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Keri Locke #2
A Trace of Murder
In A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter. Encouraged by the new lead that has landed, the first in years, she pursues it with all that she has, determined to find her daughter and bring her back alive.
Yet Keri, at the same time, receives a phone call from a frantic husband, a famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who reports that his wife has been missing for two days. A wealthy socialite with no enemies and little reason to leave her life, he fears the worst has become of his wife.
Keri takes on the case, assigned a new partner whom she hates, as Ray still recovers in the hospital. Her investigation leads her deep into the elite Beverly Hills world of the idle rich, to encounters with lonely housewives, and those with shopping-addicted, empty lives. Keri, in over her head in this world, becomes increasingly puzzled by the conflicting signals: did this woman, with a stalker and a lurid, secret past, run away, or was she abducted?
Or did something far more sinister happen?
A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF MURDER is book #2 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2017
2104 people are currently reading
1900 people want to read
About the author
Blake Pierce
691 books5,792 followersBlake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
November 14, 2017
Keri Locke is a bad ass detective! Great plot and awesome characters. This book was just what I wanted to read. Fast paced and well written. Keri can make you feel happy for her or angry or heart broken. I’m hooked and want to read more of these. Great read!
September 12, 2023
Great series - smart, bulldog type detective fueled by personal reasons to find “the missing”! Her own daughter has been missing 5 years now, but she has just been assigned a case of a wealthy socialite woman who has come up missing.
The woman’s husband, a prominent plastic surgeon demands the police find his wife insisting she would never run away. He has an iron clad alibi, but the suspect list is relatively short. The case is about ready to close when the “bulldog” grabs hold of that instinctive bone.
Colorful characters, a great mystery, intertwined with just the right amount of suspense. Thumbs up 👍
5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The woman’s husband, a prominent plastic surgeon demands the police find his wife insisting she would never run away. He has an iron clad alibi, but the suspect list is relatively short. The case is about ready to close when the “bulldog” grabs hold of that instinctive bone.
Colorful characters, a great mystery, intertwined with just the right amount of suspense. Thumbs up 👍
5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Want to read
November 9, 2017FREE on Amazon today (11/09/2017)!
October 1, 2020
Really liking this series! This had a better pace than than the first book, I felt like it ended so quickly lol Keri is still a reckless ass detective but this time you know that there’s a reason for her madness lol
This ends with some stuff unresolved so I’m dying to start the next one to see how that ends!
This ends with some stuff unresolved so I’m dying to start the next one to see how that ends!
November 4, 2017
I'm really liking this series. Second installment didn't disappoint. Bring on book #3.
July 2, 2018
So Keri is probably my second favorite in Blake Pierces books. Riley Paige wins hands down everytime. I want so badly for Keri to find Evie alive and well, do I think that will happen? probably not but one can hope. Ray and Keri need to just get together they're perfect for each other. As with the first book this ones case was great and I love Keris no nonsense attitude and stubborn demeanor. The case was great along with the writing. although i do wish it was a little longer. :(
December 22, 2019
This book like the last was super quick pace and seriously had me wanting to finish the book in one sitting. Detective Locke is as reckless as ever. But she always a reason for being that way. I have more questions than ever.
January 20, 2021
Keri Locke mi piace sempre più.
Voto: 3,6
Voto: 3,6
July 3, 2021
1...Whelp that went downhill for me quick! I tried to let the far-fetched peanut butter scene go from the last book, BUT when you follow it up with a decoy setup like this novel...I can't! And KL is just a vigilante with a badge at this point! Damn I really liked the premise of these!
February 11, 2025
Debut d’enquête un peu moins accrocheuse que le premier tome mais vers la moitié ça va de plus en plus vite. J’ai aimé retrouver Keri et voir comment elle se mettait encore les pieds dans les plats, poursuivant l’enquête grâce a son instinct et munie de son impulsivité, malgré les ordres contraire de son supérieur. J’ai déjà hâte de retrouver les personnages dans le tome 3 !
