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18 days and 23:35:39
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Empty Boxes
Not yet published
Expected 18 Nov 25Win a free kindle copy of this book!
18 days and 23:35:39
100 copies available
U.S. only
Pittsburgh crime reporter Rita Locke is investigating the murder of a funeral director when she learns he'd been burying empty coffins. Delving into his secrets, she uncovers a sinister plot of international proportions that takes her from western Pennsylvania to an offshore Caribbean medical school, where she becomes entangled in a web of deception that leaves her fighting for her life. It's only when she ends up in a box herself, struggling to breathe, that she finally discovers the truth about a sophisticated body-selling scheme - but will she live to write about it?
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 18, 2025
1507 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 30, 2025
I had the privilege of getting an advance reader copy of Acton’s newest novel, Empty Boxes, and it did not disappoint. In fact, I enjoyed it more than her debut novel, The Taker. Once again, we see crime journalist Rita Locke in action - taking risks for the story. I liked the ending, which is equal parts 1) wrapped up nicely / the bad guy gets his comeuppance, 2) another bad guy doesn't and 3) left open-ended for a third book. Well done!
August 11, 2025
Immediately the book jumps into the plot, which I appreciate the switch up. Usually there's more of build up for the first half. I was hooked within the first couple pages. I absolutely loved the writing style. It was a thriller but mixed with cheery characters for the most part.
In this book we spend time with Rita Locke again. The main character is a journalist who reports on crime and comes across as likeable and relatable. Rita is funny, quick witted and sometimes stubborn. The more I read the more I was invested, I visualized every detail as it was written with vivid descriptions.
It starts out set in Pittsburgh, where Rita lives. However, once she starts to uncover more details about a potential operation of basically funneling bodies from a funeral home to the various medical schools outside of the states, she then throws herself in the mix by going to the Caribbean to investigate further. What already seemed to be a pretty big scheme, just kept getting more and more in depth as to how big the operation actually was.
This really was a fun read, and I could even see myself reading again. This is book #2 in the Rita Locke series. I have not yet read book #1, and I didn't feel like I was missing information. While this can be read as stand alone, I think you'd enjoy it so much that you might as well read both and start with the 1st book called The Taker. Which I will be circling back to very soon!
Read the acknowledgments at the end! Robin Acton tells us about the inspiration of the book and characters, I found it to all be interesting as well. Also tells us that there is a third Rita Locke book in the works. The author comes across just as kind and genuine as she's created her character Rita to be. I definitely look forward to any book that Robin Acton writes in the future, she's definitely made a fan out of me!
Thank you to Netgalley and Blank Slate Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
In this book we spend time with Rita Locke again. The main character is a journalist who reports on crime and comes across as likeable and relatable. Rita is funny, quick witted and sometimes stubborn. The more I read the more I was invested, I visualized every detail as it was written with vivid descriptions.
It starts out set in Pittsburgh, where Rita lives. However, once she starts to uncover more details about a potential operation of basically funneling bodies from a funeral home to the various medical schools outside of the states, she then throws herself in the mix by going to the Caribbean to investigate further. What already seemed to be a pretty big scheme, just kept getting more and more in depth as to how big the operation actually was.
This really was a fun read, and I could even see myself reading again. This is book #2 in the Rita Locke series. I have not yet read book #1, and I didn't feel like I was missing information. While this can be read as stand alone, I think you'd enjoy it so much that you might as well read both and start with the 1st book called The Taker. Which I will be circling back to very soon!
Read the acknowledgments at the end! Robin Acton tells us about the inspiration of the book and characters, I found it to all be interesting as well. Also tells us that there is a third Rita Locke book in the works. The author comes across just as kind and genuine as she's created her character Rita to be. I definitely look forward to any book that Robin Acton writes in the future, she's definitely made a fan out of me!
Thank you to Netgalley and Blank Slate Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
May 7, 2025
I was lucky enough to get a preview copy of Robin Acton’s, newest thriller, Empty Boxes. Once again, we meet Rita Locke, from her first book, The Taker.
Rita, an experienced newspaper reporter and investigator at the Pittsburgh Journal, follows her analytical instincts to once again dig deeper into a small innocuous story to find something way more sinister going on. The author has expertly constructed a complex plot which becomes more and more intriguing as it goes along, with lots of characters who at first appear immaterial, but who eventually turn out to be far more than they seem.
Even though initially discouraged by her editor from pursuing the story, Rita’s stubborn determination to get to the bottom of it means she won’t give up. It would be easy to have Rita just follow the clues while working with law enforcement but the author puts her right in the middle of the action. So much so that Rita’s life is almost taken on more than one occasion. The physical dangers she faced kept me on a razors edge for much of the book.
From the first page to last this thriller never stopped! Great story, with amped up characters who all played their parts realistically well. The novel is rock solid.
Richard Riley
Rita, an experienced newspaper reporter and investigator at the Pittsburgh Journal, follows her analytical instincts to once again dig deeper into a small innocuous story to find something way more sinister going on. The author has expertly constructed a complex plot which becomes more and more intriguing as it goes along, with lots of characters who at first appear immaterial, but who eventually turn out to be far more than they seem.
Even though initially discouraged by her editor from pursuing the story, Rita’s stubborn determination to get to the bottom of it means she won’t give up. It would be easy to have Rita just follow the clues while working with law enforcement but the author puts her right in the middle of the action. So much so that Rita’s life is almost taken on more than one occasion. The physical dangers she faced kept me on a razors edge for much of the book.
From the first page to last this thriller never stopped! Great story, with amped up characters who all played their parts realistically well. The novel is rock solid.
Richard Riley
August 6, 2025
Robin Acton’s Empty Boxes wraps you in suspense from the first line and doesn’t let go, much like the box Pittsburgh crime reporter Rita Locke finds herself trapped in—literally. This isn’t your standard mystery thriller. It’s gritty and sharply constructed, with unsettling plausibility that makes every twist feel dangerously close to real life.
The story centres around a funeral director’s murder and a trail of empty coffins, leading Locke deep into a global conspiracy that’s as shocking as it is cinematic. Acton’s pacing is impeccable: just when you think you've found your footing, the ground shifts again. The offshore Caribbean setting adds a heat-haze of danger and intrigue, making the unravelling of secrets all the more atmospheric.
What sets Empty Boxes apart is Locke herself—tough, relentless, and refreshingly human. You don’t just follow her investigation, you root for her survival. It’s this emotional grit, paired with tight prose and an eerie realism, that makes the book not just a thriller, but an experience.
If you like your mysteries macabre with a streak of sophistication, this one's worth cracking open.
My thanks to Robin Acton, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,
The story centres around a funeral director’s murder and a trail of empty coffins, leading Locke deep into a global conspiracy that’s as shocking as it is cinematic. Acton’s pacing is impeccable: just when you think you've found your footing, the ground shifts again. The offshore Caribbean setting adds a heat-haze of danger and intrigue, making the unravelling of secrets all the more atmospheric.
What sets Empty Boxes apart is Locke herself—tough, relentless, and refreshingly human. You don’t just follow her investigation, you root for her survival. It’s this emotional grit, paired with tight prose and an eerie realism, that makes the book not just a thriller, but an experience.
If you like your mysteries macabre with a streak of sophistication, this one's worth cracking open.
My thanks to Robin Acton, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,
September 10, 2025
Empty boxes had me feeling a bit of each emotion. The character Robin Action has created, Rita Locke (Red), has the perfect blend of perseverance, resistance, and guts. By far a favorite for me, Red had me rooting for her until the end.
Red, a Pittsburgh journalist, makes her way through a path of corruption and deception as we follow her in the investigation of a local funeral home director’s murder.
Robin Action is now a new favorite of mine! Don’t forget to add Empty Boxes to your must read list.
Red, a Pittsburgh journalist, makes her way through a path of corruption and deception as we follow her in the investigation of a local funeral home director’s murder.
Robin Action is now a new favorite of mine! Don’t forget to add Empty Boxes to your must read list.
August 27, 2025
5 stars from this reviewer! 5 solid stars!
What more could you ask for in a thriller than sinister plots, murder, and a twist at the end that you never saw coming? This book has all those characteristics and more. I immediately connected with the female detective, and her character was well written. The book is detailed and fast-paced and left me gasping in multiple places.
Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the eArc.
What more could you ask for in a thriller than sinister plots, murder, and a twist at the end that you never saw coming? This book has all those characteristics and more. I immediately connected with the female detective, and her character was well written. The book is detailed and fast-paced and left me gasping in multiple places.
Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the eArc.
August 18, 2025
Witty title name. Mystery similar to cj box’s pickett books except main character is a female reporter instead of a male game warden who solves crimes. Good fast paced read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews