Out of Control

by Linda Riedle

When forensic pathologist Lily Markham narrowly escapes a deadly car accident outside her hospital, her life unravels into a web of danger and revelation. The appearance of her long-lost father's body on her autopsy table – murdered and bearing a tattoo from her childhood – ignites a journey through a past she thought buried, leading her to uncover a political conspiracy that threatens her very existence. From the chaotic streets of New York City to the icy landscapes of Iceland, Lily battles personal demons and external threats to protect her daughter, Zoey. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and political dramas, this unforgettable story will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, stunning page.

Genres: Mystery

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2024

Reviews

[Jessie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

more than 5 stars

5 stars are not enough for this book. I couldn’t wait to know what happened next. The suspense made me think of wrong scenarios and people involved. The end was heart breaking.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, i wanted to really like this book. It started out strong, interesting story line. But somewhere towards the end, it did a 180 and felt like a completely different book... Very disappointed in how it ended.

[Karyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Unfortunately gave a true insight about how we rationalize our stand on gun control. Wish we had a politician like Mark

[Sharon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

All about dirty politics. A love story in the background. Lily doesn't know who to trust. Great characters story is great.

[Ahana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this in a giveaway, thank you for the opportunity to read this!

This had so much potential to be rated higher! It started off so well with a really strong premise, but then got way too political, especially at the end. It really should have ended at like 80-85% of the way through the story, but the author just kept dragging it out to make a weird stance on gun control (?)












*SPOILERS*

There was literally no reason to do Lily like that at the end of the book by throwing Zoey under the bus. The only reason we felt bad at all as readers was because of any attachment/pity for Lily. Zoey was literally just a background character used as a martyr to comment on the issues the author has with lax gun control in the U.S., and its impact on the safety of the youth. And the powerlessness (?) that politicians face trying to save face…??? Idk, the ending was a 0/10, if they just stopped after she was happy with her embassy boo thang, it would have been fine, LOL.

[Janet Halsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the sole survivor of her family when a boating accident claims her parents and two brothers, Lily is now is 35 year old forensic pathologist. When a dead body arrives on her table with a gunshot to the head, Lily immediately recognizes him as the father she was told died 30 years ago.

As she digs deeper into her father's life since the boat accident, she finds herself in Iceland. What she uncovers puts not only herself in danger, but her adoptive family.

Starting out string, Out of Control if fast paced as Lily uncovers her father's secret life and the information he uncovered that ultimately got him killed. At the 70 percent mark, we learn everything we can about the cover up and the story takes a complete turn towards a romance and political statement towards gun control. The whiplash of this change was so jarring it took me completely out of it. Then, the last two chapters seemed to just be thrown in for shock value to further push the gun control political agenda. This just wasn't for me.

Thank you Goodreads for gifting me this ebook in your Giveaway.

[Uma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astounding, realistic, true-to-life book!

This is the story of forensic pathologist Lily, her foster father Mark, her little daughter Zoey along with other characters who are close to Lily. When Lily discovers the body of her biological father who was supposed to have died thirty years ago on her autopsy table, she starts out to find the mystery behind this occurrence.
The saga of her adventures and happenings as she progresses towards finding the truth and mystery forms the content of this enthralling story!!!

This book had me going through all kinds of emotions and provided an amazing reading experience. Thank you, Linda!!

[Deborah Yunevich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow

A story of twists and turns. Lilly experiences so much pain from such a young age. She lost her fami!y when the boat they are on has problems in the weather. She is raised by her father's best friend. One day her father ends up on her table in the morgue. What a surprise since he was supposed to be already dead. TBE lies and surprises continue. I am ready for more from this author.

[Barbara Fricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never expected this

This story was thoughtfully written with the current state of affairs woven brilliantly into an American family’s life. While I do not want to spoil the plot I will offer that it may trigger emotions that some folks may not want to face. I highly recommend it for that reason.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing, full of detail and excitement. It felt a bit political but that was the whole premise of this story. I see how it might not be for everyone but I did enjoy the story and the characters. Thanks #goodreadsgiveaways

[Pat Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking

Great writer. Sad, actually more than sad because while this is fiction…it is the truth of what has, and continues to happen in this once wonderful country. Guns and the power behind them continue the nearly daily carnage with little to no regard for human life.

[Kathy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars.Good book, but the ending was not complete.

[RALPH BURDICK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enough is enough !

Riddle is a writers writer! Just a great book with a storyline that never lets up. And an ending you will never see coming. Fab a copy, you will be glad you did!

