This was a great follow up that can also be read as a stand alone. One word of caution however, the third (final?) installment will feature the killer, PPP, from the first.

I really like the writing style and characters that this author creates. The stories, which are told from several viewpoints, build at a steady pace and are quite fascinating.

I do love the cop (Rick) working with profiler/psychiatrist (Pat). It adds a different layer to the story and really does allow you to see all the “angles”. I did say in the series first review that I was irritated by the sexual tension between the two. This installment does shed a bit of enlightenment (on his part, I felt, hers not so much). I do still feel that is a bit over the top and unnecessary to be part of every interaction between them. That’s one minor gripe in an otherwise fantastic story.

It looks like the next, with the return of PPP, will be exciting as well. I look forward to it. This really is a different type of serial killer story and a welcome addition to the genre.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Backlit PR for a copy in exchange for a review.

3 stars

You can read all of my book reviews on my blog https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.wordpr....

This book was just ok for me. I haven't read the first book in the series, but there was enough information in this book for me to understand what was going on and the main story line is a stand alone mystery. The book was well-written, but I didn't like the format. It's a mystery/thriller, but we find out early on who the killer is and why. The rest of the book is just reading how the detectives figure it out.

During an outing on a beautiful lake, a father and son discover the corpse of a young girl inside a cave they are exploring. The police search the cave and find the bodies of 5 more girls, all in varying stages of decomposition. The lead detective, Rick McCoy of the Major Crime Squad, is assigned to investigate. He asks for the help of criminal psychologist, Patricia Holmes, to help profile the killer because they previously worked together to catch a serial killer (which is the subject of the first book).

An annoying side story in the book was the attraction between Rick and Patricia. A lot of the book was devoted to Rick's inner turmoil about whether he should try to work on his failing marriage or have an affair with Pat. I did not care for this and felt that it really detracted from the story. Pick a lane - either write a romance novel or a mystery, but not a hybrid of the two.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stephen B. King is a good suspenseful writter that has intriguing plots to his books. I enjoyed this book and it's characters. This is a definite read for the year.