Matthew Farrell

Well, there you go. You kill for the ones you love. Always.
Family was a bond that could not be broken. Family was everything.
This book right here has caused me severe distress in all the right ways. I did not want to put this one down because it kept such a level of suspense going from beginning until the end. I honestly think this is the first time I've read a psychological thriller, I usually just read them and this one did not disappoint. Farrell is very descriptive with his words and is show more the master of just enough information. Each time you think you have it figured out, you are wrong.
The novel begins with our main character Laura waking up from a nap in her car (one which it turns out is fueled by Xanax, Zoloft and alcohol) to a phone ringing. The only problem? It's not her phone. She answers the FaceTime call and is met by the voice of her daughter, Nelle, saying "they took me." The kidnappers are convinced that Laura is someone named Betty and they want revenge for some secret transgression Betty committed. She has two instructions drive to the location provided and never turn off the phone.
The events that unfold in this page turning book explore the lengths one will go in order to protect family. Farrell tells the story from different points of view which only adds to the suspense of the novel and helps to make it feel well-rounded. My favorite part was the jump in timeline to events from the past, with little breadcrumbs connecting them. You really have to be paying attention to this book or you are bound to miss something. It does leave you thinking: how far would you go for those you love? show less

Tell Me the Truth by Matthew Farrell is a highly recommended murder mystery featuring investigators Susan Adler and Liam Dwyer.

Noel Moore returns home at 2 AM from a business trip to find only his 13 year-old son, Charlie, asleep in his bed. When he sees a light out the window in the woods behind the house he goes outside to investigate. What he finds is horrific. His wife, Mindy, is covered with blood, holding a knife, and says their 18 year-old daughter, Jennifer, is dead in the woods. show more After seeing Jennifer's dead body, stabbed, in the woods, Noel immediately takes charge. He takes Mindy inside, cleans her up, and cleans up the mess. Charlie, woken up by the commotion, witnesses the bloody mess but is told to go back to bed. Finally, at 8 AM Noel calls 911 to report his daughter's murder. Mindy is catatonic and Charlie is instructed to say he was asleep and saw nothing.

New York State Police investigator Susan Adler and consultant partner Liam Dwyer, a forensics specialist, are assigned the case to assist the local authorities. Dwyer immediately feels that something is being left unsaid or information is being hidden by the family. As the crime scene is processed and more information uncovered, the story the family told is increasingly suspect. The family is being protected from further questioning by their high priced attorney, Charlotte Walsh. The whole family is suspect, but there are also several other suspects that have been uncovered along with an increasing number of secrets.

This is the second book with Adler and Dwyer, but it works fine as a standalone novel. Enough of their history and backstory is explained to easily follow their relationship. This is good, because you have a handful of other characters which require closer observation and consideration in this procedural. As the evidence points to falsehoods being told and misdirection happening, almost everyone is a suspect as they are all keeping secrets from each other as well as the investigators. The characters are all believable as they are introduced to the story.

Chapters alternate from the point-of-view of Adler, Dwyer, Noel, and Charlie. and also give a look into the personal life and burgeoning relationship between Adler and Dwyer. Honestly, while I appreciate a glimpse into the personal lives of the investigators, I like my professionals in procedurals to act like professionals and not develop a burning desire for each other, so I could have done without that story line. I will grudgingly admit that it acted as a pause between new suspects emerging and new information being exposed, but that could have been accomplished without the hidden desire. It detracts from the case, which is why I would be reading the novel.

Cudos must be given to Farrell for keeping the plot moving at a steady pace and the intrigue high. The chapters are short which assists in the steady pacing. (Admittedly, I quickly read over the chapters featuring Adler's personal life because they added nothing to the plot.) This is a novel that is hard to predict the outcome because the investigation keeps uncovering new suspects as well as new discoveries. This writing strategy works well as it keeps your interest high and the pages turning. The ending was a surprise for me.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/06/tell-me-truth.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4076203721 show less

WE HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER grips the reader from page one and never lets up. Laura Anderson is driving home from a volunteer event when she hears a phone ring. Someone has kidnapped her daughter Nelle and if she doesn’t do exactly as they say, she will kill them. The caller believes she is really Betty Hamms, a nurse who killed a patient in Texas twenty years earlier due to a medical mistake, then fled the state, and they want to make her pay. The tension and stakes were well done as the show more kidnapper forces Laura to complete one action after another or else listen to the torture of her daughter. Anything you might ask yourself “would I be willing to do this?” is played out on page. But where the story really gets interesting is in the past connection between the kidnapper and Laura. There are twists on top of twists as the book reveals more about the backstory, both what happened in the hospital, and what happened even before that as part of Laura’s backstory and how everything ties in. It’s well written and I was on the edge of my seat not knowing who to trust. An excellent thriller. 5/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley for review purposes. show less

I know Everything (Adler and Dwyer book # 0.75) by Matthew Ferrell
Police Investigator Susan Adler gets a case that seems open and close until the medical examiner deems it a murder not accidental. I am always up for a good psychological thriller especially one where I think I have it figured out, yet the author’s writing is so good that it leaves that reasonable doubt to keep you reading. This book did that and just when I thought I had it figured out but couldn’t figure out the why, how show more and even when, the author throws in plot twists that had me saying “Whoa wait, what the fuck”. When I tell you my anxiety was up reading this book, I am not even over exaggerating, lol. 5 out 5-star rating as far as I am concerned.
Highly recommend if you like suspense and psychological thriller. You can find this book in your local library and if you have kindle unlimited it is free to read.
Books that follow:
• What have you done # 0.5
• Don’t ever forget #1
• Tell me the Truth #2 show less