An IndieNext Pick! “Gripping…Blanchard keeps the tension high.” – Associated Press From Alice Blanchard, the author of the New York Times Notable mystery novel Darkness Peering comes Trace of Evil, first in an evocative new series about a small New York town, its deeply held secrets, and the woman determined to uncover them, no matter what the cost. There’s something wicked in Burning … what the cost.
There’s something wicked in Burning Lake…
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake, New York, an isolated town known for its dark past. Tasked with uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years, Natalie wrestles with the town’s troubled history – and the scars left by her sister’s unsolved murder years ago.
Then Daisy Buckner, a beloved schoolteacher, is found dead on her kitchen floor, and a suspect immediately comes to mind. But it’s not that simple. The suspect is in a coma, collapsed only hours after the teacher’s death, and it turns out Daisy had secrets of her own. Natalie knows there is more to the case, but as the investigation deepens, even she cannot predict the far-reaching consequences – for the victim, for the missing of Burning Lake, and for herself.
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Witchcraft, a brutal murder, and secrets buried in a sleepy town’s past… With TRACE OF EVIL, Blanchard expertly weaves mystery and spine-tingling suspense. A tense, nail-biter of a thriller!
– J.D. Barker, International Bestselling Author of The Fourth Monkey
This was an edge-of-my seat page-turner book for me that I really enjoyed. Detective Natalie Lockhart is following in the footsteps of her father, the late Joseph “Joey” Lockhart. Natalie had two sisters, Grace and Willow. Willow was murdered 20 years ago and someone is serving time for it. Other women, over the years, have mysteriously disappeared and their cases remain cold. Fellow colleague, Brandon Buckner’s wife Daisy, who is in her early stages of pregnancy, is murdered in her home. There are several different story lines taking place in this book which are all nicely tied together in the end. Thank you to Minotaur Books for the ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review. If you enjoy a super good detective book, I highly recommend this one.
A first book in a new series. Very well written kept me going until the end really good twist.
The story is about a new detective Natalie Lockhart who lost a sister years ago to murder. Now
she is trying to find the killer of a cops wife, Daisy Beckner while rying to unravel the mystery
a set of missing persons “the missing nine”. Great characters and storyline.
TRACE OF EVIL has a cold case murder mystery that may incorporate the present. It’s a twisty tale with many subplots that weave a mesmerizing tale. Highly recommended.
Bookish First Impressions Giveaway
This story begins well-organized and nicely describes some of the main characters with enough information to not feel confused. I enjoy reading mystery, suspense novels so this grabbed my attention. I was instantly drawn into the story and so sad when the First Impression ended. I need to know more! There’s the small town and cold cases and mystery of this new death. Of course, there seems to be a romantic component waiting to be unraveled.
August 9, 2019 Book received
This is an amazing twisted story with a strong female protagonist in a small, quiet town. It begins with Detective Natalie Lockhart working on a cold case for the Burning Lake Police Department. The unsolved mystery of nine missing persons has haunted the town for years. While digging up new leads the team is unexpectedly drawn to the bloody scene of Daisy Buckner, a detective’s pregnant wife. The two mysteries unravel within the scope of the story revealing shocking secrets from the past and present. There is a strong storyline with historical background of the characters so that although the story had a satisfactory ending, one could see where Natalie could continue her story in following books.
***Thank you to BookishFirst and the author/publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review***
I loved this book so much! If you like thrillers and mysteries, you will also love it. The very first chapter had me hooked. I was very excited to get this book. The characters were well developed. It was a fast paced read with lots of twists and turns. I have to say that it kept me guessing until the very end. I felt so many emotions all throughout reading, especially for the main character.
I also like how the chapters are short lol. For some reason, this makes me read more in one sitting. Instead of going to sleep, I tell myself I’ll read one more since they are short. This leads to another then another. I hope there will be more books about the things that went unanswered. Also, the main character’s love life.
Trace of Evil drew me in from the very first page. The story opens in a cemetery on the twentieth anniversary of Detective Natalie Lockhart’s oldest sister’s death, and it sets the stage for everything that is to come in this engrossing, twisty police procedural. Full of murder, witchcraft, secrets, and shocking revelations, it is a wonderfully satisfying read.
Death is never far away from Natalie. Groomed from an early age by her father to follow in his footsteps as a policeman, she has worked her way up through the ranks and is now a rookie detective. Assigned to investigate the “Missing Nine” cold cases, she must put them aside when her sister’s best friend Daisy is found murdered. Things are complicated because of their personal relationship and since Daisy is fellow detective Brandon’s pregnant wife. Suspicion falls on one of Daisy’s students, but Brandon is also not immediately exonerated. The more Natalie investigates, the more small town secrets and connections she uncovers, all leading her to the horrifying, devastating truths.
