Murder in the Latin Quarter

Awaiting for a client in her computer security office, Aimee Leduc is shocked when a woman walks in and claims to be her sister, Mireille.  Her caramel coloured skin says otherwise.  She is also from Haiti.  However, when she arranges to meet her at a cafe, the woman has apparently run away after seeing a motorcycle pull up.  She however, did leave an address on a napkin.

When Aimee arrives at the address, she finds a torn apart office and a man’s body.  The police are quick to arrive, but not as quick as Aimee‘s escape.  The following day, a man corners Aimee and says that he is also looking for Mireille.  Is he a threat to her?  Aimee is unsure.

An old man who has some information to share with Aimee is unfortunately run down by a car.  An accident or was he pushed into the car’s path?

How much more trouble must Aimee go through to determine whether the woman is her sister or not?  Author Cara Black’s thriller has plenty of twists and action in it, not just in Aimee’s attempt to find out about the new woman in her life, but also a conspiracy related to Haiti.  A good quick read.

Elementary Murder

DS Michael Brennan has been called to the George Street Elementary School early Monday morning where the body of a young woman has been found locked in one of the classrooms.  It would appear that she committed suicide after failing to earn the position of teacher at the school on the previous Friday.

Brennan begins his investigation by speaking to the staff members.  They aren’t able to tell him much, however the caretaker tells him that when he had discovered the body, there was a bottle of scotch under the teacher’s desk, and it looked like someone had tried to start a fire in the coal room.

The following morning, Brennan is informed by Captain Bell, that the school inspector who had been at the school on Friday was found floating in a nearby canal the previous evening.    Dr. Monroe, the pathologist, informs Brennan that the young woman had been poisoned with arsenic in her tea, while the inspector had drowned, however he had struggled to survive.

What is the link between the two, and why would someone want them dead?  And why would a student from the school be missing?  Later in the week the headmaster is attacked and hurt.  Could this be a third attempt at murder?

Can DS Brennan discover the killer before someone else dies?  Author A. J. Wright ‘s mystery leaves the reader wondering just who the killer could be right up to the end and then surprises the reader.  This was a good read, and it is the surprise ending, which really makes it especially interesting.

Arrowood

William Arrowood is a detective who takes different cases as compared to his nemesis, Sherlock Holmes.  He and his sidekick, Norman Barnett, are in dire financial trouble when a young French woman approaches them to search for her brother who has disappeared.  Initially Arrowood is hesitant to take the case.  After she convinces him to, she tells him who her brother had been working for.  The man is an enemy of Arrowood and Barnett.  Arrowood believes that the woman is telling lies, but he proceeds with the case anyway.

They approach a girl who worked at the same place as the missing man.  She offers to provide information, but just as they were to speak to her again, a man stepped out of the crowd and stabbed her to death.  He managed to get away before Barnett could apprehend him.  The girl was clutching a brass bullet in her handkerchief.  It turns out to be a 303 bullet from the be Enfield rifle, which only a few units of the army have.

An ex-convict tells Barnett that there is an American-Fenian group causing problems, and warns him to stay away as they are very dangerous.  Then CID from Scotland Yard take Barnett and Arrowood in for questioning.  Afterwards Barnett sees one of the CID officers talking with the man who had stabbed the girl in front of their eyes.

As their investigation continues, Arrowood realises that his client has been lying to them all along.  Every time that they try to solve something, they run into trouble, and it seems to be getting more and more serious. Author Mick Finlay’s foray into the underworld of Victorian London shows both the squalor and criminal elements.  Unlike Holmes, Arrowood is not infallible.  He has his trials and tribulations, but he does manage to solve the case.  A good, quick read.

The Angel in the Glass

Early one morning in the summer of 1604, Doctor Gabriel Taverner was called out by the coroner Theophilus Davey to exam a body of a vagrant man.  Upon examination of the body, Gabe is sure that he had died from natural causes, although he was diseased.  What disease, Gabe was unsure.

Theo had discovered a fragment of paper on the man.  Upon examination of it, he realises that it was the drawing of a man.  What is the significance of it?

Meantime, Gabe and his sister are concerned about the health of their friends Reverend Jonathan Carew.  He has seemed unwell and distracted of recent.  When he comes to Gabe for help, Gabe is willing to be of assistance.  The pair discover a set of stained glass windows that had been missing from Jonathan’s church for some time.  However, a sixth panel is amongst the others.  It is of a naked angel with a naked man.  It surely didn’t belong with the others!

