| Title | : | The Girl in the Moss (Angie Pallorino, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 398 |
| Publication | : | First published June 12, 2018 |
A shallow grave exposes deadly secrets as bestselling author Loreth Anne White brings her thrilling series of romantic suspense to its shocking conclusion…
Disgraced ex-cop Angie Pallorino is determined to make a new start for herself as a private investigator. But first, she and her lover, newly promoted homicide detective James Maddocks, attempt a quiet getaway to rekindle a romance struggling in the shadows of their careers. The peace doesn’t last long when human skeletal remains are found in a nearby mossy grove.
This decades-old mystery is just what Angie needs to establish her new career—even as it thrusts her and Maddocks back into the media spotlight, once again endangering their tenuous relationship.
Then, when Angie’s inquiry into the old crime intersects with a cold case from her own policing past—one that a detective on Maddocks’s new team is working—the investigation takes a startling twist. It puts more than Angie’s last shot at redemption and a future with Maddocks at risk. The mystery of the girl in the moss could kill her.
The Girl in the Moss (Angie Pallorino, #3) Reviews
-
“You are so stubborn that you had to turn it all around, didn’t you?”
My excuse for taking an excessive amount of time after release to pick this up—
Angie Pallorino's latest and now greatest, in my eyes—has proven to be pointless. Null and void. And I’m nothing other than incredibly overjoyed. I’d wrongly assumed this novel was the inevitable goodbye. A farewell to a couple I’ve rooted for since their unexpected beginning. Or a "see ya" to the guy whose unusual rhetoric and mysterious backstory have piqued my curiosity over the entirety of the series. And I just wasn't ready. BUT, what I've taken too long to say here is, it’s apparent there's more to come. No timeline or official announcement that I’ve seen as of yet, but the lingering storyline threads make it known a continuation or spin-off is imminent.
One thing to admire about ex-cop Angie Pallorino is her fierce independence. Unfortunately, as fans of the series know, it’s also proven to be one of her biggest downfalls. Her gut reaction is to push people away, and with her history, it's almost understandable. Almost.
The Girl in the Moss finds Angie in transition. Now a disgraced ex-cop, she’s having a hard time making a go of things as a private investigator, heightened by the media scrutiny. Turning over her badge has meant relinquishing her sense of self. It’s tough to watch those lingering insecurities bleed into her relationship with Maddocks after all they've been through. And at a time when they should be riding the high . . . together.
It’s a set of bones, uncovered in a damp and mossy forest, during a fly fishing trip, that provides the break Angie desperately needs. An opportunity to prove herself and give a grieving grandmother the answers she seeks. The major obstacle Angie faces, the locals who aren’t too kind when it comes to strangers asking questions. Especially those who are as unrelenting and tenacious as she is.
If you have yet to experience the power of
Loreth Anne White’s storytelling—I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again—you’re missing out. Not only does White bring a complex investigation, but she also packs the pages with transportive details, interesting characters and just the right dose of romance. There’s nothing cookie-cutter or predictable; no cut corners or phoning it in. Each and every aspect of her storyline is well thought-out.
I hate to play favorites, but of the three
Pallorino books this one earns the gold star. The culmination of Angie’s experiences and growth over the course of the series lands her in a pivotal moment of perfection. The realization that she deserves everyone that’s become a part of her life is both heartfelt and deeply satisfying. Some might even say “awww” inducing.
If you don’t know, I’ve been harboring a serious crush on Maddocks. He's proven to be a standup guy pretty much from the first moment we were introduced to the detective and that three-legged sidekick of his. Incredibly patient, supportive and driven, how could anyone not fall for the guy? And I didn’t even mention the nickname Angie first gave him. *wink*
Kjel Holgersen is the one character who’s managed to avoid sharing his truth. Sure, he’s let a few head-scratching tidbits slip out, only serving to ramp up my curiosity. I’m DYING for his backstory and secretly hoping he gets his very own book. No doubt, his unique diction (think Holder from The Killing on Netflix) over an entire novel would prove to be interesting; both for readers and I assume for White to write.
Whenever, wherever, however and with whomever. It could be a continuation of this series or a spinoff; I’ll take anything White is willing to give us. -
4.5 stars
“Oh, the secrets we keep. And how they keep us. And the havoc the truth could wreak.”
Multilayered, atmospheric mystery packed with twists and turns. This book took me on a suspense-filled reading experience that kept me on my toes. I thought I had the mystery figured out early on, but I was beyond wrong!
*This can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first two books first to fully appreciate the characters.*
Ex-cop Angie Pallorino’s personal life is a bit of a mess. Her career is in shambles, she’s a media spectacle, and she is struggling to come to terms with her past. Her relationship with James Maddocks is also on the rocks, as he wants to take things to the next level, but fear causes her to push him away. Her desire to build her career causes her to put her life and her relationship at risk. While on an ill-fated vacation with James Maddocks to the Nahamish River, they discover a body buried in the mossy forest. Angie begins an investigation, leading her into grave danger.
Props to her Loreth Anne White--this woman knows how to write! She transported me to the dark Nahamish forest and river. The setting plays a crucial role--it’s chilling, harsh, and unforgiving. In addition to the stellar characterization in this book, White also knows how to write a mystery. I thought I had everything figured out but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the mystery had more layers than it initially seemed. Tension continuously builds to the point where I was a nervous mess during the last 20%. Thankfully, I was able to calm down long enough to enjoy the ending.
I have loved seeing Angie’s character develop throughout this series. She’s much calmer in this installment, as she finally comes to realize that she deserves to be loved. Might I say that she has gone a bit soft? This isn’t a bad thing. I do wish there had been more of Holgerson, Maddocks, and Jack-O. I really hope this is not the last book in the series--I am not ready to move on from these characters! With that being said, I wouldn’t mind seeing Holgersen show up as the lead in a spinoff. He’s such an enigmatic and fascinating character!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. -
"Sweet is a revenge, especially to women. It's an emotion that outlasts others."
"Oh the secrets we keep. And how they keep us. And the havoc the truth could wreak."
Loreth Anne White has done IT AGAIN. This series keeps getting better and better. I have a select handful of series that I can't get enough of and this is one of them.
