Wrong Alibi By Christina Dodd

Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads)

Wrong Alibi is Christina Dodd's new thriller about a woman who was framed by a con man for the murder of a woman and her son. It was a great read with twists and turns with a good storyline. I really liked the main character Petie she was alittle naive and trusting but very likeable. My fave character was the mysterious and deadly Jeen lee a woman who ruled a empire and not someone you wanted to cross,but when petie gives her information about her son who was kidnapped years earlier a bond is formed and miss Lee is going to help petie to prove her innocence. And when petie's mom's new boyfriend turns out to be the real killer she must act fast before her mother ends up being his next victim.And if that isn't enough the dead woman's husband Zone Jameson is on her trail too wanting revenge for his families death. I really enjoyed this thriller,it's told with many points of view and some really great secondary characters like Hawley foggo petie's boss and his right hand man Miska both are very interesting and make me want to know more about them. I've been reading Dodd's books for years and her storytelling is awesome as always. Until next time Luv's💕💋

Julie

Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd is a 2020 HQN publication.

Naïve teenager, Evie Jones, accepts a job from Donald White, only to find herself framed for the murder of a woman and her son. Facing a long prison sentence, Evie takes advantage of an unforeseen development and manages to avoid her dire fate. Now, she answers to the name Petie, and manages a remote Alaskan fishing lodge and camp. She lives under the radar for a long while, until she discovers Donald White has resurfaced and her family is his next target.

It is always hard to write a less than enthusiastic review of a book written by an author I really like, and have been reading for years, but unfortunately, I really struggled with this one.

On one hand, the writing is not cohesive, the dialogue is weirdly stilted, it is too busy, and really, really strains my plausibility threshold, while the romance is as thin and flat as a corn tortilla. On the other hand, it is a fast-paced, entertaining thrill ride. I liked Evie, and was completely caught off guard by the twist at the end.

So, I’m torn on how to rate this one. This is certainly not one of Dodd’s best efforts, but it was a diversion, enjoyable enough, if not taken too seriously. I think I’m probably in the minority on this one- so maybe it's just me- which is something to keep in mind if you are considering this one. You might have much better luck with it than I did, so don't let me discourage you.

2 stars

Maureen Carden

June 30 Received notice widget was ready. SO EXCITED!
July 2 Book hasn’t downloaded on any of my devices. Sore head from banging against wall.
July 3, 1 a.m. Fire and Kindle decides to either take widget out of hiding or to download. SO RELIEVED
July 3, 1 a.m. I do my modified happy dance. (not nekkid, not in cul de sac)
July 3, 1:05 a.m. Read from 1:05am to 3:30 am. Fall asleep 3 hours on couch, resume reading. WORTH STAYING UP ALL NIGHT to read.
Nah, I wasn’t anxious to read Wrong Alibi. Not at all. I’ll warn y’all, I liked it, I really liked it.
A naïve girl, former gang member, one who has decides to straighten herself out by getting a degree while in juvie. Nineteen years old, Evie Jones is so young, while being tragically old. Evie takes a job in Rockin, Alaska with a man named Donald White. Evie’s mom and sister are now living in Rockin. She hopes to eventually to contact them to show she has started to turn her life around. Instead she is framed for a heinous double murder, one that is brutal and unforgivable.
In an incredibly lucky moment, at least for her, Evie escapes on her way to prison.
Evie completes her escape by eventually landing at a remote, but luxurious wilderness camp. Besides her summer duties, Evie serves as the winter caretaker. During the long winter months, Evie learns new skill sets. For eight years, Evie searches on-line for the man, Donald White, who set her up, the man everyone insists does not exist. The man who makes her feel like a classic case of TSTL. Except Evie still exists, and is doing rather well; at least for someone hiding out in the extremes of the Alaska wilderness.
Eventually Evie finds White at the worst possible place. All Evie cares about is getting to White. At the same time, others are gunning for Evie with hatred equal to anything Evie feels for White.
First lesson learned in Wrong Alibi, know your friends, I mean really know them.
Second lesson, nature isn’t really trying to kill you. It just seems that way if you aren’t paying attention.
Third lesson learned, if it seems too good to be true, or if your spidey senses are tap dancing in your head, pay attention. But at the same time, mistakes don’t make you TSTL. Even if you do go into that basement, at least you aren’t wearing a flowing white nightgown. But then again, you are listening to a stuffed bear.
Fourth lesson learned, revenge really is better served cold, or at least served in Alaska.
This was a terrific book of revenge, redemption, and forgiveness. Dodd often writes morality tales, mixed in with her suspense, high adventure and chases.
She hasn’t totally given up on romance, but the romance is usually smoothly incorporated into the story and is not a major feature. Some readers have found the sex and romance in Wrong Alibi jarring. Considering the characters and how they have lived I find it makes sense.
With so many writers my eyes glaze when I start reading the florid descriptions of the setting. Not so with Dodd, she is not flowery. She is masterful. I purposely slow down to savor every bit about king salmon fishing, the mountains, and the unimaginable Alaska winters. I have paid particular attention to the settings in every one of Dodd’s books.
I like to think I can figure out Dodd’s twists. Nope, once again she is several steps ahead of me, which helps keep her writing fresh.
Evelyn, Evie, Petie, all the same woman, through the stages of her growth. She gets lucky and grows up; painful to watch the process, but a pleasure nonetheless. I also like that Evie is mixed race. It is mentioned, and then we move on.
A special treat for readers of the Cape Charade series, two of the characters from that series have bigger roles in Wrong Alibi.
This is the start of a new series. I see a few intriguing directions it could go with the secondary characters. And Nils. Of course there is Nils.
Revenge is always such a treat for readers; we are certainly served our share. I won't say this story is as dark as an Alaska winter (not just because it would be too obvious) but it is darker than most of Dodd's books. Dodd was a well regarded romantic/suspense writer before she started leaning more heavily to the suspense side, resulting in the mighty fine series of Virtue Falls and Cape Charade. I really wouldn't reading miss those books, they are so damn good. Looks like the Murder in Alaska series is going to be just as terrific.
Thank you so much for a NetGalley ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. It’s not as if I didn’t warn you up front that I really liked this book.

Barbara

3.5 stars

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews.
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/wr...

Petie's gang activity as a young teenager in California lands her in juvenile detention, where she cleans up her act and learns accounting.

While Petie is locked up, her mother and sister move to Rockin, Alaska, and Petie follows them there when she's released from jail at the age of eighteen.

In Rockin, Petie gets a job as a live-in assistant to antiquities seller Donald White, and plans to surprise her mom with her first paycheck.

Unfortunately, Petie is naïve and trusting, and Donald White is a conman and killer. White frames Petie for the murder of a woman and child, then skips town and disappears.

Rockin's crooked female police chief ensures Petie is convicted, and Petie is being transported to prison when a freak incident wrecks the convict transport bus.

Petie escapes, injured and disfigured, but the outside world thinks she's dead.

Healed and with a new face thanks to plastic surgery,

Petie changes her name and gets a job at Alaska's remote Midnight Sun Fishing Camp.

The resort is run by Hawley Foggo - a large flamboyant man who pays a pittance and is willing to overlook Petie's past.

Midnight Sun is open only four months a year, but Petie lives there permanently, maintaining the facility during the winter months.

During the fishing camp's long dark off-season, Petie takes computer classes, learns different languages, does internet research, and attempts to locate Donald White.....so she can get revenge.

Fortuitously, Petie's data mining uncovers information of interest to wealthy businesswoman Jean Lee, who comes to Midnight Sun Fishing Camp every year. Lee is very grateful, and offers to help Petie with her endeavors.

After working at Midnight Sun for eight years, Petie gets news of Donald White, who's back in Alaska. Petie is determined to get justice and clear her name, and Jean Lee provides generous assistance.

Regrettably, Petie has a couple of dangerous enemies. One is Zone Jameson - who has discovered Petie's real identity and believes she killed his wife and son;

and the other is Bradley Copeland, an egotistical former guest at Midnight Sun who has a grudge against Petie.

So while Petie is hunting Donald White, Petie's adversaries are hunting her.

The book has an interesting array of characters, including Petie's beautiful Belorussian mother; Petie's loving sister; a kidnapped businessman; a Police Chief who feeds everyone gumbo; a banker with a crush on her boss; employees of the fishing camp; and more.

Rugged Alaska provides a nice backdrop for the story, and the Midnight Sun Fishing Camp - which offers comfortable accommodations, fishing guides, wildlife sightings, gourmet meals, and an open bar - seems like a lovely vacation spot.

This is an adventurous thriller with strong female characters and plenty of twists and surprises.

You can follow my reviews at
https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

Carrie

Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd is the first book in the Murder in Alaska series which has a bit of mystery and suspense mixed with a tad of romance. The story is one that is told by looking back to events in the past as the story takes place.

Evelyn Jones had spent time in juvenile detention as a teenager which came from being in the wrong place at the wrong time so to speak. When released at eighteen Evie had thought she’d found the perfect job to pick herself up but again ended up at the wrong place.

Now Evie goes by the name of Petie and is living her life in hiding at a wilderness camp. Petie has spent her time listening and learning while she waits for the moment her former employer, Donald White, finally surfaces and she can get her revenge.

Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd was the type of story that seemed to me to get off to a solid start but one that possibly could have used a little work too. Sometimes I felt this one was a little choppy which kind of surprised me from an established author like this as I expected it to flow easily. There were a lot of twists and turns which I did enjoy but overall I just found this one an ok read which makes me wonder if I should continue.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit
https://carriesbookreviews.com/

Robin Loves Reading

There are two reasons I was excited to get this ARC and to have read it months ahead of release date. First, I have enjoyed several books by Christina Dodd, so she is an auto-read author. Second, it is the start of a new series.

Evie/Petie led a rough life as a gang member and ended up in juvenile hall. Free at the age of eighteen, she plans on settling in a remote Alaskan town called Rockin. Petie hopes this will not only be a fresh start for her, but she also hopes to reconnect with her mother and sister because they now live in Rockin.

She barely gets her chance as she takes on a job as a bookkeeper to Donald White. However, brutal murders of a mother and child take place. She contacts the police, pleads with them. Begs them to listen to her as she tells them that Donald White is the killer. No one believes her and, as the only suspect, Evie is convicted and receives a ninety-nine year sentence. Her life is over. However, not only does she manage to escape, she has every intent on finding the man she feels is responsible, Donald White, thus seeking revenge for her conviction and bringing him to justice.
Safe in a wilderness camp, her anonymity intact, Evie spends eight year searching, and she finally locates him.

Having all but inhaled Dodd's Cape Charade series, which also took place in Alaska, I love the remote setting once again in this new series. In the previous series, there were strong elements of romance throughout. Not so in this story. Instead, the focus is on Evie's desperate search for revenge. As I read this book, I did have to sort Evelyn/Edie/Petie a bit, so it was just easier referring to her as Evie in this review.

The book was a bit choppy, to say the least, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The twists became many, and there was more than one red herring. I do look forward to more in this series, especially as Evie's troubled past was explored. I had strong hope for Evie and her mother, as well as the romantic interest that slowly happened for Evie in this story. Usually I can guess where the next book in a series might land, but I have to admit that I haven't a clue. I am eager to see where Dodd goes next with this series.

Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Dianne

I understand that this book is getting very favorable reviews, so I regret to say that I was less than impressed with this novel.

I could not wrap my head around how far I had to suspend my disbelief. It was not comfortable for me, my friends.

Then there were issues with what name to call Evie/Petie. In one chapter, she was being called both by the same character...

I felt the ending to be a tad lame, but at least it was exciting. And for goodness sake, MUST we find the most stupid names to call the characters??? I mean, what kind of name is Zone unless you are a musician? And why did we even need a sex scene and then-budding romance between him and Evie/Petie?

No, I was not enamored with this book- but it did hold my attention enough for me to finish it.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

Shelleen Toland

18 year old Evelyn is looking for a job when she gets contacted from Donald White, In Alaska. She has just been in trouble and wants to turn her life around and make her mom proud. Once she meets Donald then I was noticing red flags right away. But since she was only 18 , didn't know any better. He has her running all the errands and has the bank account in only her name. He never goes to town with her.
He also tells her not to go into the basement because it is unsafe and has no banister. Take your laundry to town.
One morning she wakes up and he is gone. So after really questioning herself about the weird things that are around the house, she decides to venture. She also decides to go down to the basement. Where she discovers 2 bodies. The police arrive and she is trying to tell them about Donald White. They don't believe her and arrest her for murder. That is when everything really starts to happen. I don't want to spoil anything but you really need to read this book to find out what happens.
I really liked Evelyn and I didn't feel like she was a whiner at all and she always kept her head on her shoulders.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins (Harequin) for the ARC to review.

Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading)

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This was my first time venturing into a world created by Christina Dodd and what a trip. Wrong Alibi is the first book in the Murder in Alaska series. This installment introduces the reader to eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones, who has recently been from juvenile detention after a four-year sentence. Determined to get her life back on track, she accepted a job from a Donald White in Rockin, Alaska. However, what Evelyn thought would be the means to regain her mother’s favour turned into a nightmare when her new employer framed her for murder and embezzlement. Charged and convicted, she faced life imprisonment, however fate had other plans and soon she would find herself on the run, under an assumed name with one thing on her mind, revenge.

I had a great time with this story, which unfolded at an exciting and suspenseful pace. Revenge may have been the dominant theme of this exciting tale, however, the reader saw where the characters went through a process of healing and forgiveness. The story drew me in, but the thing that kept me turning the pages were the twists, which kept changing the game. I never knew what to expect. The author treated the reader to a smidgen of romance, which I honestly never expected. Despite its unexpected introduction, I thought it blended well in to the story

Spending time with the characters and getting to know each one proved to be an entertaining experience. Evelyn’s story wreaked havoc on my emotions. The pain and heartache she experienced had the potential to break her, but she rose above it, which demonstrated her strength and determination. The secondary characters brought their share of excitement, danger and humour to the story.

Although I enjoyed the story, it was not without its issues. Sections of the story did not flow smoothly, and there were some aspects, which could have been further developed.

In concluding Wrong Alibi, which featured a wonderful cast of characters, providing an escaping reality for a few hours. Readers who enjoy suspense and thrillers should add it to their book shelf.
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

lilias

Quite a few things bothered me about this book. Many issues could be summed up by how thin it is spread, trying to be too many things and do too much at once. There are some fun ideas, but they never pan out enough to get interesting and often don’t make sense. Characters are two dimensional, doing and saying bizarre, unnatural, things. The dialogue feels clunky, as though it had been badly translated.

Place is as two dimensional as characters. When the book leaves the West Coast of the United States it only speaks of unspecified distant places that are full of terrorists and murderers. (Speaking of distant places, I could be wrong, but it seems Dodd made up Quemada, which is so odd not least because it’s the name of a real island just off the coast of Brazil. References to it are confusing, not mysterious. Also, is Magara not the village in Turkey?)

I’ve never read a book by Christina Dodd before this, but I’d seen her name everywhere. I know she’s extremely popular and successful so the quality of this book was surprising to me. Maybe it was mostly due to poor editing; there were some issues there. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, either. I am starting to learn I should avoid thriller/mysteries written by romance authors.

*ARC provided my publisher, thank you.

Tammy

Are you looking to start a series? This is the first book in Christina Dodd’s brand spanking new series—Murder in Alaska.

Talk about having the worst luck. Eighteen year old Evelyn Jones (Evie) has been in trouble with the law, did her time (claims she’s innocent), now all she wants is a second chance. A job opportunity presents itself, Evie grabs her one lonely bag and flys off to a remote part of Alaska to restart her life. It’s there she walks right into trouble, going down for a crime she didn’t commit (once again.) She escapes, changes her name to Petie, biding time until she can carry out revenge and seek justice on one man; con man/killer Donald White (among other aliases.) He framed her for the murder of a mother and her son. Zone Jamison, the dead woman’s husband, is on Evie’s trail seeking his own revenge—on her. The real killer is back, putting himself in a troubling situation for Evie with her family in the crossfire.

I loved Evie’s character (Jeen Lee’s too!) She loves her family deeply, is headstrong and very clever, definitely a force to be reckoned with. This story was a tangled web of intense suspense, with a mix of thriller and mystery. I’m interested to see where she goes with book two as I really enjoyed this one.

DJ Sakata

Favorite Quotes:

There was another, shorter line, a lot shorter than this one, and Petie couldn’t figure out why, so she watched. Behind the glass stood a middle-aged female officer, short, skinny, tanned, wrinkled, smoking a cigarette. She didn’t speak, she blared. “Back again, are you? What’s it been, what? Two months since you beat your wife? Or two months since she turned you in? I suppose she’s coming to pick you up. A weak woman and a guy with heavy fists. You’re made for each other. Pay the fine at that window.” … “That’s Chief of Police Gretchen George. Wretchen Gretchen we call her.”

No sane cop would come out in this weather, not even to capture a convicted and escaped murderer. She grinned. That was the real definition of cold comfort.

He’s charming. He’s mesmerizing. That voice would lull a baby to sleep… right before he smothered it with its own pillow.

He knew he’d been a jerk. Signa stared at him like a Valkyrie about to smite a mortal.

My Review:

I greatly enjoyed this unpredictable and quirky tale; it was highly eventful with several conundrums to solve and multiple storylines that blended the genres of family drama, thriller, and women’s fiction. My curiosity was alert and on-point throughout perusal. The active storylines and engaging and smooth writing style were entertaining, well-paced, and easy to follow with shrewdly placed hits of humor and oddly intriguingly and peculiar characters. I began to eagerly look forward to each new player as their introductions and descriptions were lively and fun. This was my first time reading this prolific scribbler with Goodreads reporting ninety-four listings and multiple genres. How have I not noticed her agile word skills and deft pen before? I have rectified this grievous error by adding her to my list of favorites.

♥Rachel♥

DNF at 25%

First time trying this author, but her writing is definitely not for me. The dialogue is so unnatural and formal, not how real people converse at all. Even the character's inner thoughts on the page were formal and strange. Also, several plot points were unbelievable. Not spending any more time on this one.

A copy was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda McGill

Wrong Alibi took me a while to get into. The start of the novel just felt really choppy. First, Evie is alone during the winter time. Then it’s the summertime and she is assisting at a Alaskan hunting camp where there are some questionable visitors. Then we jump back in time, to see how she ended up at the hunting camp. I was really confused at the start, I had no idea what the novel was about and had a hard time seeing how realistic it was.

So once Evie has one mistake (or ten), the novel really does start to get interesting. Putting aside all of her questionable actions, Evie does grow on you and you just want to the best for her and her family. I was super surprised by the mystery and who was behind everything.

3 stars out of a potential 5. Once you get past the beginning, it’s a great mystery!

Thank you to Netgallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

Petie had no luck.

She was put in a juvenile detention center for something she didn't do because she had been part of a group that was arrested.

We meet her as the story goes from present day back to her release from the detention center and to a new, promising job in Alaska. She goes from sunny California to frigid Alaska for a job that sounded perfect.

But...is her job with Donald White really the perfect job?

I didn't trust Donald. He has a house and a car in someone else's name and oodles of money, antiques, and investments.

Donald was a problem Petie didn't need.

The writing style in WRONG ALIBI pulled me in, and the storyline was excellent and different.

This book is truly one you don’t want to miss because it touched so many emotions and will have you wondering how you would handle the situations Petie had to endure.

It will also have you asking yourself if you really can trust the people in your life no matter who they are.

I would call it a thriller with some tense moments that had me on edge, but I would also call it a thoughtful read. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tracey

This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, suspenseful thriller. It has interesting, likable characters, murder, mystery, intrigue, a touch of romance, and twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. It is an excellent addition to Ms. Dodd's outstanding Murder in Alaska series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. Ms. Dodd never disappoints her readers! I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation.

Yvonne

At 18 years old, Evelyn Jones gets a job in a small town in Alaska. She’s hoping to turn her life around and eventually be reunited with her family. The job and her boss, Donald White, are perfect - although he does have some odd ways about him. Evelyn quickly learns that something that seems too good to be true, usually is. Donald disappears leaving Evelyn looking like a thief, embezzler and worst of all - a murderer with two victims. She is convicted and sent to jail for a crime she did not do.

Ten years later, her fate changes. Evelyn is able to escape and change her name. She gets a new job isolated from anyone who knows her. When Donald once again turns up, Evelyn is out for revenge and to clear her name. However, he’s not that easy to trap.

This book kept me hooked from the start. There were many different twists and turns along the way to keep me guessing and captivated.

My heart went out to Evelyn since she is on her own through most of the book. It is hard to know who Evelyn could trust. I suspected everyone of ulterior motives.Then, some romance comes into her life but she couldn’t trust that either.

This is one of those books I couldn’t put down. I wanted to know how it was all going to turn out. It's more thriller than romantic suspense. Wrong Alibi is the first in a new series, Murder in Alaska. There isn’t a cliffhanger at the end, it’s all wrapped up in this book. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for us in the next book.

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tammy

Evie was framed for double murder, got convicted but escape by chance. Now she’s back to clear her name. I like that story line but anything else is a big “meh”. The problem with Wrong Alibi is the whole story was just absurd....nothing is realistic from plots to dialogue. I don’t do spoiler but let’s just say the implausibility of every circumstances in the book is ridiculous. Seriously, a former juvie got conned that easily? A doctor altered a face for an escaped convict? and would you sleep with a person you believed kill your family? If you want something just for a laugh then this book might do but if you look for mystery/thriller .... please look elsewhere.

Erth

No spoilers in this review. What a twisty plot! I was definitely guessing until the end. I loved the characters. They were either lovable or hateable(a word?), but very well explained and presented. By the end I was so hoping that the female lead would get everything she wanted. Read the book to see if she does! Highly recommend this book.

Anita

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

"Wrong Alibi" is a departure from Christina Dodd's usually romantic-suspense. But, I can see that this series is a natural progression for her from romantic-suspense to darker mystery/suspense books. This new offering reminds me of books by
Loreth Anne White who has made the wilds of Canada as much a character as the people who inhabit that area and the heavy, dark mystery she writes. But this new darker suspense offering is not without problems. Plot holes big enough to drive a Mack truck through and timeline shifts that leave the reader wondering what is going on. If you can get past these problems, you will find a great suspense plot.

At eighteen Evelyn Jones has spent four years in the California Juvenile Detention system. She is freed on parole and has gotten a wonderful job and a second chance in Rocklin, Alaska. Her boss, Donald White is a little on the strange side, but Evie enjoys her work and the opportunity to prove to her mother that she has truly changed. Then Donald disappears leaving Evie holding the bag for murder, theft and embezzlement. Because Evie has made an enemy of the chef of police, she is railroaded for the crimes.

Fate has other plans for Evie when she escapes on the way to prison. Injured, she is aided by a kind doctor and ends up in the remote Midnight Sun Fishing Camp where she has worked, under an alias, for the past ten years. During the dark winter she has gotten an education, learned languages and made successful investments. She has also made some powerful friends, and enemies. In addition, has been searching for Donald White the whole time.

The day she finally finds him, she is shocked to find her mother on his arm. All Evie can think about is returning to Rocklin, Alaska and saving her mother, finally bringing a murderer to justice and clearing her name. Someone else is also looking for justice, but to Zone Jameson, the husband and father of the dead family, that means seeing Evelyn Jones in prison for the rest of her life.

Eve

Romantic Suspense / Vigilante Justice / Contemporary
Publication date : December 29, 2020

The idea of Wrong Alibi was intriguing. There were parts I loved and parts I didn’t care for about Wrong Alibi. Its a bit difficult to follow this story at first as it jump all over the place, the sequences doesn't make much sense and Evelyn/Evie/Petie was kinda confusing. But things pick up.

18-year-old Evelyn was very naive and gullible teenager despite being in a juvenile detention center. I didn't quite buy that this gullible teenager turn into capable adult who's able to track down missing child. How so? Also the reasons Evelyn's mother sent her away was weak and stupid, all the reference to evil Belarus...

But I like that Mrs. Dodd write about strong heroines -- the protagonist find herself in peril, completely alone but she will figure out how to survive, bring justice and take control of her life. I wish author had spent more time in fleshing out Evie/Petie instead of adding all those multiple POVs. Didn't care for those. Also that insta-sex was just thrown at us. Why not build up relationship first? Dialogue sometimes sounded awkward and stilted. We are told, instead of shown. I'm glad that I read this story but its not my favorite by Christina Dodd (not like
Obsession Falls). Perhaps with better editing, this story could have been better and more gripping?

PS: I don't much care for the narrator, Vanessa Johansson. I much prefer January LaVoy and Rebecca Soler.

Jessica

Thanks to the publisher for the free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review

The first in a new series from Christina Dodd! I’ve enjoyed her other books and was excited to see that I would actually be starting in the correct place for a series – you’d be amazed how often I just don’t look ahead and then find myself in the middle of a series. Typically I luck out and end up reading one where they could be standalone books, but thankfully this is book one. WRONG ALIBI is the start of the Murder in Alaska series and I loved the setting. There’s just something about thrillers set in these more rural and unforgiving landscapes that up the suspense for me.

I liked the pacing, the characters were well-developed and I look forward to seeing where the author takes them throughout the series, but there was just something that didn’t completely hook me in. I did finish it pretty quickly, but there was just something about it that dropped it down a little in my rating. I will definitely continue with the series and more of Dodd’s other releases! I would highly recommend avoiding the synopsis if you can, or at least not refreshing yourself before starting because it gives us a little too much information, but I don’t think it will completely ruin the reading experience.

Michelle

Review will be posted after Blog tour 12/29

Kristen

In Christina Dodd's Wrong Alibi, this thrilling new novel will keep you in suspense and send you chills all over in this captivating new romance story. At eighteen, Evelyn "Evie" Jones landed a new job in Rockin, Alaska, a small town located near Anchorage and Denali, though she had a Juvy record. She was ready for a fresh start and had a bumpy ride to her new beginning when she worked for Donald White, a quiet man who hired her to his "dirty work" for him as he kept to himself. When he later strangely disappears, she's charged with a brutal double murder. No one believes her and sent to prison. But fate intervened when her prison van flipped over in the mudslide, almost killing her in the process and later presumed dead. Guess again! Under a new name and a new face, she works at a local Fishing camp for ten years and longed to see her sister and her mother again. But she waited for the right moment and time to resurface from the ashes... when she discovered him under a new name. Meanwhile, Zone Jameson learns about his wife and son's murders and vows vengeance to go after Evelyn Jones. And when he's free from his imprisonment, he's hell-bent on it. As they two meet, they both have a common enemy they wish to see dead. But the chemistry between them fired red-hot embers and sparks on a lonely night. The closer they kept an eye on the prize, they learn who was also responsible and make ends meet with justice for a bittersweet climax.

JoAn

Wrong Alibi is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go until you've hit "the end". This thriller had it all in my opinion. Twists, turns, red herrings, tough but naive heroine at the beginning who grows throughout the story and more than one sinister character to watch out for as I read. I look forward to seeing Evie/Petie continue to grow and become more independent as this series continues. If you like mysteries/thrillers, you can't go wrong with this one.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Janet

Addictive from the first chapter! I love resilient and strong heroines, and that's exactly who Evelyn Jones (aka Petie) is. This is set in Alaska where she gets a job for a man she doesn't know. Donald White leaves Evelyn to take the fall for his crimes as he disappears in the night. Now, in hiding and hoping to find the man responsible and prove her innocence, Evie finds an unlikely ally in Zone Jameson.

These are great characters with a suspenseful plot that kept me quickly turning the pages. I always look forward to a new release by Ms. Dodd. I just love her writing style no matter what she writes.

Krissy

It was a strong 4 stars until the forced romance. It was weird and awkward and I wish the author completely left it out.

Kate

The reviews for this book swing wildly and I had to laugh at many of the negative reviews.

Someone actually gave the book a poor rating because they didn't like the names of the characters! 🤦🏼‍♀️ Look up Alaskan names, they are pretty strange. But to this point, I will say that the back cover copy says this is a story about Evie, so when the first quarter of the book clearly showed Petie as the main character, I paused and double-checked what I was reading. This name change is explained in the book when another character mishears Evie for Petie.

Another reviewer didn't like the stilted way a few characters talked, and I have to assume that the reviewer missed the part where English was a second or third language for these characters. I'll admit that a few times Petie changed her own dialogue to match the person she was speaking to, then on the next page, she was back to her normal style.

My favorite reviews to laugh at are the ones where people say they can't enjoy the story because it's not believable. I assume that these reviewers aren't aware that Fiction means "A story or claim that is untrue" and are possibly living under the belief that Harry Potter is a real person and Hogwarts is an actual location? This must be the case because a reviewer wasn't sure they could enjoy the book since the author possibly made up the names of a few of the places.

Again, to this reviewer's point, there is a scene where Zone is being held in prison and most of the details are ambiguous. As an author, I made note of this as a positive thing, because I might have placed too much emphasis on describing the location while Dodd breezes over it because it's not important to the plot.

Let's talk about the romance bit okay? It is not your typical romance, and it does feel shoehorned in there. The weird uncomfortable bit works because Evie has been "alone" for more than 10 years of her life. She has no idea how to have a normal relationship because time and time again, people she thought cared about her abandoned her. Her father, her mother, her probation officer, White, her boss, etc etc. So of course her romantic attachment will be unnatural. But that doesn't really explain Zone... except maybe his trauma? A slow build to their romantic connection would have been much more satisfying, and in the end, I would have liked to see them go back to the fishing place and live happily ever after surrounded by the characters the author so painstakingly developed. I suppose the intent was to leave it where Evie and Zone were left with just the two of them against the world? But the author wrote it how she wanted, and while I thought it was a bit flat, I see her point.

One more negative before I rush over to the positives...

Some of the ends were left dangling in an odd way. Mainly the rich benefactor who owed so much to Evie, and her former boss who loved her so much he sent protection. These two characters were so well written and heavily involved in helping Evie, I felt like I needed more closure.

The positives - and there are many...

The characters are unique and well-written. I even felt a little sad when the bank teller passed away because Dodd did a great job of making her so real and unique. Each character had their own voice, style, and vivid descriptions. I found myself loving many of them, and even loving to hate them.

I really enjoyed the overall story premise and she managed to do a LOT with the word count. Vividly describing people and places so you feel that you're there. Thankfully NOT describing sex scenes or using bad language. Unique story threads and subplots that all come crashing down on each other keep you interested. And of course, ruthless, sinister, evil villains who you love to hate. Good job!

It's my first Dodd novel, so I felt like this one deserved a little pushback on all the half-hearted negative reviews. I think it's a worthwhile read, though I know if I am about to recommend a really great book, this might not pop to mind. But I'll probably share the story premise with my fellow suspense/thriller author friends so we can dissect it.

Paige

Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Wrong Alibi

Author: Christina Dodd

Book Series: Murder in Alaska Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: thriller, mystery, suspense

Publication Date: December 29, 2020

Genre: Thriller

Recommended Age: 18+ (death, gore, violence, romance, sexual content, language)

Publisher: HQN Books

Pages: 384

Synopsis: WRONG JOB

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones lands a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his isolated mountain home. But her bright hopes for the future are shattered when Donald White disappears, leaving her to face charges of theft, embezzlement—and a brutal double murder. Her protestations of innocence count for nothing. Convicted, she faces life in prison…until fate sends her on the run.

WRONG NAME

Evelyn’s escape leaves her scarred and in hiding, isolated from her family, working under an alias at a wilderness camp. Bent on vengeance, intent on recovering her life, she bides her time, patiently searching for the man who took everything from her.

WRONG ALIBI

At last, the day comes. Donald White has returned. Evelyn emerges from hiding; the fugitive becomes the hunter. But in her mind, she hears the whisper of other forces at work. Now Evelyn must untangle the threads of evidence before she’s once again found with blood on her hands: the blood of her own family…

Review: For the most part, this was a good book. The setting and tone of the book is perfect for the genre, the story is intriguing and kept me interested in the book, and I liked the world building. I also felt that the twists were fairly good and, while predictable, was really good.

However, I couldn’t connect with the characters. They all feel flat and uninteresting and their development wasn’t that well done.

Verdict: It was good, just needs a bit more character development.

Crystal

Why am I just now reading Christina Dodd?! I enjoyed this book so much and will definitely being picking up some of her other books.

This was a really fun read. Was it the most believable? No. But it had characters that I really enjoyed getting to know. The MC, Evie, was enjoyable but so were all the side characters. They are all so well drawn, I got to know them and was invested in their stories as well.
Plus, there's just something about the Alaskan setting that makes me feel unsettled. It's so cold and such a vast wilderness, anything could happen to you and who would know? Super creepy!

Side Note: This is probably a better winter read. I've been reading this while it's 90 degrees outside, which took away from the atmosphere of the book. I'll probably go back and read it this winter for effect. :)

Title	:	Wrong Alibi
Author	:	Christina Dodd
Rating	:
ISBN	:	1335549595
ISBN-10	:	9781335549594
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Hardcover
Number of Pages	:	363
Publication	:	First published December 29, 2020

Wrong Alibi Reviews

Releated on Wrong Alibi