It's hard to believe that this is book 16 in this series. I've read it off and on since book 1...of course I read most of them out of order:) Like all the Joie Quinn stories, it moves fast and is loaded with plenty of plenty of secrets, lies and twists for Josie and her team to unravel. The plot itself is intense, with a race against the clock and a very, very unlikeable victim and a suspect who seems to be hiding a lot. While I did guess part of the big twist, I never saw the full truth coming until it was finally presented to us...which I really like in a good mystery story. Don't make things too simple. The Innocent Wife turned out to be yet another highly addictive and extremely engaging detective thriller sequel of a series I consider to be one of my favorites. Things have been said in other reviews about the credibility of the plot...to each his own and we can't all like the same things... but I personally don’t mind as this series is well worth the read for its entertainment value alone. If you like your detective thrillers on the fast and intense side, you have this one and 15 more before it...so happy reading. ( )

Oh, well, here we go again - just when a mostly-meh year has ended and a new year begins, it begins with yet another meh novel…

I usually like Lisa Regan’s Josie-Quinn novels a lot - they’re usually very well paced, engaging and suspenseful. Josie and the entire team are interesting and everyone gets some time in the spotlight, e. g. In a recent instalment we learned a lot about Josie’s ever-angry boss. At another time Mettner, her colleague, fell in love with the press liaison, Amber, and so on.

This time around in “The Innocent Wife” (what a cheesy title!) by Lisa Regan, there’s nothing but the plain murder mystery - and that is, indeed, rather plain. And bland, and boring. For about 80% we just follow Josie and colleagues around on a wild goose chase after the killer. Sadly, that chase is neither very interesting nor is the eventual reveal much of a result of police procedure but much of it is plain old luck - and a healthy dose of deus ex machina.

Usually, these books are page turners for me and I’m always looking forward to the next instalment because I’ve come to rely on my yearly (some twice yearly!) dose of Josie Quinn.

There’s lots of police procedure here but hardly anything else. Yes, there are some far-fetched scenarios about adultery in combination with a brain-damaged person, children born out of wedlock, complicated, almost incestuous feeling affairs among the crew of a TV show, a person whom you peg immediately for a killer - or are they?

As if all that mess wasn’t bad enough in itself, even after they finally solve their case, there are lots of loose ends, many questions remain unanswered and one that is central to the entire mystery is not even addressed in any way.

The worst surprise, though: The actual book ends at a mere 89% - all that remains are 11% advertisements…

Still, this is not a bad book - just one that is seriously mediocre. I’m still looking forward to Josie Quinn no. 17!

Three out of five stars.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam ( )

The Innocent Wife by Lisa Regan
Detective Josie Quinn #16

Excellent addition to the series focusing on the police procedural aspects rather than personal and romantic happenings of main and supporting characters. This book is standalone worthy but will definitely be richer and more interesting if you have read the previous books in the series.

What I liked:
* Josie: homicide detective, married, had a difficult childhood discussed in previous books, happily married to Noah, competent, professional, good at her job, someone I would like to call friend
* Noah: police lieutenant working with Josie and her husband, loving, kind, supportive, bright, protective, patient, perfect for Josie
* Getting to see how the people that work with Josie are doing
* The plot, pacing, writing and conclusion
* The twists, turns, red herrings, and ultimate determination of who the bad guy(s) were
* The introduction of Luke and K-9 Blue the bloodhound – see a future for them in the series
* Wondering what will happen next in the series – eager to find out
* Being able to truly dislike the evil doings and what they did

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that there are people who are as evil as those in this story

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )

Josie and her team once again are called to the scene of a murder of a local TV star. They begin to question everyone in her inner circle and they know that someone is lying. Then another member of that circle is murdered and the hunt is on before there is yet another victim.

This story has a lot of characters (not too many that you get lost) that are all woven together. I had no idea who killer was and I was shocked at how many lies were built up to bring this whole thing to the end.

Although Josie's family (sister, brother, parents) don't make an appearance, 2 characters from her recent past are brought back. There seems to be a little more depth to the relationship between Noah and Josie, that of course make you want to fall in love with them again.

If you haven't read Josie Quinn yet, I highly recommend this series. ( )

Another enthralling Detective Jose Quinn mystery. This is the sixteenth in the series, and as I said after the fifteenth, they just keep getting better.

Claudia and Beau Collins are a popular local TV couple in Denton, PA. whose show is all about marital relations. When Claudia is found murdered the night of their fifteenth wedding anniversary party (which, of course, they were going to film), the scene is set for more murder, secrets, lies, and game playing, all to be investigated by Denton’s Josie Quinn and her team.

I really like the Josie Quinn series and typically stay up late to finish each one I read because I can’t put them down! Josie has had a difficult life but she is a strong, competent female protagonist who remains caring and upbeat despite the adversities she has experienced. She is surrounded by a supportive team including her husband Lt. Noah Fraley and other repeating characters.

If you like well written, character driven, fast paced police procedurals/thrillers, and are not familiar with author Lisa Regan, I recommend this series. I can’t wait for the next one!

The Innocent Wife can work as a standalone, but I encourage those new to this series to go back and read some of the prior ones.

Thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC. ( )