The Girl in Juniper Springs

Juniper Springs Mystery, Book 1

By: A.J. Rivers

Narrated by: Tiffany Vanlandingham

"911, what's your emergency?"

Military surgeon Lance Blair is haunted by many demons and nightmares from his past.
Going back home might be the only way he could finally be set free.
While working at the Seattle Hospital of Hope, he receives a call bearing tragic news that shakes his world.
Now on the road to Juniper Springs, back to where his life began,
Lance tackles the responsibilities of running his family’s clinic, while battling the feelings of grief and regret.

On an errand in town, he runs into his high-school sweetheart, Avery Hart.
The one woman he could never forget.
Avery now works as a lawyer at a local law firm and freelances as a private investigator.
Immediately, sparks fly, reigniting a flame they thought had died out long ago.

While revisiting their shared past and the future they could have had,
Lance learns of Avery's suspicions regarding his mother’s death.

As they explore the mysteries surrounding her death and the secrets hidden in Juniper Springs,
they rediscover the spark of true love and confront the different paths life has led them down.

Brought together by tragedy, their lives intertwine through faith,
solving mysteries that will forever change their fate.

*The Girl in Juniper Springs is Book 1 in the Juniper Springs series and can be listened to as a standalone.

©2025 A.J. Rivers (P)2025 A.J. Rivers

Could not stop listening

I absolutely love Tiffany Vallandingham's voice for this book! The slow burn romance partnered with the mystery was a great palate cleanser for me.

Fun Mystery with great narration

This was a quick, cozy mystery with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of suspense.

Lance is a former military doctor, turned ER doctor who returns to his hometown in the wake of his mother's death.

Avery Hart is a lawyer who moonlight as a P.I. in her hometown of Juniper Springs.

When Avery finds some things that don't add up at the scene of Lance's mom's wreck, she can't shake the feeling this is more than an accident.

When she runs into Lance, sparks fly and feelings she thought were long gone re-emerge.

The novel weaves just enough mystery and intrigue through the story to keep you reading (or, in my case, listening). Rivers does an amazing job balancing the mystery and romance in this novel with things coming to a head in the last 10% of the novel.

It's a bit of a slow burn up until that point, as you pick up little bread crumbs along the way.

Where my experience shined was with the audiobook. Vanlandingham does an amazing job with her storytelling. She brings the characters to life in real and emotional ways. She puts so much heart into the characters that you can feel their emotions in her voice. Each character has a unique element to it, and she does a great job of making each one distinct. It really made the audiobook shine.


Overall, this was an enjoyable mystery that kept my attention and entertained me from start to finish.

Great Narration decent plot

Lance is an ex military doctor who returns home to help run his mother’s clinic after she dies in a car accident. Avery, a private investigator and Lance’s ex girlfriend, comes across the accident and begins to suspect foul play. As Lance digs deeper, he discovers someone has been stealing opioids from the clinic’s pharmacy. While investigating his mother’s death and dealing with threats and close calls, Lance and Avery begin to rekindle their relationship.

This was a great and easy listen. Even though I figured out the plot early on, the story was still well written and enjoyable. It was nice to listen to something engaging without feeling like I needed to constantly rewind to catch important details. I will definitely continue the series.

The narration is where this audio truly shines. This was my first time listening to Tiffany Vanlandingham and she did an amazing job. She brought so much emotion into the story and really made the characters feel alive. Her tone fit every scene perfectly and she gave each character a clear and consistent voice, which made the transitions smooth and easy to follow. Her pacing was strong from start to finish and the production was clean with no noticeable breaks or rerecorded segments. It was a seamless listening experience.

Overall, I loved this audio. The mix of mystery and rekindled romance made for a heartfelt story, and the narration elevated the entire experience. Tiffany is now on my list of top female narrators and I will absolutely be looking for more of her work. I cannot wait to continue this series.

A gripping small-town mystery with heart and heat!

When a tragic accident claims his mother’s life, Lance returns to Juniper Springs to temporarily run her clinic—only to collide with the woman he never thought he’d see again. Avery, now a lawyer and private investigator, was at the scene the night his mother died… and the details aren’t adding up.

The deeper Avery digs, the more it’s clear this wasn’t a simple accident. The suspense kept me hooked from start to finish, and the slow-burn tension between Lance and Avery added the perfect touch of romance. I listened to the audiobook, and both narrators were fantastic—they brought the mystery, emotion, and chemistry to life. Highly recommend giving this one a listen!

Love & Mystery

Loved the characters, the setting and relationships in this small town of Juniper Springs. The narration brought it to life- I couldn’t stop listening!