Zło w ciemności

Ryder Creed #8

by Alex Kava, Katarzyna Ciążyńska (Translator)

Ciemność niesie z sobą zagrożenia, których nie sposób zobaczyć ani przewidzieć.

Od czasu służby w Afganistanie Ryder Creed unika zmroku. Liczy się bezpieczeństwo psów tropiących, z którymi pracuje. Jednak zniknięcie nastolatka w Panhandle na Florydzie zmusza go do odłożenia na bok lęków i pomocy miejscowemu szeryfowi w poszukiwaniach. Tym bardziej, że Creed zna to dziecko.
Determinacja by złapać mordercę jest często silniejsza niż instynkt samozachowawczy.

Agentka Maggie O’Dell zostaje wezwana na miejsce zbrodni. Wszystko wskazuje na to, że druga ofiara w okolicy to kolejna z kilku jakie zabił ten sam sprawca polujący na bezdomnych w różnych miastach. Kolejny atak kończy się nieoczekiwanie i dramatycznie, a O’Dell jest zmuszona do pościgu za uciekającym mordercą. Miejsce, do którego zmierza trop jest zaskakujące.

Czy skrzyżowanie się ścieżek obu zdarzeń to na pewno zwykły zbieg okoliczności?

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Dogs, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Animals

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2023

About the author

ALEX KAVA IS A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series and a new series featuring former Marine, Ryder Creed and his K9 dogs. Her stand-alone novel, One False Move, was the 2006 One Book One Nebraska. Published in over thirty countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Poland. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. She is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and International Thriller Writers. Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.

Reviews

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 Stars rounded up

It's impossible not to care about and root for the human and canine heroes in Kava's series. —Tracie Holtcher, The Radio Pet Lady Network ™

If that's not the truth!! I adore the Ryder Creed series. Not only because of my love for Ryder's sweet (and brilliant) little scent dog, Grace, but also because I've learned things with every Creed book I've read. This time I learned about soldiers being forced to leave their working dogs behind to fend for themselves when the soldiers were pulled out of Afghanistan. Utterly heartbreaking. (But, hooray for the ones who have been rescued!) Equally heartbreaking was reading about houseless/homeless having to choose between a hot meal and a warm bed OR keeping their loving companions with them.

I prefer the books that center on the Ryder Creed characters and SAR dogs. I don't like the books with Maggie O'Dell in them as well - and this book seemed to stretch credibility in the way the Creed storylines flipped back and forth with the O'Dell storylines, before ultimately being brought together.

However, Midnight Creed was absolutely another addictive installment in the series. I didn't want to put it down!! Now begins the wait for Chasing Creed to be written...

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this 8th book in Alex Kava's "Ryder Creed" series!

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Czuję się tą książką trochę rozczarowana. Z jednej strony to wciąż duet, który bardzo lubię; pieski, na które czekam strasznie zawsze (już autorka zapowiedziała kolejny tom!) i jest to Alex Kava, czyli nazwisko, któremu jestem wierna od pierwszej książki, która wpadła w moje łapki. Ale to się wydaje takie... pospieszone. Przez większość książki jest jakieś gadanie o niczym (dopiero, co ją skończyła, a już nie mogę sobie przypomnieć, o co tam chodziło). Właściwa akcja, a przy okazji to, co dostajemy w opisie to jest może ostatnie 30% książki... przez co wszystko się dzieje na hura, brakuje głębi i nie po to tak się obśliniłam na tą książkę, żeby mnie tak w konia robić...

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great addition to the Ryder Creed series!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book eight in the Creed series and it’s definitely a winner. Creed is on a search for a missing teenager. Maggie, in DC, is investigating a murder which is very similar to another recent murder. With Maggie’s expertise as a serial killer profiler she knows she is on the hunt for a serial killer.
I like the way Brodie is becoming stronger emotionally and also having Ryder and Jason training her in searches. She now has her own dog, Hank, who has been a big influence in her emotional healing. Grace, Bolo, and Scout never stop amazing me with their keen abilities.
Included in this book is Creeds determination to get former K-9 scent dogs out of Afghanistan and brought home to their former handlers.
The only character I’m on the fence about is Taylor, who was introduced to us in book seven. She’s dating Jason and is in a custody battle with her seven year old son’s grandmother.
Things are moving in the right direction with Creed and Maggie.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Amazon
*Genre* Mystery / Suspense
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Midnight Creed is the 8th installment in author Alex Kava's Ryder Creed series. Once again, this story alternate's between FBI Special Agent Maggie O'Dell, and of course, Ryder Creed, owner of K9 Crime Scents with his partner Hannah Washington. The story, though, begins with the killer of the story on the hunt. This killer apparently was triggered by an event that happened 20 years ago, and the lasting effects of what those around him pushed him into believing.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Jacek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kolejne, ósme już spotkanie duetu Maggie O'Dell oraz Rydera Creeda. Mamy tu wszystko, co w poprzednich tomach, czyli śledztwo, morderstwo, wykorzystanie psów do tropienia i wolno rozwijająca się relacja głównych bohaterów. Niby wszystko ok, ale duża część książki to wolne, mało wnoszące śledztwo, a w momencie, kiedy zrobiło się interesująco, nagle wszystko się skończyło, bez wyjaśnień i jakiegoś fajnego zamknięcia.

Plusy:
Lubię książki o agentach FBI i seryjnych mordercach, szczególnie gdzie jest także pokazana akcja z punktu widzenia samego ściganego, więc fajnie, po raz kolejny można było obserwować ich pracę.
Urocze są także psy, którymi zajmuje się Ryder.

Minusy:
Bardzo długi wstęp, a potem zamknięcie całości na dosłownie paru stronach, bez większego wyjaśnienia, jak doszło do wydarzeń i rozwiązań.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story in this series.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggie and Ryder's paths cross as their investigations entwine

[Kivrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good entry in the series although I felt the crossover element (with Maggie) was a little farfetched. Too many crimes and plot lines conveniently crisscrossing. I think if the book had been a little longer, it would allowed for a little more fleshing out of characters, motivations, etc. I especially thought the serial killer's ending was very brushed over.

[Piroska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good as always, but very short, I felt like the story was a bit rushed, I could have read a lot more of this story.
I like how Ryder and Maggie's relationship didn't magically just work out and they still have to solve the problem of living so far apart.
As always with her books, the amount of coincidences that happen are ridiculous, this was the worst so far, but her writing style is great so I can easily forgive.

[Dedi Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I pre-ordered this book directly from the AlexKava website and those of us who did that received the book December 10th, rather than the December 17th release date for all of the major retailers. If you're not a member of Alex's VIR Club, I highly suggest you join. It's free and you end up getting perks like this AND being the first to know everything Alex Kava!

I learned long ago that I cannot begin a new Alex Kava book on a day with any other plans .... so I've planned accordingly, taking a "Me Day" on every release date. This one was no different. I took December 10th off, warned everyone to avoid calling me, and dove right in.

As expected, I immediately got sucked into the Alex Kava Riptide and dragged through her roller coaster of a tale. This always happens to me. I cannot make that first read of an Alex Kava book a slow, easy journey. I cannot take time to appreciate the details. I'm rushing headlong to try to help whomever Kava has thrown into harm's way and I just can't quit until we've succeeded, and I feel that relief.

After that, I usually give it a couple of weeks and do a second read. On that read, I enjoy the scenery. I note characterizations that I missed on that first wild ride. I notice Rita. I feel with more characters ... where that first ride connects me with just one or two, the second read gives me connections to many others. With this release, my second read will be a while away because I'd just begun another re-read of ALL of Kava's books, starting with her first (A PERFECT EVIL, Book 1 in the Maggie O'Dell series). I'm currently re-reading HOTWIRE (Book 9 in the Maggie O'Dell Series) and getting that much closer to our introduction to Ryder Creed (which comes in STRANDED (Book 11 in the Maggie Series).

Aside from the greatness of Kava books and especially MIDNIGHT CREED, I appreciate that Kava truly loves and values her readers. Once Maggie had pretty much run her course as a stand-alone series (in someone's eyes - not mine) ... Kava's readers told her that they weren't ready to lose Maggie. Kava listened and we get quite a bit of her in the Ryder Creed Series, which began with BREAKING CREED. As a reader, this means the world to me. Like many others, I wasn't ready to lose her. I appreciate knowing what's happening in her life and seeing her interactions with the Creed series characters. I'm invested in Maggie's ongoing struggles and always rooting for her.

Kava has done the same thing with Creed and his dogs. She makes you KNOW him. Love him. Root for him to overcome struggles both in physical situations and emotional issues. She gives him support through both internal means and external characters ... and you will grow to love them all ... but his main support is always the dogs he saves and trains. As a dog lover, I get that! As a dog lover, Alex proves her understanding of the healing connection humans receive from animals and we see that proof in the Ryder Creed Series. Jump on board and you will not be disappointed!

