“This nail-biter teems with suspense…An unrelenting debut thriller.” –Kirkus ReviewsThe strangled body of a 9-year-old girl is discovered behind a hedgerow bordering her school playground in York, Pennsylvania. The local authorities’ only clue lies in a scrap of paper left in her front pocket, with a short phrase printed on it in an unfamiliar language.Jackson Byrne, an FBI agent who … agent who specializes in investigating crimes against children, has just completed a book tour promoting his best-seller about solving his most recent high-profile case–the abduction and murder of a celebrity’s young daughter. Unexpectedly, Jack receives an invitation from an old family friend and powerful political insider urging him to run for the U.S. Senate. At the same time, his FBI division learns of the murder of another child with a similar mysterious message, launching them into a search for a serial killer given the moniker The Playground Predator. As Jack becomes torn between his excitement about a new career and others’ expectations of a celebrated investigator, he must also continue to deal with demons from his past. While Jack’s devoted wife, a sycophantic young FBI colleague, and an ambitious and attractive female reporter all try to influence his path, none of them pulls the strings as effectively as the enigmatic Randall, the psychologically disturbed but brilliant Playground Predator himself, who orchestrates his own master plan,eventually dragging Jack into an inevitable showdown.
“A BUSTLE IN THE HEDGEROW starts out deceptively simple, but gets more complex and interesting as the mystery deepens. Characters are three-dimensional and multifaceted… a good psychological thriller that allows the reader to piece together the clues to a mystery.” –Catherine Langrehr, IndieReader
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The storytelling started strong. Immediately I was caught up in the drama, angry at the killer, willing the detectives to deduce faster, and filled with sadness for the families. I eagerly read each new page as the need for the crime to be solved grew and festered. Then— all hope and tension were dashed by a rushed ending. I would read more by this author but, upon finishing this book, I didn’t look to see what other titles were available which is my normal M. O.
Loved the book. Can’t wait to read more by this author.
I just couldn’t get into this book.
This was a great read couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Lot of punctuation mistakes which doesn’t make for a smooth reading experience. Story was good, however.
It was very good most of the way through. Very dark, but believable. Then at the end it just got very weird and unbelievable.
Excellent novel. I absolutely loved it. Mr. Miller is the author to watch. I felt like I was reading Sandford or Kellerman, this author is That good.
Once I got into it was easy to read
Good character development of a flawed central figure draws the reader in easily. Somewhat. formulaic but not annoyingly so. And the end calls for moving on to the second work in the series to see what choices are made and what direction careers take.
Only problem was lots of typos…
it was pretty good
Gripping with quite a few twists…a must read.
Straight up detective work. This page turner will keep you guessing till the very end.