A MISSING WOMAN.A SADISTIC SERIAL KILLER.AND A TEXAS RANGER RUNNING OUT OF TIME…______________________“Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, she plunges you down another dark and deliciously creepy path.” —Lisa Regan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Silent Cry______________________Shortly after a young mother mysteriously disappears, a serial killer begins leaving corpses and … Cry
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Shortly after a young mother mysteriously disappears, a serial killer begins leaving corpses and clues across the Texas Hill Country. Texas Ranger Faith McClellan and her mentor, veteran Ranger Archie Baxter, are assigned to the case.
This killer is more clever—and sadistic—than any they’ve ever encountered, and the list of seemingly unrelated female victims is growing by the day—an attorney, a pastor, a stay-at-home mom. The murders feature similar injuries, with a cryptic message carved into each corpse. But these gruesome calling cards provide more questions than answers, and with the best coroner in the state unable to identify the murder weapon, investigators are flying blind.
With the young mother still missing and a mounting body count, it’s up to Faith and Archie to solve the mystery. Before the killer strikes again…
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“LynDee Walker weaves a tight, wonderfully-complex plot… and Texas Ranger Faith McClellan is a capable, shining heroine you’ll love to root for.” —Jeff Carson, nationally bestselling author of the David Wolf series
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LynDee Walker, acclaimed author of the NICHELLE CLARKE CRIME THRILLERS, offers a pulse-pounding second installment to her new and wildly popular FAITH MCCLELLAN series.
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Faith McClellan is used to dealing with murder investigations but this time she is assigned to a missing person case. When she hits a dead-end she teams up again with her mentor, veteran Ranger Archie Baxter to assist on a serial killer investigation as bodies start to pile up. Female victims all with similar injuries and messages carved right into their skin. They have a lot of speculation but are unable to come up with a true suspect. Faith also can’t keep her mind off her missing person, could she somehow be connected to the serial case. It’s going to take some hard detective work to catch the killer, a killer who appears to be escalating. Are Faith and Archie up for the task?
Faith Mc Clellan is a tough-as-nails Texas Ranger with some unique talents that in this installment are finally being recognized. I was cheering for her to quickly solve her missing person case just to show some people in her sphere her true abilities. Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be. Instead, she starts to work on another case and she does it with a furor. The woman does not give up or back down. She faces fear with her eyes wide open and a brain busy calculating every option. She also has some flaws that can hold her back but that makes her human. This character has grown since book one but still has room to evolve. The author has surrounded her with a group of interesting characters most with major flaws themselves. I hope they continue to evolve as well.
The missing woman mystery really tugged at my heartstrings, just as it did Faith. The serial murder case was intense, gripping, and scary. The author includes a few chapters from the point of view of an unknown person. Those chapters really drew me in and made me think as to how everything was going to connect. I want to say the book had a fast pace but I tried hard to slow it down so I didn’t miss a clue or an aside that would prove to be important down the road. “Down the road” takes on an eerie sense within this story.
Ms. Walker does not write stories with easy mysteries for her characters or readers to solve. Faith tries so hard but there are twists upon twists and a few surprises thrown in working up to an exciting big reveal. The big reveal that was also a huge surprise.
Faith McCellen literally Leave(s) No Stone – Unturned. LynDee Walker takes her readers on a gritty ride. Full of suspense and complex characters this is a story that will stick with you.
Superb! I would follow Ranger Faith McClellan anywhere. Walker’s Leave No Stone is a riveting page-turner. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, she plunges you down another dark and deliciously creepy path. Wonderfully written, with a strong, badass female protagonist that you won’t want to miss and a mystery that will keep your head spinning long after you’ve finished the last page.
Twists here, there, and in almost every chapter in this complex story of a serial killer and a missing young mother. Faith McClellan, former beauty queen, ex-cop, daughter of a former Texas governor is now a Texas Ranger. She generally works on murder cases and becomes determined to save the missing mother from that fate. Faith is tough, funny, vulnerable, AND a workaholic whose issues with her important daddy don’t keep her from using his clout when necessary. The killer is definitely a twist. A fast, keep-awake thriller. (Nominated, BTW, for ITW Best E-Book Original Novel).
Lyndee Walker is knocking it out of the park again with yet another great story! I’ve been reading her work since the first Nichelle Clarke and have enjoyed every one. Now with the Faith McClellan series, she’s written another winner. This is “edge of your seat” entertainment with some unexpected twists. If you’re looking for a great read that will keep you guessing, with believable and engaging characters, look no further.
* Note: I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This was my first LynDee Walker book. The characters are so well developed that you feel you know them from the first page. The case is twisted and deep and kept me up well into the late hours of the night. I’m onto other books in this series and loving them.
This intense thriller had me totally engrossed from start to finish, chewing my nails, and staying up way too late to see if Texas Ranger Faith McClellan would find a missing single mother, and at the same time, help her mentor Archie and ex-partner Graham find a serial killer, not knowing how closely entangled the cases were. I was very pleased with the conclusion, and can’t wait to read the next book! Kudos to the very talented author on a well-written book with complex characters that you wish you could meet.
