The Breadcrumb Game

by Lauren Kristen Roberts

Someone just blew up Ella Madson’s house—but wait, it gets worse.

Bristly FBI Agent Sam Donnelly is assigned to the case, and demands Ella’s help to find Mal, Ella’s estranged sister. Mal has a criminal record a mile long, but even so, Ella doesn’t think Mal is responsible for the explosion—nothing has changed between them in over twenty years. Besides, for the past ten years, Mal has sent her small trinkets, prodding her to remember their favorite childhood game.

When Agent Donnelly’s team stumbles upon a trail of clues that only Ella can recognize and decipher, she becomes essential to their investigation. Despite the agents’ hesitation, she tags along with the team as they race from city to city through her childhood memories.

In between continued attempts on her life and finding the next clue, Ella and Agent Donnelly grow closer and open up to each other. It turns out that he’s not an insensitive jerk, just an agent with a tragic past that still haunts him. Ella can relate to that. Before long, knowing that he’ll be out of her life when the case is solved is no longer a relief.

There’s no time to figure where things stand between them, though, because they’re closing in on Mal, and they need to figure out how to stop whoever is trying to kill Ella before it’s too late.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published April 26, 2024

About the author

Lauren Kristen Roberts is a recovering elementary school teacher. She writes suspenseful romcoms and romantic suspense books about stubbornly independent women whose lives have spun out of their control, helping them find happiness. After moving from city to city all her life, she settled in Northern Virginia with her husband, three kids, and one rescue dog named Thor—who is, ironically, afraid of thunder.

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Reviews

[Elizabeth Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a little bit of trouble getting into this book at first, because it is a somewhat different writing style than I am used to, but after the first half chapter the story really picked up and swept me along with it. This book follows the adventures of a woman traumatized by family and circumstance and her hero, an agent with a troubled past. The author does a wonderful job showing how paralyzing trauma can be, but also what a good support system does for you. The message of "sometimes you just have to take it one square foot at time" is threaded throughout the book.

I had a little bit of trouble suspending my disbelief as the romantic aspect of the book kicked in between an agent and the female main character, as in real life the agent would have gotten in trouble with his commanding officers. However, I still enjoyed it because the romance was tastefully done, showing the tentative hesitancy of two people broken by life bonding in desperate times.

Definitely a page turner. Highly recommend.

[Kair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from the author Lauren Kristen Roberts, and I really enjoyed it.

"The Breadcrumb Game" is a fast-paced thriller that hooks you into the story in the first few paragraphs and keeps you guessing until the very end. The main character Ella Madson's house blows up and her world turns upside down. Ella has faced many tragedies in her life and is literally all alone in the world. While in the hospital recovering from the explosion Ella meets Sam Donnelly an FBI agent assigned to her case, who is also recovering from a devastating loss. Together they embark on a cross country trip trying to solve the mystery of who blew up Ella's house and trying to track down the Ella's estranged sister Mal who is wanted by the FBI. This fast-paced story has so many twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing up until the very end. If you enjoy fast paced thrillers that have lots of excitement, I recommend you read this book. I highly recommend it!

[Douglas Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t read this book about sibling rivalry unless you are comfortable with your own siblings. This book is explores two sisters who never got along at early ages and drifted apart for twenty years. Annabella (Ella) is the older sister and was always the responsible one while Mallory (Mal) was two years younger and always pushed Ella until they started fights. Ella gets involved when a terrorist blows up her house and Sam Donnelly an FBI agent assigned to her case becomes her protector and eventually her lover! Next Mal leads them on a merry chase across the country trying to get Ella to solve the breadcrumbs of information she leaves!

