Rita Herron
407 pages
Bookouture
published May 31, 2023
About the Book:
“Help,” a tiny voice cried out into the darkness. Little Betsy trembled, praying someone would hear her, save her. “Please,” she whimpered. “I’m scared.”
On the hottest day of the year, as a heatwave takes hold of the Appalachian Mountains, a five-year-old girl goes missing. Just as the sun is setting, a family vacation becomes a worst nightmare—Betsy, with her green eyes, ponytail and rainbow t-shirt—disappears in the woods by Widow Lake. Detective Ellie Reeves is straight on the scene, promising Betsy’s heartbroken parents that she will stop at nothing to find their precious daughter.
Hours later, Ellie is called back to the lake. One of her team have discovered some remains near where Betsy disappeared. The bones belong to a local girl, Amy Dean, who vanished ten years ago to the day, along with her two-year-old baby girl Paisley. But why was Paisley never reported missing? And could she still be alive?
Ellie is suddenly up against the toughest case of her career. Her instincts tell her that the two cases are somehow connected, and she works day and night to uncover the link. When she comes across some little graves beside the water’s edge, she knows she needs to stop the evil lurking around this tranquil lake.
When Ellie discovers a notebook scrawled with the handwriting of a little girl, it could be the breakthrough she needs. Can she unravel a decades-old mystery, and stop the monster claiming innocent lives?
This totally addictive and jaw-dropping crime thriller will have your heart racing as you fly through the pages! Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot.
My Review
If you haven’t read a lot of my reviews, let me tell you that I am such a fan of the crime series that Bookouture publishes. They’ve done a bang up job of publishing a great set of series and this is one on that list.
There are multiple cases going on that keep the team hopping. And multiple layers including a cold case, trying to get information from a serial killer before their execution and a group of crime fan fanatics. While this may seem like a lot, the stories are woven together in what I assume is a normal case load for investigators and are easy to follow. The twists kept me guessing and the quick pace pulled me in and never let go. I like the balance of work and personal life in this series and the little bit of romance sprinkled in. I’m quite fond of Ellie and her take no prisoners attitude as she works tirelessly to bring justice for the victims. A strong female lead that is very relatable.
And that ending. How long until the next book is out? If you’re a fan of crime series and haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for? And if you are already a fan of the series, you will love this instalment.
Author Bio
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
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