Review: The Ones They Buried (Agent Victoria Heslin #8) by Jenifer Ruff

                                        

Print Length: 309 pages

Publisher: BooksGoSocial (October 13, 2023)

From Goodreads.com: Phoebe Watson was a rising star in the fitness industry. T hen she disappeared.

The mystery captivates the nation, and the investigation takes a dark turn when her body is discovered a year later, buried deep in a remote, wooded area.

Only one person seems to know something about those remains—multi-millionaire Catherine Bower, one of Phoebe’s former clients. Soon after Phoebe disappeared, Catherine suffered a life-altering accident.

FBI Special Agent Victoria Heslin believes there’s a connection between Phoebe’s murder and Catherine’s accident. As Victoria digs deeper, she uncovers a thick web of secrets and lies, and every thread she untangles points toward a shocking truth.

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Right out of the gate I think it is worth mentioning that I did not realize this was book number eight in a series when I requested it. However, this book (and I later found all of the books in this series) are written in such a way that they don't overlap and therefore can be enjoyed no matter which one you are reading. I enjoyed being able to jump right in and immediately understand who was who when it came to Victoria and the people she was close to (or worked with). 

When it comes to this story as a stand-alone however? It was a little... weird. Catherine has been unable to speak or really do anything for herself since her accident, yet she somehow miraculously is able to say Phoebe's name? The more the story progressed, it seemed a little obvious (to me at least) just who was responsible for Phoebe's murder, although I was surprised to learn of a few other details both having to do with the present day murder, and having to do with a years earlier accident. 

There were moments where some chapters seemed to drag on, but I felt that the way Catherine's advancing Alzheimer's disease was portrayed made it easier for the reader to feel more on her side when certain pieces of information were revealed.  

That being said, when I found out that all of this series is available on Kindle Unlimited, I have added them to my ever-growing to be read pile as I'm curious to read more from this author. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                       The Ones They Buried is available on Amazon.com

                                            (for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited)