Some time ago I read a book by this author and I liked it so much that I promised myself that I would read another one. And I was definitely not disappointed with this one. This is a very well written story.

I hadn't read the first book in this series, but that wasn't a problem. The characters we should know from the first book are fully developed and multi-dimensional, and we don't need to know the events of the first book to appreciate this. Ellie works well as the main character. The other characters are also interesting and more complex than it might seem. I also like the relationship between Ellie and Derrick. And that it's not exactly a romance. I am glad that when dealing with such a difficult case, they focus on their work and not on their feelings. I can easily wait for their relationship to develop in the next books. So far, I like how they work together so well, and the tension between them.

The plot is great too. This is a fast-paced story, and the short chapters fit perfectly here. I really like that the suspicions are spread quite evenly between different people and I didn't quite suspect who the villain was. But that's also because this person wasn't among the prime suspects at first. This is probably the only thing I would change; I wish this person was considered a potential murderer from the beginning. But I really liked all the twists and turns and there are really a lot of them. I couldn't guess many of thins things, so they surprised me, like the twist around chapter 110. The modus operandi of the murderer is also quite interesting and well thought out.

Even though this case has been solved, at the end of the book there are some peeks of a very interesting plot in the next book. Enough to interest me and not leave me feeling unsatisfied. And while waiting for the next book in this series, I will probably check other books by this author that I have an eye on.

This is the second book in the author’s new Ellie Reeves series. It is not necessary to read book 1 first but it does help with understanding the backstory. Only three weeks after the events of book 1 the Crooked Creek Police Department in Bluff County, Georgia, is once again immersed in a series of grisly murders. This time it’s young women. They are being found at various sites on the Appalachian Trail, on a bed of daffodils, with their throats cut and other signs of abuse. The killer sends Ellie taunting text messages asking if she will find the next one in time. Of course that doesn’t happen as there is nothing to go on and the women have nothing in common. What is certain is that more women will die at the hands of a killer the press has dubbed the Weekday Killer because of the rhyme that accompanies each of the murders.

Ellie is still struggling to come to terms with the perceived betrayal by her adoptive parents in trying to hide Hiram’s activities (the subject of the previous book), but to solve this case she will need to put that aside. Her constant introspection on this topic, while understandable, was nevertheless annoying after a while. I get it! On a positive note, FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox makes a welcome appearance again and is helping Ellie to view this case objectively. When Ellie’s fellow detective and friend, Shondra Eastwood disappears, Ellie goes into overdrive but can she find her friend before it’s too late? The story was very suspenseful, aided by all the clever use of misdirection by the author. I just didn’t know who to trust! There were also some clever twists - icing on the cake. This book will appeal to thriller fans and those who enjoy a gripping police procedural. It got very tense at times. Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Rita Herron for providing me a copy to review. My opinions are my own. 4.5 stars rounded down.

this author has become one of my favourites you know you going to be pulled in from the 1st page if you thought book 1 was good wait till you read this very tense and gripping .detective Ellie Reeves is still term s with her family secret and her brother she did not know about . but someone is taken women and taunting her with texts and a nursery rhyme .and FBI Derrick comes back in to her life to help her with the case but he takes her friend officer Shondra Eastwood what is the connection with the therapist and who is the killer i so can not wait for book 3 this book is like a roller coaster ride will have you on the edge of your seat

I'm quickly becoming addicted to this series just like I am of Linda Castillo's series. The two are very comparable: tough female cops, fast paced action, and towns terrorized by killers. Wildflower Graves is sinister, chilling, perverse, and macabre. Herron throws out so many facets it's like a treasure hunt. You think you're getting close to the truth, but then another bend in the road appears. I was perplexed about the perp until the very end. Some of Cord's secrets are cracked. I can't wait to see if Ellie gets with either him or Derrick. I am impatiently waiting for Bryce to get his comeuppance. Hiram continues to lurk in the background. I can't wait for the next one.

Darkness and Murder on the Appalachian Trail!
Wildflower Graves by Rita Herron is the second book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. You can read this as a stand-alone book, but it is best if you read the series in order. I enjoy reading books that include hiking trails and the AT is one of my favorites!
Detective Ellie Reeves has taken some personal time from work and is drawn into danger and death as she hikes the AT. She goes back on duty to find the killer and is soon trying to capture a serial murderer. The killer in Wildflower Graves follows the theme of a childhood rhyme and plans to kidnap and murder seven victims. Deputy Shrondra Eastwood, Ellie's best friend goes missing and manages to call Ellie to ask for help. The killer sends a text to Ellie and taunts her each time he takes a victim. Ellie soon begins to suspect Cord and even Sheriff Bryce as she works to eliminate anyone who might be the suspect. As the case heats up Ellie is also dealing with the conflicts within her own family.
This story is intense and filled with suspense as the reader tries to follow the clues to determine the identity of the killer.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Publication Date: December 3, 2020

Book #2 in Ellie Reeves series.
This book deals with a serial killer. In the first book we learn some secrets about Ellie's family that hurt her a great deal. They affect the way she thinks and does everything. People of the town blame her for things not her fault.
For Ellie it's a race against time to bring the killer to justice.
On the edge of your seat thriilee

Detective Ellie Reeves the second book in the series
Hiram the serial killer is now behind bars and three weeks on Ellie's parents are still getting hounded after their cover up.
the serial killers pattern goes back two decades named as the ghost, Ellie is now under a therapist her parents had lied to her all her life and crooked creek and media wont leave her alone she has to decide where to go now will she seek out her true parents.
At the reflection pond she finds a womans body and starts getting unknown texts that follow every day starting with mondays child is fair of face, who is doing this? and why? a dead womans body is found daily and its a race against time for the team. he or she is taunting Ellie.
this book sent my stomach in knots, chilling read right through, some parts are not for the faint hearted, but I was hooked reading it all. and do hope the author will deliver much more of the books in the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Wildflower Graves, the second novel to feature Detective Ellie Reeves of the Stony Gap, Georgia Sheriff’s Office.

After the fall out from her last case Ellie is taking time to herself and hiking on the Appalachian Trail, but work is never far away when she stumbles across the body of a dead woman. The ritual involved in her murder and the message left - Monday’s child is fair of face - lead her to believe that she may be hunting a serial killer. More bodies and the disappearance of her friend, Deputy Shondra Eastwood confirm it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wildflower Graves which is a tense, action packed read with plenty of twists and turns. It is told mostly from Ellie’s point of view, interspersed with descriptions of the unnamed killer’s actions and the thoughts of other characters as spoilers. I’m not always a fan of this approach but in this case it works extremely well. By concentrating on the killer’s actions rather than thoughts and motivation for most of the novel it builds the tension and gets the reader’s mind working on various scenarios and identities. I thought it was clever and enticing, especially as the twists destroy any previous line of thought.

It should be noted that this novel is not for the faint hearted as there is a fair amount of violence and cruelty in it, the hint is in the words serial killer. The novel works as a stand-alone as there is a neat encapsulation of previous events early on that explains some of Ellie’s pain and positions. Of course, it is difficult to believe that there could be more than one serial killer in this remote part of the country, but, hey, it’s fiction and the author has already laid the groundwork for more in the next novel. Bring it on if it’s as engrossing and tense as this one.

I like Ellie Reeves and her quest for justice on behalf of the victims. She doesn’t have her troubles to seek but her grit, determination and fighting personality help her win through.

Wildflower Graves is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Detective Ellie Reeves is back and djeez she does not have a lot of time to breath. She has hardly recovered from the previous case that effected her deeply emotionally and already a new one is waiting for her.
It was brutal and violent the last time and it as bad this time. The killer does not waste any time and the police department does not know what’s hit them.
Ellie would not be Ellie though if she would give up and sometimes she ‘forgets” to follow orders, but it’s all with the best intentions: saving the victims and stopping the perpetrator. The fact that she might be in danger herself, does not stop her either.
Will she be able to bring peace to the village again and will the dust settle in her head and heart?
A fast paced story that reads like a house on fire. I love it when thrillers have short chapters. It makes it all even more thrilling. 5 stars
Thank you, Rita Herron and Bookouture

Before reading the book I just want to provide content warning for animal abuse, necrophilia, death, and violence towards women.

Although this book is the second book in a series, you can still read it as a standalone. This book provided enough information to each and every character in this book that need to know or context that needed in every mystery/thriller book. The chapters are pretty short though and it makes me feel like I just fly through the book despite being a 409 pages. And even though the author uses so many metaphors and terms, the book wasn't hard to follow and you can easily be immersed in it.

I love that I find everything in this book. There's a main character who has an issue in the past but not in a very exagerrated way, it has interesting set of characters, and a very fascinating killer. Every questions and clues are explained in a detailed way. This book was so complete in every aspect and I couldn't ask for more!

At the first time I read the perspective of the killer I thought that it's when it started to go downhill. But nah, bitch! It got picked up later on the book. Wanna know why? Because when you thought that you already figured out the fucking plot twist then that's the moment of your doom! This book was a mystery topped with another mystery over another mystery and another mystery and then boom! Plot twist. This book will taunt with your braincells in EVERY plot twist. It's not just one but MANY plot twists!

And for the characters, as what I said above, they are an interesting set. You got the detective who has a haunted past and issues, an estrange love interest, an irritating boss, a lovely bestfriend, another friend who also has issues on his own, a brother who loves to kill his detective sister, and a very fascinating serial killer. They are so interesting and the author provided each of them a context on why is this character is like this or why did he/she doing this.

For the main character, Ellie, I find her personality to be a feminist, but not in a exagerrated way. She doesn't let the males in this book to underestimate or bully her. She is so mature, she will only deal with situations or comments that really matters. I am amazed with her deductions, she is so alert even though she had many thoughts that are clogging in her head. She's this kind of a woman who knows her shit but proudly wears her crown of being a woman.

As for the killer, I found his personality very fascinating and I can see his similarities to real life serial killers. His behaviour that leaves daffodils as messages and the way he will select a crime scene with folkloric aspects is so unique. I hadn't read a killer like this before.

All in all, I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars! I can't find a single flaw in this. The mystery and thrill was so enjoyable to read! I'm curious to read the first book!

Pick this book up! You will not regret your time in this one!

Book two in the series. Book One "The Silent Dolls" is one of my favourite books of the year, and Wild Flower Graves raises the bar to another level. This is now one of my favourite crime series and I can't wait to see what happens in book 3.
In this book Detective Ellie Reeves is just getting over the family secrets that were revealed when she investigated the Ghost serial killer who had been killing young girls on the Appalachian Trail for years.
The disgrace that was brought on Ellie's family at the conclusion of that investigation rings loudly throughout this story. As does the relationships she formed, and destroyed, with fellow investigators, from different agencies, whilst finding that killer.
Now another killer is dumping bodies on the Trail, and this time they are taunting Ellie wit clues from a nursery rhyme "Mondays Child" is the first victim. Tuesdays Child is found the next day.
The race is on to find the killer before he reaches the ultimate goal, Sunday and Ellie
A great story that gets the full 5 stars. Yes it can be read as a standalone, because Herron back references the first story enough for it to make sense.
Loved it.

I'm new to Rita Herron's books and this one is the second one in the series. There are a few hints as to what happened in the first book and i like that the author isn't repeating the storyline. The only thing that I didn't like was the amount of chapters in the book but that's just a small thing. The story is good and had me thinking of who was behind the murders and as I was reading it, my mind kept changing. I would recommend reading this.

Super Creepy make the hair on the back of your neck action as only Ms. Herron can do.

She’d sensed his presence many times. Heard some of the Shadow People called him the Watcher. Although she hadn’t seen him in some time now.

Ellie Reeves can’t get a break. She has another killer on her hands.
There are so many twists in this story it will make you crazy trying to figure it out.
This is a thrilling series that just gets better every time.

Detective Ellie Reeves nightmare continues when a new killer dubbed the Weekday Killer takes her friend and fellow officer Shondra. This killer is as diabolical as her half brother Hiram. He is an expert at throwing Ellie and the police off by framing those close to her.

When Ellie's past was revealed in the previous book it opened up a Pandora's box that we still haven't seen the full repercussions of that yet. Hopefully book 3 will shed more light on where Ellie came from and that she can survive it both emotionally and physically.

This was good! I mean, GREAT! Had no clue who the killer was - lots of suspects, lots of wrong guesses ... this one kept me guessing the whole time. Book 2 did not disappoint and I can’t wait to see what happens with Ellie in book 3. I would recommend reading this series in order - the backstory is important for this book, as it picks up where book one ended.

Fast read that keeps you hooked with all the twists and turns! Definitely recommend.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for this eARC. Loved it.

Ellie Reeves has barely recovered from the Ghost case when she must face another serial killer in Rita Herron's latest, Wildflower Graves which is the second book in Ms. Herron's Detective Ellie Reeves series. These murders seem personal to Ellie somehow, especially when her friend Deputy Shonda Elliott is taken. There are so many twists and turns in this well-plotted story that you almost feel like you are dizzy from them. The story is jam-packed with action. I loved the suspense of the main characters trying to solve who the serial killer. Major characters from the first book in the series, The Silent Dolls appear in this one: FBI Agent Derrick Fox, Cord McClain, Ellie's boss Captain Hale, Dr. Laney Whitefeather and others. This series has me hooked. I can't wait to see what Ellie has next to face.

This is the second book in this series and I loved both of them. It still leaves part of the story line hanging but that is what the third book is for. Lots of twists and turns and had you guessing who the killer was throughout the whole book. I really liked the characters