Happy Thursday Bookworms!
About the Book
Series: FBI: Strange Crimes Unit #2
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: February 28, 2023
Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense
"Jessica R. Patch is my newest automatic buy author. If you like romantic suspense, you need to read this book.” –Lynette Eason, award-winning, best-selling author of the Extreme Measures series
Deep in the Kentucky hills, three women have been found brutalized and murdered.
But the folks in Night Holler have their own ways and their own laws.
And they’re not talking…
Led to an isolated Appalachian Mountain town by a trail of disturbing murders, FBI special agent Violet Rainwater’s determined to catch a serial killer with a twisted agenda. With locals refusing to reveal their secrets, Violet’s only ally is Detective John Orlando. But even John has an ulterior motive—he’s convinced this case is connected to his wife’s murder.
As they dig deeper, Violet uncovers a link to her own unresolved past. For years she’s worked the cold case of her mother’s abduction, which had led to her birth. The need to look into the eyes of the sinful man who fathered her consumes Violet. Until she can, she’ll never have peace. Because she’s terrified she might be exactly like him.
In this chilling novel, when the present collides with Violet’s mysterious past and John’s tragic loss, they must unravel the warped, sinuous connections before the killer strikes again. But solving the case might not be nearly as terrifying as the possibility that Violet’s finally found her roots…
“With twisted psychology and relatable characters, readers will feel like they discovered the Criminal Minds version of a fiction book. I definitely recommend reading this book after dark for the full effect, and be sure to lock your doors before you go to sleep.” –Jaime Jo Wright, author of The Souls of Lost Lake
My Review
From the middle of the novel to the end, it was impossible to put A Cry in the Dark down. I thought this novel was very well done. Violet is a complex character that I think deserved the spotlight. I cannot imagine the horrors that the women in this novel went through, but I am not ignorant to the fact that these things happen every day. My prayers go out to any woman who has this reality.
There were a lot of characters that kept getting thrown in the mix as the story progressed, and a few caught my eye early on, but there was one character in particular that honestly surprised me. Jessica R. Patch always seems to get me with at least one detail I wasn’t expecting in every one of her novels. I love it! Ty and his corny sense of humor are right up my alley, and I found myself chuckling on more than one occasion, which was the perfect comic relief, and was greatly needed in this heavier story.
While nothing holds a candle to The Garden Girls, I do think this was a good book. It had the creepiness factor dialed up to one hundred for sure. I don’t know why just the word Appalachia gives me the creeps, but it always has, so knowing this was the setting instantly gave me a sense of foreboding. This was a darker story that does have quite a few triggering topics and one pretty graphic scene, but they are all handled in a sensitive manner and show that God does meet you where you’re at, no matter where that may be.
More in This Series
About the Author
Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author, Jessica R. Patch has penned over 27 novels and is known for her dry wit and signature twists whether she’s penned a romantic suspense or a dark, twisty thriller. When she’s not getting into fictional mischief with her characters, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by some of her favorite authors, down the street at the Mexican restaurant, or collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook.
Connect with Jessica by visiting jessicarpatch.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to her email newsletter "Patched In" updates and receive a FREE short thriller.
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