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Anna Denning Mystery #3
The Sacrifice
It’s nearly Halloween in Elk Park, Colorado, and there’s something strange going on at the Elk Valley Historical Society. One of the society’s founding members, a retired history professor who wanted to hire genealogist Anna Denning to complete his secret research into the family trees of two other members, has been found dead, the victim of a brutal murder.
When a friend of the victim pleads with Anna to complete the professor’s work, Anna agrees. Her decision leads her into a disturbing world of lies, concealed identities, and the occult—and face to face with a host of unsavory suspects.
With courage and a hefty helping of stubborn resolve, and facing major changes in her personal life, Anna digs beneath the surface of the past to discover the dangerous secret behind a decades-old murder. A murder that has a stranglehold on the present.
When a friend of the victim pleads with Anna to complete the professor’s work, Anna agrees. Her decision leads her into a disturbing world of lies, concealed identities, and the occult—and face to face with a host of unsavory suspects.
With courage and a hefty helping of stubborn resolve, and facing major changes in her personal life, Anna digs beneath the surface of the past to discover the dangerous secret behind a decades-old murder. A murder that has a stranglehold on the present.
247 pages, ebook
First published September 26, 2014
20 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Karin Kaufman
47 books185 followersKarin Kaufman grew up devouring murder mysteries, especially of the cozy kind. Give her a mystery, a comfy couch, her sweet dog at her side, and (preferably) a rainy day, and she’s in heaven. She’s the author of the Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery Series, the Smithwell Fairies Cozy Mystery Series, and the Anna Denning Mystery Series. The Witch Tree, the first book in her Anna Denning series, was a finalist for a Grace Award. Karin also writes children's books in the Geraldine Woolkins and Woolkins Bookshelf series.
For giveaways and news on all Karin's latest releases, sign up for her mailing list at http://www.KarinKaufman.com. And connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorkarinka....
For giveaways and news on all Karin's latest releases, sign up for her mailing list at http://www.KarinKaufman.com. And connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorkarinka....
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 15, 2025
The Sacrifice by Karin Kaufman is much darker than her previous two novels in the Anna Denning mystery series, but it is a Halloween story after all, and a perfect read for the season filled with twists and turns, genealogy, old murders and new, false identities, and… bees. Queen bees. The story centers around an old house and its once prosperous honey business. And when the local historical society connives its way into restoring the old place, Anna discovers there is more to it than just restoration. Murder is afoot. And the spooks aren’t ephemeral—they are downright flesh and blood, and utterly evil. A whodunnit worthy of the Old Dame of mystery herself! Five stars!
November 12, 2014
The most recent Anna Denning mystery is a spooky, surprising thriller, and a perfect autumn read (even if you just wish it was autumn). The heroine is smart, practical, and skeptical. She also has a calm, unshakable faith. But in the midst of a gorgeous autumn in the Colorado Rockies, geneaologist Anna Denning's research skills and intuition pit her against a gory murder (or murders), creepy characters who live for the occult, and a web of lies and threats. The best kinds of murder mysteries are the ones that have a smart character doing smart things, and yet you are still desperate to find out how it all works out. This is that kind of book!
October 26, 2014
What a great Halloween-y mystery! Another Karin Kaufman book I couldn't put down. I love the small-town Colorado setting in these mysteries and the hard-to-unravel back stories of the suspects. Anna Denning once again proves her grit as she hunts down an evil murderer. And the ending...superb. As usual, the title ties in beautifully with the over-arching theme of the book. I have the whole collection of the Anna Denning mysteries and hope there are more to come.
January 22, 2020
This was a "Yikes!" book for me.
Labeled under religious fiction I guess I thought it was safe. I'm going to have to go with... not so much.
Story: Anna Denning was asked to give a group a talk on genealogies and hired to do a bit of research. But what happened along the way was not what she understood she was getting into. Russell Thurman, the person who hired her, wasn't in attendance at the Elk Valley Historical Society’s mini-seminar on ancestry. During the meeting a phone call relayed he had been murdered. Come to find out, she was actually hired to research two members' backgrounds since Russell could find no trace of their early lives. What Anna entered was a veritable hornet's nest including murder, occult, astral projection, demon worship, an affair, revenge, and all means of Halloween rituals.
This was a hard read. One, I hadn't read the first two books in the series so I was a bit lost with the characters. It took nearly half the book and re-reading sections to get the characters straight. And two, this is a world I have never been a part of, nor do I want anything to do with.
