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Linda Berry

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Pretty Corpse: A novel of chilling suspense with a shocking twist (A Lauren Starkley Murder Mystery) Kindle Edition

by Linda Berry (Author), linda berry (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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When Patrol Officer Lauren Starkly finds an unconscious teenage girl posed as a corpse, she learns that the offense mirrors two other recent assaults. The attack is intensely personal to Lauren—the girl is her daughter’s close friend. Lauren feels compelled to do some off-duty investigation. The perpetrator is intelligent and methodical, and essentially invisible. But Lauren has uncanny detection skills, and routinely finds evidence missed by the detectives. She earns official trouble for her effort, but the warnings from her superiors don’t keep her from tugging at elusive clues. As she gets closer to the predator, he takes notice. Taunting Lauren, he demonstrates that he can get close to her, and to her daughter, Courtney, without a trace. Stressed and sleep-deprived, Lauren is determined to bring him down—before she or Courtney become his next victim.

Print length

323 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

October 22, 2019
File size

1836 KB
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Enabled
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From the Publisher

womens detective fiction womens crime fiction murder mysteries suspense psychological thriller

murder mystery, psychological thriller, police procedural, crime fiction, women sleuth

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Well conceived and intelligently executed, Pretty Corpse is a gripping police thriller. In Patrol Officer Lauren Starkley, Linda Berry gives us a strong and intelligent protagonist, one who is determined to see the job completed—even if that means jeopardizing her career . . . The pace and dialog both move along smartly. Pretty Corpse is a must-read for any fan of suspense and thrillers.”—Dave Edlund, author of the award-winning Peter Savage action/political thrillers

“Berry brings her big city cops to life with jolting excitement and vivid detail.”—Paul Bacon, Author of Bad Cop: New York’s Least Likely Police Officer Tells All

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07ZHMYZ76
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Linda Berry; 2nd edition (October 22, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 22, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1836 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 323 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #432,151 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,921 in Hard-Boiled Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #7,465 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #8,695 in Murder Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
615

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About the author

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Linda Berry

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Linda Berry is the author of nine mystery novels. Several have been Amazon #1 bestsellers, or ranked in the top ten, for psychological thrillers, female sleuths, and murder mysteries.

Linda writes fast-paced, suspenseful murder mysteries — most notably the Sidney Becker Mysteries. Her talent lies in seamlessly blending reality with fiction. She is a master at descriptive writing and evoking emotional responses from her readers. Extensive research and her law enforcement consultants ensure that her stories ring with authenticity.

Before she was a full-time author, Linda enjoyed a twenty-five-year career as an award-winning copywriter and graphic designer. In Los Angeles, she provided design services for several magazines and movie studios. Later, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, and Hewlett Packard and Fujitsu were among her many clients. Linda was also an award-winning Art Director for South Bay Accent magazine for six years.

Linda currently lives in Virginia with her husband and adorable toy poodle. A passionate animal and nature lover, and avid gardener, Linda provides habitat for an assortment of bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies in her colorful pollinator garden.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

615 global ratings

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Bonnye Reed Fry

An excellent police procedural

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023

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First in the Series 'Lauren Starkley', this police procedural is special. Linda Berry has several series, and they are all special, in their own light. It's 1999, and Police Officer Lauren Starkley is an experienced cop in a small bedroom community outside of San Francisco, CA, where the police are finding girls - 14-year-old high school freshmen girls chloroformed, kidnapped, raped, and posed for dead. Lauren's first case is, in fact, the third by this serial rapist though the first in her community. Lauren is the mother of a 14-year-old girl, a fellow student, and a friend of Melissa's. Unfortunately, Melissa will not be the last girl taken. The first fatality in this series of atrocities will not be a girl, but a fellow cop. I am pleased to recommend Linda Berry to friends and family. She writes a compelling, fast-action tale.

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2022

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Finally a happy ending 🤗 to a good book. Also the murder got solved!! Was about to give up, all sad and dreary endings ruins the story line. Can't wait to see how this romance goes with her being promoted and changing precincts..
Hope her and Jack stay together at least for awhile..Glad her daughter came around, she has a mom to be proud of👍🤗
Tweety🐦🐦

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KOBAM

Well Written Thriller

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2021

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PRETTY CORPSE is an exciting, thoroughly stuffed with tension and thrills, police procedural that goes beyond the norm and presents the reader with a macabre tale of ancient evil meets today’s crazy person.

The plot is original, the characters are great, there are no shades of grey, evil is evil and good is good. The lead character, Lauren, is a complex widow trying to raise a teen age daughter in a very scary world while maintaining her career with the police. It’s a balancing act that few can pull off and Lauren struggles in her attempts to understand her daughter.

The book is very realistic in how the characters grieve, stumble into new love, and keep their heads above the dark waters of fear, vengeance, anger, hatred, and loss. It’s an entertaining read.

2 people found this helpful

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Laura E. Felty

Mesmerizing

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2023

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I usually don't like cop books. This was a great book. I was often at the edge of my seat. It's was hard to put down. Many spins and turns that were unexpected.

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Anna M

Suspenseful thriller!

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

Pretty Corpse is the 1st book I've read by Linda Berry! It is one of the best books I've read! The story grabs you from the 1st page! Teenage girls are drugged, raped and choked then left unconscious displayed in a wedding gown & makeup. Lauren has a daughter the same age and wants this rapist caught. She investigated on her own time grabbing the attention of the rapist. It is an action packed thrill ride. Her partner is killed. The author showed the bond between law enforcement partners and the guilt for surviving. Few clues, religious zealots, domestic violence and revenge complicate the investigation. Lauren is smart, relentless and follows her passion for justice.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Some memorable moments

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

A decent book. For some reason, there were very few sparks. Even the intensity scenes were ho hum. Everything is wrapped for a series. Maybe the flint is in the following books that will turn good writing into a ragging inferno.

One person found this helpful

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mountainflower

Wonderful storyteller

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

Linda Berry knows how to craft stories and shape characters. This is the fifth book I have read, and each one is excellent.