This was a great follow up to the first book.
Gaston was annoying to me.
Christine annoyed me a little to as well this time.

Overall, a great book and an interesting premise using frog poison. Definitely recommend!!!!

Co-eds found dead in caves. Very little evidence & an FBI agent tasked with investigating. The deaths appear connected, and her forensics team works to determine the cause of death. Christine is immersed in a montage of college professors, biotoxin research, and spelunking. The killer, irritated by her pursuit, sends her mother a care package intended to kill, which further motivates her to catch him.

While I figured out the whodunit, I still very much enjoyed this sequel to "Stone Maidens." The novel had vibes of Silence of the Lamb (think Clarice Starling) and tones of Iris Johnsen. While this can be read as a standalone, there is a brief mention of Stone Maidens, which you won't fully understand without reading it first.

I enjoy reading stories dealing with college students, professors, campus, etc. However, I didn't particularly like or warm to our main character, Christine. I also felt like there were so many characters being introduced I couldn't keep them straight. In fairness, I did not read the first book so this might have been partly why. I also felt like some of this could have been condensed (or removed), such as the drama with there being a mole in the department, as to me it added nothing to the story.

2.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and thank you to William Morrow Books for a print copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Maidens of the Cave by Lloyd Devereux Richards!

I was very excited to get an advanced copy of Maidens of the Cave. I really enjoyed Stone Maidens after I read it a few months ago. The author's daughter did him an amazing service by posting a video about a book no one had bought that her father had written. He was down on himself and she thought it wouldn't hurt. Well, the video went viral and many of us got the book to check it out. ANd it was an amazing book! The sequel did not disappoint and i hope we get more books from Lloyd Devereux Ricchards in the future.

Maidens of the Cave is the second procedural crime thriller featuring FBI forensic anthropologist Christine Prusik, written by Lloyd Devereux Richards. Released 1st Aug 2023 by HarperCollins on their Wm. Morrow paperbacks imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a gritty, well written FBI serial killer procedural featuring an unconventional forensic anthropologist investigator who is often at loggerheads with her supervisors and doesn't have time for office politics when there are evil people to be brought to justice.

It's very tensely written; an action driven lone wolf dogged investigator with loads of atmosphere and a feeling of real threat. The opening scene, almost a prologue, which sets up the entire story arc was honestly quite difficult to read in its brutality. The author has very good technical expertise with descriptive prose, and although the dialogue is a bit rough in places, it's never clunky and I never found myself yanked out of the story by overwrought descriptions or action. The plot hinges on some outlandish methods of murder, and, fair props to the author, a twist, which he got 100% correct. (Well played, sir. Well played).

This is definitely not a cozy mystery and much of the action, which includes poisoning, violent murder, and child abuse (may be potentially triggering to some readers. Despite being the second book in the series, all necessary back-story is provided in context, and the mystery is self contained in this volume, so it could be read as a standalone.

The author is adept and competent. Although it's not at all derivative, the vibe here felt a lot like Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme books, and fans of that series will likely enjoy this one as well. Although it's tempting to compare the protagonist to the Temperance Brennan (Bones) books, this series is much darker and more graphic in both description and plot.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to get to read something new, and be one of the first people to discuss this with others!

Forensic anthropologist tries to find a murderer... yes please! While this is the second book in a series, it is fair to say that you can jump right into this first book without having read the first (although, of course, one should aways read books in order... theoretically). Christine, our protagonist, works with the FBI and she's the kind of person who doesn't take "no" for an answer and sometimes bends the rules. I'm sure she'll have plenty of fans! But of course, there are some on her team who do not fully appreciate her behavior. But I digress.

Christine starts finding bodies all around a little college campus and things get pretty interesting. She starts realizing that the FBI "bro club" would rather just fill out some forms and toss them into a drawer, but she thinks she can find the killer. Of course, we believe in Christine and realize that she's going to get the case done. Are some of her methods unorthodox. Sure. Would it necessarily fly in contemporary standards ... maybe ... maybe not, but it certainly is fun to watch unfold.

The killer ends up having a tell and a bit of a pattern. The diagnosis is also seriously interesting. That made me round it up from 3 stars to 4 stars.

But why was I originally thinking 3 stars? Well, this is a bit procedural. It gets a little drawn out and sometimes the suspense becomes a bit "then this happened and then this and now this and this" and at moments it pulls you out of the "thriller" category. I'm not saying this isn't normal for a more procedural work -- just that it may be something not everyone loves (if you love this specific type of FBI crime solving then this is for you!).

Overall, I very much enjoyed it and I think this is going to do well with people who love:
-- strong female leads
-- crime procedurals
-- anthropological bends in crime solving
-- dark academia type books
-- series about crime
-- did I mention strong female leads?

4 out of 5 stars.

This is a good follow up to Stone Maidens. Although I did enjoy Stone Maidens a lot more.

Blurb: Forensic anthropologist Christine Prusik has a knack for solving the most unusual cases—and for bending the rules in the process.

When the bodies of young women start appearing in the caves of Indiana and Illinois, Christine immediately jumps into action. But her Chicago field office is undergoing a reorganization, and the boys’ club at the top seem more interested in getting all the paperwork in order than solving the murders.

Christine isn’t going to let a little red tape stop her, and when she discovers that all the bodies have the same mysterious pin-sized bruise on the back of their necks, she realizes she’ll have to confront her own inner demons to find the killer.

Forensic Anthropologist, Christine Prusik is back investigating a new case in the gripping sequel, Maidens of the Cave. A series of murders have occurred in Indiana and Illinois. The bodies of young women have been found in caves, each brandishing a intriguing mark on the back of their neck.Christine is ready to follow the clues but the FBI Chicago branch seems more worried about reorganization than finding a killer. Can Christine find the killer before it is too late?

Maidens of the Cave was a great sequel to the Stone Maidens. This book follows two mysteries. The first is finding the killer who is murdering woman in caves around Illinois and Indiana. During the investigation, Christine finds that each woman is injected with a lethal toxin the leads Christine to the CSU campus and the competitive area of pharmaceutical research. Could the killer be a professor? Researcher? Christine must find out while also trying to find a possible Mole in the Chicago branch of the FBI and the new branch director of the Chicago office has received information that it could possibly be someone in her forensic unit.

This book brings together both new and old characters. Each characters POV had me questioning who the true killer was and in the end, I was still surprised. Since I received an advanced copy of this book right before publishing, I also bought the audiobook to listen as well. The narrator was great and helped with some of the more difficult scientific wording. I would highly suggest buying the audiobook in conjunction with the printed copy.

I am not sure what is next for Christine Prusik as the ending opened up both the possibility of another book or an end to the series. I will continue to follow this author as I immensely enjoyed both books in this series and have been inspired watching his writing journey on Tik Tok.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the opportunity to review Maidens of the Cave. I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s time to find the killer! Anthropologist finds bodies of missing women and wants to track down the killer. But tracking this person down means confronting her own past.

Christine is the head of the Forensics Unit at the Chicago headquarters of the FBI. She has an outstanding solve record, and when she is in the middle of a case, the case has her undivided attention. She also has been known to break rules when she feels it is necessary. All of which is a recipe for trouble when she gets a new supervisor with new priorities just when Christine gets a new case which she believes is the victim of a serial killer. A seasoned mystery reader may figure out "who did it", but there are lots of convoluted threads for Christine to unravel. Christine's character develops a bit during the course of the story, but secondary characters are just that-secondary, but there is the potential of development for a possible romantic attachment and for the relationship between Christine' and her mother if there is a future book. This is the second book featuring Christine and the story was well enough told that I will be looking for the first one. I received this as an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review.

*3.5 stars rounded up

FBI agent Christine Prusik is back & ready to solve more murders! However, her new boss is more interested in getting the Bureau’s organizational ducks in a row than she is in connecting murders in towns across Indiana & Illinois. Christine can’t help but stay out in the field longer (frustrating her boss who wants her back in the office in Chicago) & discovers distinctive marks on each of the victims found in caves - can she catch the killer before more people end up dead?

I love a good Midwestern thriller, & the setting of the caves was perfectly creepy & interesting. It was fun to have a few returning characters from the first book, namely Prusik’s love interest Sheriff Joe McFaron, & I also liked learning a bit more about Prusik’s background in this story as her mother was involved. I did think that some passages were a bit superfluous when it came to descriptions of classical music & technical science jargon, but overall enjoyed another mystery from the TikTok-famous author.

Thank you to NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid follow up to his debut novel. Stone Maidens follows FBI Agent Christine Prusik as she pushes against the rules to find the person who is murdering young women. Constantly up against a system that wants to shut her down at every turn, Prusik is determined to find the person responsible for these ritualistic killings and put a stop to them. Devereux Richards does a great job of developing characters and twisting a tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

FBI Special Agent and forensic anthropologist Christine Prusik is devoted to her work, willing to bend or break rules to solve crimes, especially when it comes to identifying killers. As her field office is undergoing reorganization and the new boss seems more interested in bureaucratic paperwork than investigations, Christine travels to Indiana and Illinois where the bodies of young college women have been found in or near caves, cause of death unclear. When Christine's examination of the bodies and further inquiries suggest these deaths are connected and may be related to other recent deaths, she disobeys orders to leave the investigating to the local authorities and return to her Chicago office. A little lighter on forensic details than I'd expect, given the main character's job, but I enjoyed the story and liked Christine. However, I finished the book a bit confused about some of the events and motivations, which is why I give this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

📖 Maidens of the Cave by: Lloyd Devereux Richards | 📅 Pub Day: OUT NOW!!!(Tuesday August 1, 2023 )

Lloyd Devereux Richards has done it again! This sophomore novel in the series is a completely immersive thriller suspense book that reads like an episode of Criminal Minds with a sprinkle of Silence of the Lambs!

