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Jess Keeler #2
Blood Red Summer
Second in the Jess Keeler Thrillers series, this moody installment follows the podcaster’s investigation of one brutal, bloody summer in a former mill town and the shocking truths brought to light.
Hot on the heels of her podcast debut, Jess Keeler looks for another unsolved crime to investigate—this time with a documentary crew in tow. But she can’t seem to find the right case…until a handsome stranger approaches her in a bar in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an incredible story about wrongful conviction.
The Lake Castor sniper struck in 1984. Terrorizing the historically Black part of the old mill town, the killer claimed five lives. No one seemed worried about the first four victims. But when journalist Hal Broadstreet is killed, the police were suddenly interested. They arrested a suspect two days later.
But did they get the right man?
As evidence emerges pointing to a false confession and a murky connection to three bootleggers’ murders, Jess closes in on the truth—and risks landing in the sights of the true sniper.
Hot on the heels of her podcast debut, Jess Keeler looks for another unsolved crime to investigate—this time with a documentary crew in tow. But she can’t seem to find the right case…until a handsome stranger approaches her in a bar in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an incredible story about wrongful conviction.
The Lake Castor sniper struck in 1984. Terrorizing the historically Black part of the old mill town, the killer claimed five lives. No one seemed worried about the first four victims. But when journalist Hal Broadstreet is killed, the police were suddenly interested. They arrested a suspect two days later.
But did they get the right man?
As evidence emerges pointing to a false confession and a murky connection to three bootleggers’ murders, Jess closes in on the truth—and risks landing in the sights of the true sniper.
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2023
312 people are currently reading
3376 people want to read
About the author
Eryk Pruitt
49 books143 followersEryk Pruitt is a screenwriter, author and filmmaker living in Durham, NC with his wife Lana and cat Busey. His short films FOODIE and LIYANA, ON COMMAND have won several awards at film festivals across the US. His fiction appears in The Avalon Literary Review, Pulp Modern, Thuglit, and Zymbol, to name a few. In 2013, he was a finalist for Best Short Fiction in Short Story America and has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes for 2014. His novel Dirtbags was published in April 2014, and HASHTAG will be published in May, 2015. A full list of credits can be found at erykpruitt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 30, 2024
This is book 2 in the Jess Keeler, but I didn’t read the first one and I didn’t feel lost (although there were some spoilers for the first one in this one). I listened to the audiobook of this one and while I thought the number of narrators was a bit much at times, I thought the people reading each voice did a wonderful job bringing their characters to life. The story takes place in two timelines during the summer of 1984, the blood red summer and the present time. In the present day podcaster Jess Keeler has joined with a television crew who wants her to investigate another crime but on tv instead of her podcast. When Jess finds out there had been a sniper killer who killed 6 people that was barely investigated and she’s asked to investigate by the family of the man who was convicted of the crimes, despite his family’s doubts of his guilt. The more Jess digs into the case the more roadblocks she hits and people who refuse to talk about the crimes or the convicted man. In the past we follow two police officers/deputies and a reporter determined to find the truth despite the apathy law enforcement has for crimes against criminals or African American people. I really enjoyed this book and despite the couple of spoilers I will read the first and despite the ending I hope there is more to come.
July 9, 2025
4.5 stars
Pruitt is a genius in that he introduces the reader to a character we know is fated to die, and then makes us love him despite this foretelling. I was completely invested in the contemporary chapters focusing on podcaster Jess as well as the historical chapters following the investigations of a journalist willing to risk everything to reveal the truth. The southern setting and well-drawn characters reminded me of S.A. Cosby but with historical tie-ins unique to a decaying mill town. The audiobook version was narrated to perfection (no exaggerated Southern drawls, thank you very much).
Pruitt is a genius in that he introduces the reader to a character we know is fated to die, and then makes us love him despite this foretelling. I was completely invested in the contemporary chapters focusing on podcaster Jess as well as the historical chapters following the investigations of a journalist willing to risk everything to reveal the truth. The southern setting and well-drawn characters reminded me of S.A. Cosby but with historical tie-ins unique to a decaying mill town. The audiobook version was narrated to perfection (no exaggerated Southern drawls, thank you very much).
May 22, 2024
I really enjoyed the first one in this series so it felt like a treat to get a book 2. I just love Jess and her want to find the truth and get the story right. And, while this series has books that stand well on their own, this one would have spoilers for book 1 if you hadn't already read it.
We find Jess in a very different spot here than we did in book 1. In book 1, she was chasing the story she chose and framing each episode of her podcast how she wanted. Sure, she had a partner she had to work with but they worked together well to frame it and it worked.
This one finds Jess in a different spot. She's joined a backer/financer company and they are calling the shots. When the story she wants to chase is pushed aside because it's not juicy enough (and no one will talk to her about it), she's forced to move on a find another lead.
I absolutely loved this one. It's two POV - Jess in the now and Hal in the early 1980's. Hal is also a reporter and he's also chasing down leads. Their two dual POV really gave us the full story with each shocking twist and turn. I was completely sucked in, just like book 1, and I had no idea where the turns would go. Addictive and compelling, I loved the audiobook narrators and the compelling storyline. I highly recommend it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
We find Jess in a very different spot here than we did in book 1. In book 1, she was chasing the story she chose and framing each episode of her podcast how she wanted. Sure, she had a partner she had to work with but they worked together well to frame it and it worked.
This one finds Jess in a different spot. She's joined a backer/financer company and they are calling the shots. When the story she wants to chase is pushed aside because it's not juicy enough (and no one will talk to her about it), she's forced to move on a find another lead.
I absolutely loved this one. It's two POV - Jess in the now and Hal in the early 1980's. Hal is also a reporter and he's also chasing down leads. Their two dual POV really gave us the full story with each shocking twist and turn. I was completely sucked in, just like book 1, and I had no idea where the turns would go. Addictive and compelling, I loved the audiobook narrators and the compelling storyline. I highly recommend it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
August 24, 2025
Blood Red Summer is somehow both a straight-up southern thriller and a meta-commentary on true crime that occasionally flirts with becoming an antinovel. Imagine watching a drunk guy do donuts in a Waffle House parking lot at 2 a.m. The whole thing feels wildly out of control, but you also know he’s done this a thousand times before and will probably never hit a single curb. That’s the vibe here: chaos on the surface, muscle memory underneath.
The smartest move Pruitt makes is parking his most Pruitt-ian character, Hal Broadstreet, in the “past” timeline that Jess Keeler investigates. Hal is reckless, abrasive, occasionally repellent and also the most efficient truth-seeker you’ve ever seen. He’s like a dentist, except for lies. And that’s the magic trick Pruitt always pulls: he hides awe-inspiring qualities inside broken, borderline self-destructive people without ever underlining it. He lets them shine from the muck, even if the shine burns them alive.
But the real theme here is the illusion of truth itself. The idea that exposing facts is inherently righteous, when in reality almost everyone benefits from the collective construction, the shared fiction, more than from the raw data. Pruitt doesn’t just toy with that idea, he pushes it to the edge, and the last fifty pages practically dare the reader to squirm. A lot of people will. Those people should maybe take a long look at their own lives and try living around someone who’s actually suffered for once.
I’ll save the deeper dive for Dead End Follies, but I’ll say this: Blood Red Summer might be Pruitt’s most technically precise and structurally playful novel yet. It goes balls-to-the-wall and somehow sticks the landing.
The smartest move Pruitt makes is parking his most Pruitt-ian character, Hal Broadstreet, in the “past” timeline that Jess Keeler investigates. Hal is reckless, abrasive, occasionally repellent and also the most efficient truth-seeker you’ve ever seen. He’s like a dentist, except for lies. And that’s the magic trick Pruitt always pulls: he hides awe-inspiring qualities inside broken, borderline self-destructive people without ever underlining it. He lets them shine from the muck, even if the shine burns them alive.
But the real theme here is the illusion of truth itself. The idea that exposing facts is inherently righteous, when in reality almost everyone benefits from the collective construction, the shared fiction, more than from the raw data. Pruitt doesn’t just toy with that idea, he pushes it to the edge, and the last fifty pages practically dare the reader to squirm. A lot of people will. Those people should maybe take a long look at their own lives and try living around someone who’s actually suffered for once.
I’ll save the deeper dive for Dead End Follies, but I’ll say this: Blood Red Summer might be Pruitt’s most technically precise and structurally playful novel yet. It goes balls-to-the-wall and somehow sticks the landing.
April 16, 2024
Blood Red Summer- Eryk Pruitt
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My reading experience was top notch with this book. I feel that right now everyone is jumping on the “podcaster” theme, but trust me when I say that it is so well done in Blood Red Summer. It’s not the entire focus of the story which I really appreciated. It also features multiple POVs from different time periods and “watching” the story unfold from all these different points, all circling this huge mystery had me on the edge of my seat. Every time we get close, it’s snatched right away from us and that has definitely made this be one of the twistiest mystery novels I have read so far this year. There’s betrayal, there’s multiple murders, there’s bikers and dirty cops, what else do you need? Make sure to put this on your TBR for its release on May 14th.
Thank you @netgalley for the digital ARC!
#netgalley #netgalleyreview #bloodredsummer #bloodredsummerarc #erykpruitt #bookreview #ARC #digitalARC #ebooks #ebookstagram #readersofinstagram
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My reading experience was top notch with this book. I feel that right now everyone is jumping on the “podcaster” theme, but trust me when I say that it is so well done in Blood Red Summer. It’s not the entire focus of the story which I really appreciated. It also features multiple POVs from different time periods and “watching” the story unfold from all these different points, all circling this huge mystery had me on the edge of my seat. Every time we get close, it’s snatched right away from us and that has definitely made this be one of the twistiest mystery novels I have read so far this year. There’s betrayal, there’s multiple murders, there’s bikers and dirty cops, what else do you need? Make sure to put this on your TBR for its release on May 14th.
Thank you @netgalley for the digital ARC!
#netgalley #netgalleyreview #bloodredsummer #bloodredsummerarc #erykpruitt #bookreview #ARC #digitalARC #ebooks #ebookstagram #readersofinstagram
December 2, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
Wonderful police procedural, a crime tale that spans decades, with justice elusive and buried beneath layer of racism, the brutality of biker gangs and vigilantism.
This novel has something for everyone, as a amateur true crime investigator (podcasts, etc.) innocently and painstakingly begins to peel back the years of lies, coverups, regret, fear and trauma that have grown over the unalterable truth of a series of murders in the "back back".
A five-star mystery that will appeal to a wide range of fans, ranging from those who enjoy modern novels (such as Elle Marr releases) to those who enjoy a more classic detective mystery where the solid slow burning flame of the truth is finally unveiled.
Wonderful police procedural, a crime tale that spans decades, with justice elusive and buried beneath layer of racism, the brutality of biker gangs and vigilantism.
This novel has something for everyone, as a amateur true crime investigator (podcasts, etc.) innocently and painstakingly begins to peel back the years of lies, coverups, regret, fear and trauma that have grown over the unalterable truth of a series of murders in the "back back".
A five-star mystery that will appeal to a wide range of fans, ranging from those who enjoy modern novels (such as Elle Marr releases) to those who enjoy a more classic detective mystery where the solid slow burning flame of the truth is finally unveiled.
April 12, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book for NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This is the 2nd installment in the Jess Keeler series but I did not read book 1. I think there is a bit of background knowledge gap for me in this regard but I still enjoyed this book. Jess is a podcaster who has a shot at making her storytelling to the TV screens. While on the hunt for a new crime story to dive into with her audience, she stumbles upon a long buried crime that happened there in her own town that she never knew about. As she navigates the truth, lies and the in between, Jess finds that things are not as they appear. Details of the story start to unwind years of secrets and connections to other crimes that same fateful summer.
February 24, 2024
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Make sure to check out the full review
Make sure to check out the full review
April 26, 2024
Jess Keeler had success with her first podcast about a cold crime in her hometown of Lake Castor. However, success has led from podcasts to true-crime documentaries complete with a crew who don't necessarily share her viewpoint or reasons for investigating cold cases.
When she meets a man in a bar with a story about his uncle who he feels was wrongly accused of being the sniper who killed five people and wounded a sixth in an event that happened in 1984, Jess agrees to interview his mother and becomes interested in the case.
Since all but one of the victims was Black, there was little to learn about the crime and the police seemed to just push it aside. The only one who really seemed to look into it was Hal Broadstreet -- the only reporter left on a failing newspaper that is turning into a tabloid complete with stories of alien abductions. It happens that he was the final victim of the killer known as the Lake Castor Sniper.
The story is told in two time periods. In the present, Jess Keeler is looking to make a documentary about the Lake Castor Sniper and being pressured by the money men funding the production and the local police to look into the unsolved murder of a local bootlegger that happened at the same time.
The second time period is told by Hal Broadstreet who is looking into both crimes. He had been with the bootlegger earlier in the evening on the day someone broke it and brutally murdered him and two other men who were at the apartment. His focus is on solving that crime and wondering at police indifference when it turns out that the main suspects were members of a motorcycle gang. It is only when another of his friends who was at the murder site was killed by a sniper that Hal learns about the random killings in the Back Back - the Black part of town.
This was an interesting story that was packed with action. I could feel Jess's frustration with her new job which she felt pulled her away from her goal of finding out the truth and put the focus on making an exciting documentary even if it ends up not being a truthful one.
This is the second book in a series.
When she meets a man in a bar with a story about his uncle who he feels was wrongly accused of being the sniper who killed five people and wounded a sixth in an event that happened in 1984, Jess agrees to interview his mother and becomes interested in the case.
Since all but one of the victims was Black, there was little to learn about the crime and the police seemed to just push it aside. The only one who really seemed to look into it was Hal Broadstreet -- the only reporter left on a failing newspaper that is turning into a tabloid complete with stories of alien abductions. It happens that he was the final victim of the killer known as the Lake Castor Sniper.
The story is told in two time periods. In the present, Jess Keeler is looking to make a documentary about the Lake Castor Sniper and being pressured by the money men funding the production and the local police to look into the unsolved murder of a local bootlegger that happened at the same time.
The second time period is told by Hal Broadstreet who is looking into both crimes. He had been with the bootlegger earlier in the evening on the day someone broke it and brutally murdered him and two other men who were at the apartment. His focus is on solving that crime and wondering at police indifference when it turns out that the main suspects were members of a motorcycle gang. It is only when another of his friends who was at the murder site was killed by a sniper that Hal learns about the random killings in the Back Back - the Black part of town.
This was an interesting story that was packed with action. I could feel Jess's frustration with her new job which she felt pulled her away from her goal of finding out the truth and put the focus on making an exciting documentary even if it ends up not being a truthful one.
This is the second book in a series.
January 2, 2024
The story is struggling to overcome its flaws, which include an overly complex narrative, an excess of viewpoints, and a lackluster portrayal of Jess Keeler, despite its potential. It's loosely written and unrefined for a criminal thriller. Although it's an ambitious try, it's not as thrilling to read as it is mediocre.
2.75 stars rounded up
2.75 stars rounded up
July 23, 2024
2/5 stars - Rating low because the ending absolutely sucked. Unless I missed something, there were questions left unanswered. The book also felt a little drawn out and the fact that the murders were all related and had some of the same players just took forever to get to. Just really disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this advanced copy.
Jess Keeler, first introduced in Pruitt's Something Bad Wrong as a novice podcaster, returns for a follow-up, an examination of how the true crime documentary is big bucks, loyalty to the badge works side by side with systemic police corruption and racial profiling and yet another marrying of the past with the present in her journey to find the truth.
While Jess is working hard to get the "story" of a black man who may or may not have been railroaded into a prison sentence for a shooting spree within the black community, she is directed to another unsolved murder scene from that same month involving old time bootleggers and an increasingly violent motorcycle gang subculture, and soon finds a connection. while attempting to unravel this and then piece it back together, she is maneuvering thru taking care of a parent with Alzheimers and the murky waters of true crime documentary and its sensationalism.
This story flowed a lot easier than the first book and made it easier to read. The characters had developed a bit and I felt like the dialogue was more genuine. I really enjoyed this book and I think Pruitt really invokes the small Southern town noir well.
Jess Keeler, first introduced in Pruitt's Something Bad Wrong as a novice podcaster, returns for a follow-up, an examination of how the true crime documentary is big bucks, loyalty to the badge works side by side with systemic police corruption and racial profiling and yet another marrying of the past with the present in her journey to find the truth.
While Jess is working hard to get the "story" of a black man who may or may not have been railroaded into a prison sentence for a shooting spree within the black community, she is directed to another unsolved murder scene from that same month involving old time bootleggers and an increasingly violent motorcycle gang subculture, and soon finds a connection. while attempting to unravel this and then piece it back together, she is maneuvering thru taking care of a parent with Alzheimers and the murky waters of true crime documentary and its sensationalism.
This story flowed a lot easier than the first book and made it easier to read. The characters had developed a bit and I felt like the dialogue was more genuine. I really enjoyed this book and I think Pruitt really invokes the small Southern town noir well.
December 8, 2023
Starred Review:
Jess Keeler returns this time with a film crew hoping to continue her success in finding a true crime for a streamer to buy. The crew doesn’t see eye to eye on multiple possibilities and again Jess is left on her own to seek the truth.
Pruitt is a master at multiple story lines and connecting all the dots. Into a true suspense novel. Very gifted. Great sophomore novel with Jess back.
Jess Keeler returns this time with a film crew hoping to continue her success in finding a true crime for a streamer to buy. The crew doesn’t see eye to eye on multiple possibilities and again Jess is left on her own to seek the truth.
Pruitt is a master at multiple story lines and connecting all the dots. Into a true suspense novel. Very gifted. Great sophomore novel with Jess back.
April 7, 2025
This is much more than a cold case story or the story of a mystery solved through a podcast. This is a story about corrupt cops and racism. It is also a story about making difficult decisions with no clearly right answers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2024
Mostly excellent Southern Noir mystery.
4.5 stars rounded up.
This is the second stand-alone book in the Jess Keeler series; the first one is "Something Bad Wrong" (2023). I didn't have the chance to read the first installment and managed fine without it.
In "Blood Red Summer", true crime-podcaster Jess Keeler, fresh off the success of her previous podcast "Something Bad Wrong", is trying to find a new case to investigate, only this time, she is bringing along an entire documentary crew. When she is approached about the case of a sniper targeting the local Black community of Lake Castor in 1984, her interest is piqued. But what she discovers once she digs into the story is far more than the guilt or innocence of the man convicted of the murders.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall and would definitely recommend it, I must admit that the present-day timeline of Jess and her investigation was the weakest link in this story for me. Sure, the true crime-podcaster solving crimes storyline is starting to feel unoriginal at this point, and it seemed unlikely that, following a single successful previous podcast season, Jess would now be the producer of an entire big-pocket documentary (in fact, the whole documentary angle and Jess basically selling herself out felt very unnecessary). But what actually bothered me is that Jess is portrayed at being just not very good at her job. She does not actually contribute a whole lot to the investigation until the end and is mostly very ill-prepared and unprofessional. Not sure if this was the case in the first book as well, since she is supposed to be this true crime genius who even acquires a "protégée" (whom she never mentors - Jess mentions showing her how to use the microfiche machines at the library, but that's about it, and the protégée in question previously gave a presentation of her researched that already had her using those tools, so I can't see what she possibly could have learned from Jess).
Nevertheless, if you can tolerate the often unsatisfying present-day storyline, this is an excellent, atmospheric, complex Southern Noir mystery. The events of Lake Castor's "Blood Red Summer" of 1984 are told from multiple points of view of people investigating or affected by the events at the time, all well-written and believable, and are unpeeled layer by layer, detailing racism, gang activity, and corrupt police, all accumulating into a breathtaking conclusion that's brilliant because it's messy, unresolved, and feels very plausible and true to life.
Though Jess herself seems to close the door on another book in the series in the end, I would definitely read more sequels and just hope by then Jess is back to what I assume to be her true form.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"Blood Red Summer" is slated to be published on May 14, 2024.
4.5 stars rounded up.
This is the second stand-alone book in the Jess Keeler series; the first one is "Something Bad Wrong" (2023). I didn't have the chance to read the first installment and managed fine without it.
In "Blood Red Summer", true crime-podcaster Jess Keeler, fresh off the success of her previous podcast "Something Bad Wrong", is trying to find a new case to investigate, only this time, she is bringing along an entire documentary crew. When she is approached about the case of a sniper targeting the local Black community of Lake Castor in 1984, her interest is piqued. But what she discovers once she digs into the story is far more than the guilt or innocence of the man convicted of the murders.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the book overall and would definitely recommend it, I must admit that the present-day timeline of Jess and her investigation was the weakest link in this story for me. Sure, the true crime-podcaster solving crimes storyline is starting to feel unoriginal at this point, and it seemed unlikely that, following a single successful previous podcast season, Jess would now be the producer of an entire big-pocket documentary (in fact, the whole documentary angle and Jess basically selling herself out felt very unnecessary). But what actually bothered me is that Jess is portrayed at being just not very good at her job. She does not actually contribute a whole lot to the investigation until the end and is mostly very ill-prepared and unprofessional. Not sure if this was the case in the first book as well, since she is supposed to be this true crime genius who even acquires a "protégée" (whom she never mentors - Jess mentions showing her how to use the microfiche machines at the library, but that's about it, and the protégée in question previously gave a presentation of her researched that already had her using those tools, so I can't see what she possibly could have learned from Jess).
Nevertheless, if you can tolerate the often unsatisfying present-day storyline, this is an excellent, atmospheric, complex Southern Noir mystery. The events of Lake Castor's "Blood Red Summer" of 1984 are told from multiple points of view of people investigating or affected by the events at the time, all well-written and believable, and are unpeeled layer by layer, detailing racism, gang activity, and corrupt police, all accumulating into a breathtaking conclusion that's brilliant because it's messy, unresolved, and feels very plausible and true to life.
Though Jess herself seems to close the door on another book in the series in the end, I would definitely read more sequels and just hope by then Jess is back to what I assume to be her true form.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"Blood Red Summer" is slated to be published on May 14, 2024.
April 8, 2024
Blood Red Summer is the follow-up to Eryk Pruitt’s first novel in the Jess Keeler series, Something Bad Wrong, featuring journalist/podcaster Keeler and her investigation into unsolved crime cases. Specific aspects of the plotlines will be purposely vague to avoid spoilers and to allow plot points to be revealed as the novel is read.
In Blood Red Summer, Keeler is still investigating unsolved murders, but this time, her next venture will include a small filming and researching crew for a documentary rather than a Podcast. The novel includes previously introduced characters, with writing and storytelling that surpasses the original novel in both flow and plot.
The novel picks up a short time after the conclusion of the first novel as the reader learns Keeler’s first podcast has become very popular and has led her to search for her next unsolved true-crime case. Keeler’s smal crew is being funded by two Germans. If she and her crew can find a suitable event, then the Germans will fund the entire documentary and promotion of the finished film.
After stopping in at a favored watering hole, Keeler is approached by a man who persuades her to look into a serial sniper case from the 1980s where his nephew confessed to killing numerous people, including a perceived gadfly reporter for a local tabloid newspaper.
The shootings occurred in 1984 in a Lake Castor, VA Black section of town known as the Back Back and ended with the confession of a Black man named Rickie Lee Patience. For his confession, Patience was sentenced to life in prison.
The more Jess investigates, the more skeptical she becomes regarding the confession. While gathering new information, she and her crew receive more and more resistance from almost all those present during this era. These people range from authorities, citizens, and witnesses and even include her close friend, retired sheriff Ennis Worthy. Worthy, like others, keeps urging it is best for everyone to just let the past lie. All of which only makes her resolve to get to the truth even firmer.
The novel then continues while Jess continues to struggle to unravel the truth from a time most just want to forget under declarations it is best for all involved.
Like so many other crime or mystery novels, to avoid spoilers often the less known one knows about plots, the better, and Blood Red Summer is one of those novels and other readers are encouraged to avoid the more detailed reviews.
Pruitt’s plot lines are complex, fluid, and with unsuspecting twists along the way. His characters are believably well-defined, with the flow of his writing remarkably fluid and flawless.
Blood Red Summer his highly recommended to crime genre readers and especially those fond of rural or country noir.
Netgalley provided an ARC for the return of a fair review and is available for purchase.
In Blood Red Summer, Keeler is still investigating unsolved murders, but this time, her next venture will include a small filming and researching crew for a documentary rather than a Podcast. The novel includes previously introduced characters, with writing and storytelling that surpasses the original novel in both flow and plot.
The novel picks up a short time after the conclusion of the first novel as the reader learns Keeler’s first podcast has become very popular and has led her to search for her next unsolved true-crime case. Keeler’s smal crew is being funded by two Germans. If she and her crew can find a suitable event, then the Germans will fund the entire documentary and promotion of the finished film.
After stopping in at a favored watering hole, Keeler is approached by a man who persuades her to look into a serial sniper case from the 1980s where his nephew confessed to killing numerous people, including a perceived gadfly reporter for a local tabloid newspaper.
The shootings occurred in 1984 in a Lake Castor, VA Black section of town known as the Back Back and ended with the confession of a Black man named Rickie Lee Patience. For his confession, Patience was sentenced to life in prison.
The more Jess investigates, the more skeptical she becomes regarding the confession. While gathering new information, she and her crew receive more and more resistance from almost all those present during this era. These people range from authorities, citizens, and witnesses and even include her close friend, retired sheriff Ennis Worthy. Worthy, like others, keeps urging it is best for everyone to just let the past lie. All of which only makes her resolve to get to the truth even firmer.
The novel then continues while Jess continues to struggle to unravel the truth from a time most just want to forget under declarations it is best for all involved.
Like so many other crime or mystery novels, to avoid spoilers often the less known one knows about plots, the better, and Blood Red Summer is one of those novels and other readers are encouraged to avoid the more detailed reviews.
Pruitt’s plot lines are complex, fluid, and with unsuspecting twists along the way. His characters are believably well-defined, with the flow of his writing remarkably fluid and flawless.
Blood Red Summer his highly recommended to crime genre readers and especially those fond of rural or country noir.
Netgalley provided an ARC for the return of a fair review and is available for purchase.
April 30, 2024
Blood Red Summer by Eryk Pruitt is a very highly recommended investigational Southern noir thriller following a true crime podcaster.
After her successful debut podcast, Something Bad Wrong (also the title of the first book in the series) Jess Keeler has been asked to join a documentary crew as the producer for a true crime TV show. When a stranger approaches her in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an idea for an investigation, she's intrigued, but the real question is if the idea will interest the investors enough to actually finance the search, with an eye on ratings.
The case is about the Lake Castor sniper who struck in 1984. The sniper terrorized the back back, a historically Black part of the old mill town, and claimed five lives. The suspect arrested and charged, Ricky Lee Patience, may not have been the actual perpetrator. There was no real look into the first four murders, but the fifth person shot, journalist Hal Broadstreet, did capture the attention of the police and community. But did they get the right man? As the investigation continues, two retired sheriffs suggest that Jess should investigate the unsolved murders from that same summer in the apartment of bootlegger Jim Fosskey and two other men.
The narrative is very compelling and will hold your attention to the end. The story unfolds between the present day point-of-view of Jess and that of Hal Broadstreet in 1984. Both are looking to solve the crimes but Hal has some insight Jess doesn't. This makes the narrative in both time periods very satisfying and equally interesting. There is a third voice that adds depth and complications to both timelines.
The writing is excellent and presents the complicated plot with what feels like ease as you are reading. The action propels the plot forward in both time periods. The suspects and characters to look into are numerous. Each new revelation and detail expands the investigation into different areas, including corruption and racism, and the twists abound. Even though it is about a podcaster, which admittedly is becoming a bit tiresome, this one is worth your time.
Blood Red Summer is going to hold your rapt attention from beginning to end. This one can stand on it's own, but the first Jess Keeler novel, Something Bad Wrong, is worth your time too. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...
After her successful debut podcast, Something Bad Wrong (also the title of the first book in the series) Jess Keeler has been asked to join a documentary crew as the producer for a true crime TV show. When a stranger approaches her in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an idea for an investigation, she's intrigued, but the real question is if the idea will interest the investors enough to actually finance the search, with an eye on ratings.
The case is about the Lake Castor sniper who struck in 1984. The sniper terrorized the back back, a historically Black part of the old mill town, and claimed five lives. The suspect arrested and charged, Ricky Lee Patience, may not have been the actual perpetrator. There was no real look into the first four murders, but the fifth person shot, journalist Hal Broadstreet, did capture the attention of the police and community. But did they get the right man? As the investigation continues, two retired sheriffs suggest that Jess should investigate the unsolved murders from that same summer in the apartment of bootlegger Jim Fosskey and two other men.
The narrative is very compelling and will hold your attention to the end. The story unfolds between the present day point-of-view of Jess and that of Hal Broadstreet in 1984. Both are looking to solve the crimes but Hal has some insight Jess doesn't. This makes the narrative in both time periods very satisfying and equally interesting. There is a third voice that adds depth and complications to both timelines.
The writing is excellent and presents the complicated plot with what feels like ease as you are reading. The action propels the plot forward in both time periods. The suspects and characters to look into are numerous. Each new revelation and detail expands the investigation into different areas, including corruption and racism, and the twists abound. Even though it is about a podcaster, which admittedly is becoming a bit tiresome, this one is worth your time.
Blood Red Summer is going to hold your rapt attention from beginning to end. This one can stand on it's own, but the first Jess Keeler novel, Something Bad Wrong, is worth your time too. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...
January 15, 2025
If you loved the first book in this series, then Book 2 will feel like an absolute treat. I was excited to dive back into Jess’s world, where her determination to uncover the truth and get the story right continues to shine. While this series has standalone books, I highly recommend reading book 1 first, as Book 2 does contain spoilers that will spoil the plot twists and character development from the first book.
In this installment, Jess finds herself in a very different place than she was in the previous book. In book 1, Jess was a solo podcaster, chasing her own narrative and framing each episode in the way she saw fit. She worked with a partner, but ultimately, it was her story to tell. However, in Book 2, Jess has joined a backer/financer company, and they are now the ones calling the shots. When her preferred story isn’t considered “juicy enough” and no one will talk to her about it, Jess is forced to pivot and search for another lead.
