From the award-winning author of Trace of Evil, a detective dealing with the scars of her past must solve a seemingly unconnected string of murders, and face the impossible question of what to do when the killer may be hiding amongst the ones you know, in Alice Blanchard’s The Wicked Hour. “Readers will welcome a return to Burning Lake with Natalie at the helm.”–Associated Press “Lockhart is a … Natalie at the helm.”–Associated Press
“Lockhart is a relatable new heroine on the police-procedural scene, and one who will appeal to readers of Tana French.—Booklist
The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene–a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is.
As Natalie retraces the young woman’s steps leading up to her death, she uncovers a deeper, darker horror–a string of murders and disappearances, seemingly unconnected, that may have ties to each other–and explain the abrupt disappearance of her best friend years ago.
As she digs deeper within the mind of the hunter, Natalie finds a darkness she could never have imagined. And as she draws closer to the truth, the killer is weaving a trap for her that may prove inescapable.more
The story is intense. There are a lot of characters and suspects to keep track of. Natalie is dealing with an enormous amount of emotional baggage which impacts how she solves the case and lives her life. There is also political undertones that interfere with her ability to get the job done. In the end it’s her instincts that help keep her on track and solve the case.
It’s Halloween night, and Burning Lake is overrun with a huge crowd in costume and Detective Natalie Lockhart is on foot patrol. Natalie is still struggling with the notoriety of being dubbed the crow killer, her sister, Grace, and some fallout with friends. Natalie in trying to escape ghosts, is working early and staying late.
Natalie volunteers for the post-Halloween cleanup, when she is flagged down, a body is found in the dumpster. A young unidentified woman with a tattoo and a mark under her chin that give Natalie a clue, because she’s seen that mark on Bella, her best friend.
This becomes Natalie’s case, to which she retraces the victim’s steps, and each bit of information she follows leads to more questions and more victims. Also brings to mind memories of Bella, and leads Natalie to pull out old photos and notes with a clue missed years ago.
This is a good police procedural mystery. The town is steep in their traditions, and traditions that the Chef of Police would get involved to help protect the town’s prominent citizens from the public eye. I did have to wonder how after being clubbed in the head and knocked out, how Natalie was able to get behind a wheel with a head injury. I did like the tense scene where Natalie is struggling, and gets a vision of her sister, to encourage her. The ending, definitely needs more explaining, I was totally surprised, and there’s still questions left about Bella.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley via St. Martin’s Press and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
This is book two in a series. I think it’s a good idea to read book one before tackling this one.
Anyway it was a good police thriller, kept me guessing.
I really enjoyed the story and look forward to more in this series
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
THE WICKED HOUR by Alice Blanchard is a police procedural and the second book in the Natalie Lockhart series. To get the most enjoyment from this novel, the first book in the series (TRACE OF EVIL) should be read before starting this one. This is a town that makes the most of its history with witchcraft and has a large tourist trade around it that culminates with the Halloween celebration.
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in the Burning Lake, New York police department and is still dealing with the tragic events that occurred in book one. She is working clean-up on November first when the body of a violinist is found in a dumpster and she get the case.
Natalie is a strong female protagonist who is definitely someone you can root for. Her character felt real with clear goals and believable motivations. This novel is more character-driven and police procedural driven than books one and has less action. However, I thought her introspection while dealing with the case actually worked better for me than book one. I was quickly drawn into the story and stayed engaged throughout the book.
The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. The stakes were high throughout the novel and kept me fully invested in the story. The world-building enhanced the setting and gave me a clear sense of place. There were plenty of suspects and twists as well as a sub-plot that did not get resolved. Will that be part of book three? Themes include death, grief, family relationships, parental pressure on children to succeed, depression and much more.
Overall, the plot was complex, absorbing and well-paced. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series which will be published in December.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Alice Blanchard for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Through out a portion of this book, I was lost. Part of the back story is missing, so I went in search of a previous book. There is one “Trace of Evil“. Might help with the storyline displacement. This a true “who done it “ with a small twist. The story is enjoyable, must admit, there is a definite need of some missing detail and how did the ending relationship happen? Hard to follow in places.