Book Review: Leave the Lights On by Christy Barritt (Christian mystery and suspense)

A disbarred lawyer in the quest to bring down those responsible for her fallout and a former Army CID agent searching for his missing fiancé join forces to stop a serial killer. Together with the rest of the Artic Circle Murder Club, they aim to find the elusive killer whose calling card is an X carved on the chest of his victims. But what’s the connection between the dead? Neither age, nor gender, or walks of life seem to link them. Leave the Lights On is book five of the True Crime Justice Series by Christy Barritt.

Although the series features an array of characters, plot twists and interesting settings in rugged Alaska, Andi and Duke are definitely the stars who propel the plot.

Andi, fiery and independent to a fault, who contends with secrets and enemies of her own, risks her personal safety to investigate the predator who has Anchorage, Alaska, living in fear.

Duke, enigmatic and heroic, struggles with his feelings for Andi and his misplaced hope that his missing fiancé might still be alive.

And then there’s the rest of the Circle, each with unique characteristics and mysterious pasts. Although they don’t get their own POV in the story, Mariella and her twin Matthew, along with Simmy and Ranger, bring in their own set of abilities, and secrets, to the investigation and, of course, the plot. 

What keeps this unlikely group together? A common faith for one, and a binding friendship for sure. But they also work together because the Artic Circle Murder Club happens to be a group of true crime podcasters! Investigating crimes as a unit is their goal. Former influencer Mariella and her brother act as the voices of the show, while the rest work in the background.

Can these true crime podcasters achieve what police investigators couldn’t? Will they find the missing link among the victims and stop a murderer’s rampage?

At the end of Leave the Lights On, we’re left with a dilemma for the next book. The identity of the four behind-the-scenes club members has been exposed publicly. What will happen now that the world knows who they are?

Leave the Lights On is book five in the True Crime Junkies series. I jumped from book one, Just the Nicest Person, to book five, honestly, because those two were the ones I had available on my Kindle. However, after going through book five- which could definitely be read as a standalone, I like the adventures and secrets of the Murder Circle Club so much that I will definitely jump back and read the books I missed (and the ones that come after Leave the Lights on). Eight titles currently form part of the series. Fun, fun, fun!

I have read many of Christy Barritt’s books from several series and have never been disappointed. Her witty prose and many plot twists make for quick, entertaining reads. Although some of her stories tackle more serious topics than others, her great sense of humor shines through all of them.

I’ll finish my review with this quote from chapter 49 of Leave the Lights On.

“None of our lives are insignificant. We’re all on this planet for a purpose, and whenever God shines bright, the darkness will try even harder to close in.”

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean read with enough surprises and conflicts to keep you glued to the page! And let’s not forget the overarching plot of the series. I suspect that as we read each book, we will find ourselves closer to solving the mystery of what happened to Celeste and nearer to resolving Andi’s situation.

Jump on the wagon with me and tell me what you think! Leave a comment about the series below!

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Until next time!