DESCRIPTION:
The beam from the lighthouse slices through the dawn sky as she runs down the rocky stairway to the beach. She tries to take it all in—the waves crashing against the cliffs, the whip of salt grass in the wind—before finally dragging her eyes down to the innocent girl’s blonde hair, strewn across the bottom step like seaweed…
Returning home to Fog Harbor, California, to be closer to her little sister, Olivia Rockwell is struggling to adjust to life in a town so small she can hardly breathe. That is, until the sound of a scream leads her to the body of a local teacher in the shallows nearby. All the evidence points to Olivia’s most threatening criminal psychology patient, Drake, who is safely locked up behind bars…
Convinced of Drake’s innocence—and desperate to believe in the system that’s keeping her murderer father in prison and away from her sister—Olivia gets to work on her own suspect list. All her life she’s run towards trouble, but this time she’s treading on the toes of Detective Will Decker, whose past mistakes mean this case is his last chance to make amends.
Then a second woman’s body is discovered, strangled while out on an evening jog. The strip of blue material used to choke her implicates Drake once again, forcing Will to admit he needs Olivia’s special talent for understanding the minds of killers. It’s clear more innocent women will die if they don’t get one step ahead of the murders, and Olivia knows she will need her estranged father’s help to get close to Drake.
But when Olivia’s profile leads them to believe Drake could be masterminding murders from within the prison walls, a message written on a scrap of paper found in the latest victim’s car leads them to a terrifying realization: Olivia’s little sister will be next…
An addictive and unputdownable crime thriller that will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Mary Burton.
Readers love Watch Her Vanish:
‘PERFECTION! Be prepared to skirt your responsibilities because you won’t want to put this book down… keeps you guessing until the end. I cannot wait for the next installment!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘A taut fast-paced thriller in every sense of the word. Dark and oozing with suspense. Well plotted and stunningly written. Loved it!’ Kelly Russo Reviews, 5 stars
‘WOWZA!!!... I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this series!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Absolutely fantastic… I couldn’t put it down once I started.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A scream!… Grabs a hold of you and keeps you reading till the end!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Loved!! Everything about this book was spot-on!… I was pulled in from the beginning and it didn't let up once! Can't wait for book 2.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A fantastic book. Like wow! I really got into this read… This book will draw you in and you won’t be able to stop.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Grabs you by the heart, then grabs you by the throat and shakes up all your cells.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
MY THOUGHTS:
Genre: Mystery/Thrillers
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 441
Date of Publication: October 9, 2020
My Rating: 5 Stars
Criminal Psychologist Olivia Rockwell has been back home in Fog Harbor, California, since the death of her mother and has been caring for her younger sister. She really is not happy there, but she feels she must stay and make it work. When she hears a scream one night, she immediately reacts and rushes towards the chilling sound, only to see the body of a dead woman.
She approaches the scene, not paying attention to protocol. When Detective Will Decker sees the crime scene disturbed by Olivia he is angry, thinking that his job just has been made more difficult. So the pair start of on rather bad footing.
Olivia, always brilliant, sees right away where the evidence points. However, the suspect in question is behind bars. So how indeed does he come to mind? She has a very difficult job, that of counseling the most violent of prisoners, including a man named Drake, the man to whom the evidence points. Working at the prison is no easy task for Olivia, so despite the rocky start she had with the detective, she begins to search for answers, determined to prove Drake's innocence.
Meanwhile, Olivia has another huge battle on her hands, and this pertains to her family life. Despite the fact that she has cared for her sister since their mothers death, their relationship is on uneven terms. To further complicate Olivia's life, their father, a convicted murderer, is behind bars. Olivia will go the extra mile to keep her father there, and this includes having little or no contact with him.
So, Will Decker has his hands full with the case, and with Olivia butting in, things become quite complicated. What is worse is that the body of another woman is soon found and this hits too close to home for Olivia and her job at the prison, thus bringing her and Will in more contact than either would like.
There is yet another side story that begins to thread everything together regarding the two murders proving that danger is far too close to the lives and safety of others. Whether Olivia and Will manage to work past their differences to stop the killer so that no more young women lose their lives is the question at hand.
This excellent story is layered quite well, especially when it comes to seeing the reach that certain prisoners have even though they are behind bars. The element of danger is high and I was kept on the edge of my seat, especially as I endeavored to try and pinpoint the murderer.
What an excellent first book in what is sure to be a terrific series. I love the fact that Olivia and Will began at odds with one another and I enjoyed watching their progression, especially knowing that there will be future books in this series. Concurrently, there were supporting characters who proved just about as interesting as Olivia and Will, thus making this quite a compelling read. The story, pacing and thrilling conclusion made this book near to impossible to put down.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Forensic psychologist by day, novelist by night, Ellery Kane has been writing--professionally and creatively--for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real life really is stranger than fiction, and Ellery's writing is often inspired by her day job. Evaluating violent criminals and treating trauma victims, she has gained a unique perspective on the past and its indelible influence on the individual. And she's heard her fair share of real life thrillers.
Ellery lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, a picturesque setting that provides the backdrop for many of her novels. If you don't find Ellery interviewing murderers behind prison walls or pecking away at her latest novel, she is probably at the gym landing a solid jab-cross to a punching bag; riding bicycles with her special someone; or enjoying a movie the old-fashioned way--at the theater with popcorn and Milk Duds.
Ellery was previously selected as one of ten semifinalists in the MasterClass James Patterson Co-Author Competition, and she recently signed a three book deal with Bookouture for her new Rockwell and Decker mystery thriller series.
If you'd like to receive a notification when new books are released, please sign up for Ellery's newsletter at ellerykane.com
. Ellery also signs e-books on authorgraph.com.
You find the best stuff and make me crave it - I wants this!
ReplyDeleteThis definitely sounds like a mystery/thriller series I need to add to my TBR :) Great review!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you loved this one. Sounds thrilling!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
ReplyDeleteSounds really good.
ReplyDeleteoh my! this sounds like a perfect fall read
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