This was a great mystery! I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this story taking place in upstate New York. Detective Natalie Lockhart was a complex character, trying to solve a crime that has plagued their town for years, as well as manage the death of her sisters friend. A great story mixed with witchcraft, murder and betrayal. I look forward to seeing what Blanchard has in store for Detective Lockhart next! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Beautifully woven story that not only drops your jaw, but tugs at your heart. I am SO thankful that I had the opportunity to read this ARC! Thank you NetGalley and Alice Blanchard

What had once been beautiful was dead.

We really are kicking this fall off with some spooky great books and I’m really excited about it! At first I was hesitant about Trace of Evil because I thought it would be a boring police procedural book but it exceeded my expectations and more. We are really having a great time with mystery thrillers as of late!

Despite her mom’s wishes Natalie Lockhart knew she was destined to be a cop. It’s in her blood after all. Raised by a police chief, Natalie is the youngest of three sisters and besides the job has been through her own mountain of tragedy. Her oldest sister, Willow, was tragically murdered, as a teenager and like dominoes the rest of her family followed.

Natalie is now a rookie cop and is tasked with solving the cases of “the Missing Nines”. That all gets sidetracked when a shocking murder rocks the small town of Burning Lake and redefines the past and who she is as a person completely.

I wouldn’t say this was difficult to get into but for me it took a few chapters to read before I was fully engaged but when I was, I was all the way in. It’s a slow build of a book and we are introduced to a lot of characters and a lot of history so it’s overwhelming at first but this is to be expected when it’s a book about a small town. Everybody knows everybody else and the history is grand and toxic. That’s what makes it so great in the big scheme of things.

The plot was really interesting and a twist from the usual mystery/detective angle. I liked how there was a coven/witch angle to it. It was different and also showed how teenagers can throw things completely out of proportion. I did think that maybe a little too much was put into this book and I’m wondering if perhaps this will become a series? Especially towards the end with the big reveal…That felt a little rushed. I would have loved to see a bit more build up but I was also really happy it got wrapped up because I don’t think my anxiety could have taken any more.

Natalie. Sweet, amazing Natalie has been through so so much. Okay, there absolutely has to be more of her to read because this poor woman has absolutely been through HELL her entire life. LOL, she needs some sort of happiness. I legit gasped at the big twist and clutched my head. I wasn’t expecting it at all and was also completely pissed off. This is a great read for you thrill seekers like me who want to read about murder in a small town and get a rush at trying to solve what the hell is going on. I almost never get it right but that’s exactly what makes it so fun. Don’t judge me.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Let’s hit Replay. Let’s rewind the tape.

#Trace of Evil
#NetGalley

Burning Lake, New York, a quaint town near the Adirondack Mountains is best known for its evil past. Tourists flock there every year to see the site where witch hunts were held in the town's troubled past. Natalie Lockhart finds herself returning to her ill fated hometown after trying to escape the dark memories she has of her sister's unsolved murder there. As a rookie cop, she is assigned to a massive cold case involving nine missing transients who mysteriously disappeared years ago. But to Natalie, her sister, Grace's death remains the greatest mystery. To throw another twist into Natalie's investigation, a popular teacher has been found murdered and quickly grabs center stage.

Trace of Evil is a spooky police procedural, that is filled with witchcraft and spells dating back to the town's dark past of hanging witches. The plot involves murder, lies, drugs, and madness. All is not as it seems with the characters that are vividly defined in the story. An evil cloud invades the very atmosphere of Burning Lake, and as the plot progresses, Natalie finds herself dangerously in the center of this evil. I found Natalie to be a compelling strong character with great determination, courage, and the desire to find the person responsible for her sister's murder. Daisy, the murdered teacher, was also a sympathetic and seemingly good person. But as the plot thickens, the reader finds it more difficult to tell the good guys from the bad ones. I found that the pervasive atmosphere of evil continued throughout the book, leading up to the explosive conclusion. With so many twists and turns, red herrings, and misdirection, I think most readers will be shocked at the ending!

Sending a big thank you to the author, Alice Blanchard, and to the publishers, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my advanced copy of Trace of Evil. The publication date is set for December 3. 2019, and I hope this date will go on your calendar. I highly recommend this book with a five star rating!! Those who love good spooky thrillers will want this book on their To Be Read List!!

This was a great thriller that combined many elements to make it a roller-coaster ride! Natalie is a rookie detective who is working on cold cases of missing women when a friend of her sister is discovered murdered in her own kitchen. Daisy was a teacher at the local high school so there are plenty of suspects, even her husband, and little evidence to be found. But Natalie is headstrong and even as she and her sister Grace are grieving their own sisters death years ago, she is determined to find the killer. There's a little witchcraft, crazy rumors circulating, and a mystery in her own past that haunts her as well. I did not see that end coming for sure and it took my breath away! Can't wait for the next installment of this series as Natalie is a force that cannot be stopped.

TRACE OF EVIL was a completely engrossing and intense procedural. Natalie is a rookie detective in her hometown, as her police officer father had raised her to be. Natalie has the wobbly desk that the more senior people don't want, and now she is inadvertently assigned to a major case. When she was driving another officer home after drinks at the bar, they find his pregnant wife murdered. Natalie chases down the leads and evidence.

At the same time, she was also given some cold cases, and something about them is giving her new avenues. When someone she knows disappears, they become even more important. Working both lines of investigation at the same time, this book is anything but boring.

I became quickly invested in these characters, within the first chapter, and I loved following these cases. There was never a dull moment, and I had plenty of guesses- but none close to the actual perpetrators. This is certainly a book that keeps the reader guessing with all kinds of twists and turns. When you get to the end, the clues start adding up, begging for another reread with the ending in sight (so you can catch all things you missed earlier).

The new angle to this series is in the town and Wicca culture. Not as famous as Salem, this town also hung some witches. The religion persists really strongly among young people, and it plays into the things they find and the way the cases go. I would definitely love to read more from Natalie and in this town setting.

There is also a light love interest for Natalie, and I assume this will be developed more in the future. While Natalie herself is fleshed out well and we get a great feel for her character, the primary focus of the book is on the cases, and I really enjoyed it.

Captivating and completely engrossing, TRACE OF EVIL is a delicious page turner that will keep you guessing all the way to the surprising end. Highly recommend for anyone who loves mysteries and/or procedurals.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I read many books in this genre and it’s hard to find ones with truly original plots. This author wove two different plots together successfully. I especially enjoyed the excellent writing. The author was able to set the mood through the use of unusually descriptive powerful adjectives. The suspense was ongoing and I was surprised to find out who the culprit was in the end.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. It truly was a literary treat.

Trace of Evil gets a solid 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story but any of the writing elements could be tightened.
Natalie is a rookie coo working on her first murder investigation, a collection of cold cases. But when one of her friends are killed in cold blood, Natalie must navigate the reality of the world without forgetting those that suffered in the cold cases.

I loved the story. I was pulled in from the moment they celebrate Grace's death anniversary. Natalie was a character that didn't hide much so you were able to really get into her head. The story then unfolds with witchcraft, abuse of nature, murder, and lies. How Natalie deals with each of these are shadowed byGrace so I was glad to see here come full circle by the end of the book.

The writing itself needs some work. The biggest issue is the pacing. The author throws in way too much background in places that slows the story keeps the suspense for building up. I skimmed over many paragraphs because I wanted to follow the plot. The other issue was there was a lot of creative freedom that ignored police procedure. A classic example is handling a voodoo without gloves even though Natalie knows better.
Alice Blanchard has a lot of potential. I want to read more of her work and see her grow into an author.

Natalie is a rookie detective who is tasked with uncovering the “Missing Nine” when she ends up stumbling onto a murder scene during her on call shift. There’s also a lot of background talk about her sister’s death and the struggle to move on even after 20 years. The town is known for its Wiccan folklore which helps add to the feeling darkness of the town. Many of the residents, both past and present use witchcraft and have formed their own covens. The last 1/4 of the book felt like it came out of nowhere and didn’t really add up. The ending felt rushed to me. Overall it was a good read. Thanks to BookishFirst, NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to read and review in exchange for an honest opinion


My review will be on Goodreads and on Amazon the day of publication.

Trace of Evil unfolds in a sleepy tourist town near the Adirondack Mountains, in upstate New York. The tourist flock to see where 3 local witches were supposedly killed in the days of the witch hunts and Salem witch trials. Because of the ties to witches there has always been an interest in the occult and black magic and satanism and the town has cashed in on this to promote tourism. But on the whole it is a sweet town, where everyone knows his neighbors, and where everyone knows the secrets that this little town harbors. There is still teenage dabbling with the occult just like when Detective Natalie Lockhart was in school, there are troubled marriages just waiting for the trouble to bubble to the surface, and there is murder… too much murder… some solved, some unsolved, some cold cases and some new. As a new hire Natalie is given the cold case of the missing nine and is determined to help find out what happened to these girls over the years. Then comes a new murder – one very close to home - and Natalie has to separate her professional instincts from the personal feelings she has for the suspects. There is a lot more than a trace of evil hiding in this tiny town as you will discover when the shocking ending is revealed.

Let me start off this review by stating that I REALLY hope this turns into a series. Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in a quaint town in upstate New York. The town dates back to the days of the Witch Hunts, and its dark past is both loved and hated by the locals. Most of the high schoolers dabble in wicca and other forms of witchcraft.

We meet Natalie as she is going to a "Death-aversary." Natalie's sister was murdered when she was a beautiful, bright high school student, and Natalie and her older sister observe her death each year. However, on the night of the Death-aversary, a beloved school teacher is found murdered on her kitchen floor. Natalie feels that this is not a coincidence -- in fact, she begins to see a pattern between a handful of cold cases.

Trace of Evil was unlike anything I ever read. I loved the mix of the murder investigation, cold cases, and the underlying witchcraft theme. It was the perfect read to kick off the fall season!

My favorite part of the book is that I didn't see the reveal of the killer coming. That was the last person I would have suspected. Overall I like how all of the pieces came together.

I also enjoyed the descriptive settings. The author did a great job at showing you exactly where you are and what the characters were seeing.

I didn't like the half told love interest. It was hardly relevent to the story. The ending came at a suddenly rapid pace. I would have liked to enjoy India and Lindsey's consequences a bit more. There was also too much time spent on Riley and Luke early on to just ignore them in the ending.

The story is told at a slow pace with low suspense. I would be okay with that if the character development was better. I would not recommend. The writing is good, but the plot is mediocre.

As mysteries go, this one was quite well done with characters I could relate to and a solid plot line. The ending seemed out of left field but overall it was a good read. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

This is the story of Natalie Lockhart who is a new detective who has a crazy past. Her sister was murdered and the killer is behind bars...or is that really the killer? She doesn’t think all of the evidence had really added up correctly and she’s wondering if the real killer is actually behind bars.

There are so many secrets that come up in the story it’s crazy. There’s rumors of witchcraft and more, and Natalie must find her way to the truth. The writing is so interesting and I was hooked from the beginning. It was such a great story that sucked me in and didn’t disappoint at all. I would recommend this book to my friends!

Alice Blanchard always writes very engaging and exciting mysteries
Trace Of Evil is about a detective in a small town, which is not only isolated, but it is known for its dark, sordid past
Then, a much loved teacher is found murdered.
Natalie knows that this is not just a simple murder, but there are dark secrets concerning this case
So many twists and turns which lead to an exciting conclusion

A Trace of Evil
Alice Blanchard
December 03, 2019

Detective Joey Lockhart worked hard in the police force. He was well-respected and the father of 3 daughters. He had always hoped for a son to pass his knowledge in the field but youngest daughter Natalie favored him and went on to become a detective in the Burning Lake Police Department. Her father gave 35 years to the department. She had a reputation to protect.
Her story begins with the 20th anniversary of her oldest sister Willow’s death. She was murdered and although the assailant was arrested, now resided in prison, it lay heavily on her heart. Now that her parents had passed, she and her sister, Grace and niece, Ellie would meet at the cemetery and say a few words to their sister. Natalie also paused in the cemetery at the tombs of some of the 9 people who had lost their lives. These victims are a cold case load the district had passed on to her when she made detective. Natalie kept up with her current caseload but she spent her free time working on those that had never been solved.
The book gives a gruesome look at a murder that the Burning Lake Department will need to crack. As the victim is related to another detective on the force and close friends with Grace, it becomes a difficult process as well as a necessary one to solve quickly.
Ms. Blanchard weaves a frightening tale of the characters past and present. She brings their lives into a surprising light as each travel through this spellbinding story. It is a novel that continues to keep us on edge throughout. It’s conclusion was quite the puzzle so I hesitate going further with any descriptive story line. Honestly,it is an excellent read. It is a first for me with author Alice Blanchard. If you are a fan, it is one not to miss. Should you just like a good mystery, pick this one up.
Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard will be published December 03, 2019 by Minotaur Books of New York. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Blanchard’s newest selection. Yes, it is awhile before publication but keep this one on your ‘To Be Read’ list.

Trace of Evil is a fantastic suspense. I was pulled immediately into the plot. The plot and the characters are well crafted. Thriller fans will love this book. Thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

This is my first book by Alice Blanchard, and I'm sure it won't be my last.

This seems like a start to a great series. There was a lot of information and some a little repetitive and drawn out, but overall the story flowed well and was intriguing. there are a few twists that are rather unexpected and add to the unique elements of the story.

I truly enjoyed this mystery. Being a NY'er made it even more exciting to figure out. I have to admit that the accuracy of a small town was spot on. The excitement built well, the author is easy to read and I will, and have, recommend this book to many!

I thought this book was going to be really good. But it wasn't. It had a great premise of a plot, but the writing was clunky and somewhat un polished. I felt like the words and dialog didn't flow. Kind of like if I tried to write a book, it would end up sounding like this book. I also felt like there was a lot of unnecessary language. Even within the first few chapters. Make your characters learn more ways to articulate themselves than cursing constantly.