Review: Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch

Author: Amber Lynn Natusch
Publisher: Tor Teen
Date of publication:  September 2019

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.

Don't Say a Word is the follow-up to Dare You to Lie.  It picks up pretty much right after the events of that book.  Kylene is dealing with the aftermath of the secrets she uncovered and is also going to be "fake dating" FBI Agent Dawson as he goes undercover in the high school. He is determined to get behind what is happening to a potential sex trafficking ring. While I didn't love this one as much as the first book, it was still an entertaining mystery. 

For the most part, the book was a fairly solid second book in a series.  We get to learn a bit more about the characters, especially Kylene.  I really enjoyed her character.  While she is only 17, she has a fairly good head on her shoulders and a drive to do the right thing and uncover secrets in her small town.  What I didn't love was the way the people in the high school treated her after the events of the first book.  I mean she was almost murdered, yet they blame her for all of the events.  That just didn't ring true to me.  I also am not a fan of the almost, kind of love triangle that seems to be going on in the series.  Kylene is only 17 almost 18 and Dawson is at least 25.  The age difference makes me uncomfortable and I would much prefer she focus on her HS relationship instead.

All of that being said, that were a couple of twists that genuinely surprised me and helped to bring up my rating.  The book ends with some things still not resolved from the first book, so hopefully those will be wrapped up in the next one.