Behind You

Hailey Rock #1

by Rylie Dark

Despite being a rising star in the BAU unit, FBI Special Agent Hailey Rock still lives in the shadow of her older sister, who remained in their small Midwestern town to become a police sheriff, and who remains the favorite in their parents’ eyes. Hailey has not thought of her estranged family in ages, but when young women turn up dead in her hometown, the FBI dispatches Hailey to solve the case her sister cannot—and forces her to face demons, including that of her kidnapped sister, that Hailey wished she would never face again.

BEHIND YOU is book #1 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller Rylie Dark, whose bestseller SEE HER RUN (a free download) has received over 700 five star ratings and reviews.

Women are turning up dead, posed in local farm fields like scarecrows, and time is running out. A serial killer lurks, and their small town never felt so small.

Hailey must reconcile her contentious relationship with her sister to crack the case—but she refuses to make it easy. Can they put aside their differences and work together?

Or will old demons bring them all down?

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the HAILEY ROCK mystery series offers a fresh twist on the genre as it introduces two brilliant protagonists who will make you fall in love and keep you turning pages late into the night.

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

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2023

About the author

Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); of the HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting),of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

Rylie loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.ryliedark.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER

FIRST, MURDER (Book #1)

SECOND, DEATH (Book #2)

THIRD, ENVY (Book #3)

FOURTH, LUST (Book #4)

FIFTH, WRATH (Book #5)

HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

BEHIND YOU (Book #1)

BESIDE YOU (Book #2)

AFTER YOU (Book #3)

WATCHING YOU (Book #4)

JUDGING YOU (Book #5)

TARA STRONG MYSTERY

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE (Book #1)

GIRL WITHOUT A HOME (Book #2)

GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE (Book #3)

GIRL WITHOUT A NAME (Book #4)

GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER (Book #5)

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (Book #5)

Reviews

[Bitchin’ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the books I got for free on "Stuff Your Kindle" day and I thought it was...... silly. It had a good rating on Goodreads but it was just NOT for me. I was interested enough to make it to the end but then it was so rushed I was annoyed I even tried it.

I liked that the younger sister returned to her hometown to help her older sister solve a serial killer case but they fought CONSTANTLY at the most disgusting times. Like they found another victim and fought over the dumbest shit. It was just so cringe like no one is that tasteless in real life.

I also thought the serial killer was a little eh. It was unnecessarily gory and twisted and then reasoning as to why it was so gory was just like........okay?

Overall, the more I think about this book the more I hate it. Would skip overall in my opinion.

[Kellie O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars rating from me

[Erica Paré · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Rylie Dark. I found the story to be an easy read and had good descriptive narration. I am one who sees a story as a movie while reading a book, so I did appreciate it. I enjoyed the couple twists and dead ends that Hailey faced with her partner while trying to solve the murder mystery before her sister. Being as this is the first book in the series I was a little confused about their relationship as it was clear there was some sisterly fighting going on but other than the disappearance of their other sister I didn't seem to get much info. I did enjoy the end of the book and will probably be looking for book #2.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although there are quite a few similarities with other stories recently read, the plot for Behind You is good, and the rivalry between siblings is well explored as well as the small-town ambiance. One point that really called for my attention in this story is how mothers abstained from assuming their roles as educators and opted to live in a bubble. I'm interested in learning how this series will develop and looking forward to reading the following book. I thank the author for the ARC.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did struggle a little bit with Alice's and Hailey's childish behavior... ffs they are an FBI agent and a sheriff! but they still have their own charm - so the book was quite enjoyable. A little bit short, I would have preferred to have a liiiiittle bit more of a background story ( Mom, Graham, Hailey, Alice.. just to ensure that I'm really interested in them ) but it still made me curious to get my Hands on book 2!

[𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 Tals’ Books 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book only got three stars simply because the murders kept me interested.

Hailey and Alice’s bickering was so unbearable. Come on, you’re both over fucking 30. Get over yourselves.

The writing was pretty mediocre but I liked that it was straight to the point. Maybe I’ll read the rest, I don’t know.

This book is just meh material.

[Lauren Hofmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read and pretty predictable. I couldn’t really attach to the characters either which is why I don’t care to read the next book in the series.

