Lost to Dune Road by Kara Thomas #bookreview #thriller

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Title: Lost to Dune Road

Author: Kara Thomas

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Page Count:  333

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

About the book:

For a disgraced reporter, unraveling a conspiracy of murder could mean redemption in a powerful novel of suspense by the bestselling author of Out of the Ashes.

Reporter Lee Ellerin’s investigation into a young woman’s unsolved murder gained national attention—only for her to lose everything due to a tragic mistake. After being publicly ridiculed for causing a suspect’s death, Lee is forced to leave her career behind.

Five years later, pregnant college student Amanda Hartley lies in a coma. The police say she attempted suicide, but the details don’t add up. Where is the father? Who was paying for Amanda’s Manhattan penthouse? Why did Amanda have a note with Lee’s name in her backpack? There’s also one alarming coincidence: Amanda was last seen on Dune Road in the Hamptons—where the murder victim in Lee’s previous investigation disappeared.

As she’s pulled back into the still-unsolved case that destroyed her career, Lee sees the chance to amend the mistakes of her past. But finding a killer and unearthing Amanda’s secrets sends her down a darker path than she has ever walked before.

Lost to Dune Road by Kara Thomas is a crime thriller novel with a private detective at the lead. The story in Lost to Dune Road is one that is told mainly from the point of view of the main characters but does occasionally switch to another point of view with some flashing back to previous events.

Lee Ellerin had once been in her dream career of being a investagative reporter when things came crashing down for Lee. Working on a case that had gained national attention of a young woman’s unsolved murder Lee made a huge mistake and it cost her her journalism career.

Now five years later Lee has become a private investigator when she is contacted by the mother of yet another victim. Amanda Hartley is pregnant and in a coma after what was initially thought to be a suicide but Lee’s name was found in Amanda’s things even though Lee doesn’t seem to know her and with that connection Lee can’t help but dive into this new case as memories of the old haunt her.

Lost to Dune Road is not the first book I’ve read by author Kara Thomas so I went in expecting to absolutely love this one. Unfortunately that wasn’t so much the case with finishing at three and a half stars but it was still a solid story. I think for me this one was a case of just a little too much being added into the mix that I felt like it was kind of convoluted without really needing to be with a lot of characters tossed into the mix. The story was dark and one that drew me in and perhaps with a little less involved it would have been a total hit.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Kara Thomas is a mystery enthusiast who dreams of one day solving a cold case. She is the author of Out of the Ashes and YA novels The Darkest Corners, Little Monsters, The Cheerleaders, and That Weekend, a Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick. She lives on Long Island with her husband, son, and rescue cat. For more information, visit http://www.kara-thomas.com.