Trace of Evil is set in a small New York town that capitalizes on its witchy history. Though there is mention of commercialism, the town residents seem to take its sordid past to heart, and it is almost a certain rite of passage for teenagers to get involved with witchcraft, both light and dark magic. This provides plenty of nefarious fodder for the “evil” elements of the tale and gives the entire novel a dark, sometimes gruesome edge. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.
The characters are well developed, especially Natalie, and are interesting in their variety. I quickly felt invested in their lives and the outcome of the investigation. Daisy’s murder is the original focus, but the cold cases quickly become enmeshed, making for compelling reading. I was surprised by the perpetrator’s identities and am still thinking about the characters and story more than a week after reading.
Trace of Evil is thrilling from start to finish. Highly recommended.
I gratefully received an ARC of this title from the publisher Minotaur Books through BookishFirst and voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here.
An eerie murder mystery thriller that keeps you enthralled to the very end!
Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard is an intriguing murder mystery thriller that immediately captured my attention from the very first chapter. The haunting plot pulled me in, the investigation had me questioning everyone’s motives and the complex town mystery kept me guessing until the very end. This thriller is a fast paced read that is filled with lots of tension, twists and turns, and a shocking conclusion that makes this book impossible to put down.
I always enjoy a mystery story where the lead character is a strong female detective. Trace of Evil is the first book in Alice Blanchard’s new series that takes place in the small town of Burning Lake, New York and introduces the reader to Natalie Lockhart, a rookie detective with a painful past. As the daughter of a 35 year veteran of the police department, Natalie is not new to investigations and murder. Years ago, she suffered the loss of her own sister who was violently murdered. As a new detective and the first woman assigned to the Burning Lake Criminal Investigation Unit, she is tasked with investigating the disappearance of nine transient women in a town accustomed to a strange and unnerving history.
On the twentieth anniversary of Natalie’s sister’s death she discovers the body of Daisy Buckner, a lifelong friend, a beloved school teacher and the wife to another police officer. As her investigation into the murder proceeds, she discovers that Daisy had many secrets of her own. Although the main suspect is in a coma, Natalie begins to question the actions of some of Daisy’s students. When Natalie’s niece and her friends become involved, the investigation becomes personal. Will Natalie uncover the motive behind Daisy’s death? Will she be able to discover the mystery behind the nine missing women before someone else disappears? Are the disappearances related to Daisy’s murder? What other painful circumstances will Natalie uncover next as her investigation makes her question the person responsible for her sisters death and makes her suspect that the murderer is still actively killing others?
As Natalie continues her investigation she reflects on her own childhood and a terrifying attack that has haunted her for years. She’s often pulled back in time as memories of her sisters, her family life and her own experiences of growing up in Burning Lake continue to distract her. As she follows new leads details about Natalie’s past, her sister’s vicious attack, and her close friendship with Luke Pittman, her Lieutenant are revealed. Can her past experiences help her with her investigations? Will her relationship with Luke change and grow?
I really enjoyed reading this thrilling murder mystery. I was totally pulled into the plot and completely committed to seeing how Natalies’s investigation would proceed. The author’s descriptive writing style took me right into the story where I felt like an active participant in the investigation. I appreciated the complex history of the town and how its history influenced the actions of many of the characters. I also enjoyed the descriptions and depth of the different characters in the story and the author’s ability to make them feel real. At times this story was eerie and dark which isn’t my favorite type of story but the author did a wonderful job of keeping the story moving so that it didn’t become overwhelming. I thought Trace of Evil was an amazingly complex, thrilling and completely captivating book. This was a wonderful beginning to Alice Blanchard’s new Natalie Lockhart series and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to Minotaur books, Alice Blanchard and BookishFirst for the wonderful opportunity to win a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
3.5/5
First off, I loved the fact that Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard is a mix of family drama, police procedural, and mystery. This is one of the things that kept my attention and kept me reading, and I really liked the way Blanchard blended them all together. This is book one of a series and I can definitely tell as the author paid a lot of attention to Natalie’s relationships with other people, her family, and her past. This made the book a pretty slow burn with not quite as much action as I was hoping for. I do love getting character’s backstories especially for a series, but I would have loved more of the mystery with backstory added in a bit less.
There is something about this book that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it made me not love it. The synopsis is incredible, and I was hoping to get the same out of reading it but something about the execution of the story was a little off for me. The end was shocking but not in a way that I was like WHAT, although sometimes that is a good thing! Trace of Evil had a couple of different mysteries going on which I liked, and although I didn’t necessarily love Blanchard’s writing style, it was still engaging and good enough to keep me reading. I listened to the audiobook which was good for the slow burn, but I can’t say I liked the narrator all that much. I also noticed that Laura Nichol has only narrated a total of three books so I’m not sure what’s going on there either. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no idea why I didn’t love her narration, so I would still recommend checking it out if you like audio.
Even though Trace of Evil was a bit of a miss for me, I am moving on to the second book in the series and will go from there. This book also had a surprising amount of witchcraft in it which I didn’t mind, but I would have loved it if it had been touched on even more. I thought the addition of it made things confusing at times, and I think it should have been explained a bit more. I liked Natalie a lot though and I am interested to see what she gets up to in the next book!
TRACE OF EVIL by Alice Blanchard is an excellent police procedural and the first book in the Natalie Lockhart series. I rated this 3.5 stars and rounded up to 4 stars. Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in the Burning Lake, New York police department. This is a town that has a history of disappearing transients as well as the murder of Natalie’s oldest sister 20 years ago. When Daisy Buckner is found dead in her kitchen, Natalie catches 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. 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 story is fast-paced and kept me turning the pages. The world-building enhanced the setting and gave me a clear sense of place. There were plenty of red herrings and action. Themes include death, grief, family relationships, teen rebellion, drugs, secrets, Wicca, homelessness, friendship and much more.
I deducted one and a half stars since there are a few things that did not ring true to criminal investigations such as Natalie discussing the case with people that she shouldn’t have, the official cause of death was stated prior to the autopsy, and the questions during a polygraph should have been limited to a yes or no answer, not a narrative response. Additionally, there were a few instances of telling rather than showing and some repetitiveness of information. Nevertheless, I was quickly drawn into the story and stayed engaged throughout the book.
Overall, the plot was complex, absorbing and well-paced. The ending had a twist that was a shocker. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series which will be published in December.
I had seen this book on the BookishFirst website last year, and didn’t win it. I also didn’t have enough points to claim it either.
Last year I requested it through my local library and was FINALLY able to get it early last week.
After catching up on a few reviews, and while waiting for another batch to do – I decided to finally read this.
While I enjoy suspense and thrillers, this was definitely a WILD read.
This is apparently the first in a series of “Natalie Lockhart” (this book’s protagonist) books.
There will be some content/trigger warnings in this book:
** Alcohol/Drug Use
** Dead Pregnant Woman
** Animal Mutilation
** Serial Killing
** Witches/Covens/Wiccan References
** Vulgar Language Throughout
This is a deeply disturbing, dark, haunting novel from a new-to-me author, Alice Blanchard; distributed by Minotaur Books an imprint of St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan.
The main character is the youngest of three (3) girls (Willow, Grace, Natalie) the oldest was killed 20 years earlier when she was 18. Natalie and Grace are all that is left. Although the killer is locked up, there is some doubt as to the evidence. Grace believes his guilt 100%.
Natalie is a new detective.
It isn’t bad enough that her sister was murdered, the town has a troubled history, but there are nine cases of missing transients that remain unsolved. She’s now tasked with trying to solve them …
That is until a high school teacher, and close personal friend, pregnant Daisy Bruckner is murdered. There is more to the case, and there are far-reaching consequences, even ones that meet home.
The book is written in short chapters with a quick pace that keeps the reader reading on. The pacing and chapters make this a fast read.
Yet, by 56% into this novel – there was seemingly no connection to the nine missing transients or Daisy’s murder.
Blanchard did an excellent job of keeping the “rumor” mill flying regarding Daisy’s death due to her secrets. And, there were theories flying all around. Although she was married to a cop and pregnant, she had her secrets that may have led to her death. Her husband is also a suspect as well.
One of those secrets intersects with the friends of Natalie’s niece, who is briefly a witch in a coven – thus the Wiccan connection. That’s not all – at one time Ellie’s mom Grace, Daisy, Lindsey, Bunny, and Natalie were in one.
This “coven” plot turns out to have a MAJOR connection in the novel with regard to Daisy’s death.
One interesting plot point was Natalie’s memory of a boy who’d attacked her and who had “poked” at a dead animal in the woods. It later connects to the missing nine, which doesn’t really get wrapped up until the final chapters. It was pretty much a low key conclusion. Slight spoiler – Daisy and Willow’s murders were not connected.
In comparison, the actual conclusion of both Daisy and Willow’s murder was more drawn-out and dramatic. The writer did craft it in a way that I didn’t see it coming. The suspect of those murders was someone I didn’t even expect.
