Challenge Corner discussion

Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation, but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness…

A former soldier and a trained sniper, Huck’s thirst for blood is rivaled only by his fierce pursuit of Laurel. He’s been burned by love, wounded by the government, and betrayed before, and to say he has trust issues is the ultimate understatement. Plus, he might be closer to this killer than anybody knows…

Once in the heart of darkness with Huck, Laurel must negotiate her distracting desire for him, her complex rapport with Abigail—and her mission to find a serial killer among a growing list of suspects and a danger that’s far too close to home. So close in fact, Laurel fears she will never find her way back to the woman she once was…

I will be in Florida until April 14th visiting family, but if I can get this book when I get back I'll read it with you guys. I read it in 2023 but I'll re-read so I can start on the series because I've forgotten most of it.

Prologue - Chapter 10

(view spoiler)[ So far not much has happened with the case so I’m curious to see how things develop. I kind of thought that the teenagers in the prologue were going to be the ones who ended up dying.

I like Laurel and Huck, but it’s only the beginning of the book so not much has been shown yet.

I do think Carl is a bit weird so I’m interested in seeing what Laurel finds out, if she does end up looking into him. Also, it feels like the sheriff is harassing him with all the fines.
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Chapters 11 - 20

(view spoiler)[ Even though they’ve found another body and there’s another woman kidnapped, it doesn’t feel like much is happening with the investigation, especially given that there’s only half of the book left.

Abigail is creepy and I’m wondering what she wants.
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Chapters 21 - 30

(view spoiler)[ Could Zeke be the murderer? He went missing around a year ago so it could fit. Also, the short scene with Yana talked about god. Or maybe Robert? For the same reasons, and he seems to hate Abigail who is blond.

It still feels like not much is happening with the investigation though.

I’m curious about Laurel’s mother. I don’t think much more is going to be shown in this book, but I’m hoping to find out more in the next books.
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Chapters 31 - 41

(view spoiler)[ The last few scenes were faster and things were actually happening, which I liked.

By the end, I was suspicious of a lot of people but Robert makes sense. I still don’t understand why he’s scared of Abigail so I’m curious to find that out. Also, did she actually kill Zeke? If not, where is he and why?

I’ll probably continue the series because I’m curious about a lot of things, but I thought that this book would be better. The investigation was a bit slow/not much happened with it. Laurel and Huck’s relationship wasn’t developed too much, but I’m fine with that assuming that it will be shown more in the next books. I liked Laurel’s family, Kate and her daughters, and Walter, but they weren’t shown enough.
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Oh no! Now I'm a bit afraid to read it. Was it really that bad? Ugh!

Vicki wrote: "Oh no! Now I'm a bit afraid to read it. Was it really that bad? Ugh!"

I wouldn't say it was bad; I'm just not interested in rereading it in the future. The investigation felt slow, but I do want to continue with the series to see if it gets better and what happens with some things.

OMG, I feel so stupid! I read this one back in March 2023. lol I wouldn't be opposed to doing a buddy read with the next book. Would you be up to it at some time in the future? Doesn't have to be super soon.

Vicki wrote: "OMG, I feel so stupid! I read this one back in March 2023. lol I wouldn't be opposed to doing a buddy read with the next book. Would you be up to it at some time in the future? Doesn't have to be s..."

This thread is for the whole series, so you can jump right in with book 2.

I will be picking up book 1 this weekend.

OH, I didn't realize that! Sounds good! :)

Prologue - Chapter 9

(view spoiler)[ The case sounds interesting, but the book feels a bit slow. Mostly because each scene focuses on only one thing and forgets about everything else. For example, Abigail seemed like an issue in the beginning but now she’s forgotten. They’re finding new bodies, but not much is being done when it comes to investigating.

I might be remembering things wrong, but it feels like Laurel’s character is even more clueless in this book when it comes to people.

Also, she’s constantly being called intelligent, but I want more evidence of her doing smart things or figuring out difficult issues.

The sheriff is a waste of space and I really want him to disappear.

I wonder if Tommy and Joley are somehow related to the case, and if we’re actually going to see them.
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Chapters 10 - 19

(view spoiler)[ I really hope Walter is going to be okay. On the other hand, unless the police manage to interrupt the killer, I don’t see how Dr Franklin will survive since it doesn’t seem like the killer waits.

I thought that Morris Lamber made sense as a suspect, but Joseph Keyes does seem to have more connections with the victims. I’m curious to find out more about Tommy since there seem to be different opinions on him.

I don’t really like the situation with Laurel and Huck, especially how Huck dealt with Rachel.
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Chapters 20 - 29

(view spoiler)[ The situation with Abigail is kind of annoying and I’m over it.

The fact that Dr Keyes is still missing seems suspicious, but is it too obvious? Why was his assistant sarcastic? Officer Zello seems to be coming up a lot now, so is it possible for him to be involved?

I don’t care for Laurel and Huck’s relationship at all, and I think I would prefer it if someone else came along for Laurel.

I’m glad that Walter is alive and I hope he wakes up soon.
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Chapters 30 - 38

(view spoiler)[ I was not expecting it to be Jason. And what he says about Abigail is concerning and I’m wondering across how many books that’s going to be dragged out. Could Abigail have orchestrated everything to keep Laurel there? She reminds me of Alice from Luther.

I don’t like that the book was boring and slow, but then the end is intriguing enough to make me want to continue. I much prefer the pacing in Karen Rose’s Romantic Suspense series.
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Prologue - Chapter 10

(view spoiler)[ Since Abigail seems to be able to do anything, could it be possible that this case is about distancing Laurel from Kate?

I feel like, because of Thema’s certainty, Jason might get out.

Also, I don’t think I understand why Haylee is suing Laurel.

Laurel said that Victor’s murder was ritualistic, but it doesn’t feel like there’s going to be several murders.
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Chapters 11 - 21

(view spoiler)[ Are all the dead people cheaters? Or is it about any kind of sins?

Could it be linked to Zeke, since he’s just appeared?

I’m curious to see how the dynamics might change with the addition of Zeke, since Abigail seems to be cautious of him.

Also, I don’t like that Rachel is still part of the story.
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Chapters 22 - 32

(view spoiler)[ I’m curious to find out what one of the women who called Abigail knows.

Laurel and Huck’s relationship is still annoying because they’re not really talking to each other.

I think the pace is still slow, but there might be more going on so I think this book is better.

Zeke’s attempted murder doesn’t seem like it was by the same killer - it feels like someone was trying to cover it up, but who?
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Chapters 33 - 43

(view spoiler)[ I liked how this book ended - it was different since a lot of the time the killer is able to take the detective somewhere so it was nice to see the situation be handled differently.

I kind of suspected Zello for the previous murders, but didn’t really think about him in this book.

The addition of Zeke in this book was a bit pointless. I’m worried for Laurel’s mother and if Laurel will tell her before she finds out for herself.

I liked that the side characters were shown more, but I still wanted more.

While I might be interested in finding out if Laurel is ever going to be able to prove that Abigail is dangerous (it’s annoying how others keep telling Laurel she needs to be nicer to her because she’s fragile) and what will happen with Zeke, I think by the time the other books come out I probably won’t be as interested in continuing the series (unless there’s only one or two books left).
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I got behind and didn't manage to get to this in April but I will finally start the series later this week.

I will be picking up book 1 this weekend.

Read book 1 tonight.



Chapters 1-10
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This is good so far. I like Laurel's character a lot. Huck seems to be a bit standoffish so far, I wonder why. I don't really like this Abigail woman they met, there's something off about her. I'm curious who the killer will end up being.
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Chapters 11-20
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The killer has upped their game now with leaving a body where the authorities would find it since they can't use their dumping ground anymore. I still don't like Abigail and I feel like she's somehow involved in the killings. I think she's lying about Laurel's uncle.
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Chapters 21-30
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It's not looking good for the pastor. I wonder if he actually is involved or if someone is just trying to make it look like he is? There definitely seems to be a connection to the church but how close of one? I am still really liking Laurel and Huck together even though they both keep insisting they don't want a relationship.
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Chapters 31-41
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Robert being the killer was a bit of a surprise but not entirely. Abigail definitely knew about what he was doing, I don't care what she said. I was hoping for more from the romance between Laurel and Huck but as this was only the first book in the series, it makes sense there wasn't a ton.
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I'll be starting book 2 sometime next week.

I should be starting book 2 in the next few days.

Still a little behind but will get to book 2 soon.

Started book 2 tonight.



Chapters 1-10
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The case in this one is interesting so far. Who is killing these women? And why is he cutting off their hands? I like the way Laurel and Huck just took the second murder from the sheriff (he still sucks).
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Finished book 2 tonight.



Chapters 11-20
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Oh no, I hope Walter will be ok. They were so close to getting the next woman into a safe house and the killer managed to get the drop on her and Walter. I do wonder if the killer is this doctor they found or if it's someone else.
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Chapters 21-30
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God I hate Abigail's character. Is it bad that I'm hoping she gets killed off or locked up just so we don't have to deal with her anymore? Laurel just needs to avoid her. At this point I'm still not sure who the killer is, I thought maybe Hayley was involved as she seemed to helpful but not sure yet.
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Chapters 31-38
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I hadn't suspected Jason at all. Abigail being the one to push him to do it makes sense, although she she didn't leave anything traceable so she'll once again get off. I really hope she gets what's coming to her at some point in this series. I like where Laurel and Huck stood at the end of the book and the she made the decision to stay in the area permanently.
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Started book 3 tonight.



Chapters 1-11
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This is good so far. I'm enjoying the little moments in Laurel and Huck's relationship. Still not liking Abigail's character and I really hope she gets her comeuppance soon. The fact the murder victim is Kate's husband should make for an interesting case.
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Read more of book 3 tonight.



Chapters 12-22
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We have two more victims now and they all seem to be connected to the law firm in some way and with the photo Laurel just received, their connection goes back even further. I wonder who's killing them? So far I don't have a good suspect in my head for the murders. I do still think Abigail is guilty as hell about a ton of stuff but I doubt she's the killer.
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Finished book 3 today.



Chapters 23-33
(view spoiler)[
Agent Norrs is a moron trusting Abigail so blindly and he really tried to accuse Laurel of all the murder. Idiot. I really hope Abigail gets what's coming to her at some point, I really don't like her character. Hopefully no one got hurt in that explosion we just heard.
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Chapters 34-43
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Ugh, I'm disappointed Laurel is pregnant. Not a big fan of that in my romances, particularly suspense books. I also really wanted Abigail to face some repercussions for all the bad stuff she's done. Zello being the killer makes sense once Laurel learned about the connection at the camp. Overall I enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to the next book.
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