“Every small town has secrets. Some stay buried. Others claw their way to the surface.”

I received an ARC of Cooper’s Creek by C.D. Sharpe and quickly found myself drawn into the tangled web of danger, deception, and legacy that defines the Alex Abrams series. This second installment picks up with momentum (though I have not read book 1)), continuing the emotional and suspenseful vibe left by the previous book, Bryan’s Bluff.

💙  What Worked

Strong Female Lead with Grit & Heart
Alex Abrams is the kind of heroine who earns your respect. A former Air Force veteran and homicide detective, she’s tough, loyal, and emotionally complex. Her relationships—with her brother, Lucca, with Mrs. Miller, and even with old friend, Shawn—ground the story with heart while the bullets fly.

Fast-Paced Suspense & Twists
Sharpe knows how to build intrigue. From the opening plane crash to cartel entanglements, secrets, and betrayals, the action never really lets up. I appreciated the short, sharp pacing and how each chapter peeled back just enough to keep me turning pages.

Themes of Loyalty, Loss, & Reckoning
Beneath the surface-level action beats a deeper pulse of emotional weight. Alex is a woman carrying trauma, haunted by grief, and driven by a sense of justice. The mystery unfolds not only around her but within her, as she questions whom she can trust—and what her role in this town really means.

💔  What Fell Short

Some Transitions & Depth
There were moments that could have used a touch more clarity—especially in scene transitions or character motivations. The emotional threads were present but sometimes didn’t dig as deep as I hoped, especially in moments of revelation or personal confrontation.

Could Benefit from a Bit More Polish
While the story held my attention, there were a few technical areas that could use tightening—some pacing and sentence structure choices felt rushed. These didn’t derail the experience, but a bit more refinement could’ve taken it to the next level.

✍️ Final Thoughts

Cooper’s Creek is a gripping, action-heavy mystery with a strong sense of place and a heroine worth rooting for. With its blend of rural suspense, emotional resonance, and twisty intrigue, it’s a solid continuation of the Alex Abrams series—and I’m eager to see where her journey leads next.

While a few elements left me wishing for more clarity—like dropped names that never fully pay off, or point-of-view shifts that occasionally jar the narrative—I stayed invested. The ambiguity around characters like Jesse (whose identity isn’t immediately clear) both frustrated and intrigued me. It kept me alert, constantly re-evaluating who was who, and who might be the real threat.

Some scene transitions leaned more into summary than real-time tension (like Alex snapping photos off-page), but these moments didn’t detract too heavily from the story’s drive. The wit between characters—especially through nostalgic movie banter like, “Doc, I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead,” followed by “To Sam Elliott and awesome 80s movies”—gave the book moments of levity and charm I genuinely appreciated.

Ultimately, Cooper’s Creek delivers on action and character depth, even as it leaves some threads open for future novels. If you enjoy a layered mystery with a cast that grows more complex with each book, this is a series to stick with. I plan to pick up the next book in the series.

Live Your Lore—especially when it means sorting through shadows to find the truth.

Have you read Cooper’s Creek?

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