurt, ignored her own troubles, and stood strong beside him.

Lance and Morgan are amazing together and I melted each time he spent time with her girls. This book had to happen before they could have a true chance at a relationship. Morgan has let go of her own past to give love a second chance and now it was Lance's turn. I loved the sensual scenes and even the ones that brought in their family, but it is always seeing them in action solving a disturbing crime that gets me most pleased. This one was a doozy and I had that moment in the second half of the story where I had a glimpse at the identity of the killer and also the solution to the cold case, but I was sure I had to be wrong. I wasn't. The twist in this one took my breath away and I had to actually stop the book and think about it before continuing. Well done, Melinda Leigh!

Cris Dukehart's narration work continues to see these stories so clearly and adds to the book in a way that I think I might actually get disappointed if I had to merely read the print. She has established herself as these character's voices and tone of the stories for me.

All in all, the Morgan Dane series remains strong. I think this was my favorite one yet because I anticipated this one and was left amazed. Definitely this series and the earlier series are high recommends to romantic suspense fans.

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Loving the Morgan Dane Series!

You should def start with book 1, but each can stand alone if necessary. I love the way Leigh balances the dark subject matter with romance and occasional humor. I would personally prefer a few extra laughs... but I’m sure it’s hard to make many jokes in books about rapists and murderers, especially this one, which is very personal to Lance. I adore Morgan... this fictional character is awe inspiring. It’s also fascinating to hear her compare being an ADA with now becoming a defense attorney, doing much of the investigating herself. I’m binging on these books!

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Narration doesn't do this book justice.

The story was great. It was interesting and fun, and I enjoyed seeing more of my favorite characters. I really like the way Morgan's family works. They're there for each other and they love each other. I was happy to see Ava and Mia given some depth, as they felt a little like afterthoughts in the first two books.

It was nice to get a break from Morgan's refusal to eat real food. I was half convinced going into this book that we'd discover she had an eating disorder. She seems to be settling into herself as a characters very nicely, and if she were someone I knew, I'd like to be friends with her.

If I had read this book myself rather than listening to it, I'd have given it five stars. Unfortunately, I found the narrator's male characters grating. Most of them sound like cartoon characters, usually whiny teenage cartoon villains. This is especially true of the sheriff, and that made it difficult for me to really immerse myself in what should have been scenes filled with tension and menace.

Again, though, I really loved the story and am very much looking forward to the next installment.

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Keeps getting better...

This is a really good series. I enjoyed the first book. The second was even better. And this title - the third installment - was the best yet. When does that ever happen in a series?

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Great Wrap Up

This story brings everything together and provides a good ending. Of course, this is after a great deal of suspense with a surprise who dunnit! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did.

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My favorite series!

I have began other books similar to Melinda Leigh's only to stop after a few chapters. Melinda Leigh's writing ability and the reader's diverse voices combine for a talent that make these books intriguing, mysterious, and difficult to leave unfinished. I highly recommend this complete series!

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Suspenseful!

Lots of twists and turns! Very suspenseful. Great love story built throughout. A great read/listen!

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GOOD READ

WHILE ALWAYS PROVIDING THE ENDING I NEED (I MEAN IF I WANT RISKY ENDINGS, I CAN WATCH THE NEWS), MS. LEIGH STILL MANAGES TO INCLUDE ENOUGH TWISTS AND TURNS TO KEEP IT INTERESTING. I AM ABOUT TO BUY THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES. OH, AND AS CRITICAL AS THE WRITING, TO ME, IS A GOOD READER. MS. DUKEHART DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

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Book Contains Triggers

This book should be labeled with a trigger warning. Though not overly graphic, it does contain material hard to read as a survivor. The characters grow and develop more with each book. While each book is a stand alone novel, they are best read in order to watch the development unfold. The story is tightly written and pulled me through to the end. They are highly addictive with characters I become invested in.