The story goes back generations of underhanded dealings, murder, name changes, ritualistic rape/murder/pregnancy, inheritances and revenge. Anna wasn't sure who to trust with any of the information she was uncovering, and with good reason. People (except her best friend and boyfriend) were not who they seemed, or were involved in some pretty awful stuff.
Among the uncomfortable parts were: Two people feeling "a presence", talk of astral-projection, a Christian dabbling in the occult and wiccan life years before, and now sensing the weight of something that had "hitched a ride on her, sinking it's talons deep into her back.", not to mention the description of the ritualistic occult crimes.
Anyway, back to "religious fiction"... Some language used surprised me. Not language I'd use, that's for sure. Then there were the two people who called themselves Christians. There was hinting about the boyfriend spending the night with talk of leaving his razor at the house, etc. basically raising eyebrows without coming right out and saying it. Sigh.
Two words I'd use for this book: Complicated and creepy. Although the writing was very good, I don't believe I'd ever recommend it to a friend.
Labeled under religious fiction I guess I thought it was safe. I'm going to have to go with... not so much.
Story: Anna Denning was asked to give a group a talk on genealogies and hired to do a bit of research. But what happened along the way was not what she understood she was getting into. Russell Thurman, the person who hired her, wasn't in attendance at the Elk Valley Historical Society’s mini-seminar on ancestry. During the meeting a phone call relayed he had been murdered. Come to find out, she was actually hired to research two members' backgrounds since Russell could find no trace of their early lives. What Anna entered was a veritable hornet's nest including murder, occult, astral projection, demon worship, an affair, revenge, and all means of Halloween rituals.
This was a hard read. One, I hadn't read the first two books in the series so I was a bit lost with the characters. It took nearly half the book and re-reading sections to get the characters straight. And two, this is a world I have never been a part of, nor do I want anything to do with.
The story goes back generations of underhanded dealings, murder, name changes, ritualistic rape/murder/pregnancy, inheritances and revenge. Anna wasn't sure who to trust with any of the information she was uncovering, and with good reason. People (except her best friend and boyfriend) were not who they seemed, or were involved in some pretty awful stuff.
Among the uncomfortable parts were: Two people feeling "a presence", talk of astral-projection, a Christian dabbling in the occult and wiccan life years before, and now sensing the weight of something that had "hitched a ride on her, sinking it's talons deep into her back.", not to mention the description of the ritualistic occult crimes.
Anyway, back to "religious fiction"... Some language used surprised me. Not language I'd use, that's for sure. Then there were the two people who called themselves Christians. There was hinting about the boyfriend spending the night with talk of leaving his razor at the house, etc. basically raising eyebrows without coming right out and saying it. Sigh.
Two words I'd use for this book: Complicated and creepy. Although the writing was very good, I don't believe I'd ever recommend it to a friend.
August 7, 2020
Things just creepier and more dangerous...
Well, OK. The Sacrifice was by far the creepiest Anna Denning Mystery yet! Karin Kaufman really amped it up with this one! I could hardly put my phone aside for mundane stuff, you know, like eating or even breathing, but kept listening to the audiobook in slightly horrified fascination. Needless to say, I finished it in record time.
Once again Anna Denning delves into the dark secrets of occultists but this time she must solve ritualistic murders that are decades apart. Intriguing? You bet! At least I thought so, anyway. The Sacrifice is pretty much self explanatory and it sets the tone for eerie tale of murder and betrayal. But, lest I scare you off just know that Karin Kaufman's stories come from a Christian perspective which is why I've enjoyed them.
One thing to note is that if you don't like language this book does have some minor words.
As I've listened to the Anna Denning Mystery series in audiobook I've really come to enjoy the narrator. She has the perfect voice for Anna, has excellent narration skills, and she's just so easy to listen to. The production quality is also top-notch.
If you enjoy murder mysteries with spiritual warfare overtones you should definitely check out this book and the rest of the series (they are best read in order). Just don't forget to leave your light on tonight...
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
Well, OK. The Sacrifice was by far the creepiest Anna Denning Mystery yet! Karin Kaufman really amped it up with this one! I could hardly put my phone aside for mundane stuff, you know, like eating or even breathing, but kept listening to the audiobook in slightly horrified fascination. Needless to say, I finished it in record time.
Once again Anna Denning delves into the dark secrets of occultists but this time she must solve ritualistic murders that are decades apart. Intriguing? You bet! At least I thought so, anyway. The Sacrifice is pretty much self explanatory and it sets the tone for eerie tale of murder and betrayal. But, lest I scare you off just know that Karin Kaufman's stories come from a Christian perspective which is why I've enjoyed them.
One thing to note is that if you don't like language this book does have some minor words.
As I've listened to the Anna Denning Mystery series in audiobook I've really come to enjoy the narrator. She has the perfect voice for Anna, has excellent narration skills, and she's just so easy to listen to. The production quality is also top-notch.
If you enjoy murder mysteries with spiritual warfare overtones you should definitely check out this book and the rest of the series (they are best read in order). Just don't forget to leave your light on tonight...
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
September 6, 2021
When members of the historical society start turning up dead, Anna gets hired to research a couple of mysterious members which leads her to a twisted web of demon worship, infidelity and a host of people with secrets.
This is a mystery that just doesn't quit, from the discovery of the first body until the explosive ending where all the evidence comes together and all the plans come apart.
This third story of the Anna Denning series features the same core supporting characters as the previous two and the ongoing plot sees some significant advances but the story itself is completely self-contained with no cliffhangers .
A spooky murder mystery, suitable for Halloween, or any time when you're looking for a bit of suspense with your sleuthing.
This is a mystery that just doesn't quit, from the discovery of the first body until the explosive ending where all the evidence comes together and all the plans come apart.
This third story of the Anna Denning series features the same core supporting characters as the previous two and the ongoing plot sees some significant advances but the story itself is completely self-contained with no cliffhangers .
A spooky murder mystery, suitable for Halloween, or any time when you're looking for a bit of suspense with your sleuthing.
September 27, 2018
Twists all through this book
I enjoyed reading this third book in this series as much as the first two. Keep them coming. Very well written, interesting plot and I love the main characters. Thank you for these books
I enjoyed reading this third book in this series as much as the first two. Keep them coming. Very well written, interesting plot and I love the main characters. Thank you for these books
January 17, 2021
Worth your time.
Very good book. Hard to put down. I felt included in the town. Makes me want to read more of this character and author.
Very good book. Hard to put down. I felt included in the town. Makes me want to read more of this character and author.
Read
March 11, 2021I have enjoyed the series. I hope the series continues on for many, many more books.
December 31, 2021
This is a well written and developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
October 17, 2015
I love to read. Anyone who knows me will tell you that. In fact, I love to read so much that, when I was a youngster, my mama would say, "If you're looking for Susie, she's somewhere with her nose stuck in a book."
As a reader, one thing I love is discovering a new author. And I especially love it if this author has a few books out already and I get to read them one right after the other. That's what I've done this week with Karin Kaufman's 'Anna Denning Mystery' series.
I've always loved a good mystery, always. And I was happy to find a mystery series that is Christian. These books are not overtly Christian, though, so they will appeal to most anyone. Some folks will buy a Christian fiction book and then complain that it's too 'preachy'. Well, it's a Christian book. This one doesn't preach and it has a few mild swear words, but it definitely has the presence of God in it.
Anna Denning, genealogist, has been hired by a member of an historical society to do a family tree on several members. Only the one who hired her turns up dead. Murdered. Cruelly. What next? Does Anna leave it alone or go ahead with the job? She's already been paid. It would be just fine to leave it alone. However, if you know Anna Denning, she is definitely NOT someone to leave a mystery or job alone. She also doesn't back down from anybody.
She teams up with her good friend Liz to get to the bottom of this murder, while still doing the family tree, when things go from bad to worse and much worse. That's it. Nothing else from me. You'll have to read the book.
Do yourself a favor and read the entire series. I have it on good authority (the author herself), that there will be a fourth Anna Denning mystery next month! Whooo hooo! Was I glad to hear that! I have another author whose books I'll continue to read.
Karin Kaufman has created a cast of very believable characters, including their dogs. She writes well and creates a very tight mystery, leaving the reader stumped till the end!
As a reader, one thing I love is discovering a new author. And I especially love it if this author has a few books out already and I get to read them one right after the other. That's what I've done this week with Karin Kaufman's 'Anna Denning Mystery' series.
I've always loved a good mystery, always. And I was happy to find a mystery series that is Christian. These books are not overtly Christian, though, so they will appeal to most anyone. Some folks will buy a Christian fiction book and then complain that it's too 'preachy'. Well, it's a Christian book. This one doesn't preach and it has a few mild swear words, but it definitely has the presence of God in it.
Anna Denning, genealogist, has been hired by a member of an historical society to do a family tree on several members. Only the one who hired her turns up dead. Murdered. Cruelly. What next? Does Anna leave it alone or go ahead with the job? She's already been paid. It would be just fine to leave it alone. However, if you know Anna Denning, she is definitely NOT someone to leave a mystery or job alone. She also doesn't back down from anybody.
She teams up with her good friend Liz to get to the bottom of this murder, while still doing the family tree, when things go from bad to worse and much worse. That's it. Nothing else from me. You'll have to read the book.
Do yourself a favor and read the entire series. I have it on good authority (the author herself), that there will be a fourth Anna Denning mystery next month! Whooo hooo! Was I glad to hear that! I have another author whose books I'll continue to read.
Karin Kaufman has created a cast of very believable characters, including their dogs. She writes well and creates a very tight mystery, leaving the reader stumped till the end!
October 30, 2015
HAUNTING SUSPENSEFUL THRILLER
FABULOUS NEW AUTHOR TO ADD TO THE TOP OF MY READING LIST... I GIVE KARIN KAUFMAN " 5 " PLATINUM STARS FOR THIS SUPERB SUSPENSE MYSTERIOUS THRILLER...
THE CHARACTERS WERE PERFECTLY AND VISUALLY DESCRIBED AND ONE'S IMAGINATION COULD MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ACTUALLY KNEW THESE PEOPLE....
FAST PACED, EDGE OF YOUR SEAT, PAGE TURNING AND DEFINITELY A STORY THAT YOU JUST HAD A HARD TIME PUTTING DOWN.
THERE ARE SO MANY TWIST AND TURNS AND SEVERAL OF THE CHARACTERS LIVING ON THE DARK SIDE OF EVIL...
IT IS THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHO IS THE NEXT VICTIM...A PERFECT LIGHTS OUT HALLOWEEN SACRIFICE... EVEN THE DOGS ARE HOWLING...... THIS IS A MYSTERY READER " MUST READ. "
FABULOUS NEW AUTHOR TO ADD TO THE TOP OF MY READING LIST... I GIVE KARIN KAUFMAN " 5 " PLATINUM STARS FOR THIS SUPERB SUSPENSE MYSTERIOUS THRILLER...
THE CHARACTERS WERE PERFECTLY AND VISUALLY DESCRIBED AND ONE'S IMAGINATION COULD MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ACTUALLY KNEW THESE PEOPLE....
FAST PACED, EDGE OF YOUR SEAT, PAGE TURNING AND DEFINITELY A STORY THAT YOU JUST HAD A HARD TIME PUTTING DOWN.
THERE ARE SO MANY TWIST AND TURNS AND SEVERAL OF THE CHARACTERS LIVING ON THE DARK SIDE OF EVIL...
IT IS THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY AND YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHO IS THE NEXT VICTIM...A PERFECT LIGHTS OUT HALLOWEEN SACRIFICE... EVEN THE DOGS ARE HOWLING...... THIS IS A MYSTERY READER " MUST READ. "
April 27, 2015
Another Anna Denning mystery that will keep you guessing! I love how the family history of the people provide clues to who and why things are happening at the historical house. Bees, honey and Halloween- murders and business deals that don’t make sense- but Anna finds clues when researching the family tree of a couple of members of the Historical Society. Can she help find the killer while trying to keep a sweet old lady from being the next murder victim? I hope this is not the last Anna Denning book we see! I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion.
October 27, 2015
Excellent murder mystery with suggestion of the paranormal, just enough to keep you wondering just how bad can it get, yet a hint of a Christian base so you don't sprinkle holy water around every room before turning out the lights. I highly recommend this book anytime of year, but especially fun for Halloween.
December 3, 2015
Great plot!
I wonder sometimes how authors come up with plots and characters. This author carefully crafted her story and filled it great characters. How? Who knows, but she is really good at it.
Involved and utterly wonderful!
I wonder sometimes how authors come up with plots and characters. This author carefully crafted her story and filled it great characters. How? Who knows, but she is really good at it.
Involved and utterly wonderful!
July 2, 2016
Fantastic!!!
Such a great series. Great characters and lots of suspense and intrigue. If you love a good clean murder mystery... this is for you.
Such a great series. Great characters and lots of suspense and intrigue. If you love a good clean murder mystery... this is for you.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews