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She escaped. Her sister didn't.

Seventeen years ago, Betina Grace climbed out a window and ran for her life, leaving her younger sister behind with a promise to come back. She's been searching ever since.

Now an FBI agent with a secret of her own, Betina can see the dead. A gift born from the night she almost didn't survive. When a desperate phone call leads her to a small town with dark secrets, she knows she's finally close.
Morrow Creek, Georgia, is the kind of place where everyone knows your business and no one talks to outsiders. Working alongside a brooding local detective who understands loss in ways few others could, Betina quickly realizes this town protects its own.

But the dead don't keep secrets. And they've been waiting a long time for someone to listen.
Some secrets are worth killing for. Some promises are worth dying for.

For fans of slow-burn romantic suspense, small-town mysteries, and psychic heroines who never stop fighting.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2026

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About the author

Kate Allenton

116 books353 followers
I write the kind of books that make you check your locks before bed and leave the lights on just in case.

I'm Kate Allenton, an author who lives in the space where paranormal suspense, supernatural thrillers, and edge of your seat crime fiction collide. My stories range from psychics and reapers in small towns that look perfectly normal until they absolutely aren't, to gripping FBI thrillers where the monsters are all too human.

You'll find me writing the Lost Souls Society series, where death is just the beginning of the mystery, and the Psychic Oversight series, where seeing the future doesn't always mean you can change it.

With over 80 books published, I've spent more than a decade perfecting the art of the cliffhanger ending and the 2 AM "just one more chapter" problem.

VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE!
https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Allenton/...

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https://www.facebook.com/kate.allenton.1

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5 stars
325 (72%)
4 stars
90 (20%)
3 stars
28 (6%)
2 stars
2 (<1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Debbie DiFiore.
2,908 reviews324 followers
March 13, 2026
Really good

I love this author. I really enjoyed reading about Betina's search for her sister. Parts of it were heartbreaking. They were both kidnapped and abused and Betina escaped and promised her sister she would be back. By the time she got the police there the place was burnt to the ground. So 17 years later she is still searching for her little sister. Out of the blue she gets a call and its her sister. They see the location go to find her and she's gone. The search continues and somebody is not happy!
Profile Image for kankan.
84 reviews6 followers
February 28, 2026
Wow….. just WOW……
I hope the next in the series is released quickly, and we get updates on the characters in this book.
Profile Image for Spinneretta.
2,945 reviews21 followers
March 5, 2026
Good

Betina Grace is an FBI agent with a tragic past. Once held captive by evil men, she managed to escape, leaving her sister behind. She’s spent seventeen years trying to find her, and the special unit she works for has given her hope that she might one day succeed.
It’s a phone call that brings about a break in the case, and with the help of local policeman Nash Mitchell, Betina and her group find themselves investigating a crime that digs deep into the bedrock of the town.

While this is a non-graphic story, it covers some seriously disturbing events— putting it into the “not quite cosy” category, and more into romantic suspense. Nash and Betina have a slow burning fuse, because they are dedicated to their jobs, and there are people in need.
We do get to see some of our FBI favourites from previous books/other series, but only Jenna and Roger (we met both in book two of Ryley’s series “Lost Souls Society”, and again in book one of this series) are prominent.

It’s a gripping tale, with lots of action, a bit of angst, and some truly villainous villains! The ghosts weren’t as prominent in this one as some of the author’s other stories, but they were present (especially Ada Mae).
If you’re a fan of Paranormal mystery and suspense with a hint of romance, then you might just love this book.
Profile Image for Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill.
Author 2 books47 followers
March 16, 2026
This book was great! It had great characters, a tight plot, and a ton of suspense. It was packed with emotion, tension, and even a love story. Throw in the supernatural effects and you’ve got this righteously good book.

Betina Grace is an FBI agent. who was part of an eclectic group of people who can see ghosts, communicate with the dead, and have various other gifts that help with cold cases. This is personal for her though. She and her sister had been abducted as young girls, and she managed to escape with the promise that she’d go back to rescue her sister. Seventeen years later, she’s finally coming through. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to earlier. It was because she had nothing to go on, but she was determined to get her sister back.

I don’t want to go into the story too much because I don’t want to ruin this for everyone else. Suffice it to say that the whole reason these girls were abducted will blow your mind.

There were twists and turns in the plot that kept me turning the pages, and there were a few “0h sh*t!” Moments. The book was a wild ride that I thoroughly enjoyed and that will stick with me for a long time to come.

*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

**Although this is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel
Profile Image for Debra.
326 reviews8 followers
March 1, 2026
WOWZA!

Haunting Bad is one of the best books written by Kate Allenton that I have read, and I have actually read them all! This book had it all, mystery, romance, and creepiness. Betina’s and Nash’s story is a case of love in the midst of the darkness. Betina’s sister has been missing or 17 years when she receives a phone call from her. She would know that voice anywhere! Her FBI team heads to the closest city to the place the phone call originated from. Here they meet Nash, one of the city’s detectives, who also had a relative who disappeared years ago. Nash and Betina’s face many obstacles and some crazy twists and turns in their quest to find answers about loved ones taken from their families.
Profile Image for Ilse.
202 reviews4 followers
March 1, 2026
This latest Kate Allenton book grabbed me from the first page and kept me hooked to the very end. It was hard to put down. It was a great story of sibling devotion and love. Betina spent 17 years trying to locate her missing sister, Lexi. It all began with the trauma of the sisters who had been kidnapped, abused and imprisoned. Betina escaped and spent almost two decades searching for Lexi. The tale is one of drama, suspense, hope, despair, intrigue, doubt, etc. Who can be trusted, who can't and knowing one wrong move could be the difference between life and death. Of course, it also involves special abilities of the FBI team and ghosts of those left behind.
Profile Image for Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book.
1,567 reviews35 followers
March 6, 2026
This was a very tough read. It’s so very good, just know the subject matter is hard. In today’s climate it hit me. It held a spot for me.

This author is such a good storyteller…this time she made the reader really think and hurt for those victimized. And made those responsible pay. I sure would like to see that happen all the time. This group of characters are so smart, kind and I love the camaraderie of the team. Plus the woowoo factor is awesome. I love a mystery with paranormal and Kate is a master.
Profile Image for Debbie.
117 reviews
March 14, 2026
Happy ending

I don't really like to read violent crime novels, but I got hooked into the character of Betina early on, wondering how she was going to find her sister. It was a complicated, well thought out crime that encompassed many leaders in a small town. There was danger around every corner and a successful outcome at the end. I kept thinking that the bad guys still had tricks up their sleeves even after they were caught. And you gotta like a love story woven through the hard times they went through together.
166 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2026
Excellent read!

I really like this series. The characters have enough quirks and gifts to not only keep you guessing but hold your interest cover to cover. I like the interaction of the characters. Their unique personalities and gifts mesh to form a solid team that genuinely works. I'm looking forward to further adventures with the Psychic Oversight team. I'm also curious to see the development of Bet and Nash's relationship as well as what the future holds for Lexi's future.
883 reviews2 followers
April 4, 2026
I enjoyed this book about a special task force with members who can see ghosts, read minds, etc. It is a unique and fun thing to imagine happening. The story involved an agent who went into law because she was kidnapped along with her sister when they were young, and only she managed to escape. It takes place in a little back, water, type town, and it comes with some stereotyping of characters. However, it was a good read. The ending was a bit too, pat for me when it comes to Lexi. Saying more wood mean, revealing to many detail details of the plot and it’s ending.
Profile Image for Brandy George.
106 reviews2 followers
March 22, 2026
good read

This books are getting better and better. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I love how you are on the edge of your seat to see what was going to happed. You get the right amount of love, lost, povs, romance, laugh out loud amounts you got to love rogers gran she is a hoot.
1,137 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2026
Betina was a survivor

Nash had lost his cousin and was obsessed with finding missing girls. Betina works with him to find her sister who is still lost. Together they take down a human trafficking operation.
Profile Image for Thompson615.
560 reviews5 followers
February 28, 2026
Great book!

This book was so good! Two kidnapped sisters are at the heart of the story. What unfolds is a deep reaching evil that’s been unstoppable. The FBI begin putting the pieces together and the action explodes. I couldn’t put this book down! I can’t wait for more!
Profile Image for Jean Morgan.
1,048 reviews3 followers
February 28, 2026
Excellent

A wonderful story about commitment, steadfastness, family, and romance. I loved the mystery, the action and the relationships in this story. Very well written and a great read!
359 reviews2 followers
March 9, 2026
This was an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with not-so-great emotions. It's a hard read, but a good one. Strong characters, and a riveting storyline that shines a light on some of the most heinous crimes happening (or that have happened) in our world, not just in stories.
2,959 reviews14 followers
May 14, 2026
This is one of the most intense books I have read--loved it. The story caught my attention and never let me go until the end. Enjoyed seeing Savannah and Mason again but the new crew was awesome. Definitely recommend reading.
Profile Image for chalice king.
21 reviews2 followers
February 27, 2026
Awesome

Kate Allenton at her best! All of her books are really great !
I've read all of her books more than once.
431 reviews4 followers
March 1, 2026
Loved it !

I couldn’t put this book down. You never knew what was going to happen next. The suspense and the hunt for her sister. Had a very good ending. Nash and Betina were made for each other.Can’t wait to see what Ms Allenton has in store for us in the next book.
87 reviews
February 28, 2026
Fabulous!

I’m starting to think anything written by Kate Allenton is worthwhile reading and has to be given 5 stars. I absolutely loved the second book and can’t wait for the third.
6 reviews
March 1, 2026
Damn good book

Sweet Jesus, this book had me looking like a zombie the next day. I kept saying, " One more page, well, that one page turned into a chapter.
18 reviews
March 3, 2026
Awesome Book

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't want to put it down until I completed it. Highly recommend .A+ fantastic plot
4 reviews
March 8, 2026
Thrilling

Enjoyed the mystery. The characters are entertaining. Can't wait for the next one. Read both Psychic Oversight books. Kate Allenton tells a good story.
Profile Image for Nicki Griffith.
7 reviews
March 22, 2026
Gripping

I read this in one day. It's that gripping. Its actually terrifying to think that anything close to this could happen.
41 reviews
May 1, 2026
Awesome

Great story, could not put it down. Read the whole book in one. Sleep is overrated. Hope there is another book in the works.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews