The second in a new crime thriller series and it did not disappoint. Detective Natalie Lockhart is a strong female lead with a lot of history. She leads the department through the twisted clues in order to find the killer. I was especially intrigued by the story as a hobby violinist. The small twist on the very last page made my jaw drop!

Who murdered Morgan? Was it murder?

Morgan, an accomplished violinist is found dead in a dumpster after the annual Halloween bash. Who wants her dead? Was it murder or was it suicide? Maybe just a natural death with suspicious surroundings? Detective Natalie Lockhart is going to find out.

Along the way, new evidence is found, new suspects are questioned. Will the roadblocks from higher-ups prevent Natalie from solving this?

Throughout the book, the author places tiny snippets of another few mysteries along the way that make Natalie who she is. While she solves the mystery of Morgan, the author leaves room for future novels by leaving enough air of curiosity around these snippets.

Alice Blanchard's writing was seemless and intriguing. While still a complete novel, I'm left wanting so much more of Natalie Lockhart and hope there is more in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.

The perfect book for post-Halloween fall melancholy, The Wicked Hour captures the crispness of the season in Burning Lake while pulling you along for a melodic page-turning mystery.

Natalie is still reeling from catching the notorious Crow Killer when she's called to the scene of a girl's body in a dumpster. There are no signs of foul play. There is no obvious cause of death. There is no sign that anyone was in the alley with her when she crawled into the dumpster. But the girl's similarity to Natalie's missing best friend--one who has been lost since childhood--make Natalie think it was more than just a Halloween party overdose. And as she digs into the case she realizes she might be on the heels of yet another serial killer.

"In music, there was no such thing as perfect timing, she'd once read--music skipped random beats once in a while."

I stepped into this book without having read the first in the series, A Trace of Evil, but Blanchard does an excellent job of providing just enough detail that I never felt lost while teasing the plot of book one. With so many mystery/detective series to choose from, it's nice to have one you can jump into without committing to a whole backlist until you're sure you'll love it.

The Wicked Hour centers around the world of professional violinists and the mystery feels as melodic. Her pacing is spot on, the mystery starts out sonorous and slow, building to a crescendo and false leads and red-herring suspects, before crashing into its final movement in the conclusion. I found myself reading faster the further into the story I got, and my only complaint was that the ending seemed a touch too rushed. I would have preferred a slightly more drawn out conclusion, but it was still satisfying.

As a police procedural, Blanchard doesn't get too tied down by process. All the steps are there, but she doesn't dwell on the minutiae of police work or investigation itself. Detective Lockhart is left to explore and follow clues on her own without too many pages spent tracking down search warrants or listening to the medical examiner. There are a few scenes of gore and jump-scare style reveals, all working to give this story a cinematic quality that would translate well if Netflix decides it needs another crime drama.

Overall a read that's well worth your time. I'll be going back to read A Trace of Evil, and you still time to pick up book number one before The Wicked Hour comes out in December!

In a nutshell, I enjoyed this book. Positives: The characters were interesting and ‘rootable’ and the storyline had a good pace. Negatives: Events were referenced repeatedly but never fully explained, and the resolution left a lot to be desired. Is this maybe the start of a series?

This book is about Detective Natalie Lockhart investigating the murder of a young woman, and tracing her steps to figure out the crime. Along the way, Natalie is also dealing with her past, and trying to figure out some of the unanswered questions.

What worked for this book was the characters including Natalie, Luke, Max and Hunter along with others to create an interesting mix within the book. Additionally, I enjoyed the dynamics of Natalie in the present and the past and how she was dealing with it. The storyline had me guessing from one moment to the next to figure out who committed the murder.

Although the book did have an intriguing storyline, and this is a series, I was still slightly disappointed in still not knowing what happened to a character in Natalie’s past.

Overall, it was a great read, and I would say this book is for mystery-thriller lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur Books for the ARC.

#TheWickedHour #Netgalley

I was so excited to have been given an advanced readers copy of The Wicked Hour. I loved Traces of Evil and when that ended I couldn’t wait for a sequel. Well here it is! We are back in Burning Lake and Natalie Lockhart is back! Natalie has been through a lot in her life and you learn all about that in the first book. The Wicked Hour picks up several months after the events in Traces of Evil. I loved that you get see where Natalie is and how she is coping. You also get to see her get into another case. Natalie’s determination to solve this latest case has her pushing herself and facing more events of her past. I really love this series and couldn’t wait for this one. And now I can’t wait for the next one, because the way this one ended there better be a next one!! I don’t want to give anything anyway but when I read the last line and went to the next page I was not expecting that to be the last line of the book. I believe I shouted “COME ON! IT CANT BE OVER!” Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books for ARC! And to Alice Blanchard for writing such an amazing series! There will be a book three right?

It is the morning after Burning Lake’s tourist filled and wild Halloween celebration when Detective Natalie Lockhart discovers the body of an unknown girl dead in a dumpster. Her only identifying features are an unusual tattoo on her arm and a callus underneath her chin. Who is she and what happened to her?

Natalie’s investigation takes her on an unforseen path. One that leads to other murders previously unconnected and most shocking of all, possibly to the disappearance of her friend long ago.

This book has everything a thriller could want, an interesting mystery, a protagonist you really root for and twists and turns galore. I had absolutely no idea how the mystery would work itself out.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to get my hands on the sequel. I do think it would be beneficial to read the previous book first as understanding the backstory is critical to the full enjoyment of this book. I wish this book were releasing in October and not December as it would make an amazing autumn Halloween read. I will encourage my patrons looking for a great dark suspense read to pick this one up.

