Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Published: August 4, 2020
Source: Publisher
Summary:
There are good reasons to fear the dark…
Former Sergeant Ryan DeMarco’s life has been spent in defiance–he’s defied death, loneliness, and betrayal all while fighting the worst parts of humanity. He’s earned a break, and following the devastation of their last case, DeMarco and his girlfriend Jayme want nothing more than to live quietly in each other’s company. To forget the horrors they’ve experienced and work on making each other whole again.
But dreams of a peaceful life together are shattered when two bodies are discovered in a smoldering car in the woods, and another is found brutally mutilated nearby. Much as he’d like to leave the case to his former colleagues, dark forces are at play and DeMarco cannot escape the vortex of lies, betrayal, and desperation. He and Jayme are dragged back into the fray, where they must confront the shady dealings of a close-knit rural community.
In the highly-anticipated fourth installment in his critically-acclaimed series, Randall Silvis returns with a case that might break Ryan DeMarco for good.
My thoughts:
This is the 4th installment in the Ryan DeMarco Mystery series. I’ve really enjoyed these books and while I did get a bit behind, I am glad that I finally caught up. Now that I’ve read this one, I can pick up book 5 which just came out earlier this month!
I have really enjoyed these books and love that as much as they are mysteries, they are also character-driven plots. This one in particular is a good mix that keeps you engaged from start to finish. While this book can be read as a stand-alone, as the author does give just enough backstory to help you get by, you will have a much richer reader experience if you have read the prior books.
I love that both Ryan and Jayme are quite reflective in this book. It’s quite evident that what has recently happened has had a huge impact on them and they are still dealing with everything and trying to process it all. I like that the author has decided to show us their process of dealing with this instead of just sweeping it under the rug. They were going to try to take some time off, but a call from an old friend at the State Trooper’s office is hard to refuse and they find themselves in the middle of another case.
There is another character that completely steals the show and, in the process, helps both Ryan and Jayme, in more ways that they could have imagined. I’m talking about Hero, the dog Ryan rescues. He ended up being my favorite part of this story, and I had such a smile on my face every time he was mentioned!
This book has quite the ending and I’m so glad I already have the next book on hand…I’ll definitely be picking it up sooner rather than later to see where things go next! Endings like that stress me out!!!
Books in this series:
- Two Days Gone
- Walking the Bones
- A Long Way Down
- No Woods So Dark As These
- When All Light Fails