Where can I even start? Loreth has such a way with words and grabbing her readers from start to finish. Loreth truly has a talent for her storylines... so unique and different! I just can't get enough of it!!
Just when you think you've figured the story out.. no BAM let me just add some more spice to this plot. Loreth yet AGAIN amazes me with her balance of suspense, setting, characters, and edge of your seat ride in this gem of a thriller!
This story will leave your heart pumping up to your eyes and take you for a ride that you will NOT be disappointed with.
Ex cop Angie Pallorino is struggling a little bit in the beginning of this one. Her lover Detective Maddox has even given Angie an ultimatum with their relationship. Angie is treading above water and can't seem to find her solid ground. Just when Angie is about to give up... a little slice of heaven appears in Angie's lap with a cold case. A small town that is hiding deep dark secrets with possible murder intertwined?!
"Darkness seeped in with the mist, wrapping the city in a claustrophobic cape of cold moisture and casting ghostly halos around the streetlights."
Between the addicting writing, characterization, lies, betrayal, and suspense all combined in one... White NAILED it. Check marks the box.... this is another one of your thrillers for the summer. Cosy on up people ;).
Only teeny tiny issue I had was I wanted more of Angie and Maddocks. I felt like there wasn't enough of them in this one. BUT, the interactions we did have with them were PRECIOUS! <3 Maddocks.
Overall, 4.5 mossy stars!!
Thank you so much to Montlake Romance and Netgalley for the advanced arc in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 6/12/18
Published to GR: 5/27/18 -
Dazzling. Just dazzling. I could end the review right there and have perfectly said all that needed to be said. But I won’t. The Girl in the Moss is dazzling in plot, characters, settings and endings.
I ended my review of The Lullaby Girl mentioning Tom Petty’s song “I Won’t Back Down”. Nothing has changed for Angie. She won’t back down in trying to establish herself professionally and in her relationship with Sgt James Maddocks. She won’t back down in her determination to see justice done, even if the need for justice is from 24 years ago. None of this is easy, since Angie keeps setting up roadblocks to her own road forward in trying to do right for others. She just sometimes forgets to do right for herself.
This review might seem like an essay on Angie Pallorino. It is in part because she is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve come across. In The Drowned Girls her sense of identity began to crack. In The Lullaby Girl her identity was totally destroyed. She came through a crucible of destruction and started to put herself back together after losing almost everything except for Maddocks. AKA, no, I won’t go there. Read the other books. Although Loreth Anne White does a great job of catching readers up in the third book, it would be a crying shame to not read the first two.
In The Girl in the Moss, Angie and Maddocks are on a romantic fly fishing trip. While returning to the lodge where they are staying they are hailed by an old man who shows them skeletal remains partially buried in moss.
The discovery of the skeleton brings home to Angie that she is no longer a cop. She is trying to become a private detective, currently working for her license under supervision of an established detective agency. This comes to a quick end for Angie after the discovery of the body. Quelle surprise!
The bones are quickly identified as a woman who went missing on a fly fishing trip 24 years ago. Since Angie was present at the discovery of the skeleton, she is hired by the missing woman’s grandmother to explore what led to the woman’s death on another fly fishing trip.
For a number of reasons, Maddocks is mostly MIA, my only complaint with this book. For the professional reasons Maddocks is MIA, he is busy setting up a new serious crime squad with Metro Victoria PD. He sets up a sub-squad, reviewing cold cases, consisting of the oddly charming, but still mysterious, Kjel Holgersen, and Angie’s nemesis Harvey Leo.
Kjel soon discovers several cases possibly relating to a recent missing woman case. A case Angie had worked before her spectacular fall from grace.
Angie asks Kjel to accompany her back to where the skeleton was found. Cue the banjo music. Cue also shocking twists leading to heartbreak and breathtaking danger.
Characters, even the villains are fully dimensional, with stories and motives that matter. The twists are awful, but the trail is there. The reader may feel gobsmacked, but they won’t feel cheated.
Loreth Anne White’s writing just flows, whether she is describing the local fauna in a remote Canadian forest or if she is describing the bully boys who try to intimidate Angie. There is a rhythm to the writing that just soothes then racks up the tension, stomach churning tension. This series is hard hitting, gritty crime fiction.
Don’t look for much romance; but there is love: maternal love, twisted love, fraternal love, paternal love, and romantic love.
Despite the wonderful darkness of this series, Angie is incandescent, her light showing the way to recovery and forgiveness. Eventually, even for herself.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. -
"Redemption is not just about the survival of our soul. It's about the revival of a soul that once was dead." (Unknown)
Ex-cop Angie Pallorino carries the weight of a past so far and so wide that it must be spoken in immeasurable terms. Angie can't seem to put it down, pack it away, or bury it to the farthest depths. It haunts her like an extra skin suffocating even the slightest breath of a future.
Detective James Maddocks, Angie's on-again-off-again boyfriend, has suggested a fly fishing trip on the Nahamish River in British Columbia. As the fishing boats make their way to shore at dusk, an older man stands nearby waving his arms up and down frantically. James, Angie, and their guide, Claire, paddle hurriedly to the shoreline. The frightened individual was searching for mushrooms in the darkened mossy area near the river. What he has found has made his hands shake in response. A human skeleton lays half-covered near the surface. Not the way to end a trip designed for anglers and certainly not with expectation of someone's body.
Forensics determine that the body is that of a missing young woman who died twenty-five years ago. Her death was originally determined to be an accidental drowning while fly fishing. The dead woman's grandmother hires Angie to find out what exactly happened to Jasmine. What appears to be an open and shut case turns out to be a case with many, many doors, and most of them revolving doors at that. The deeper Angie delves into this cold case, the more dangerous it becomes.
The Girl in the Moss is the third book in this series. Fear not, it can easily be read as a standalone. It will surely snap your head around and cause you to order the first two. I did. Gotta find out what set Angie on this precarious life journey of hers. Gotta Know. Like now.
