My Review

My second book by author B. R. Spangler, featuring Detective Casey White, was an engrossing read. A solid police procedural, I liked it more than book 1.

A murdered set of parents with the disappearance of their daughter brought Casey into the investigation. The premise was close to her reality as she too had lost her daughter and spent her free time searching for her. The story took on vibes of serial killing when a second set of parents were found dead. It was race against time with pressure from all sides to solve the murder.

Casey was interesting; she worked hard to solve the cases even when her personal devils gave her nightmares. Like all police procedurals, she got some good help with the forensics. A tinge of romance uplifted her character. I would hope that the author would make good progress into finding her daughter in the next book.

The story was complex and had good some twists. The plot pushed the boundaries of my intrigue with the murdered parents and an invite. I liked how Casey had complete support of her team to bring the case to a close. The writing had a friendly way about it where I got an opportunity to try to get into their heads to solve the murder.

One spiraling breakfast read was this where I was compelled to finish the story before getting up from my couch.

Many thanks to publisher Bookouture for my spot on this Blog Tour. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

My Rating

Book Blurb

Tears stream down her face as she feels the cold blade press against her neck. The sweet scent of her daughter’s favorite strawberry pancakes all around, her last thought is for her beautiful girl. Please, please let Lisa have escaped.

When Detective Casey White is called early one morning to a beachside vacation campsite in the Outer Banks, she finds the bodies of Carl and Peggy Pearson side-by-side, their throats cut, and their thirteen-year-old daughter Lisa nowhere to be found. Haunted by memories of her own missing girl, Casey fears this could soon become a triple murder: because without the medication found in the bathroom cabinet, Lisa has just days to live.

As her team struggle to untangle the meaning of the cryptic symbol carved into the victims’ skin, Casey searches the area for signs of Lisa: and is rewarded when she finds her blistered and barefoot, staggering along the highway. The girl barely has breath left to whisper ‘he invited me’ before blacking out.

Days later, another couple is found murdered on a vacation yacht. A different symbol is etched on their bodies, and their teenage daughter is also missing. Casey’s only clue is an unsettling ‘invitation’ found on the girl’s phone, to a secluded building out in the cornfields.

Desperate to uncover who is luring these innocent families to their deaths, and certain forensics have missed something vital, Casey matches up the crime scene photos herself. The symbols combine to form an upcoming date. The killer is taunting them with the timing of the next murder.

Racing to follow the invitation in time, when Casey arrives she is shocked to glimpse not the missing girls from this case, but her own missing daughter…

Book Details

Publication Date: September 2020