SIDENOTE: Alex Kava's books are all stand-alone tales, even though they are a series. You will not be left feeling unfinished by a cliff-hanger at the end. The "series" comes through character development and us getting to know and love the characters she brings into our lives ... not through the tale she's telling at the moment. Whether you start with MIDNIGHT CREED and then pick up the previous books or you start with BREAKING CREED (or even back with STRANDED when we met Creed) and work your way forward, each book is a story within itself and comes to a solid close. Don't be worried about Kava leaving you to dangle between releases because she doesn't. I'm always left with a satisfying end to the main tale in the book.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new episode of a Creed book is always welcome. This one - you just want to be true. For us animal lovers, it was more than hurtful to learn that the government left the working dogs in Afghanastan - so this small part of the book is a wonderful wish. Maggie is working on a serial killer and Creed is working on 2 missing boys. The way their cases come together may be stretching the imagination - but like I said - you just want things to work out right sometimes. It is nice to watch Brodie - Creed's sister - get more involved in life and being back in it. Thanks, Alex Kava - keep 'em coming please!!!!!

[Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Uwielbiam serię z Ryderem i jego psami tropiącymi. Jest to tak fascynujący temat, jak ważna jest pomoc psów przy poszukiwaniach osób zaginionych. Dodatkowo zwięzła fabuła, ciekawe morderstwa i wiele plot twistów, które nieźle mnie zaskoczyły.
Zdecydowanie Alex Kava znajduje się w moich top 3 autorów kryminałów, A Maggie i Ryder to ulubiony duet.
Jedyne czego mi brakuje, to poznanie trochę głębiej doświadczeń Creeda i jego siostry, bo w tej części przez autorkę wiele razy zostało podkreślone, że niektóre działania były dla bohaterów stresujące ze względu na sytuacje w których kiedyś się znaleźli, ale cały czas nie dostajemy żadnych szczegółów.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better. I started reading this series after reading about K9 handlers in another book I was reading. When I started, this was a new series that I was hooked on from the beginning. In my favorite books and series, I look for characters that I like and good and interesting authors who know their subjects and I learn interesting facts I was not aware of. This series hits all my high points. Ryder Greed is someone I would want as a friend. Reading this series in order is highly recommended.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this wasn't one of Kava's strongest entries in the Creed series, it was still a solid story.
I always find myself enjoying the way the title character takes in rescue and injured dogs and rehabilitates them, some learning detection skills.
Creed's got 2 missing kid cases, one a runaway teen who was likely beaten regularly at home, and a 7 year old son of one of the supporting characters.
The interplay between Creed and his dogs is tremendous, along with the supporting cast and the dogs.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love K-9 mysteries, this series is for you. The dogs always steal my heart, and the show!

[Vonny Hirchert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost a 4!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series always has a little bit of everything. It’s not complicated and it’s not overkill and I like how the two stories of Maggie and Ryder come together. I could use it just a little bit more of Maggie and rider together.

[Mary Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series a lot--always a sucker for a great K9 story. Interesting plot twist with abandoned dogs in Afghanistan. Already looking forward to the next one in the series.

[(NurseLisa) Square Granny from Ohio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely FIVE STAR STORY, but 3 star editing - at best. Which bummer! I just have a reeeeeally hard time getting past misspellings/typis, grammatical errors, and whatnot; I’m DEFINITELY NOT used to this kind of “thing” in a Kava novel so I’m gonna chalk it up to a one-off and let it go. I am already looking forward to “Chasing Creed” and hey, Kava? Plllllleeeeeease don’t make me wait too long, ok? ;-) love this series!
Happy holidays, y’all! ☺️🫶🏻🎄

[Doris Beberniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced

This is such a great series. There's always lots of action, a mystery and a little romance....plus there's dogs!! Who could ask for me? Except the next book in the series please.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this one starts out a bit slow, but then snowballs quickly where all the story lines converge.

Ryder and his group, searching for a missing teen, Maggie and her people search for who is killing unhoused people. There should be nothing that connects these, yet when we get to the end, they very much are, a little by chance and a little by people are just evil and awful. Both groups seem to be hit hard by what they are seeing while searching, missing kids and people that live in awful situations and it really affects them. Then there is Ryder trying to help his Vet in getting dogs home from Afghanistan, so much drama there.

By the end of the book there is good new and bad news on the missing, good news and bad news on the killer and nothing but good news on the dogs coming home.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in March of this year I reached out to a friend of mine to help me pick out the next book for me to read from multiple stacks of unread books I have in my room. They picked one from each stack. Ended up with four. Down to two, and then one. Never did I expect that the choosing of A Perfect Evil would have led me to having read nineteen (or twenty if I count Off the Grid, a short story collection) books by Alex Kava to round out, so far anyway, not one but TWO series!! The Maggie O’Dell and Ryder Creed series have been immense fun to read and dive into. It felt weird as ever starting Midnight Creed, book eight, knowing that I’d be caught up as far as releases go. The binging will have reached its end and like all other fans I’ll have to wait for the next book, Chasing Creed, to be released in the future!

I can’t help but think that with a bit of minor tweaking, though hell in all actuality nothing would have to be changed whatsoever cuz it was perfect, this book could’ve acted as the last book in the series. Believe me I’m glad it isn’t because I know Alex Kava will be able to piece together another fantastic storyline for these characters! But the return of so many characters was so freaking awesome and it’s one of those things that makes starting from the beginning of the series (with the Maggie O’Dell series I mean) all the more worthwhile and rewarding. I found myself lowering the book with my mouth hanging open and looking all excited upon seeing the names Julia Racine, R.J. Tully, who used to be Maggie's partner (first time in the Ryder Creed series to have lines and be seen in person), and Walter AND Liz Bailey!!! Even a nice little cameo from Senator Ellie Delanor was freaking sweet and had a nice tie-in to the story.

This book was the first in a while that had me tearing my attention from the words on the page to try and piece things together in my head with my imaginary cork board. The red herrings, flipping back and forth to ruminate in past chapters for various characters POVs, it all just makes for a super fun reading experience because it feels like we’re in the midst of this investigation with the characters. Not to say that the previous installment didn't have a riveting mystery. They certainly did but this one really got me to thinking and I found myself trying harder than usual to figure things out on my own!

Ryder Creed and his scent dog, Grace, are helping Sheriff Norwich, who’s been present in I think four of the Creed novels now and is a great character to see each time, find a lost teenager in the forest. At the same time Maggie O’Dell is in Washington, D.C. dealing with a serial killer who's going around killing homeless people. She befriends a homeless woman named Vanessa, goes by Nessie, who was absolutely awesome and downright hilarious at times! A wonderful addition of a character!

Taylor Donahue, introduced in Hidden Creed, book six, is dating Jason Seaver, a dog handler who works alongside Ryder Creed at his business K9 CrimeScents, and upon entering her POV we realize she's going through a lot with her mother-in-law as far as custody dealings go. When we were introduced to Taylor in book six it was mentioned that she had given up custody of her son, Will, to her in-laws to try and improve her own life before taking on the responsibilities of raising her son. Dora, the mother-in-law, wants Taylor to stop seeing Jason in order to know that she'll be able to really and truly look after Will and his wellbeing without any distractions.

This all really added a great layer to the story, particularly by act three, especially with how awesome Will was written for a seven year old boy and the way he got along with Jason! Just seeing the growth Jason's character has made since Breaking Creed, book one, is a sign of fantastic writing and it's just wonderful!

Later on Maggie gets a call from Nessie, who has been doing her own snooping and spying, and it doesn't take long before Maggie is on the move from Washington, D.C. to Jacksonville, FL in an attempt to follow the killer. They head west and Maggie ends up in Pensacola! What happens around the start of the third act really sets everything in motion. Creed, his sister Brodie, Jason, and their dogs jump into action to help Sheriff Norwich search for another boy who has gone missing. I tell you, when I had about thirty pages left I started feeling that pit in my stomach a whole lot more.

This story just had it all and it moved at a fantastic pace!! Like I said I can’t wait to see what Alex Kava has up her sleeve for the next installment. To think I went from A Perfect Evil, book one in the Maggie O'Dell series, to Stranded, book eleven, and then jumped into the Ryder Creed series with Breaking Creed and have now finished book eight... it's just amazing. Binging these over the past five months has been nothing but enjoyable and I can't help but love these characters. Having gotten to know them and this writing style thanks to binging has been a freaking treat!!

There are a couple of other really great elements mentioned in this story that I haven't mentioned here in the review, such as the pull out of Afghanistan (really makes it feel like the story is set in 2022/2023!) and how the scent dogs were left behind, but it's something that's worth reading and finding out about yourself!! Pick up this book, and then hold onto it. Trust me, it may be a while until you finally get around to it and that's because I implore you to start at the beginning. It's worth it.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Winner

Alex Kava never disappoints. I absolutely loved this eighth in the Ryder Creed series. Its twisted and a bit complicated plot was easily grasped under Kava's skilled hands. The characters are all, as usual, totally realistic and believable. And I am already watching for the next one!

[Ericka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read. I love the Ryder Creed series but felt like this one was lacking substance and length. Looking forward to the next one and hoping for more.

[Mary Donegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

MIDNIGHT CREED (‘23 - 5 STARS) (Bk 8 Ryder Creed K9 Mystery Series) BY ALEX KAVA

DESCRIPTION : NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
Ryder Creed’s priority is to keep his scent dogs safe. In the dark there are threats that are impossible to see or predict. Ever since his Marine K9 unit searched for IEDs in Afghanistan, he’s avoided nighttime searches. But when a boy goes missing in a remote area of the Florida Panhandle, Creed has to put aside his fears and navigate the risks his dogs will face after dark.
A KILLER IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
In the middle of the night, FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell is called to a crime scene in D.C. The M.O. matches another murder in the same area. Maggie and her team at Quantico believe this killer struck in other cities and is targeting homeless men. After another attack leaves a colleague hanging on for life, Maggie grabs the only tip they have. She’s determined to track this killer herself as he flees D.C. and leads her hundreds of miles to a place she never expected.
ON A COLLISION COURSE.
When Sheriff Norwich enlists Ryder’s help to find a missing boy, it’s personal. The young boy is someone Ryder and his crew know. The search will lead them deep into the forest and after dark. The paths of Ryder’s missing boy and Maggie’s killer are about to collide

REVIEW :

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The first 7 books of the K9 Ryder Creed series were all great reads (4 stars) with the books 5&6 receiving 5 stars from me. Always great to be back with the Ryder Creed crew, like coming home! You definitely need to start with book 1 to get connected to all the characters.

I’ve also read 7 books in the Maggie O’Dell series (Stranded #11 ‘13, Hotwire #9 ‘11, Black Friday #7 ‘09, Exposed #6 ‘08, A Necessary Evil #5 ‘06, At The Stroke of Madness #4 ‘03 & A Perfect Evil #1 ‘00). Plus a stand-a-lone novel, Whitewash ‘07. I guess I’m a Alex Kava fan and LOVE receiving a Christmas card from her every year !

Alex always manages to bring the characters back to you so easily. I love when she references past cases and they jump right back to your mind. I love those connections. Another great read in this series. Can’t wait for the next one - CHASING CREED !

[Danielle Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REALLY REALLY GOOD, BUT NOT THE BEST THING I'VE EVER READ -- Generally I hand out this rating to books that I thoroughly enjoy/find extremely interesting/have a lot of fun reading. I save 5 star ratings for only the best of the best, so a 4 star rating is usually indicative of a high quality book. A book could be knocked down to 4 stars because there were some parts that I wasn't entirely fond of, some parts that could be improved upon, or maybe I just didn't like the ending. Still, I would likely recommend this book to most people, with the proviso that I enjoyed it but it wasn't the best ever.

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My ranking criteria (✅= Yes, ❌= No, ➖= Kind of/a little bit):

*Bonus points if I can't put the book down, it makes me feel strong emotion, or genuinely surprises me in some way.
*Penalty points for editing errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.), for children who act too mature or too young for their age (this is a bugbear of mine), or if there is something in the book that just really pisses me off for any reason.

1. I was sucked into the story from the beginning ✅
2. The story had a proper beginning, middle, and end ✅
3. The writing evoked a feeling of suspense ✅
4. I was engaged the whole way through/didn't get bored ✅
5. The characters were interesting ➖
6. There was some form of character development ➖
7. The book wasn't predictable in terms of relying on tired tropes, clichés, themes, stereotypes, etc. ➖
8. I cared about the outcome of the story ✅
9. I didn't work out the ending/the ending surprised me ➖
10. The ending was satisfying ✅

🌟 Bonus points: None.
☠️ Penalty points: None.

🏅 OVERALL RANKING: 8/10 (4/5 stars)

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Thoughts, Conclusion, and Recommendation:
*I am about a year behind on my reviews due to Goodreads giving me a "the servers are over capacity" error every time I tried to use it for MONTHS. As a result of this (and also my memory not being perfect), this review is likely going to be lighter on details and shorter than my reviews normally are.

The Ryder Creed books are always a good time, especially when Maggie O'Dell is there too. And there are dogs! These books are a no brainer for me. 4 stars.

