By: H.K. Christie
Val Costa #3
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Hachette UK - Bookouture
ISBN: 978-1835259160
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 12/12/2024
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
The table is set for family dinner; roast chicken, wine for them and juice for their darling boy, a vase of fresh daisies from the garden for decoration. But the food is cold, and the flowers are wilting. You might think they were sleeping in the next room, if it wasn’t for the blood dripping crimson onto the carpet…
FBI Agent Val Costa is drawn out of retirement once again when the Cramer family are found dead in their home in Red Rose County. She falls to her knees in despair at the sight of little Michael Jr., curled up on the couch. What monster would take the life of an innocent child? Val vows to find justice for the mother, Stephanie Cramer, who survived the attack but is fighting for her life in hospital.
Interviewing neighbors uncovers no leads, but Val knows there’s a message in the way Mike Cramer’s body was left, tied to chair, stab wounds all over his body. It seems mother and son were collateral, and Mike was the real target. But why? Working in an auto shop between taking his boy to karate class, Michael was a perfect family man. There are no signs of a robbery, and all Val has to work with are small-town whispers about the age gap between him and his wife.
A break in the case comes when a secret phone is found hidden in Mike’s car and GPS reveals he’d been making late-night trips out of town for weeks before his family was attacked. Her team are quick to suspect an affair, but Val’s instincts tell her it’s something far more sinister.
As more cracks in the perfect Cramer family picture begin to show—arguments, money troubles—Val must work around the clock to stop this twisted individual in their tracks. But does she know someone is watching her every move? And when a dark secret in Mike’s past surfaces, can Val stay ahead of her stalker long enough to catch the killer before another precious life is taken?
An absolutely pulse-pounding crime thriller with unputdownable suspense, perfect for fans of Mary Stone, Kate Gable and L.T. Ryan.
REVIEW COMING
Val Costa Series
HIDDEN IN THE DARK #3
About the Author
H. K. Christie watched horror films far too early in life. Inspired by the likes of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, true crime podcasts, and a vivid imagination she now writes suspenseful thrillers featuring unbreakable women.
She found her passion for writing when she embarked on a one-woman habit breaking experiment. Although she didn’t break her habit she did discover a love of writing and has been at it ever since.
When not working on her latest novel, H.K. Christie can be found eating & drinking with friends, walking around the lakes, or playing with her favorite furry pal. She is a native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area. WEBSITE
