Loreth Anne White | THE LULLABY GIRL

Plot (via Goodreads):

Detective Angie Pallorino took down a serial killer permanently and, according to her superiors, with excessive force. Benched on a desk assignment for twelve months, Angie struggles to maintain her sense of identity—if she’s not a detective, who is she? Then a decades-old cold case washes ashore, pulling her into an investigation she recognizes as deeply personal.

Angie’s lover and partner, James Maddocks, sees it, too. But spearheading an ongoing probe into a sex-trafficking ring and keeping Angie’s increasing obsession with her case in check is taking its toll. However, as startling connections between the parallel investigations emerge, Maddocks realizes he has more than Angie’s emotional state to worry about.

Driven and desperate to solve her case, Angie goes rogue, risking her relationship, career, and very life in pursuit of answers. She’ll learn that some truths are too painful to bear, and some sacrifices include collateral damage.

But Angie Pallorino won’t let it go. She can’t. It’s not in her blood.

Review:

Last month, I was introduced to the Angie Pallorino series by one of my favorite friends to talk books (and everything else) with. So thanks a lot Cindy, now I have another addiction! My friend Cindy described this series as reading a book version of Law & Order: SVU and I was like "SOLD!"

The Lullaby Girl is the second book in the Angie Pallorino series and I couldn't wait to crack this one open. I mean the first one was so engrossing that I read it in one sitting. So, this time around I mentally prepared myself and took it with me on a little overnight getaway in New Hampshire. I tried (and failed) to unplug from social media and just relax and get some good reading time in. Needless to say, this is the perfect kind of book to distract you from anything in life. If you're looking for something that will tear you away from a crappy work day, relationship issues, or if you're just bogged down with life - this is one the one for you. This whole series (the two books I've read so far) are gripping and completely binge-worthy. 

What I enjoyed about Book 2 in the Angie Pallorino series is that it kicks off very interestingly. A pregnant woman waiting for a ferry is chasing after her son and her dog when they happen to find a shoe on the beach? No big deal, right? Wrong. This shoe has a severed foot still in it...a children's foot. And that my dear friends is only the beginning. Here's what I liked about White's approach to continuing this series - if you didn't read Book 1, you would be completely lost. This isn't just a wipe your hands clean of the previous book and move on to a new story, it's connected. Don't get me wrong, I got all of the answers I needed with the first case of Book 1. But this second novel really dives deeper into the personal struggle with identity that Angie is going through and still continues with the aftermath of the investigation from the previous novel. Then you add in a new case and not only do they all weave together, but in so many ways I would have never guessed. 

The returning characters are back and even more larger than life. Angie is still ferocious and resilient, Maddocks is still a dreamboat genius who is easy to fall in love with, Kjel is funnier than ever, and Leo...well, Leo is Leo. Not one beat is missed with these characters and I loved how much the character development grew even more with this novel. It was like a bookish reunion and I was all for it. I especially loved the personal struggle that Angie was going through - not in a way that I enjoyed seeing her suffer, but I felt that White really handled this one realistically and gave Angie a platform for so many different emotions and character growth. Again, with this novel, I will tell you while I enjoyed the relationship between Maddocks and Angie, I still would not consider this one to be a romance novel. Yes, there is some romance in the novel (I mean they are in a relationship), but it is not over-the-top nor distracting. 

So, if you're looking to start a new series that is dark, cinematic, and has brilliant character development - look no further, because the Angie Pallorino series is here to help you escape. I found this novel to be even better than the first and I am so excited (and a little sad) to wrap up this series in November. But one thing is for sure - I can't wait to tell you what I think.

Special thanks to Montlake Romance and Amazon Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5