An Exciting New Trilogy by Deborah Rogers

by Susan Roberts

Deborah Rogers is a new author for me but after I read the first book in her Amelia Kellaway series, I had to read the next two books right away.  I have added her to my favorite author list after reading this trilogy and am anxious to read whatever she writes next.  If you want a series with a strong female main character who gets involved with a serial killer that will keep you rapidly turning pages, this is a book series you don't want to miss. And if you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber you can read the ebooks for free.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Left for Dead (Amelia Kellaway #1)

February 2020; Lawson Publishing; 978-0473368746
ebook, print (168 pages); psychological thriller

"He's so quick, lassoing his arm around my shoulders, pressing the rag to my face, so quick that I barely register what's happening before my limbs go hot then numb...and he hauls me inside the trunk, pushing me in there, pushing me   to my side so I and my backpack will fit, pushing down hard on my back with both hands, the way you might stuff too many clothes in a suitcase...then before I get a chance to scream the steely underside off the trunk lid hurtles toward me and the lights go out with a thump."  (loc 152)

Amanda Kellaway is a thirty-something lawyer who has decided to leave her New York City job and hike the California Coastal Trail for three months by herself.  She's burnt out on her job and wants to do something different. She is thrilled when she gets to the beginning of the trail, ready to start her adventure.  Tragedy steps in before she even starts her hike when she is kidnapped by a stranger.  Her family didn't expect to hear from her for a least a week so no one even knows that she's missing.  As Amelia faces terror, hunger, and abuse she isn't sure if she'll survive.  Will her courage and resilience help her survive this ordeal?  This was a book that had to be read in one sitting -- I couldn't have slept without knowing how it ended.

 Buy Left for Dead at Amazon

Coming for You (Amelia Kellaway #2)

June 2020; Lawson Publishing; 978-0473513450
ebook, print (173 pages); psychological thriller

"If I'm honest, he never really goes away.  My constant unwanted companion, who tumbles around my skull like a lone sneaker in a dryer, the rubber fixing to blister and melt in the heat of the barrel.  He never lets go of me and I never let go of him,  We are Siamese twins.  Bound together by the crimes her committed against me and my soul." (loc 20)

It's been three years since Amelia was kidnapped and left for dead.  She is back in New York City working as a prosecutor.  Even though she should feel safe she is suffering from crippling PTSD which causes her to compulsively check her locks and doors and experiencing random blackouts.  The cause of her anxiety is that even though she has been told that her kidnapper is dead she believes that he is still alive and stalking her.   She tries to keep her fear from her colleagues from her work associates and family but it is getting harder for her to hide as her fear keeps climbing.  Was she right to fear her kidnapper or is she totally delusional?  The fear builds right from the first page and keeps the reader anxious to find out if Rex is really stalking her and when he will make himself known to her.  Excellent writing that keeps the reader anxiously turning the pages.

Buy Coming for You at Amazon

Speak for Me (Amelia Kellaway #3)

July 2020; Lawson Publishing; ebook (257 pages)
psychological thriller

"I haven't told anybody, but I've wondered if the upset stomach and blood pressure issues are anxiety-related rather than baby-related.  If my mind is up to its old tricks again.  That dreadful obsessive-compulsive disorder which drove me to repeatedly check my windows and locks all but disappeared when Rex Hawkins was finally captured."  (loc 30)

 

Amelia is married and just weeks away from giving birth.  Serial killer, Rex Hawkins is in jail in Oregon and will only give his confession to Amelia.  Amelia has no other option—Rex insists she hears his confession otherwise he’ll take the details of the rapes and murders he’s committed to his grave.  Deep down she really wants to do this to show Rex how much she's changed from being the victim to being the smart and brave woman that she is today. What is the real reason that he wants to see Amelia again - does he have a plan to do harm to her again or has he truly found religion in jail?  As Amelia's due date gets closer, the tension continues to rise until Amelia's worst fears are realized.  Will she be able to survive this time?

 

Book 3 in the series is another roller coaster ride for the reader.  The only thing that I didn't like about this book is that Amelia took a lot of chances so late in her pregnancy and didn't seem concerned about the baby but maybe that was due to the psychological effect that Rex had on her mind.  

 

Buy Speak for Me at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina with her husband of over 50 years.  She grew up in Michigan but now calls North Carolina home. Since her travel plans had to be canceled for this year, she is starting to make plans for travel in 2021. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

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