Shallow graves scar the desert landscape. A cemetery in the sand. Some of the lost are never found.Thousands of girls go missing every year in Las Vegas. Taken. Bought and sold. Or worse.And now the dead are calling.These lost girls summon FBI Profiler Violet Darger to Sin City — a new case. There are fresh dead to sort through — two bodies burned beyond recognition in the trunk of a sedan — … beyond recognition in the trunk of a sedan — and there’s reason to believe that there are missing girls waiting to be saved.
Rumors swirl that a legendary killer is responsible for these crimes. An escaped prisoner with a personal grudge against Darger — one who wants her and her partner dead. One who disappeared for 20 years.
But the desert is full of deadly secrets — horrors waiting beneath the sand.
If Darger finds the killer in time, the girls will live. If not…
This pulse-pounding thriller will have you holding your breath until the final page. Fans of John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, and Lisa Gardner should check out the Violet Darger series.
The books in the series can be read in any order, so grab The Girl in the Sand and get started today.
Praise for the Violet Darger series:
“Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!” — Melody M
“The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I’ve ever read.” — Devin
“Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats — Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc.” — Lucinda E. Snyder
“Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn’t stop.” — Ada Lavin
“This series is full of suspense, action, and lots of murder.” — EllenAn
“Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her.” — Cat
“A rush of excitement, twists and turns.” — C. Munger
“Insightful, bloody. Page turner about the corruption of morality and warped thinking patterns.” — Bella from Readingnstuff.com
“Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence.” — Bloodymummer
“I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves.” — eden Hudson, author of Revenge of the Bloodslinger
“It’s not a glimpse…it’s a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It’s fast paced, it’s scary, and it’s satisfying.” — Rain
“If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, this book is a spiritual successor.” — Amazon customer
“Vargus and McBain spin a fine tale with characters I want to climb inside — but not in a weird way.” — Jeanne Tarrantsmore
Okay, why the hell did it take me so long to discover the novels of Tim McBain and L.T. Vargus? Beautiful, hauntingly visceral kick-ass thrillers. Just listen to this: “The stimulation of downtown Vegas provides that little extra sizzle in her head, that drip feed of adrenaline to keep the full brunt of the exhaustion at arm’s length.” Not only is “The Girl In the Sand” a compelling page-turner that sucks you into its world immediately, then hammers you with suspense and pace, but the writing is reminiscent of the Beat poets, as cutting edge and vibrantly alive as you’ll ever find. Love these characters. Great dialogue. Addictive read. I need to catch up with the rest of their books. All on my Must Read list.
This is my 2nd Violet Darger book by these 2 authors. Violent and her partner go to Vegas to help find a serial killer. What they find is a desert full of bodies buried over time. What she uncovers is very scary from her past. This is a fast moving story, intriguing and very good. It’s a well written story just like the 1st book I read, “Killing Season “. I’m really enjoying this series, was reading as fast as I could as I just needed to know how it ended. Finished today and looking forward to the next in the series.
The Girl in the Sand – a review by Rosemary Kenny
FBI Special Agent Violet Darger’s third adventure is a spectacular mix of crime-thriller and horror, as (with her partner Victor Loshak), she leads the investigation into the discovery of first, two horribly burned bodies, in the boot of a burned-out car, then more, after literally falling onto one of the ritualistically murdered, eponymous victims’ skulls, while following the mystery maniac.
Are the girls all victims of Leonard Stump?
If so, where has he been hiding for two decades?
Never one to shrink back from danger, Violet goes from enquiry to determination to act without thought of her own safety, but has her dedication to duty gone above and too far beyond, this time?
To find out how she faces down the demons of her past, get your copy of LT Vargas and Tim McBain’s outstanding crime-thriller, The Girl in the Sand, today!
THIS REVIEW IS FOR BOTH THE AUDIOBOOK AND EBOOK VERSIONS
Great story, really enjoyed these characters and the narration was wonderfully preformed. This was another intriguing book I definitely recommend it and I am anxious for the next book.
Good book! Some of the action details were a bit much for me. I would read more from this author .
This was a very good book. Lots of twists and turns. Scary because it could definitely happen to anyone!
A chilling read chasing a serial killer. Couldn’t put it down til the very last word.
This book would have been much better with a little editing to keep the story straight and to take out superfluous words that didn’t belong.
To long.
I enjoyed the book a lot. The evil that is portrayed in the story is terribly believable. More than once I found myself tensed wondering what was about to happen. If you enjoy this genre of books, you will not be disappointed.
Sorry but I just could not like this book. I can’t believe the FBI hired this woman or even kept her on after this case because of how big an idiot she was. Not going to try anymore of this series. I know it’s fiction but it needs to be believable.
A great story line, but VERY tedious dialogue. Would have been 5 stars but for that.
This is one of those stories thar you get emotionally involved in .. you set it down and say ” i can’t read anymore” only to find yourself back reading again. Really intense and i am glad i finished the book but it is intense.
It was well written and gripping.
Couldn’t put the book down. WOW!
I enjoyed this book.
I like the pace and intensity of these books, but Violet Darger irks me. She is written like so many other “tough-guy” female cop/detective/agent characters that run headlong into danger, never learn from their prior mistakes, and think only they can save the day and be the hero. She never follows the rules and calls for back-up. She never uses her partner like she should and keeps him in the loop. Every time, she jumps in all guns blazing, and chaos ensues.
I’m all for strong female characters, but being a woman does not mean that common sense is non-existent.
There’s a serial killer in Las Vegas, Leonard Stump. FBI, Violet Darger and Loshak are there to stop him.
The storyline for Stump is cruel and haunting, for the abducted girls, it’s drugged and dreamlike, together gripping.
The ending is violent action with Darger on her own, determined to stop the horror. Another thrilling suspense thriller by Vargas and McBain. All 3 books in this series are great reads! Don’t miss out, start with book 1, ‘Dead End Girl’.
This wad a good read, i had a hard time putting it down
The graphic details of the killers punishments was exceptional.