A few days later, Gabe and Theo are called out to the home of Lady Clemence Fairlight.  She has been murdered in the night, and the killer has extracted the heart.  Is there a connection to the death of the vagrant several days before?

It is going to take some serious investigation on the part of Gabe and Theo to discover the killer.  Author Alys Clare leaves the painful discovery right to the end with a couple of surprises thrown in for good measure.  A good quick read.

The Red Ribbon

Wiggins has gone in search of a girl, who his friend, Jax has said is missing.  The trail takes him to the Embassy of Olifa, which turns out to be a high class brothel.  It is here that he also learns that the king has died.  The brothel will be very busy with important dignitaries from Europe when they come for the king’s funeral.

Wiggins’ boss, Vernon Kell, informs him that they have a major task now.  Wiggins is to investigate clerks who might have shared information about a proposed treaty with Italy.  They also need to be on guard for a potential assassination during the king’s funeral.

Fortunately nothing happened during the funeral.  However, no progress is being made by Wiggins, and Kell is warned that his department could be closed down and turned over to Special Branch.  He gives Wiggins a list of ministers who could have revealed the treaty information, with instructions to check them out.

However, before he can check them out, Wiggins runs into trouble as does Kell’s opposite number in the other branch of secret services.  As a result, Kell, his wife Constance and Wiggins have to head to Germany.

Can their journey into Germany prevent a major international crisis?  And what of the leak of information about the treaty with Italy?  Author H. B. Lyle’s historical thriller has plenty of action awaiting Wiggins and Kell.  This was a rollicking good read.  I can only hope that Lyle is in the process of writing a sequel.

Blood Line

DCI Anna Travis has been asked to investigate the disappearance of a young man by Superintendent Langton.  It is not the normal purview of a murder detective.  The man has been missing for a few weeks now, and his father is sure that he has been murdered.

As Travis and DS Paul Simms begin their investigation, they learn that the missing man was generous to a fault.  However, the following day, they learn from neighbours that they had seen the girlfriend of the missing man had purchased a large quantity of bleach and carpet cleaner at about the time that he had gone missing.

With a warrant Travis and Simms inspect the flat where the couple lived.  Underneath the bed they find bloodstains under the carpet.  The girlfriend denies knowing anything about it.  With no body, they are unable to hold her.

The forensic evidence from the flat proves to be very interesting on several factors, causing Simms to conjecture that the missing man could be the murderer.  Had he killed someone and then disappeared?  As the investigation progresses, it appears that the victim led a double life.

With evidence piling up, Travis is confronted by Chief Superintendent Langton.  He doesn’t believe she is on the right track.  She needs to focus on the girlfriend.  Travis has a lead in Cornwall, that she wants to check out.  Langton tells her only after the girlfriend is put under pressure.

Will Travis find the information she needs in Cornwall or will it be a wasted trip?  Author Lynda La Plante has the reader wondering about the deceased and the killer throughout this murder mystery.  Is he dead or is he the killer?  La Plante once again proves that she is a top notch author of murder mysteries.

Death Watch

DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine are at the hospital because of a death; a suspicious death in the incinerator!  The younger brother of the victim informs Shaw and Valentine that the death was connected to drugs.  The victim could grab drugs before they were incinerated, but this time he had refused.  Was he killed for the refusal?

Valentine is sure that a previous case was connected to the street where the victim lived.  Going through old files he discovers that the twin sister of the victim had disappeared many years ago, and Shaw’s father had been the senior investigator.  Could it be relevant to the current case?

The following day, when Shaw is given a tour of the incinerator system, he shows the doctor a tag, which was found with the victim.  It points to the children’s ward, and there shouldn’t be surgical human waste coming from there.

At the morning briefing, Shaw comes to the realisation that the victim’s death was eighteen years to the date of his twin sister’s disappearance.

Later in the day, Shaw is informed that the human waste found with the body was a perfectly good kidney.  It must have been harvested for a transplant, which didn’t happen.  Could it have been a part of human body parts harvesting?  Apparently there is good money in that.

Things become more interesting when a floater is found.  And that is followed by the discovery of a body in a large garbage bag on a nearby island.  It is minus its eyes.  A common thread are the initials MVR on bracelets and a torch found with the three bodies.

Can Shaw and Valentine solve the case before anymore men die?  Author Jim Kelly’s mystery is fast paced with a bit of international intrigue thrown into the mix plus a cold case that the pair are very invested in.  A good read, leaving the reader wondering what will happen in the next book in the series.

Masters of Rome

It is spring, 45 AD, and Vespasian’s brother, Sabinus, has gone missing, either captured by the enemy or killed by them.  However, Vespasian is busy storming a hill fort, so is unable to do anything.  Successfully taking that fort, Vespasian heads on to another hill fort, sure that Caratacus is in it.  He orders a night attack, but as the attack is progressing, he realises that he has made a mistake and the Britons are about to attack his legion in the rear.  Will his efforts meet with success, or will they be destroyed?

Vespasian has been betrayed by a Briton who spent many years in Rome.  Alienus has been going about the battle countermanding Vespasian’s orders, thereby causing chaos.  Only by torturing Alienus is Vespasian able to find out where Sabinus is being held by druids.  He then turns to a man who has only one god.  His name is Yosef and he is in the debt of both Vespasian and Sabinus.

Yosef knows that the druids want Vespasian to come in search of Sabinus.  They hope to have two legates to sacrifice at the spring equinox.  So, how can they safely get Sabinus back?

The strength of Yosef’s god overcomes the druids and Sabinus is freed, however Alienus has escaped custody.

Caratacus is on everyone’s mind.  Governor Plautius has a plan in mind that will draw Caratacus to them.  By attacking Mona, the island, which is sacred to the druids, Caratacus will be forced to come to their aid.  However, things do not go as planned.

Having been unsuccessful in capturing Caratacus, Plautius, Vespasian and Sabinus have been ordered back to Rome where political intrigue is the order of the day.  Can Vespasian play the game and survive?

Author Robert Fabbri has Vespasian play the game of politics in Rome well.  Although he is not a master of Rome, Vespasian has plenty of connections to the true masters.  This is a splendid work of fiction, based upon historical facts.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Cadaver Game

CI Gerry Heffernan and DI Wesley Peterson are attending a suspicious death.  A young woman has been dead in her cottage for some time.  Pathologist Dr. Colin Bowman suggests that she was possibly strangled.

Meanwhile back at the police station, DC Paul Johnson is concerned about a missing girl.  Her boyfriend hasn’t returned home either.  The missing girl is Paul’s cousin.

A few days later two bodies were discovered at the base of a cliff near the sea.  Both had been shot.  It turns out that the girl is Johnson’s cousin.

A dentist informs DC Trish Walton that the first dead woman’s dental records didn’t match the ones of the woman they thought was the victim.

Peterson’s sister suggests that the shooting of the young people could be related to a human hunt that was held in nearby Catton Hall over a century earlier.  The thought niggles at the back of Peterson’s mind, but then there is another shooting to distract his mind.

Later Peterson receives a call from his friend, Dr. Neil Watson, an archaeologist who. Is supervising a dig at Catton Hall.  They have discovered a body in the dig.

The question is, is the body related to their inquiries?  Author Kate Ellis’ latest mystery has some surprising twists before DI Peterson can figure out who was responsible for the deaths and why.  A good, quick read.

Murder in the Rue de Paradis

Aimee Leduc has spent a romantic night with Yves Robert, an investigative reporter for Agence France Press, only to find him gone in the morning.  He had asked her to marry him, and she had said yes.  She wasn’t impressed that he wasn’t there in the morning.  A few hours later she is asked to identify a murder victim, whose last call had been to her cell phone, which had been switched off the night before.  The victim is Yves!  She promises him that she will find out who was responsible.

Aimee finds a photographer who worked with Yves and begins to investigate his murder.  She finds out from him that he had been looking into Turkish Kurd rebels.  From a note in Yves’ wallet she learns about an assassination attempt planned on an important Kurd member of the Turkish parliament.  What could she do to prevent it?

When the photographer is murdered in the Gare du Nord, just as Aimee is arriving to meet with him, she knows that she too is being watched.  She is fortunate to be able to frustrate the assassination attempt, but afterwards she learns that Yves was investigating a group called the Yellow Crescent from the Middle East that doesn’t want Turkey to become a part of the EU.

