This was intense. I was able to guess who it was before the reveal but it did not detract from the suspense. I like the flawed main character, Detective Jocelyn Rush. She is a single mom who has been a cop long enough to know the criminal element in her city. I liked that she was shown as a mom as well as a cop. I liked that Olivia, her daughter, was in it. There are some definite bad guys in this story. The crime horrified me. I’m not going to go into much because this is a good one to go in blind with. If you like a thriller with some romance, on the hot side, get this one. ( )

Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Phew. I loved this book. It grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let go until the very end. I pretty much devoured it in a couple of hours and was kind of upset when it was over. I think the author did an amazing job of keeping it quick paced and interesting. The only reason that I was upset when it was over was because it was over. I wouldn't have wanted it longer but I definitely want more of this author and heck, these characters. The ending was sort of a cliffhanger but not really. More of a but I want more, what's the rest of the story kind of ending? Really happy I took a chance on this one. ( )

Hold Still is a great mystery novel featuring Jocelyn Rush, a likeable no-nonsense detective who is looking to find the perpetrator of a heinous crime. The story delivers everything a reader could want in this kind of book – well-developed characters, lots of suspense and intrigue, several sub-plots to keep it interesting, and realistic dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will most certainly seek out others from this author. ( )

In Hold Still, author Lisa Regan weaves an intense, gritty, and suspenseful crime thriller that will captivate the reader's attention from the start, and take them on an exhilarating roller coaster ride as the story unfolds with every intriguing twist and turn.

Philadelphia Police Detective Jocelyn Rush investigates a vicious series of sexual assaults on the city's prostitutes when Anita Grant, a former prostitute and acquaintance from Jocelyn's past, requests to only talk to her after being sexual assaulted and tortured by three men who had crucified her hands and feet with nails to the floor in a condemned house. The investigation reveals that the vicious sexual attacks on the prostitutes have been occurring going back four years. And if that isn't enough, dark family secrets and a traumatic past resurfaces and haunts Jocelyn, but the only way to solve the case and bring the sadistic criminals to justice is for her to deal with the past before danger comes her way.

Hold Still is a riveting crime thriller that engages the reader to follow Jocelyn as she investigates the vicious sexual assault cases and deals with the resurfacing of her family's dark past. The reader can't help but get caught up in the gritty suspense and partake in trying to guess the identity of "Face," the third evil and most dangerous of the criminals. The author weaves an intense and chilling page turner of a tale with clever clues, intriguing twist and turn, and with enough vivid and rich descriptions of the violent acts and the detailed investigation that easily keeps the reader sitting on the edge of their seat.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the author does an awesome job of providing the reader with a detailed description of the various sections of Philadelphia and its local landmarks.

Hold Still is a gritty dark crime fiction novel with enough violence, suspense, thrills and chills that will easily hold the reader's attention. It is definitely a must read for the diehard crime thriller fan.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/hold-still-by-lisa-regan-autho... ( )

Hold Still by Lisa Regan is a 2014 independent publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hold Still is a dark thriller featuring Jocelyn Rush and her family secrets that intertwine with her current case. When a former street prostitute and drug addict is found crucified and sexually assaulted it becomes a personal case for Jocelyn. Yes, I said crucified. Hands and feet nailed. Nightmare material for sure. If this case weren't stressful enough, Jocelyn is nearly carjacked and her daughter , Olivia, was in imminent danger as a result. Then her sister is arrested... again. The one bright spot in Jocelyn's life, besides Olivia is that she has met a new guy and the really, really have some chemistry. But, other than that, Jocelyn is having a very hard time on her job as she fights every day in a male dominated occupation and is dealing with a little anger issue she is in denial about.
The author did a great job of bringing together the currant sexual assault case and Jocelyn's sordid family secrets and notches the suspense up a little at a time as we become more and more unsure about who is involved and who we can nor can not trust. Good and bad will come from this case and we are left with the hope that Jocelyn and her sister will be able to move forward now and enjoy a little closure and peace.

Overall this is a decent mystery thriller with a few twist and surprises here and there as well as few red herrings. The tone is dark and for those who do not like graphic depictions of violence be aware this book does have some pretty difficult scenes. The subject matter that has haunted Jocelyn for her entire adult life also involves difficult and uncomfortable topics. If you read a lot of crime novels you will find some areas are formulaic and predictable, perhaps you will even be able to connect the dots, however, I enjoy a good gritty crime thriller and this one is pretty good. I think this author is beginning to hit her stride here in this genre.
This one gets a 3.5 rounded to 4. ( )