In the dark pine forest surrounding the quiet town of Rattlesnake Creek, the body of a young girl lies on the ground. Her angelic blonde hair spills over her shoulders and her unblinking eyes stare up toward the sky...
It was Beth Katz's serial killer father who made her like she is: a successful FBI agent and an unstoppable vigilante dedicated to hunting down murderers who have evaded capture. Beth will push herself to the limits to deliver justice. Even if it means killing those who deserve to die.
When the body of missing schoolgirl Brooklyn Daniels is discovered in a secluded patch of woodland on the outskirts of town, Beth and her partner Dax Styles race to the scene. Brooklyn and her best friend left home to pick wildflowers a week ago and vanished without trace.
Taking in Brooklyn's body carefully laid on a blanket and the dress neatly folded next to her, Beth suddenly freezes. She's seen this before: in the files of a cold case. The perpetrator takes two girls-one vanishes, the other is killed and left with her clothes beside her. Now Beth knows she has a twisted serial killer on her hands, she'll stop at nothing to catch him. Even if it means going against Dax's orders...
Desperate to find the other missing girl, Beth's heart pounds as she puts herself up as bait and walks into the secluded forest, knowing evil is lurking nearby. With Dax watching her every move, Beth prays the gamble pays off. Can she outsmart the murderer, or did she just walk into a trap? And when Beth finally comes face to face with the killer, will she hand him over or serve justice of her very own?
OMG! I loved this story.
Dark Angel is
the first book in the Beth Katz series. Katz's boss didn’t like how she
acted after her last case. Her boss sent her for psych testing, after
which he sent her to Rattlesnake Creek, Montana, to work with the local
law enforcement of the small towns in the area. A demotion in Beth's
eyes.
Her new assignment teams her with Dax Styles. Neither of
these agents likes to work with a partner. However, when a young girl is
found dead, and her friend is missing, Katz and Styles put their heads
together to devise a plan to find the serial killer of children. While
searching for the pedophile, Katz and Styles are pulled into another
unrelated case. Styles gets a good look at the real Katz, which makes
him wonder if he can trust her.
I love these two unconventional
FBI agents. Beth is the daughter of a serial killer, and she has some of
the dark in her. I think of her as a female Dexter with an FBI badge.
She doesn’t have a problem with delivering her own brand of justice. Not
only does Beth scoff at the conventional rules for an FBI agent, but
she also pulls Styles into her darkness. Styles has PTSD from his time
in the military. He is still in love with his wife, from whom he is
divorced. (What a story that is!)
I enjoyed the banter between
Katz and Styles. They are both trying to sort out their working
relationship. Katz is often the leader even though Styles has seniority.
She knows when to step back to let Styles catch up and get on the same
page with her. She is clever.
Hood has created some wonderful
supporting characters that include a local sheriff, café owner, and
medical examiner that all give us insight into the main characters and
the small towns in the area. The story gives a true feeling of life in a
small town. Also, the villain is a truly horrible guy. He made me
shiver more than once.
The narrator, Lauryn Allman does an
excellent job telling this story. Her voice is exactly what the story
needs to keep the listener in the action from the beginning to the end.
When Katz explains the details or profile of a serial killer, you don’t
question Katz’s knowledge. Allman gives her an air of authority and
confidence. The same is true when she explains cybercrime and how the
dark web is full of predators. Her voice is very convincing of the evil
lurking just around the corner. Allman’s voice clearly depicts the
characters, scenes, and events in my head.
Hood created the
perfect introduction to Detectives Beth Katz and Dax Styles, which
hooked me from page one. I plan to read the next book in the series.
4.5 Stars
[NetGalley URL]
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