Head strong FBI agent and forensic anthropologist, Christine Prusik, is back again looking for the cause of a series of different horrifyingly curated homicides (young college aged women’s bodies start showing up in isolated caves on hiking trails). She races against time, and her superiors, wondering if she’ll be able to find the culprit (or culprits?!) before they strike again OR WORSE.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a refreshing far cry from other FBI agent books that I’ve read in the past that come off as boring and monotonous. I hope there are many more books in this series and/or by this author to come, OR maybe even a film or tv show adaptation because I’m HOOKED!!!

5.00⭐️


Special thanks to @netgalley @morrowbooks and @stonemaidens for the eARC and @morrowbooks for the physical ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. Lloyd's writing style is so good! Maidens of the Cave was a unique story about a seriel killer who has an un usual way of killing people just because he can. I enjoy Christine and she fights for her job and puts catching the killer above everything. I did not see the twist coming! You think you know who the killer is but nope! I would def recommend

Sometimes I feel as if the second book in a series doesn't quite deliver as strongly as the first - that is not the case for this one. While I enjoyed Stone Maidens, I devoured The Maidens of the Cave. We follow Forensic anthropologist Christine Prusik again as she investigates the deaths of college students whose bodies have been left in remote caves. She has the same tenacious, won't back down from finding the truth attitude and I love it. This book kept me engaged, staying up way later than I should to finish just one more (or five more) chapter. The mystery also kept me guessing until the end, I only started figuring it out about a chapter or two before the reveal.
This book is a police procedural and heavy on forensics, but please don't take that as boring - I read this book in a day and a half because I just couldn't put it down.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy of this book.

Maidens Of The Cave is a remarkable novel in every sense of the word. Author Lloyd Devereux Richards not only writes well, but the extent of the research required to complete this book is impressive. The story is multilayered, with a gripping plot and subplots that pull the reader in and keep us engaged until the final page. There’s a large cast of characters that tell the story, but they play their parts so well the book never becomes too complicated to sit back and enjoy.

Protagonist FBI agent Christine Prusik is the archetypal hero; a lone wolf determined to solve a string of murders by a serial killer no matter who she defies or the consequences of her determination to bring the killer to justice. The man she loves lives within a six-hour drive, and she never allows her feelings for him to overshadow her need to problem solve, even when they work together on a case.

Although Christine was introduced in Richards’ first book in the series, Stone Maidens, the second book, Maidens Of The Cave, stands well on its own. This reviewer will be surprised if these books aren’t made into movies for the big screen or a streaming service. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William and Morrow Books for providing an ARC to read for review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

I liked Christine’s rogue tendencies and her tenacity to keep ferreting out the truth, despite her superiors’ interference.
I rolled my eyes at the new forms and “busy work” the new supervisor incorporated.
What I found the most interesting was the story was set in southern IL and IN, territory I am very familiar with. I was delighted to read Carbondale. Rarely does southern IL or IN get placed in a book.
The mystery angle was very science oriented and interesting.

I did not read the first book in this series but was easily able to jump in!

The office politics at the beginning was a little vague and distracting—I was more interested in getting to the details of the case. Once the murder investigations got going I was hooked into the book.

I would have liked a little more forensic detail—more evidence and science leading the investigation—but Agent Prusik seemed more like a local detective doing interviews and proposing theories, even at times profiling the killer.

While overstepping seemed to be Prusik’s MO and a source of tension with her bosses, it made it a little hard for me to root for her. Christine’s “rule-breaking” felt self-serving at first, because I didn’t get a firm sense that local law enforcement would do nothing without her, or that her unique skills were being sidelined. It felt like she was approved to do her forensic job there, but she kept trying to do other people’s jobs too. It got better as the plot unfolded, but I struggled to get fully behind all her efforts.

To avoid spoilers, I’ll just say that some of her decisions near the end annoyed me because they didn’t seem to fit with what an agent should do in dangerous situations.

There were a lot of side characters and POV shifts to navigate, but overall this was a quick, easy read with a good pace, lots of tension, and a few solid suspects until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.