I can’t wait for the next adventure and romantic novel from Lauren Roberts

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her house has just burnt down but that is not the worse of it. He has arrived wanting help to find her sister who he believes did it. She believes they did not as she has been getting little trinkets from them for some time. Will she be pulled into the investigation? Who did it? Can it end well? See how she gets on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[Carrot Kevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give it 6 stars if I could

[Mary Ann Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ella's house explodes one morning, she finds herself in the middle of an FBI investigation with a trail of clues that only she can decipher. Years ago, Ella's little sister Mal loved playing the breadcrumb game, a cat-and-mouse chase with always more difficult clues. Now, this game has taken on life-and-death stakes as Ella tries to puzzle out where her fugitive sister has fled, tracking her down alongside her FBI protector, Sam, a grumpy agent with his own troubled past. With a killer on their heels, Ella finds herself in peril as they close in on her sister. As Sam and Ella lean on each other as they hunt, their friendship grows, sparking a romance along the way. Scenes from the past reveal clues about the present in this twisty romantic suspense.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella Madson has no real friends or family and lives a quiet life, mostly working from home with her own business helping design people’s house interiors. She was waiting for a cheque and thought she had heard the mail person’s vehicle go by, so got up and went out to check her mailbox, noticing a small box on her doorstep, which she picks up on the way. Just as she checks her mailbox, she is blown off her feet and finds herself lying on the road and looking back to see her house has disappeared completely. One of her neighbours has called for the police and ambulance and she gets taken to hospital, where the FBI come to question her. FBI Agent Sam Donnelly is not exactly nice as he questions Ella, believing her long estranged younger sister Mal could be connected to her house explosion and is seeking her for a theft where someone was shot dead. But Ella hasn’t seen her sister Mal since her late childhood, when she left to go to college, and her childhood with Mal only a year younger than her, was a nightmare and doesn’t really have any good memories of her time with her sister. Even though she has had no actual contact with Mal, her sister has been sending her little tokens over the last ten years, all to do with a game they played as kids called the Breadcrumb Game. It started as hide and seek, then Mal would instead leave a clue for Ella, which would lead to where she was hiding.

Sam insisted on taking Ella to a safe house after the attempt on her life, but it seems even that is not safe, as another attempt is made and then another! It seems there is a professional assassin after Ella, who has mistaken her for her sister Mal, as they often were as children, with many thinking they were twins. Mal was always in trouble even as a child and has a very long police record, even trying her best to kill Ella a number of times as a child, which her parent’s tried to push aside and put down to childish mistakes. But Mal only got worse and Ella feels guilty for some of it, thinking it might have been her fault for how she reacted to her sister. After two of the FBI Agents protecting her get hurt in one of the assassin attempts, Ella is determined to find her sister on her own and not put anyone else’s life in danger and escapes from the next safehouse. Agent Sam feels responsible for her safety and when he locates her eventually, he is angry, but also understands that Ella is correct in knowing what her sister’s clues might mean and allows her to accompany his team to their next location. Sam has had his own personal loss, which he blamed himself for, so he understands about Ella’s past a lot more than she can realise to start and as they continue this journey together, she gets to see the real side of him that he has hidden for so long. Mal is getting her sister Ella to follow memories of their childhood, from trips they took with their parents as children.

This game becomes ever more dangerous as an unknown assassin is unknowingly targeting the wrong woman and we have to wait and see if Sam and his team can stop those behind the recruitment of the assassins trying to take out Mal’s team and the links to other crimes his team were already investigating. He needs to get to Mal and stop the assassins, but his main job is to keep Ella safe and he will lay down his life to do so, especially as he finds himself falling for her more and more. An intriguing story of an unexpected romance starting amidst dangerous events and sibling estrangement, linking a game from childhood to a twisted game of control and danger. Showing how an unbalanced and challenging childhood can have such detrimental effects on adult life, leaving her unable to rely on or trust others easily. A truly dysfunctional childhood and a sibling who brings the nature or nurture question into sharp focus! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

4 ½ stars

[Amanda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually won this book in a goodreads giveaway and I regret it took a while to get to reading it. I'm not great at leaving reviews which is why I normally just rate my reads but this book grabbed my attention in the 1st chapter and didn't let go. If you like books with mystery, sibling rivalry and a slow burn romance then definitely add this to your tbr. This was my 1st read from the author but definitely won't be my last.

[Victoria E Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was described as a slow burn, enemies to lovers, low spice romance. While it certainly has elements of those, it leans more into detective/suspense in my opinion. Detective Sam Connelly is certainly a grump at the beginning of the novel as he starts investigating the explosion which levels Ella's childhood home and takes out all her worldly possessions. But enemies feels like a stretch. That said, if you don't expect that when you're reading, it is a very enjoyable read. I loved the shifts between modern day and childhood memories as well as between Ella and Mal in the modern day.

Mild spoilers:

I did feel like there was a little left unresolved between the sisters in the end and was unsure why Ella was still in a safe house after the investigation closed.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am thankful for the chance to have read it through Hidden Gems. I decided voluntarily to review it after I finished.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story filled with suspense, sibling rivalry and a to-be-or-not-to-be-maybe hint of a romance.

A very gripping start to a very surreal story about sibling rivalry at its worst.

Bella and Mal has a very weird love-to-hate-you relationship: next level psychotic behavior which makes your skin crawl thinking that someone could be so evil.

Read this book and be thankful for your own loving siblings!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[CORINNE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am reviewing it voluntarily

This was a gripping read very different how clever a plot following clues from a childhood game

Ella and Sam were adorable even though they had the most awful times Ella was like a cat surviving so much trauma

Put the FBI in a new light for sure

Great storyline and a twist at the end

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a book that practically reads on its own. I was hooked from start to finish, and couldn't wait to see what happened with Ella and Mal. I love the author's writing style, the masterful way she portrays the inner world of the characters, and makes them feel so real. Excellent story, can't wait for her new book!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turner you can't put down. A gripping story line that pulls you in and captivates you until you turn the last page. Strong, well developed characters you can't help but fall in love with.

I received an advance copy of this book from Hidden Gem Books and I'm voluntarily leaving my review.

[Sara Cayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just perfect and fun read. Highly recommend this book.
❤️🥰🥵

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make this a movie!

[Noreen Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that held most of my attention from the start.
It was amazing that one person could go through as much as Ella did and survive.

[Gwen Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good, and I had a hard time putting it down from the beginning until the very end. It kept me guessing as to what would happen next throughout the book. Every time I thought I had something figured out the whole plot seemed to change. The Breadcrumb Game was the perfect title as I felt lost following the breadcrumbs to find my way to our next destination. Great job writing this book Lauren and I for one really appreciate the clean book. I could at times feel the heat, but you kept it to a minimum and no cussing. Thank you so much and keep the good books coming please.

In this book we meet two sisters who have never gotten along with each other. Ella Madson is 39, and her sister Mal is 38 and they have not seen or talked to each other for over 20 years. The only communication they have had is Mal sends little trinkets to Ella over the years. This is a game they played since they were little kids. Mal leaves little items to tell Ella where she is at or where she is hiding. Ella uses the items as clues as to where Mal is. Her parents used to take them on vacations all of the time so they both love traveling and have done a lot of it over the years. Most kids have gone on an average of 8 to 10 vacations they have gone on 50 to 60.
In the beginning of the book Ella is working at home and she hears the mail lady Sheila, putting the mail in the mailbox. After a while she goes out to get the mail and when she reaches in the mailbox, she does not feel anything, so she reaches way in the back. About that time, she hears an explosion. Neighbors run out of their houses to see what happened. Ella cannot hear anything, so she talks loudly. Her house is gone, was that what the explosion was? I am so confused. A neighbors son comes running up to me to see if I am okay, well I think that is what he said as I still cannot hear right. What is going on? My house, why would someone want to do this? This is the house I grew up in and now it is gone. Everything I had is gone. I did not leave the gas on by mistake, did I? The next thing I know police and firemen are running all over and an EMT wants me to go to the hospital.
At the hospital the doctor says I am okay but have a bad concussion and he wants to keep me for observation for a while. Just to be safe and make sure nothing else is wrong. He told my hearing would return to normal soon. While in the hospital an FBI Agent Sam Donnelly comes to visit me. At first, he acts like I blew up my house and then he asks me if I knew anyone that might do this. Did I have any workers or anyone visiting me? There was someone there this morning to check the meter or something, so he had someone come out and I described the person to the artist, she did a wonderful job and the drawing looked just like him. He had checked records and mentioned Mal. I knew she had a record a mile long, but I do not think she would do something like this. She hates me but not that much. Growing up she had hurt me many times and played pranks, she even tried to drown me once but not this, she is my sister. He still wants to question Mal and due to the clues; she sends me he thinks I might come in handy, so he wants me to travel with the FBI team to help solve their investigation. Mal is leaving clues from our past and we are traveling city to city following her trail. Did Mal commit this crime? If not did she know who did? Why is she trying to kill me?
I got this fantastic book from Book Sprout and will be happy to leave my review.

[Bookfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book had the right ingredients, but it didn't quite come together. My feeling was this might be an author early in her career, which was why the execution didn't quite live up to the premise.

The plot had a lot of twists and turns with plenty of danger just when you think everything has calmed down. Ella and Mal’s interactions with their parents was very sweet, and those flashbacks were my favourite parts of the book.

However, although a lot of emotions are described and Ella’s trauma and dysfunctional relationship with her sister are central to the story, I didn’t connect with her at a gut level.

My knowledge of how the FBI operates is no deeper than the average TV and movie watcher, but Donnelly came off as extremely rude and unprofessional in the way he interacted with Ella at the hospital after her house had just exploded. Also, he interviewed her alone, but I thought FBI agents work in pairs unless there are logistical challenges that prevent there being another agent present.

Some of the dialogue didn’t quite ring true. For example, the characters are unrealistically introspective. At one point Donnelly says, “I’d blocked off that part of me for so long. I had no idea how much I’d missed that feeling until it was there again. I’d thought it was gone forever. Maybe that’s why I’m so over-protective of you.” Do people really talk like that?

I don’t want to reveal spoilers, but some decisions one of the main characters made didn’t make sense, given the dangerous situation they were in. I would have liked to have seen some scenes in Donnelly’s point of view, especially as it became apparent that this is a romantic suspense novel.

I wouldn’t be averse to reading another book by this author when she's further along in her career, because I think she has potential. It's clear she puts some thought into her story ideas, and it will be interesting to see what she can do with more polished writing skills.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The Breadcrumb Game is a detective slash romance novel. I read that it's enemies to lovers, but I wouldn't say that's true. This book is a slow-burn romance, but there's a spark from the beginning.

Ella's house is destroyed. She grew up in this house, and it's clear that it was intentionally destroyed, but who wants to kill her? The FBI gets involved in the case and connects it with another case involving stolen money. A person of interest in both cases becomes Mal, Ella's estranged sister. They haven't seen each other in years, since they were in their late teens. They're now 38 and 39. Mal was always getting into trouble, and Ella doesn't know for sure if her sister would actually be involved in something that could hurt her. I mean, they may be estranged, but they're still sisters.

The detective, Sam Donnelly, is a bit gruff, kind of a bad-cop-vibes federal agent. Again, it's not an enemies-to-lovers romance because there's definitely attraction from the beginning, even though it's subtle. The thing about Sam and Ella is that they're both established in their careers and more confident in themselves than you find in young adult fiction. I don't read that kind of self-assurance very often, and this was a nice change of pace. Also, they're both likable characters. It's easy to see how they fall for each other. Sam has a backstory. Actually, they both do. It's Ella's backstory with her sister that drives the plot.

The novel is told from alternating points of view, both Ella's and Mal's (though mostly Ella's), and then it goes back to their childhood. I love the way the story is told. The title is The Breadcrumb Game, and this is one of those books where the title shows up in the novel. I love it when authors do that! But the meaning is leaving breadcrumbs - hints, and they have to find Mal, so it makes sense.

I love a slow-burn romance, and this one doesn't disappoint. And because this is a romance as well as a suspense novel involving her sister and their past, it kind of ties Ella's whole life together and helps her resolve things. It's also a unique story. Anyway, I highly recommend this book.

[TrishAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I must admit that it drew me in from the beginning, I thought that the plot was quite unique and well thought out.
Could anything more go wrong in Ella Madson's life ? her parents were dead, she, and her only sister, Mal, hadn't spoken for twenty years and now her house had blown up with all her treasured possessions inside.
Mal's troubled childhood had led to even more trouble as an adult, could she have had anything to do with the explosion ? Mal was wanted by the FBI and a game that Ella and Mal had played as children, a hide and seek game where they left clues, meant that the clues that the FBI were getting could only be solved by Ella, they needed Ella's help.
Ella's initial meeting with Sam Donnelly, the FBI agent assigned to the case, didn't go very well, her first impression wasn't good but as the story unfolds Ella and Sam become close, they follow the clues left by Mal, clues that led Ella to places that had memories of her childhood some of which had left her traumatized.
As they follow the clues, attempts are made on Ella's life but Sam is determined to protect her.
I really enjoyed this story, I didn't predict the outcome and I loved the gentle romance that blossomed between Ella and Sam.
I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ARC for this book was offered by Hidden Gems and I was interested from the synopsis. This book definitely starts with a bang when someone blew up Ella Madson's house. Due to that and the fact that there are other incidents in the area, the FBI is called in and take over Ella’s security. At this time, she meets Agent Sam Donnelly, who is still recovering from a loss of his own, but becomes her protector. As they examine this situation, it appears that it has something to do with Ella’s sister, Mal, who she has not seen in twenty years. The only way they communicate is little gifts, that are breadcrumbs leading Ella to places from their childhood and to find Mal. The book includes many flashbacks to the girls’ childhood and how they became as estranged today.
The hints and breadcrumbs take Ella and Sam on a cross-country chase to find Mal and figure out who is trying to kill Ella. Their relationship ebbs and flows through out the book as the investigation continues while trying to figure out the clues from the breadcrumb game.

[Cherie Melbourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this story from start to finish, it's a first read for me of a story by this author.
I liked the characters, not so much Mal, the problem child. The pace of the story kept me turning the pages. I kept wondering the whole time how Ella was constantly tracked and never gave the item a second thought at the start of the story, it was brought in so casually and didn't stand out. I take pride in my attention to detail and just shook my head when it was revealed.
Ella and Sam's attraction was slow building and brought a smile to my face when they got their act together at the end.
I'll gladly read more from this author and even this story again.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Shannon Heck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella's house blows up, setting the stage for a cross country journey with the FBI to find her sister and solve a mystery. As Ella gets closer to the truth, she is forced to relive memories from her childhood. Some are not very pleasant, but Ella also grows closer to the agent on her case. Sam is determined to keep her safe.

The Breadcrumb Game was a fun adventure. Ella wasn't just on an adventure to find her sister, she was also on an emotional journey to find acceptance and closure due to her traumatic childhood memories. I enjoyed her banter with Sam and watching their relationship ever so slowly develop. The ending was not what I was expecting, so the book was definitely not predictable. I enjoyed following the clues, so this was definitely a 5 star book for me!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book was intriguing and made me want to read it. It got off to a good start. The chase and clues were interesting but the ending was lack lustre. No real intrigue.

The author wrote a lot of internal monologue to communicate feelings and reactions of the mc. (it’s hard to write a believable realistic heroine who has had so much bad luck in a short space of time and not make her look superhuman) But after a while it came across as whingeing. I got fed up of the repeats.

If you’re going to do an FBI chase back and forth across America, I want a kick ass unapologetic heroine- realism be damned.

All that said the promise that there might be a big twist at the end kept me going and it was a pleasant read.

[Reviewer King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I've been looking for. After reading many fantasy novels in a row that were disappointing, I'm glad to have stumbled upon this. I chose it because of the interesting and thrilling premise and I'm excited to say that it lived up to the hype. I think something that I really enjoyed was how the characters were older, but the book refrained from going into explicit details or being spicy, which has taken the fun out of reading with books nowadays. I got to read about mature characters with an interesting setting and a captivating world. I was rooted to the book and that slow burn romance? OOOF. I also liked the writing a lot!

[Jacqueline Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I've read by this author and was not disappointed that I chose to read this book. The storyline took me on a roller coaster ride with twists and turns you won't see coming. I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery along with the characters. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kelley wellmeier · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was good but the execution was lacking a bit. Some of the more exciting scenes seemed jumbled and rushed. It said romance, and while there is a very very slow burn mingling between the two main characters there is no spice just a “connection”. The mystery behind the hitman and the excitement with the breadcrumb game was an amazing part of the book and kept my attention for the thrill!

[LaRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a wild, fast paced, adventurous story! Loved the suspense so much! It was amazing! Sam and Ella's relationship was fun to read as it changed. Really awesome book!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall storyline was good. The romantic aspect was predictable.