After finishing the first book I couldn't wait for book two.  For me, this wasn't as fast paced or compelling as the first, and there were a lot of references to the first book which would leave you wondering if you hadn't read the first.  That being said, it's well written and an enjoyable read.  I'll be interested in reading more of the series.

Some books in a series work well as a stand-alone.  For me, this wasn't one of them.  I hadn't read the first book and felt I was really at a disadvantage reading this one.  Names were thrown in like I should know who they were and what happened to them. I gradually (I think!) figured it all out, but it was wasted energy that took away from the enjoyment of THIS book.  Who was Willow?  Who was Grace?  Ok - her sisters - but who killed who?  And now they're both dead?  And why did Natalie feel guilty?  Why do so many people come to town for Halloween?  What's the connection with witchcraft?  I'm sure all these things were explained in the first book but it would have been beneficial to have a brief synopsis of some sort for this book

I liked the character of Natalie and the mystery was good.  The ending seemed a bit rushed after the slower pace of the whole book.  Surprise ending!!  I'm only giving 3 stars because though I liked the book, it was too confusing to give it four.  I'll definitely read the next book in the series.

5 out of 5

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review..

Last year I was lucky enough to be able to read the ARC of Trace of Evil, the first novel in the Natalie Lockhart series. It was in my top five books that I read last year. I fell in love with Natalie and Luke and the town of Burning Lake. 

The Wicked Hour was not a disappointment at all. I really enjoyed the actual mystery. There seemed to be enough suspects to keep me guessing until the end. Natalie grieving not only the loss of her sister Grace but also the loss of a friendship and the potential love of her life.  Her grieving feels real to me. 

I think the only thing in this book that felt a little off to me is the moments in the book when Natalie thinks of her Mother. In the first book we know that Natalie and her sister Grace were basically unwanted. That her mother wanted one child and Willow(the eldest sister) was more than enough for her and that the younger sisters were basically ignored. In this book Natalie goes upstairs and all of the girl's photos and things were all wrapped and packed away in the attack. It makes no sense if you happen to red the books back to back.

This is the second in the Natalie Lockhart series, and I LOVED the first book Trace of Evil, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Plus, I love a good police procedural and this one didn't disappoint.

This book is set at Burning Lake again, right after their month-long Halloween celebrations. A dead girl is found in a dumpster, naked. She has a strange tattoo and a violinist's callus under her chin, and Detective Lockhart sets about trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her.

The deeper she digs, the more horrifying the picture becomes. There is a series of murders and disappearances, but can she tie them together? And do they explain the disappearance of her own best friend all those years ago?

I love Natalie Lockhart’s character. She’s strong and determined but her grief and vulnerabilities aren’t glossed over, they’re an integral part of who she is and how she views the world.

I have chills all over again just thinking about the story and how it ends! If you're not planning on reading the first book then I feel like this works really well as a stand-alone, but there are spoilers for the first book, so just be aware of that going in. (And personally I think the first book is too good not to read anyway).

Fantastic and a great follow up to her previous book. I remember read the last book and keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel. So happy the author was on the same page - this did not disappoint.

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.
Natalie is not going to give up on uncovering this mystery and she finds more clues that link to other murders and disappearances. We also find out that Natalie's best friend from high school had gone missing without any clue as to where she is.
I know I will continue on with this series as we learn more about Natalie and I think eventually the clue about her best friend, Belle's disappearance.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for this book to review.

My Mini Thoughts

I really enjoyed the authors first book, Trace of Evil (Natalie Lockhart #2), so I was excited to see the second book coming out.  Unfortunately I found this one not as good as the first.

I like Natalie's character, and in this story she is still reeling after learning all the secrets that came before and after her sister Grace's death.  She's also upset about losing Luke, her long time best friend turned love interest.  So I was invested in the story up until they found a woman's body in the trash the day after Halloween.  I felt the investigation dragged after that.  

I was left with more questions and answers after finishing the book which drives me crazy.  That said, I will try the next book in the series if there is one.  

All though this one wasn't for me, it may be for you!  This one is out now!  Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my #copy.

Book Rating: 3/5

Wine Pairing: The Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

Okay, let me start by saying there's a very good story here, however, it's buried under the detritus of info dumps, lists, and weird similes and metaphors. I didn't realize this was a book two when I agreed to review this book, which is normally okay if the author gives you a clue of what happened in the previous book. This author did that, but not until the very end unless you count the glut of names thrown at you at the beginning with no explanation as to who they are and what they have to do with anything. Maybe it's just me because this book has a number very good reviews. I'm not sure if this was an uncorrected ARC or not, it didn't say, but this book needs a developmental edit badly. I'll give a few examples. The lists: so many items listed and listed in this book, two examples, she listed four brand names of clothes and four brand names of shoes that were in a closet and listed numerous toys from her childhood in the attic. Seriously, who cares after one or two, it has nothing do with story. Weird descriptions: she could hear the blood squishing through her heart, prickly upholstered chair, the puckered pockets of her brain hurt. ???  I gave three stars because the story is good, it just needs some editing fixes, well and one more thing there's an issue with the final conclusion, that's all I'll say.
I will not share this with other sites because I don't like hurting someone's chances, especially if the things I mentioned get fixed before the book's released.

Detective Natalie Lockhart was not really looking forward to the yearly Halloween celebration thrown by the town of Burning Lake, but dressed as a zombie cop, she patrolled the downtown area with her fellow officers. The evening’s highlight was the concert, performed by a collection of guest musicians. Volunteering for clean-up the next morning, Natalie was on hand when a young woman’s body was discovered inside a dumpster. Based on her history, Natalie was able to theorize that the young woman was a violinist because of the calluses on her fingers. Once they identified the young woman, Natalie was determined to solve the mystery.

This is the second book in a series, and it did not read well as a stand-alone. I got confused about some of the situations and characters, and wish I had had the opportunity to read Book 1. Overall, I found the mystery interesting, though I had trouble relating to Natalie at different times throughout the story.  Again, I chalked that up to not knowing anyone’s backstory. There was a lot going on, many twists and turns, and a little something was left unresolved. Maybe in Book 3?

I had no idea The Wicked Hour was book two of a new series and now that I've read this one, I'll definitely need to read book one as The Wicked Hour was a very good suspenseful read. From the beginning it had me hooked and I knew right away that it would be one I didn't want to put down. A good story with some twists and an ending that I did not see coming at all. A very good book. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

The Wicked Hour by Natalie Lockhart is the second book in the series, though I have not read the previous book, I do plan too. Detective Natalie Lockhart is investigating a dead body. What happened to the girl? Now she is trying to figure out what lead up to her murder. This story tells about how she investigates and gives us unexpected twists and turns. I am excited to read the previous book and more from this series. 

Happy reading!

We are back with detective Natalie Lockhart of Burning Lake, New York and this time she has discovered a young woman lying dead in a dumpster. There is no clue as to who she is but with a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus under her chin, Natalie retraces the woman’s steps leading up to her death. As Natalie dives deeper into this woman’s mysterious death she starts to uncover something dark and sinister in Burning Lake.

I would definitely suggest that since this is book two in the Natalie Lockhart series, everyone read book one first! Mainly because it’s amazing but also because in this one there are several references to the first which is only expected since it had such a impact on Natalie and her life.

While my favourite remains book one, I still found this one to be a great mystery and a solid follow up! Very dark and creepy but a lot of great elements added in and I always like to get to know more of the townspeople of Burning Lake. I’m still craving more from Natalie and her possible romance with one of her colleagues as well so I pray in future books I see that come to life!

This one comes out today! So happy pub day to Alice Blanchard and I already can’t wait for book three!

The Wicked Hour is the second book in a series featuring rookie detective, Natalie Lockhart. You will enjoy this novel more if you read the first book in the series before reading this one as it does not stand very well on its own.

I won't recap the publisher's book description as they did a fine job and I don't want to chance inadvertantly introducing a spoiler. Blanchard has set up a good cast of characters for the series; Natalie Lockhart is a strong and relatable lead and the numerous secondary characters are well-drawn. Blanchard's writing style is crisp which keeps things moving along, and there are plenty of suspects to hold the reader's attention.

I didn't like or understand the author's choice of endings, but that's probably intentional - the "What!?!" will lead nicely into Book 3 of the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read a copy of the book prior to it's publication on 12/1/2020.

I received an advanced reader copy of The Wicked Hour from Minotaur Books via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion.

The Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard is a story about overcoming grief and accepting what life throws at you. Detective Natalie Lockhart is just going thru the motions while trying to overcome the loss of her sister. Natalie takes every shift available, at the Burning Lake Police Department, so she doesn’t have to be alone with her thoughts.

Following the town’s annual, very large Halloween party a body is discovered in a dumpster. The deeper into the investigation that Natalie gets, more unresolved issues in Natalie’s life come to light.

This is the second book in the Detective Natalie Lockhart series, this book was wrote with the intention that the reader had read the first book- I did not, which could be confusing at times. The storyline was interesting and moved quickly, but the writing was choppy and the abrupt ending didn’t tie up the loose ends. The Wicked Hour is available today, December 1, 2020.

