From USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fardig comes a gripping new forensic mystery series.Three years ago, criminalist Ellie Matthews was blindsided when a grisly homicide case suddenly became personal. She abandoned the danger and stress of crime scene investigation for a professorship at a posh private college and never looked back. Now, Ellie’s pleasant world is shattered when she finds … world is shattered when she finds the dead body of a female student. The campus is in chaos, reporters are circling like vultures, and Ellie is trying her best to distance herself from the situation. Not an easy task when her closest colleague becomes the prime suspect.
After the college community is rocked by another suspicious death, Ellie’s mentor, Sheriff Jayne Walsh, convinces her to consult on the case. Partnered with quick-witted Detective Nick Baxter, Ellie reluctantly bottles up her personal demons and dives back into the world she left behind, racing to make sense of the evidence before the killer strikes again.
more
I love mysteries. I love reading and solving them, so when I knew Caroline Fardig was releasing a new mystery book I wanted it immediately. I’m a big fan of her cozy mystery series, Java Jive. This one not only has mystery but it has suspense and it’s a thriller as well.
Ellie Mathews is a college professor, she teaches forensics at Ashmore’s College, she used to be a Forensic Criminalist who worked in murder cases, but after a fateful case, she couldn’t handle anymore and quit. Her colleague Professor Dudley Cooper has this project to open a Forensic Facility in order to teach the different scenarios where a criminalistic can find a dead body, but there are a lot of people in the facility who are against this, so he will have it hard to raise the funds to open it.
In one of their visits to the facility, Ellie finds a dead body, and this is where the mystery starts, the body belongs to one of the students who happens to be one of the students who also was against this project.
Now Ellie is not only a witness of the investigation, she also is requested to help the police when another student is also found dead at his dorm. She wasn’t thrilled to go back to this world but her friend and Sheriff ask her to help them find the killer, she thinks she should find him, moreover that her friend and colleague is one of the suspects.
I always enjoy this series because they make me create a lot of my own theories. Some I was right about, some of them I was totally wrong. Once again, the author did a fantastic job in developing this mysterious story. The descriptions and details about forensics makes me feel as if I was in one of Ellie’s classes learning. I can’t wait for more of this series, and to know what’s for Ellie next!!
Great book! Characters were real, plot was intriguing, all around fabulous read.
A great mystery with wonderful characters..
This book is a true mystery , not a cozy. It is very suspenseful and I did not want to put it down. Eager to read more from this author.
“Bitter Past”earns 5+/5 Headlines…Mystery Thriller Extraordinaire!
Activism and vandalism often go hand in hand like mystery and murder. A young woman adamant to stop plans by Ashmore College’s Dr. Dudley Cooper to set up a “body farm” for forensic research decides to take her protest to ground zero. She and a companion paint signs of protest, using pig’s blood for dramatic effect, at Carnival Cove, an abandoned amusement park purchased by the professor. But, the ear-spitting crack, the excruciating pain, the real blood soaking her chest spelled murder. Wow, what a prologue! From here Caroline Fardig pens a nail-biting engaging thriller with multiple dead bodies, campus chaos, ravenous reporters, and the resurfacing of personal demons with which our heroine must contend.
Caroline Fardig’s book one of her Elle Matthews series kept me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns, volatile family dynamics, secrets, innuendos, and weaving throughout fascinating information on CSI techniques, evidence gathering, and lab testing. But it’s Caroline’s characters in which I have invested my interest. Written in first-person, the heroine Ellie Matthews, is admirable for her forensic expertise, critical perspective, witty humor, and loyalty to family and friends. A well-respected criminologist, she turned in her CSI credentials for a position in the forensic anthropology department at a posh private college; a grisly criminal investigation had become deeply personal, and issues with it and its impact on her life are revisited. There’s her half-sister, toddler nephew, and a step-father that round off her very important support system.
“Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in!” It’s been three years since Ellie had been involved in a crime scene, as she and Dr. Cooper came upon the young activist’s body. And except for mentor and friend Sheriff Jayne Walsh, she has had little contact with former sheriff’s department colleagues. Her acerbic banter with hothead Detective Jason Sterling is entertaining; she sure can give as good as she gets. But it is the new detective, Nick Baxter, who provides a professional partnership, ease as a personal confidant, and a possible romantic entanglement, although she doesn’t have a positive history with men. Rounding out the cast of characters Caroline gives us snooty board of trustees, entitled politicians, welcoming colleagues, jealous colleagues, timid to just plain annoying students and professors, and supportive and loving family. Caroline’s series rivals books from Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli and Isles and Kathy Reich’s Bones series. Her descriptions and dialogue kept me turning the pages, and even in the midst of the drama we get some witty banter. Well written all around!
