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Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch











Hometown Antihero (Book 2)
YA
Tor Teen
September 17, 2019
Hardcover & e-book
384
Pretty Little Liars meets Riverdale in Don't Say a Word, a standout YA mystery from indie-pub favorite Amber Lynn Natusch.
Kylene Danners’s ex-FBI agent father is in prison for murder and she’s hell-bent on getting him out. But trying to investigate in the small town where a defensive lineman is a hero no matter who he tries to kill and the girl who gets him locked up is public enemy number one is dangerous. Dark secrets are everywhere in Jasperville―the kind Ky can’t walk away from.
When rookie FBI agent Cedric Dawson returns to town to finish an open investigation, he goes undercover at her high school―as her ex. Determined to keep her from interfering, Dawson’s plan backfires after Ky gets an anonymous call about missing girls officially labeled as runaways―runaways that didn’t really run away at all.
Because dead girls can’t run.
And they don’t say a word.
Fast-paced YA Sleuth Novel!
Don’t Say a Word picks up where the previous book ended (and you’ll want to read that wild ride, trust me) and follows high school student Kylene on her journey to help get her father out of prison before her fear of him becoming yet another statistic comes to life.
Unfortunately for Kylene, the road to redemption isn’t smooth and she finds herself stuck with cocky Agent Dawson, the guy with a chip on his shoulder. Neither she nor Agent Dawson are pleased when they both come to realize that their respective sleuthing is about to cross paths and that means working together to bring down the person responsible for the countless missing girls from town, and perhaps get Kylene one step closer to finding out who framed her father. The resulting team up between Agent Dawson and Kylene is full of sizzle, and was highly enjoyable to see play out.
Natusch does a stellar job of keeping this fast-paced storyline moving, as well as make sure that you are utterly enthralled with what happens next. With all the twists and turns, I was constantly waiting to see what the page would bring.
It’s a binge read for sure!
There was really only one thing that I had to reason out when reading these two books in the Hometown Antihero Series, and that was coming to grips with a heroine in high school who had the chops to investigate a federal level crime. The more I thought about it, and the more I chewed on the idea I realized that Kylene was raised by a Federal Investigator for a father, as well as other adults in her life instilling in her the values and skills needed to be who she is. She reminded me a lot of Veronica Mars, with a smidge of Buffy Summers. Kylene is not afraid to be the badass she needs to be.
Based on how Don’t Say a Word ended, there’s sure to be more to come! I’m looking forward to more!

Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.