The Third Call

The O'Connells, Book 2

By: Lorhainne Eckhart

Narrated by: Eric Umstott, Shannon Cook

Deputy Marcus O’Connell is blindsided one night after a series of calls comes in from an unknown number, and the caller on the other end is a child. All he knows is she’s six years old, her name is Eva, and there’s someone in her house who wants to hurt her.

Marcus is the ultimate bad boy turned deputy. He knows everything about how to get away with something, considering he was one of the middle of the six O’Connell siblings. He never had responsibility resting on his shoulders like his brother, Owen, and he’s never been the center of attention like his little sister, Suzanne. Marcus knows how to find trouble and talk his way out of it.

Now, as the head deputy for the Livingston sheriff’s office, he knows everything about everybody, and no one can pull anything over on him. It’s why he’s such a damn good deputy. But even Marcus dreads what cops know as the third call.

When Marcus takes the call the first time, he thinks it’s a prank. The second time, he knows there’s a problem. The third time the call comes in and is patched through to him, he knows it’s something he can’t ignore. The only thing is, the girl is terrified and keeps hanging up, and Marcus knows someone is in the house with her.

Where are her parents, and who is this mysterious girl who needs his help?

©2020 Lorhainne Ekelund (P)2020 Lorhainne Ekelund

Relevant Issue in this story.

I really enjoyed this story. It touches on a lot of social issue relevant today. From military personell needing care after serving our country to social injustice.

The characters were believable and interesting. I also enjoyed the strong family depicted in this story.

The audio was well done and the narrators did a great job. :-)

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

An intense page turner and equally good narration

A little girl's calls for help quickly escalates into a situation that ends in tragedy. This book is a page turner, and the narration makes is equally well done. This intense drama is filled with emotions dealing and frustrations of a broken system where a young mother and child are homeless and everything about the situation spirals into something that isn't as it seems. The Third Call is part of a new Romantic Suspense series that is impossible to put down. Eckhart is the 'Queen of the family saga' and this story and series shows why she's been accurately given that title. Love all her books!

Realistic

Date Started: 4/1/21
Date Finished: 4/1/21
Rating: 4 of 5

Book Title: The Third Call
Author: Lorhainne Eckhart
Pages: 170

Note: This is book two in the series. The series can be read as standalone books. I have a review for Hometown Hero which is book seven in the series.

This book isn’t based on a true story, but it is really realistic. There are many topics it addresses that most movies, television shows, and books gloss over or glamorize. I’m very happy that this one didn’t. I love that we get a glimpse of how things really are rather than how we all wish they could be. Don’t get me wrong, the fluffy is nice, but I want the real deal now and then.

At the beginning of the book, there was a very intense situation. A little girl calls the police because she feels that she and her mother are in danger. Turns out that the situation was intense, but it wasn’t a hostage situation. The person was attempting to help her and her mother suffered PTSD and was triggered by a sound.

I really loved the dialogue in this book. It was raw and emotional. It was realistic. The compassion behind what the main character felt was real. It caught my emotions fully. I was really impressed. I guess it doesn’t help that the thing that upset him would have upset me just as much.

This book really highlights the fact that the justice system doesn’t always work properly. An innocent woman whose daughter thought she was in danger goes to prison for charges piled up against her when she was a victim. The prosecutor didn’t care at all. She and her daughter were homeless. She was just doing the best she could for them both. She got put in a bad situation and lost it all because of it.

While there wasn’t a real hero of the story, I really feel the main character of the story came through in spades. He went out of his way to make sure that the mother had good representation so that she didn’t go to prison for the rest of her life for something that she wasn’t even guilty of. He even went and checked on the daughter after the fact because he felt so guilty. He wasn’t really responsible, but he felt like he played a major part in it.

While I loved the ending of this book, I really feel like there could have been another ending that happened years later. I won’t say what I mean exactly because I don’t want to fill this review with spoilers. If you read it, you’ll know what I mean. There’s just something that I wanted to see wrapped up in the end. Or what happens to a certain two characters in the book. I really enjoyed the story.

Awesome Story!

The Third Call by Lorhainne Eckhart is great! I wasn't sure what direction the author was going with the storyline regarding the little girl Eva. She stole the show with her vulnerability. I was captivated by the author's writing hitting on so many current issues -- she opened my eyes to things not being black and white, right or wrong, justice and injustice. The characters she wrote, all had a voice and needed to be heard. Both narrators, Eric Umstott and Shannon Cook were new to me. They each brought the characters to life with their voices and emotions. I fully enjoyed this listen and will ponder many of the issues brought to light. I will definitely listen to more books by this author. The O'Connells is a great heartwarming series.

Emotional and captivating

The Third Call is a fast-paced, high emotional novel with a gripping storyline and a sweet and heartwarming ending.
The cast of characters is rich and diverse; the narration is vivid. The plot is never apparent, with plenty of twists, keeping the listeners on edge at all times. The interpretation succeeds in rendering the differences in traits and personalities between the different characters. In particular, I liked the emotional rendition of the leading roles.
Overall, The Third Call is a delightful audiobook, one that entertains the listeners with a gripping story and leaves them to smile in the end.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. Opinions and comments are solely my own

Full of Emotion and Suspense!

This story was hearbreaking, painful, sad, suspenseful, and ultimately hopeful. It touched accurately on so many subjects that are currently at the forefront of society. A lot of bang for your buck is packed into this fairly short audiobook, 3 hrs and 21 min.

I listened to the audiobook. The story grabbed my attention immediately. It often, almost breathlessly, held my attention. It pushes to the forefront that we are all one incident away the life changing moments. A set of circumstances can occur where a decision made in innocence of desperation can alter your life forever.

Health care, mental health, poverty, child welfare, homelessness, the criminal justice system, and policing all play a part in this riveting tale.

I liked Marcus. He stood up for what he believed in and tried to correct wrongs. I wasn't sure how I felt about Charlotte at first, but I came to like her. I felt badly for Tommy, who also tried to do the right thing and suffered the consequences for it. Rayne and Eva's situation was the truly heartbreaking part. The situations that occur that confirms that life is often out of your control no matters how hard you work, you try, or want to control it.

I hope at some point down the line there will be an update about the characters in this book. There was part of the book that left openings in certain situations that could be addressed down the road.

The narration was well done. I would absolutely recommend this book. The ending by itself helps to make it worth the time. I give this 4.5 stars.