Tess Spencer hadn’t planned on returning to her hometown, but when her ex-prisoner mom puts in a special request, Tess overcomes her hesitance to help her turn over a new leaf.Pearletta Vee’s drug-dealing past is resurrected when the body of an overdosed teen shows up—right next to her trailer. Tess decides to stick around and investigate, yet the evidence is stacked against Pearletta. Tess … Tess suspects a setup—but why?
Never one to back down from a challenge, Tess takes on a wayward teen, an abusive grandma, and more than one drug dealer in her quest for the truth. But it’s going to take a miracle to keep her from becoming a casualty in her own personal war on drugs.
Plunging into the shadowy reality of the drug epidemic in West Virginia, Guilt by Association is the third book in the award-winning Murder in the Mountains mystery series.
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Another winner by Heather Day Gilbert. I have loved each of the Tess Spencer mysteries and this was no exception. Tess is the kind of character I wish I could have as a friend. She’s smart, gutsy, she cares about what really matters, and she makes me laugh in every book. I appreciated that in this story, we get to go deeper with Tess and her relationship with her mother, while also delving into the hidden-in-plain-sight world of drug abuse. As always with this series, this book kept me guessing til the very end. The audible narration gave it an extra layer of enjoyment for me.
This story will keep you on your toes, and turning pages to find out what happens next! With lively characters, and a realistic plot-line that draws you in and keeps you guessing as to what might happen next. I love Heather’s writing style and appreciate how she keeps reader actively engaged in the story.
Tess’s mom, Pearletta Vee is out of prison and back in the thick of the drama surrounding a drug epidemic in the West Virginia mountains. Tess is trying her best to help exonerate her mom from a murder mystery, but it seems someone is out to stack the deck against her.
The drug epidemic is as real in this story as it is in many towns across this country. Too often people turn to pills and other forms of drugs as a form of escape. Heather tackles this tough topic head-on and doesn’t shy away from the truth of what life is like day in and day out for those who are trapped in this drug cycle.
Those who enjoy mystery & suspense will want to make sure to grab a copy of this book! I was kept guessing until the end, and I never even suspected the real culprit. I give this book 4-stars and recommend it to my suspense loving friends.
(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
I have read all the books in this series. I love the spunky heroine. The book explores the family dynamics that we all experience. I really enjoyed how the author shows that no matter how flawed a person might be, love of family comes first,
Another thrilling mystery!
Guilt by Association is the highly anticipated next installment in Heather Day Gilbert’s Murder in the Mountain series. And it does not disappoint. Only this time, instead of a serial killer, Tess is taking on the local drug dealers in an attempt to vindicate her mom, who is the prime suspect in a teen’s overdose. Facades and lies abound in this thrilling adventure as Tess races against time to discover the murderer, before another innocent person is killed.
Just when I think that the next mystery cannot possibly be better than the last, Heather Day Gilbert surprises me again. This was an amazing mystery that kept me guessing about the true killer’s identity until the very end and I couldn’t put it down.
But, my favorite part of this mystery series is the multiple layers of depth in each one. This is not just a good mystery. It’s also a great story about fun, realistic characters. While the mystery is the driving force, I love the characters just as much as the suspense. Tess is an awesome character and the rest of her family and friends are a fun, colorful bunch that I wish I could meet.
Not only does Heather Day Gilbert do an excellent job developing pre-existing favorites, but she also adds in new characters that are just as interesting. While I missed Charlotte in this book, I loved getting to see Detective Tucker again and am looking forward to seeing more of him in future books. I am also looking forward to finding out more about the mysterious, yet ever-helpful Axel. But, even with all these awesome characters, my favorite part was the introduction of Brady. I loved him and his interactions with Tess. He was a sweet, adorable character and I cannot wait to see more of him in the next book.
Yes! Guilt by Association, latest in Tess Spencer’s adventures in A Murder in the Mountains series, is here! It was worth every minute of awaiting it. Past meets present for Tess as folks in Boone, WV are not quite ready to forgive and forget. The author is adept at building the suspense until something just has to happen!
Tess Spencer is a wife to Thomas, a prosecuting attorney. She is mother to little Mira Brooke. Thomas’ parents, Nikki Jo and Roger, see Tess as if their own daughter. Tess is also a daughter to Pearletta Vee Lilly, recently released from prison and living in the mobile home that Tess grew up in. Pearletta is meeting with a realtor to find a better place to live, and wants Tess to come to Boone to help her search.
The realtor arrives, and is aghast to find the dead body of an older teen outside the mobile. While Pearletta has been clean and not dealing drugs since she’s been out, she wants no trouble. She does what she always has when things get tough – when the police finish, she is gone. This time, at least, it is to keep herself away from trouble.
Even though she wants to be home with her precious toddler and husband, Tess has to stay for a couple days. She hopes Pearletta will return soon, and will see what she can find out about the teen, who worked for a nearby drug rehab, and how he ended up next to Pearletta’s home. She enlists the help of a friend, who comes to Boone to work at this drug rehab and find out if anything unusual is going on there. Sally, one of the neighbors, has a daughter, Ruby, who works at that rehab and has just gone back to her drug of choice, so the source must be very close by.
Nothing could have prepared Tess for what this teen died from. Or how deadly of a game she would be enmeshed in. Past and present come together in more ways than one. The love and prayers of Thomas and his parents, and her daughter’s image close in her heart, and the Lord are what keep Tess going. Even when it seems it is too late.
I really like Tess, more with each novel. We learn more of the details of her earlier years and see the beautiful woman of God she is becoming. Nikki Jo would be any girl’s dream mother-in-law, especially after growing up with Pearletta for a mom. Yet Pearletta Vee is different this time, and the past notwithstanding, Tess feels she must do what she can to help her. The characters are so realistic that I wanted to jump through the pages of the book to help Tess – or stop her from doing one or two things she planned to. Tess’ heart is in the right place, whether it be aching to hold her daughter, helping a young boy who is being abused, or helping Pearletta Vee.
There are plot twists that heighten suspense and chills in equal measure; it was hard for this reader to figure out who the bad guy/ gal might be. To find out I was way off base more than once was a mixed relief. I was stunned to find out how street drugs are cut these days; recovery is deep in the heart of our family and I applaud the author for tackling this tough subject. Thank you, Heather Day Gilbert, for showing your readers about the current potentially lethal drug, and demonstrating needs of children effected by their parents’ choices. I highly recommend this outstanding new novel!
From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this book from the author, and here is my honest review.
I really enjoyed Gilbert’s most recent installment in her “A Murder in the Mountains” series. “Guilt by Association” is very suspenseful, and timely as well, with the nation’s opioid crisis. It is so refreshing to read mysteries that are intelligent. I won’t give away any spoilers. Suffice it to say that “Guilt by Association” is the both realistic and unpredictable story of several opioid-related murders. In addition, it is a nice change of pace to read a book about someone other than wealthy socialite types. I love books like this, about everyday people, with their respective struggles. This would make a good movie. Her books are entertaining and informative, and even blend faith in. But in no way are they preachy.