Scathed

Sensational, gripping, riveting read!!
This emotional psychological thriller will have
your blood running cold as you try to solve the
riddles left at the crime scenes. Answers correctly
by time deadline or another victim dies!!
Sheriff Nike Quintana and his wife, Sage, live in the
isolated, wooded area of Alexandria. This is
located in Grafton County in New Hampshire. Their
young son, Noah and two fur babies, Rugger and
Colt make up their small family.
Women are dying dressed in red evening gowns with
fresh red roses in their eyes plus a riddle to solve with
the bodies. The riddles have a timeline to be answered
or another person dies. The killer is called Paradox as
the riddles are paradoxes.
Scathed was plotted out very flawlessly with sub plots
within the main plot. There are many twists and turns
to keep the reader breathless until the climax.
This story was emotional and captivating. Very well
written and very imaginative. The reader is able to view
what the well defined, artistically created, intriguing
and interesting characters see.
The settings of the various areas are so vividly described
you will feel that you are standing with the characters.
This made my heart pound harder than normal!!!
I highly recommend this read!!

Well, she’s done it again. Sue Coletta continues her Grafton County series with SCATHED, and honestly, it might be my favorite so far. (It’s hard for me to pick; I’ve loved them all.)

Sage Quintano is a new mom, a devoted wife, a die-hard animal lover, a crime writer, and a survivor of some really horrible crimes. Her husband Niko is with local law enforcement, and the pair make an adorable couple—personally and professionally. This time, the crimes are “paradoxical” and utterly fascinating. Is there one killer or two? It takes Sage quite a while to stitch all the clues together for the answer.

Niko is working on a case where women are killed both brutally and artistically. A paradox, if you will. The killer gives himself the moniker “Paradox” and leaves clues, in the form of riddles, for Niko to solve. Only with Sage’s help can he crack the codes, but will they guess the correct answers? And will they be on time?

Meanwhile, Sage is convinced a killer from her past has come back, but she doesn’t want to distract her husband with her fears. Suspense builds as we wait to see if she’s paranoid (as her husband suspects) or if she’s right. The clues build in horrific fashion, and it’s not until the end that we learn the shocking truth.

Further enriching the story is the subplot of Niko’s number two in command (Frankie, a bold and feisty deputy with problems of her own). How these threads tangle is fascinating. And how Coletta ties them off at the end makes for a fabulous novel tapestry, expertly woven.

These are vibrant, three-dimensional characters with a lot of heart and appeal. The settings are dynamic and bold, beautifully depicted. The plot is fast-paced, well-researched, and fun to guess.

I read the novel in one sitting and can’t wait for the next one.