In the Belly of Jonah (A Liv Bergen Mystery #1) by Sandra Brannan

Sep 09, 2012 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

~Updated~
Oh. My. Goodness! I finished this late last night and I seriously had nightmares about it!!! It was SOOOOO Good!!! If you like thrillers, murder mysteries and/or books about serial killers this is a MUST READ!!! Full Review Soon!!!

~~oops! I guess I am a little late in adding the full review but here it is!

What Did I Think?

It has been far too long since I have read a great thriller and this one reminded me that I should never go that long again! This is one of those books that sticks...more ~Updated~
Oh. My. Goodness! I finished this late last night and I seriously had nightmares about it!!! It was SOOOOO Good!!! If you like thrillers, murder mysteries and/or books about serial killers this is a MUST READ!!! Full Review Soon!!!

~~oops! I guess I am a little late in adding the full review but here it is!

What Did I Think?

It has been far too long since I have read a great thriller and this one reminded me that I should never go that long again! This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you have read the last page. I literally had nightmares about it! You know what? It was so worth it!

The book focuses on Liv Bergen who works in the mining industry. When one of her employees is found murdered she gets involved in the investigation to find the killer. The creepy, crazy, perverse, serial killer. In the first few chapters of the book we are treated to the details of an incredibly disturbing crime scene. It was described well enough that it became clearly vivid in my mind. As a matter of fact, it is still in my mind because it stuck with me. I find this to be deliciously creepy.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is one that I can't elaborate on in the review because it will spoil your reading experience a bit. I can say that the killer in the book uses the most original and horrifying murder weapon I have ever read about. We do get a few parts of the book from the killers perspective and I loved having that knowledge. We are given at least 2 likely suspects to contemplate throughout the book and just when I thought I had it figured out, she changed it up and made me doubt my suspicions! I loved being in the dark until right at the end.

The book effortlessly weaves together a realistic world, intriguing characters and one scary mystery. The fact that this is just the start of a new series really has me excited. I can not wait to see what Liv Bergan and FBI agent Streeter are up against in the subsequent books.

BOTTOM LINE: One of my favorite books so far this year!(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, kindle-free-cheap

Liv Bergen gets involved in a serial killer's spree when her employee is found murdered and her friend, FBI agent Lisa, moves in to investigate. I liked some things about this book. It's been a long time since I've read a first-person pov, and I can't remember the last time I read an alternating 1st-3rd-1st pov, and the author generally handled it well. Liv is a likable character, and she's not written as flawless. The killer's MO was uniquely gruesome, which I think is a plus in a book like thi...more Liv Bergen gets involved in a serial killer's spree when her employee is found murdered and her friend, FBI agent Lisa, moves in to investigate. I liked some things about this book. It's been a long time since I've read a first-person pov, and I can't remember the last time I read an alternating 1st-3rd-1st pov, and the author generally handled it well. Liv is a likable character, and she's not written as flawless. The killer's MO was uniquely gruesome, which I think is a plus in a book like this. I thought the first chapter, with the victim alive, was really well done (and it's echoed in the first chapter of the second book in the series, which I started first, thinking it was the first book in the series). There were a few things I didn't like about this book. There was never much confusion about the who the murderer was. That is to say, as soon as the clues come together at about 60% of the way through, there is only one possibility. I like for my murder mysteries to have a twist or two, a la L&O at the 17 minute mark, when they arrest someone but you know it's not the murderer because it's too early in the episode. The law enforcement agents were written to be kind of bumbling. I think this is so that Liv could vault in and show her worth, which would have been good for one or two revelations, but the FBI just seemed idiotic when a layperson singlehandedly solves 4-5 pivotal parts of the mystery. The FBI were also just like, yeah of course, let's have this layperson in on all this info and stay at her house. Really? If that's the way it has to be, I need a better reason than, "ALL the hotel rooms in Fort Collins are booked." Seriously, FBI? There was one thing I really disliked about this book. I thought all of the characters of color were really overly, floridly described. <"Dr. Yolanda Fischer was oxymoronic: She was large and exotic, approachable and prickly."> That's not actually English, first of all, and then it goes on about each of those characteristics forever. If I had read it, it might not have been so obvious, but my Kindle read it to me while I was stuck on the GWB for three hours, and it was just a discomfiting element of the book. "Exotic" was hella overused as a descriptor of a character of color, and the murderer's ethnicity was harped on to an unreasonable degree. It left a bad taste in my mouth.(less)

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Aug 11, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

A bit gory but excellent mystery. Enjoyed it as a summery beach read. First in a series and enjoyed the strong female characters

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Jan 18, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading Widow’s Might, I liked the characters so much, I decided to go back to the beginning of the Liv Bergen series and read them in order.