Loreth Anne White has a grabber of a writing style. Her characters are complicated, gritty, and reflect real life. Her descriptors take you into that mossy woods near the river while your boots sink into the muck and mire. Bending low, you see what Angie sees. White's research is impeccable with precise nuggets from the medical examiners. She's done the work and it's clearly evident here.
Just bet you'll be angling for more from this very talented author. -
3.75 stars
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
POV/s:
Tone: Hopeful
Writing style: 4/5
Cover art: 5/5
Jasmine Gulati disappeared twenty-four years ago. Her grandmother, Jilly Monaghan, contracts Angie to find out what her granddaughter’s life was like in the months leading up to her disappearance. It turns out that Jasmine’s young life wasn’t a simple one and her final hours of life were in fact captured on film. Jasmine was one of nine women who spent seven days journeying in the beauty of the wilderness as part of a based-on-reality film of sorts. All of the women had different personalities and were of different ages and backgrounds, but the goal of the filmmaker was to capture their love for the great outdoors as well as any catty drama or fallout that arose. Or was there another agenda at play?
Women were more dangerous—because they were more devious. The aggression was usually quieter. And sometimes darkly passive, hidden like fly hooks in pretty feathers behind smiles and compliments and nice shoes.
This story begins nine months after
The Lullaby Girl ends and features a more toned down Angie. She’s had some cognitive behavioral therapy, Maddocks’s career is flying higher than a kite, and the reader gets some precious peeks into Detective Kjel Holgersen’s thoughts. Angie is still headstrong and zealous, but with new interpersonal goals and with a clearer pathway in which she can watch her career blossom.
Loved
The author ticked almost all the boxes for the growing wish list in my head that was building since book 1:
▣ Reappearance of Father Simon
▣ Cemented commitment between Ang and Mads
▣ Ginny and Angie sharing that special moment
Also loved:
When Maddocks put a certain plan into place that involved recruiting Holgersen?
I marked my spot for the rejoicing session that I could see was just ahead!
But that moment never came . . .
▣ Favorite scene? It involved these lines:
Hold on hold on hold on to her . . .
At the 91% mark, I fought to hold back my tears . . .
The final chapter was sheer perfection!
Overall
I missed self-destructive Angie! Good girl Angie was entertaining and adventurous, yet I missed that emotionally tortured heroine! Either way, this story was a fantastic wrap-up to conclude this series with. Angie’s well-being vastly improved from
The Drowned Girls (Angie Pallorino #1) and I hope the author finds a way to plant Pallorino in any of her upcoming series—even if it’s for a fraction of a moment!
The scenes in this book between Maddocks and Angie were brief but so intimate and at times tender. I craved more scenes featuring the two but loved the bits the author rationed out to the reader. The avenue of romance was kept to the outskirts and restricted to the periphery of the story, but that was okay because the metamorphosis of Angie Pallorino from
The Drowned Girls (Angie Pallorino #1) to this installment was a beautiful adventure!
*ARC generously provided by Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. -
The second episode of the Angie Pallorino series (The Lullaby Girl) saw Angie fired from the Police force after going off on her own bat and not following orders. Now she is trying to get her PI license so she can go into business for herself. She and Maddocks are also trying to rekindle their romance after the horrific events of their last case together and are enjoying a fly fishing expedition in a Canadian wilderness lodge when a skeleton is found in the moss near the river. The remains are found to belong to a young woman, Jasmine Gulati who disappeared 24 years ago. Her death was believed to be an accidental drowning but when Angie is hired by the girl’s grandmother to look into the events leading up to the accident, she uncovers dark secrets that the locals are more than keen to protect.
I love this series. Angie is such a tough, feisty character, determined to get justice no matter the cost. The Canadian wilderness is painted as rugged and beautiful but tinged with danger for the unaware. The plot itself is rich and dark with twangs of “Deliverance” in the menacing roughneck locals and their treatment of outsiders. It was great to see Angie overcome her personal barriers to make some decisions about what she wants in her future. I hope this doesn't turn out to be a trilogy as I would love to see the next episode in her life! 4.5★
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Montlake Romance for a digital copy of the book to read. -
Angie Pallorino is adjusting to her new job as a private investigator with Coastal Investigations after having lost her badge with the MVPD while her love James Maddocks is tagged to head up a new and vital unit within the department. While off at a well-deserved romantic getaway to focus on their relationship, they’re drawn into the discovery of a skeleton near their vacation site. After the remains are identified, Angie is hired to find out what happened to the victim in the days leading up to that person’s disappearance.
Every story just gets better than the last as this one grabs you from the onset and just won’t let you go. It’s got everything from the intrigue in Port Ferris where the body was found to the drama going on with Angie as she struggles to find her identity after no longer being a detective. And, a cold case for the MVPD’s new iMit unit factors in as well as some internal queries. There’s much going on but we see Angie finding her own way not only with the investigation but in her personal journey. I’ve waited to witness this since the first book.
The pace is almost perfect, especially the last 30% of the book as it races to a stunning, exciting and heart stopping resolution. Settle in as you will not be able to put the book down after that point. At least I couldn’t. I’m really hoping this isn’t the last one in the series because I want more of Angie, Maddocks and Horgenson!
(I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review) -
Oh my gosh, this book was so good and I cannot believe that this series set in British Columbia had skipped my attention until now. The author alludes to main character, Angie Pallorino's back story in the beginning and that helped me feel comfortable as a first time reader. A solid mystery, great characters, and a cold case investigation that had me holding my breath from beginning to end.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. -
The book gods were smiling on me when I was pointed toward the Angie Pallorino series and author Loreth Anne White. After receiving an arc of The Girl In The Moss, I picked up the first two books in the series and fell down the rabbit hole on a thrilling binge read - only finding my way out after finishing all three books. My only regret . . . there isn't a book four.
Ex-cop Angie Pallorino is struggling with her distressing new reality. Even her lover Det. Maddox has given her an ultimatum, drawing a line in the sand that leaves the future of their relationship in her hands. Angie's at loose ends, floundering to keep her head above water and desperately searching for anything that will give her life purpose again. Just when she thinks there's no hope, a phone call lures her into looking at a cold case in a small town harboring deadly secrets. In her search for the truth, Angie risks everything . . . her future, her relationship, even her life. What she eventually discovers kept me turning pages long into the night.
Readers should avoid all spoilers and prepare to be sucked into this complex thriller where lies, secrets, jealousy, and deceit abound and any one of several devious characters may be a killer. White's vibrant, descriptive writing style sets the stage with an ominous atmosphere, heavily layered with impending doom. With heart racing, I burned through the pages and, like Angie, just when I thought I had all the answers, I realized all the puzzle pieces didn't quite fit. The story and danger wasn't over yet.
Once in awhile, you read a book with just the right combination of plot, setting, characters, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. You know what I mean - a stunning, riveting thriller that grips you by the throat, makes your heart pound in your ears, and keeps you up all night reading . . . one that carries you on a killer roller coaster ride, refusing to let you off until you reach the final page. The Girl In The Moss is one of those books. It held me in its clutches through twists and turns and loops and just when I thought I had all the answers, it kicked into another gear and drove me even higher. What?!! Are you kidding me? Needless to say, I loved this book! It goes on my 2018 Favorites Shelf just as White shoots up my list of must-read authors. An intense, shocking thriller that is an absolute Must Read!
*Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book via Netgally.
**Reviewed at:
Cross My Heart Reviews -
4.5 Stars
The Girl in the Moss has Angie a little out of sorts as the story first starts being as she was fired from thepolice force, and her identity and worth so tied up with the job. Now, she must complete a certain number of hours in the field to get her private investigator license. The only way to do that is by logging time with a PI, such as Coastal Investigations where she’s already on thin ice due to her notoriety.
Angie’s insecurities lead her to bungle things up with Maddocks, so Angie’s on thin ice with him, too, but she has a plan to fix it. Thank goodness she realizes she’s being an idiot early on and realizes how much Maddocks means to her, because otherwise I’d really have to slap that girl! (Yes, I do realize she’s a fictional character…) Loved Maddocks being patient and at the same time not taking shit. Maddocks’ daughter was a delight here as well!
Things start looking up when a case basically falls in her lap. A woman was swept over the falls in group fly-fishing trip several women took as part of a documentary twenty-four years back. Her body finally washes up and things may not have been as they appeared. Angie digs into the case and finds a hotbed of lies and deceptions, and stirring up the past does not make her popular in this little town! It’s a close-knit town and the locals are far from friendly!
As usual, Loreth Anne White’s writing is beautiful and makes you feel as if you’re right there with Angie. Eerie and atmospheric, as are the other books, crackling with tension, and a sense of impending danger. I was really worried for Angie’s safety with the men in this small town. Some of the mystery I guessed, but some of it was an absolute surprise. I like that the clues and story lead you to conclusions that make sense, and I also enjoy a few twists I didn’t see coming. I like that there was a little of both here.
I’m really sad to say goodbye to this series! I can’t believe this is the last book because I think there are several threads left unexplored, such as Leo and his shiftiness (hate him!) and then Holgerson! A whole book could revolve around Holgerson! Maybe a spinoff? At any rate, I’ve loved every one of the Angie Pallorino books and recommend them to anyone who loves a gripping mystery with interesting characters and a romance to root for!
A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at
The Readers Den. -
Once again, if the Prologue doesn't grab you in this 3rd book of the Angie Pallorino series then I don't know what will. Loreth Anne White has quickly become one of my favourite romantic suspense writers.
Disgraced ex-cop Angie Pallorino is determined to make a fresh start as a private investigator. But first, she and homicide detective James Maddocks attempt to rekindle their struggling romance with a quiet getaway, a guided fishing trip. Their peace is short-lived when human skeletal remains are discovered in a nearby mossy forest.
Ruled an accident, the only living relative of the deceased hires Angie to investigate the deceased's final days. Angie's probe leads to many twists, turns and compelling reading!
Loreth Anne White completes the story of Angie Pallorino and I am deeply saddened to see her go.
I highly recommend this series and reading it in order, if possible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review. -
I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.
For now I'll just say: WOW!!!!
Review on line NOW!
Did I say that I love how Ms. White writes?!!! I love her style and her stories! Always nail-biting, interesting and intelligent!
I don't know if anyone here have watched the TV series Cold Case - I did and loved it, so I was overjoyed to have the same sensations here! Wonderful!!
In these 3 books Angie has grown in a spectacular way! She's still tough and determined, but also more aware and compassionate. I loved her when she was almost self-destructive, but I loved her even more here!!
Also her relashionship with Maddocks has evolved and I loved their time together here!
But the most appreciated thing was the magistral merging of criminal investigation and brilliant characters building.
The solving of an intricate cold case was front and center around which everything was turning around. And the case was intricate indeed!
The investigation brings Angie in real danger as the many suspects are really dangerous and she has a very difficult time finding out who's lying and who's not. But that's the beauty here!!!
If this is indeed the last book in the series, I really hope Ms. White writes a spin off featuring Kjel Holgersen. I'm really, really curious to know his story!
Anyhow, I would strongly recommend this whole series! -
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
Loreth Anne White writes a mean, gritty romantic-suspense. I just love her! I used to think that LAW's style was similar to Sandra Brown and the late Sue Grafton, I feel the same essence and power that is present in those great authors. Loreth Anne White is in a class all her own. While I see a lot of similarity in Angie Pallerino to the Grafton character Kinsey Milhorn, they are very much soul sisters, Angie has a hot, sexy guy that will stick and is working through the issues of her childhood and accepting them as elements that shaped her character. All of LAW's books have richly drawn characters with real foibles, real fears and real emotions. My only complaint about this book is that there was not enough James Maddocks!
Life for Angie Pallerino after being revealed as the infamous Cradle Child has been a series of ups and downs, mostly downs. She was fired from the job as a police detective that defined who she was as a person and she seriously didn't know what to do with James Maddocks and his marriage proposal, except to ignore it. While on a fishing trip that was meant to give them some much needed time together, they are present when the skeleton is discovered in a mossy grove near the Nahamish River. This throws Angie back in the media spotlight, where she so does not want to be. It also becomes cause for her new boss, Jock Brixton of Coastal Investigations, to fire her. Just when Angie is starting to envision a future with Maddocks and her own business as a Private Investigator, that vision is ripped away leaving her adrift.
The media is both a curse and a blessing. Because of the media, Angie is contacted by the grandmother of the woman whose skeleton was found. Retired Supreme Court Justice Jilly Monaghan wants Angie to investigate the last months of her granddaughter, Jasmine Gulati's live. Jasmine was on a fishing trip 24 years ago when she fell into the rive and was never seen again. There is no crime, the death was an accident. But as Angie digs into Jasmine's life, she finds some unflattering information about Jasmine and some information that points to a Cold Case currently being worked by Detective Kjel Holgersen, Angie's former partner. The deeper Angie digs the more danger she finds herself in and the more convinced she becomes that she wants a life with Maddocks. Now she just has to survive to live it. -
4.5 stars
In this final instalment in her trio of novels featuring Angie Pallorino, Loreth Anne White delivers another compulsively readable, complex mystery that hooks your interest from the get-go and gradually tightens its grip until you literally can’t put the book down. It’s like reading a snowball; an impactful start sees it start rolling down the hill, gradually getting larger as it picks up and encompasses other clues, plot-threads and information and travels faster and faster until it hits bottom to reach an explosive and immensely satisfying dénouement. Here, that snowball starts rolling when former detective Angie Pallorino and her boyfriend, Detective James Maddocks are taking a four day trip down the Nahamish River on a quiet, romantic getaway. It’s been a tough few months for Angie, who was busted down to a desk job after she was judged to have used excessive force to take down a serial killer. Furious and frustrated, Angie broke the twelve-month probation imposed upon her and went rogue, continuing to work on the case of the bar-code girls (in book two,
The Lullaby Girl), which also led her to her discovering the truth about her parentage and true identity as the daughter of a sex-trafficker and major crimelord. Unable to return to the job she loved, Angie is trying to pick up the pieces of her life, and is now working towards getting her PI license, but given the intense publicity generated by the news of her identity, her backstory as the “angel’s cradle baby” and her part in bringing down a major sex-trafficking ring, there are almost no PI agencies willing to hire her (she’s too high-profile) so she can get the required number of hours under her belt she needs before she can branch out on her own.
Things between Angie and Maddocks are uncertain, too. He’s the golden boy of the Metro Victoria PD and has been appointed to head up a prestigious new task-force while she is struggling to find out who she is if she isn’t a cop. She knows she loves Maddocks and wants to be with him, but Angie is subconsciously pulling back – and Maddocks knows her well enough to realise it but is worried that she’ll run if she gets the chance. Their relationship isn’t in the best place, but they hope that a little time spent together with nothing to interrupt or distract them will get them back on track. Unfortunately, that is not to be when on their last night at the camp, a skeleton is found near the banks of the river. It’s going to be the morning before local law-enforcement can get to such a remote location and secure the scene, so Maddocks and Angie spend what should have been a romantic evening, complete with gourmet dinner, wine and hot tub, camped out next to a crime scene.
The remains are eventually identified as belonging to a young woman named Jasmine Gulati who died while on a fishing trip on the Nahamish some twenty-four years earlier. She had been part of a group of women anglers who were taking part in a documentary being filmed by Rachel Hart, who had chosen her subjects to be from different walks of life and in different stages of their lives. Much as the producers of shows like Big Brother do today, Rachel had hoped that their differences would produce interesting viewing – but after Jasmine’s death, the project was canned and the documentary never appeared.
A while later, Angie is surprised to receive a phone call from a retired judge, Jilly Monaghan, who explains that Jasmine was her granddaughter and offers Angie a large fee if she will find out what really happened to her. Her death has been ruled accidental, but the judge wants to know if that is really the case or not; either way, she wants the closure that knowing the truth will bring.
Angie’s investigation soon leads her to suspect that Jasmine’s death wasn’t an accident at all, and as she digs deeper, she exposes the web of secrets, lies and conspiracies that have lain buried in the small community of Port Ferris for almost twenty five years. The mystery is gripping; tightly constructed and incredibly well-written, and the author makes fantastic use of her wilderness setting, which is both beautiful and terrifying, at the same time brilliantly conveying the insular nature of a small, close-knit community such as this one. The men resent Angie and what they see as her interference, and are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect their own. It would be easy to laugh at this unsophisticated group of ‘hillbillies’ but no, they’re actually extremely disturbing and Angie is in real danger, probably more than she’s ever been, considering that she’s no longer a cop and doesn’t have the weight of authority behind her – or a gun.
There’s an intriguing secondary plotline in which Maddocks sets up a new cold case unit placing Angie’s former partner, Kjel Holgerson, at its head. This storyline serves to bring us back neatly to some of the events of
The Drowned Girls, but it also opens up the possibility of more stories set in this ‘universe’; I would certainly not be averse to reading more about the enigmatic and oddly endearing Holgerson. I also liked the author’s subtle exploration of the ethics of cold cases; in a situation such as this one, where one family needs closure, another is ripped apart, so it’s difficult – or impossible – to achieve a balance. But Angie is, as ever, focused on finding the truth, no matter how hard it is. Her own experiences have taught her that it’s better to know and deal than to deny, and ultimately, the needs of justice have to be served.
My one niggle about the book is that Maddocks is (necessarily) MIA for almost all of it, even though there’s no question he’s a huge presence in Angie’s life and her desire to come to him as a woman who knows who she is and where she’s going is the impetus for her becoming involved in the Gulati case. Still, the brief glimpses we get of their relationship are well done, and while I’d have liked a bit more of them together, I think they needed the short separation in order to remind one another of exactly what they have together.
A complex, atmospheric thriller with a pervading sense of menace, especially in the second half, The Girl in the Moss is a terrific finale to a terrific series, and I really hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Angie, Maddocks, Holgerson - and Jack-O. -
Had I not known this was a final Angie Pallorino, I think I would've liked it better. Maybe. I still had some (okay a lot of) niggles. But as this wraps up I'm left wondering so many things. Is there to be a spinoff maybe? Because if not.. then there was a whole story arc in THE GIRL IN THE MOSS that was mostly useless.
Truthfully, I didn't really find this story to be interesting until the big twist. I thought the characters kinda plodded along through the same old motions we've seen since book two and while sometimes the close knit community vs the investigator can be done well.. in this one it was just more annoying than interesting. Also in the lead-up to the big climax there were these big.. I don't want to say info dumps but they were also kinda like info dumps and I just felt the pacing was way weird. But, again, I liked the twist, even if the tie-in was a little on the nose.
It was as though Angie was struggling with an insidious tension between her desire to be alone and her need for intimacy.
Unfortunately between the lack of intensity, the separation between Angie and Maddocks, and all the will-they-won't-they repetition, I just kind could've done without this one. I much would've preferred the more open ending of the second book. But I suppose my expectations could've been too high. Again though I'm left wondering : what about everything with Leo? wtf will we ever know anything about Holgersen? Also, side note, why did Maddocks completely lack a personality in this one? I'm okay with Angie being a bit more of a good girl, as opposed to a self-destructive hotmess, because the true blue Angie was still there. But her boyfriend gets a promotion, becomes all important, and apparently that means he turns to cardboard. And also has no relevance to the overall story. Cool beans.
She loved him with all her heart, and a part of her resented him because he was so goddamn perfect.
Oh well! Can't win them all.
2.5 "what's so funny? / you, not being a cop, looks just the same as you being a cop" stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. ** -
"Life is like a river. Life is absurd. The only constant is the water of change."
So we've come to the end for Angie, Maddocks, and even Holgerson. I for one, am not ready to say goodbye. This has been a fantastic series with tragedy, adversity, redemption, and more importantly, love. I've become so invested in the lives of Angie Pallorino and James Maddocks and what's to become of them, that I can't imagine letting go... walking away and never looking back. That's when you know the author has done their job. Loreth Anne White is an AMAZING author. Her descriptive writing is by far the best I have ever seen, her character development and dialogue are genuine. Every time I read a Loreth Anne White novel I feel bad for all the authors I read directly following it because I can't help but compare. When Loreth Anne White writes a novel, she puts everything she has in it, and you can tell. I can't thank her enough for giving me something to look forward to, and something to get lost in with every novel.
With The Girl in the Moss, we find Angie picking up the pieces following her termination and still coming to terms with no longer being a cop. Being a cop was the one thing about Angie that was truly Angie. With Maddocks receiving a recent promotion, this only adds to Angie's feelings of inferiority, and she can't help but feel a bit of resentment. Maddocks decides to take Angie on a getaway to the Nahamish river for a four-day guided trip for some fly fishing and relaxation, where he eventually pops the question. Only the getaway doesn't go exactly as planned. The body of a young woman is discovered in a mossy loam having been washed up there during a flood in previous years.
Angie catches a big break and lands the case... her first P.I. case. Of course, it wasn't easy, as nothing is ever easy for Angie. The remains turn out to belong to Jasmine Gulati, the granddaughter of Judge Jilly Monaghan. Jasmine had been at the Nahamish river all those years ago for a documentary trip for fly fishing, it was titled Women in the Stream. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened to Jasmine during this trip, but it was suspected that she slipped, fell into the river, and went over the falls and drowned. Judge Monaghan wants answers, she wants to know about some of the events that lead up to Jasmine's last days. She asks Angie to find these answers for her. Angie heads back out to the Port Ferris area to find out what happened to Jasmine Gulati on the Nahamish River.
As Angie continues her investigation, she discovers that the people in the small town of Port Ferris are hiding more than just the answers to what happened to Jasmine Gulati, and that they'll stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.
There were a few disappointing things with the conclusion to this series, one, we didn't get to see much of Maddocks in this one, two, I didn't get to know Holgerson as much as I had hoped. I had hoped that at some point in the series that we would get to understand a bit more about Holgerson's character. Then again, I now see that his character is to remain mysterious. Lastly, I would have liked to see Leo get what was coming to him. I feel that there was unfinished business with Leo. All that said, as with any series... there will always be a bit of disappointment and unfinished business.
I want to thank NetGalley, Montlake Romance, and Loreth Anne White for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review. It was absolutely a delight as always. -
Former Police Detective Angie Pallorino is trying to get her career on track by becoming a private investigator. While she and her lover, James Maddocks, are on a fly fishing vacation, the skeletal remains are discovered in a mossy grave. It proves to be the body of Jasmine Gulati, a young woman who disappeared from a fishing trip over 20 years ago. Jasmine's grandmother hires Angie to unearth Jasmine's last days. Angie sees this case as something that will help make her career; but one thing she didn't plan on is the distance the case puts between her and Maddocks.
This is the third book in the Angie Pallorino trilogy and it's another winner. Angie puts her investigative skills to good use on this case. There were a lot of unexpected twists in this one that I didn't see coming. I loved how this case overlapped with another old case that Angie had worked when she was a cop. Angie's fear of commitment keeps getting in the way of her relationship with Maddocks. Good thing he is a patient guy.
I know this is the last book in the trilogy, but I still hope the author will write more stories involving Angie and Maddocks...and also Holgerson. I want to know more about him and the job he is doing for Maddocks. My rating: 5 Stars. -
"We all tell lies. We all have secrets. A secret can own a person. A secret is powerful. But only to the degree that the truth threatens someone."
And this is the way you end a trilogy!
It's not a secret I love everything Loreth Anne White writes. However, I was a tad upset with Angie for always running into a scary situation with all her guns blazing but without the right back up.
In The Girl In The Moss, everything is different. Angie appears to be more grounded. She shines as an excellent investigator and she's doing it all without breaking the law. Her current situation is hard for her. She still feels like a cop but she can't force people to talk to her. They have to agree to meet her and some people are not very nice to her. It's quite an adjustment for our Angie.
"she was no longer a cop, defaulting to old police procedure at a potential crime scene was an easy coping mechanism, a way of guarding her emotions from others."
For those who can't remember, at the end of the Lullaby Girls, Angie is not a cop anymore. At present and months later, she's accumulating hours to officially become a P.I. Her new boss doesn't make it easy on her. He dislikes her recent notoriety which makes it hard for her to do her job.
Angie and Maddocks have taken time off and are on a mini fly fishing vacation when they stumble upon the bones of Jasmine Gulati, a young woman who disappeared two decades ago. Angie is hired to investigate the case by Jasmine's grandmother, Jilly Monaghan. This is where Angie shines. She does a beautiful job at piecing it all together by following the clues she uncovers.
With respect to her personal life, things are moving at a much slower pace. Angie has a fear of commitment. She also has a fear of being left behind. Nonetheless, she's getting better at it too. She does so many positive things. Her scenes with Ginny and her father made me smile.
"I want your love. I want it honest and full, and I want acknowledgment that you know I’m there for you, that you trust me."
The Girl In The Moss has a great ending but my hope is that Loreth Anne White decides she's not done with Kjel Holgersen. The man is a mystery I want to unravel.
"Maybe at the heart of it all, at the heart of all that was human, even in the dark, was love."
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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EDIT: Heard rumors that this series might be ending, so I asked White about it. This is what she said — “Thank you for asking!! The series was launched as a trilogy but I definitely have plans for Kjel!! (and Angie is going to help him sort out that mystery hanging over him) So, my goal is to add to the trilogy now with the Angie PI books, possibly another trilogy. But first I need to finish the romantic suspense I am busy writing now ... my editor and publisher wanted it that way. Sigh ... what a bother to have to think of the business end of storytelling!! But either way ... Kjel's story *will* be on its way soon!! I am getting so many people asking ... which delights me ❤”
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Good mystery/thriller read, if a tad predictable in places. The twisty ending, however, blew me away. Sad, and more than a little freaky. I like this author and series a lot; and have always enjoyed reading Cold Cases. There was also significant forward momentum in Angie's relationship with Maddocks. As always, Kjel was mysterious and secretive. I always want to know more about him and his shrouded past.
On the whole, this was a win read for me. If the quality of the writing and the stories stays this high; I’m hoping for a long series about Angie Pallorino - former homicide detective and now PI. -
4.5 stars
My favorite one yet! After a number of setbacks and some PTSD, Angie perseveres and digs into a cold case. Of course, those with something to hide do everything they can to prevent her from finding the truth. Just when you think you have it figured out and the case is closed, the author hits you with something else. I listened to the audio version and did not want to stop listening. Also, the relationship with Angie and Maddox has some ups and downs - but no doubts that Maddox loves her. I hope there is another book in this series. -
I have really become a fan of Ms. White over the last couple of years and Angie Pallorino series has quickly become a favorite. Lately I've been avoiding the "too damaged" characters, but in Angie's case her growth and determination to face a challenge keeps me glued to her stories.
This book game me heart palpitations when issues developed between Angie and Maddocks and at the end with Kjel. These characters are so much a part of the series that you become vested in them, you can't help but want everything to work out. In previous books, I wasn't sure how to feel about Maddock's daughter, but in this book she was awesome. One of the reasons I like Ms. White's stories/writing is her ability to develop characters that don't seem cliché. Her characters feel real and fleshed out.
The plot of working through the cold case of finding the skeleton of a woman who went missing 24 years ago was really well done. There were some tense moments which I always enjoy and I also liked how it tied to the cases that Kjel was working on. I was wondering how Angie's "work" (now that she's no longer part of the police dept.) would be woven into future stories and I really liked this next move in her career.
Although I love this series and will definitely continue to read it, I would also welcome some stand alone books by Ms. White.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an opportunity to read and review an ARC. -
4.5⭐️
Not as good as the first two but still an excellent book.
Angie is digging up an old case for a Senile old woman that misses her granddaughter but little does angie know that this is a real case, a current ongoing problem. -
"Maybe the truth should stay buried sometimes."
The third and, I suspect, final book in the Angie Pallorino series brings a very satisfying close for the fiercely intrepid detective. If the series does in fact end here, I think it does a very fine job of wrapping up Angie's journey of self-discovery, and I am surprisingly satisfied that it ends the way it does. The main themes of uncovering the truth and of being true to oneself come full circle, and I did find that reading all three books in the trilogy fairly close to each other helped me to see the big picture better. So much of this third book is about Angie coming to terms with her personal history and trying to forge the right path forward.
There is a larger philosophical question throughout this book concerning the morality of cold case detecting. If history allows those in grief to move forward with their lives, trying to breath new life into a cold case threatens to upend everything for survivors. On the other hand, those who have gotten away with murder are eluding justice. Angie clearly represents Justice in this book, even at times when nearly everyone is against her and when some of the opposition's arguments makes some sense. At the start of the book, Angie is officially an ex-cop, having been fired for blatant violations of police protocol, a verdict hard to denounce for those who have read the first two books. She is trying to become licensed as a private investigator, which seems a better fit given her struggle to be a team player. Her road to licensing doesn't come easy for her but that generally seems to be the way things go for Angie. Due to her notoriety at this point in her life, Angie comes to the attention of an eccentric and wealthy elderly woman who hires her to investigate the final days of her granddaughter's life after her skeleton is discovered in the woods twenty-four years after her disappearance. What follows is a riveting who-done-it that I found made this the best of the three books in the Pallorino series and a story that I had trouble putting down.
Angie sets out to discover what happened to skilled fly fisher, Jasmine, who disappeared on an expedition. Jasmine, we learn, was part of an all-female troupe of fly fishers for a provocative new reality TV series set in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. On the surface, Jasmine appears to have slipped on rocks while fishing, drowned, and gone over the treacherous falls of a river. Nothing is ever what it seems though and the cast of suspects grows as Angie delves more and more into the infamous event. Adding to the carefully crafted mystery is an unbelievable setting straight out of the movie Deliverance, complete with banjos and creepy hillbillies, and even Predator Lodge where Angie and Maddocks spend their first nights in the area. At first I found the rednecks of this very small town a bit amusing. Midway through, I realized that, no, these men are genuinely terrifying and Angie's life is in more danger than ever before. I would add too that this book works especially well in a Canadian setting because Angie was stripped of her gun when she was fired from the police force, and if this had been an American author/setting, Angie would have been loaded up with assault rifles as a civilian. Having only a wee little pocket knife for protection was terrifying, and I say this as an anti-gun advocate.
This book has one of the most tightly constructed mysteries I've read in a long time, and the violence and threat of violence permeates the second half of the book. Maddocks has a far less dominant role here, but his presence in Angie's life is significant. Kjel Holgersen plays a big role too, and if I had to guess, I would not be at all surprised if he gets his own series soon. It was satisfying too that so many figures from the earlier novels reappear here in important ways. The author has done a wonderful job of creating a believable world. This final book came alive for me. I fell asleep thinking about it and awoke turning things over, visualizing scenes, like a movie playing in my head.
Is it right or wrong to meddle and resurrect the past? Is it justice or meddling? Or both? Law enforcement doesn't stop investigating current cases out of concern that people's lives will potentially be upended. Cold cases have the weight of history though and they are a different animal. But as much as these questions are debated by others in the book, Angie is as myopically focused as ever on uncovering the truth, and what a truth it is in the end. Not a book to miss!
ARC Netgalley -
I READ LORETH ANNE WHITE'S BOOKS SO FAST because I cannot put them down BUT.. THEN HATE WHEN THE LAST PAGE IS TURNED!! Book Three with Angie Pallorino is as good as the first two. Would not recommend reading this one as a stand alone. Read the first one and it will hook you to read the rest. Angie has so many facets it is hard not to be absorbed by this character. She is a women with a haunting past that has made her the person who digs for the truth at every turn. Justice will heal even if the heart breaks with every turning over of the stone. The Girl in the Moss met her death 24 years ago and her skeleton discovery leads Angie on an investigation of danger and secrets. Pallorino is scrambling for purpose since she was fired from the Police Department. James Maddocks her former boss and lover is an enticement that scares her to commit. Twists, Turns, Surprises, and her old colleagues make this an amazing novel. Loved that even though the mystery seemed to be solved there was still more to come. Loved how the book ended but like I said hated when it did. "A copy of this book was provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Character Kjel Holgersen is a mystery too that I hope White explains in another book.
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The Girl in the Moss (Angie Pallorino #3) by Loreth Anne White , was an enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to the series.
The story was filled with familiar characters, new characters, multiple plots, and characters finding out what’s really important to them. No longer a member of the police force, Angie has difficulties coming to terms with her new reality, and her past keeps sneaking up, causing Angie to question who she really is. One day when her significant, Maddox asks Angie if she wants to have children in the future Angie completely loses it. As a result of her lack of honesty and commitment, even Maddox gives her an ultimatum, drawing a line in the sand that leaves the future of their relationship in her hands. Faced with challenging personal issues and the need to complete the hours for her PI license, Angie puts a plan in place to take a cold case for a former judge.
Little does Angie know that what happens during this case will help her find out who she really is and what she wants out of life. There are some touching moments along the way, lots of danger, and years of secrets that get uncovered for other characters.
The book is well written, exciting, and leaves no incomplete plot lines. I actually hope that in some way Angie will return for another exciting adventure and an update on how things are going since we leave her, after reading the trilogy I don't want to say goodbye to her yet.
I want to thank the publisher, Montlake Romance, the Author, Loreth Anne White and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review
The expected publishing date is June 12, 2018.
For me, this was a 5-star read. -
*4.5 stars*
This is the third book in the Angie Pallorino series, and it’s a good one! Angie and Maddocks are on a relaxing, romantic getaway when human remains of a young woman are found nearby. Maddocks has official DI business (and honesty, we don’t see very much of him in this novel), but Angie is still finding her place in the world of private investigators, and agrees to look into what happened to the deceased woman. Was it a fishing accident, or something more sinister?
After the gruesome, heart-pounding events of book two, this one seems gentler in comparison. But there is still a great mystery, a cast full of strange, possibly murderous locals, and Angie, coming to grips with her past and a future with Maddocks. And my favorite character, Kjel Holgersen!!
This is one of the strongest mystery series I’ve read, and I definitely look forward to the next installment.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc. -
Angie's life is a mess. The fallout of her personal investigation into her past cost her, her badge. You can write a textbook about her childhood trauma. Being a cop is all she knows. So, if she's not a cop, then who is she?
Her relationship with Maddocks is also on the rocks. Her fear of abadonment is weighing heavy on her. But Maddocks is a rescuer at heart. I admit, I didn't warm up to him in the last two books but he has me in this one.
Then, Angie is hired for a cold case. A decades old case. A skeletal remains in the moss which Angie and Maddocks are vacationing has been found. Is it really an accidental drowning or more sinister?
This one blew me away. The mystery kept me guessing till the end. At around 80%, I was holding my breath. Definitely, my favorite in the series. Angie deserves some peace and calm after being through so much. I am really curious about Holgersen. He is an oddball but I would have love to get to read about his backstory.
Ms. White can write. The way she describes things and the scenery makes you feel like you're in that place. -
So this was the 3rd in the Angie Pallorino series - I loved the first, the second a little less, and this one a little less again.
I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it seemed a bit desperate. The story didn’t flow as well, although it was a strong storyline, with interesting characters.
I think if truth be told, it’s Angie I’m tiring of, and I’ll be glad to move on to other books today.
A little lack lustre if I’m honest. It was a chore to finish.
2.5 stars. -
Secrets are forged and kept in the name of love.
A sinister small town. Angie against them all. And decades old mystery.
I don't think I've ever read a series where I equally loved all three books and thought all were equally good. Though, out of all three this one made me rage the most. Simply because of the nature of the case. A young woman is hated and punished because she is promiscuous. a small close-minded town with the mentality of a pack. Oh, how I wanted Angie to bring them to justice.
And she did. Another thing I love about this author is her ability to connect her plots. Even though this book deals with a new case, it's related to the previous two books.
I also loved Angie's growth, she's come a long way, and she's definitely one of my favorite female characters in literature. A true survivor.
I definitely recommend these books, if you love a good mystery with interesting and unique characters, this series is a winner!
In the end, you come to realize that the truth is the best way. That closure rounds the circle. Not just for you but all the others impacted by the ripple effects of crime. Because nothing happens in isolation.