I’m honestly wavering between three (3) and four (4) stars for this. I’m deciding on three (3).
The writing was solid, yet I felt there was something lack. The end was a bit too neatly drawn up.
It was a rather interesting read despite the coarse language.
I am glad that my library had a copy and I didn’t spend any of my points to get it though.
My first book by this author and will not be my last.
From the book:
Oddly enough, dogs still barked. The mail somehow got delivered. Kids still played in their front yards. Farmers went out to plow their fields. The shops were open for business. But nobody would ever forget the day when tragedy struck and normalcy was shattered. Somehow the town felt ruined.
This book takes you deep into a town with lots of secrets. Many years ago a teen was brutally murdered. Over the years several people, called The Nine, have gone missing. Today a teacher is murdered and another homeless woman is missing. Are they all connected or is it just coincidence? Is someone in this small close knit town a serial killer or is there more than one killer.
Natalie was a child when her sister was murdered. She herself was attacked by a boy of about 18 or 19 who had a butterfly birthmark on his upper arm. No one ever found him and she managed to escape. Another young man was sent to prison for Natalie’s sisters murder. But did he do it? He always maintained his innocence. He was so in love with Willow and said he could never have hurt her. But evidence proved he did it. Was the evidence correct though? Natalie grew up to become a cop. She took on a lot to help the town and spent many nights unable to sleep because of the things she saw. Then one night her friends wife was found murdered. She worked so hard to find the killer. What she found would haunt her forever. What she learned would never leave her mind.
This book did contain several characters that I truly liked. I think they were very well developed and the way it is written they would become people you would root for to come out on top. From a homeless woman who everyone in the town loved and tried to help to the teacher who was killed this book is filled with mysteries for sure. There is a lot going on but it was easy for me to follow. It was not told in a way that would confuse you but to enlighten you about the past and present and putting the two together.
The thing I really liked was that all of my questions were answered. You will find out who did what to whom both past and present. A few surprises thrown in to throw you off too. There are several things going one from teens practicing witchcraft to big drug parties in the woods. You will feel like you are there. During the girls trying to put spells on people and the lies they tell you will see a side to them that is not pretty. I felt like two of the teens should have got into deep trouble for things they did, but it was not written that way and it was still good. It explores things that kids do and even down to a crush on a teacher that is typical of some young silly girls in high school.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept me wanting to read and find out who did what. I loved that it didn’t rush into an ending that would leave you hanging. I think this author did a great job of tying up loose ends and answering all the questions. The descriptions of the area felt so realistic. From the freezing cold water to the deep dense woods. The rain falling to the dark nights following someone. I felt like I was right there and in places it was a tad scary. Well done Alice Blanchard. Very well done.
Thank you #NetGalley, #Alice Blanchard, #St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.
I give it 4.5 stars and a very high recommendation. You will want to read this one.
Can I just say “wow” to this book! This is the first book I have read by Alice Blanchard and I definitely want to read the next book in the series. Natalie has fallen into her father’s footsteps by becoming a cop. She has a lot of emotional baggage from an attack many years ago. She lost her sister tragically and now there is a serial killer on the loose. Natalie has been tasked to look at the evidence. Little snippets of her attack, her sister’s murder, and another murder on their hands, the police department has their hands full. Add witchery into the mix and things are getting crazy, especially for some high school girls. Did not see the ending coming and cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard has Natalie Lockhart along with her sister, Grace and niece, Ellie remembering her sister, Willow who was murdered twenty years ago. Though Willow’s killer is serving time, Natalie has her doubts that the right man is in prison. Natalie followed in her father’s footsteps becoming an officer with Burning Lake Police Department. She uses the wisdom she learned from him to help her solve cases. Natalie is now the newest detective on the force handling the cold case of the Missing Nine. For twenty five years transients have gone missing in the area and not one detective in all that time has been able to solve the crimes. Natalie takes Brand Buckner home one evening after he has had too much to drink, to find his pregnant wife, Daisy dead in the kitchen. As Natalie works the case, she uncovers startling information. Natalie finds clues regarding the Missing Nine along the way and her doubts about Willow’s killer may be justified. The results of Natalie’s investigation will change her life and others forever. Trace of Evil is the first book in a new series starring Natalie Lockhart. Trace of Evil has multiple storylines making it a complex novel. I was unable to get into Trace of Evil despite my best attempts. The descriptions were detailed which led to dry reading plus the dialogue was off putting. I soon found myself skimming through the book (this is not a good sign). I easily kept up with what was happening, and I kept reading to see if I had picked out the correct guilty party. I do want to let you know that there is foul language and detailed violence. I also thought Trace of Evil was a little long with 370 pages. Trace of Evil has all the aspects for a good mystery, but it did not quite come together. With the right writing, Trace of Evil could be the beginning of a good mystery series. The beauty of books is that we each view them differently. I suggest you obtain a sample of Trace of Evil to see if it appeals to you and if you can uncover the killer’s identity.