[Jo Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight Creed by Alex Kava 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I thoroughly enjoyed this new instalment in the Creed series.
Alex writes relatable characters, all with their own unique insecurities, doubts and struggles but also strengths. I always find myself willing them to resolve their issues & pray for HEA’s but Alex has a way of moving their characters along both personally and professionally just enough, keeping you on tenterhooks for the next book. Characters you can’t help but care about.

Midnight Creed follows several storylines, involving Creed & Maggie and I don’t know how Alex does it but eventually they all finally link together.
A missing teenager, a child in a custody wrangle, a overbearing matriarch a flawed but loving mother, a homeless man (and his dog) (who incidentally I hope Alex finds scope to bring back somewhere in a future book) and a vicious murderer all collide to make a compelling story with our favourite characters, Creed, Maggie, Jason, Brodie, and of course their canine companions on the case. I also really enjoyed the character of Sheriff Norwich…hope to see more of her too.

I don’t know how Alex did it but by the end of the book I started to have some genuine sympathy for the murderer…or maybe not sympathy but It’s one of those ‘if his life had gone differently’ sort of stories….you could sense what had happened to lead him to do what he did.

Alex’s books are always so easy to read, the pages turning themselves. Midnight Creed is one of those books where you want to keep reading but then cringe when you realise you’re reaching the final pages as you don’t want it to end! Alex also always manages to educate the reader about important but oftentimes hidden real life issues (in this case military dogs abandoned in Afghanistan). Whilst I had been aware of this issue I love that Alex highlights these stories and brings them to our attention.

I genuinely cannot find anything negative about this book & highly #recommend this . I think you could read it as a standalone but you gain a better sense of the characters actions if you’ve come to know them in previous books…and frankly why wouldn’t you want to read them all?!

[Katarzyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dziś kolejna propozycja dla miłośników thrillerów psychologicznych i oczywiście wszystkich fanów twórczości Alex Kavy. 📚 Zapraszam na recenzję "Zła w ciemności", ósmej już odsłony serii z Ryderem Creedem w roli głównej❗️☺️

Ryder Creed, były żołnierz piechoty morskiej, zmaga się z traumą wyniesioną z Afganistanu. 😖 Pewnego dnia jego niechęć do pracy po zmroku zostaje wystawiona na próbę. Gdy znika znajomy Creedowi nastolatek, 😲 mężczyzna zostaje zmuszony do konfrontacji z własnymi lękami i podjęcia nocnych poszukiwań w lasach Florydy. 🌲 Równolegle śledzimy losy Maggie O'Dell, agentki FBI, która w Waszyngtonie trafia na trop seryjnego mordɛrcy. Kolejne zbrodnie popychają kobietę do pościgu za uciekającym zaɓójcą. 🚔 Te dwa pozornie niepowiązane ze sobą wątki w pewnym momencie łączą się, splatając losy Rydera i Maggie w jedną całość.

"Zło w ciemności" to historia złożona, ponieważ narracja prowadzona jest tu z różnych punktów widzenia. 👍 Akcja rozgrywa się w bardzo odległych od siebie lokalizacjach, co dodaje fabule atrakcyjności równocześnie sprawiając, że z ciekawością i niecierpliwością oczekujemy momentu, w którym wątki się połączą. 🤩 Tym ciekawym zabiegiem autorka mocno intryguje, nie pozwalając nam odłożyć książki na bok ani na moment. 🙅‍♀️ Dozowanie informacji trzyma w napięciu oraz zmusza do ciągłego zgadywania, jak historia się rozwinie. 🤔 Dużym atutem tej książki, jak i pozostałych części serii, są wiarygodnie nakreśleni bohaterowie. 👌 Wewnętrzne zmagania, lęki i motywacje dodają postaciom głębi i pozwalają emocjonalnie się z nimi zżyć. Jednak bohaterami w cyklu o Ryderze Creedzie są jednak nie tylko ludzie. Niezwykle ważne role odgrywają tu bowiem psy tropiące. 🐕 🤎 W swojej książce autorka porusza też ważny temat czworonogów służących na wojnie.

#złowciemności to solidny #thriller, który na pewno zadowoli fanów serii. Dla czytelników, którzy nie znają wcześniejszych części, wiele odniesień do przeszłości bohaterów będzie niestety niejasnych, dlatego warto zacząć czytać od tomu pierwszego. 😌 Książki są jednak tak wciągające, że ani się obejrzycie, a będziecie zaczynać najnowszą odsłonę cyklu. Gorąco polecam❗️☺️