The Woods at Dusk

Detective Chris Bailey #2

by Kate Watterson

It isn’t every day that Detective Chris Bailey is handed a triple homicide.

They may have their share of problems in the scenic wooded hills of Tennessee, but news that a young man — a child, really — wiped out his entire family sends a ripple of shock through the whole community.

Seventeen-year-old Colin Simon is witnessed fleeing the scene, gun in hand. He’s arrested for murder, but refuses to explain any of it. Not even what he did with the gun.

The police have their suspect, so is it case closed?

The victims were Colin’s mom, stepdad and grandma. He swears he didn’t do it and he had no reason to kill them.

Bailey suspects there is more to this case than meets the eye. Who is Colin protecting? And how far will they go to hide the truth?

Detective Bailey is in a race against time to catch a killer.

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2022

About the author

Writing as both Emma Wildes and Katherine Smith, Kate Watterson has over thirty published books to her credit, plus five Eppie nominations, one Eppie win for best historical erotic in 2007, a RWA Lories win, WisRWA 2005 final for best historical romance, and is a CAPA nominee. She loves suspense and to write erotic stories in the genre is a special treat.

Reviews

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of months ago I read Book 1 in this series in preparation for reading this one which I had downloaded from Netgalley. I'm happy to report that this book was much more enjoyable than the first book.

Seventeen-year-old Colin Simon is arrested for the murder of his mom, stepdad and grandma after he was witnessed fleeing the scene, gun in hand. He swears he didn’t do it but refuses to explain what happened.

There are a lot of characters in this book and it's very easy to get them mixed up at first. Detective Chris Bailey has a more prominent role in this book than in the first one and I found his "Aw shucks" mannerisms to be just adorable. The story is told from the POV of the different characters with snippets at the beginning of each chapter presumably from the real killer. There's a bit of romance but it's not overwhelming and mostly occurs off the page. Although far from perfect, this was a quick and entertaining read. In my mind, it's not necessary to read the first book so save yourself the aggravation! I give this one 3.5 stars rounded up! I'm not sure about the significance of the title other than a shooting takes place at Detective Bailey's home which backs onto a line of trees. I'm not sure what time it was! He also owns a cabin in the woods but I can't recall any memorable occurrences there.

Book 3 is currently available as Read Now on Netgalley but so far I've refrained from grabbing it. I need to get some of my backlist cleaned up first.

My thanks to Joffe Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb for The Woods at Dusk by Kate Watterson describes a teenage boy who is witnessed leaving the crime scene of a triple homicide of his own family, but said teenager claims his innocence without offering up an explanation. I was immediately eager to read this novel & figure out the mystery!
At the beginning it switches point of view multiple times & I was confused trying to figure out who was who. But I found the case & the mystery within it a fascinating read.
Each chapter begins with a snippet from who I assumed to be the killer’s terrifying mind, which is just enough of a cryptic taste to spook you & puzzle you on their identity.
At one point when two lawyers were casually speaking to each other, it didn’t feel natural to me but perhaps that’s because I’m not a lawyer. I also felt the repetitive reminders that Chris was a “country” cop a little unnecessary.
The weaving of this story felt complex but still realistic, which can be a very challenging concept to achieve in mystery/thriller books. This book was able to surprise me with a couple twists, which I always enjoy whilst reading mysteries. I really appreciated the surprising romances throughout this book.
If you’re looking for a new intriguing mystery, albeit not a scary one, with a couple dashes of romance & a few twists along the way, I would check out The Woods at Dusk by Kate Watterson.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Joffe Books for letting me read an arc of this book!

[EILEEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WOODS AT DUSK opens with imminent violence in the making. Events develop into a tragic, perplexing mystery. An unfathomable, maze-like conundrum is secretly looming making the pages fly by. Chapters are riveting as tension soars high. Suspense skyrockets as action packed events escalate, leading to a dynamite, explosive finish.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The woods at dusk by Kate Watterson.
Detective Chris Bailey Book 2.
No motive.
No weapon.
No confession.
One suspect.

It isn’t every day that Detective Chris Bailey is handed a triple homicide.They may have their share of problems in the scenic wooded hills of Tennessee, but news that a young man — a child, really — wiped out his entire family sends a ripple of shock through the whole community.Seventeen-year-old Colin Simon is witnessed fleeing the scene, gun in hand. He’s arrested for murder, but refuses to explain any of it. Not even what he did with the gun.The police have their suspect, so is it case closed?The victims were Colin’s mom, stepdad and grandma. He swears he didn’t do it and he had no reason to kill them.Bailey suspects there is more to this case than meets the eye. Who is Colin protecting? And how far will they go to hide the truth?Detective Bailey is in a race against time to catch a killer.
A very good read with good characters. Likeable story. 4*.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Woods at Dusk was okay. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it

Pro's
Interesting plot
Twists and turns
A truly crazy bad guy
Under 300 pages, which is a quick read!

Con's
It felt rushed, like chunks of character development were glossed over
Didn't really connect with any of the characters, Bailey would have been my fave
At times seemed a little farfetched
The character's stories felt unfinished

So while my con's definitely outweighed my pros, it's not like I felt like it was a waste of my time, I just probably won't rush out to read another one of her books.

Also, just putting it out there, I didn't get the relevance of dusk in the title


Thanks NetGalley for the book in exchange for my honest review

#NetGalley #TheWoodsatDusk

[Christine Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Woods at Dusk by Kate Watterson

The Woods at Dusk by Kate Watterson is an excellent crime thriller and is the second in the Detective Chris Bailey series. The main characters were interesting and the storyline was intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Highly recommended

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series to feature Detective Chris Bailey and is set in Tennessee which gives British readers an alternative insight to policing in a different state of the U.S.A. Having read the first book, I noted that there was a lot of repetition which is depleted in this book however not totally gone away. There are quite a few characters to get your head around but then the story falls into place and overall is a good read.
Thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC to review.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely read books not set in the UK as I'm a very visual reader and prefer to be able picture where the book is taking place. I'm glad I read this one though - it's good. Lots going on, fast paced and interesting characters, not least the 17 year old accused of a triple homicide. If he won't talk to lawyers or police what hope has he of being exonerated.

Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Joffe Books, I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime fiction fans will not want to put down Kate Watterson’s second Detective Chris Bailey thriller, The Woods at Dusk.

The scenic woods of Tennessee are home to a community that is not without its problems, but the news that a young man, who was no more than a child, wiped out his entire family has everybody shocked and upset at this tragic turn of events. Seventeen year old Colin Simon had been seen fleeing the scene of the crime carrying a gun, but when the police catch up with him and arrest him for murder, he refuses to explain his involvement in the tragedy that wiped out his entire family.

The police are convinced that Colin murdered his mother, stepfather and grandmother, however, Detective Bailey is not convinced. There is clearly more to this case than meets the eye and Bailey is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery – no matter what it takes. Colin swears that he is innocent of the crimes he is being accused of, but he refuses to cooperate with the police and tell them who was responsible. Just who is Colin protecting? And what lengths will whoever is behind this triple homicide go to hide the truth?

Will Bailey manage to catch the killer in time? Or will a dangerous monster get away with murder?

Kate Watterson’s The Woods at Dusk will have readers jumping out of their skins and double-checking they’ve locked their doors and windows. Fast-paced, terrifying and chilling, this tense page-turner packs plenty of punch and will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

A terrific read that is not for the faint-hearted, readers who enjoy dark and gritty crime thrillers will not want to miss Kate Watterson’s The Woods at Dusk.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Woods at Dusk, the second novel to feature Detective Chris Bailey of a rural Tennessee Sheriff’s Office.

17 year old Colin Simon is arrested for the murder of his mother, grandmother and stepfather. All he will say is that he didn’t do it, but refuses to explain or offer mitigation. Neither Chris Bailey nor the prosecutor believe he did it, but he’s not helping himself.

I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the preceding novel, The Lake House, but The Woods at Dusk is much more to my taste with greater emphasis on Chris and his investigation. I found myself getting really engrossed in the narrative and rooting for Colin.

The plot isn’t particularly realistic (and I can’t say why without spoilers), but it’s exciting and highly entertaining, so swallow your scepticism and go along with a fast paced and, by the end frenetic, story. It has a bit of everything, like shootings, mystery parentage, interpersonal friction, stalking and romance, so there’s no time to get bored. It is told from various points of view, mostly Chris Bailey, Stephanie the prosecutor and Trey, Colin’s defence lawyer. As the latter two are embarking on a relationship the author spends time with them, but as it is a rather different courtship it’s not too yawn inducing.

Colin is a bit of an enigma. He’s obviously scared, but won’t say of who or what, so much of Chris’s time is spent trying to unravel the enigma and get him to talk. It’s more interesting than it sounds as, boy, does he have a story to tell.

The Woods at Dusk is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Colleen]

The Woods At Dusk is the second in the series featuring Chris Bailey. I read the first book of the series, The Lake House. When I saw that this was by the same author, I was happy to find I was approved for the ARC. I just couldn't place the characters until I went on Goodreads to post my review and saw that this was a Chris Bailey series. Then it clicked and tied it all together for me. I really liked the first one and this was a wonderful continuation in the series.

This is a quick read and definitely fast paced. The book starts with an ominous description of dusk turning to night and a murder in progress. A 17-year-old boy has been arrested of the murder of his three family members, but oddly no one thinks he killed anyone. Colin claims his innocence but refuses to say anything that might clear his name.

This story has several prominent characters, Trey and Stephanie, a defense lawyer and prosecuting attorney respectively, along with the detective Chris Bailey, and social worker Anna, Trey's former wife.

There is a wonderful balance of relationships between the main characters. There is an unusual viewpoint that all believe Colin is innocent and want to work together to prove it which made the story that much more interesting.

This is a wonderful story written by Kate Watterson. Other than the person responsible for the crime they are interesting and made me want to know more about each of the characters. This is suspenseful and entertaining all the while capturing your interest until the very end. Looking forward to more from Kate Watterson.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[Donna Morfett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a crime novel set in a small town in Tennessee. It opens with the crime and then follows as a 17 year old has been arrested accused of the crime, but no one seems to think he done it. Colin is clearly terrified and could give the information that proved his innocence but refuses.
This story follows Trey and Stephanie, the two lawyers, along with the detective Chris, and social worker Anna.
There is an interesting flow to this, its not a courtroom drama or a police procedural as such. At all points the young man is presumed innocent which is a nice viewpoint, and very much against my impression of the American justice system.
The side story of the blossoming relationship, although perhaps an implausible beginning was lovely to read.
Each chapter starts with a little snippet from the killer and clearly shows them losing their mind and going off the rails.
The killer is not someone I expected.
I think its the characters that made this book, and I related to almost all of them. There was a lovely easy relationship, camaraderie and banter between them.
I will be looking out for the next book in the series as I am particularly intrigued to see how one story line progresses.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the series. I haven't read book 1 so I can confirm this works perfectly as stand alone.

A family of 3 are killed and all clues point to a 17 year old boy. He is saying or doing nothing to prove his innocence in fact the opposite is true he seems to want to be arrested and charged with murder. What is going on?

Trey is a top lawyer tasked with defending him but who is paying the bill and why? Steph is acting for the prosecution but even she believes he is innocent it is a very complicated situation.

This is a steadily moving story with a lot going on and intrigue that builds throughout Having a 17 year old boy as the main character makes for a very unusual plot. I love the way Chris Bailey steadily builds a relationship with the boy and gently and gradually gains his trust. This is the main tipping point in the story.

A very good read that I really enjoyed. Different in a good way, plenty of intrigue and a psychopath added to the mix keeps the reader intrigued and engaged all the way to the explosive ending.

[Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! Although this appears to be the second book featuring Detective Chris Bailey, it works as a stand alone. Chris is a very likable character and an even smarter detective. Every main character is likable and you get a feel for who they are as individuals, both personally and professionally. The plot, a triple homicide, is quite interesting since the main suspect maintains his innocence but is not forthcoming with what he knows, it's up to Chris and his partner to figure it out. Although the book glosses over some of the investigation, at no point did the book dull out, the side plots involving the prosecutor and defense attorney kept me hooked. I think there may be room for improvement towards the end, I would have liked to understand more of what motivated the suspect to commit the crimes.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook ARC for this title in exchange for my review.

Did I read the same book everyone else did? I just don't understand the number of 4 or 5 star reviews. This book was just 'ok' to me. IT is book 2 in a series, and I haven't read book 1 - maybe that's what I'm missing. I felt like the plot and characters were just really superficial and the mystery was kind of - meh. IT wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I wonder if this is supposed to be a romantic-suspense/thriller? I suppose that might make a bit more sense for the high ratings.

It's a quick read, which is good. But I still felt something was missing. Might skip this author in the future.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how fast paced this book was. It didn’t take long for me to get into it and become invested. The only part that was confusing, was keeping track of who was talking. Because the book was so fast paced there were multiple characters being introduced in a short amount of time, and it was a little hard to keep up. That challenge didn’t last though, in a short time it became easier to understand who was talking. I think the backstory of the characters and their personal drama really added to the book. Near the end of the book, I gasped audibly with what was happening. I did not expect the ending at all. I would say this is a definite must read!

[Kellie Whittam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Kate Watterson. I really enjoyed her fast-paced writing style. It was a fast and easy read.
I liked the plot, it was a bit different having a teenager as the main suspect and reading how that was managed by all concerned, particularly when he wanted to be charged with murder.
The introduction of Colin's father added another interesting family relationship.
I would have liked to read more about Chris Bailey's investigation and maybe the murderer's character to be developed further.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I received an ARC from Net Galley and Joffe Books in return for an honest review.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read the first in this series and was not that keen on the story and the way the investigation was described. What a different book this second one is. Lots of action, twists and turns and suspense. I also liked the personal back stories. The first book was mentioned fleetingly, but this would work well as a stand alone. The characters and relationships between them have been developed more . The crimes seem plausible and are not all cut and dried.
I will definitely look out for more from this series now
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Emily Burrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Chris Bailey is investigating the triple homicide of a family by a 17 year old relative to the victims, Colin Simon. Colin swears he didn’t commit a crime but won’t explain any further. There is no weapon and no motive. Detective Bailey works alongside prosecutor Stephanie St James and defence Lawyer Trey Austin to establish what really happened on that fateful night.
Each chapter builds up the suspense,
This book can be read as a standalone, I have not read the first Detective Chris Bailey book and did not feel at a disadvantage. Looking forward to reading the next instalment.

[Diane Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man has been accused of murder but no one is convinced he did it, including the detective and prosecutor. The young man refuses to say anything that will help him. There are interesting characters in the book with complicated relationships. The suspense is more boiling beneath the surface until the end of the book. I have read this author in the past and liked her and will continue to follow her. This was a good 41/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

[Gill Appleyard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this much more than the first. There was a bit of similarity in that there’s another love triangle but as we get to know Bailey more, I could ignore the similarities.
The plot was perhaps a bit far-fetched but it worked and as I found in the first book, I love Bailey’s thought processes and how he solves stuff.
As a Brit, I’m not always a fan of US police books as the systems are so different but this works for me and I’m glad I’m reading them.

[Kelly Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book! I came across it on my Libby app that my library had unlimited copies. So I decided to give it a try. I finished it in 2 days. I thought it was a quick read. It had a lot of twists and turns throughout that kept me interested. There were a couple of times I thought I had figured it out, and then new evidence would pop up. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for crime fans.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good page turner

Good read, interesting characters. A lot of action but clearly presented so you aren’t wondering who is who. Unusual premise - a person who asks to be charged with murder even when he didn’t do it.

[Linda Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book!

This is the best novel I’ve read-I really disliked the ending. Must continue somewhere in another book. The suspense was very good, I thought.
Haven’t read a book that I really liked in a while!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new Author to me wow this book was brilliant from start to finish with twists and turns I never saw coming. Lastly I would like to the Author for my ARC copy.

[Donna Kaczynski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

This is a very interesting book. It will keep you on the edge of you seat until the very end with all its twists and turns.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely liked the first book first. Wasn't a fan of the plot and all the mingled people. Hard to keep track of.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Could not put this book down loved every page the suspense gets you gripped , so you have to carry on reading as you just need to know

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but not too bad either!

[Jeanie Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like it and it was hard to follow.