Trace of Evil is the first book in Alice Blanchard’s Natalie Lockhart series. This is the first work by Ms. Blanchard that I’ve read. After this book, it certainly will not be the last. I was hooked!
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in a historic little New York town with a “witchy” past. Natalie followed her beloved father Joey’s profession; he taught her all he knew, often leaving puzzles for her to solve. Willow, Natalie’s oldest sister, was killed years ago, and it has colored her life in all the time since, as does an incident which occurred in Natalie’s childhood when she was assaulted by a hooded figure. As a rookie detective, part of Natalie’s job is to take a look at cold cases – in this case “the Missing Nine”, transients who have disappeared. While investigating the Nine, Natalie comes across the murdered Daisy Buckner, a popular teacher and best friend of Natalie’s sister Grace. The main suspect is in a coma. Did student Riley kill Daisy, or is this murder even more sinister than it appears?
This is one of those rare mystery-thrillers that leave you just gasping in the end, with genuine “I never saw THAT coming!” thoughts racing through your mind. This story actually revolves around three crimes: Daisy’s murder, the Missing Nine and doubts about Willow’s murder. There is also some creepy teenage angst dealing with kids playing with witchcraft that lends spooky atmosphere to the book. I really don’t want to get more descriptive about the mysteries, as I want other readers to be just as surprised and shocked as I was. This is definitely a chilling book you will not want to miss!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me a free review copy of Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard.
I absolutely love a good female detective book and this one was no exception. I loved the lead character, Natalie Lockhart, and really enjoyed learning about her history and being immersed in her small town in upstate New York.
Natalie followed in her father’s footsteps to become a cop on the Burning Lake Police Force, and work her way up to be their only female detective. She catches a rough case when she arrives at the house of someone she grew up with, only to find they’ve been brutally murdered.
The book has loads of twists and turns, witchcraft, and suspense but I won’t spoil it for you, you’ll just have to read it for yourself.
And do you want to know the best bit? Trace of Evil is the first book in the Natalie Lockhart series, so we can expect to read more of her (hopefully soon)!
A great mystery, with witches and witch legends adding to the intrigue of the story. Excellent character development and fast moving plot. Highly recommend to those who enjoy mysteries with unexpected endings and atmospheric settings!
Trace of Evil starts like greased lightening but quickly slows to crawl. Natalie is a the only woman police detective in her town so she is saddled with a cold case of nine missing women. This case is a thorn in my side because very little is worked on or really investigated until the end of this story. The main story unfolds with Natalie’s investigating the death of a school teacher who is also her older sister, Grace’s best friend. Natalie is haunted by the death of her other sister, Willow when she was a little kid and it effects everything in her life. The story spices things up with a little bit of the occult and hints of a flirtation between Natalie and the lead detective Luke. The end blindsided me with the whodunit and the twists blew me away. The end make the story worth reading. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Wow! I feel like I was a police officer after following Natalie in Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard. Natalie is the youngest daughter of her deceased father who was a former chief of police. As the story opens up she is meeting her middle sister, Grace and Grace’s daughter at the cemetery to visit the grave of Willow, their older sister. They go each year on the anniversary of their sister’s death.
Natalie is the newest detective of a seven member detective force. After leaving her sister and niece, Natalie meets with the other detectives. Natalie s caught up in solving her sister Grace’s best friend and fellow teacher’s Daisy’s murder and also discovering the cold case murders of several people. I felt like I was on the scene throughout the entire book. Looking forward to the next book in this series! I received an ARC of this book from Bookish First and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Natalie Lockhart’s older sister, Willow, was murdered twenty years ago by her boyfriend. When her sister Grace’s friend, Daisy, is murdered, Natalie is assigned the case. Both Natalie and Daisy’s husband are detectives with the Burning Lake Police Force and he recently announced that Daisy was expecting their first child. Who would murder this well-liked teacher? Natalie has also been looking into the case of nine people who, over the years, have gone missing from their small town. The story involves witchcraft and covens and the detailed narrative of how this has affected their lives. Meanwhile, Natalie very methodically interviews witnesses and collects evidence that will lead her to a major break in both cases. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)