Surrender the Dead: A Novel

by John Burley

When Erin Reece left Wolf Point fifteen years ago after graduating high school, she’d planned to never set foot in her childhood hometown again. But an urgent phone call from her father’s doctor leaves Erin with no choice but to return to a place filled with painful memories and wounds that never closed. Two decades ago, people in Wolf Point started disappearing without a trace—including Erin’s mother—and no explanation was ever found.

It’s been years since the last disappearance, but the town is still steeped in suspicion and haunted by the ghosts of the missing. No one is thrilled to see Erin back, including her former best friend, Robbie, who has changed from a spirited, fearless boy to a reclusive shut-in.

Then a body is discovered, buried in a makeshift grave for years . . . on the Reece family’s land. The police reopen their investigation, and the evidence against Erin’s father is damning. After such a long time without answers, the community wants justice. It’s up to Erin to clear her father’s name, but the path to the truth will force her to unearth long-buried secrets and confront a terrible evil. Because in Wolf Point, everyone knows more than they are letting on...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published January 12, 2021

About the author

John Burley worked as a paramedic and firefighter before attending medical school in Chicago and completing an emergency medicine residency at University of Maryland Medical Center and Shock Trauma in Baltimore. His debut novel, THE ABSENCE OF MERCY, received the National Black Ribbon Award, which recognizes a novelist who brings a fresh voice to suspense writing. His latest novel, SURRENDER THE DEAD, is available now. To learn more, visit his website at www.john-burley.com.

Reviews

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 small town gritty stars

I quickly powered through this one and really liked the descriptive writing style and character development. This was fast-paced storytelling and it definitely drew me into the story.

Set in the small town of Wolf Point, Montana, we meet Erin Reece who grew up there but has been gone for 15 years. Erin is now a veterinarian in Colorado. She grew up on a farm with her parents and her best friend Robbie lived at the next house down the road. Now Erin’s father is sick, and she’s been called back home.

Wolf Point has a strange history of people disappearing without a trace. There are flashbacks from Erin’s childhood and vignettes of the people who have disappeared. The town is still haunted by the disappearances and Erin doesn’t meet a welcoming committee when she returns to town. Even best friend Robbie is keeping his distance.

Things get really interesting when a body is discovered on Erin’s family farm. Is her father the one behind the disappearances? Will Erin be able to clear his name or will the town seek justice of their own? There are so many secrets in this town!

This one builds to a heart-pumping conclusion that I was almost too scared to read! This was my first John Burley book, but I will read some of his earlier books for sure!

Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow for the copy of this one to read and review.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hot crime thriller. Erin grows up in a town where people disappear, including her mom. Gone without a trace. Erin leaves town when she graduates and doesn’t look back.

Now, no one has disappeared in years, and Erin has to return home when her father’s doctor calls her. While no one has disappeared recently, the town is filled with ghosts and not a friendly, welcoming place.

Everything falls apart when a body is found on Erin’s family’s land, and the police point the finger at her dad. Things heat up in town as the residents believe the police; it must be him.

Super creepy vibes and so much darkness here. I loved the atmospheric small town and the originality of the storyline. I was impressed by this nail biter and definitely want to read more from John Burley.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman returns to her hometown after fifteen years to see her ailing father. There are many dark secrets in Wolf Point. The story jumps back and forth between present day and some two decades prior when mysterious disappearances occurred with alarming frequency. Throw in a few discovered bodies, the many interwoven relationships of a small town and it's a recipe for a genuine thriller.
Thanks to the publisher William Morrow and the author for providing the complimentary trade paperback via Goodreads giveaway.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this isn't a bad thriller. It's quite dark and quite depressing at times, though, and overall I found that it took too long to get where it was going. If you like a good slow-burn mystery, then this is definitely one for you.

I liked the story arc with Erin returning to the small town where she grew up because her father is quite ill. During her childhood, multiple people disappeared from their town, including Erin's own mother. While her father is in the hospital on a ventilator, the police discover remains of at least one body on his property. Is her father responsible for the disappearances?

Once everything plays out in the story and I reached the end, I found the mystery to be very clever and surprising. Towards the last quarter of the book I couldn't turn pages fast enough to discover what was going on. However, it just took so long to get there, and the reader only has Erin's point of view, no insight into the police investigation and what leads they followed and what didn't pan out. There were some parts that required me to suspend some disbelief to buy into the explanations.

Decent thriller, worth reading if you can stand some twisty dark violence.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always nice to come across a writer who is new to me and who checks all of the boxes and makes me want to read more by him or her. Such is the case with John Burley and this excellent book.

I have found that books billed as thrillers are often fast-paced with twists but not much in the way of character or location development. That is not the case with Surrender the Dead. Not only is it fast-paced with wow! twists at the end, but it is character driven and I can still feel the wind blowing in Wolf Point, Montana. I loved the descriptive writing.

Erin Reece returns home to Wolf Point, Montana for the first time in fifteen years because her aging father is very ill. A surprise in the form of a human skeleton found on their ranch also awaits her. The story goes back and forth between events that occurred in the late 1990's and her situation in the present time. Sixteen people went missing from Wolf Point over the course of three years when Erin was growing up, one of whom was Erin's mother. No trace of them was ever found. Could the body found on the Reece ranch be the first of many buried there? Is Erin's father responsible for the disappearances? Does Erin know more about the disappearances than she is letting on? These are just a few of the questions raised as the story progresses.

This book gripped me from the start and I loved the way the events of the past were revealed little by little. The characters came to life for me as well as the small town on the Montana highline. I highly recommend this book for those who love a good story and excellent writing.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this advance copy. It was a joy.

[Katie B]

2.5 stars

[Eridiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad thriller overall but one that had too many issues in my opinion. Most of it was very slow, constantly jumping from the current day to different times in the past, also adding different POVs here and there which sometimes were a bit confusing and probably unnecessary. The writing was fine but I didn't feel any excitement or intrigue while reading it. It got more interesting closer to the end with a few big revelations but the very end became just too much. We were suddenly introduced to a crazy villain with very drawn out over-the-top action where the protagonist somehow could still walk and fight despite her many injuries, and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief there.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for my ARC.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all of John Burleys books and have never been disappointed me, a fantastic author. This book really kept me confused and guessing. Going back from present time to 20 years past, in a town called Wolf Point, Montana. A town with so much tragedy and so many unanswered questions of so many people who disappeared so many years ago. Erin, David, and Robbie are my hero’s in this book. As the story unfolds I was totally shocked by what had really happened so many years ago.
Kudos to John, for what was truly a very well thought out story, one that I don’t think I will ever forget.

[David Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a freight train barreling down the tracks to reach its final destination, I could not stop reading this until I reached the very thrilling conclusion and final sentence.
Erin Reece left town fifteen years ago after her mother and a dozen others went missing and distance grew between her and her father. Now she's back after her father's doctor calls to tell her her father's in bad shape and she should come home. When she arrives she learns the remains of a body has been found on her father's farm dredging up the memories and history the town has tried to move on from. Told from a then and now narrative, this tightly wound novel builds in suspense as the events of the past come to light. Gripping in its intensity and atmospheric in its settings this one grabs hold and doesn't let go. Although there is a sizable cast I had no problem following along and keeping them all straight. I enjoyed the development of the characters as their stories unfold between the past and present timelines. And that conclusion! It had me holding my breath with anticipation and was completely satisfied when I was finally able to let it out and breath normally again. If you're a thriller lover who likes to be kept in suspense right up to the end, I'm sure you'll want to add this to your TBR pile ASAP.
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Thank you to the author, William Morrow's Scene Of The Crime Facebook group and NetGalley for the ARC to read, review and enjoy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I read the premise for this book, I knew I wanted to read it. With chapters ranging from current time to back in the 90's, the chapters weave seamlessly together to form one cohesive story line. With so many plot twists and turns you didn't see coming, you won't want to put this down.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty solid thriller that kept me guessing until the final chapters! The author is an ER doc who knows how to write about the human body in some pretty vivid ways … so if you’re queasy, you might want skim-read the ending.

I will mention that this book uses one of my least-favorite author tricks - when the main character knows more than they're letting on. I always feel a little bit betrayed by this - how am I supposed to figure out what's going on if I don't have full disclosure?? However, thriller lovers probably won't be too bothered by this. The book is fast-paced and exciting.

Because I can’t talk too much about the plot of the book without being spoiler-y, so you’ll have to make do with this summary:

When Erin Reece left Wolf Point 15 years ago after graduating high school, she’d planned to never set foot in her childhood hometown again. But an urgent phone call from her father’s doctor leaves Erin with no choice but to return to a place filled with painful memories and wounds that never closed.

Two decades ago, people in Wolf Point started disappearing without a trace—including Erin’s mother—and no explanation was ever found. The disappearances went on for three years and then abruptly stopped.

It’s been years since the last disappearance, but the town is still steeped in suspicion and haunted by the ghosts of the missing. No one is thrilled to see Erin back, including her former best friend, Robbie, who has changed from a spirited, fearless boy to a reclusive shut-in.

Then a body is discovered . . . on the Reece family’s land. The police reopen their investigation, and the evidence against Erin’s father is damning. After such a long time without answers, the community wants justice. It’s up to Erin to clear her father’s name, but the path to the truth will force her to unearth long-buried secrets and confront a terrible evil.

Because in Wolf Point, everyone knows more than they are letting on . . .

Thank you #NetGalley for the #eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. #SurrendertheDead goes on sale January 12, 2021! For more reviews, join me on Instagram @jills_bookish_life.

[Karen M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God! I know I have to write a review but oh….. I just finished this unbelievably well-written thriller which at times had me on the edge of my chair and I feel like I’m still wrapped up in this story.

I’m going to tell you nothing about the storyline because I am so afraid of ruining it for you. I will tell you that I read it in big chunks and when I was done gasping for air and felt I could sit back in my chair, I would put the book down and try and let go of all the emotions I was feeling. This is a thriller and horrifying and everything I look for in a roller coaster of a story. When I finished it just now I felt relief for the outcome and relief that I had finished it. I haven’t had a thriller get such a grip on me since my last Stephen King which was horror not a thriller like this book although there is horror to be found here.

I recommend this book for all the other thriller junkies out there. Well-drawn characters who you will worry about and warn with a lot of “no, no, no” to which they, of course, do not respond. I really enjoyed this book.

I received a copy of an Advance Reader’s E-Proof. Thank you to Scene of The Crime, NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers, William Morrow and the author, John Burley

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of several snippet reviews of books that just haven't worked for me. Maybe it's the pandemic, maybe not. What is sad, is that many of these are authors I've previously liked, so please don't judge them too harshly. These are books of which I want a record for myself, more than anything else.

John Burley's "The Quiet Child" was a book I found thoroughly intriguing and haunting. In reading the description of "Surrender the Dead," I was excited and couldn't wait to get the book. I even bought it.

What is it with authors today? Where are those who can tell a story that starts on page 1 (No prologue), and continue to the last page? Not here, obviously.

I shall say that I loved the character of Erin and was interested in getting to know her better. But then, suddenly, the story jumps to 1996 (from 2018) and to one of those who have disappeared. But even their stories aren't told sequentially. Hell, it's like a bad drug flashback; random and unexpected.

No, sorry, there are better ways to have worked their information into the story. As it was, I lost patience very quickly. Very disappointing.

[Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first book by this author that I have read. I would say he has some talent the 400 page book moved at a decent pace. I really do think he need a better editor to stay focused track. I thought this book had a very good idea and premise and maybe for the first 20 percent it was getting the job done and then the wheels fell of lol. I did not find it plausible with all people disappearing that the only one investigating would be a local hick sheriff and the media never got involved. Once the bodies were being found still no outside police of FBI involvement and no media------not plausible. The use of alternate time periods was way way way over done. Flashbacks should not be 60 percent or more of the book and some were not needed or made sense. The bad guys and the ending were just over the top bad. I had to close my eyes while reading that part. I was not wild about some of the secondary characters or how they acted. I give this book 2.0 stars on the dot mainly because of the first 20 percent or so of the book. I do not want to see a series would not work. I can not say give this book a spin.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 Surrender the dead was an amazing suspenseful read. It was gruesome and fast-paced and I was here for it. I loved it. The story is told in the present time and in the '90s. You follow Erin through her childhood and into adulthood. I loved the character development and how Erin developed into the story and how it unfolded in a way that the reader learned what Erin learned. As the reader, you had to quickly catch up. I read this one in two days and would recommend it to anyone that loves suspenseful reads. It does have some gruesome descriptions so it is not for everyone. Thank you to William Morrow/Harpercollins and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

[Deena B · Rating 4 out of 5]

SURRENDER THE DEAD by John Burley

The suspense nearly killed me!!
Very well written psychological thriller - I enjoyed it!

It was my pleasure to win and read this book I won in a Goodreads Giveaway, thank you to the author and Harper Collins/William Morrow.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veterinarian Erin Reece returns to her hometown of Wolf Point, Montana when she learns her father is critically ill. Wolf Point holds unpleasant memories for Erin. Her mother and her childhood friend were just two of the people who went missing from the town over twenty years ago. While in town, she reaquanits herself with some of the people she knew years ago, including her former best friend Robbie Tabaha. Some of these meetings go better than others. Things get even worse when human remains are found on her father’s farm. Now her father’s health is the least of Erin’s problems. He is now a suspected murderer and it soon becomes clear that many people in Wolf Point are keeping secrets, including Erin.

Surrender the Dead by John Burley is an engrossing thriller. The suspense builds as the story continues and becomes creepy as more details about the disappearances from the town of Wolf Point come to light. The way the story is told does get a little confusing and makes the pace uneven. There are flashbacks to different events in the past that are interspersed between what is going on in the present. Those flashbacks aren’t sequential though, so it takes some effort to keep track of where in the story’s timeline they take place. However, in the long run, the effort is worth it. The closer to the end you get, the more suspenseful the book becomes and I didn’t want to put it down. There are many twists toward the end that really surprised me and they just keep coming before the book comes to a dramatic conclusion. Some of the scenes aren’t for the squeamish, but I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller and especially liked the strong bonds of friendship between Erin and Robbie.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Melanie Sligh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my literal nightmare. People just vanishing left and night with no trace. Y’all. The anticipation and the stress from the victims were palpable on these pages. I could feel them trying to fight because they knew it was their time.

I haven’t really read a heart pounding thriller in a while, and this one definitely made up for that. There are alternating chapters of present day and the past, but y’all, I didn’t get confused. It flowed so well that I wasn’t confused! Also, there’s a lot of characters, minor and major. Well, there’s like 294284828 people that are taken without a trace, so once I realized they were another victim, it kind of made it easier on my brain. I do feel like there were so many characters that it did kind of make it not as strong with other characters. Plus, we have some that got married or changed names, or go back nicknames. I needed a character board! If we could have just focused on a few, it would have really been absolutely wild wild (instead of just one.. wild 😜)

This book is a hefty one. I was not expecting it and I honestly breezed through it quicker than I anticipated. This is a true page turner, and the ending still has me running for the hills.

Thank you William Morrow & NetGalley for the gifted copy! Surrender the Dead is out Jan. 12th!

[Pattyh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the preview of Surrender the Dead by John Burley.
A woman's father is sick and she returns to her home to see him. It's been a long time since she has been home. There are many secrets in this town and missing people. One of them was her mother.
Can she return home to see her father, where her mother disappeaared, and to search for the truth.
The plot goes back and forth in time and the main character's life is engrossing.
Good ending and strong plot.
3.5 stars

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book were I waffled between a 4 and 3 stars.
I was sucked into the story and liked the characters. In this case less would be more. A good edit maybe 50 pages would make this a solid 4 star read.

[Kayci · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Advance copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Wolf Point, Montana, is a place to leave - either by force or by choice. Erin Reece left behind her family and friends after graduating from high school, not looking back until her father's illness and a shocking discovery on the family farm force her return. Alternating between the past and present, readers discover the story of the disappearances of townspeople that marked the end of Erin's childhood, including that of with her own mother. The question remains: who was responsible for all of the missing people and where are they now? As the focus narrows on a suspect, Erin's hospitalized father, she is forced to confront the reality of what happened all those years ago.

The pacing of this book was great and I very much enjoyed the alternating timelines with various perspectives. However, I found the end extremely rushed and fragmented, as well as and somewhat disjointed from the rest of the storyline. There were multiple moving parts and characters that, in the end, didn't matter and served truly no purpose other than maybe to illustrate the insular nature of the community. Because there were so many names overwhelming the reader, I find it doubtful that you would be able to make the connection that was integral to understanding the motivation of the perpetrator. I enjoy books with an "aha!" moment where I can look back and see, as a reader, how I got to the conclusion. Surrender the Dead fell a little short for me in that aspect, but it was still a great read that I would recommend to others.

[justonemorepage_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Too late for games, too late for fun. Tomorrow's big adventures are all but said and done."
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Surrender the Dead is not only a psychological thriller, but it's also a novel about loss, forgiveness, and the strengths of family and friendships. Surrender the Dead, is about a small town with a very disturbing past. You see, when Erin Reece was younger her childhood was completely normal. Until one day, her friend disappeared without a trace. Unfortunately, this disappearance was the first, but it wasn't the last. Slowly, one by one, people of this small town started disappearing. No one knew who was taking them, or where they ended up, but everyone was suspicious and scared. Erin's mother was the last to disappear, and as soon as she was old enough, Erin decided to disappear too. Only Erin's disappearance was plain and simple, she needed to get away from this God awful town.
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Unfortunately for Erin, its fifteen years later and she finds herself back in this town. Two bodies were found on her family farm, and the suspicions and rumors start up once again. Surrender the dead is told through two timelines, the past and the present. I was hooked right from page one, the timeline of the past was absolutely amazing. I couldn't put it down and just wanted to finish it to see what happened, and I certainly did not see that ending coming! The only thing I didn't overly enjoy was Erin's character as an adult, it was almost like she was completely stuck in the past and didn't grow up at all. Besides that, I very much enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend

[Joelle Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surrender the Dead by John Burley can be added to the towering stack of contemporary thrillers that feature an unreliable female narrator who is dragged back to her childhood home. Erin Reese, Burley’s protagonist, returns to Wolf Point after learning her father has been hospitalized. Like those other damaged women in such novels, she had sworn she would never return. For Erin, the town is where her mother and others disappeared under suspicious circumstances. To her dismay, her father’s farm has recently become a crime scene since a body has been found on the property. The bereaved families of those victims from 20 years ago rise up to demand answers and obtain closure. Having borne the losses so long, they are quick to accuse Erin’s father who has a criminal record. While in town, Erin reconnects with Robbie, a childhood friend. She enlists his help to investigate and clear her father’s name. Just when his health begins to improve, another body is found on his land-thereby solidifying the case against him. Erin needs to rely on blocked memories from her past which are revealed slowly to the reader. Surrender the Dead is not particularly innovative, but its twisty ending will appeal to fans of the genre. There is a large selection of novels with similar plotlines available, and this one might be found in the lower part of the list.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say my love affair with John Burley is over. This book was a mess - gory, gruesome and sadistic. The story bounced around between a 15-20 year time span and the present - which is okay except when it happens from one paragraph to the next. All the flashback was very confusing. Half the time I wasn’t sure if they were in the kid period or the adult stage!

I didn’t like any of the characters and there were soooooo many of them! I found it hard to remember who was who. It seemed to drag on and on and I was actually glad when I finished. His previous three books deserved my 5 stars, but not this one.

It seemed similar to The Quiet Child, small town, intolerant residents and many mysterious deaths. Personally the author sounds like a great guy, so I really hated to write a negative review, but have to be truthful!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thanks to Goodreads and Mr. Burley for the opportunity to read Surrender the Dead.

[Kim Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surrender the Dead by John Burley was such a great read! Erin Reece, a woman in her 30’s, is on her way home to Wolf Point, Montana. She has not been back for 15 years. She swore she would never return. However, she got a call that her father is gravely ill so she must return. When Erin was a child many residents of Wolf Point went missing, never to be found again. The last person to go missing was her own mother. This disappearance has shaped her life and is the reason she never wanted to return. Once Erin gets back to Wolf Point, she gets drawn back into the mystery of the missing people.
This book had so many factors that I loved. I really enjoy the character of Erin. The chapters alternate between present day and in the 90s, chronicling the different missing people and what Erin was doing back then. It really made for a well-developed character that you felt like you knew personally. I don’t want to go to too much detail but this is one of the most original mysteries I have read. I thought I had it figured out but I was totally wrong. The town of Wolf Point was another character that I loved. Burley’s descriptions of it were so detailed that I felt like I’ve been there. I hated to finish this book because I had grown to love the characters and the town. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Lora - questsandcrimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5-5

Erin Reece left Wolf Point 15 years ago and never looked back. A call from her father’s doctor has her returning home. There were many disappearances in Wolf Point 20 years ago. The cases were never solved. When a badly is discovered on the Reece family farm, the town wants answers.



I have seen so many good reviews for this one, and the hype is real. I loved the writing. It is SO DESCRIPTIVE, you feel like you’re living the scene. Which isn’t always great because...murder.



Surrender the Dead is told in multiple timelines from multiple POVs. You get chapters from now, and then chapters from the past. Pay attention! The future chapter are not always labelled. I always love multiple timelines. It made me fly through the book to see if I could connect the dots. I couldn’t 🙃.



This book is about pain, loss, and family. There were times where I had to cringe away from the pain, and not just the physical. It’s set in Montana! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set there. Bonus points. Add this one to your tbr!!


Thank you to William Morrow for my review copy!

[Stacy40pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surrender The Dead by John Burley. Thanks to the author for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Erin Reece leaves Wolf Point, Montana planning to never come back… until her father is sick. The disappearances in town stopped years ago, but the secrets are still waiting to be unburied.

I love books where the kids of the town take unsolved mysteries into their own hands. They aren’t taken seriously when they think they have information, so they start investigating themselves. I enjoyed the dual timelines with this one. I was done superbly. We’d get into the current day story and then have a flashback from the past and what happened. It all ends up tying in together and there are plenty of surprises. You may think the twists are over, but they’re not. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, but they were all very well done.

“It gets everyone, everyone whose ever lived here. My mother. My father. It’s only a matter of time until the town takes what belongs to it.”

[The Literary Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark and twisted. This book will haunt you long after you’ve finished.

A town haunted by its past. The ghosts of the past are everywhere. Right from the beginning, I was pulled into the story. It has a dark haunting vibe to it. The pacing is a little slow in some places but not enough to deter me from the story. As the story progresses, you can feel something building and you just know it’s going to shake you to your core. With the many twists and turns the author threw in there, I was both surprised and delighted at the ending. The author did not disappoint!

This is a new to me author. I really enjoyed his writing and storytelling style. Great suspense! I can’t wait to see more from this author. If you love suspense and those thrilling books, this one is for YOU! Grab your copy today! I give this 5 stars.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thrilling story of revenge that kept me guessing right until the end. The plot goes between two timelines, the present day investigation, and the 1990's when the crimes first started. There is good character development done through the narration of the characters, and the author blends the two time periods well. The plot twists and turns through the timelines, and comes to conclusion I did not expect! And that is what makes an exciting mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed the book. My wife received a complimentary copy of this book through Scene of the Crime and the publisher, and I am very glad she did.