Fatal⚡Vow, Marnie Reilly Mysteries Book 3, is out now in paperback and ebook. The ebook is exclusive to Amazon on Kindle Unlimited, and the paperback is also available in bookstores.
TL Brown, author of Door to Door Paranormal Mysteries and the Bellerose Witchline series, reviewed an advance copy of Fatal ⚡Vow, giving the mystery thriller a five stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.🎆
Author TL Brown’s Review of Fatal⚡Vow
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Five explosive stars to thriller author Shari T. Mitchell for her book, Fatal Vow (Marnie Reilly Mysteries Book 3)!
Fatal Vow (Marnie Reilly Mysteries, Book 3), by Shari T. Mitchell
Find this book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Vow-Shari-T-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B0CC2TG7JC
A Complex Plot You Can Follow and a Stunning Conclusion
Author Shari T. Mitchell has me hooked! If you love thrillers, the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series belongs on your bookshelf. Book three, Fatal Vow, delivers a stunning conclusion to a complex storyline spanning three books while expertly setting the stage for book four.
Writing a review of the latest book in a series is tricky — you don’t want to give anything away. There are surprises and drama from the first chapter onward. It doesn’t quit. Early on, favorite characters Marnie Reilly (main character), Marnie’s best friend Detective Tom Keller, and Detective Danny Gregg — Marnie’s “love interest” — are brought together on the page. Marnie has a lot of explaining to do, and some relationships to repair. She is a strong person, but stubborn. Things do reset, however, and the author does what she does best: Brings on the danger.
But the danger is already there! Marnie knows she’s being chased and has managed to stay a few steps ahead of her stalker, but that’s about to change. Author Mitchell provides multiple POVs in Fatal Vow and allows the reader to see parts of the story unfold through the stalker’s eyes. This perspective delivers a complexity that takes the reader on a journey back to the beginning, revealing that hatred can be taught. The roots of this hatred will stun you.
Be prepared for more than one surprise, however. This is author Shari T. Mitchell, after all.
Readers will cross paths with characters met in the previous books in the series, both two- and four-legged. (Hello, Tater, Dickens, and Gus!) Mitchell introduces a few more of the two-legged kind — including a former lover of Marnie’s, who is, admittedly, quite appealing: Ransom Elliot. Ransom arrives at Marnie’s door unannounced, and she must decide whether to trust the former (or is he?) government agent. I do want to note that Mitchell writes thrillers, not romance, so readers won’t find any steam. (Although, I’d like to see what kind of steam gets cooked up with Ransom. Ha!)
In Fatal Vow, author Mitchell moves Marnie out of the woods, away from the cabin, and onto a ranch. This is a huge property, and readers will get the sense that things are right out in the open. I wonder if the size of this new space for Marnie is an intentional choice by the author. It feels as though Mitchell is using her main character as bait. All eyes are on Marnie — friends, law enforcement (both friends and foes), and people who want to do her harm. She’s not hiding, and she’s leaving herself wide open. She’s going to deal with whatever comes her way.
There is another persistent threat in this installment, and readers watch as that particular brand of insanity unfolds behind locked doors — somehow adding to the body count in Creekwood, NY. And yet, there is a connection between the stalker and the psycho in a padded room. Not all doctors heal their patients… Here’s where I must stop to avoid spoilers. I will say that the disturbing backstory surrounding the reason for all the hatred — and murder — dropped my jaw. I never saw it coming. Author Mitchell outdid herself when creating this storyline. We also get to see Detective Tom Keller’s temper blow — and when a good man throws a chair through a window, you know something really bad has happened. (I adore Tommy.)
The tension continues to build through every step of the intricate plot, and readers will feel that something big is about to explode. The twists and turns that author Mitchell puts on the page will keep you guessing. A relatively early reveal about a character will surprise you. I liked it a lot, and I think other readers will like it, too. Mitchell’s trademark sprinkling of “Easter eggs” throughout the book — the series, really — makes her work even more fun to read.
Because Marnie Reilly is a psychic (and a psychologist), paranormal elements are included, as you would expect. There’s a jerky ghost, predictions of death in Tarot cards, and spirits who chatter at her endlessly. They are trying to warn her. Death is coming.
Fatal Vow’s ending made my heart stop. Once again, I did not see THAT coming. Goodness, author Mitchell, you really know how to make an impact! I literally cried out, No! Whew…Book four is coming. I just need to hold on until it’s released.
For me, Fatal Vow moved the series from mystery-thriller to mystery-psychological-thriller. It works. If I could give Fatal Vow more than five stars, I would!
If you haven’t yet started the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series yet, you need to pick up book one, Divine Guidance. You’ll be hooked, and by the time you read through Divine Guidance, Torn Veil, and Fatal Vow, you’ll be like me: Begging Shari T. Mitchell for book four.
An Interview with Shari T. Mitchell
Helen Garraway, author of the Sentinal series and Soulmist series, interviewed Shari about her Fatal Vow, her writing process, and where she finds inspiration. You can view the interview here.
Fatal Vow Back Cover
When a long-held truth hides a sick, twisted lie, will the psychic psychologist’s greatest enemy save her from a fate worse than death?
The last year has been an absolute shitstorm for psychic psychologist Marnie Reilly. Desperate to protect her loved ones from the evil stalking her, she fled her hometown of Creekwood, New York.
It’s the first day of Summer and she’s back in town to make amends and take control of the chaos of her past. But her greatest enemy is hot on her heels with an axe to grind. Or is that just an illusion created by a madman?
Praise for Fatal Vow
“Creekwood is one deadly town, but Marnie Reilly isn’t letting a maniacal killer get away with it. A great cast of characters, a solid plot, creepy scenes, and dogs! What more can a mystery/thriller reader ask for? Why, a great ending, of course – checkmate! You won’t forget it!”
– Chronicles of Crime, Victoria, BC, Canada
“Author Shari T. Mitchell has me hooked! If you love thrillers, this series belongs on your bookshelf. Fatal Vow delivers a stunning conclusion to a complex storyline spanning three books while expertly setting the stage for book four. I’m eagerly awaiting the next release.”
– TL Brown, Door to Door Paranormal Mysteries