The shift in Jess’s situation adds an extra layer of intrigue and tension to this book. I found myself just as captivated by her quest for the truth as I did in book 1, if not more. The dual POV structure was executed brilliantly, with Jess’s “now” perspective contrasting against Hal’s story from the early 1980s. Both characters are reporters in their own right, chasing down leads and uncovering secrets, and their alternating points of view kept me hooked. The shifting timelines created a compelling narrative full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end.
I was completely sucked into the mystery, with each new reveal coming as a complete shock. I love a good, addictive story, and this one didn’t disappoint. The audiobook narration was also superb, bringing the characters and their worlds to life in a way that enhanced the experience even further.
Overall, I couldn’t put this book down. The writing, the pacing, and the dual POV structure worked together so well to create a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to fans of mystery, suspense, and well-developed characters. If you haven’t started this series yet, make sure to check out book 1 before diving into this one!
#ARC #NetGalley
In this installment, Jess finds herself in a very different place than she was in the previous book. In book 1, Jess was a solo podcaster, chasing her own narrative and framing each episode in the way she saw fit. She worked with a partner, but ultimately, it was her story to tell. However, in Book 2, Jess has joined a backer/financer company, and they are now the ones calling the shots. When her preferred story isn’t considered “juicy enough” and no one will talk to her about it, Jess is forced to pivot and search for another lead.
The shift in Jess’s situation adds an extra layer of intrigue and tension to this book. I found myself just as captivated by her quest for the truth as I did in book 1, if not more. The dual POV structure was executed brilliantly, with Jess’s “now” perspective contrasting against Hal’s story from the early 1980s. Both characters are reporters in their own right, chasing down leads and uncovering secrets, and their alternating points of view kept me hooked. The shifting timelines created a compelling narrative full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end.
I was completely sucked into the mystery, with each new reveal coming as a complete shock. I love a good, addictive story, and this one didn’t disappoint. The audiobook narration was also superb, bringing the characters and their worlds to life in a way that enhanced the experience even further.
Overall, I couldn’t put this book down. The writing, the pacing, and the dual POV structure worked together so well to create a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to fans of mystery, suspense, and well-developed characters. If you haven’t started this series yet, make sure to check out book 1 before diving into this one!
#ARC #NetGalley
May 10, 2024
I loved Something Bad Wrong, the previous Jess Keeler novel. In the previous novel she is a podcaster solving a very old cold case (and the book is based on a real-life murder mystery).
Here we find Jess Keeler procuring funding for a televised series and finds a case that is odd with many twists and turns. Unfortunately, the backers of the podcast want to dramatize the story with falsehoods and exaggerations, which Keeler battles off, for the most part, the best she can.
Keeler originally wanted to do the podcast on an unsolved series of murders by a sniper in the "Back Back" an impoverished black community and she aims to free a convicted suspect that she believes is innocent. That idea gets shut down by the money men (both backers are German men). Instead, she pivots to the brutal murder of a bootlegger and his friends which remains unsolved. As the story unravels, she starts to realize that the two cases are interrelated and starts to switch back, surreptitiously, to the snipper story. With consequences.
The story moves back and forth from the present to the past when the actual murders take place with an older, grizzled, and somewhat unconventional reporter, Hal Broadstreet, is also investigating the murders of the bootlegger and starts tying them to the sniper case. It just so happens he was drinking and playing cards with the bootlegger and his friends right before the murders happened. I found his storyline to be much more interesting than present day storyline.
As the story unfolds we see racism, police corruption, and murderous plots by law enforcement way up the food chain. And the ending of the book in present day is chilling.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and essentially read it in one sitting. The only drawbacks is I found the overall web and "conspiracy" to be a bit unbelievable and Keeler not as together and focused as she was in the previous novel. Some of the plot devices to bring the story full-circle felt a little contrived, and the present day shenanigans of side characters associated with the "documentary" and Keeler seem a bit cliché. But I still the novel a great deal and would recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Here we find Jess Keeler procuring funding for a televised series and finds a case that is odd with many twists and turns. Unfortunately, the backers of the podcast want to dramatize the story with falsehoods and exaggerations, which Keeler battles off, for the most part, the best she can.
Keeler originally wanted to do the podcast on an unsolved series of murders by a sniper in the "Back Back" an impoverished black community and she aims to free a convicted suspect that she believes is innocent. That idea gets shut down by the money men (both backers are German men). Instead, she pivots to the brutal murder of a bootlegger and his friends which remains unsolved. As the story unravels, she starts to realize that the two cases are interrelated and starts to switch back, surreptitiously, to the snipper story. With consequences.
The story moves back and forth from the present to the past when the actual murders take place with an older, grizzled, and somewhat unconventional reporter, Hal Broadstreet, is also investigating the murders of the bootlegger and starts tying them to the sniper case. It just so happens he was drinking and playing cards with the bootlegger and his friends right before the murders happened. I found his storyline to be much more interesting than present day storyline.
As the story unfolds we see racism, police corruption, and murderous plots by law enforcement way up the food chain. And the ending of the book in present day is chilling.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and essentially read it in one sitting. The only drawbacks is I found the overall web and "conspiracy" to be a bit unbelievable and Keeler not as together and focused as she was in the previous novel. Some of the plot devices to bring the story full-circle felt a little contrived, and the present day shenanigans of side characters associated with the "documentary" and Keeler seem a bit cliché. But I still the novel a great deal and would recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 13, 2024
Book 2 in the Jess Keeler series. Should actually work as a stand alone. You will get some book one spoilers. Reading book one will also introduce you to a few characters in this book, but overall, not reading book one shouldn't leave you lost.
After Jess's successful podcast, she teams up with a TV crew for a documentary. Immediately she is frustrated because she is no longer in full control. The investors want one story, but Jess wants another. As she investigates, she begins to realize the two may just be connected. Hopefully she can safely figure it out, since everyone who ever tried seems to be dead.
I listened to the audiobook versions of both books one and two. Book one felt erratic and hard to follow- there were a lot of different POVs, a lot of characters, and multiple timelines. I find that this can be harder to keep track of in an audiobook. However, I did not feel the same way with this book. Maybe because you know some of the characters, so everyone isn't new. While I am not going back and counting, I feel that there are less POVs. We still have multiple timelines.
As for the plot- it was OK. Motorcycles and motorcycle clubs do not interest me in the slightest, so I often wished those parts over. I liked the storyline with the sniper and Rickie Lee Patience in the Back Back much better. I wish it had focused more on that and less on the MCs.
The present day storyline had a very unsatisfactory ending. I enjoyed this much more than book one, but it did leave me disappointed due to the ending.
As mentioned, this book is told by many POVs. A different narrator was used for each POV, which I greatly appreciate. I think if makes audiobooks more interesting and complete. It also makes it easier to keep track of characters.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
After Jess's successful podcast, she teams up with a TV crew for a documentary. Immediately she is frustrated because she is no longer in full control. The investors want one story, but Jess wants another. As she investigates, she begins to realize the two may just be connected. Hopefully she can safely figure it out, since everyone who ever tried seems to be dead.
I listened to the audiobook versions of both books one and two. Book one felt erratic and hard to follow- there were a lot of different POVs, a lot of characters, and multiple timelines. I find that this can be harder to keep track of in an audiobook. However, I did not feel the same way with this book. Maybe because you know some of the characters, so everyone isn't new. While I am not going back and counting, I feel that there are less POVs. We still have multiple timelines.
As for the plot- it was OK. Motorcycles and motorcycle clubs do not interest me in the slightest, so I often wished those parts over. I liked the storyline with the sniper and Rickie Lee Patience in the Back Back much better. I wish it had focused more on that and less on the MCs.
The present day storyline had a very unsatisfactory ending. I enjoyed this much more than book one, but it did leave me disappointed due to the ending.
As mentioned, this book is told by many POVs. A different narrator was used for each POV, which I greatly appreciate. I think if makes audiobooks more interesting and complete. It also makes it easier to keep track of characters.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2024
Has podcaster Jess Keeler sold out? Following the success of her podcast debut "Something Bad Wrong" (also the title of the first book in the series), Jess signs on as producer of a true crime documentary complete with film crew and an intern who care more about the "sizzle" that will sell the story to a distributor than in revealing the truth. Although Jess would prefer to work alone, she has personal reasons for needing the financial security that comes with the new job. When she and the crew decide they want to cover the long-forgotten story of the Lake Castor sniper, who killed 5 and injured a 6th victim in 1984, Jess gets unexpected push back from the retired sheriff she worked with on her first podcast. When a new unsolved case from the same period is dangled in front of the team with the promise of cooperation from the current sheriff, who worked the case, they shift their focus, Jess being more reluctant than the rest of them. The new case involves the slaughter of 3 bootleggers, and flashbacks told from the perspective of a local journalist suggest the involvement of a local motorcycle club. I didn't like that Jess seemed to be "phoning it in" for much of the book, as her dedication and meticulous research were a large part of what made the first book great, but her attitude underlines the disillusionment she starts to feel with the company she is working for and other members of her team. There is lots of action, however, and the different story lines, points of view, and timelines mesh nicely by the end.
May 14, 2024
This was a good one! I'm not a podcast listener but true crime stories would be my genre!
Publisher's summary
Second in the Jess Keeler Thrillers series, this moody installment follows the podcaster’s investigation of one brutal, bloody summer in a former mill town and the shocking truths brought to light.
Hot on the heels of her podcast debut, Jess Keeler looks for another unsolved crime to investigate—this time with a documentary crew in tow. But she can’t seem to find the right case…until a handsome stranger approaches her in a bar in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an incredible story about wrongful conviction.
The Lake Castor sniper struck in 1984. Terrorizing the historically Black part of the old mill town, the killer claimed five lives. No one seemed worried about the first four victims. But when journalist Hal Broadstreet was killed, the police were suddenly interested. They arrested a suspect two days later.
But did they get the right man?
As evidence emerges pointing to a false confession and a murky connection to three bootleggers’ murders, Jess closes in on the truth—and risks landing in the sights of the true sniper.
Thanks to NetGalley & Brilliance Audio for this ALC!
Blood Red Summer
By: Eryk Pruitt
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam, JD Jackson, Stephen Graybill, Aaron Shedlock
Series: Jess Keeler Thrillers, Book 2
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Release date: 05-14-24
Publisher's summary
Second in the Jess Keeler Thrillers series, this moody installment follows the podcaster’s investigation of one brutal, bloody summer in a former mill town and the shocking truths brought to light.
Hot on the heels of her podcast debut, Jess Keeler looks for another unsolved crime to investigate—this time with a documentary crew in tow. But she can’t seem to find the right case…until a handsome stranger approaches her in a bar in Lake Castor, Virginia, with an incredible story about wrongful conviction.
The Lake Castor sniper struck in 1984. Terrorizing the historically Black part of the old mill town, the killer claimed five lives. No one seemed worried about the first four victims. But when journalist Hal Broadstreet was killed, the police were suddenly interested. They arrested a suspect two days later.
But did they get the right man?
As evidence emerges pointing to a false confession and a murky connection to three bootleggers’ murders, Jess closes in on the truth—and risks landing in the sights of the true sniper.
Thanks to NetGalley & Brilliance Audio for this ALC!
Blood Red Summer
By: Eryk Pruitt
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam, JD Jackson, Stephen Graybill, Aaron Shedlock
Series: Jess Keeler Thrillers, Book 2
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Release date: 05-14-24
September 18, 2024
True to form, I didn't realize that this was the second in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to get into this one. Jess is a true crime podcaster turned independent tv reporter after the success of solving a cold case. Jess finds herself intrigued by a story of a black man accused of being a sniper and killing 5 people in the "Back Back," a poor Black neighborhood. The story and timelines don't add up and she wants to pursue the story, but her video career is being financed by the backers of her show and they pull her off of it to run a story/ investigation into the murder of a bootlegger. As she unravels that story, she realizes that the stories are related and covertly goes back to the sniper story to find the truth.
Told in two POV of Jess in present time and Hal, a reporter in the 1980s, who was one of the last people to see the bootlegger alive. Hal strives to find out the truth before he gets arrested for the grisly murder. This story starts out twisty and just gets more intwined between the two stories. I enjoyed the police procedural/ true crime thriller. Jess is a well-developed character and I liked how she strives to find out the truth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC. Blood Red Summer is out now.
