Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Drop:Karne and Lundin
SERIES: Subtle Deceptions #4
AUTHOR: Ellle Keaton
PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press
LENGTH: 254 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2026
BLURB:
Curiosity might just kill Gabriel Karne after all.
It’s only Monday morning and Gabriel Karne is already knee-deep in murder.
Roy Wilson, a Westfort pastor with a murky past, turns up dead. Was the man a bad guy turned good? Or was he, as Gabe and Elton suspect, still deeply embroiled in the illegal underbelly of Twana County?
Meanwhile, the unsolved murder of Calvin Perkins continues to nag at Casey Lundin. The unlikable man’s killer remains at large, and the acting sheriff has no suspects or even a clue to move on. Casey vows to do his best to bring Calvin some sort of justice. Not even Calvin Perkins deserves to be executed and dumped into an unmarked grave.
As it turns out it may be curiosity that kills Casey, and Gabriel can’t rush to his rescue.
It will be fine, everything will be fine.
The Drop is book 4 in the Subtle Deceptions series. It is the final installment in grifter Gabriel Karne’s pursuit of nearly legal happiness among the denizens of Heartstone and features: small-town mystery, amateur sleuthing, true love, found family, and a great deal of snark.
REVIEW:
Amateur sleuth Gabe arrives at a meeting to find the man, pastor Roy Wilson, dead. Meanwhile, Casey was still trying to solve the murder of two, not-so-law-abiding brothers. What else lurked in the shadows of Twana County?
The Drop is the fourth and supposedly final installment of the Subtle Deceptions series. I say supposedly because Elle Keaton has a penchant for crossovers. It’s a feature that I love because it not only expands the storybook world, but it also means that it isn’t goodbye to the characters – and that is a lovely prospect.
I’ve loved everything about these books. It’s been a series that I have been able to sink into and come to care deeply for the characters. Each book is a slow burn, and so worth the wait.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Gabe and Casey. Worldbuilding has developed over the series. It contains all the detailed depth that makes a place special – it’s what I have come to know and love about this author. Also, the furry friends add more believability to the world created and give it something extra to relate to. Oh, and I loved Heidi’s voice in the background.
Casey and Gabe have independent lives, and I found it good that they weren’t in each other’s pockets, but one was there for the other when needed. They have grown together as a couple, smoothing edges while allowing for personal development. Gabe has become an amateur sleuth with a penchant for finding trouble at every turn. Casey is still a ranger, but Gabe’s knack for encountering danger due to his inquisitive nature has rubbed off on Casey.
As for family, the addition of the blood connection of Shay Delacombe, Claribel and Niall Hamarsson – they are a force to be reckoned alongside the family by choice of Elton and his associates, who belong to the force of nature old codger clan with a lifetime of experience. In many ways, they are the guardians of the town. Elton and Gabe together are an incorrigible duo.
The Drop is a slow-burning sleuthing adventure that ramps up the life-threatening anti towards the end. And where connections can bring in help of the, life-saving, investigative, and fearsome yet caring family variety.
RATING: 
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