All The Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pub Date: 1/7/2025

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free advanced copy. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

True crime podcaster Ridley Sawyer seeks justice for cold cases while grappling with the unresolved disappearance of her twin sister. When her investigation collides with Sheriff Colter Brooks’ guarded small-town life, sparks fly, but danger looms as the case takes a deadly turn.

All The Missing Pieces is the first book in the Shady Cove series. This romantic suspense book contained grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity romance tropes. I appreciated the unique combination of a true crime podcaster heroine and a sheriff hero which got me invested in the story. Overall, it was an engaging read, but I found myself more interested by the suspense than the romance. The cold case plot was what truly hooked me and kept me turning the pages. There were moments where I thought I had figured out the culprit, only for the author to completely blindside me with unexpected twists which I loved. However, the romance between Ridley and Colt fell a bit flat for me. The dialogue felt too cliché and occasionally cringey. Ridley’s impulsive decisions sometimes annoyed me. Colt’s behavior while meant to be grumpy occasionally came across as outright rude which detracted from the charm of their dynamic. Given that Ridley is a true crime podcaster, I would have loved to see a few podcast episodes woven into the story to provide more depth and immersion. Overall, this was a solid start to the series and I’m excited to see which characters get their own stories next!