Told in two POV of Jess in present time and Hal, a reporter in the 1980s, who was one of the last people to see the bootlegger alive. Hal strives to find out the truth before he gets arrested for the grisly murder. This story starts out twisty and just gets more intwined between the two stories. I enjoyed the police procedural/ true crime thriller. Jess is a well-developed character and I liked how she strives to find out the truth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC. Blood Red Summer is out now.
May 21, 2024
I struggled to give this 3stars. The second installment in this series has Jess now working for "the Germans" doing True Crime documentaries and no longer podcasting. Her first successful podcast brought her to their attention and now there is a full crew- producer/researcher/cameraman etc.
It takes her a while to realize she has lost control of the story. It's all about the sizzle reels, making everything salacious and also not realizing her "researcher" is after her job. The storyline has to be preapproved by "the Germans". Her intial idea of looking into a wrongful conviction of a young black man for sniper murders in the 80's is deemed dull and she's ordered to leave it alone. Of course when she disobeys, her researcher friend quickly steps in for the fame.
Jess does solve it but doesn't seem to get the credit. Not really a satisfactory read.
It takes her a while to realize she has lost control of the story. It's all about the sizzle reels, making everything salacious and also not realizing her "researcher" is after her job. The storyline has to be preapproved by "the Germans". Her intial idea of looking into a wrongful conviction of a young black man for sniper murders in the 80's is deemed dull and she's ordered to leave it alone. Of course when she disobeys, her researcher friend quickly steps in for the fame.
Jess does solve it but doesn't seem to get the credit. Not really a satisfactory read.
June 25, 2024
Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.
I enjoyed the author's first book, and this one is even better - the flow is smoother and the characters were more fully developed. The protagonist, who was a novice podcaster in the first book, is now fully immersed in the big business of true crime reporting and investigations. This means strictures and demands for sensationalism that sells, while the protagonist is oriented toward using the means at her disposal to seek justice in a cold case. The story is told in two timelines, the present day and the time of the cold case and is a gripping read as not much seems to have changed with police corruption and racial stereotyping and profiling - sadly, this reads true to life.
I enjoyed the author's first book, and this one is even better - the flow is smoother and the characters were more fully developed. The protagonist, who was a novice podcaster in the first book, is now fully immersed in the big business of true crime reporting and investigations. This means strictures and demands for sensationalism that sells, while the protagonist is oriented toward using the means at her disposal to seek justice in a cold case. The story is told in two timelines, the present day and the time of the cold case and is a gripping read as not much seems to have changed with police corruption and racial stereotyping and profiling - sadly, this reads true to life.
November 24, 2023
Blood Red Summer by E. Pruitt, published by Thomas & Mercer is the second stand alone in the Jess Keeler Series.
For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order. The previous book is Something Bad Wrong.
Reading this second book was an absolute delight.
Jess is in for another wild ride. The true crime podcaster of Something Bad Wrong gets accosted and asked to investigate the case of Ricky Lee, being in prison for murdering 5 people many years ago.
She's intrigued and together with an old friend she' stirring up old ghosts and trouble too.
Welcome back to Lake Castor where everything started and where she's about to stirr a hornets nest.
A complex, complicated read with a great storyline and fantastic characters.
For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order. The previous book is Something Bad Wrong.
Reading this second book was an absolute delight.
Jess is in for another wild ride. The true crime podcaster of Something Bad Wrong gets accosted and asked to investigate the case of Ricky Lee, being in prison for murdering 5 people many years ago.
She's intrigued and together with an old friend she' stirring up old ghosts and trouble too.
Welcome back to Lake Castor where everything started and where she's about to stirr a hornets nest.
A complex, complicated read with a great storyline and fantastic characters.
May 13, 2024
Blood Red Summer is the first book that I've read by Mr. Pruitt and I'm so happy I donwloaded it! The story is told from several points of view, sometimes they are complimentary in others they are antagonistic. Jess is the portrait of nowadays true crime blogger and she will learn that sometimes truth is not the better option to divulge and that being a producer might not be what she's best suited for depending on who she is partnering with. I loved Hal's character, he is an investigative journalist that although being a bit sensationalist is a relentless pursuer of truth and justice and he'll pay dearly for these traits. This book has a great and relatable storyline, it's well-written and engaging, and I highly recommend it!
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
July 26, 2024
Pretty good!
Another great book in this series following Jess Keeler as she does what she does best, investigate real true crime. Loved how we had other returning characters along with some new ones. Really loved the back and forth between the past and present, highlighting the many point of views. The author is so great at writing these particular aspects. I can't get enough.
Absolutely loved the storylines and how they tied together. Jess Keeler is an awesome main character and I hope there are more books in the future. This book can't be the end. Jess Keeler is an amazing true crime podcaster. She has a passion for it and she always gives her all whenever she investigates.
Another great book in this series following Jess Keeler as she does what she does best, investigate real true crime. Loved how we had other returning characters along with some new ones. Really loved the back and forth between the past and present, highlighting the many point of views. The author is so great at writing these particular aspects. I can't get enough.
Absolutely loved the storylines and how they tied together. Jess Keeler is an awesome main character and I hope there are more books in the future. This book can't be the end. Jess Keeler is an amazing true crime podcaster. She has a passion for it and she always gives her all whenever she investigates.
September 22, 2024
Enjoyable mystery with a good resolition
It is so easy to stumble onto pacy books with limited character or plot. What this book lacks in floral language is replaced with a thoughtful look back at a cold case reignited by an accidental collision with a former podcaster.
Not as flowing as something bad wrong but with a very satisfying exposition of how a shooter could pick a selection of victims and be caught red handed for the crime, or did they.
Jess walks through her home town incovering
many clues as to an alternative explanation and it is great to have her back.
I would very much like to see a third added to this series of books and recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first
It is so easy to stumble onto pacy books with limited character or plot. What this book lacks in floral language is replaced with a thoughtful look back at a cold case reignited by an accidental collision with a former podcaster.
Not as flowing as something bad wrong but with a very satisfying exposition of how a shooter could pick a selection of victims and be caught red handed for the crime, or did they.
Jess walks through her home town incovering
many clues as to an alternative explanation and it is great to have her back.
I would very much like to see a third added to this series of books and recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews