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Forest Trap
Every monster leaves a trace...
After many years in the trenches of big-city homicide, Detective Rose Landgreen returns to her farm in upstate New York to care for her mother and keep an eye on the encroaching forest.
When a dog walker finds a shallow grave in a clearing, Rose lets rookie detective Eric take the case, crossing her fingers that the youngster’s brawn comes with a bit of brain. But when a cold case, a murder, and the disappearance of a little girl combine into the perfect storm, she has to choose between taking over the reins—or allowing her haunted past to repeat itself.
Soon, Rose finds that in Twin Creek, grudges, gossip, and family feuds must guide her investigation. The townspeople swear their small town has been plagued by a murderous mythical creature for years. But if there’s one thing Rose knows for every monster leaves evidence.
She just has to find it.
A well-written police procedural full of thrilling twists and turns, fully drawn characters and relationships, and psychological tension that entertains until you flip the last page!
After many years in the trenches of big-city homicide, Detective Rose Landgreen returns to her farm in upstate New York to care for her mother and keep an eye on the encroaching forest.
When a dog walker finds a shallow grave in a clearing, Rose lets rookie detective Eric take the case, crossing her fingers that the youngster’s brawn comes with a bit of brain. But when a cold case, a murder, and the disappearance of a little girl combine into the perfect storm, she has to choose between taking over the reins—or allowing her haunted past to repeat itself.
Soon, Rose finds that in Twin Creek, grudges, gossip, and family feuds must guide her investigation. The townspeople swear their small town has been plagued by a murderous mythical creature for years. But if there’s one thing Rose knows for every monster leaves evidence.
She just has to find it.
A well-written police procedural full of thrilling twists and turns, fully drawn characters and relationships, and psychological tension that entertains until you flip the last page!
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2024
624 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 4, 2024
La trama mi ispirava molto, ma lo stile di scrittura dell'autrice non è nelle mie corde. In più nella prima metà del libro mi sembrava di leggere un dépliant sull'importanza della attività fisica più che un mystery: ogni 10 pagine circa non si faceva che scrivere come la protagonista fosse "vecchia e grassa" e che dovesse fare attività fisica. Perché, il collega più giovane che è fissato col bodybuilding è meglio? Finalmente nell'ultimo terzo del libro la parte mystery diventa predominante, anche se il finale mi sembra mancare di un po' di spiegazioni. Anzi, il finale è proprio brusco, forse è un cliffhanger, sebbene leggendo la trama del libro successivo non sembra questo il caso. E sinceramente non so se leggerò gli altri due libri di questa trilogia...
April 22, 2025
Rose is a former NYC cop now living in upstate NY as a detective. She’s got a green deputy cop named Eric who lives with his mom and is obsessed with body building. How do I know this? Because the book mentions it every other page. Rose is overweight, pre diabetic and in over her head after finding bodies in the spooky woods over yonder. Decades earlier Rose had a sister Calla who disappeared ~another storyline never explained.
The ebook has weird formatting, the scenarios are repetitive, lots of townsfolk names to remember, lots of rallying the troops,(an odd chapter that has a unknown narrator spying on little girls in the school playground~ That one mention is never resolved or brought up again). I wanted to like the book but it got weird a third of the way through.
And not good weird either, just lazy writing.
The ebook has weird formatting, the scenarios are repetitive, lots of townsfolk names to remember, lots of rallying the troops,(an odd chapter that has a unknown narrator spying on little girls in the school playground~ That one mention is never resolved or brought up again). I wanted to like the book but it got weird a third of the way through.
And not good weird either, just lazy writing.
September 25, 2024
Some Nice Twists to the Plot
Rose Landgreen was a detective in the big City, but she longed for a slower pace job in her home town of Twin Creek, in up state New York. She was appointed Detective and has a very rookie Detective as her partner. Things get busy pretty fast. A six year old girl goes missing, then some bones are found out in the forest. Add to that a dead man found tied to a tree. It’s like being back in the big city. What is going on?
I do recommend this novel.
**********
Rose Landgreen was a detective in the big City, but she longed for a slower pace job in her home town of Twin Creek, in up state New York. She was appointed Detective and has a very rookie Detective as her partner. Things get busy pretty fast. A six year old girl goes missing, then some bones are found out in the forest. Add to that a dead man found tied to a tree. It’s like being back in the big city. What is going on?
I do recommend this novel.
