Will Sage overcome the gut-wrenching impact of surviving a serialkiller and save her twin sister in time?When a serial killer breaks into the Boston home of bestselling author, Sage Quintano, she barely escapes with her life. Her husband, Niko, a homicide detective, insists they move to rural New Hampshire, where he accepts a position as Grafton County Sheriff. Sage buries secrets from that … County Sheriff. Sage buries secrets from that night, secrets she swears to take to her deathbed.
Three years of anguish and painful memories pass, and a grisly murder case lands on Niko’s desk. A strange caller torments Sage–she can’t outrun the past.
When Sage’s twin sister suddenly goes missing, Sage searches Niko’s case files and discovers similarities to the Boston killer. A sadistic psychopath is preying on innocent women, marring their bodies in unspeakable ways. And now, he has her sister.
Cryptic clues. Hidden messages. Is the killer hinting at his identity? Or is he trying to lure Sage into a deadly trap to end his reign of terror with a matching set of corpses?
“Sue Coletta has burst on the scene with one of the most disturbing and unforgettable novels of the year. Her writing is strong and powerful. It prickles your skin, then sears it. It embeds fear deep in your mind. You are no longer the reader. You are in the story yourself.” ~ Caleb Pirtle, author of Secrets of the Dead
“Reminded me of Silence of the Lambs in a pastoral setting.” ~ Peter Hogenkamp
“The forensics were fascinating. This author really knows her stuff.” ~ Readers’ Favorite
more
What I like best about this author is, she knows she has a job to do and doesn’t shy away from everything that’s required to terrify the reader, at the same time creating a puzzle that requires some serious brain power. The writing is sharp, funny, and at times tender. Marred is a chilling read that will leave you wanting more, once you’ve caught your breath.
Wow!
A mind numbing amount of research must have been done in the writing of this book! There were so many twists and turns it was impossible to figure out whodunit! That’s always a plus!
It was well written, though at times I felt some of the characters actions, or reactions, a bit bizarre, but who am I to say how a person should act under similar circumstances?
All in all I enjoyed the book. It’s got all the hallmarks of a murder mystery, with gruesome murder scenes, suspense, adventure, intrigue and fear! As in most books with a sequel there were just a few questions left dangling to spark the urge to continue with the next installment of the series.
Interesting and diverse characters even offer some humor in certain situations, lending to a full bodied clever story. I will definitely read the sequel as well as other work by this author!
This book is a chilling, thrill a minute, read. Others have addressed the plot and theme, so I’m going to mention some of the background information. The supporting characters are well fleshed out, and I found myself looking forward to one deputy in particular. Coletta’s settings are wonderfully described without dedicating a ton of space. This book reads well, and delivers everything it promises and more. I will seek out this author in the future.
This was a fantastic book which dragged out emotions and had me feeling for the characters. Sage is such a well developed characters who pulled at my emotions throughout the entire book. Secondary characters were as well developed and were likeable and added to the entire flow of the story. Nico and Sage’s relationship was a wonderful background for this story with its ups and downs. Definitely a creep factor if your reading it at night, full of surprises and twist that kept me turning pages until the last page. I loved this book!! I am voluntarily giving an honest review on a copy of this book I received from the author.
This is a compelling thriller that will leave you chilled to the bone. You definitely want to read this book with the lights on. The author weaves a spectacular web of murder and mayhem that holds you captive. It took a moment for me to adjust to the different POV styles but once I did, I found I really enjoyed the story being told this way. The author writes in first person for Sage’s POV and then alternates with her husband, Niko, and his partner, Frankie, in third person. The third person POV’s from Niko and Frankie added another level of intrigue and suspense to this harrowing tale. And the author’s detail and description of the heinous actions of the killer were vivid and scary and I found the case details and forensics fascinating. I also really enjoyed Frankie and her snarky comments and banter; it helped to lighten up some of the more intense scenes and tension-filled dialogue among characters.
From the beginning pages you are drawn to Sage and her plight. You can feel her grief and turmoil as she wrestles with her everyday life, trying to come to terms with the brutal assault she suffered, her struggling marriage and the closely guarded secrets she has kept from her husband as well as her desperation and terror knowing her twin sister has disappeared and is in the hands of a serial killer that has his sights set on her. It was also easy to connect with and sympathize with Niko as he struggles to come to terms with his wife’s attack and continued effect is has on him and their relationship as well as his ability to perform his duties as sheriff; including his worry for keeping Sage safe. The dialogue and drama of Sage and Niko’s relationship was intense and sometimes overwhelming as they worked through their problems and struggled to understand each other’s reasons behind their secrets and lies. It was definitely an emotional journey for them both. This is a disturbing, dark tale full of suspense, turmoil and twists and turns. It is a steady paced psychological thriller that keeps you engaged and wanting more. *I was gifted a copy of this book by the author and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.