Trace of Evil
A Natalie Lockhart Novel
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
An IndieNext Pick!
"Gripping...Blanchard keeps the tension high." - Associated Press
From Alice Blanchard, the author of the New York Times Notable mystery novel Darkness Peering comes Trace of Evil, first in an evocative new series about a small New York town, its deeply held secrets, and the woman determined to uncover them, no matter what the cost.
There’s something wicked in Burning Lake…
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake, New York, an isolated town known for its dark past. Tasked with uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years, Natalie wrestles with the town’s troubled history – and the scars left by her sister’s unsolved murder years ago.
Then Daisy Buckner, a beloved schoolteacher, is found dead on her kitchen floor, and a suspect immediately comes to mind. But it’s not that simple. The suspect is in a coma, collapsed only hours after the teacher’s death, and it turns out Daisy had secrets of her own. Natalie knows there is more to the case, but as the investigation deepens, even she cannot predict the far-reaching consequences – for the victim, for the missing of Burning Lake, and for herself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in Upstate New York, this gripping series launch from Blanchard (The Breathtaker) examines how violent secrets from the past resurface in a rural community. Det. Natalie Lockhart, a rookie cop, still struggles with the beating death of her older sister, Willow, 20 years earlier. Another sister, Grace, who's raising a 15-year-old daughter, Ellie, urges Natalie to bury her memories and focus on the recent murder of schoolteacher Daisy Buckner. Meanwhile, Ellie is drawn to dark rituals that renew Natalie's suspicions about Willow's murder. The setting provides visual interest, and the resourceful, sympathetic Natalie drives the action. Blanchard occasionally undermines tension by relying heavily on subplots, a large number of extraneous characters, and misdirection. However, she delivers the goods in a sharp, if derivative, showdown between Natalie and the serial killer who crossed her path many years ago. Flush with red herrings, Wiccan symbols, and disaffected teens, this book will appeal to fans of criminal investigations led by empowered women.