**********
December 23, 2024
I’ll definitely read more in this series
May 16, 2024
Absolutely amazing police procedural! This was a genuinely thrilling, suspenseful read, and I couldn’t be happier that it’s the start of a series. The author toys with the reader’s expectations, and the misdirection is expertly done! Throughout the entire story, there’s this ominous, mysterious tension, and at times, depending on the pov character, quite the creepy vibe. Loved it! The forest near the town, such a seemingly innocuous, wholesome place, feels dangerous and is full of secrets and … perhaps even monsters. I loved the small town vibes in the story as well, even though nothing is as it seems.
The main character is a middle-aged detective who has left the big city and returned to her hometown, expecting a quiet life. Yeah … that’s not happening. Rose Landgreen is no-nonsense and a bit of a grumpy loner, but most importantly a highly capable detective! She is such a real person, flawed, and maybe because of that easy to relate to. I liked how patient she is with her rookie colleague, Eric, who is definitely a little green behind the ears still, stumbling about earnestly. I loved Eric for caring so much in general and being such a lovely surprise throughout. In the end, Rose and Eric could not be more different, but they make a surprisingly great team. Apart from the main plot, which has Rose and Eric desperately trying to crack their case, there’s also a storyline connected to a tragedy in Rose’s past, which remains unresolved but could perhaps continue towards a conclusion in the next books in the series. Fingers crossed, because I need some closure!
The main character is a middle-aged detective who has left the big city and returned to her hometown, expecting a quiet life. Yeah … that’s not happening. Rose Landgreen is no-nonsense and a bit of a grumpy loner, but most importantly a highly capable detective! She is such a real person, flawed, and maybe because of that easy to relate to. I liked how patient she is with her rookie colleague, Eric, who is definitely a little green behind the ears still, stumbling about earnestly. I loved Eric for caring so much in general and being such a lovely surprise throughout. In the end, Rose and Eric could not be more different, but they make a surprisingly great team. Apart from the main plot, which has Rose and Eric desperately trying to crack their case, there’s also a storyline connected to a tragedy in Rose’s past, which remains unresolved but could perhaps continue towards a conclusion in the next books in the series. Fingers crossed, because I need some closure!
October 17, 2024
Very disappointed. In a small town rife with local grudges and domestic feuds there are disappearances and murders. As I read though, the book focused more on the detective who recently returned from the big city. Yet, she acts like she knows nothing of the people. That was very confusing. Then we have a little girl that disappears and the ending didn't really answer what happened. It was a struggle to finish because the supposed twists and turns, great characters, and psychological tension (the blurb for the book) never really happened.
December 6, 2024
Devastating devastating action
Ageing police officer, Rose Lundgreen, suddenly finds her quiet backwater village is suddenly the campground for unbelievable action. The finding, a few by a. dog, of a human bone begins a series of devastating dramas. Following the discovery two unexplained deaths also occur, murders. Rose is still trying to solve the mystery of why and how her sister, Calla, disappeared. Now come these peculiar deaths and another young girl apparently disappearing. What is the truth of "monsters in the woods" and who is perpetrating these recent crimes.
Ageing police officer, Rose Lundgreen, suddenly finds her quiet backwater village is suddenly the campground for unbelievable action. The finding, a few by a. dog, of a human bone begins a series of devastating dramas. Following the discovery two unexplained deaths also occur, murders. Rose is still trying to solve the mystery of why and how her sister, Calla, disappeared. Now come these peculiar deaths and another young girl apparently disappearing. What is the truth of "monsters in the woods" and who is perpetrating these recent crimes.
May 4, 2025
I'm not really sure if this was actually 3 stars, but it was better than 2 stars. Author needs to work on dialog and topics of conversation. The main character is overweight, and her younger partner is a bodybuilder. You will know this because those 2 things are all anyone thinks or talks about. Decent mystery, I didn't figure it out until close to the end. Not too bad for a basically free book on Kindle Unlimited.
April 29, 2025
Interesting characters, but . . .
This story has interesting characters, especially the protagonist. They interact, relate and grow. But the plot is disjointed, with three, perhaps four murders in the small town in upstate New York that attracted me. They are tied together in a less-than-believable way. The story is l-o-n-g.
This story has interesting characters, especially the protagonist. They interact, relate and grow. But the plot is disjointed, with three, perhaps four murders in the small town in upstate New York that attracted me. They are tied together in a less-than-believable way. The story is l-o-n-g.
June 4, 2025
You get hit over the head with whole monster theme time and again in clunky and overly obvious ways, and it doesn’t really amount to anything. I know this is part of a series - which might explain the lack of resolution — and I might even read more because it’s easy, light writing, but hardly a must read.
September 2, 2024
Not as good as I hooed
I had problems getting into this book. I really wanted to read it as the description had me hooked. I did finish reading it. I probably won't read any more books by this author. Didn't care for her writing style.
I had problems getting into this book. I really wanted to read it as the description had me hooked. I did finish reading it. I probably won't read any more books by this author. Didn't care for her writing style.
September 16, 2024
I really would say probably 2.75. It read pretty fast. I’m really not sure whether I liked the book or not. I could never really buy in to the whole “forest monster” thing and that most likely turned me off a bit. There were twists and surprises but just not all that interesting.
November 10, 2024
Good read
Interesting read. It's nice to have a 'normal' woman as a detective and not some of lara croft type. Overweight and dedicated .Hope she teaches Eric well, and he does more than build muscle! Not a fan of bulk!.
Interesting read. It's nice to have a 'normal' woman as a detective and not some of lara croft type. Overweight and dedicated .Hope she teaches Eric well, and he does more than build muscle! Not a fan of bulk!.
May 19, 2025
Couldn't stop reading
I loved the relationship between Eric and Rose. The story of the witch was good. The added missing girl was a great distraction to try and throw them off.
Loved it. Will read the next story
I loved the relationship between Eric and Rose. The story of the witch was good. The added missing girl was a great distraction to try and throw them off.
Loved it. Will read the next story
September 1, 2024
An interesting mystery and start to the series with interesting characters. I didn't always connect with it, and there was a tiny possible very minor plot error involving a curtain.
September 3, 2024
I enjoyed reading this mystery with it's interesting characters and the intriguing and satisfying mystery.
September 11, 2024
Kinda dumb.
Total snore fest. Couldn't get into it n then it was over . Nothing about why or her sister. Definitely a waste of time
Total snore fest. Couldn't get into it n then it was over . Nothing about why or her sister. Definitely a waste of time
September 19, 2024
Pretty quick read, and a decent book. But it doesn’t actually have a conclusion. The story just ends without everything being solved.
September 25, 2024
You become the lure for the trap,!
Some typos but all in all a very good read. My first by her but surely not the last. Grab a copy you’ll like it. Mikey did!
Some typos but all in all a very good read. My first by her but surely not the last. Grab a copy you’ll like it. Mikey did!
October 15, 2024
I enjoyed this book & the character of Rose. It was a quick and easy read. My only complaint was I felt the ending was a bit to abrupt.
October 28, 2024
Good solid story
Took a while to get into, didn't like the writing style. I found the book a bit lumpy it needed more details and information but I did guess who the killer was.
Took a while to get into, didn't like the writing style. I found the book a bit lumpy it needed more details and information but I did guess who the killer was.
Read
December 1, 2024DNF @ 13% Couldn't connect with characters, didn't like the writing style, not enough to keep me hooked
February 13, 2025
Good read
It took a while for the story to switch on, but once it did it was almost un put downable. Recommended
It took a while for the story to switch on, but once it did it was almost un put downable. Recommended
April 23, 2025
Main character too depressing. Very mediocre story.
May 13, 2025
Boring and slow
Didn't enjoy this book one bit. Slow moving, not well written, far fetched. Wont be looking for any books by holm.
Didn't enjoy this book one bit. Slow moving, not well written, far fetched. Wont be looking for any books by holm.
May 16, 2025
DNF. Very disjointed choppy sentences. Read 29 pages, and Rose being old and fat with a bum knee (because she’s old and fat) already mentioned at least three times.
July 10, 2025
A good crime story
Great characters with back stories, a setting lovely but with hidden aspects, dark spots in an area intertwined with nature in all its forms.
Great characters with back stories, a setting lovely but with hidden aspects, dark spots in an area intertwined with nature in all its forms.
October 1, 2024
It was fine. I’d give it 3.5 stars if I could. The character development is kind of odd. The author spent a lot of time on Eric, but he still seemed like a stupid lug. And Rose seems pretty complex, but I’m not sure how I feel about all the emphasis on her weight. And some of the other characters seemed to be two-dimensional.
To me, the ending kind of came out of nowhere. I might read another one though. I’m interested to see how Rose and Eric’s partnership progresses. And I don’t like to judge a series based on the first book. They usually improve. 🤞
To me, the ending kind of came out of nowhere. I might read another one though. I’m interested to see how Rose and Eric’s partnership progresses. And I don’t like to judge a series based on the first book. They usually improve. 🤞
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews