A killer is watching…

Thirteen years ago, Winter Black came home early from a sleepover to find her parents brutally murdered and her little brother gone—taken by a serial killer called The Preacher.

Now a rookie FBI agent assigned to her first murder case, Winter has returned to the small Virginia town where she grew up. But when bones found by a hunter lead to the discovery of a secret burial ground containing the remains of children, the investigation suddenly hits close to home as the past and future collide with each new shocking discovery.

Will they find her brother’s bones in the makeshift graveyard next? Only The Preacher knows, and he’ll do anything to keep the past—and its secrets—buried until he’s ready to make his final move.

308pg | 34 Chapters | 5hr 30min Read

I was looking for another good crime series to sink my teeth into. August has been a bit of a slow reading month with lots of busy weekends. I have just come back from Edinburgh and had started to read this on the train before I felt travel sick.

This book follows Agent Winter Black on her fist murder case with partner Agent Noah Dalton. Both these characters are already established with history that started before this book. This was both welcomed and unwelcomed. Welcomed because the characters were easier to read but unwelcome because I felt I had missed out on important character development.

Winter’s case has her returning to her home town, or rather the home she lived in till the tragic turn of events 13 years ago, which saw her entire family murdered.

As the story evolves we see that Winter is not only haunted by her past but also the killer ‘The Preacher’. Not only is she looking for revenge but The Preacher is also keen to keep in contact with her. It makes for a compelling dual story.

The main plot centres around baby graves, and old cult, and suspicious activity. It is written in a way that keeps the story flowing but gives nothing away. I made a lot of supposed connections and theories while reading but didn’t manage to unravel what was happening. The reveal was, in a sense, eye opening and brought me back to how creative the mind of a writer can be when on a roll.

There is a clear connection between Winter and Noah and with 21 books in the series I’m sure there will be plenty of romance for Winter. I like the idea of Winter and Noah as an item, based on their interactions in this book, I think they’d be good together.

There is also SSA Aiden from the BAU. He was the agent in charge of her families murder and has watched Winter grow from a teenager to an adult. Through his P.O.V we see that he now has blossoming feelings for her and honestly, I found that a little creepy given his role in her life.

Luckily, Winter isn’t into male posturing, which I am sure will provide many a laugh and a frustration through the series.

As for The Preacher, I can see this becoming a major plot point, however hopefully it will be dealt with in a timely manner. If, for example, it runs through the entire series with no conclusion then I will quickly get bored.

I call the above ‘The Mentalist Problem’ and anyone who has watched the TV show ‘The Mentalist’ will understand what I mean.

As an introduction to what is to be a lengthy series, I felt I got enough information about the main characters to want to continue reading. Winter is an interesting character in the way she views the world but also in the way she is prone to be a lone wolf, charging into danger and keeping things to herself. I can see why she is this way, through the trauma she has endured but it will be interesting to see which male will stand the test of time and stand by her side to ground her.

As I am unfamiliar with Stone’s writing, I am searching in the dark with my predictions for the series but this book was a good gateway and has made me want to continue reading (I’ve already started book 2!). Time will tell whether this series will be one that stands the test of time to become a favourite or crumbles away into nothing.

I give this book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