I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Midnight Ridge by Rita Herron Series: Detective Ellie Reeves #12
Published by Bookouture on June 12, 2026
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When the call comes in that sixteen-year-old Minnie Benton’s body has been found at the bottom of Midnight Ridge, Detective Ellie Reeves is first on the scene. The local sheriff insists that Minnie’s death is a suicide… but Ellie can’t believe this beautiful young girl would kill herself in such a brutal way. When a witness confirms there were two people up on the ridge, and Ellie finds strands of Minnie’s dark hair in the thorny bushes, the thought of Minnie’s terrified final moments sends a shiver down her spine.
Minnie’s suicide note should provide answers but instead brings a shocking new twist to the case. The note is addressed to her baby daughter Iris, and as Ellie dispatches her team to hunt for the little girl, she can’t forget the shaky handwriting, as if Minnie was forced to write it. And Minnie’s love for Iris shines through. Why would she leave her daughter all alone in the world?
Desperate for answers and to find Iris, Ellie discovers that in the past year two other teenage girls plummeted to their deaths from Midnight Ridge, written off as suicides. But when Ellie realizes that they both left much-loved babies behind, she knows she is dealing with a serial predator.
With no sign of Iris anywhere, a call about a young mother and her baby missing from a nearby town fills Ellie with dread. Her mind races as she tries to get inside the head of this depraved killer. Can she stop their deadly mission before they claim another victim?
High intensity intrigue with a splash of romance! I love Herron’s Detective Ellie Reeves series and always look forward to the next one coming as soon as I’m finishing the current one. There is always a lot of heart and angst mixed into the mystery Ellie is trying to solve. Her sidekicks add a lot to the story, but I would like to see the history of her (parents, Derrick, Cord, Angelica, Bryce, etc.) told a little bit in each story when something brings them up. I’m familiar with the backstory because I’ve read the series in order, but if someone were to pick this one up as their first it would be lacking some key background context that is really important to get a full picture of Ellie. This particular story had an emotional kick to it and I highly enjoyed it. Always looking forward to more Ellie!
I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who loves a gruesome discovery that leads to a powerful search for whodunnit as drama surrounds the town. I personally recommend reading the series in order to get full context of Ellie’s past.
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