Published: January 11, 2021
Bookouture
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Carolyn Arnold is an international bestselling and award-winning author and a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has nearly thirty published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries and thrillers to action adventures.

“Even if it kills me, she thought. Then again, she didn’t give a shit if it killed her because she was already dead inside.”

Amanda Steele has lost a lot. Her husband and daughter were killed by a drunk driver, leaving her alone. As she struggles to come to terms with her new normal, she gets news that the man driving the car that killed her family has been released from prison after serving his joke of a sentence and has been found dead. She knows she shouldn’t, but she shows up to the scene and flashes her badge. She has to see. She has to know. If only she knew the rabbit hole she was about to fall into… now Amanda is stuck with a partner she doesn’t want, a victim she couldn’t care less about, and a past that haunts her. Will she survive this case? Or will she be joining her beloved family?

I enjoyed this book. It has a lot of emotional levels, and they are all interwoven in such an intricate way. Amanda is such a complex, deep character with a lot of baggage.

Amanda Steele is damaged, she is angry, and she wants revenge. But the law and her career also want justice. So when she steps into a case that she knows she can’t be apart of, she finds herself conflicted.

Does she want to find out who murdered Palmer? The man who killed her family? The man who had a hand in destroying her life as she knew it?

Amanda has lost a lot. Her husband, her daughter, her unborn child, and ultimately her family due to her need to retract herself into herself for her sanity.

As the details start to unfold, Amanda finds herself back at her parents’ house, in their embrace, and possibly finding a small semblance of her life returning to some level of normal.

As the analysis starts to unfold, and the details start rolling out, Amanda starts putting things together. And soon, she realizes that this case is a lot bigger than anyone realized.

The biggest twist of all is when Amanda discovers who the murderer is. You will not see it coming, and it will shock you. It is such a beautifully twisted arc in a complex story.

The writing is so well done. The way Amanda is written, you feel her pain. You feel her loss. Her rage. All of the characters have been so carefully written, and their stories have all been told in such a way that you feel you know them enough to start making assumptions.

I think this series is going to be strong. I think every novel will get better, with stronger storylines. And hopefully, each story heals a little piece of Amanda’s broken heart. I will be on the lookout for book 2.

Find The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold on Amazon.