Thanks to Nethalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

While a good read, this one didn't live up to the first. It picks up in a completely different place for the characters. With little to no explanation. Natalie is dealing with the fallout from events in book one, however, the distance between her and the others is not what readers were expecting from the end of A Trace of Evil. The case was interesting but lacked the action and tension of the Grace case. I didn't guess the killer but I didn't feel invested in the outcome either. The relationship reveal at the end was awesome and I was cheering Natalie along. A little explanation for how it came to be would have been nice.
Yes I was disappointed in this second book. It was good, but not one that held my attention. I will definitely give the next book a chance though. I loved the first one and I really enjoy the characters.

This second book in the Natalie Lockhart series begins where the first ending; Natalie is still reeling from the revelations about how one sister died and the suicide of another. She is experiencing symptoms of PTSD and depression, and she is seeing a doctor and taking a prescription for both. It's Halloween season in town, and the celebrations run for over a week. On the last night of the partying, Natalie discovers the body of murdered woman, a local violinist, in a dumpster. As the investigation unfolds, there is another missing woman, also a violinist, and it seems that both cases are related. Natalie, along with her boss (Sam), chase clues that seem to add unexpected suspects and complications. In the midst of the stress, Natalie is wrestling with her feelings for Sam, which are complicated by their working relationship. The case has a surprise ending, as does the book, with us wondering what will happen next for Natalie and a new love.

The Wicked Hour is the second Natalie Lockhart mystery but is easy to catch up with if you missed the first one. Natalie is haunted by her last case and her sister's death when she was young and is still dealing with the emotional fallout from it all. After volunteering for clean up on Halloween, she is called to a body in a dumpster. The case quickly takes a turn as it seems the young violinist was overdosed with GHB. The case brings up memories of Natalie's old friend, Bella also a violinist, who went missing before high school graduation. Natalie leaves no stone unturned until the twisty ending leaves you blindsided. The story starts a little rocky with past references that the author does not elaborate on but it all comes out in the wash as each reference is explained further farther along in the story for a satisfying ending. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Back with a second mystery, this was a nice follow up to the first and left me wanting for the third. I'm rooting for Natalie and have enjoyed watching her evolve as a character. I wasn't as big of a fan of the mystery portion of this one, but I still enjoyed going along for the ride with the character. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Life is too short to read bad books. As far as I got, this is a bad book. I'm not posting a review on Goodreads or anywhere else, because I read very little of this book before I gave up in disgust. ("His eyes were couched"? What does that even mean?) If you really want me to, I will.

Natalie Lockhart is still grieving after her sister was killed when she begins investigating a new case. Some of the subjects are people Natalie has known for years. Will she be able to find the killer? This was a great story and kept me guessing until the end!

This is book two in the Natalie Lockhart series, and I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first. This is generally a gripping story, but it took some time to get caught up. Natalie has a dark past with two dead sisters-- that story is covered in the first book--that forms the basis for her current PTSD and mind set. If you're planning to read this--and it is a good story--be sure to start from the beginning with book one.

I enjoy a book that takes place around Halloween and this book has a great sense of place in general. I really felt like I was in upstate NY in the fall. I didn't realize this was a series book at first and now I feel like I need to read the first one to fill in some gaps. That's fine but I do prefer series books to have a tiny bit more of a recap if the events of the prior book are going to loom large in the latest one like they do in this book. I feel like the book would have been more enjoyable if I had more knowledge about Natalie Lockhart. It was a satisfying mystery either way but it really did feel more like a part two of the first book than a fully realized second book in a series.

A dead body in a dumpster is just one of the disturbing surprises in Alice Blanchard's skillfully woven THE WICKED HOUR. From its opening moments in the chaos and theatrical confusion of a Halloween night, this novel keeps delivering a read rich in character and unexpected twists. A four-star read only because the reader needs to have a greater insight into the earlier novel in the series.

I really enjoyed Trace of Evil, Alice Blanchard's first in this series. So when I saw a follow up, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. Natalie is trying to recover from the events of the previous book, as well as the losses of those she loves, both to death and to distance. A murder happens on Halloween and when the body is discovered in a dumpster, Natalie does everything she can to solve the case, as well as hopefully find some answers regarding her best friend's disappearance when they were 18.

This book is fast-paced, incredibly interesting, and impossible to put down. 5 stars!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Wicked Hour is a well written murder mystery. Unfortunately, I felt like I entered into a story already half told. Perhaps reading A Trace of Evil, the first book of this series, would have changed how I feel about this book. The characters are interesting. I liked Natalie Lockhart a detective in the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Burning Lake Police Department. The death of her sister Grace is one of the things that wasn't explained in The Wicked Hour. Burning Lake is known for it's Halloween celebrations and this year a young lady is found dead in a dumpster. The detectives begin the investigation into who the murder victim is.

I gave this book a three star rating because it didn't work as a standalone book for me.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Minotaur Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheWickedHour #NetGalley

This was definitely one that I knew I was going to like as soon as I started reading it. The main character definitely pulls you in and the storyline is phenomenal. A must read!

this is a revitting story to the end, Natalie is a detective that is called to the scene of a murder, the body is in a dumpster , as she tries to find out what happened the girl reminds her of her friend that went missing right after graduation. if you do not mind some adults words and like suspense you will want to read the book i was given a copy of the book but this is an honest review.