November 4, 2017
I have read the first novels in four Blake Pierce mystery series: Riley Paige, Mackenzie White, Avery Black, Keri Locke. I enjoyed the Keri Locke books the most, and found “A Trace of Murder” (Keri Locke #2) to be the best yet that I have read. Pierce’s writing flows easily, his protagonists colorful, interesting, just enough off-beat, he is a master story-teller.
January 19, 2020
Not my type of story but very well done. Burying alive leaves me quite disturbed. I can’t watch movies that have that in them. But kidnappings are very real and happen everyday. Human traffickers kidnap loved ones without remorse. Blake Pierce does a very decent job with this series in dealing with kidnappings and murder.
November 5, 2017
very good
November 5, 2017
A page turner
The pacing of the story was good except it went too fast. I was so not ready for the book to end.
The pacing of the story was good except it went too fast. I was so not ready for the book to end.
April 13, 2020
now I remember why I don't binge read this author, I really wanted to know what happened in the next book but ehh its just way too much "no I have do to this NOW" *oh great, now im trapped.* so yea...
December 5, 2020
MAN OH MAN BLAKE PIERCE IS A MYSTERY GENIUS
October 26, 2017
Honestly, it looks rather dry after the first book. However, it can keep you reading
March 12, 2017
SHE'S GONE...
Blake is at it again with his "no-nonsense bulldog detective" Keri Locke! He really has a great way of having you feel like you know the characters by the end of the book. In this case it was mostly Keri. I really don't tell what the story is about, you can read that on the book cover. Besides I don't like when people give out spoilers, ( I HATE THAT!) I would just like to say that I really enjoy this character "Keri" because of her refreshing personality. If you haven't tried the first book you really should, this is the type of book that should be read in sequence. I have read about ten of his books and have yet to be disappointed. I LOVE THE "ONCE SERIES!" Check them out, quick, easy fun read, (as long as you like this genre!)
Blake is at it again with his "no-nonsense bulldog detective" Keri Locke! He really has a great way of having you feel like you know the characters by the end of the book. In this case it was mostly Keri. I really don't tell what the story is about, you can read that on the book cover. Besides I don't like when people give out spoilers, ( I HATE THAT!) I would just like to say that I really enjoy this character "Keri" because of her refreshing personality. If you haven't tried the first book you really should, this is the type of book that should be read in sequence. I have read about ten of his books and have yet to be disappointed. I LOVE THE "ONCE SERIES!" Check them out, quick, easy fun read, (as long as you like this genre!)
November 28, 2023
Always good work from the author and this plot is not an exception. Audiobook was well performed, book was engaging as was the heroine.
2nd reading;
Interest-keeping plot with twists that keep the reader from getting unsatisfied (adding unnecessary content). It all ends up well in a finished veneer (the author’s usual). Standalone. Have read a large portion of authors works it. Well performed by Elaine Wise.
2nd reading;
Interest-keeping plot with twists that keep the reader from getting unsatisfied (adding unnecessary content). It all ends up well in a finished veneer (the author’s usual). Standalone. Have read a large portion of authors works it. Well performed by Elaine Wise.
June 19, 2017
Keri Locke series
I enjoy all your books but finding Evie is dragging on too long and starting to get boring. Plus Keri and Ray need to get hooked up that is taking too long also. I will continue reading all of your series because you do tell great stories
I enjoy all your books but finding Evie is dragging on too long and starting to get boring. Plus Keri and Ray need to get hooked up that is taking too long also. I will continue reading all of your series because you do tell great stories
August 18, 2017
Very good book
I loved the characters, especially Keri Locke. The story was very well written and the complete personalities of characters was enlightening. Every police dept. needs detectives like her. Hahaha. Thanks for a good read. Blake Pierce is a very good writer.
I loved the characters, especially Keri Locke. The story was very well written and the complete personalities of characters was enlightening. Every police dept. needs detectives like her. Hahaha. Thanks for a good read. Blake Pierce is a very good writer.
