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Carolina McKay #1
Her Deadly Homecoming
Book #1 from the series: Carolina McKay Thriller
🎧Listening Length = 8 hours and 44 minutes
Three girls. Brutally murdered. Eyelids surgically removed.
Their killer never caught.
Eighteen years later… a new victim is found.
Carolina McKay thought she’d escaped her past. The murders that wrecked her youth. Her family. But most of all, her hometown.
After her promising career as a big-city police detective is ended by a gunshot, Carolina heads home to Dupray, West Virginia, defeated and purposeless.
Until the murders start anew.
Sheriff Lester Fenech, her mentor and surrogate father, feels old and outmatched. With less than a month until his retirement, he’s desperate to solve the case which has tormented him. But he needs help.
When the first killings rocked Dupray, Carolina was just a teenager. Now, she’s the best chance they have to catch a monster.
Will she be able to pull herself together and solve the murders? Or will her own haunted past get in the way and leave more dead bodies in a killer’s wake?
A page-turning thriller packed with twists and suspense. Fans of Willow Rose, Patrick Logan, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Gardner will love Carolina McKay.
©2020 Tony Urban ℗2024 Packanack Publishing
🎧Listening Length = 8 hours and 44 minutes
Three girls. Brutally murdered. Eyelids surgically removed.
Their killer never caught.
Eighteen years later… a new victim is found.
Carolina McKay thought she’d escaped her past. The murders that wrecked her youth. Her family. But most of all, her hometown.
After her promising career as a big-city police detective is ended by a gunshot, Carolina heads home to Dupray, West Virginia, defeated and purposeless.
Until the murders start anew.
Sheriff Lester Fenech, her mentor and surrogate father, feels old and outmatched. With less than a month until his retirement, he’s desperate to solve the case which has tormented him. But he needs help.
When the first killings rocked Dupray, Carolina was just a teenager. Now, she’s the best chance they have to catch a monster.
Will she be able to pull herself together and solve the murders? Or will her own haunted past get in the way and leave more dead bodies in a killer’s wake?
A page-turning thriller packed with twists and suspense. Fans of Willow Rose, Patrick Logan, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Gardner will love Carolina McKay.
©2020 Tony Urban ℗2024 Packanack Publishing
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2020
1872 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
About the author
Tony Urban
66 books204 followersA professional photographer, writer and fan of general weirdness (both real and imagined), Tony has traveled tens of thousands of miles seeking out everything from haunted locations, UFO crash sites and monsters like Bigfoot and the Mothman. In a previous life, he worked in the independent movie industry but he finds his current career much more exciting.
Tony's first writing memory involves penning a short story about taking a road trip with his best friend and his dog (two different creatures) to watch KoKo B Ware in a professional wrestling event in Pittsburgh. He wrote that epic saga while in the 3rd grade and it was all downhill from there. His first books were a series of o)eat travelogues but recently his zombie apocalypse series, "Life of the Dead" has been a bestseller online and grossed out readers all over the world. His ultimate goal in life is to be killed by a monster thought by most to be imaginary. Sasquatch, werewolves, chupacabras, he’s not picky. If that fails, he’d enjoy making a living as a full time writer. Which of those two scenarios is more likely is up to the readers to decide.
Please sign up for my mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/P8lc9
Tony's first writing memory involves penning a short story about taking a road trip with his best friend and his dog (two different creatures) to watch KoKo B Ware in a professional wrestling event in Pittsburgh. He wrote that epic saga while in the 3rd grade and it was all downhill from there. His first books were a series of o)eat travelogues but recently his zombie apocalypse series, "Life of the Dead" has been a bestseller online and grossed out readers all over the world. His ultimate goal in life is to be killed by a monster thought by most to be imaginary. Sasquatch, werewolves, chupacabras, he’s not picky. If that fails, he’d enjoy making a living as a full time writer. Which of those two scenarios is more likely is up to the readers to decide.
Please sign up for my mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/P8lc9
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
June 13, 2025
Drew Strickland and Tony Urban craft a well-developed series debut with this collaborative effort. Set in the rural parts of West Virginia, a big city detective who has been injured and forced to return home tries to stay in the game. The story surrounds a serial killer who had gone quiet for many years. A new body emerges and sends the locals into a tizzy, none more so that former Detective Carolina McKay. Forced to connect with the outgoing sheriff and the potential successor, Carolina is on the hunt for a killer who has sadistic ideas for those who cross their path. Strickland and Urban deliver a winner to open this series.
It was eighteen years ago that three young women were brutally killed, their eyelids cut off and no trace of the killer left the authorities baffled. A teenaged Carolina McKay was curious about the case, though she had to keep her distance. She connected with Sheriff Lester Fenech, who fed her as much as he could, but no answers were forthcoming.
Fast-forward to the present and Carolina is back from the big city, where she has made a name for herself as a detective. Returning to Dupray, West Virginia after a gunshot shelved her, Carolina is looking for purpose and meaning. All this changes when a new body is discovered on the outskirts of town, the eyelids carved off the young woman’s body. This reminds McKay of the past.
With Sheriff Lester Fenech, counting down the days until his retirement, he wants to go out with a bang. Engaging the mind and spark of Carolina, they begin working the case, though there is a hitch. Elven Hallie is taking over as sheriff and wants to begin by making a big arrest. While Carolina and Elven have an awkward past, they will have to put this aside to locate a killer before Dupray turns into a blood-soaked town once more. Drew Strickland and Tony Urban deliver a gripping series debut that has me wanting more!
While I have enjoyed the work of Drew Strickland before—especially his Elven Hallie series—I am new to the world of Tony Urban. This collaborative effort is sure to be a great example of teamwork with a police procedural series set in the smaller parts of West Virginia. The narrative clips along and keeps the reader enthralled from the opening pages, adding spice and awkwardness where it is needed most. Characters are both well-developed and perfectly placed to keep the story moving, while also leaving many questions that only further reading will reveal. Plot points keep the reader wondering and there is no lack of surprises for the dedicated reader to discover. While I know Elven Hallie and Drew Strickland’s portrayal of his protagonist, I am eager to see how Carolina McKay will emerge as a strong woman that keeps me reading.
Kudos, Messrs. Strickland and Urban, for helping remind me that rural West Virginia has a lot worth my reading time!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
It was eighteen years ago that three young women were brutally killed, their eyelids cut off and no trace of the killer left the authorities baffled. A teenaged Carolina McKay was curious about the case, though she had to keep her distance. She connected with Sheriff Lester Fenech, who fed her as much as he could, but no answers were forthcoming.
Fast-forward to the present and Carolina is back from the big city, where she has made a name for herself as a detective. Returning to Dupray, West Virginia after a gunshot shelved her, Carolina is looking for purpose and meaning. All this changes when a new body is discovered on the outskirts of town, the eyelids carved off the young woman’s body. This reminds McKay of the past.
With Sheriff Lester Fenech, counting down the days until his retirement, he wants to go out with a bang. Engaging the mind and spark of Carolina, they begin working the case, though there is a hitch. Elven Hallie is taking over as sheriff and wants to begin by making a big arrest. While Carolina and Elven have an awkward past, they will have to put this aside to locate a killer before Dupray turns into a blood-soaked town once more. Drew Strickland and Tony Urban deliver a gripping series debut that has me wanting more!
While I have enjoyed the work of Drew Strickland before—especially his Elven Hallie series—I am new to the world of Tony Urban. This collaborative effort is sure to be a great example of teamwork with a police procedural series set in the smaller parts of West Virginia. The narrative clips along and keeps the reader enthralled from the opening pages, adding spice and awkwardness where it is needed most. Characters are both well-developed and perfectly placed to keep the story moving, while also leaving many questions that only further reading will reveal. Plot points keep the reader wondering and there is no lack of surprises for the dedicated reader to discover. While I know Elven Hallie and Drew Strickland’s portrayal of his protagonist, I am eager to see how Carolina McKay will emerge as a strong woman that keeps me reading.
Kudos, Messrs. Strickland and Urban, for helping remind me that rural West Virginia has a lot worth my reading time!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 23, 2020
No
The beginning of the story had my attention although it was by no means original. As I continued I started to really dislike Carolina. She's not the brilliant city detective I would have expected and worse she little better than a heroin addict (which is what she will turn to when opioid prescriptions run out). The Scooby-Doo detective work was ridiculous. Hmmm. I know I should call back up but I'll disregard that and inevitably get beat up and shot. The ending with the police chief? Seriously? DID???? So bad I don't think I'll be reading another in series.
The beginning of the story had my attention although it was by no means original. As I continued I started to really dislike Carolina. She's not the brilliant city detective I would have expected and worse she little better than a heroin addict (which is what she will turn to when opioid prescriptions run out). The Scooby-Doo detective work was ridiculous. Hmmm. I know I should call back up but I'll disregard that and inevitably get beat up and shot. The ending with the police chief? Seriously? DID???? So bad I don't think I'll be reading another in series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2023
I love this book but I didn’t understand the ending.
July 10, 2024
Much more gruesome than I'm comfortable with but quite the thriller and very well written. Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook.
June 27, 2025
I’m really on the fence on how I feel about this book. I think the ending was very anticlimactic, and I did not like the story of the killer. It felt like the ending was very rushed.
April 29, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this book with a lot of twists and turns, but still left parts that needed further explanation.
March 28, 2023
Carolina grew up in a small WV town which had one industry - coal mining - then the seams of coal ran out. The town deteriorated further. Carolina went to the big city to be a cop, worked her way up to detective, and was injured badly on the job, taking a medical retirement from the force. Trying to get herself together enough to figure out her next steps,
she gets a van and sets it up as an RV of sorts, and parks it in her mom's driveway.
Back when she was 15, there was a series of 3 murders of college girls and they were unable to find the killer. Then, for 20 years, the killings stopped. Now, they have resumed. The sheriff was a father figure to her, since her own father left when she was a baby and has never come back. He asks her to consult on the case when the body of a young woman is discovered by a civilian, by accident.
As she navigates the new department, which includes the son of the owner of the now-depleted coal mine, and a young deputy who makes the fictional Barney Fife look like a super cop, she brings us along on a nail biting ride through the investigation that has a twist at the end that is a major surprise.
Technically, there were a few spots where the wording was odd, and not entirely clear, and some areas where quotation marks were confusingly placed, or words misused, but not that many. The author needs a decent proofreader - proofreading your own work is useless; you're too close to it to be objective.
Aside from that, the woes of dealing with chronic pain when treatment is inadequate are well covered, as are the ways people in Appalachia live, and endure, along with their prejudices amd foibles.
I still recommend the book, just be aware that there are a few rough grammatical spots along the way, like bumps in a rural WV road. The story is worth it, and I hope the author will fix the issues.
she gets a van and sets it up as an RV of sorts, and parks it in her mom's driveway.
Back when she was 15, there was a series of 3 murders of college girls and they were unable to find the killer. Then, for 20 years, the killings stopped. Now, they have resumed. The sheriff was a father figure to her, since her own father left when she was a baby and has never come back. He asks her to consult on the case when the body of a young woman is discovered by a civilian, by accident.
As she navigates the new department, which includes the son of the owner of the now-depleted coal mine, and a young deputy who makes the fictional Barney Fife look like a super cop, she brings us along on a nail biting ride through the investigation that has a twist at the end that is a major surprise.
Technically, there were a few spots where the wording was odd, and not entirely clear, and some areas where quotation marks were confusingly placed, or words misused, but not that many. The author needs a decent proofreader - proofreading your own work is useless; you're too close to it to be objective.
Aside from that, the woes of dealing with chronic pain when treatment is inadequate are well covered, as are the ways people in Appalachia live, and endure, along with their prejudices amd foibles.
I still recommend the book, just be aware that there are a few rough grammatical spots along the way, like bumps in a rural WV road. The story is worth it, and I hope the author will fix the issues.
July 18, 2024
Carolina McKay has returned to her home town after being shot on the job. She is hoping to just rebuild and return to her old self. But before she even has time to settle in, she discovers a young girl’s body in a ditch. Has the madman that terrorized her youth returned? Or is this a new copy cat killer?
Carolina is a bit of a mess. She is addicted to her pain medication, she is living in her van and she is just plain lost on what she wants to do next. She ends up helping the local sheriff, a family friend, with these murders. And yes, there is more than one. And it may cost her more than she knows!
This tale is a very good crime novel! It has everything, good characters and good intensity. I love the way this story moves! Talk about fast paced and keeps you guessing. It also deals with loss and growing old! Be careful, you might get a bit teary eyed at the end!
The narrator, Jess Combs, is not a southerner. This book is set West Virginia, close enough to pronounce kudzu in proper southern style. Not Quedzu. This is just minor, but I laughed every time this southern girl heard it. Other than that, she did a great job. I especially loved her as Carolina.
This is the first in a series and I am really looking forward to the next one.
Need a good thriller with an action packed ending…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Carolina is a bit of a mess. She is addicted to her pain medication, she is living in her van and she is just plain lost on what she wants to do next. She ends up helping the local sheriff, a family friend, with these murders. And yes, there is more than one. And it may cost her more than she knows!
This tale is a very good crime novel! It has everything, good characters and good intensity. I love the way this story moves! Talk about fast paced and keeps you guessing. It also deals with loss and growing old! Be careful, you might get a bit teary eyed at the end!
The narrator, Jess Combs, is not a southerner. This book is set West Virginia, close enough to pronounce kudzu in proper southern style. Not Quedzu. This is just minor, but I laughed every time this southern girl heard it. Other than that, she did a great job. I especially loved her as Carolina.
This is the first in a series and I am really looking forward to the next one.
Need a good thriller with an action packed ending…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
July 29, 2024
Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Select | Packanack Publishing and Tony Urban, Drew Strickland for the audio Arc of her Deadly Homecoming..
Narrated by Jess Combs.
I love books where the DCI or detective has a back story and this one is no exception. Carolina McKay returns back to her hometown after being injured in the line of duty. Working with Sheriff Fenech, her old mentor and Elvin ( his unlikable replacement ) they engage in a case of a murdered teen. Things feel all too familiar to Carolina and starts digging into her own past and other cold cases.
This is my first book by these two authors and I must say, I really enjoyed the combined writing styles of Tony and Drew. I would say this is a slow burn and building very quickly Into a medium paced police protocol thriller. The characters were very well built. You can relate to the messiness of Carolina, especially as the twists and turns unfold. Her past combines very nicely. I also like the dynamics between Carolina and Elvin and how it developed.
The descriptions of where this story was based was really well depicted and the pace of the book was consistent with these types of thriller books. The final reveal and pay off was good and felt like it set up nicely for the next book in the series. I'll be reading more from these authors.
Her Deadly Homecoming was narrated by Jess Combs. I really enjoyed the pacing of her voice and suited this book really well.
4 stars
Narrated by Jess Combs.
I love books where the DCI or detective has a back story and this one is no exception. Carolina McKay returns back to her hometown after being injured in the line of duty. Working with Sheriff Fenech, her old mentor and Elvin ( his unlikable replacement ) they engage in a case of a murdered teen. Things feel all too familiar to Carolina and starts digging into her own past and other cold cases.
This is my first book by these two authors and I must say, I really enjoyed the combined writing styles of Tony and Drew. I would say this is a slow burn and building very quickly Into a medium paced police protocol thriller. The characters were very well built. You can relate to the messiness of Carolina, especially as the twists and turns unfold. Her past combines very nicely. I also like the dynamics between Carolina and Elvin and how it developed.
The descriptions of where this story was based was really well depicted and the pace of the book was consistent with these types of thriller books. The final reveal and pay off was good and felt like it set up nicely for the next book in the series. I'll be reading more from these authors.
Her Deadly Homecoming was narrated by Jess Combs. I really enjoyed the pacing of her voice and suited this book really well.
4 stars
April 2, 2023
Carolina is a longtime friend of the sheriff. When she returns to her hometown, he asks her to help him investigate a murder case that is similar to a string of killings that occurred years earlier. The eyelids of the victims have been removed. Carolina is recovering from a shooting injury and is addicted to oxy. She is living in her van that is parked in her mother's driveway. She says the situation is temporary but it has a longterm feel. Carolina goes against other members of the sheriff's department and sets out on her own, placing herself in growing danger. A blogger from New York assists her in her investigation and they develop a complicated relationship. Carolina's mother, Bea, is a retired professor and a bird expert. She is an old hippie with unusual attitudes. The sheriff's daughter was among the early victims and his mental faculties are fading. A deputy is waiting in the wings to take over the sheriff's job. The plot is intriguing with plenty of twists and turns. The ending offers a sad surprise. The book could stand another round of editing. In several places, words that sound similar are used incorrectly. In another place near the end, a character named Tank becomes Hank for several paragraphs. With two authors, one of you should do a better job of catching the errors.
July 16, 2024
I went into this book with high hopes and was almost immediately let down. The main character was unlikeable right from the start and while I hoped she would get better she did not. Her detective skills were subpar at best and she kept intentionally putting herself into dangerous situations because “why not” which didn’t feel realistic at all. The only character I actually somewhat liked was Max and he played a pretty minimal roll in the story overall.
I also felt misled that we were told in the book description that she “survived the serial killer” in her youth when in reality she just saw someone who she thought was him and ran away while he yelled and followed her. Then with the “twist” at the end of the book I found myself just wondering how she didn’t recognize this supposed father figures voice.
The only great thing about this book was the narration. Jess Combs did a great job with the voices and I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her!
At the end of the day the book wasn’t awful but it was a major letdown. It kept me interested enough to not want to stop but not interested enough that I’ll read the next book in the series.
I also felt misled that we were told in the book description that she “survived the serial killer” in her youth when in reality she just saw someone who she thought was him and ran away while he yelled and followed her. Then with the “twist” at the end of the book I found myself just wondering how she didn’t recognize this supposed father figures voice.
The only great thing about this book was the narration. Jess Combs did a great job with the voices and I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her!
At the end of the day the book wasn’t awful but it was a major letdown. It kept me interested enough to not want to stop but not interested enough that I’ll read the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2024
Her Deadly Homecoming by Tony Urban & Drew Strickland and narrated by Jess Combs is a fantastic start to a new series, the Carolina McKay thrillers. I was immediately invested in Carolina McKay in the humanity and relatability of the writing. Yes, she is a strong FMC, but no, nobody is perfect and it is this humility that adds to just how highly compelling this book is
The narration was perfection and I hope that Jess Coombs will continue to narrate this series as the nuances were accurate and consistent as were the character profiles and dialogue.
Carolina McKay returns home after a long time away recuperating from a shooting which nearly claimed her life. A shooting at the hands of a psychopath and it appears they are back again, 17 years later. Is it a copycat? Or is the original criminal back and on the prowl for more victims?
The twist, I cannot even!
So well written, vivacious, dynamic, suspenseful, intriguing, compelling and fluid.
Brilliant!
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select | Packanack Publishing , the authors and narrator for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
The narration was perfection and I hope that Jess Coombs will continue to narrate this series as the nuances were accurate and consistent as were the character profiles and dialogue.
Carolina McKay returns home after a long time away recuperating from a shooting which nearly claimed her life. A shooting at the hands of a psychopath and it appears they are back again, 17 years later. Is it a copycat? Or is the original criminal back and on the prowl for more victims?
The twist, I cannot even!
So well written, vivacious, dynamic, suspenseful, intriguing, compelling and fluid.
Brilliant!
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select | Packanack Publishing , the authors and narrator for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
August 6, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the Audio ARC. Jess Combs was an amazing Narrator.
What would you do if you returned to your hometown and 18 years after the first murder there is another?
Carolina is retired from duty after being shot at work and not long after being home she's helping Lester try and solve the case. Murders are 18 years apart, could it be the same person? They never caught the killer the first time.
Carolina seems to be a problematic main character you aren't really sure what to expect from her. She keeps the story entertaining. I will say I was little disappointed that it took 90% of the story to finally get to the big twist and where it all comes together. Then the story just ends. It is the first story so many the second story give little more to the ending, but the whole story is building for you to be slapped with the end and then that's it. No explanation or details just bam story is over. I think there is a missed opportunity there.
If you like a murder mystery, check it out. See if you can solve the case before anyone else.
What would you do if you returned to your hometown and 18 years after the first murder there is another?
Carolina is retired from duty after being shot at work and not long after being home she's helping Lester try and solve the case. Murders are 18 years apart, could it be the same person? They never caught the killer the first time.
Carolina seems to be a problematic main character you aren't really sure what to expect from her. She keeps the story entertaining. I will say I was little disappointed that it took 90% of the story to finally get to the big twist and where it all comes together. Then the story just ends. It is the first story so many the second story give little more to the ending, but the whole story is building for you to be slapped with the end and then that's it. No explanation or details just bam story is over. I think there is a missed opportunity there.
If you like a murder mystery, check it out. See if you can solve the case before anyone else.
December 31, 2024
2.8 stars
From all the rating stars and even the cover, I started Her Deadly Homecoming with hope of reading a strong female mc, gruesome crimes and an intense investigation. Turned out I skimmed a lot.
First of, Carolina Mckay is an unlikable mc. She's supposed to be an experienced detective from big city but her injury, PTSD and addiction changed her. Well, that story line was ok, not new but most of the time the mc have some charms or at least showing some of their skillset...not in this case. The story was around Carolina's past, her present addiction that made her acting bitchy, her subpar investigation skill and bad decisions. I did not see a disgrace city cop detective but more like a looser that has no future of getting herself better.
The crimes seem gruesome but something much and the investigation was more like a running around. Ok, it's a small town but still it's a fiction...make it more interesting. Tactless and too obvious red herrings, cliche plot, bad twist and ending.
From all the rating stars and even the cover, I started Her Deadly Homecoming with hope of reading a strong female mc, gruesome crimes and an intense investigation. Turned out I skimmed a lot.
First of, Carolina Mckay is an unlikable mc. She's supposed to be an experienced detective from big city but her injury, PTSD and addiction changed her. Well, that story line was ok, not new but most of the time the mc have some charms or at least showing some of their skillset...not in this case. The story was around Carolina's past, her present addiction that made her acting bitchy, her subpar investigation skill and bad decisions. I did not see a disgrace city cop detective but more like a looser that has no future of getting herself better.
The crimes seem gruesome but something much and the investigation was more like a running around. Ok, it's a small town but still it's a fiction...make it more interesting. Tactless and too obvious red herrings, cliche plot, bad twist and ending.
February 29, 2024
This is the 1st in the series about Detective Carolina McKay. Something happened to Carolina in her career, she has labeled a hero, but she has come home to heal her wounds. Her home, is a van, that she has driven and parked outside her mother's house. Her mother and her don't really get along, but the stay in her life was her mother's boyfriend and town sheriff.
Carolina is trying to heal, but because of the pain, the prescribed drug is taking hold of her. When the sheriff has a case about a serial killer, that looks like he has returned after years, has started his killing again. Not, only that, but he is the serial killer that took the sheriff's daughters life and he has been trying all this time to find who killed her.
But, now the serial killer is killing more and more and can Carolina overcome her pain, her drugs and find out who the killer is?
Carolina is trying to heal, but because of the pain, the prescribed drug is taking hold of her. When the sheriff has a case about a serial killer, that looks like he has returned after years, has started his killing again. Not, only that, but he is the serial killer that took the sheriff's daughters life and he has been trying all this time to find who killed her.
But, now the serial killer is killing more and more and can Carolina overcome her pain, her drugs and find out who the killer is?
July 10, 2024
The narration was superb, but the material subpar. Fans of thriller crime novels might like this one, but I was expecting more. Everything was predictable. Nothing was original ... except perhaps the rather modern addiction gripping our heroine. And we have yet another nasty implementation of mental illness for murder. The detective work was also beneath the purported experience of the cast. The most gripping parts had to do with hints and small tipping points about the lead's little problem getting away from her. I'm also not surprised that his was written by (two!) men. How women are described, especially in relation to each other, was cringe. Just goes to show that quantity doesn't equal quality.
Thank you to Dreamscape Select | Packanack Publishing for the advance copy of the audiobook.
Thank you to Dreamscape Select | Packanack Publishing for the advance copy of the audiobook.
July 14, 2024
Her Deadly Homecoming by Tony Urban and Dew Strickland was an intense thriller, but to be completely honest, it wasn't quite my style… I struggle reviewing books that I personally don’t care for… just because it wasn’t something I connected with doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it…
Carolina's return to her hometown and the subsequent investigation into a string of murders offered an intriguing premise, but the graphic content was a bit too much for me, and the conclusion/twist at the end felt odd and disturbing, leaving me unsatisfied. While the story has its moments, I found it difficult to fully enjoy due to these elements. If you're okay with more graphic thrillers and bizarre endings, it might still be worth a read.
***Contains MA content and language
Huge thank you to @netgalley and Packnack Publishing for the audiobook copy!
Carolina's return to her hometown and the subsequent investigation into a string of murders offered an intriguing premise, but the graphic content was a bit too much for me, and the conclusion/twist at the end felt odd and disturbing, leaving me unsatisfied. While the story has its moments, I found it difficult to fully enjoy due to these elements. If you're okay with more graphic thrillers and bizarre endings, it might still be worth a read.
***Contains MA content and language
Huge thank you to @netgalley and Packnack Publishing for the audiobook copy!
May 22, 2023
This book checked off all the boxes of what I need to really enjoy a book. First and foremost, I need well written characters that I can care about and villains that I can hate. If I don't get that, then what's the point in reading it. Carolina was a flawed character, but I rooted for her every step of the way. I really cared about Lester, even when things weren't going very well for him. I wanted him to solve the case that haunted him for so many years. Even the minor characters, the victims, drew me in stirred up emotions in me. This book never dragged or bored me. Scenes were painted so well that I could see them in my mind's eye. I don't want to give out any spoilers here but I did not see this ending coming.
July 9, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Jess Combs does a solid job narrating this one! I recommend the audiobook if that is of interest to you.
Carolina has returned to her small home town in WV as a former cop who got injured on the job.
She is living in her van in her mom's driveway when she takes on the investigation into the murders of 3 college girls that happened when she was 15. While that may seem odd, another murdered girl, 20 years later, has turned up.
This is a great start to a new series that I think will improve with each installment. I enjoyed the story, setting and characters. There were a few twists along the way that added depth. Overall a great suspenseful mystery!
Carolina has returned to her small home town in WV as a former cop who got injured on the job.
She is living in her van in her mom's driveway when she takes on the investigation into the murders of 3 college girls that happened when she was 15. While that may seem odd, another murdered girl, 20 years later, has turned up.
This is a great start to a new series that I think will improve with each installment. I enjoyed the story, setting and characters. There were a few twists along the way that added depth. Overall a great suspenseful mystery!
July 25, 2024
This is book one of a series that is going to knock your socks off.
Carolina returns home after she injured in the line of duty. She comes home to investigation that hasn't been solved in 19 years old and now either a copy cat on the loose or the killer came out of retirement. Joining forces with a man she thinks of as a father and gead of the police department they must work out whether these murders are connected or whether there is something else going on in their small town.
Carolina is amazing. She is flawed and rough round the edges. I loved the energy between all the characters and the plot was PHENOMENAL!!!
I am so glad this is the start of a series because I loved every second of this book and it kept me guessing!!
narration was great too!!
4.5 stars
Carolina returns home after she injured in the line of duty. She comes home to investigation that hasn't been solved in 19 years old and now either a copy cat on the loose or the killer came out of retirement. Joining forces with a man she thinks of as a father and gead of the police department they must work out whether these murders are connected or whether there is something else going on in their small town.
Carolina is amazing. She is flawed and rough round the edges. I loved the energy between all the characters and the plot was PHENOMENAL!!!
I am so glad this is the start of a series because I loved every second of this book and it kept me guessing!!
narration was great too!!
4.5 stars
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September 17, 2024I wasn't super sure about this book. You have an ex cop who comes home to lick her wounds with a not so lowkey pain pill addiction. To prove to herself that she can still be a good cop, she's not really as injured as she thinks she is, and that he pill problem is not that bad, she dives head first into super dangerous situations. It's all kind of stupid. Her relationship with the towns deputy sheriff is the typical thing. He sees a broken bird in her and wants to save her while also maybe falling for her. Then you have the random reporter she starts hooking up with. I don't know how that kid looked her messy self in the face the morning after they hooked up.
I love a good book series, but I won't be continuing this one. Carolina's storyline just didn't appeal to me.
I love a good book series, but I won't be continuing this one. Carolina's storyline just didn't appeal to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2024
I’m torn between 3.5 and 4! For the most part I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I quickly fell in love with Carolina and her realness. It was sooooo good, could’ve been a 5 until chapter 51 where it took a hard jump. I felt like the connection to the Munroe’s could’ve been introduced sooner (more than just the brief mention of the car earlier on) and could’ve had a smoother transition to the ending. I also was very confused on the last few chapters when Lester was also being referred to as John (which was clearly explained in the very end) but took me out of the ending, especially while trying to decipher who shot Max if Lester was sitting in his recliner reading?????? After writing this, I may have to stick with a 4, because I’d like to read more of Carolina McKay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2025
The old adage of writing what you know about seems to apply here. I was furious when I finished the book, due mostly in part because of the sheer incredulity of the ending. Multiple personalities or dissociative disorder ? First, this disorder is exceedingly rare. Second, the alternate personalities are there in order to 'protect' the original personality. His daughter was killed by a sadist and then the father becomes a sadist in return? Not possible! If this had been a sci-fi book then I could have believed it more readily than this. Please don't just write a book and make up an alternate reality or a reality with absolutely no plausibility. That just make the reader feel duped, as though the writer thinks that all readers are somehow inferior to the writer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2021
So I decided to clean out my Kindle Unlimited and commit to reading the 10 books sitting there. BIG Mistake on my part, from the moment I started this book I was hooked and had to read them all, 2.5 books in a day is doable when the books have a great storyline.
Carolina comes home with her tail tucked when something goes wrong with her career in Maryland, we don't know the whole story yet but we know it's going to be good. Thinking she's coming home to lick her wounds, she ends up in the middle of a serial murder case that reaches back into her own past. Will she be able to solve the case or die trying?
Carolina comes home with her tail tucked when something goes wrong with her career in Maryland, we don't know the whole story yet but we know it's going to be good. Thinking she's coming home to lick her wounds, she ends up in the middle of a serial murder case that reaches back into her own past. Will she be able to solve the case or die trying?
March 16, 2023
Caroline was injured while persuring a criminal. So she went back to her hometown till she heals enough to go back to work again. She started to help the little towns sheriff to catch up on back work while she recouped. Lester was a long time friend of hers and was the sheriff then. In the boring town where not much happens , women were being murdered and their eyes cut out. Her own sister went missing years ago and it was a cold case. Caroline looked into it more as she looked thru old files.Lester told her he will call for her to become the towns next sheriff if she stays her in her hometown.Let me just say that the ending was a total surprise to me and sad to.
July 11, 2024
Caroline has returned to her small hometown, after being a detective in Baltimore. She had been injured and is still on pain meds so she's drifting, not knowing what she will do next. Lester has acted as surrogate father and mentor for her law career. After 3 young women in town died in Caroline's youth, she is alarmed that a few more are dying by the same MO since her return.
Lester recruits Caroline to help in the investigation. She's stepping on toes, digging up past grievances and memories, and just upsetting people in town.
As she digs, she has gotten some people upset at her. This is a gripping suspense novel.
I listened to the audio version of the book.
Lester recruits Caroline to help in the investigation. She's stepping on toes, digging up past grievances and memories, and just upsetting people in town.
As she digs, she has gotten some people upset at her. This is a gripping suspense novel.
I listened to the audio version of the book.
July 11, 2024
This story was so good I love Thillers and not many can I not see the twists coming. The twists in this one I didn't see any of them coming or guess them 100% correctly.
The character were realistic & enjoyable to read. All the details made me think of a few different things... like it kinda reminded me of Criminal Minds & Law & Order.
It seemed comforting & thilling like a True Crime Cold Case but with twists I didn't expect.
0/5 Spice
4/5 On Characters & Plot
4/5 Overall If There's More I'd Gladly Listen to Another One From This Author.
The Narrators were amazing really had me visualizing & feeling all the emotions.
The character were realistic & enjoyable to read. All the details made me think of a few different things... like it kinda reminded me of Criminal Minds & Law & Order.
It seemed comforting & thilling like a True Crime Cold Case but with twists I didn't expect.
0/5 Spice
4/5 On Characters & Plot
4/5 Overall If There's More I'd Gladly Listen to Another One From This Author.
The Narrators were amazing really had me visualizing & feeling all the emotions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2024
⭐️: 4.75 / 5
“ ‘…the plan was for us to Scooby-Doo this bitch.’ “
🔀 non-linear timeline
👥 POV: multiple POV
🏎️ Pace: fast
💭 The story follows a former city cop that’s returned to her home town.
What I liked:
- FMC in her 30s
- Great Pyrenees named Yeti
- West Virginia small town setting
- Procedural mystery
- Flashbacks
What I wasn’t a fan of
- The ending was a bit too unbelievable
I enjoyed this book a lot! It had a great premise and had me at the edge of my seat for almost the entire time. The relationship between the various characters was entertaining, but I just wish the ending had taken a different direction.
⚠️ gore, suicidal ideation, PTSD
“ ‘…the plan was for us to Scooby-Doo this bitch.’ “
🔀 non-linear timeline
👥 POV: multiple POV
🏎️ Pace: fast
💭 The story follows a former city cop that’s returned to her home town.
What I liked:
- FMC in her 30s
- Great Pyrenees named Yeti
- West Virginia small town setting
- Procedural mystery
- Flashbacks
What I wasn’t a fan of
- The ending was a bit too unbelievable
I enjoyed this book a lot! It had a great premise and had me at the edge of my seat for almost the entire time. The relationship between the various characters was entertaining, but I just wish the ending had taken a different direction.
⚠️ gore, suicidal ideation, PTSD
May 16, 2023
Carolina a former Baltimore detective returns home after having been wounded. She was forced out of the dept (a few sentences to tell us that) and we mostly see her popping oxy for the pain. She's living in a van in her mother's driveway and does a lot of passing out. She also seems to live like a pig.
Serial murders resembling those of 20 years ago has her helping the Sheriff-a long time friend. Mainly she is off on her own more often than not and confronts a lot of "suspects" but it is closer to home than she thinks.
The ending was a real twist which was probably the best part.
Serial murders resembling those of 20 years ago has her helping the Sheriff-a long time friend. Mainly she is off on her own more often than not and confronts a lot of "suspects" but it is closer to home than she thinks.
The ending was a real twist which was probably the best part.
July 13, 2024
In the book Her Deadly Homecoming, authors Tony Urban and Drew Strickland begin the Carolina McKay Crime Thriller series. Carolina has returned home hoping to rebuild her life after being shot in the line of duty and forced to retire early. But coming home means she will have to face the past murders that broke her hometown. And now that she’s back, the murders have started again. Can it be the same killer? This was a good beginning to the series. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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