Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan

A tangled web of murder and mystery can be found in Don't Open the Door by Allison  Brennan, the second book in her Regan Merritt series coming out January 24. Regan’s 10-year-old son Chase Warwick was murdered in his home while playing a video game. US Marshall Regan was devastated and resigned as her focus on the job was no longer clear, and she could put other lives in danger. Her ex-husband placed the blame for Chase’s death on Regan because of her dangerous job, but could it actually stem from something Grant Warwick was involved with?

Regan left Virginia and moved back to Flagstaff, Arizona, to live with her father, a retired law enforcement officer. The murder of her former colleague Tom Granger brought her back to Virginia to find answers as she knew that Tom was really close to solving this now 10-month-old case. Tom was about to share his findings with the US Marshall’s office  when he was shot as he stepped out of his door to head to work. The shooter took Tom’s phone and a briefcase that authorities were guessing contained all his important documentation as well as  his laptop.

Clues Regan found at Tom’s house pointed her toward her ex, Grant, as Tom’s calendar showed he had a recent meeting with Grant. Confronting Grant at his law office, she saw that he was clearly panicking. He blew off meeting with Regan, not once but twice, and when she went to his girlfriend’s condo to confront him, she found the woman on the floor in a pond of blood. She called the local law enforcement, cleared herself of the crime, and the police slid Grant’s name to the top of the possible suspects’ list. But where was Grant? He was not at his home, he was not at his girlfriend’s place, and he repeatedly skipped meeting with Regan.

Regan put it all on the line when she endeavored to find Grant before the police did so she can get the answers she needed from him. Complicating all of this is the FBI that is investigating the death of US Marshall Granger, yet agents are getting in the way of Regan’s personal probing. Worse, US Marshalls believed  a mole in the FBI office had leaked information to whoever was behind all that is going on. Who is feeding intelligence to the bad guys? Who has broken into Tom’s house where Regan was sleeping? Can she defend herself against three sets of footsteps? The situation is definitely spiraling out of control. If she can stay alive long enough to find Grant, she can put the final piece of the puzzle together to understand how her young son happened to be murdered.

Allison Brennan began writing  three books a year while raising five children. She won Daphne du Maurier Awards for Best Mainstream Mystery/Suspense with Fear No Evil and Compulsion. She lives in Arizona with her family where they enjoy baseball's spring training and exploring the Grand Canyon.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting January 16, 2023.

I would like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.