[alix (taylor’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Good thriller! It was fast paced and captivating! Definitely recommend

[laszczaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

#KindleChallenge
Having two law enforcement mid-thirty sisters on a case who are acting like a teenagers is not a vibe I'm looking for in a thriller, and even interesting crime did not stop me from rolling my eyes for half of this book.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of ncis or law and order this book feels a lot like an episode of those shows. I love them therefore I loved the book. Would recommend

[Normalee M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story thrown off by a very 'Rocky' family relationship

Characters make the story for me and I really wanted to like the Rock sisters. Unfortunately, they bickered and held grudges like children, to the point where their behaviour started to affect the investigation. I know no one is perfect and family drama isn't the easiest of things to cope with but people are literally being murdered and these middle-aged women have time to be arguing about stuff that happened in highschool. HIGHSCHOOL. Like sheesh, where's the professionalism? Honestly, they should've both been pulled from the case.
Apart from the immature heroines, a few non-sensical judgement calls and a random café scene with an informant for their sister's cold case (which I feel would've been better placed in the next book in the series), the story wasn't a bad read. Don't think I'll be sticking around for the sequels though.

[Catlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm conflicted on if I want to give this novel 2 stars or 3 stars, so I'm going to just say 2.5 out of 5 stars. I thought the killings were really interesting (cult-like religious-based purity killings but swapping out the imagery of Christ for scarecrows), but the MC Hailey Rock just seems kind of ... whiny? Immature? Petty?

First of all, she spends a lot of the book "grumbling" or "mumbling" or just being very difficult. Her sister, Alice, is the same. Even standing in the middle of a field next to a dead body, they can't help but argue about petty things. And while I don't mind tense sibling rivalries, especially professional rivalries, it just seems like Hailey and Alice are way too old to be arguing about prom when they're trying to stop a serial killer. Maybe that argument could've happened in the car, or during dinner, or something.

Graham was okay. He's not anything super special or memorable, at least not yet. Although, he did have one line (he shouts at Alice and Hailey to shut up and focus on the case) where I threw up my hands and said, "Yes! Thank you!"

I think the subplot about Mindy going missing is interesting, and I would like to see where it goes, especially after more facts are revealed.

This is the first novel by Riley Dark that I've read, so I don't know if all their protagonists are the same (immature/petty) or not. I'd like to try reading the first books in a few of their other series and see. Over all, this wasn't a bad book. Except there were quite a few typos in the latter half of the book, but I don't know if that's because it was formatted for an ebook and someone just typed it poorly when transcribing it? Anyway, it's not the worst book I've read, and I may read the second novel just to give Hailey a fair chance (maybe I'll get to see her away from her sister and, you know, actually focusing on a case instead of always trying to one-up her sister).

[Davina · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

A weak murder mystery read where there is no detective work but a lot of guess work

Like
- I do like the murderer, he is an interesting antagonist

Dislike
- A lot of bringing people in without a lot of evidence and going "you did it!". There was actually no evidence brought in at all or any real investigation
- The sibling drama was extremely child like and unprofessional for a murder mystery case. Both were a bit useless in trying to solve anything. There is no chemistry between anyone
- I did not like this read. Pretty much gave up nearing the last three chapters

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

while this book wasn’t terrible it definitely at times felt like it was more of a paper for school. somewhat reminded me of an episode of criminal minds. but it’s a nice, quick read that I didn’t hate so what more could I ask for

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dialogue between the main character and her sister never quite made sense. So what if your older sister teased? Get over it. Anyway, the dialogue was very juvenile for sisters in their 30’s—it can happen but one is an FBI agent and the other a police chief.

The basic story was clever and the author keeps you guessing. It is a very short book—you can read it quickly on a quiet day.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a really quick read, only 164 pages. The author did really well telling the story in that amount of pages! Good suspense. I think I’ll try another one by the author!

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun

Nice and spunky. Hailey Rock is a character you will enjoy to read. Story moves along smoothly and at a good pace

[Emmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Umm... I lost it at the scarecrows really

[Vanessa Garza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good thriller i enjoyed the murder mystery, but the constant fighting between the sisters about a small town? got old fast, overall still pretty enjoyable read

[Lola Grynt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where was the mystery??
I decided to read this one as it was a free book on my recently bought Kobo ereader.

Things I hated:
Lack of police professionalism.
Jumping to conclusions with little to no evidence.
The relationship between the sisters which is adolescent at best and not explored.
The ending was too closed for my liking especially with it being a series.
I HATED the perps pov, for the love of god it is a mystery book, let me work out the mystery.
Things I liked:
The length of book was good for the pilot book.
The small town and the relationships between people. Gave a very community strong feel.
I enjoyed the perpetrators motive although it could have been more in depth instead of never really getting to hear his side.
Honestly I will probably read the next book because it is one of those stories you don't have to think about much and sometimes I go for that vibe.
3 stars.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been reading quite a few thrillers lately, and this one does not measure up to the others. First, the sibling rivalry between the two sisters did not sound authentic to me. Second, the entire book had a formulaic feeling. Third, to achieve some of the suspense the situation became implausible. How likely is it that this FBI agent is going to the home of the suspected serial killer and she does not even let anyone know where she is headed? Then, despite the fact that it took her quite some time to figure out who the killer was, her sister manages to figure out where she went in almost no time at all and show up just in the nick of time to save her? At the end, I had no real interest in reading more about the main character. There are much better series that I will spend my time on.

[Kennedy Reid · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was terrible…idk how it got so many good reviews. i found it so dumb and not interesting at all from beginning to end

[Book Dragon Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind You by Rylie Dark

OVERALL RATING: 4.25🌟

Plot 3.75🌟
I really enjoyed this story! It was super easy to follow, yet twisty enough that you are raking your brain with all the clues you’ve been given to try and figure out the killer. I love the killer POV’s. This was set up where you don’t actually meet the killer until it is their POV. From there you are introduced to suspects that are close to the MO of the killer, but have a minor detail difference. It was very suspenseful and intense at the end. I also enjoy having the end go straight into the second book. I didn’t find this to be a difficult mystery by any means, but truly an enjoyable one!

Characters 3.75🌟
I liked Hailey and Graham. I found Alice insufferable and horrible to Hailey, it actually started to bother me a lot mid-book. I think the killer was extremely interesting and was not at all what I was expecting. I think he was developed the best by far. I am SO curious about Mindy now.

Pacing 5🌟
I thought the pacing of this book was perfect. I am so new to this genre, and I never once felt like this was slow or too fast. I really thought she delivered the story perfectly!

Writing 4🌟
I also thought this was written so well. The way she plotted this book was not so much for the reader to figure out the mystery, but you are definitely sitting there trying to figure it out with them.

Plot to smut ratio N/A

Smut Quality N/A

Overall Entertainment or Emotional Reactions 4🌟
I would say I was definitely entertained! I was shaking in my boots towards to the end, and I hooked to want to keep going with the series!

BONUS Description Accuracy
The description of the book is accurate! I think it’s vague enough that it doesn’t actually give anything away in the story, and this clearly sets up the whole series as well!

Final Thoughts
This was great! I will definitely keep reading it, and I would totally recommend it!

Trope(s): N/A

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished listening to Behind You by Rylie Dark, which I snagged on Chirp for a song. I’ve paid more for a mediocre cup of gas-station coffee. Lucky for me, this turned out to be the first book in a series and a really solid introduction to a new-to-me author.

Hailey Rock, our lead detective, is exactly the kind of strong female character I gravitate toward. She’s tough, smart, and capable, but she’s also believably human. She whines occasionally. She butts heads with her family. She doesn't float through life being perfect, which makes her infinitely more interesting. And yes, she can absolutely kick butt with the best of them.

Her older sister Alice is another powerhouse, with just enough snark to keep things fun. Honestly, I think older sisters are required by law to be at least 40% snark. (You can ask my little sister to confirm, but spoiler: I’m right. Always.)

The small-town setting is another layer of fun here. Everybody knows everybody and everybody’s business, and word travels faster than an out-of-control roller coaster. It’s equal parts endearing and annoying. exactly how small towns actually are. Dark captures that chaotic charm perfectly.

The case itself involves a lunatic with a scarecrow obsession who thinks people need to be “purified” into literal scarecrows. This man does not need a psychiatrist... He needs an entire TEAM working in rotating shifts. It’s creepy, weird, unhinged, and exactly the kind of villain I love in a thriller.

This thriller is fast-paced, twisted, set in a small town buzzing with gossip, and anchored by two strong female leads with real personalities. It was a great listen and a fantastic surprise find. I’ll definitely be continuing the series.

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Behind You
Read By: Ebook and Audio
Author: Rylie Dark
Narrator: Susan Marlowe
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Main Characters: Haley Rock
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️️
Age recommendation: 16-30+ Years
My feelings:

I love a good mystery novel.
Anything that can keep me engaged from the start to end is considered amazing to me.

“This was a family that had a base level of loyalty but little affection, trying to make the best of it not because they wanted to, but because that was what you did with family.”

And this one had me hook line and sinker.

“All three of them sprang up. A 10-54 was one of the worst police codes you could hear, especially in this situation. It meant a dead body.”

I wanted to continue the series to find out about her sister, and if she ever finds out her work partner is interested in her:)

“The little police station of Pleasant, Missouri, was crammed with police from four counties and a dozen jurisdictions. Elmer was back, but was just leaving again, taking a crowd of officers with him.”

Highly recommend!

[Rebecca Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind You by Rylie Dark is what you expect from a fast-paced serial killer thriller. The setup’s solid- FBI agent Hailey Rock gets pulled back to her small hometown to investigate a string of weird, staged murders — young women posed like scarecrows in the fields. That personal conflict gives the case some extra weight. The book moves. Short chapters, lots of twists, keeps you turning pages. To its credit, it does a decent job of throwing you off track — I didn’t see the reveal coming. Hailey works well as a lead too- sharp, capable, but not some invincible super-agent. That said, you feel some rough edges. The emotional stuff with her sister gets brought up but never goes anywhere satisfying. And the editing… it’s a little sloppy. Not unreadable, but you notice it. Some of the sibling bickering even starts to undercut the actual investigation at times, which can pull you out of it. Though? If you’re after something quick, tense, and twisty — and you don’t mind if the character work isn’t super deep — it’s a fun read. You just have to accept that it’s more about the plot momentum than rich emotional payoff.

[Maryann Hornbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Criminal

This book refers to yet another missing sister. I can’t tell you how many heroins have a lost sister. It’s getting ridiculous.

Anyway Hailey and her partner are called back to Pleasant, Haileys home town. For a number of reasons, mainly her sister Alice, who is the sheriff, Hailey rarely goes home. But as an FBI agent, she goes where she’s needed. There is a lot of rivalry between the two and it plays a big part in the story.

It seem s there are weird murders happening in Pleasant. Young girls are being murdered and hung in the fields as scarecrows in a ritualistic manner. The sisters are competing with one another as to who will solve the mystery. There are few odd fellows that might fit the bill but it takes research and an old friend to zero in on the perp before he manages to kill another.

It was an entertaining book but not one of my favorites.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

While this was entertaining and I enjoyed the buildup, it really needed a better conclusion. The buildup was long and fairly detailed, which is great, but only if the last stretch of the book is good as well. I feel like more time was spent on the other suspects than the true k1ller. It was over very quickly and that wouldn't be too bad if it was a little more exciting. I didn't get that feeling when she finally figured it out. I also get a bit tired of the main character inevitably running into danger without backup and nearly getting unalived, only to be saved at the last second. I think it could be a little more imaginative.

Overall, it held my interest and the story was pretty good. We were given the k1llers pov and I loved that. It made me understand him more. Then they caught him and I didnt feel anything about it unfortunately. Potential, almost reached but not quite. I'm interested in continuing her story, though, and I hope it improves as it goes along.

[Sheryl Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wondered if I had already read this book. I have read too many of these government-cop-with-dead-relative-and-angsty-partner-relationship type books, but eventually this story did differentiate itself. The serial killer aspect was well-done in that as we are hearing the killer's voice and the cops are trying to figure out who the killer is, we keep thinking they've found him. The author keeps us guessing and doesn't make it too easy to figure out.

While there are the typical serial killer parts to the story, this one is unusual in the fact that it takes place in a small town and there are so many suspects that fit the bill. Kind of a scary commentary on small rural communities. Plus there is some unusual symbolism in this story that hasn't been overused which is refreshing.

Then there is the whole child returning from the big city aspect and, in this case, some pretty intense sibling rivalry.

There is a lot going on in these pages and it kept my interest up.

[Paula Cisco]

Okay, I'm actually still reading this but it makes me wonder how much she knows about the Ozarks, especially Taney county. One, she makes a big deal about it being rural and small town but then says the population of Pleasant is over 18000. That is not a small town by southern Missouri standards. In reality, the largest town in that county is Branson, MO which is only 12000. Everybody would not know everybody else in a town of 18000. A more accurate population for her purpose would be 1800.

Two, she picks a county who's largest and most well known city is Branson and, so far, hasn't even mentioned it. There are so many other rural counties in Missouri that would have been better to pick than one that has a tourist trap like Branson.

I had a few other issues with some of her stereotypes of people in a small town and "Evangelical Churches."