crime thriller

Review: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Man Made of SmokeThe Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

When he was a kid, Dan Garvie had an encounter with a serial killer that he luckily escaped physically unharmed, but he’s been mentally haunted by that day ever since.

It had a huge impact, not just on him, but also on his Dad, John, as well. John was a police officer at the time the killer was active, and to have his son directly impacted by that encounter definitely hit a little too close to home.

As an adult, Dan has moved away from his small island hometown and has dedicated his life to understanding criminal minds. Focused on forgetting his past, Dan doesn’t keep in as close of touch with his Dad as he probably should.

When he receives news that his Dad has passed away under highly-suspicious circumstances, he rushes back to the island determined to uncover the truth.

Returning to his childhood home stirs up a lot of feelings and memories for Dan. It also brings him into contact with people he hasn’t seen in many years, including his childhood best friend, Sarah.

As Dan starts digging around, trying to find out what could have happened to his Dad, he uncovers some startling things. Is it possible his Dad’s unfortunate fate is connected to that horrible nightmare Dan has been running from for all of these years?

The Man Made of Smoke was so incredibly-engaging. Gripping and intriguing from the very start, I found it difficult to put this one down once I was reading it.

The story is told via three perspectives and I appreciated what each of them brought to the story. I grew attached to each character, but particularly to John. This is one of those rare Crime Fiction novels that really tugs at your heart-strings, or at least it did mine.

We also get past and present perspectives, which I feel like helped to really build out the truth behind this story.

The past perspective had a visceral feel to it; imagining being in the circumstances portrayed was gut-wrenching. The current perspectives were similarly impactful, filled with the character’s inner regrets and turmoil.

It was so well executed and really made me feel connected with this story. I actually cared. There’s no way I could have walked away from this one.

It also didn’t hurt that the set-up of a character returning to their hometown, after a long period of time away, and they have to reinsert themselves into their communities in order to solve something, either an old or new mystery, is one of my all-time favorite tropes.

As someone who moved away from their hometown many years ago, this idea always intrigues me. Maybe I should go back and solve some stuff, you know? Also, it’s set on an island, which is another thing I love.

All around it was clear from the start that this should be a hit for me, and Alex North definitely pulled it off. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of North’s previous novels, or if you love darker Crime Fiction stories in general.

Thank you to the publisher, Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This definitely met my lofty expectations. Well played by North!

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Review: Senseless by Ronald Malfi

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SenselessSenseless by Ronald Malfi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Senseless. I didn’t read the synopsis before starting this book. There’s no need for me to do so. If I see Ronald Malfi’s name on a cover, I am going to be reading it. It really makes no difference to me what it’s actually about.

I was delighted to discover this novel is a captivating blend of Crime Fiction, Horror and Suspense. This is a combination Malfi is so successful with, and brought to mind my favorite previous novel of his, Bone White.

This story is told via three perspectives: Detective Bill Renney, author Maureen Park, and the self-proclaimed human fly, Toby Kampen.

My favorite of these was Detective Renney. He reminded me a lot of another of another one of my fictional favorites, Detective Bill Hodges. Renney is flawed, but also incredibly compelling and endearing.

At the start of this novel, the corpse of a heavily-mutilated woman is found in the desert outside of L.A. Called in on the case, Renney can’t help but see glaring connections to a case he thought had been put to bed a year ago.

Is this some sort of a copy-cat killing? But how could that be? This level of details, as far as the specifics of the woman’s body, was never reported to the public.

Bill is disturbed by this and it ends up reopening some doors from the past he would rather have stayed closed.

Then we get Maureen’s and Toby’s perspectives. Besides living in and around the same area of the crime, how are these people connected? It’s not immediately clear.

You shouldn’t concern yourself too much with all of that though. Just sit back and let the magic happen. Through Malfi’s skill, all will become clear in the end.

Upon first completing Senseless, I was absolutely gobsmacked by how well-crafted it is. It gave me so many different themes to ponder, and reflect upon, both in the story, and just about life and human behavior in general.

It’s such a nuanced story, with many threads interwoven into a perfect blend of Crime Fiction, Thriller and Horror. The examination of grief and guilt is also expertly-explored, which is one of my favorite topics in Horror; just beautiful.

There were so many different threads of story here that had to be woven in and out, and placed at just the right time for the Reader to get maximum impact. I absolutely LOVED how Malfi pulled that off.

Each character brought their own unique circumstances and personalities to the table, as we all do in life, and it was just so fascinating to see it all come together.

There were some deep moments of intensity, particularly for me surrounding Maureen’s perspective, and some scenes in particular that horrified me and definitely got under my skin. I was so on edge for her. It was powerful.

While I don’t think this book will necessarily be for everyone, I think for the Readers who are able to connect with it, as I did, it’s a memorable one indeed.

Thank you to the publisher, Titan Books and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Ronald Malfi is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I always look forward to his new releases.

IMO, he’s one of the most talented voices in Horror Fiction today. There’s such a classic feel to his writing. I find them to have a nostalgic feel, even though they’re brand new.

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Review: Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

~ megs14malloy

Society of LiesSociety of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Society of Lies follows sisters, Maya and Naomi. Maya graduated from Princeton a decade ago, and now her little sister, Naomi, is set to graduate from there as well.

When Maya returns to the university for her reunion and Naomi’s graduation, she’s shocked when she receives a nightmare phone call. Naomi is dead.

Maya is left reeling. She’s devastated. If only she could have seen Naomi one more time.

The police are calling it an accident, but that doesn’t sit right with Maya. The things the police are alluding to, they don’t track with Naomi’s personality.

As Maya begins looking into her sister’s tragic death though, she discovers that Naomi was keeping a whole lot from her. Did she really know her little sister at all?

One of her discoveries is that her sister joined the Sterling Club, the same exclusive club that Maya had been a member of herself. She had warned Naomi to stay away, but apparently those warnings didn’t stick.

Maya knows Naomi isn’t the first young woman to die while a member of this club. The more she digs in, the more the evidence seems to point back to her time within the organization. Could she have done anything differently to save Naomi from this fate?

I enjoyed this, although it took some time to get my bearings with the perspectives and timelines. I did love learning about both Maya and Naomi. I felt for them and the difficult things they’d experienced in their lives.

Their relationship was complicated and unfortunately, there was a lot of failed opportunities for open communication. It left them both viewing their relationship very differently, which made me sad, the details of that. I wish they could have had more time together.

I also enjoyed the elite-Princeton setting and what everyone was getting up to there. I do tend to vibe really well with this type of story. Give me shadow organizations, lies, cover-ups and rich people behaving badly any day.

At times, I’ll admit, this narrative felt a little choppy. You get Maya’s perspective both past and present, and the jumps between her past at Princeton and Naomi’s present at Princeton could get muddled if you let down your guard for even a moment.

Overall though, I do appreciate the difficult themes this author explored within this otherwise fairly standard Mystery-Thriller. To me, the character’s relationships were the gold star of this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would def be interested in picking up more from this author!

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Review: The Coldest Cast (Shana Merchant #6) by Tessa Wegert

~ megs14malloy

The Coldest Case (Shana Merchant, #6)The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Shana Merchant series just keeps getting better. Wegert delivering the twists, the turns, the chilling atmosphere, and the jaw-dropping revelations. I loved this one!

The Coldest Case is the 6th-installment of this character-driven, Police Procedural Mystery series, set in the Thousand Lakes region of Upstate New York.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, but this could be my favorite one yet. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, it follows Senior Investigator, Shana Merchant, and her partner/husband, Tim Wellington.

Each book focuses on a different case, or mystery, but there is a compelling over-arching storyline for Shana herself, that you won’t want to miss. I would recommend starting this series at the beginning for maximum enjoyment.

In this installment, Tim and Shana are alerted to a missing person on the vastly remote island of Running Pine. It’s February and only a handful of adults, and one child, actually remain on the island over-Winter.

This missing man, Cary, is one of the island’s newest residents, never having done a Winter there. Cary, and his girlfriend, Sylvie, who has family connections to the island, are social-media influencers, who moved to the island to promote their quasi-off-grid lifestyle brand.

Cary goes fishing with a couple of other Running Pine men one morning, but when the two men are ready to leave, Cary tells them he wants to stay out on the ice a while longer. After that, Cary never returns home. The remaining island citizens fear the worse, and immediately call for help and a vigorous search ensues.

With the clock ticking, and temps dropping, a police team makes the perilous journey, only possible by airboat over the ice this time of year, out to Running Pine.

The victim’s girlfriend, Sylvie, is acting bizarrely and it doesn’t seem she is disclosing everything she knows to the investigators. The other island residents are equally odd. What exactly are these people hiding?

This story was told so well. I love how it all unfolded. Learning about the residents of Running Pine and getting to travel out to the island and feel its remoteness. Wegert nailed the creation of that stark and desolate atmosphere.

Running Pine felt like a world of its own, following its own set of rules. Everything there seemed a little off, and I wanted Shana far, far away from it.

I also loved that the story was set in February. The cold got under my skin. There’s inclement weather that presents a huge obstacle to the police investigation, but in spite of that, Shana, Tim and the team, aren’t giving up.

There’s so much going on in Shana’s personal life as well. She’s about to start a new chapter, (view spoiler), and it has caused her to reflect a bit on her past, including the last case she had before leaving the NYPD.

I did enjoy this secondary mystery and felt it was important for Shana to reexamine that old case. She needs closure from that time period, 4-years ago, that ended with her in the clutches of a serial killer, after which she left the city, and the department, to move upstate.

As a trauma survivor, Shana’s journey of recovery and healing has happened in many stages. It’s still very much a part of her and I can definitely understand why she would be wanting to put more of it to bed, as she continues building her life in A-Bay.

The mix of the present case with Shana’s past was really well balanced by Wegert, IMO. Neither one overshadowed the other, and I feel like they were both important and impactful for Shana’s continued character growth.

I’m not sure what the plans are for this series, but I’m definitely anticipating more and would be shattered if this were actually the last one.

There were moments whilst reading this, that I actually questioned that, because Wegert was being so reflective with Shana’s character, it almost felt like a good-bye.

It can’t possibly be though, so I shall stalk Wegert’s author page remain patient whilst I wait for news on Book #7. Wegert’s at the top of her freaking game, this absolutely can’t be it for this gripping Mystery series.

When I tell you there were twists in this that left me gagged, I’m not exaggerating. This was such a fun read. I can’t wait to see what case Shana will face next!!
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Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

~ megs14malloy

Listen for the LieListen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend, Savvy, was brutally murdered. The night of the tragedy, Lucy and Savvy had been attending a wedding, along with many of their other friends and family members.

Later that same night, Lucy was found wandering, battered, bruised, and disturbingly covered in Savvy’s blood. Savvy’s body was eventually found. Lucy has no memories of what occurred that night, and of course all suspicions fell to her.

There was no proof Lucy was involved in the crime, she was never convicted of anything, but you know how the court of public opinion can be. In the aftermath, Lucy fled to L.A., hoping to never have to return.

It’s five years later though and her family is throwing her favorite Grandma an 80th-birthday party. She can go back for that at least…

As it happens, Ben Owens, creator and host of a popular True Crime Podcast, is also in Lucy’s Texas hometown and he wants to meet her. He’s digging around the case for content for the second season of his show, and of course, he’s ridiculously good-looking and charming.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because I do feel it is best enjoyed if you go in knowing as little as possible. Tintera did a great job of allowing this story to unfold in such a creative and enjoyable way. It shouldn’t be missed.

Listen for the Lie is definitely one of my favorite Mystery-Thrillers of 2024. This will standout in my mind for it’s overall intrigue and provocative storyline.

Do yourself a favor, if you haven’t read this yet, make sure you grab a copy of the audiobook. If this doesn’t win the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Audiobook category, there will be riots. It’s an exceptionally well-produced audio.

The podcast elements were perfectly blended into the overall story and it felt so real. I loved it. It kept me guessing and wanting more every moment I was reading it.

The characters were also well-developed and the drama kept me on my toes. Lucy’s Grandma was such a riot — absolutely hilarious and one of my favorite types of characters to read. Goals.

Lucy also had some character quirks I wasn’t expecting. Her narrative voice was snarky and frankly, surprising. She kept me guessing most of all. I loved being inside her head.

I would absolutely recommend this to any Mystery-Thriller fan, particularly if you enjoy podcast elements, or an amnesia trope. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: Under the Storm (Hallandssviten #1) by Christoffer Carlsson

~ megs14malloy

Under the Storm (Hallandssviten, #1)Under the Storm by Christoffer Carlsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💛💕💛💕💛💕💛💕💛💕💛

Under the Storm is listed as the 1st-book in Christoffer Carlsson’s Hallandssviten Adult Mystery series.

Oddly enough, the 2nd-book listed in that series, Blaze Me a Sun, was translated into English first, in early-January 2023. I read it last year and really enjoyed it. It was a gritty crime story that successfully captured my attention throughout.

I found this one to be equally entertaining, but I gotta say, between the two, my timelines may be a little muddled since I read the 2nd-book first? I’m not really sure why they chose to release the translations that way…

Both are set in the same area of rural Sweden and contain the character Vidar, who sometimes appears when he is young, but mostly when he is an adult and he has become a cop. There may be other similar characters, but none that have as presently stuck in my mind as Vidar.

The primary event in this novel that gets the ball rolling is a fire in a farmhouse. In the aftermath, a young woman’s body is found in the remains–murdered. This was a huge event for this small town, the young woman was known by many and loved. It’s an unforgettable tragedy.

For 10-year old, Isak, that event is a pivotal moment in his young life, irrevocably changing his family dynamic forever.

The first suspect for the police is Edvard, the murdered woman’s boyfriend and Isak’s beloved Uncle. The investigation is quick. The people want a resolution. Edvard is tried and found guilty. He’s sentenced to life in prison.

Vidar is a rookie officer at the time of the fire and the first to respond to the scene. Initially, he feels proud of the work done. It’s certainly a defining moment in his career, but maybe not for the reasons he expects.

Years later, Edvard’s guilt comes into question and forces Vidar to consider aspects of the case he hadn’t before. Isak has always wondered about Edvard’s guilt versus innocence. Will he ever be delivered the truth?

Under the Storm is another very solid Crime Thriller from Christoffer Carlsson. I hope that these continue to be translated into English. There are currently 3-novels in the series already released, with a 4th expected next year.

I would be very excited to have the opportunity to continue on. I love this author’s writing. It feels lush, layered and poignant. The settings are well-developed and the characters evoke a real sense of empathy.

In this story, I truly felt for Isak. I loved following his story. Everything he was going through after the arrest of his Uncle. The emotional turmoil he felt over that. His anxiety over whether or not, if his Uncle really was a violent man capable of murder, was he just like him.

I loved how the author explored those ideas. It’s a side of crime we really don’t see considered that much in fiction. By that I mean, the fallout for the families of individuals accused and convicted of violent crimes.

I also really enjoy Vidar as a central character. He’s not perfect. His personal life is tumultuous and I like that. Despite his respected position at work, he is just a man, one who makes mistakes and has struggles of his own.

He is dedicated in his work though and does have a strong moral compass in that regard. I liked how determined he seemed to be about helping Isak get the truth he needed.

There were some time shifts in this that were a little unexpected. While at certain times I had to remind myself where we were in the timeline, how old Isak, or Vidar, may have been at the time I was reading, overall, I enjoyed the somewhat unconventional storytelling style.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Crime Fiction, particularly with strong character-focused narratives and small town settings.

I would also recommend the audiobooks should you have that option available to you. The narration by Peter Noble could not be more perfect. He has such a classic storyteller voice, it really brought these stories to life for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Hogarth, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Please translate the rest of this series into English! Pretty, pretty please!

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Review: Running Cold by Susan Walter

~ megs14malloy

Running ColdRunning Cold by Susan Walter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Julie Adler is a former Canadian Olympic biathlete, who now resides in California with her husband, a successful businessman. The couple share a beautiful home, plenty of money and by all accounts, a healthy marriage.

That perfect facade is shattered though the day that Julie’s husband commits suicide. Left to pick up the pieces, Julie is reeling and as it turns out, he wasn’t quite as successful as he put on. Julie is left with essentially nothing.

Julie is heartbroken. She’s embarrassed. She doesn’t know what to do next. She can’t come clean to her friends, admit they’ve been living a lie, so she does what many of us would do, she runs away, returning home to Canada.

Back in Banff, where she once trained for the Olympics, Julie finds work as a housekeeper at a luxury resort. Just as she starts to feel she is getting some stability, a high profile guest is discovered dead in her room; murdered.

Julie was the last person seen, via hotel cameras, exiting the guest’s room. This makes her the number one suspect, but what motive could Julie possible have?

Meanwhile, Julie’s Californian girlfriends miss her. They think she’s gone to Canada to lick her wounds. They have no idea how dire Julie’s circumstances actually are.

Wanting to support Julie, they travel to Banff and end up checking into the hotel where Julie works. They think Julie is a guest there and she doesn’t correct their assumptions.

There’s so much is happening with this story. It is a complete whirlwind of action and well developed characters that gripped me from the start.

I listened to the audiobook, mostly on a solo road trip, and I gotta say, that 5-hours of windshield time flew by. I was so invested in this story.

You get a few perspectives, including the local cop investigating the hotel murder, Detective Monique Montpelier, who was a nice contrast compared with Julie, Remy, the hotel manager, and Izzy, Julie’s closest friend from California.

I loved all the perspectives and what they each contributed to the narrative. It was a detailed story and each perspective switch helped to put all the vast pieces into place. I felt it was very well executed by Walter.

I love stories that follow professional athletes, so loved hearing about Julie’s time as a biathlete. I totally understood her reasons for returning to her old stomping grounds after her husband’s death and really felt like Julie’s whole background contributed so much to this story.

I also loved getting Monique’s perspective. The local detective, with not a ton of murder investigation experience, being thrown into this high powered world.

It felt honest, and so captivating.

This is the first novel I have ever read from Susan Walter and I loved the way she delivered this story. It was so readable, from start to finish, pulling me in and keeping me on my toes. I loved the balance between action and mystery.

Towards the end, it got crazy. I’ll admit to not being as completely wild about the way it went in the end, as compared with the build-up, but it’s still a super solid 4-star action-packed Thriller that I would 100% recommend.

Particularly, with the Winter months closing in. I feel like this is the perfect cold weather Thriller. The Banff setting will transport you to that isolated ski town. Be sure to have your hot beverage at the ready.

Thank you to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This has been a standout Thriller for me in 2024. I urge y’all to check it out!

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Review: Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert

~ megs14malloy

Sleep TightSleep Tight by J.H. Markert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In a nutshell, Sleep Tight is a lot to work through.


Austin Powers In A Nutshell


It’s an interesting story, but it’s also hard to track. I couldn’t even attempt to guess how many character names we learned over the course of this story. It was one of those situations where I got to the end and would hear a name and be like, who’s this?

I will not even attempt to get into the actual plot with you…

I really enjoyed the initial set-up, hearing the story of Father Silence, and meeting our MC, Tess. There were also a lot of the bits towards the end were I felt fully invested, but the middle part got muddled and my attention definitely wavered because of that.

I guess I would say I felt similar with this author’s earlier two works that I’ve read: The Nightmare Man and Mister Lullaby. Markert has exciting, ambitious concepts, but I’m not sure their execution always ends up working out for me.

To be fair though, I enjoyed this more than I didn’t.

I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy Gritty Crime Thrillers that swerve into Horror territory. This one succeeds in capturing that gritty, dangerous feel and I did feel like it progressed at a fast clip throughout.

Some of the aspects of this definitely worked better for me than others, but overall, I think it’s a good book. I would also recommend the audiobook, as that was well narrated by the always fabulous Andi Arndt.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for providing me with copies to read and review.

J.H. Markert continues to intrigue me with his creative concepts and dark atmosphere. Though this wasn’t my favorite of his, I still felt it had a lot of strengths. I will def be picking up whatever he releases next!

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Review: A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons

~ megs14malloy

A Mask of FliesA Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

After a failed bank heist, Anne Hiller is forced to go on the run, along with her wounded partner, Jessup, and the policeman she has taken hostage.

Anne goes to the closest place she can think of where they can safely take refuge, her family’s abandoned cabin. This place should hold a lot of memories for Anne, but her entire childhood is hazy at best. She does remember that the cabin was the site of her mother’s untimely death though.

As she waits for help from other members of her crew, Anne ends up discovering some old relics of her mother’s. Could these items help her piece together the missing bits of her past. She’d love some closure.

Her mission to delve into the past is interrupted when the injured Jessup goes missing. They end up finding his dead body. They decide to bury him, thinking that’ll be the end, but when the dead man returns, knocking at the door in the night, they realize, this is only the beginning.

A Mask of Flies is the third book that I’ve read from Matthew Lyons. On paper, this should have worked really well for me. A Horror-Crime Thriller blend with people returning from the dead and a woman on the run for her life. What’s not to love about that?

Sadly, this didn’t end up being a good fit for me. I’ve enjoyed both of the other novels I’ve read from this author, but this ended up being a miss for me.

I never became fully invested. Anne was very meh, as were the characters surrounding her. The only person who ever really interested me was Dutch, just because of the circumstances he found himself in, but it still wasn’t enough for me to actually feel truly engaged with his plight.

With this being said, it’s not all negative. The writing is great and the ideas are solid. It just failed to capture my attention. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for others, however, including you, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt.

I did read this directly after reading Blood Like Mine, another new release Crime Horror novel that I absolutely loved. Perhaps reading them back-to-back was detrimental to my experience with this one. It disappointed in comparison.

I will also say, Lyons creates his landscapes really well. I’ve noticed this throughout his work that I’ve read. I can always picture these beautifully-stark landscapes the characters travel through.

This one, as with A Black and Endless Sky, gave me slight Desperation mixed with Revival vibes, which I even mentioned in my review for that previous novel. There’s something very Fundamentalist Religious group meets Tak about all this. IYKYK.

At the end of the day, even though this wasn’t the most fun experience for me, I still believe Matthew Lyons is one heck of a writer. He takes risks and is creative with his storylines. I’m definitely planning to pick up whatever he writes next.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. Just because this wasn’t great for me personally, doesn’t mean it won’t be amazing for you.

Give it a shot. Check it out. Available now!!!

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Review: Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville

~ megs14malloy

Blood Like MineBlood Like Mine by Stuart Neville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Ooo, Blood Like Mine was so, so good.

A fabulous blending of Horror with Crime Fiction. It was gripping, fast-paced, included excellent character work and a bloody sensational ending!

After seeing a couple of trusted Book Friends write glowing reviews for this one, I started to experience my typical high-levels of FOMO. They were enjoying it, therefore, I wanted to be enjoying it. I couldn’t rest until I was.

I requested an audio copy and very luckily, my request was granted. I started right away and was so very happy that they brought this book, and this author, onto my radar.

In this story, we are following Rebecca and her daughter, Moonflower. It’s clear the two are on the run from a difficult past, but the full truth of that isn’t revealed right away.

As we get to know Rebecca and Moonflower, the truth behind their past, current situation and close connection, is beautifully-exposed. I loved getting to know these two characters. They were both so real to me and fascinating.

We also meet a Special Agent with the FBI, Marc Donner. For the last two-years, he has been hunting a serial killer across the American West, a killer who drains their victim’s bodies of blood.

As the trail he is following leads him closer to Rebecca and Moonflower, the existence Rebecca has worked so hard to create for them is inexorably threatened. Donner isn’t giving up, he’s not turning back, and they’re all set on a crash course with disaster.

The synopsis describes this one as cat-and-mouse and I absolutely agree with that. I love those types of stories, so that played a huge role in my enjoyment.

It was intense. I grew to care for all of these characters, not just Rebecca and Moonflower, but also Agent Donner. The high stakes involved, you know it can’t end well for everyone though, which made it particularly gripping for me.

Who was going to end up on top?

I vibed so well with the way the author told this story. The level of intrigue is high from the get-go and for me, it really never let up. You can intuit what is going on with Moonflower and Rebecca, but there’s a certain level of uncertainty that did keep me guessing.

Until there’s not. Once it’s clear, I was loving this even more, because if anything it only upped the stakes of the game playing out on the page.

I would love to read more from this author. I think the genre-bending nature of this really took the cake for me. The Horror aspects blended perfectly with the Crime Fiction elements. It was seamless.

I would recommend this to Horror Readers who enjoy fast-paced, high-stakes Thriller-type reads. This is unique, fun and for me, memorable. I’m looking forward to seeing what more Readers think of this one.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audio narration was so well done and definitely helped to bring this story to life for me!

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