The Morning After

Pierce Reed/Nikki Gillette, Book 2

By: Lisa Jackson

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

2022 Audie Award Finalist for Best Female Narrator

His Victims. . .

A woman is frantic as she awakens in a dark, closed space. From above her comes the muffled sound of cruel laughter, followed by the hard splatter of dirt. Pure terror takes over as she realizes she's being buried alive--and her last breath is a scream that no one but a sadistic killer will hear. . .

Will Take His Secrets. . .

To journalist Nikki Gillette, this disturbing story is a ticket out of small-town Savannah and on to the big time. She's already given the killer a nickname--The Grave Robber--and she's spending every minute dogging tough cop Pierce Reed's investigation, trailing him through Savannah's deep thickets and crumbling cemeteries. . .even though she's starting to wonder about the secrets he's keeping. . .

To The Grave

Another body is found. And another. Each gruesome discovery unnerves Nikki a little more. . .there's something familiar about it, something she should know. Now, as a serial killer pulls her ever deeper into his sick game, she has no idea how close she's getting to the truth--or how deadly it will be. . .

©2004 by Susan Lisa Jackson. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Natalie Naudus's quietly intense narration ratchets up the tension in this gruesome psychological thriller. Listeners will be riveted by the audio's opening scene, in which a woman wakes to find that she has been buried alive - with another body in the same coffin.... Naudus's skillful pacing keeps the action moving as Reed and reporter Nikki Gillette become enmeshed in the case and in the pull of their mutual attraction.... Naudus's expert narration sets this audiobook apart.” (AudioFile Magazine)

Natalie Naudus is an outstanding narrator

This was a great story and a real whodunnit. Lisa Jackson your books are now on Audible.

great book

I love books that have twists, and this book is full of them already bought and in the Library

The narrator makes this better!

There’s a sick-minded serial killer in Savannah who is burying his victims alive and he appears to have Detective Pierce Reed in his sights, at least that’s what it looks like. Newspaper reporter Nikki Gillette is doggedly determined to not only get the story but to gain access to Reed and get him to open up to her. Yeah, that’s gonna happen.

The prologue begins with the first victim in that coffin and her death was chronicled in excruciating, painful detail, which set the stage for the story to come. I desperately wanted this guy captured as these murders were highly disturbing. It doesn’t help that being in tight, enclosed spaces is one of my deepest fears. The procedurals were tough to follow as the detectives were hampered by red herrings and leaks to the press, namely Nikki Gillette. When the killer shifts focus to her, things get even dicier, forcing Reed and Nikki to work closely together.

There wasn’t much in the way of romance but there was always a strong attraction between these two that eventually brings them together. One of the things I found problematic was how details of a case that may have been relevant weren’t revealed early enough for readers to participate in developing theories. With the procedurals all over the place, it was impossible. However, the mystery was interesting and at the last minute I opted to listen to the book because of the narrator. Natalie Naudus is one of my favorites and she’s the reason I rounded my rating up as her performance was outstanding and she elevated the story. I’m not sure I’ll continue the series (it intersected with her New Orleans series, which my group is reading) but if I do, I’m definitely going the audiobook route. She’s that good. 3.5 stars

Couldn't stop listening

It was so good I didn't want to stop listening. I definitely want to read or listen to the third book.

Loved this book.

It was a great storyline. I didn't guess the murder until the last quarter of the book.

Best so far 

This is my favorite Lisa Jackson book so far. Very well written. I definitely recommend it!

Spooky

Loved it and couldn't put it down! Narrator was great, too. Thought I knew who the killer was but I was way off. One of the best parts was when Reid softened up on Nicki and spent the night guarding her.

Great book

As with all of her books this 1 held you captain to the very end

Morning after 

Overall, I read it as excellent if you’d like Lisa Jackson books, we continues to always Be fascinating. 

Would have stopped but…..

I wanted to see if I had guessed correctly who the perpetrator was but it was sooo hard to keep listening to this drivel. I used to love Lisa Jackson’s books but more recently she seems unable to decide if she wants to write a real murder mystery or a bad romance novel. This one made me gag more than once and it wasn’t because of gruesome details. There was a mystery in there somewhere but it was covered in syrupy , unrealistic romance crap. Ms Jackson is not alone in going in this direction. Many of my favorite authors seem not to be able to write a believable crime novel without including unlikely or farcical sex scenes. I’m searching more now in the older books for new purchases.