Review By Kayleigh
This is a fabulous debut police procedural with a fantastic main character perfect for lovers of Bones and Eve Dallas.
Favourite Quote:
She did not have time for phone pranks, and this was a prank, surely, because why would an FBI agent call her, ever? But something – that name, like a stranger’s now – pushed down her throat the certainty that this wasn’t a joke.
In a split second, Dolores’s apartment turned into a hostile environment. The too-full trash cans smelled like rotting bodies; the sharpness of every object narrowed into focus.
Book Synopsis:
It’s been close to twenty years since forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. The town is famous for its Halloween celebrations, but also its history of violent deaths linked to the holiday. To Dolores, it’s the place she fled, family, bad memories, and all. Until the FBI calls to tell her that her father–the former mayor turned US Senator–is missing under mysterious circumstances.
Some people count to ten to wake up from a nightmare. Dolores always counts the bones of her head sphenoid, frontal, lacrimal. But no matter how many times she counts them, it doesn’t change the fact that her father is missing, that his final words of warning to her were to trust no one, and that now, the rest of her family is giving Dolores a chilling welcome. With Halloween fast approaching, Dolores must face the past she left behind before it’s too late.
Review:
I always love a good creepy mystery, and the synopsis for this debut mystery hooked me instantly. Halloween and missing political father? Sign me up! Dolores is a forensic pathologist who left her small town to go to university and has never come back. Ever. She’s barely even been in contact with her beloved father, step mother and half siblings. She’s received a couple of notes and sent one. Clearly there’s a reason for this absence. Dolores is a complex character who carries a lot of emotion and feelings but really tries to focus on facts and reality. Her lines are blurred when her father goes missing. The FBI requests she come back home. Not only is she desperate to find her father, but she’s drawn back into a family she doesn’t really know and has to reckon with her past. With her career, she is pulled into being an active member of the team trying to figure out where her father is. As more bodies rack up, Dolores struggles with keeping her family safe from someone who seems to be out for revenge. She just has to figure out why.
This is a strong police procedural with a skilled and flawed lead character. I feel like there were enough little breadcrumbs dropped throughout the novel that hints that this could be the first in a series, and I really hope it is true. I really liked getting to know Delores and her family. She has a lot of heart, and has spent her life trying to hide her own needs from herself. There are some grizzly scenes in the book, and it is fairly descriptive in its murder scenes and autopsies, which makes sense as we see a lot of it through Delores.
Rachel’s writing is sharp and her plotting is excellent. I was guessing up until the end about what really happened long ago. I really can’t wait to see more of Rachel’s writing. She is definitely a new voice in mystery and thriller to keep your eyes on. I expect big things from her.
This book is the perfect creepy, bloody book to read in the lead up to halloween.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
