Her Mother's Grave

Review updated: February 22, 2024 (original posted Dec 16, 2019)

I initially read this book in 2019 and didn't realize it until I had read a couple of chapters and went to add it to my GoodReads account. 

So many books, so little memory.

This was an excellent read both times I read it. Full of twists, tension, a great cast and no-holds barred descriptions, Lisa Regan has now become a must-read author for me, and her Josie Quinn series should be on the TBR list of readers who love dark thrillers. This is the third book in the series and while there are a few mentions of Josie's earlier cases, this impressive read can be read as a standalone [but I would encourage readers to start from the beginning].

The plot is well-paced and switches from various points in Josie's childhood to the present day. I appreciated the honest and detailed look at Josie's past, but I'll warn readers that Regan does not hold back describing Josie's horrible childhood at the hands of her malicious and abusive mother. Those scenes were hard to read but they give readers a clear sense of where the main character has come from and how it impacts who she is today. 

Initially, I gave this book 4.5 stars but after this reread, I'm upping it to a full 5 stars. While I could have done without the brief romance, Her Mother's Grave is an entertaining read that combines a riveting story filled with suspense and well-rounded characters that kept me eagerly turning pages until the satisfying ending.

I'm eager to read more of this (currently) 19 book series.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Lisa Regan

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: Paperback from public library

Series: #3 in the Detective Josie Quinn series

Publisher: Bookouture

First Published: July 16, 2018

Book Description from GoodReads: When two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose.

Josie’s past crashes into her present when a rare dental condition confirms the bones belong to a teenage foster-child who was murdered thirty years ago. A girl named Belinda Rose…

Josie hasn’t seen her mother in years but, with an undeniable connection between her mother and the dead girl, does she dare try to track her down?

Just as Josie gets closer to uncovering a secret that will shatter her world forever, another body is uncovered. It’s suddenly clear that someone very close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.

As she battles the demons from her past, can Josie stop this killer before another precious life is taken?