Where the Blame Lies

Mia Sheridan — 2019

"Abducted. Terrorized. Imprisoned. At nineteen-years-old, college student Josie Stratton was kidnapped by a madman and held shackled for ten months in an abandoned warehouse before she finally escaped her hellish prison. Eight years later, when the body of a young woman is found chained in the basement of a vacant house, Cincinnati Police Detective Zach Copeland is instantly reminded of the crime committed against Josie Stratton. Zach was just a rookie on the perimeter of that case, but he's never forgotten the traumatized woman with the haunted eyes. As more information emerges, the crimes take on an even more sinister similarity. But Josie's attacker died by suicide. Does the city have a copycat on its hands? A killer who picked up where the original perpetrator left off? Or are they facing something far more insidious? Josie has spent the last eight years attempting to get her life back on track, but now there's a very real chance she could be the unknown suspect's next target. As Zach vows to keep her safe, and Josie finds herself responding to him in a way she hasn't responded to any man in almost a decade, the investigation takes on an even more complex edge of danger. As past and present collide, Josie and Zach are thrust toward a shocking and chilling truth. A revelation that threatens not only Josie's life, but everything she's been fighting so desperately to reclaim"--provided by publisher.

Reviews

Ms. Mint@iread4fun

May 22, 2023

Brilliant plot (I didn't see that coming, but it totally makes sense), beautiful writing and flawless characterizations. This is my second Mia Sheridan's book (first one being Archer's Voice), and I can't wait to devour her other ones.

Demi@pagesofchapters

Sep 5, 2022

This book definitely takes you on a crazy ride and I absolutely loved it!!! Where the Blame Lies is full of mystery and crime and it was SO INTERESTING!!!! So I absolutely loved the storyline we got in this book. I also really loved how Mia Sheridan wrote this book. We see two timelines (one following the original crime in the past and the one following the current timeline and crimes) and each was written so incredibly. This book flowed so well, and it was really easy to distinguish which timeline we were following with which characters. There was a romance weaved into this book which I did enjoy, but I do think it was a very convenient romance to happen which made it a little unconvincing at times. However, I did still enjoy it but I did enjoy the crime/mystery aspect of this book a lot more. Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone who loves crime/mystery/thrillers!!! (Trigger warning: the crimes in this book does include rape, so just be aware of that before jumping into it!)

Lynn Braden@ftbooklover

Apr 21, 2022

Eight years ago, Josie Stratton was kidnapped, chained to a wall, repeatedly raped, and nearly starved to death before giving birth to her captor's baby and escaping soon after. She never found out what happened to her baby but has been trying to find him for the last 8 years. Detective Zach Copeland had been a young patrolman when the attack on Josie occurred, and he served as guard on her hospital room once she was found and treated. He never forgot her, but now he is faced with a similar case of a woman found in the same condition as Josie, but instead of escaping, she did not survive. Zach realizes he must interview Josie in order to find out what, if anything, she remembers that might help, but when strange things begin happening to Josie, it becomes clear that she may not be as removed from the current case as Zach thought. Where the Blame Lies is an excellent romantic suspense with emphasis on the suspense. The connection between the protagonists is just enough to label this a romance, but not much more than that. The mystery is a good one, if a little predictable, however, the conclusion purposely leaves a few questions unanswered. When I started reading this book I was expecting something exceptional. Unfortunately, overall, this story is very good, but nothing about it makes it rise to the level of extraordinary. Thanks to Bree from In Love & Words for her recommendation of this book.