Category Archives: Lucy Kerr

Review: No One Can Know by Lucy Kerr

Title: No One Can Know by Lucy Kerr
Stillwater General Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

hree months. That’s how long ER nurse Frankie Stapleton has agreed to stay in her sleepy little hometown of Stillwater, helping her estranged sister save the family hardware store, working a few shifts at the local hospital, and most importantly, rebuilding the bridges she burned on her way out of town twelve years ago.

When a pregnant car crash victim arrives at Stillwater General, Frankie and the team race to save both mother and child—but only the baby lives. Rumors swirl that the accident was deliberate, and Frankie’s horrified to realize that she let the driver escape. But why would anyone want to kill Kate Tibbs, a social worker and the wife of an up-and-coming local politician? Frankie’s investigation turns up plenty of motives, from revenge to dirty politics, and even more suspects. There are secrets in Stillwater, and she’s determined to uncover them, even if it means involving her loved ones for help.

But when the baby disappears, her search for the truth becomes a desperate, deadly race against the clock. No matter the cost, Frankie must piece together the truth to stop a killer and save a tiny life in Lucy Kerr’s riveting second Stillwater General Mystery, No One Can Know.

Review:

No One Can Know is another perplexing mystery starring ER Nurse Frankie Stapleton. This second installment in Lucy Kerr’s Stillwater General Mystery series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the first novel as well.

Frankie is on duty during a violent storm when John Mueller arrives with minor injuries he claims were sustained in collusion with a deer.  Just as his treatment is wrapping up, Katherine Tibbs is rushed into the ER barely clinging to life.  Pregnant with her first child, her injuries are so severe that ER Dr. Paul Costello quickly turns his ministrations to saving her unborn baby. Once the baby boy is safely delivered and rushed to the NICU, Kat unfortunately succumbs to her injuries. Katherine’s husband, Steven Tibbs, an assistant district who is in the middle of a political campaign, arrives in the ER just as Frankie discovers the first patient she was treating walked out of the hospital which immediately raises suspicions he was involved in Katherine’s accident. Plagued with guilt over not acting on her instincts that something was off with John, Frankie cannot help but poke around the investigation despite her ex-fiancée Sheriff Noah MacLean’s warning to stay out of the case.

Frankie has reluctantly made peace about her extended stay in her small hometown for the next few months. She is working part-time at the ER while also filling in at the family’s financially precarious hardware business. frankie is temporarily bunking with her eight year old niece Riley who has a huge case of hero worship on her fun aunt. She dodges her mother’s matchmaking efforts while at the same time putting up with her sister Charlie’s verbal barbs.  Frankie gets along great with her fellow nurses, but her relationship with Dr. Costello remains a bit acrimonious.

The police investigation quickly arrives at a standstill since they have the daunting task of trying to unearth a motive for Katherine’s accident. Frankie just cannot sit around waiting for the police to locate missing patient John so she begins looking for him on her own.  Running into him at the cemetery, he tells her some very puzzling information before disappearing once again. Following a couple of troubling murders and a shocking kidnapping, the pressure is on to figure out who is responsible for these crimes and why.

No One Can Know is a very clever whodunit that is fast-paced and engaging. Frankie is an excellent nurse and a very adept amateur sleuth. Her situation with her family adds interest to her character (although it would be nice if Charlie would take her sniping down a few notches). With a few well placed red herrings,  Lucy Kerr brilliantly keeps the identity of the perpetrator(s) and motive for the nefarious goings on carefully under wraps until a somewhat dramatic and nail biting conclusion. Another outstanding installment in the Stillwater General Mystery series that old and new fans will enjoy.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Lucy Kerr, Mystery, No One Can Know, Rated B+, Stillwater General Mysery Series, Suspense

Review: Time of Death by Lucy Kerr

Title: Time of Death by Lucy Kerr
Stillwater General Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

It’s been twelve years since ER nurse Frankie Stapleton fled the quiet banks of Stillwater, but with her sister’s pregnancy taking a dangerous turn and a string of failed relationships in Chicago hanging over her, Frankie is back–and hoping to put the past behind her. Within minutes of arriving at Stillwater General Hospital however, she ends up saving a man’s life, only to have him turn up dead hours later – and the hospital blames Frankie.

Her instincts say Clem Jensen didn’t die of natural causes, but the more she digs, the more she discovers too many suspects, a few surprising allies, and some hard truths about the first man she ever loved–and left. Now the boy she once knew is a skeptical sheriff’s deputy, her family’s hardware store is in jeopardy, and the rift between Frankie and her loved ones is deeper than ever.

With her career–and future–on life support, Frankie must catch a killer, clear her name, and heal the wounds of the past in Lucy Kerr’s enthralling mystery debut, Time of Death.

Review:

Time of Death by Lucy Kerr is a perplexing mystery with a refreshing and unexpected setting and a multi-layered protagonist.  This first installment in the Stillwater General Mystery series is a fast-paced and engrossing novel that fans of the genre do not want to miss!

Emergency room nurse Frankie Stapleton’s return to her small hometown is already fraught with tension as she deals with her complicated relationship with her family.  The last thing she needs after her sister, Charlie, delivers her baby six weeks early is a threat to her career.  However, after heart attack victim, Clem Jensen, dies, the man’s estranged son-in-law Jimmy Madigan threatens to sue the hospital.  In an effort to deflect attention away from the hospital, slimy hospital vice president Walter Strack is determined to ensure Frankie takes the blame for his death.  Certain Clem’s death was murder, Frankie starts poking around into his life to try to figure out who would want to kill the devoted grandfather and well-liked handyman.

Frankie’s relationship with her mom and Charlie has been strained since she chose to move away twelve years earlier instead of remaining in town to work in the family owned hardware store. She loves the diversity of working in the ER and in her downtime, she enjoys traveling.  Despite the slight estrangement with her family, Frankie does not hesitate to return to help out while Charlie is in the hospital.  However, her interactions with her sister and mother are quite tense and quickly deteriorate into bitter exchanges over her decision to pursue her career in nursing instead of working in the hardware store.

Frankie’s investigation into Clem’s death is another source of friction with her family and her former fiancé, Noah McLean, who is now a sheriff’s deputy.  With little evidence to back up her theory that Clem was murdered, she has no choice but to try to find  proof his death was not from natural causes.  She finds very troubling information about the current medications he was taking but she is stonewalled by Strack every time she tries to convince him Clem’s death was the result of foul play.  Frankie makes progress  in gaining help from McLean but when the person she is convinced killed Clem is murdered, suspicion falls on her.  Frankie then completely loses Noah’s  support after her wild accusations are disproven so she becomes more determined than ever to unmask the killer.

An absolutely phenomenal beginning to the Stillwater General Mystery series, Time of Death is a well-written and riveting debut by Lucy Kerr.  Frankie is a fascinating and well-developed heroine who is finally forced to take a hard look at the choices she has made over the years.  The mystery surrounding Clem’s death is quite interesting and although it takes time to make sense of the incongruous clues, Frankie tenaciously follows every lead she unearths.  Will Frankie uncover the truth about the murders before it is too late?  Or will she fall victim to a murderer who is willing to kill anyone who gets in their way?

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Filed under Contest, Lucy Kerr, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Stillwater General Mysery Series, Time of Death