[Kat]

when she was 5yrs old her dad took her, her mom and 2 older brothers on the boat for a around the world trip. the first time out they all ended up in the water after sinking and her mom and brothers were killed by sharks. she lost below her knee

her dads best friend and his wife raised her. she became a coroner. she was almost killed while crossing the street by a suv but another car running the light got in a accident with it and so she was saved. she tried to treat the driver of the suv but he limped away

she discovered the body she was examining later that morning was her dad (she recognized his tattoo) , who everyone thought had died in the ocean with the rest of her family. he had id from iceland.

she called the police about the accident she witnessed and it had been written up as a single car to a pole accident. no mention of the suv

she left early to get her daughter out of preschool and left her with the childs dad for safe keeping. she didnt tell him why

her uncle who raised her is running for president.
he knew her dad was alive and so did her aunt, they never told her

she went to iceland and met the man at the embassy there. he took her to her dads house. he told her that her dads wife and 2 sons were killed in a car accident. she thought it might be her mom and brothers but she saw the photos and it wasnt

she had sex with him. she didnt know he was one of the bad guys

he took her to the airport but she changed her mind at the last min and didnt go. she went back to her dads house. the neighbor told her the wife and kids were fine, at her moms. he just talked to them. so she drove there and met them. the wife had just learned about her. she said her husband went back to the states, something about the election

she went back home and got into his phone. he was finding money sent to 3 people who died in a school shooting. it has something to do with politics

she is staying in a hotel , shes scared to go home. she is on leave from work, she told them her dad died

i didnt see her go back to work at all

she broke it off with the guy from iceland who wanted to marry her, he knew her uncle and never told her the uncle wanted him to look out for her

her uncle became president
her daughter was killed in a school shooting
her uncle resigned as president

[Kelly Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot, although it rambles a bit. The writing is good but not excellent. I sense a lot of lost opportunities for development of the main character and her relationships. The book doesn’t give nearly enough to the complexity of her dad endangering the family, watching them die horrific deaths, leaving the body of a five year old behind and running away like a scared girl. The many falsehoods from Mark are glossed over a little as well.

The author spends too much energy delivering sermons about progressive causes. I don’t read fiction thrillers for that purpose. I can get that from CNN any day. So while she laments gun deaths, she is pretty callous about killing off fictional kids and mothers. She wrote a 5 y/o girl watching her mom and brothers eaten by sharks. Another mother is murdered and no questions are even asked. The final child death was just over the top ridiculous. In summary, balance is needed.

[Daniel Kowalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Protagonist Lily works as a forensic pathologist for the city of New York and her daily grind involves performing autopsies. When she was five her entire immediate family died in a boating accident, or so she thought. One day her world is torn upside down when a gun shot victim’s corpse is brought with the identical tattoo her father had.

She soon learns that he survived the accident and was living a secret life in Iceland because his life was in danger. He had knowledge about a vile conspiracy that goes to the top levels of government and as Lily embarks on an international journey to learn about her dad’s second life, she soon realizes that her life is in danger.

Quick pacing and a premise that takes us traveling between continents to uncover an elaborate conspiracy make this book an excellent read.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Book Has An Interesting Start, But Then …

The Book’s Title says it all; it’s the one, constant theme throughout the entire story — and I recommend that The Reader never forget that tidbit. But, my 3-star Rating is generous; when I started the book, I was expecting to give it a 5-star Rating …

However, as much as I tip my hat to The Author for trying to be consistent with his Title and Theme — the book’s story suffers from it. The beginning of the Book was captivating and quickly draws The Reader in, wanting him/her to know more.

But, the rest of the tale is a failure, with a lot of real-life inconsistencies, and where The Author deliberately pointed fingers of suspicion, the actual book plot was not as supporting in detail or belief. That disappointment translated into the lower Rating.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

The course of a lifetime
Lily is a busy woman who is a pathologist as well as a co-parenting mother of a beutiful daughter, Zoey. Her life started out wonderful and went tragically wrong with a boat trip that ended up disastrous, killing her parents and siblings. The boating accident made her lose part of her leg, so she had to grow up using and upgrade to a newer size prosthetic.
Being raised in NY with her Aunt and Uncle, life was good. Until 30 years later, the dead man on the table she was autopsying had the one tattoo she had not seen in 30 years...
Lily then goes on what is the ride of a lifetime, and it is not necessarily good... or bad. It is one that she will never forget!
The ending is one that I had absolutely no idea it would be!
Thank you, Linda Riedle, for a great story.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Giveaway. This was a good book that had a few different things going on.

Lily Markham a forensic pathologist, barely escapes a car accident. Then her father, who she believed was dead years ago, appears on her autopsy table. She decides to took into the past and find out what happened. Can she find out what happened initially and who was behind it? Is she in danger and can she made it out of this situation?

The writing was good and the book was easy to follow. It really told the story well.

I recommend reading this book.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Riedle’s Out of Control offers a compelling look at how quickly life can shift and how people respond when everything feels unsteady. The pacing is strong, the characters feel believable, and the emotional tension is handled with care. What I liked most is how grounded the story feels — nothing is exaggerated or forced. It’s a thoughtful, well‑written book that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

[Janis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Liked the mystery until it evolved into a political mystery. Then it changes to a novel with a full-on political agenda. I hate novels with a political agenda & it became obvious the interesting mystery was just to hook me into listening to the political agenda; the real reason for the book. I feel betrayed.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

This is one of those books you don't like because of what it says but it's a good book because of what it says.
Interesting that some reviewers called the author out for getting political when it's billed as a political thriller. It is definitely political but it makes both major parties in America look bad. And they are bad so It is what it is.

[Ariel Palenik(TheDayDreamingWriter) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Riedle’s novel Out of Control is a must read… It is a fast paced mystery. It takes the reader down so many twists and turns.

It’s full of surprises and will leave reader asking why, many times…

[Cora Taylor]

Easy read,, I couldn't put it down. Such a sad ending. Thank you