This isn’t a cozy, but it’s not too graphic. The story and mystery are wonderful.
No nonsense Texas Ranger Faith McClellan is back with another strong police procedural. Faith is given the case of locating a 26 year old single mother 2 weeks after she went missing. Faith typically only investigates cases where the victim is already dead so this time she feels a sense if urgency and is a bit turned off by all the local small town cops who hardly gave anytime to investigating the disappearance. She pulls in both her fellow ranger and mentor Archie Baxter and her ex partner Graham Hardin as sounding boards during her investigation, but for the most part she works this case alone.
The author throws a fair amount of red herrings throughout the book that leads to some big surprises at the end.
Another strong addition in the series. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Leave No Stone began with Faith, a badass Texas Ranger, in the middle of hand-to-hand training with a rookie, proving to him that his belief that he didn’t need safety gear to spar with “a girl” was a stupid move and instantly endeared me to Faith. She’s pulled away from the mat when her lieutenant assigns her a new missing person’s case. A young single mother failed to pick up her son from the babysitter almost two weeks prior and the neighbor just called asking the Rangers to investigate because the local police station wasn’t taking the disappearance seriously. Faith believes the mom was abducted but after more than a month without a series break in the case Faith’s supervisor asks her to assist with what appears to be a separate case involving the serial abduction and murder of women who on the surface seem to have nothing in common.
The book was well-written and fast paced with an engaging plot. The topics addressed were serious but not written in an overly gruesome way, which I appreciated. This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I had no trouble jumping in here. The characters and their motivations are clear. Faith’s a great character. I look forward to future books in this series so I can check in with Faith and her co-workers and friends, Graham and Archie.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #LeaveNoStone #mystery #rangers
I’ve read 250 to 275 books a year for the last 10 years, but before that I’ve read occasionally for fun since the 80’s. My point is that Leave No Stone is, by far, the best, most well-thought-out book that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. There was absolutely no pointless filler. It was an incredible tension packed story which was written to perfection.
Gripping!
Texas Ranger Faith McClellan is good at finding killers, but this time she has a chance to find the victim before she becomes a body in the morgue. Faith is surprised when her boss asks her to investigate the disappearance of a young mother, but when she looks into Jake’s eyes and sees the sadness and confusion, she is determined to bring his mother home alive.
This is a gripping crime novel and kept me guessing until the end. The author masterfully builds the suspense while inserting cameos of a victim slowly losing touch with reality. An excellent storyline – I couldn’t put it down!
This book starts out with an unknown female and a seven hundred and thirty-one day count where the reader, has the impression that ‘she’ is desperately trying to put distance between her and a male assailant.
Texas Ranger, Faith McClellan, is called into work a missing person case involving a young single mother, Lindsey Decker, who has vanished after leaving work. Due to Faith’s past, she wants to bring this mother home to her young child. Problem is, every minute counts, and Lindsey has been missing for two weeks.
All ends are leading to a dead end. In order to get public attention, Faith enlists the aid of Chip Johnson, a reporter. Faith agrees to do an interview, but not live.
While still trying to find leads to where Lindsey might be, Faith receives a summons by the Governor requesting she be put on a new case involving a serial killer, where Skye Morrow, Faith’s nemesis, has some news of her own. Fearing she may not find Lindsey in time, because of all the dead ends, now Faith has a new obstacle course to go through trying to find a killer before there is another victim.
This was a fast paced read. I was immediately drawn into the story by the prologue, making me wonder right away who the unknown was, what happened to her, and who was she fleeing. I like that even though Faith loathes Skye Morrow, that she shows she has a big heart. Wonderful read!
I received an ARC and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
Taut, unexpected, believable. Leave No Stone is an outstanding thriller! Faith McClellan is excited to have a chance at a case where she might be able to save the victim. Unfortunately, time is the enemy when one is dealing with crime, so it isn’t long before she finds herself being pulled off the missing persons case to investigate another serial murder case. Been there done that too many times. The passage of time weighs heavily on the Texas Ranger who can feel the clock counting down on the missing woman. She refuses to give the caring single mother up as a runaway or as a murder victim even though another case demands immediate attention. Tension built tighter and tighter through the story until I was tempted to peek ahead to discover the killer, and to make sure that all of my new friends were safe. I greatly enjoyed the interaction among the people Faith works with; character interaction is one of the keys that moves a novel from good to great. The characters are multidimensional which makes them feel realistic, and the plot is exciting and gut-wrenching with the kind of twists that LynDee Walker does so well.
I requested an ARC of Leave No Stone after falling in love with the first book in the series. The second book only consolidated my belief that this series is going to be even greater that Ms. Walker’s awesome Nichele Clark Crime Thrillers. I have also order a personal copy of the book because this one is going to be a re-reader for sure.