#aliceblanchard #thewickedhour #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #mystery #mysterybooks #readin2020 #minotaurbooks #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic

So this is the second in the series, and while I loved the first one, I am a bit more lukewarm about this one. It's not the mystery. I thought the mystery was great. And like the first one, there is a great autumnal/Halloweeny/witchy vibe that I think the author does a spectacular job in conveying. I also love her insights into the main character and her flaws, and particularly her grief in this book.
Unfortunately, I thought this book jumped around with the backstory (and did so with much vague innuendo) that it felt almost disjointed and, even though I had read the first one, I felt a little confused at times. I would have to say to anyone interested in reading this one, to definitely read the first one. If you have read the first one, I would still recommend this one. It has all the great components of the first one.

"The Wicked Hour: A Natalie Lockhart Novel," by Alice Blanchard, St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books, 304 pages, December 1, 2020.

Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in the Burning Lake, New York police department. She is still dealing with the events that occurred in book one, "A Trace of Evil," when she shot a serial killer.

Her relationships with Lieutenant Luke Pittman and Detective Brandon Buckner, previously close friends, are now tense. The city goes all out for Halloween and an estimated 100,00 people are attending events. Detectives are working undercover. 

Natalie volunteers to work on cleanup the following day. She works several hours before she is waved down by a public works employee. He found the body of a young woman in a dumpster. 

Her only identifying features are an unusual tattoo on her arm and a callus underneath her chin. Because she also has calluses on her left hand, Natalie realizes the young woman played the violin.

The woman's purse with ID is found. Her name is Morgan Chambers, 24, of Chaste Falls. She worked part time at the town library. Samantha Dreyfus was her roommate. Her parents are Lawrence and Heather Chambers. Her father is a professor of music at the conservatory.

Then the sheriff of Chaste Falls tells Natalie a violinist, Lily Kingsley, who went to the conservatory has been missing for six months.

While the characters are good, "The Wicked Hour" is repetitious and slow-moving until the last third of the book. While I really enjoyed "A Trace of Evil," this isn't as good.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book would have been easier to understand if I had read the previous one, yet it still deserves a nice rating. It’s a fast paced police procedural with a lot of mystery and a wonderful twist. I really enjoyed it. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review

Detective Natalie Lockhart has uncovered a string of murders in her town. She is fighting her own demons as she is searching for the murderer. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes the murderer is someone she would never suspect. Or maybe not!

There are quite a few missteps in this book. The author repeats herself several times about several things. If she says once…she says MULTIPLE times about her friend disappearing in high school and the person who was accused of her death kills himself. I also recommend reading the first in this series. I have not read the first one and that may have helped me follow some of this story.

I did enjoy the suspense built around these disappearances. I also connected with Natalie. She is struggling to overcome the death of her sister (this is where reading the first book would have been helpful). The author did a great job with Natalie’s pain and with her strength to overcome. Plus, the mystery surrounding the murders is intense and unique.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

The Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard is a police procedural and the second book in the Natalie Lockhart series. To understand more of what is happening in the book, it is best to read the first book in the series, Trace of Evil, before starting The Wicked Hour. A fast-paced mystery thriller set in a town that makes the most of its history with witchcraft and the large tourist trade around their Halloween celebration.  The characters are well-written, helping the story develop at a smooth, steady pace. The Wicked Hour is an absorbing read that you will not want to put down!

This is the 2nd volume in the Natalie Lockhart series.  In the first book, Alice Blanchard introduced us to Natalie Lockhart and her family and friends.  She is a detective in the Burning Lake Police Department.  The first book, Trace of Evil, centered on a series of crimes committed upon Natalie's family.  She captured the killer and has become a minor celebrity because of it.  That is the back story that picks up a few months after the end of Trace of Evil.

Natalie is back on duty with lingering emotional issues from her capture of a killer.  As a detective in a tourist town, she is often tasked to assist in community events.  It's Halloween and the town's annual event draws huge crowds every year.  This year the police are not only tasked with insuring the safety of the residents, they are assisting with the clean up.  Natalie is first on the scene when a business man discovers the body of a young woman in the dumpster.  With no ID present, police must first match the young woman to a missing person.  When her tattoo and a scar give them a name, the investigation kicks into high gear.  

The current crime has elements of a cold case involving a friend of Natalie's when she was young.  So we now have 3 threads running through this thriller that will give us many a twist until some of them start running together.  Ms Blanchard is building the next book as we work to solve this one.  The threads from the first book continued into this one and at least one thread here will continue.  This makes the series a much richer experience as you anticipate the release of the next book.  An excellent reading experience written with skill and lots of suspense.  That's what every reader is looking for and we seldom find all of the elements in one book.  5 stars.