New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan introduces an irrepressible heroine in her pulse-pounding new thriller Notorious, which Lisa Gardner says is, “Guaranteed to keep you up late at night.”Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned investigative reporter with her own TV show and a … reporter with her own TV show and a tough-as-nails reputation, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.
When Max was a high school senior, one of her best friends was strangled and another, Kevin O’Neal, accused of the crime. To the disgrace of her wealthy family, Max stood by her friend, until she found out he lied about his alibi. Though his guilt was never proven, their relationship crumbled from the strain of too many secrets.
Now Max is home for Kevin’s funeral after years of drug abuse, he committed suicide. She’s finally prepared to come to terms with the loss of his friendship, but she’s not prepared for Kevin’s sister to stubbornly insist that he didn’t kill himself. Or for an elderly couple to accost her at the airport, begging her to look into another murder at Max’s old high school. Max is more interested in the cold case at her alma mater than in digging around Kevin’s troubled life, but she agrees to do both. As Max uncovers dark secrets, she finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies that hit far too close to home. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that someone will do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.
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Investigative reporter and cable show host Maxine (Max) Revere returns home to Atherton, California for the first time in years. The occasion is the funeral of her estranged friend Kevin O’Neal who committed suicide. They were close friends through high school until a tragedy divided them. At the airport, an elderly couple approaches her and asks if she would look into the murder of their grandson who died on the campus of her high school alma mater, Atherton Prep. She agrees to do so solely because of where he was killed. When she meets with Kevin’s sister, she also asks her to look into his suicide. As Max explores both, she’s drawn back into the mystery of who killed her best friend, Lindy Ames, in their senior year of high school, which deepens the wedge between her and her family.
If it appears as if there’s a lot going on here you’re absolutely correct. While Max had every intention of only attending the funeral and immediately returning to New York, her investigation of Jason Hoffman’s murder led down paths that put her squarely into those of family and acquaintances. Her probing of Kevin’s suicide just reopened old wounds that needed to be re-examined. It was tough at times keeping track of three cases but I kept up. They were each interesting in their own right so I was highly engaged. I figured out the resolution to one of them really early on so I spent most of the book trying to disprove my theory, which had the effect of me being even more immersed in the story.
I’m glad the subject of this story took us back to Max’s home town and dealt with the murder that separated her and her family. It gave insight into what drives her and the reason for the family rifts. She’s a complicated woman who was raised by an equally complex grandmother. I went back and forth in forming an opinion of her. Max has lots of flaws but has more admirable qualities. I like her fearlessness and independence though she can be rather ruthless in her delivery. I enjoyed all of the mysteries and thought there were sufficient clues to solve each case. I got some parts of it right but completely missed on one of them. It was also my first experience with the narrator and felt like she gave strong voice to Max, capturing the essence of her personality. I hope she continues the rest of the series, which I definitely plan to continue.
This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Brennan. It won’t be my last.
“Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned investigative reporter with her own TV show and a tough-as-nails reputation, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.”
I thoroughly enjoyed Maxine, routing for her when dealing with her snobby rich family, and for her gutsiness in standing up to most everyone in defense of a suspect. She’s out to solve more than one murder, and you’ll enjoy the tale.
I received an ARC from the publisher and have chosen to review it. Allison Brennan has done it once again. She has brought into her world of murder and mystery and has had me continually guessing on what was going to happen and who could possibly be the killer out of all the possibilities that have presented themselves. This is a great first book into the series. It introduces you to Max and you get to see how she works and what are her thought processes are. I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read more and find out more about Max and her friends.
This was a really good story. So much so that I downloaded the next one. This is probably my favorite female protagonist (aside from Eve Dallas of course) bc she is strong and doesn’t take any sh(t from anyone. Including those she is closest to.
Very well written, kept me engaged the entire time. Finished it in two days. Recommend
Best one of the series so far.
One of the best books I’ve read in a while