Mercy Creek: A Jo Wyatt Mystery

(Hardback)

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Description

In an idyllic Colorado town, a young girl goes missing-and the trail leads into the heart and mind of a remorseless killer. The late summer heat in Echo Valley, Colorado turns lush greenery into a tinder dry landscape. When a young girl mysteriously disappears, long buried grudges rekindle. Of the two Flores girls, Marisa was the one people pegged for trouble. Her younger sister, Lena, was the quiet daughter, dutiful and diligent-right until the moment she vanished. Detective Jo Wyatt is convinced the eleven-year-old girl didn't run away and that a more sinister reason lurks behind her disappearance. For Jo, the case is personal, reaching far back into her past. But as she mines Lena's fractured family life, she unearths a cache of secrets and half-lies that paints a darker picture. As the evidence mounts, so do the suspects, and when a witness steps forward with a shocking new revelation, Jo is forced to confront her doubts, and her worst fears. Now, it's just a matter of time before the truth is revealed-or the killer makes another deadly move.

Reviews

Praise for Mercy Creek:
A heartfelt procedural.
Kirkus Reviews

Well crafted . . . Readers will feel like theyre getting a glimpse into the real world of police work.
Publishers Weekly

The story is gripping and fast paced with Jo Wyatt quickly becoming a character well worth rooting for.
Mystery Scene Magazine

A focused and gritty procedural
Mystery & Suspense Magazine

[A] tight plot and realistic characters.
Sun Sentinel

A must-read for fans of detective crime novels.
San Francisco Book Review

"An intensifying and grippingly enticing read.
Dru Ann Love

Fast-paced and a shocking ending highlight this page-turning novel.
Red Carpet Crash

Praise for Shadow Ridge:
Florida Book Awards 2021, Silver Medal for Popular Fiction
Colorado Book Award Finalist 2021, Mystery

"An engaging premise, briskly paced through a labyrinth of mystery. Theres something to be said for good ole fashioned suspense. Enjoy this one."
Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series

"An impressive debut. M.E. Browning has created a real page turner, and a compelling series character with Jo Wyatt."
Chris Mooney, bestselling author of the Darby McCormick series

A first-rate mystery! M.E. Browning paints a convincing portrait of Detective Jo Wyatt, a second generation cop in an uphill battle for the truth. Compelling and fast-paced, Shadow Ridge will leave you wanting more.
Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of the award-winning Detective Byron Mysteries

Such a terrific book! The oh-so-talented M.E. Browning knows her law enforcement stuff--and uses it to the fullest to craft this riveting, realistic and totally readable story. Fans of Sue Grafton and Julia Spencer-Fleming will find a new favorite series, and a new favorite sleuth in the smart and savvy Detective Jo Wyatt. Loved this."
Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The First to Lie

Excellent...A must-read.
Booklist, starred review

Convincing action and vivid characters...Police procedural fans will look forward to seeing more of tough, smart Jo.
Publishers Weekly

Retired police captain Browning...is best on Jos professional frustration with a department that values her labors as long as she doesnt step out of line.
Kirkus Reviews

Brownings Jo should be with readers for a long time.
Newsday

An energetic police procedural and an appealing heroine set against a vivid Colorado background.
South Florida Sun Sentinel

Winters coming, and this is a great book to curl up by a fire and enjoy.
Durango Herald

The pacing here is spot-on...The ending will leave readers hopeful for more books featuring Jo Wyatt and the Echo Valley citizens.
BOLO Books

Author Bio

M.E. BROWNING writes the Jo Wyatt Mysteries. The first in the series, Shadow Ridge, won the Colorado Book Award for Mystery and the silver medal in the popular fiction category of the Florida Book Awards. The adventures continue in Mercy Creek, which launches in October 2021. Writing as Micki Browning, she penned the Agatha-nominated and award-winning Mer Cavallo mysteries, Adrift and Beached, and her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in anthologies, textbooks, diving and mystery magazines. Micki's novels draw on her twenty-two years of experience in law enforcement. An FBI National Academy graduate, she retired as a captain before turning to a life of crime...fiction. Visit mebrowning.com to learn more.