The more that Aimee learned, the more the questions rose up.  When shots are fired at her, Aimee thinks she can identify the killer of Yves and the person behind the planned assassination.  However, when she gets to the assassin, her mind is changed.

Will the arrest of the assassin be the end of Aimee’s search?  Author Cara Black has more for Aimee to do in this thriller before she can solve who the killer of Yves is, and it comes with a surprise.  A good quick read.

One Hundred Days: Napoleon’s Road to Waterloo

The Allies against Napoleon wanted a long lasting peace when they signed the Treaty of  Fontainebleau.  However, it wasn’t long after Napoleon had been sent to Elba that Louis XVIII began to refuse to send the payments to Napoleon, which had been agreed upon by the Allies.  Napoleon was also hearing rumours of intent by some to assassinate him.  On top of that he was bored stiff with his quiet life on the tiny island.

On February 28, 1815 Napoleon and his tiny fleet with just over a thousand soldiers set sail for France.  On March 1, they landed near Cannes.  Reaction was mixed.  The march north was not easy.  Royal forces were mustered.  Reassurances were sent to Paris informing the king that Napoleon and his troops wouldn’t advance far into the country.  Napoleon’s force marched towards Grenoble.

In Marseilles, Marshall Massena was slow in reacting, claiming that all he had heard of was fifty men and nothing about their objective.

Grenoble would be where Napoleon would either win or lose his gamble.  The Fifth Infantry Regiment faced Napoleon with guns pointed at him.  When he told them that he was their emperor, they downed their weapons and flicked to him.  With other regiments at his disposal, Napoleon now has eight thousand troops in Grenoble.  On the ninth of March, Napoleon marched towards Lyon, the next obstacle in his path to Paris.

Lyon didn’t resist, and by the 13th Napoleon left onward to Paris.  He was unaware that Marshall Ney was blocking his path.  By now, throughout France people were rising up in support of Napoleon.  However, Ney suddenly gave his support to Napoleon.  The way to Paris was now open.

By 1813 the aristocracy set up by Napoleon was draining the economy of the country.  The aristocracy was wealthy enough that they could ignore the orders of their emperor.  Obviously the constant state of war was also a drain on the workforce as men were conscripted into the army.  Fields began to lie fallow as there was no one to work them.  In 1815, Napoleon couldn’t see that he was the one responsible for the dire straights the country was in.  He laid the blame at the feet of the Bourbons.

Yet, as Napoleon advanced on the capital, soldiers weren’t interested in putting their lives on the line for a king who had been absent for twenty-five years, and was so obese that he couldn’t stand up to review his own Household Guard!  Louis XVIII fled Paris on March 20, 1815.  With the way open, Napoleon was in the Tuileries the following day.

During Napoleon’s reign his brothers, Joseph, Lucien and Jerome felt entitled, and were treated as such by the emperor despite each of them causing him grief one way or another.  Having now returned to power, they would be there to support him.

At the Congress of Vienna, France’s Talleyrand succeeded in dividing the Allies amongst themselves, which he hopes would benefit France in the long run.  Talleyrand had also argued against keeping Napoleon so close on Elba.  However, despite the Allies suggestion that he be sent to St. Helena, the moderate view of Czar Alexander won out.  On the other hand, when Napoleon left Elba, the Congress basically declared him an outlaw.  Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia signed a treaty agreeing to mobilise against Napoleon.

Wellington immediately left Vienna to take charge of the armies in the Low Countries.  In Paris, Napoleon began to assemble his cabinet.  Some were quick to regain their positions while others refused.  One who came back was the police minister who had been powerful during the days of the Reign of Terror, was Joseph Fouche.  As much as Napoleon had uses for Fouche, he regarded him as a ‘magnificent plotter’.  Fouche had filed on virtually everyone in France, including the Bonaparte family.  Napoleon ordered Fouche to see about beginning negotiations to ease the tense international situation.

Governing now isn’t going to be as easy as it once was for Napoleon.  Some were prepared to attack the aristocracy while others didn’t trust Napoleon.  All knew that outside powers were gathering to go to war with France.  Would they punish France severely this time if they won?  The people of France as well as Napoleon were on edge.  Support for the emperor was dwindling.  No one wanted another costly war, let alone the possibility of a civil war.

Despite letters to the contrary to the leaders of the Allies, Napoleon was bent on making France ready for war.  The question now was, how was Napoleon going to finance a war when the country was tired, financially of paying his past war bills?  There were past debts to be paid before money could be raised to cover the forthcoming war.  First to be mothballed was the navy with the exception of a few small vessels to protect the Channel ports.  The army on the other hand needed solid leadership, but few of Napoleon’s former marshalls and generals stepped forward.

Unfortunately for Napoleon it was proving hard to get men to come out and join the army, even at bayonet point!  Some units of the army had to be sent out to maintain order in areas, which were resisting Napoleon’s orders.  He blamed the French resistance to his authority on the English.

Meanwhile to the north an allied army was massing.  Knowing that, Napoleon prepared an armed defence around and inside Paris.  On June 12, 1815 Napoleon departed Paris for Soissons.  Facing him in the field would be Wellington, a man well known for his successes in India and during the Peninsular War.  Despite having defeated numerous of his marshals and generals, Napoleon had no respect for this “mere Sepoy General”.

With over 100 000 troops, Napoleon was sure of a quick victory.  However, due to incompetence the road to Charleroi was jammed and units were late in arriving.  There Napoleon gave command of the left flank to Marshal Ney and the right to Marshal Grouchy.  In addition, Napoleon’s battle plans were in the hands of the Prussians.

Wellington wasn’t without his difficulties, too.  He had officers in charge who had no experience whatsoever, such as The Prince of Orange who insisted on military privilege, to which he had no right to claim.  The Belgian regiments were without their German officers, replaced by officers who had no experience, or had trained under Bonaparte, thus undermining the integrity of the whole army.  Fortunately Wellington had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the force. 

Wellington also had difficulty gathering British troops because many of his battle hardened men had been sent to Canada and the government in Britain didn’t want to use the militia because war hadn’t been officially declared.  He decided to mix his troops in with the Allies thereby giving them backbone.  He couldn’t count on the Austrian army being on time and the Russians were demanding compensation before they would commit.  The one Allied leader Wellington trusted was Field Marshal Blucher of Prussia.

Was Napoleon’s attack on Charleroi the main focus or did he have other plans?  Wellington was forced to wait for reports to come in.  He decided to attend a ball in Brussels as most of his senior officers were also going to be in attendance.  He set up his defences such that the road north from Charleroi was undefended.

An act of insubordination by a Dutch commander to move troops to Quatre Bras changes the course of the entire campaign.  Napoleon ordered Grouchy to advance on Blucher, but Grouchy was slow in his advance.  Ney also didn’t seem to be in any hurry to advance on Quatre Bras.  Napoleon assumes he would easily defeat the Prussians on the right while Ney would advance beyond Quatre Bras on the sixteenth.

The Battle of Ligny opened the confrontation between the French and the Prussians.  Napoleon was surprised at the strength of the Prussian defence, so ordered Ney to join the battle.  Mistakes on both sides proved costly, but it was the Prussians who were in full retreat by nightfall.  The Prussians managed an orderly retreat, and the following morning when Napoleon ordered Grouchy to pursue, it was too late.

Meanwhile at Quatre Bras, Ney was taking on Wellington.  Savage cavalry charges by the French were met by murderous volleys of canister shot and musket fire.  The Prince of Orange almost lost the battle when he ordered a British unit into thin lines.  Wellington’s intervention by reforming them into squares saved the day.  Losses on both sides were massive.

With Blucher injured, Chief of Staff Gneisenau ordered the Prussians to retreat towards Leige. Only Blucher’s reappearance on the morning of the seventeenth was that order rescinded.  Blucher ordered the army to march to Wavre in order to regroup and help Wellington.  Wellington couldn’t stay in Quatre Bras, he needed to retreat to a point in line with the Prussians.  Napoleon would be just too strong for him if he stayed put.  Wellington decided to retreat to Mont Saint-Jean, about three miles south of Waterloo.  He expected Blucher to send at least one corps in support.

Leaving Quatre Bras, with the French in hot pursuit, Wellington’s army was saved by a tremendous thunderstorm, which turned the tracks to mud, thereby slowing the French down.  By 6:30 that evening Wellington’s army was at Mont Saint-Jean.  The French set up camp to the south.  Napoleon was worried that Wellington’s army might escape during the night.  However, Wellington wanted a decisive battle as did his opponent.

Numerically similar, the two armies had many differences.  The French were by far more experienced and had more guns and better cavalry.  On the other hand Wellington had chosen this site for a battle a year earlier.  It was a good position to defend.

Due to the massive rainfall the night before, Napoleon’s attack, which he had planned for 9:00 a. m. was delayed until 11:50 a. m.  Shortly after that, he became aware of the Prussians advancing from his right.  He ordered troops to protect that flank.  At 1:30 p. m. Napoleon used his cannons on the centre of the British line.  At 2:00 p. m. the infantry advanced straight ahead by column.  This was an expensive mistake, costing many lives.

At 4:00 p. m., Ney, assuming the British were in full retreat ordered a cavalry charge up a slope that was muddy.  The horses were exhausted by the time they got to the top and there they were met by British squares and massive volleys of musket and rifle fire.

Two hours later another attack was launched on the much weakened British centre.  Ney demanded fresh reserves, but Napoleon declined, feeling the need for them later in the battle.

By 5:00 p. m., Blucher’s army had entered the fray.  Napoleon had a couple of options now; either retreat or launch his Old Guard at Wellington’s centre.  He chose the latter.  It was a fatal mistake.  Wellington had men concealed behind an embankment, and they now emerged with a lethal fire that caused the Old Guard to turn and flee.

By 8:00 p. m., Napoleon himself had fled the battlefield.  The French army was fleeing south in a panic.

When Wellington and Blucher met after the battle, it was at Wellington’s insistence that the battle was named for Waterloo.

Back in Paris, Napoleon decided against creating a new army.  Rather he would go to America and do scientific exploration.  On June twenty-first La Fayette called for Napoleon’s abdication and a special commission to negotiate with the Allied Coalition.  A majority vote carried the motions.  The following day Napoleon abdicated for the second time.  By the twenty-fifth, he was virtually a prisoner at La Malmaison.  On the twenty-ninth, with the Prussians on the outskirts of Paris Napoleon left for the coast.

On July eighth Napoleon was at the port of Rochefort where two frigates awaited to take him to America.  Unfortunately he was unable to sail, because the British had the port blockaded.  On the fifteenth Napoleon boarded the British ship Bellerophon.  A few hours later he watched France disappear from his sight forever.

It wasn’t until November 20, 1815 that a second Treaty of Paris was signed, reducing France to her boundaries of 1789, plus being forced to pay war indemnities and accept a large army of occupation.  On the orders of Louis XVIII, Marshal Ney was executed on December 7, 1815.

With Napoleon sent to St. Helena the Napoleonic era was at an end.

Author Alan Schom’s history of Napoleon’s 100 Days is thorough and well written.  With plenty of detail this book is worth reading for fans of the Napoleonic Era and for history fans in general.

Sleeping Beauties

Tom Reynolds and his wife Louise are visiting his former boss, Sean McGuinness and his wife, June when he gets a call about the discovery of a woman’s body.  Arriving at the scene, pathologist Moya Chambers informs Reynolds and his DS Ray Lennon that the body had been there at least a year. Mark Dunne, an IT specialist is also on scene due to his knowledge of the area.  He informs the detectives that a plant found on the victim’s burial site is not native to the area.  It hat been planted on the grave.  He then draws Reynolds’ attention to the glade in which the body was found.  There are five other mounds with the same plant growing on them.

Five bodies, but what of the girl currently missing?  Where is Fiona Holland?  It would appear that they have a serial killer in their hands.

At the hospital next day, Moya shows Reynolds something unusual.  Each body had a charm bracelet with it.  Linda McCarn, a psychologist, suggests that the killer is a strong male, thirty-five plus.  Reynolds points to the religious symbolism of the location of the graves.

A couple of potential suspects turn out to be negative for Reynolds.  Meanwhile to the south, Lennon and DS Laura Brennan have discovered a cottage where a potential suspect could have hidden one of the victims.  Back in Dublin, Reynolds has received a note telling him that the writer had taken the most recent victim, as well as the others.

And then DS Brennan goes missing.  Reynolds’ Superintendent, Joe Kennedy, thinks that it’s just a daft girl recovering from a party somewhere.  Reynolds is not impressed and has his team go into a search mode for her.

Can Reynolds’ team find Brennan before she falls victim of the serial killer?  And what of the other missing woman?  Is she dead or still hidden somewhere?  Author Jo Spain’s thriller is another page turner leaving the reader wanting to know what is going to happen next.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.