Liv Bergen, age 29, manages her family’s limestone quarry in Livermore, Colorado.

Liv keeps getting mixed up in murders. In this book, it all starts when one of her employees at the mine is found murdered, in a very gruesome way. The circumstances of the death suggest the employee was the latest victim of the so-called Venus de Milo serial killer. On...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Sheila DeChantal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Liv Bergen lives a small quiet life of managing a limestone mine in Colorado. It may not be the life that many women would seek out, but Liv enjoys what she does and would have it no other way.

Then a young female employee of the mine is found murdered and suddenly Liv’s life is anything but quiet. The mine soon becomes a part of the crime scene and police and FBI are coming around with questions. Then Liv’s former classmate, now FBI Profiler, Lisa comes into town and takes residence at Liv’s hom...more Liv Bergen lives a small quiet life of managing a limestone mine in Colorado. It may not be the life that many women would seek out, but Liv enjoys what she does and would have it no other way.

Then a young female employee of the mine is found murdered and suddenly Liv’s life is anything but quiet. The mine soon becomes a part of the crime scene and police and FBI are coming around with questions. Then Liv’s former classmate, now FBI Profiler, Lisa comes into town and takes residence at Liv’s home when all the hotels are full. Soon Liv discovers that the crimes are too close to home and she can either sit back and wait to see what will happen next or she can work on being part of the solution.

As Liv starts looking at clues, she discovers she has a sort of knack for putting things together and the murdered may soon find that Liv Bergen is his worst nightmare.

I first met author Sandra Brannon in New York in 2010 at the Book Expo. It was a short time before this, her first book was about to be released and Sandra was a little nervous and I instantly took a liking to her. As Jill at Rhapsody In Books recently said in a review, “You can not meet this author and not like her immediately”.

In The Belly Of Jonah was a good solid mystery. I love it when fiction teaches me something and I learned a little bit about mining, and even a little about forensics. This book is a great fast paced read that is never over the top out there (and that can be scary!) but feels like a good level mystery with awesome good guys, and of course the notorious bad guy.

I enjoyed the book so much and like it when a book takes me from the pages to my laptop to look at words and scenes more closely. While In The Belly Of Jonah is written as a series, it is just as easily a stand alone read. I for one enjoyed it so much I want to jump into the second book now – and it may please you to know that three books in the series are currently available: Lots Return To Sodom, and Widow’s Might. (less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 3 of 5 stars

What you get with In The Belly of Jonah is a pretty standard thriller/murder mystery. A serial killer has been on the loose for the last several years and his latest haunt is Colorado. Liv Bergen, manager of a local mining operation gets pulled into the case when the latest victim is one of her summertime interns, a promising college basketball star with a heart of gold...naturally it turns the entire company inside out, Liv included.

Liv gets involved with the FBI when she receives a call from a...more What you get with In The Belly of Jonah is a pretty standard thriller/murder mystery. A serial killer has been on the loose for the last several years and his latest haunt is Colorado. Liv Bergen, manager of a local mining operation gets pulled into the case when the latest victim is one of her summertime interns, a promising college basketball star with a heart of gold...naturally it turns the entire company inside out, Liv included.

Liv gets involved with the FBI when she receives a call from an old college teammate who happens to be an FBI agent. Her friend and FBI agent, Lisa Henry and the special agent in charge, Streeter Peirce join forced with Liv since she's on the inside of everything as it were in order to try to find out who the 'Venus De Milo' killer is. The killer gets his name because he sets up tableaus based on famous, yet disturbing works of art.

Sounds like a solid core for a thriller right? Well it is. Liv is likable. She's smart and she's the girl next door type that comes from a large family. She's not a super model but she's attractive and she's got a quick mind with a good sense of humor.

There were just a few things in this story that really did it in as a whole.

First off, there are some BIG hints early on the book as to who the killer is. And I mean big as in OBVIOUS. Obvious to the point where the killer was practically named in the first quarter of the book and being that it's short at 250 pages, that's a little too quick for my liking. If I can figure out whodunnit within 50 pages that's grounds for a lower rating sad to say. That more or less took away any sense of surprise or suspense.

Secondly, I found it hard to believe that the FBI would use a civilian's home as their temporary base of operations during a serial murder investigation. Just not buying that.

In addition while I liked Lisa Henry and Streeter Peirce, the FBI agents working the case, for the most part, I found them to be a little slow on the uptake. Liv seemed to be doing all the discovery herself. I found it a little hard to believe that she was always one step ahead of the FBI SAC and his near genius (Lisa, as described by Liv) profiler Lisa Henry.

There are also hints of some type of romantic twist between Streeter and Liv...Streeter being enchanted by pictures he sees of Liv while setting up shop in her home to work the case. He's never even MET her. That left me wondering as well.

So, I think it was ok. While I like the main characters, I'm not sure if I'll visit Liv's neck of the literary woods again. Looking up the description of the second book, Lot's Return to Sodom, it seems interesting but between the price and the brevity (288 pages) I may skip on it for a while. (less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Lorretta rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a kindle freebie and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't drivel. I assume that it is the first in a series and does a nice job of introducing us to Liv who is currently in the mining business, but all signs point to her joining the FBI.

The basic premise is that she becomes entangled with a serial killer after one of her employees is murdred in a bizarre fashion. After a high school friend who is now in the FBI comes to assist in the investigation, Liv is pulled deeper into the mix...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Kristy ConQueso rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: whiskey-tango-foxtrot, kick-ass-heroines, series

It looks like I'm in the minority here. So I'm just going to own it.

I'll start off by saying, overall, In the Belly of Jonah was a decent read. Once I got into it, I had a hard time putting it down.

Getting into it was the problem.

First was the constant shifting between first person and third person narrative. One minute Liv Bergen, mining extraordinaire & amateur sleuth, was narrating. The next, Pierce Skeeter, FBI agent, was leading the way in third person. Then we'd shift to The Killer's P...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Bree rated it 3 of 5 stars

breesabookworm.com

I was gifted this book from Greenleaf Book Group Press, and it was released in 2010.

This is a murder mystery/thriller and is the first in a series of mystery books following Liv Bergen. The author is Sandra Brannan.

There is an horrific serial killer snatching people up and setting them up like works of art. The FBI is involved, and so is a local woman who happens to know the latest victim and one of the FBI agents.

People die and in some pretty sick ways.

I had never read a thril...more breesabookworm.com

I was gifted this book from Greenleaf Book Group Press, and it was released in 2010.

This is a murder mystery/thriller and is the first in a series of mystery books following Liv Bergen. The author is Sandra Brannan.

There is an horrific serial killer snatching people up and setting them up like works of art. The FBI is involved, and so is a local woman who happens to know the latest victim and one of the FBI agents.

People die and in some pretty sick ways.

I had never read a thriller before and didn't really know what to expect. From everything I read about this book, everyone seemed to think the heroine was just an awesome character. I didn't find her to be all that special. But it didn't matter because we get the points of view of pretty much all the key characters. Streeter (FBI) and the killer come at us in third person. Liv, the main female lead, is written in first person.

Like I mentioned, there is a sick man on the loose and being chased down. Liv basically gets herself caught in the middle. Since we see from so many different points of views we get to really have a full picture of what's going on, from the serial killers sick and twisted mind, to seeing how Streeter investigates, to seeing how Liv tries to cope with everything going on around her. She, of course, is fierce.

The following could be considered a spoiler:
One of the cool things that I liked about this book, is the point the author made of not having Liv and Streeter meet. The author was even able to make you want them to meet, like seriously. Of course I come from a romantic reading background, so I always root for a romance. Anyway, she set it up nicely so that even if I'm not interested in Liv, or the next book's story line, I still want to read to see if and/or how they meet and what happens next.

The next book in the series is Lot's Return to Sodom, which just came out June 1, 2011. I am fixin' to start it...I'm curious to see where the author goes with this series. Also, I really like the covers of the both the books I have, especially this one. (less)

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Mar 18, 2011 CoffeeBook Chick rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes Harlan Coban and Patricia Cornwell

So I wouldn't disturb my sleeping husband, I crept back out to my living room late last night to finish this book. I also may...have turned on every single light, locked the doors, and begged both my dog and cat to come out with me and sleep on the couch with me while I read.

Liv Bergen is a young woman working as a division manager for a successful quarry in Colorado. When one of her employees is discovered murdered, surrounded by bizarre objects and gruesomely mutilated, she becomes involved in...more So I wouldn't disturb my sleeping husband, I crept back out to my living room late last night to finish this book. I also may...have turned on every single light, locked the doors, and begged both my dog and cat to come out with me and sleep on the couch with me while I read.

Liv Bergen is a young woman working as a division manager for a successful quarry in Colorado. When one of her employees is discovered murdered, surrounded by bizarre objects and gruesomely mutilated, she becomes involved in the case, suggesting possible explanations for the FBI's unanswered questions of how and why the killer may have done what he did, all the while wondering if her suggestions are absurd. When an old college friend, now an FBI agent, visits Liv's town to work on the case, she becomes even more involved, presenting plausible answers for the most confusing aspects of the case.

While a serial killer is frightening, the manner in which he is killing is even more disturbing. Liv's employee is discovered with a window cut cleanly into her body, a perfect rectangle with everything that would be in that section of her body completely removed. What could cut a body like that, and who would do it? Who could do it?

Sandra Brannan's first installment in the Liv Bergen Mystery Series is a serial killer story unlike others. Peppered with wit, self-deprecation, and moments of stunning brutality, In the Belly of Jonah magically captures the intense paths of both the serial killer and the one in which to stop him. This killer is freakish, elusive, but generally "normal," inasmuch as someone who likes to kill, can be. Liv is honest and real, innocently figuring out each step of the puzzle to its frightening conclusion. Liv is a smart chick who can easily hold her own with the best of them - whether they are part of her quarry-mining team or with the FBI, she's not one to back down. And in this story, she can't back down because whether she likes it or not, she has a serial killer to stop.

If you like Harlan Coban and Patricia Cornwall, you should probably rush right out to get this one for your bookshelf.(less)

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Jun 15, 2011 Joemmama rated it 5 of 5 stars

Former Colorado resident, Sandra Brannan has written a riveting story, set in Fort Collins, Colorado. Since I live here, I can say that the setting is a good part of the story. It is always fun to recognize places when you are reading.

At the forefront is a mystery, an intriguing villain, and a wonderful new heroine, Liv "Boots" Bergen.

Liv Bergen is the boss of a limestone quarry, an unusual job for a woman. One of her female employees, an intern, has been savagely murdered, by a sadistic butche...more

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Sep 02, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

In the Belly of Jonah is a shockingly gruesome mystery. When a serial killer hits too close to home for our new heroine by brutally murdering one of her employees, Liv Bergen starts investigating. She's smart, tough, and smooth enough to be able to look into the murders in a way that makes her an asset rather than a nuisance to the official FBI investigation.

Liv is a manager of a mining company, which means the book contains a pretty decent amount of information on the topic. Mining is something...more In the Belly of Jonah is a shockingly gruesome mystery. When a serial killer hits too close to home for our new heroine by brutally murdering one of her employees, Liv Bergen starts investigating. She's smart, tough, and smooth enough to be able to look into the murders in a way that makes her an asset rather than a nuisance to the official FBI investigation.

Liv is a manager of a mining company, which means the book contains a pretty decent amount of information on the topic. Mining is something I knew absolutely nothing about and I didn't believe it could ever be made interesting. Sandra Brannan did just that, explaining bits and pieces of the industry in relation to the case, without ever venturing into dull, jargon-filled territory. And nonbelievers, don't let the title scare you. In the Belly of Jonah contains some religious references, but there is no actual religious focus in the book.

The mystery and resulting investigation were extremely well done. The murders are really bizarre. The descriptions are graphic, with nothing held beck. It may be too much for some, but I loved the horrific realness of it. It's gets under your skin, making you uncomfortable, but puts you right there in the action. A constant back and forth between two suspects made it impossible to tell who the actual killer was until the very end. I changed my mind multiple times, finally giving up so I could enjoy the thrills without second guessing myself.

Liv's a young, hard-working, single woman, so I was surprised and pleased to find In the Belly of Jonah didn't rush her into a romance. I have high hopes for a relationship between Liv and FBI agent Streeter Pierce to develop in future books and this book sets that possibility up perfectly. There aren't many authors today that can create tension between characters that haven't even really met yet, but Brannan manages to make you impatiently excited for when they do finally come together.

In the Belly of Jonah is the best mystery I've read in quite a while. It has everything I hope to find in new series - a strong female main character, a strange and disturbing serial killer and the promise of exciting investigations in the future. This is definitely a must read for anyone who likes their mysteries with a little edge.(less)

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May 13, 2012 Keri Payton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

When one of her workers is found murdered, with a window cut through her middle, Liv Bergen reconnects with her old college friend Lisa Henry, who is the FBI profiler on the case. Offering her hospitality to the FBI, Liv finds herself wrapped up in the killer’s twisted schemes.

FBI agent, Streeter Pierce, is hunting the dubbed “Venus de Milo” murderer. Can he find him before he strikes again? This killer is close but clever. Who will stumble into his path next?

I read this book in practically one...more

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May 14, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mystery lovers, Linda W.

Recommended to Susan by: Tara Chevrestt

Shelves: arc-edition, mystery-horror-thriller

In the Belly of Jonah isn't your cozy, funny mystery in which some clueless amateur stumbles across a bloodless corpse and solves a murder while baking cookies or shopping for stilettos. Well, actually, the protagonist, Liv Bergen, is a modern-day miner, not an investigator, so she is an amateur. And some of the corpses are pretty bloodless, but that doesn't mean they aren't grisly.

For those who like hard-core mysteries as I do, this one is very entertaining. Yes, I had a good idea early in the...more In the Belly of Jonah isn't your cozy, funny mystery in which some clueless amateur stumbles across a bloodless corpse and solves a murder while baking cookies or shopping for stilettos. Well, actually, the protagonist, Liv Bergen, is a modern-day miner, not an investigator, so she is an amateur. And some of the corpses are pretty bloodless, but that doesn't mean they aren't grisly.

For those who like hard-core mysteries as I do, this one is very entertaining. Yes, I had a good idea early in the book about who committed the murder, but then my theories developed some leaks and other people became suspect. I liked the Colorado setting, although I did have a problem with the author's character describing a limestone mine area that had been reclaimed 3 years previous, and comparing it to a never-mined area: I couldn't tell the difference between the two landscapes. I can't speak for the mines in the Fort Collins area, but some of those in El Paso County, reclaimed years ago, are still freaking ugly. You can't slice off part of a mountain, throw on a few grass seeds and some tree seedlings that are going to die, and call it reclaimed. But I digress.

Some of the professionals investigators in this book did some really stupid things – I would hope that is not realistic, but it did detract a bit. Instead of concentrating on the story, I wondered if they would really do those things, and their actions, or lack of them, seemed just too convenient to the story.

I learned about an interesting bit of technology – can't tell you, though, because that would be a spoiler. And I researched (well, Googled) an artist – again not too much detail or I'll spoil the story – and found some of his less popular works to be truly awful. Talented, yes, but horrible. Having this tie to a non-fictional person really added to the book.

This book is more mystery than character study, so while the characters do have a reasonable depth, that is not the book's strong point. It is about the mystery. And for this genre, I thought it a good, solid, four-star read. I'm think I'm going to enjoy the second in this series, Lot's Return to Sodom. Thank you to JKS Communications who gave me an e-book copy of this book, and Tara, who sent me her hardcopy.(less)

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Jun 08, 2011 Faye rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is in a class all unto itself.

It reminds me of the detailed writing of Patricia Cornwell. The author switches between the points of view of the killer, the main character Liv, and secondary character Streeter. The moments with Liv are insightful and interesting into how she puts together the puzzle of solving the murders. She is a character that you like immediately. She's a strong woman, with honest faults. For being a secondary character, you get to know Streeter fairly well too. Th...more This book is in a class all unto itself.

It reminds me of the detailed writing of Patricia Cornwell. The author switches between the points of view of the killer, the main character Liv, and secondary character Streeter. The moments with Liv are insightful and interesting into how she puts together the puzzle of solving the murders. She is a character that you like immediately. She's a strong woman, with honest faults. For being a secondary character, you get to know Streeter fairly well too. Through his character, you see how the murders are being solved by the FBI and the evidence information and meet the suspects. The killer's perspective is insightful, but leads more to being insightful about the crime scenes then they do the killer's life.

I will be honest...You need a pretty strong stomach to handle the murders in this case. First, because you usually read from the victims perspective before they are killed. Secondly, because you usually are given the killer's perspective during that time as well. First person is used to make it more emotional. That said, the actual murder scenes aren't described in bloody detail...but if you're like me and have a vivid imagination... You are comforted by the knowledge that somewhere in all of this...the killer is caught and all will be better in the world.

As for the relationship between the characters Liv and Streeter....if you read much Patricia Cornwell; it feels much like Scarpetta and Wesley. And in fact the author here, does a great job to set a strong foundation for that.

All in all: The author's detail is great. Her use of first person of characters allows you to feel instantly connected to them, the story line, and how they each connect to each other.

This was a free download on amazon for a bit right before the next book came out, as marketing goes, it works...I'll definitely be putting her new book in this series on my to get list. This is not only a good murder mystery to pick up and read this summer, but a good author and series to begin to follow.(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Tea Time with Marce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-on-kindle

From my blog

knew this was a series, I mainly enjoy stand alone's so I initially thought OMG we will be dealing with the same serial killer, sigh, but nope looks like different cases for the series but the same amateur girl next door acting detective, Liv and the real Detective Streeter. So in the Belly of Jonah we get it all with a good wrap up, I am pleased.

I did a minor in Art History so I completely got the mysterious brutal and gruesome parts but it didn't take away from the story at all,...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Lels rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’m an avid reader of the mystery/thriller genre and I just read a fantastic novel by a fresh new author, Sandra Brannan, called “In the Belly of Jonah”. Sandra Brannan was born and raised in the midwest (South Dakota) like I was, so I was intrigued and did a little research after I read her book. This is her first novel in a new series, and it has already grabbed the attention of Independent Booksellers across the US (a pretty good indication of a great book). “In the Belly of Jonah” was recent...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yes! 4 and one half stars. Interesting plot, and I liked the characters. I don't know if I'm starting to like the ebooks more or I happen to get some good ones lately , but I have definitely liked them more.

If you plan to read the book, don't read any further. Kinda like when the character Sirius was introduced in Harry Potter and I immediately thought "dog star" , i.e he's a dog. So I figured it out from the beginning.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

I do have to say that I recognized the artist of W...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Nicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-book-club

We read this book for my Badlands Mystery Book Club in South Dakota. Since the author is from SD, we were interested to see if she would be a writer we would recommend to others. I am happy to report that most of us enjoyed her book. Sandra Brannan has a background in mining, rocks, minerals, and quarries. I was very impressed with her knowledge on the subject and her descriptions of the Colorado area where the book takes place. It was fun to not be able to figure out who the murderer was even t...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Lorri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book in the Live Bergen Mystery series and a new favorite of mine! Once I opened the book and started reading, I didn't set it down until I was done about seven hours later. Needless to say, I was tired the next day. Live is a strong woman who runs a mining business. She finds out one day that one of her temporary summer workers has been found murdered. From that time on, Liv tries to figure out what happened and who would want to hurt this girl that everyone loved. When a coll...more

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Jul 03, 2010 AmandaSOTP rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

I’m not usually much for serial mysteries as I rarely find myself wanting to read about the same character searching out the answers to some murder or other mystery. However, my roommate picked it up before me and suggested I might like it.

The story moves along at a good pace and the characters, while not fully developed, are developed enough to keep the story moving along. I didn’t particularly fall in love with the main character, Liv Bergen, who by the title will no doubt make an appearance i...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Richard (Bound & Determined...) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FULL DISCLOSURE: I got this as a *FREE* download. I cant’ remember from where, but it was free. So, now you know. I’m cheap.

This is a very quick read. Once it got going, it moved. Now, In the Belly of Jonah is not difficult, it’s pretty easy-peasy. However, this story is murder-mystery-scripted. It follows your normal, expected, typical path of the genre. Which, was somewhat of a disappointment.

You have the independent woman-in-a-man’s-world Liv Bergen, who manages to inject herself Jessica Flet...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Linda B rated it 5 of 5 stars

What an interesting story! Although the book started out a little more gruesome than I like, the creepy feeling as the story moves through the gory details creates the necessary feeling of the evil from the serial killer.

When Liv Bergen's former schoolmate and FBI profiler turns her home into a command post for the investigation of the murder of Liv's employee, she has no choice but to get involved. This is a very suspenseful story that does well to introduce each character and develop the rela...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Simba rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2011-reading-challenge

This was an AWESOME book. I downloaded this e-book for free on my amazon kindle, and did not have high expectations. I figured that it would be a run-of-the-mill murder mystery, but possibly not as well written as some of my old favorites. I was plesantly surprised. Sandra Brannan is an extremely talented author - it was easy for me to identify with Liv, and I support the idea of a strong, woman as a heroine (it's a nice parallel to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, in which Stephanie alw...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of mystery/thriller/suspense

Recommended to Katy by: JKS Communications

Shelves: ebook

Liv Bergen is the manager of a quarry outside Ft. Collins, CO. She’s having a normal start to her day when it is interrupted by the arrival of a police detective – one of her employees, a summer intern, is missing. She later learns that the employee – Jill Brannigan – has been murdered. Later that day, she gets a call from an old friend of hers – Lisa Henry – with whom she played basketball at university in Laramie, WY. Lisa is now with the FBI – a behavioral analyst – and she has been called in...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the Belly of Jonah is quite the gruesome mystery, and not exactly for the faint of heart. Liv Bergen is hit close to her heart when one of her temporary workers is murdered in a very odd way. Deemed "the de Milo murderer", this serial killer is all about artistic presentation of their victim. If you can call it art. Liv dives in head on, and gets herself in deeper than she meant to.

Let me talk a little bit about Liv Bergen. As a female protagonist, Liv is by far one of my favorite characters...more In the Belly of Jonah is quite the gruesome mystery, and not exactly for the faint of heart. Liv Bergen is hit close to her heart when one of her temporary workers is murdered in a very odd way. Deemed "the de Milo murderer", this serial killer is all about artistic presentation of their victim. If you can call it art. Liv dives in head on, and gets herself in deeper than she meant to.

Let me talk a little bit about Liv Bergen. As a female protagonist, Liv is by far one of my favorite characters of all time. She is strong, opinionated, but still kind. Liv is the type of woman who will be straight up with you about what she knows and doesn't know. Not abrasive, but still able to stand up for herself. The type of person that I'd want to hang out with on a daily basis. Liv is the essence of what all us "strong women" out there want to be, and I love her for it! I was also very appreciative of the fact that Sandra Brannan took this whole first book to build Liv up as a woman, before putting her into a romantic relationship. That edge is there, but it isn't fleshed out yet. I'm sure it will be in the next book!

Of course In the Belly of Jonah also features a stunning murder mystery. As I mentioned above, the murders are grisly and a bit odd in nature. If you are a fan of CSI, there is a lot of very technical parts in here that you will enjoy as well. The reader is allowed to see into the inner workings of the murderer, as the point of view switches between them and Liv. What is created is a paradigm that your brain will be completely absorbed in. I was so caught up in trying to figure out who the voice of the murderer was portraying, that the book literally flew by. It took me until the last 50 pages before the pieces finally fell into place for me. I was so very impressed.

A rip-roaring mystery of the finest kind, I highly recommend In the Belly of Jonah to any you out there who enjoy this genre. Heck, actually I'm sure you'd love this book even if you're not a big mystery fan. Liv is amazing, the story is extremely well-written, you'll be hooked!
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Jun 05, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

A young college girl is found mutilated.

FBI Agent Streeter Pierce is assigned to the case. He is joined by Liv “Boots” Bergen. She knew the victim. He is also joined by Liv’s former classmate turned FBI profiler, Lisa Henry. As the three of them investigate the murder, they discover that they are dealing with a serial killer known as De Milo. The killer was nicked named this as it would seem that he was basing his murders around the artist artwork. The hunt is on to find the killer before one or...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Hannah Swartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 20, 2011 Elva rated it 3 of 5 stars

it's a good story, fast-paced, and well-researched.

for some reason, i didn't really like heroine, liv bergen. or, rather, i liked her better when she wasn't narrating. i think i just didn't like her voice. but i did admire her. she's strong, smart, has integrity and good common sense, and has a very likeable personality.

the bad guy is all seriously crazied up - realistically so. i guessed who he was as soon as he was introduced. but that didn't detract from the mystery because i wanted to under...more

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Sep 02, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

"In the Belly of Jonah starts off running. Suspenseful and vivid, you enter a world of spine tingling evil. The first in a new mystery series featuring protagonist, Liv Bergen, it is set in a mining town in Fort Collins,CO, which, so richly described, becomes an important character itself. The hunt for a madman becomes personal and terrifying for Liv when she discovers that one of her employees from the mine is murdered. What follows is slippery slope into the mind and world of a soulless killer...more

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In the Belly of Jonah (A Liv Bergen Mystery #1)

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