March 15, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. Continued right on the heels of the first book and it was just as good. I flew through this and was NOT ready for it to end.
May 23, 2017
Loved it keeps you turning pages
June 4, 2017
Another winner
I read this volume in three sittings, once again a gripping novel, book three here I come. I think I have become a committed fan.
I read this volume in three sittings, once again a gripping novel, book three here I come. I think I have become a committed fan.
June 14, 2017
This is turning out to be an awesome series. I've read many Blake Pierce books and this is my favourite series so far.
June 21, 2017
BEST SERIES I'VE READ IN A WHILE!!!!!!
November 7, 2017
A Trace of Murder - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Detective Keri Locke has only a few more hours to uncover the whereabouts of Kendra Burlingame - missing wife of Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Jeremy - before the likelihood of finding Kendra alive evaporates. Although recently out of hospital following trauma at the hands of a killer and still with no sign or her missing daughter Evie after so many years, Keri is determined and feisty enough to make her own rules when it comes to the crunch.
Keri's LAPD partner, Ray Brooke, remains in hospital after saving her, but he's keen to act as a sounding board for Keri's theories and offer moral support when she clashes frequently with authority, in the form of her chief Frank Brody. Clues and red herrings come thick and fast and Keri is forced to accept backup on occasion, as her body hasn't recovered as quickly as her mind. Needless to say this chafes on Keri, as she's a law unto herself on occasion and doesn't hesitate to go above and beyond the call of duty, helped by Department rookie Jaime Castillo, when others say the case has gone cold and should be closed.
Why was Kendra Burlingame withdrawing money from her private account every month? Where does Keri find the memory stick behind the photograph and what information does it hold? How does the 'Ghost' help Keri? Who is Jennifer Horner and what is her relationship to Jeremy Burlingame? What clue leads Keri into mortal danger and helps her solve the case?
This second book in the Detective Keri Locke Mystery Series leaves the reader with as many questions as answers, as it links seamlessly on from the stories in Book 1. Outstanding author Blake Pierce knows no equal when it comes to writing superlative crime fiction, as this novel shows, with its complete character development and engaging storyline.
I would highly recommend it to fans of feisty female leads, psychological dramas and police procedural mystery-thrillers...I enjoyed it so much I read it in one sitting oblivious to the world around me, as I was so deeply drawn into the events within from the beginning to the very last page. You'll love it too and wait eagerly, as I am, for the next in series - A Trace of Vice.
Detective Keri Locke has only a few more hours to uncover the whereabouts of Kendra Burlingame - missing wife of Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Jeremy - before the likelihood of finding Kendra alive evaporates. Although recently out of hospital following trauma at the hands of a killer and still with no sign or her missing daughter Evie after so many years, Keri is determined and feisty enough to make her own rules when it comes to the crunch.
Keri's LAPD partner, Ray Brooke, remains in hospital after saving her, but he's keen to act as a sounding board for Keri's theories and offer moral support when she clashes frequently with authority, in the form of her chief Frank Brody. Clues and red herrings come thick and fast and Keri is forced to accept backup on occasion, as her body hasn't recovered as quickly as her mind. Needless to say this chafes on Keri, as she's a law unto herself on occasion and doesn't hesitate to go above and beyond the call of duty, helped by Department rookie Jaime Castillo, when others say the case has gone cold and should be closed.
Why was Kendra Burlingame withdrawing money from her private account every month? Where does Keri find the memory stick behind the photograph and what information does it hold? How does the 'Ghost' help Keri? Who is Jennifer Horner and what is her relationship to Jeremy Burlingame? What clue leads Keri into mortal danger and helps her solve the case?
This second book in the Detective Keri Locke Mystery Series leaves the reader with as many questions as answers, as it links seamlessly on from the stories in Book 1. Outstanding author Blake Pierce knows no equal when it comes to writing superlative crime fiction, as this novel shows, with its complete character development and engaging storyline.
I would highly recommend it to fans of feisty female leads, psychological dramas and police procedural mystery-thrillers...I enjoyed it so much I read it in one sitting oblivious to the world around me, as I was so deeply drawn into the events within from the beginning to the very last page. You'll love it too and wait eagerly, as I am, for the next in series - A Trace of Vice.
June 22, 2023
LAPD Missing Person Detective Keri Locke has calmed down considerably and by the midway point of "A Trace of Murder" hasn't (technically at least) assaulted anyone or committed a crime.
She's supposed to be easing herself back into work after the event in the previous book while her partner, Ray, remains in hospital.
A prominent socialite has gone missing, leaving few clues. The available evidence seems to point towards her abandoning her privileged life, but it is far from airtight.
There was a piece of extraneous information towards the start which, in my humble opinion, screamed an answer to the mystery. Only time will tell! (It's in the description of the missing woman's home).*
And there may be a new clue for Keri in the case of her abducted daughter, Evie, - it's too soon to know for sure.
Ah! I knew it was just a matter of time - she crosses the line big time. What ensues afterwards is the type of big reveal that never happens in real life but is all too frequent in novels.
The case is eventually solved in a satisfactory manner but the end of the book, along with the clues uncovered along the way, bring Keri that few steps closer to finding her missing daughter.
It's a solid 3 Stars.
* Yes, I was right.
She's supposed to be easing herself back into work after the event in the previous book while her partner, Ray, remains in hospital.
A prominent socialite has gone missing, leaving few clues. The available evidence seems to point towards her abandoning her privileged life, but it is far from airtight.
There was a piece of extraneous information towards the start which, in my humble opinion, screamed an answer to the mystery. Only time will tell! (It's in the description of the missing woman's home).*
And there may be a new clue for Keri in the case of her abducted daughter, Evie, - it's too soon to know for sure.
Ah! I knew it was just a matter of time - she crosses the line big time. What ensues afterwards is the type of big reveal that never happens in real life but is all too frequent in novels.
The case is eventually solved in a satisfactory manner but the end of the book, along with the clues uncovered along the way, bring Keri that few steps closer to finding her missing daughter.
It's a solid 3 Stars.
* Yes, I was right.
September 10, 2018
Too bad there isn't a Goodreads shelf labeled - Did not finish or Abandoned, so something to that effect. I am never going to finish this book.
I just cannot get through this. I've worked in fields in which i was subject to sexual discrimination. Acting like a teenager is not the way to deal with it. If the detective is so competent, why is she portrayed as an insecure, paranoid person? Her whole MO is: I'll do this so that I can show them I am good - she focuses so much on the discrimination (perceived or real) that it's hard to believe she can actually get work done.
Look at Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect for an example of a competent, confident, detective dealing with sexism. That's how we do it, not sitting there with negative self talk. Another example? Look at the recent situation that Serena Williams was in, she spoke up after the fact. She didn't whine during it and, I doubt that she privately belly ached about how the judge was going to treat her today. If she acted like Keri, this is what would have been going through her mind: "Oh, he's going to discriminate against me, he's sexist, so I am going to do this _____ to show him!".
I just cannot get through this. I've worked in fields in which i was subject to sexual discrimination. Acting like a teenager is not the way to deal with it. If the detective is so competent, why is she portrayed as an insecure, paranoid person? Her whole MO is: I'll do this so that I can show them I am good - she focuses so much on the discrimination (perceived or real) that it's hard to believe she can actually get work done.
Look at Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect for an example of a competent, confident, detective dealing with sexism. That's how we do it, not sitting there with negative self talk. Another example? Look at the recent situation that Serena Williams was in, she spoke up after the fact. She didn't whine during it and, I doubt that she privately belly ached about how the judge was going to treat her today. If she acted like Keri, this is what would have been going through her mind: "Oh, he's going to discriminate against me, he's sexist, so I am going to do this _____ to show him!".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews