Title:  Never Die Alone
Series:  New Orleans #8, A Bentz/Montoya Mystery
Author:  Lisa Jackson
Genre:  Mystery, Thriller
Published:  July 28, 2015
Publisher:  Kensington Books, Zebra
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Never Drop Your Guard

It should be the best day of their lives. Too bad they never get to see it. On the cusp of their twenty-first birthday, he strikes. His victims are always twins, their ritualistic murders planned in exquisite detail, down to the moment when they breathe their last together. . .

Never Close Your Eyes

An innocent man is in prison, and Brianna Hayward needs to convince the New Orleans police. Not just to free her cousin, but to save others who will suffer until the true culprit is found. Reporter Jason Bridges is intrigued. It’s a story that could make his career–as long as Brianna never guesses the secret in Jason’s past. . .

. . .Or You’ll Never See Him Coming

Detective Rick Bentz had doubts about the “21” conviction when he worked the case in L.A. Now the real murderer may be loose in Bentz’s backyard. Twin sisters from LSU have vanished, days before their birthday. And as Bentz and his partner, Reuben Montoya, desperately follow the trail, a killer prepares to unite his next victims in death forever.

Read on for my thoughts on Never Die Alone.  No true spoilers, promise.

Oh my goodness.  What a story!  Now, how in the world can I give you enough of a taste to want to go pick up Never Die Alone without giving away any spoilers.  I try to not give away spoilers, major ones anyway, sometimes little bits sneak in… but with a mystery thriller novel there can be no slip ups, in my opinion.

I love the team of Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya, they are relentless in the search for the bad guys.  But not every case ends up perfectly, there are threads not tied off and questions that didn’t get the right answer in every cop’s casefiles.  Rick has always had a feeling about the “21” case, even though there is a man in prison – it just never “felt” right and a detective is nothing without that extra sense that tells him when to duck or when to question what is supposed to be an absolute truth.  Because Rick believes the “21” killer is free and active right in his own backyard.

There are threads throughout Never Die Alone.  The kind of threads that connect people and events, even when on the surface it can’t be clearly seen.  So all I’m going to give you about the story is simple – watch for and follow the threads.

Hey, it’s a mystery.  And it’s up to you to try to figure it out before the final page – without any outside help.  *insert my own evil grin here*

If you are a Lisa Jackson reader, pick any of her ongoing series or other works, then you already know that you are in for an amazing adventure when the clues start flying and the tension gets thick enough to cut with a cleaver.  Never Die Alone will keep you riveted to the pages as you pray for the victims and push for help to arrive in time.  There are several plots in this one, perhaps some surprises and a hint of where Rick and Reuben head next.

I enjoyed Never Die Alone, it was satisfying on every level for me.  Fast paced when it needed to be, detailed and enlightening when necessary and always nail biting action throughout.  If you are a mystery lover, this story will hit all of the right buttons.  I was sorry to read the last page.  I was happy with the story I got, and wouldn’t have changed a thing – I was simply sorry to see the end of a roller coaster ride of a mystery end.  Now, when does the next Bentz/Montoya mystery release?  I’m already in need of my next story fix.

*I received an e-ARC of Never Die Alone from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available in paperback, audio and for the Kindle