Homicide Detective Sidney Becker is burned out. After years of investigations in a big city, she’s haunted by grisly crime scenes and depraved murderers. Seeking balance, she accepts the job of police chief in her hometown—a peaceful mountain community in Oregon.Life is good. Beautiful scenery. Low crime. Close to family.Then a woman is found brutally murdered in the woods. The staging of the … staging of the body is chilling, and resembles another victim found in the same area years earlier. The case went cold.
Now the killer has come out of hiding.
The killer is ruthless, and plans each murder to the smallest detail. The only clue found at the crime scene is an origami butterfly planted on the victim. Inside is a handwritten, meaningless verse.
To outwit a killer more cunning than any she’s faced before, Sidney must decode his cryptic message and lure him into the open—before he strikes again.
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Although this book has a premise I don’t like – serial killer killing women and ‘staging’ their dead bodies – I enjoyed the writing. The characters had depth and the prose had charm. I’ll read more of this author.
Thrilled to discover a new series with a strong female sheriff in a quaint community in Oregon.
Sidney and her sister Serena share their parents house and establish their careers….Sidney moved back after many years in homicide in the city. Serena and friend Anne have a homegrown business with foods, candles and recipes.
Anne sees a horrific crime in the woods and it affects the whole town as it brings up the other case of another dead woman…killed the same way and in the same woods. The race is on to find a common denominator between these two very different women before another death…or has there already been another one?
This is very atmospheric and her descriptions of people and places pull you in…I can see Serena and Anne in the house in the woods feeling watched, the smells of apples and wood smoke. There are clues, several good suspects, the fear building, old relationships shattered and new love interests. Stalking and feeling spied upon add to the tension.
The crimes, the drugs coming into small towns, the secrets people keep and the good cops dealing with it and keeping their humanity. You’ll meet David, Derek, Jeff, and Granger. You’ll learn about toxins and their affects on the human body and although no gore or gratuitous violence takes place, the author lets your mind go off on a scary path….that is talent!
Cannot wait to read the next one as I love the people, the town and the solid plotting. 5 stars
I could not put this book down!
After job burn out in the big city Sidney Becker hopes to find a quieter pace back home town. This book has twists and turns from beginning to end.
Well written with characters with their own quirks and problems.
Hope this series continues with this quality of writing and suspense.
Sidney leaves a city job as a detective to relocate as Chief of police at a small town. Too many murders and blood on a daily basis. Ann is walking her dog and sees a man dragging a woman in the woods. He sees her and begins to chase her. She escapes by running and hiding until he leaves. The police find a woman posed against a tree with her wrists cut. This novel pulls you into the story from the beginning and keeps you captivated until the surprise conclusion.
This is a very well written mystery
It has a nicely detailed plot with well drawn characters. What a unique idea–a character who cannot discern facial features! Of course, the killer doesn’t know that. The author combines a great setting with a strong, forward moving plot and a surprise ending. Nice work Ms. Berry. I look forward to reading more of your books.
Very suspenseful and riveting, all the way through the book. Nice lead up to the bad person with twist. Caught me until near the end. But did not figure it out when realized guess was wrong. Nicely done.
Characters are very human and believable. Reads very fast. What will book 2 hold?