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Melinda Leigh
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Minutes to Kill (Scarlet Falls) Kindle Edition

by Melinda Leigh (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 37,033 ratings
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From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

After corporate attorney Hannah Barrett tries—and fails—to stop a kidnapping in Vegas, she can’t shake the haunting image of the terrified young girl she couldn’t save. She tells herself that a visit to her hometown in Scarlet Falls could be a welcome distraction. But soon, Hannah realizes the kidnappers have all the info they need to track her every move. And when chilling e-mails about the victim appear in her inbox, it’s frighteningly clear what happened in Vegas has followed her home.

Eight months after a terrible family tragedy, Hannah turns to Detective Brody McNamara once again. Brody is eager to help, though he’s embroiled in the investigation of a brutal murder. But the closer they work together, the stronger their feelings grow…and the more they stand to lose when two seemingly unrelated, but equally deadly, cases collide.

Minutes to Kill is the pulse-racing second novel in bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s Scarlet Falls series.

Golden Leaf Award Finalist

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Winner

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  1. Part of series
    Scarlet Falls
  2. Print length
    336 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Montlake Romance
  5. Publication date
    June 30, 2015
  6. File size
    6.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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  1. Hope was a balancing act. Too little left a person unable to hang on. Too much made bad news unable to bear.
    Highlighted by 313 Kindle readers
  2. In her life, joy was rare and elusive. Not that she was an inherently unhappy person, but Fate had a way of snatching happiness just before she had it in her grasp. She was more familiar with suffering, determination, and fortitude than joy.
    Highlighted by 173 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“With the perfect mixture of suspense and romance, Leigh will keep you flipping the pages.” —Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“This gripping Las Vegas tale is worth the gamble to stay up all night racing to the mind-blowing ending.” —RT Book Reviews

“Minutes to Kill hooked me from the opening scene...Melinda knows how to write an intriguing story line and she’s brilliant at pacing and writing action scenes.” —Jennifer Jaynes, USA Today bestselling author

About the Author

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity when her youngest child entered first grade. During the next few years, she joined Romance Writers of America, learned a few things about writing a book, and decided the process was way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Her bestselling books have been nominated twice for the Daphne du Maurier Award. When she isn’t writing, she is an avid martial artist: she holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate and teaches women’s self-defense. She lives in a messy house with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs, and two rescue cats.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00QQYZYPK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Montlake Romance (June 30, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 37,033 ratings

About the author

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Melinda Leigh

Melinda Leigh

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#1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh has sold over 15 million books. As a fully recovered banker and a life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Melinda's debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was an International Thriller Award finalist. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame.

Melinda holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate. She's dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and taught women's self-defense. She lives near the beach with her family and two spoiled rescue dogs. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark nature of her imagination.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
37,033 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book and found it suspenseful and intriguing from start to finish. They appreciated the well-developed and believable characters that made them relatable. The writing quality was described as well-written and easy to read. Readers enjoyed the fast-paced stories and the series as a whole.

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SuspensefulReadabilityCharacter developmentWriting qualityPacingSeries qualityFamily dynamicsDifficulty to put down
436 customers mention "Suspenseful"400 positive36 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful tale. They find the plots interesting and action-packed from start to finish. The story is described as an excellent thriller/crime detective story with well-developed characters. Readers also mention that the book has many twists and turns, making it hard to put down.

"...While there is some grit to the plot, the story was too neat for me. All of the angles were explained away, some reaching the deus ex machina realm...." Read more

"...Suddenly there was a new genre in the game. There were now superb action & adventure novels, that had an element of romance inside...." Read more

"This book gets your attention and keeps it through every page. Melina Leigh books have never disappointed me. She keeps the twists and turns coming." Read more

"Classic story line with excellent development of characters! The theme of human trafficking of young girls is timely...." Read more

424 customers mention "Readability"414 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability and find it engaging. They appreciate the strong female protagonist and find the storyline compelling. The book is described as a fun, exciting read suitable for vacations or an airplane ride. Readers also mention that the author's writing style is enjoyable and the series keeps progressing well.

"Loved it. And will be looking for more. Some of my young years were very much like some of this story." Read more

"...fans or not will enjoy this, and I highly recommend this for a cozy evening read." Read more

"...Love this author." Read more

"I absolutely loved this book. It kept me turning pages till the end. I can't wait until the next book." Read more

181 customers mention "Character development"171 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed and believable characters. They connect with them by making them real to them. The heroine and hero are enjoyed by readers, with the female lead character being attractive and tall.

"It's ridiculous to try to review a Melinda Leigh book. The characters are all relatable, all of the dialog real, the details solid, the plots..." Read more

"Classic story line with excellent development of characters! The theme of human trafficking of young girls is timely...." Read more

"The second book in a series of 3 and I love how the characters meld together! She is always stringing you along till the end to find out who done it...." Read more

"I had trouble putting this story down. I was captured by the characters and wanted to see them happy together" Read more

130 customers mention "Writing quality"121 positive9 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find it easy to read, with few big words. Readers appreciate the talented author's ability to entertain them through written words. The story is well-written and keeps their attention. While some readers mention the ending is predictable, they say the book can be read as a standalone.

"...The characters are all relatable, all of the dialog real, the details solid, the plots possible if not plausible. "..." Read more

"...I enjoyed this installment much more than the first and it can be read as a standalone. Narration was spot on." Read more

"Melinda Leigh is an incredible author!..." Read more

"...Human trafficking is the worst and this was written so well. Glad to read things that turn out right." Read more

94 customers mention "Pacing"87 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the stories interesting and well-developed, with an easy-to-follow plot that gets better with each chapter. The characters are described as strong, smart, and capable.

"...The characters are all relatable, all of the dialog real, the details solid, the plots possible if not plausible. "..." Read more

"...Characters were interesting and well-developed. I enjoyed this installment much more than the first and it can be read as a standalone...." Read more

"...It makes you cry, angry and happy. The subject matter is one that needs more focus and discussion in todays world." Read more

"This book was an enjoyable thriller that moved quickly and provided sufficient suspense...." Read more

80 customers mention "Series quality"80 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series. They find it engaging, with each book focusing on a different character. The author's writing style is described as stand-alone, but more interesting when read together. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and connections to the first book.

"...Great story and series." Read more

"This series is great. I'm definitely hooked. Hannah reminds me of myself...." Read more

"Love the whole Sçarlet Falls series...the plots are outstanding...all the family is do interesting...look forward to reading Mac's story...." Read more

"The series of Scarlet Falls was good so far but I hope Ms. Leigh writes about the youngest brother Mac ...." Read more

34 customers mention "Family dynamics"34 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's family dynamics. They find the family interesting and well-written. The storyline is engaging with a good balance of family, romance, and mystery. Readers appreciate the Barrett siblings and their inclusion in the story.

"...Sçarlet Falls series...the plots are outstanding...all the family is do interesting...look forward to reading Mac's story...." Read more

"...So far I love the Barrett siblings. I can personally relate to their story...." Read more

"Another great story. Love Hannah & Brody relationship...." Read more

"I read this series out of order but great never the less. Such a great family that had a strange harsh upbringing but kept the sibling all together..." Read more

30 customers mention "Difficulty to put down"22 positive8 negative

Customers find the book engaging and hard to put down. They say it's easy to read and fast-paced.

"...The novels cannot be put down and have kept me awake in the wee hours. I can’t possibly review this book because I love all of them equally...." Read more

"## Wow. Talk about fast paced. This book was hard to put down, that's for sure. I loved both hero and heroine which is rare for me...." Read more

"...It was hard to put it down. It was very good" Read more

"Never put the book down. Love the mystery and the way the love story took a while before they got together...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Judyjbak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting! Your stories are so spot on and the people "real". When I start a story, I am hooked!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Loved it. And will be looking for more. Some of my young years were very much like some of this story.
    Helpful
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  • L. Adams
    4.0 out of 5 stars Competent, entertaining, but no rivets here
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    It's ridiculous to try to review a Melinda Leigh book. The characters are all relatable, all of the dialog real, the details solid, the plots possible if not plausible. "Minutes to Kill" is masterfully laid out from several perspectives and I'll admit the ending took me by surprise. While there is some grit to the plot, the story was too neat for me. All of the angles were explained away, some reaching the deus ex machina realm. Still, Leigh fans or not will enjoy this, and I highly recommend this for a cozy evening read.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Thomas La Roche
    5.0 out of 5 stars The very best of Melinda Leigh!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Once apron a time there were action / adventure books, and there were romantic novels, where the girl always finds her white knight. One was for men, the other one was for the ladies. Suddenly there was a new genre in the game. There were now superb action & adventure novels, that had an element of romance inside. Did I say an element, oh no, the reality of human emotions, of caring and love was woven skillfully into this novel. I could not even ask for any better!
    Helpful
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  • Vickie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book gets your attention and keeps it through every page. Melina Leigh books have never disappointed me. She keeps the twists and turns coming.
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  • JAVB
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Classic story line with excellent development of characters! The theme of human trafficking of young girls is timely. However the extreme survival skills of the main character were a bit too much at times and there were some discrepancies in the flow of time. But I would recommend this book! I read it twice!
    Helpful
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  • Rayanne Crawford
    5.0 out of 5 stars Munutes to kill
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The second book in a series of 3 and I love how the characters meld together! She is always stringing you along till the end to find out who done it. Love this author.
    Helpful
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  • Fallen3
    3.0 out of 5 stars Just ok.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    ***** Some Spoilers ***** I just wasn't crazy about it. Some of it doesn't make sense. Her purse gets stolen but it never dawns on her that they now have her's and her family's address. The author even makes a point of saying that she uses her family's address as her home base.
    I'm confused about her looks. Her client at the night club tell her she can have any man there she wanted, like she was drop dead gorgeous, but the bad guy and the hero both think to themselves, "well she's not the most beautiful woman in the world, but...",
    I wasn't crazy about the heroine. I loved that she could fight. I liked how she took care of one of the bad guys the first time he tries to kidnapped her. Other than that, she wasn't very interesting. I didn't like the way she was described, (except for being tall), but I can get past that. She just seemed kind of bitchy in the first have of the book. Her standoffish, I can take care of myself, behavior lasted too long. I got tired of hearing her whine about how everything was her fault every time something bad happen. After a while it's not endearing, it's annoying. She has family, a little niece and nephew that she is supposed to love more than anything. Yet she never goes to see them because she would rather be working. Just not my favorite kind of heroine.

    I liked the hero. He was great but there really wasn't any getting together until about 70% in.
    They were together a lot but by the time they hooked up, I just didn't care. I think that was because I just didn't care for the heroine.

    With all that being said... It really did have A LOT of interesting parts. Author is a very talented lady. She really personalized the main two bad guys. They were awful. It's terrifying knowing that monsters like that are walking around.

    *****Spoilers *****
    This is not a feel good kind book. You have 14 year old girls in the sex trade. Three women kidnapped, raped, and beaten, and three cops shot. Two of them dead.
    There seemed to be too much going on. There were A LOT of bad guys. And A LOT of different type of victims. Plus Chet's side story. The heroine dad's story line. It was too busy in my opinion.
    I still love this author and anxiously await all of her book.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Rebecca Paige
    5.0 out of 5 stars exciting and well written
    Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve read many books and articles about sex trafficking, but I have to say that Ms Leigh presented it in a realistic way that didn’t sugarcoat any of it. There are lots of other things going on and Hannah and Brody have totally fallen in love. This particular story is about them more than anything. However it also includes the police department and other crimes that are committed in the community. It’s just a well rounded piece and I know you will enjoy it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Easy to read and enjoy.
    Report
  • akalilou5
    5.0 out of 5 stars excellent et tellement réel
    Reviewed in France on February 3, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    J’aime beaucoup les romans policiers de Melinda car les personnages sont reels avec force et faiblesse.
    La description des kidnappings m’a fait froid dans le dos car cela peut arriver à n’importe qui. A nous les femmes soyons attentives à notre environnement…il n’y a pas de Brody partout
    Report
  • Maria Carmen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Que mantenga el suspense
    Reviewed in Spain on July 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Muy bueno, es suspense de verdad, te mantiene atento y estas deseando volver a leer. Es el primer libro que leo de este autor, no será el último.
    Report
  • Lyn Lyndon
    5.0 out of 5 stars How to learn the values of your life the hard way .....
    Reviewed in Canada on May 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I love Melinda Leigh's style of writing and am now slowly working through everything she has written. Her characterizations are excellent with the simmering sexuality always a fresh aspect. I enjoy the fact that she is weaving the story around the characters introduced in her first book in the series, so that the reader feels that one is getting to know the whole community of characters. The plots are fast and pacey and full of spice. I really resent having to return to normal life having been emersed in the goings on of Scarlet Falls.
    Report
  • Pam
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read from a great storyteller.
    Reviewed in Australia on August 12, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This novel is the second in the Scarlet Falls series of mystery-romance novels. Both these novels are set in the same small town with members of the same family, and their characters are being fleshed out more and more. This novel was well written by a great storyteller, and that is different I believe, from being a great writer. I have read many novels better written, but this novel is written by a great storyteller. I felt dragged into the horrible web of people traffickers around which this story revolves. Once again the writing was spoiled by unnecessary sex scenes - which added nothing to the overall story. This was the only drawback, and not a biggie - I flicked past those pages and back to the story. I loved the character, Brody, along with others in the series, but I feel Brody is the standout star. Read the series, you are sure to love it. Have the next book "Seconds to Live", so will start that with great expectations.
    Report

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