Bitter Past
An Ellie Matthews Novel, Book #1
Caroline Fardig
5 Stars
Synopsis:
From USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fardig comes a gripping new forensic mystery series.
Three years ago, criminalist Ellie Matthews was blindsided when a grisly homicide case suddenly became personal. She abandoned the danger and stress of crime scene investigation for a professorship at a posh private college and never looked back.
Now, Ellie’s pleasant world is shattered when she finds the dead body of a female student. The campus is in chaos, reporters are circling like vultures, and Ellie is trying her best to distance herself from the situation. Not an easy task when her closest colleague becomes the prime suspect.
After the college community is rocked by another suspicious death, Ellie’s mentor, Sheriff Jayne Walsh, convinces her to consult on the case. Partnered with quick-witted Detective Nick Baxter, Ellie reluctantly bottles up her personal demons and dives back into the world she left behind, racing to make sense of the evidence before the killer strikes again. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Ellie is a smart hardworking woman who has not had a good past. She has a history of being a criminologist but after an especially gruesome crime scene she left and is now teaching that very same subject. When she discovers a dead body, she finds herself once again thrown in to the world of crime and death. I like that Ellie was three dimensional and she was not perfect. That made her seem more realistic to me. Detective Nick Baxter is good at his job but he needs Ellie’s expertise if he is going to solve this crime. I really enjoyed getting to know Ellie and Nick and am looking forward to spending time with them in future books.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there watching all the action taking place. She seems to have a real knowledge of forensics, either from real life experience or great research and that aspect of the story was very believable. I felt like I learned some things about this subject and I really liked that.
The mystery was well plotted and moved along at just the right pace. There were enough suspects to consider and enough clues to sift through and with red herrings thrown in, the mystery was not an easy one to solve.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well plotted mystery. I have read other books written by this author (The Java Jive mysteries) and I really enjoyed them. Now I have more hard core mysteries to read by this author and I am looking forward to it.
4.5 This is the first book I have read by Caroline Fardig , I received it through Author XP Elite Readers Program. I love all suspense, most thrillers and immediately asked for a copy based on the blurb. I am so pleased I did, and that I was fortunate enough to receive one. This is a great first novel in this series. I immediately felt like Ellie was real, yes I know they are all real to writers, to me they are stories that take me away. I felt like I could run into Ellie. There were twists, turns, relationships, crime and suspense. The blurb is concise synopsis of the story. I am ready for book 2! An Eye for an Eye.
Ellie Matthews quit her job with the Sheriff’s office as a forensic specialist when a case became too personal for her. She now teaches at the local college. Then a student is found dead at a theme park that was suppose to become a “bone yard” for forensic students. Her old boss Sheriff Jayne asks her to help out with the forensics part of the case when another student is found dead. Things get complicated when Ellie becomes involved with one of the body guards of the accused killer’s father. This story has a surprise twist I did not see coming until it was too late. I reviewed a copy of this book and the review is my own opinion.
A true mystery from beginning to the end. Always wondering who is the good guy vs who’s the bad.
What an intense suspense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. The plot was well-executed with plenty of twists and turns to keep you glued to the story. The setting descriptions were very good, especially in reference to forensics and evidence collection. Love the well-defined characters and found them believable. I found Ellie, the main character, to be a tough cookie. She has issues, but she’s strong enough to try to work through them. She lives with her sister and nephew and family and she would do anything to keep them safe. I absolutely adore her partner, Detective Baxter, a sweetheart. There are some elements of romance, but it’s minimized. I highly recommend this series and look forward to the next book.
I don’t read a lot of suspense/thrillers but I’m glad I decided to read this, it’s very good! The author gives her readers a mystery that I didn’t figure out the killer until close to the end but there are also surprises. The characters you mostly like (there are of course a few you just want to smack upside the head) and it’s very heard to put down. I can’t wait to read to the next book and see what case Ellie is pulled in to next.
This book is a real page turner. Once I started reading this, I did not put it down. Keeps you going all the way thru. This author has a way with the plot. Definitely recommend and I am looking forward to any more of her books!
A riveting crime novel that launches you into the thick of it right from the start. From the explosive first chapter to the satisfying and unexpected final chapter, this book had me hooked. It’s well written, and what I particularly appreciate is that the author has beautifully sculpted the characters throughout the story, so we learn about them through their actions rather than lengthy back-story descriptions. Can not wait for the next in the series!
This book was gripping from first to last page. Characters were believable and the story was interesting–I was not tempted to skip to the ending. Highly recommended!