Posted on  22/05/2020 14:44:18

My rating: 5 dark and gritty stars!

This is one of the best mystery thrillers I've read in quite a while.

A terrifying killer with a scary obsession - check
An engrossing investigation - check
A badass female lead - double check
Great supporting characters to root for - check
Spooky edge of the seat scenes - double-check
And a brilliant insight into the minds of both killer and his hunters... - check, check and double check

Retired Detective Taryn Winter returns to consult for Las Vegas Metro Detective Daniel Brady and FBI Special Agent Jenae Shannon, because their near miss in the Casino serial killer investigation is now coming back to haunt them. The killer is still loose and bodies are piling up again. The three are determined to put an end to the killing spree, and start another investigation that will take them to remote places in Nevada and Arizona. But what they do not know is that the trail has been left for them to follow. Because the killer wants them catching up.

fan art by The Magic Book Corner

If the little detective had merely intrigued the killer before, she has now become his obsession. 'She was the one he wanted, the one he would have.' And he's determined to let nothing and no one get in his way. Unpredictable and as calculative as it gets, he will invite the detectives to a dangerous game of follow and catch, that has more than their very lives at stake.

Because this killer is unlike any other. He is a different animal. One that is angry, determined and obsessed! A deadly and not just a little scary combination.

fan art by The Magic Book Corner

Following his trail, Taryn and her friends keep gaining on him and even spoiling his plans. But not in a manner he would have ever expected. How exactly, I'll leave that for you to find out. Suffice it to say that it makes the killer angry. The rip-off someone's head with a sharp knife kind of angry. And not because the detectives are closing in on him. The game is on and he hasn't felt this exhilarated in ages!

fan art by The Magic Book Corner

The final confrontation is coming and both Taryn and her friends dread it. Because this killer has been watching them and learning all their secrets. What makes them thick and what is their most vulnerable point. He seems to know it all and is threatening to act on it. And they all have that sinking feeling that they're walking straight into a trap.

The merry chase on which the detectives are led was one to keep me at the edge of the seat till the very end. And it had so many unexpected twists and turns that I did NOT see coming! Wonderfully done. Add to it a wonderful banter and dynamic between the members of the team and you've got yourself a clear winner here.

But what I enjoyed the most was the brilliant insight into the head of the characters, both killer and hunters alike. It is here that the writer's background in the community supervision field really shines! After spending countless hours with criminal offenders, delving into the details that make them tick and gaining insight about human behavior, she masterfully combines that knowledge with a flowing, fast paced and easy to both read and visualize narrative, to give us a story worthy of the best CSI episodes.

Taryn is the best example of a badass female lead that anyone would want at their back. She is both real and identifiable with because of both her strengths and flaws. She is the champion of all that's good in people, including the tiny spark of it within cold serial killers. She lives to represent the victims, to heal them and their families, but she is also broken by the very same job she dedicates her life to. She is one 5'2"can of whoop ass but also vulnerable and mushy in the most respectful way. She is one of the best, smartest and toughest women ever, and yet, despite the accolade, one can still relate and identify with her because of her flaws and vulnerability.

fan art by The Magic Book Corner

And then there is the killer. Despite of all he had done, I couldn't help but feel for him. Could be because of Taryn and her superpower of finding the best in humans. Or because the little detective makes even the reader remember, that there is a slice of humanity in us all.
Perhaps because of the brilliant insight into his mind that Karen Crawford gives us. But one thing is for sure though. It won't be because he seems to have so much to atone for!

fan art by The Magic Book Corner

If you love mystery thrillers, YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS people!

It is AWESOME!

Check out this book and more of Karen Crawford over at http://www.karencrawfordmysteries.com