#pamelafaganhutchins – Avonna Loves Genres

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Her Cold Heart by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HER COLD HEART (Detective Delaney Pace Book #6) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

As snow falls over the small town of Kearny, the body of a young woman lies on the frozen ground. Her unblinking eyes stare out across the mountain top, and a wave of crimson-red blood seeps into the white blanket where she rests.

When residents discover a body on the slopes of a popular ski resort, Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are first to investigate. Delaney scans her surroundings, and among the panic-stricken crowd she spots a man fleeing through the trees.

Delaney and Leo race after the suspect, following the tracks he left in his wake. But when the pair are separated, Delaney makes a heart-stopping discovery: a make-shift graveyard at an abandoned lodge deep in the forest. Immediately she knows there are more victims—and Leo’s radio has gone dead…

With the sheriff missing and the risk of more lives being taken, Delaney works fast to capture the twisted killer. But her mission grinds to a halt when a ghost from her past sends her a chilling message: Do as I say, if you want to see Leo again.

Desperate to save the man she loves, Delaney faces the shocking realisation that this whole thing was planned. She knows who’s responsible—and how dangerous they are. If she follows the orders she could lose her life, but if she doesn’t, she could lose Leo. Will she catch the killer in time? Or will she pay the ultimate price?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237144617-her-cold-heart?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VA9g1ngce3&rank=1

Purchase link: https://geni.us/B0FFGW5LMPsocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HER COLD HEART (Detective Delaney Pace Book #6) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that is full of action and twists. This is the sixth book in the series, and I could not put it down. I would recommend reading this series in order because the characters’ personal lives, growth, and histories play a large part in each book.

Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are out enjoying the slopes with their family. As they are getting off the ski lift at the top of the run, a shot rings out and the young women behind Delaney is shot and killed. Delaney and Leo race after the suspect described by a witness.

A snow mobile chase ensues, and Delaney and Leo separate. When Delaney returns for Leo’s help, she cannot find him anywhere. As she traces his tracks, she discovers he was in an accident and then taken by the suspects they were chasing. She is sent a proof of life video and is told she must follow all orders she receives to get Leo back alive.

Delaney must risk everything as she goes up against dangerous ghosts from her past who want both dead.

This is such a fast paced, thrill ride of a new book in this series. After six books, I care about all the characters and I just feel like I am catching up with old friends, and when they are in danger, I read as fast as I can and pray all ends well. The danger, mysteries, and plot twists come fast in this story as Delaney works to save Leo and herself.

I highly recommend this emotional, action-packed thriller/police procedural addition to this series and cannot wait for more!

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling and Silver Falchion Best Mystery winning mystery/thriller/suspense author (and recovering attorney and investigator) who splits time between an off-the-grid lodge on the face of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and a rustic cabin on Maine’s Lake Mooselookmeguntic with her husband, kids and grandkids, rescue pets and sled dog, and draft cross horses.

Writes for Bookouture and independently.

Host of Crime & Wine: Novelist Chats with Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

Social Media Links

Website: https://pamelafaganhutchins.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamela_fagan_hutchins/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/her-cold-heart-an-absolutely-addictive-and-totally-gripping-crime-thriller-detective-delaney-pace-book-6-by-pamela-fagan-hutchins

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Her Burning Lies by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Book Description

As a blazing wildfire rages through Kearny County, homes are destroyed and the town is in turmoil. Amongst the debris, the body of a young woman lies totally still, her eyes looking to the sky, a silver sword pinning her to the ground.

When fire wardens search the scorched remains of an abandoned farmhouse, underneath the rubble, they make a shocking discovery—a young woman, stabbed and left to die in the middle of the fire zone. Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are called in to investigate.

Leo takes in the woman’s petite features, his voice shaking as he turns to Delaney. He knows the victim—they had met on an online dating site. How did she end up in the middle of the wildfires, and who would want to kill an innocent young woman?

As a second body is discovered at a remote ranch, also stabbed with a silver sword, Delaney is sure the victims are linked—both young mothers, both looking for love. Could Kearny County have a serial killer preying on single women?

Delaney’s heart pounds when she learns that her close friend, Clara Eckhardt, is missing, last seen driving towards the fires. She ignores the evacuation orders and races towards the inferno. But when shots are fired, she knows the murderer has her in their sight. Will she turn back and save herself or chase the killer further into the fire to save her friend’s life?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Her Burning Lies by Pamela Fagan Hutchins has it all: a suspenseful plot, great banter, and wonderful characters.

Sheriff Deputy Delaney now has two adopted daughters. Sheriff Leo has his sister and nephew living with him. Not only do they need to deal with matters associated with their newly expanded families, but there is a wildfire nearby that they are actively fighting. Then there are dead women appearing in the fire area with swords pinning them to the ground.

After fire wardens search the scorched remains of an abandoned farmhouse, underneath the rubble, they make a shocking discovery, a young woman stabbed and left to die in the middle of the fire zone. A second body is discovered at a remote ranch, also stabbed with a silver sword. Delaney is sure the victims are linked, since both are young mothers and are leaving law enforcement wondering if Kearny County has a serial killer preying on single women. Things ratchet up after a Sherriff Department employee and friend disappears and seems to somehow be connected to the crimes.

Besides the riveting plot there is the romantic angle. The main characters’ personal relationships change and grow over the series. Their personal relationship is a rollercoaster ride that appears to be concluding.

Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they turn the pages.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Pamela Fagan Hutchins: Her Burning Lies (Delaney Pace #5) came to me because of a Renaissance Fair flyer I saw up in Sheridan Wyoming. I have not been to one. I have friends that love them, and one of my sons loves them. But it was mostly seeing the Renaissance in the modern west on that flyer, very out of place. While that became “Middle Ages” once I began researching for the storyline, the idea of an old sword, out of place in Wyoming was planted. Then I moved to France for a year where I was surrounded by Medieval history at the time I began writing, and the idea really took off. I was intrigued by how Delaney would react to it.

EC: Did you ever drive the Big Rig Tractor Trailor?

PFH: I have not! The driving skills come from my dear friend, former trucker extraordinaire, Daisy Delaney.

EC: Role of the fire?

PFH: I include a seasonally appropriate phenomena in each of my Delaney Pace books. This book was set in August, which is fire season. I do this because it is a reality of living and working as a law enforcement officer in Wyoming. The terrain is rugged and vast, and the extreme weather conditions add a lot of unique difficulty and danger.

EC: Relationship between Delaney and Leo?

PFG: Delaney comes from a background of very painful personal loss, and she wants to avoid being hurt again, intentionally or accidentally. One of the walls she put up was partly out of caring for Leo: putting his future over hers. But it was a wall, nonetheless. They had banter and camaraderie, were partners figuratively and literally, they avoided the relationship aspect, and it was hard for her to trust.

EC: Role of Joe Tarver?

PFH: Deputy Joe Tarver is a wonderful foil for Leo and obstacle for Delaney as well. And haven’t we all worked with someone who literally or figuratively shoots us in the back?

EC: Do you always have an abuse angle in your stories-in this one there was sex trafficking and pregnant women?

PFH: No, but in most of my Delaney stories she is championing women who are marginalized or abused in some way, like she was, and like so many women are, in her community and elsewhere. Not only did she face it herself, but one of her adoptive daughters comes from a history of abuse.

EC: Is Kat acting like a typical teenager: Bratty, self-centered, uncaring, freezing her stepmom out

PFH: Adoptive mom. As a stepmom, I can tell you there is a big difference. And, as a mom and stepmom to three adult daughters, I will only say I am writing that age from personal experience mothering them!!!

EC: Do you self-publish books-if so why and can you tell a little about them: Title, due date to come out, plot?

PFH: I both traditionally and independently publish. The Delaney Pace books are from one of Hachette UK’s imprints, Bookouture. I am actively writing two other series that are independently published under the company owned by my husband and me, SkipJack Publishing, which also publishes a handful of other authors.

The two active series are set in Wyoming as well: Jenn Herrington (contemporary romantic legal thrillers) and Patrick Flint (1970s adventurous family drama mysteries). We hope to release the next Jenn Herrington book by the end of 2025 and a Patrick Flint book in 2026. Currently, there are 2 Jenn Herrington books and 8 Patrick Flint.

I have also written a super series of romantic mysteries, with sub series for 6 different interrelated characters: Katie Connell set in the Caribbean, Emily Bernal set in Texas and New Mexico, Michele Lopez Hanson set in Texas, Maggie Killian set in Texas and Wyoming, and Ava Butler set in the Caribbean.

Altogether, I have written 32 novels, of which only 6 are Delaney Pace (1 upcoming in October 2025). So, while I can’t give you the plot of each of the books, I can direct you to either my website (https://pamelafaganhutchins.com) or my Amazon page (http://amazon.com/author/pamelafaganhutchins.com) for information on each of the series and the books within them!

EC: Next book: Title, due date to come out, plot?

PFH: I am not allowed to release the title of Delaney Pace #6 yet, but I can tell you that it comes out in October 2025, and it is the favorite book of the series for everyone involved: my editor, me, my husband (who is my story idea partner), and my story fact checker, police chief Travis Koltiska. Here’s a very short synopsis: Detective Delaney Pace starts the new year with a dead body that falls from a ski lift and lands at her feet, just after she hears the muffled shot from woods below. Panic reigns on the ski slope as she and Sheriff Leo Palmer race after the killer, a pursuit that leads them across jurisdictions and ends with Leo hostage and Delaney faced with a horrible choice. Follow the law she’s sworn to uphold or save Leo’s life.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Her Burning Lies by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HER BURNING LIES (Detective Delaney Pace Book #5) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins on this Bookouture Book-On-Tour blog tour.

Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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About the Book

As a blazing wildfire rages through Kearny County, homes are destroyed and the town is in turmoil. Amongst the debris, the body of a young woman lies totally still, her eyes looking to the sky, a silver sword pinning her to the ground.

When fire wardens search the scorched remains of an abandoned farmhouse, underneath the rubble, they make a shocking discovery—a young woman, stabbed and left to die in the middle of the fire zone. Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are called in to investigate.

Leo takes in the woman’s petite features, his voice shaking as he turns to Delaney. He knows the victim—they had met on an online dating site. How did she end up in the middle of the wildfires, and who would want to kill an innocent young woman?

As a second body is discovered at a remote ranch, also stabbed with a silver sword, Delaney is sure the victims are linked—both young mothers, both looking for love. Could Kearny County have a serial killer preying on single women?

Delaney’s heart pounds when she learns that her close friend, Clara Eckhardt, is missing, last seen driving towards the fires. She ignores the evacuation orders and races towards the inferno. But when shots are fired, she knows the murderer has her in their sight. Will she turn back and save herself or chase the killer further into the fire to save her friend’s life?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224716409-her-burning-lies?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=hqrJd1ufsg&rank=1

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0DVLF5DMLsocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HER BURNING LIES (Detective Delaney Pace Book #5) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is an edge-of-your-seat action packed crime thriller/police procedural featuring Detective Inspector Delaney Pace in Kearny County, Wyoming. This is the fifth book in the series and can be read as a standalone crime thriller, but the main characters’ personal relationships change and grow over the series. I have read them all in order and really enjoy the crime plots and the growing relationship between Delaney and Leo.

Detective Inspector Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer have their hands full with a large wildfire raging through the county. When the fire wardens gather to set up a staging area at an abandoned farm, they discover the body of a young women in the stone farmhouse dead and pinned to the ground with a large sword.

A second body is discovered the next day in the burned-out barn. The body is as charred as the barn, and it also is pinned to the ground with a sword. As Delaney and Leo investigate the identities of their victims, they discover they have both given birth, but no babies are found in the apartment building that houses several young women.

When one of Delaney’s friends disappears, she and Leo are racing against the clock to find her and discover if there is a connection between her and the dead young women as the wildfire gets ever closer.

This is another fantastic addition to the Detective Delaney Pace series! I am never disappointed. The crime thriller plot always keeps me guessing to the climax with plenty of twists and surprises throughout. Delaney and Leo’s extended families add relatability and realism to the story. Their personal relationship is a rollercoaster ride that finally, after five books, has left me with good feelings for their future. This is a must-read series for me, and I am always excited to get the next book.

I highly recommend this addictive crime thriller/police procedural book and series.

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About the Author

Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a USA Today bestselling and Silver Falchion Best Mystery winning mystery/thriller/suspense author (and recovering attorney and investigator) who splits her time between an off-the-grid lodge on the face of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and a rustic cabin on Maine’s Lake Mooselookmeguntic with her husband, kids and grandkids, rescue pets and sled dog, and draft cross horses.

Social Media Links

Website: https://pamelafaganhutchins.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamela_fagan_hutchins/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/her-burning-lies-a-completely-nail-biting-and-absolutely-addictive-crime-thriller-detective-delaney-pace-book-5-by-pamela-fagan-hutchins

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Detective Delaney Pace Series by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Elise’s Thoughts

The Detective Delaney Pace series is a modern-day western thriller. She can be described as a vigilante with a badge. People should read all the books starting with Her Silent Bones, then Her Hidden Grave, Her Last Cry, with the latest, Her Forgotten Shadow. The character Delaney Pace is street tough, tenacious, intelligent, and steps up to the plate to become a mother to her two adopted daughters, Kateena and Carrie. As with all these books the crime thriller is based on the abuse of women and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The plot is action packed, fast paced and a page turner.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?

Pamela Fagan Hutchins: I have a friend that is a former ice-road-truck driver who must drive in horrific weather. My editor wanted me to write a tough female detective. I live in Wyoming, which is where my friend also lives. I thought how I could match a homegrown Wyoming tough woman that developed some special skills by being an ice-road-trucker and changes a career to become a Sherriff deputy. I chose Wyoming because I was already writing other books with this setting and knew readers wanted more Wyoming books.

EC: What is an ice-road-trucker?

PFH: There are ice roads through Canada and the Dakotas where they are open a couple of months a year, in the very depths of winter. People use these roads to get across which would otherwise be water.

EC: Was there a common theme throughout the four books?

PFH: I like to think about the setting, the people, and the timeframe. I wanted to write books that included the modern West. What would uniquely happen there, something culturally appropriate. I also look for a new way to kill people and how to solve the murder. I think of books in threes. The first three books dealt with Delaney’s brother. The next three books will emphasize the impact on her regarding the loss of her mother.

EC: Do you think your books are modern Westerns?

PFH: For me, yes. The characters have a rugged individualism, embrace their neighbors, and never shrink away from hard work in the Rocky Mountain West. They are cowboy-like. The setting and the culture are western.

EC: Each of the books has abuse of women, please explain.

PFH: The way I approach the bad guys is to have them have a reason for the brutal way they treated women, and to make sure the crime was a balance between protecting sensibilities with a sense of fear. If Delaney was not a deputy, she would be a vigilante. The bad guys deserved what happened to them. I am not a fan of unlikeable protagonists and unreliable narratives. This is a western sensibility in that the good guys should retain their goodness, and the bad guys are bad.

EC: How would you describe Delaney?

PFH: She is inspired by my friend who has mechanical aptitude, mental toughness, ruggedness, and a soloist. She has knowledge of the area since she already grew up there. These help in her career as a deputy. Delaney is a risk-taker, calm in a crisis, direct, protective, prickly, has a sense of humor, sarcastic, stoic, defensive, and has a sense of justice. She is very outdoorsy.

EC: How has Delaney’s backstory affected her?

PFH: What drives her is being abandoned as a child after her mother left and her father was killed. This informs a lot of her life choices. She has the attitude no one else will have a chance to hurt me.

EC: How would you describe the two girls, Kateena versus Carrie?

PFH: Kateena is sassy, loyal, and proud of her Aunt Delaney. Carrie had to overcome abuse, has control issues, and is a “gamer.” She has become more of a live gamer, learning to drive the big rig. Carrie was originally a video gamer because it was an escape mechanism for her where she was able to control this imaginary world.

EC: What is the relationship between Delaney, Kateena, and Carrie?

PFH: Kateena has this blood bond with Delaney. She is almost the ulterior ego of Delaney. It is very easy for Delaney to relate what Kateena is going through. Delaney felt duty bound by honor and code to take in Kateena to make sure she was not deserted. Carrie helped Delaney grow her heart. Delaney has become a champion of girls and the wrongs done to young women. Kateena and Carrie are recognizing each other as sisters, taking care of one another but also having their disagreements. The girl’s relationship with Delaney is based on love, emotion, and fear of loss. They come together with this trauma bond.

EC: What about the relationship between Leo and Delaney?

PFH: He compliments Delaney in solving a crime because he is the computer expert. He is smitten and in love with Delaney. They are well suited for each other. Because Delaney is afraid of being abandoned again, she is afraid of committing. They can relate to each other because both have moral ambiguity. I want to make sure he is tough enough for her. Their relationship is like a ping pong game where she trusts him, then doesn’t; cares for him, but cannot show it; angry at him, but loves him; does not like his secrets but she has her own secrets. She never trusted anyone so that when something occurs, a bump in the road, she easily backs out. She is inconsistent toward him.

EC: Was the latest book a cliffhanger?

PFH: Yes. My editor talked me into this. There was a whole other paragraph, but I took it out. I wrote book 4 as if the series was not going to continue, but there will be a book 5.

EC: Next book?

PFH: The title is tied into the plotline. Carrie and Delaney have forged a bond over the big rig where they have something in common. Leo is going to do something very shocking at the end of this book. This book has a raging wildfire. Delaney and Carrie find a body where the fire swept through this house. It will be published in April.

THANK YOU!!

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Feature Post and Book Review: Her Last Cry by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Book Description

A young woman has vanished into thin air.

When much-loved Annabeth Dillon is reported missing during a snow storm in Kearney, Wyoming, Detective Delaney Pace is called in. The search leads to a remote woodland cabin, and Delaney is distraught to find Annabeth’s lifeless body on the bed, dark red ties gripping her tight, long black hair covering her face. Searching the scene, she spots a dark figure at the window and rushes to give chase, but he gets away. Could it have been the killer?

Another victim is about to be taken.

As a local activist, Annabeth had a lot of enemies and she was no stranger to death threats. So why was she alone in an isolated cabin? And when one of Annabeth’s colleagues is found dead in her own home, Delaney fears that the murders are linked. Were the women hiding a secret that someone killed to keep?

A twisted killer is in town and they’re only just getting started.

Days later, Delaney discovers that the murderer left DNA evidence on the body, and she’s shocked to her core when she learns who it belongs to. She knows the killer. As she jumps to action, another call comes in—someone close to her has gone missing. Delaney knows just how dangerous the killer is, but she’s prepared to risk everything, even her own life, to save the life of another innocent victim. Will she find them in time?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202526500-her-last-cry?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=iS3ZxR1tiQ&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HER LAST CRY (Detective Delaney Pace Book #3) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a chilling, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller/police procedural featuring Detective Delaney Pace in Kearney, Wyoming. This is another action-packed addition to the series that I could not put down. I would suggest reading this series in order because Delaney and all the auxiliary characters continue to evolve and there is an overall plotline that intertwines throughout the series involving Delaney’s family.

Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are called for a welfare check on an up-and-coming activist and politician in a remote vacation cabin. They discover her naked dead body tied to the bed. After searching the scene, they check out the other cabins and Delaney is attacked, and the suspect gets away. The local activists are trying to stop the wealthy outside invasion that is destroying the pristine Wyoming terrain.

As Delaney and Leo search for a killer, a county commissioner with a grudge is also setting Delaney up and interfering with her adoption proceedings. If that isn’t enough, Delaney discovers her brother is back as the body count increases and they still have a traitor in the Sheriff’s office. As all the puzzle pieces begin to come together, Leo’s family is taken and he and Delaney must find them before they become victims, too.

I love this series! It keeps getting better and better. Delaney is such a strong and resilient protagonist. Leo is a great pairing for her. He loves his tablets and updating technology in the office while Delaney uses hers as a coaster. Delaney can handle any weather in her hometown, while Leo is a fish out of water. It makes for some laugh out loud situations. All the secondary characters are fully developed and believable. The crime plots have many twists and surprises that keep you turning the pages. The tension is high and seldom lets up with everything happening, both personal and criminal.

I highly recommend this crime thriller/police procedural series!

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About the Author

Writes for Bookouture and independently.

Host of Crime & Wine: Novelist Chats with Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

Social Media Links

Website: https://pamelafaganhutchins.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PamelotH

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-fagan-hutchins

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Her Silent Bones by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HER SILENT BONES (Delaney Pace Book #1) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins on this Bookouture Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Fifteen years ago I watched my father’s murder.

Now, having never truly recovered from losing her father all those years ago, Detective Delaney Pace is devastated when her brother and sister-in-law are killed in a car crash. Packing up her life she heads back to the rugged cowboy town of Kearney, Wyoming. Her niece Kateena is just eleven years old and Delaney will do anything to keep her safe…

Now there’s another killer on the loose, and he’s already taken his first victim.

New to the local police force, when a body is found on a secluded mountain trail Delaney is called to the scene. Surrounded by imposing pine trees, a young woman lies still in the moonlight. Gazing into her dark, unblinking eyes Delaney’s heart pounds wildly in her chest as she recognises the victim. It’s her beloved sister-in-law: Kateena’s mother, Lila. But she died weeks before. Didn’t she?

There’s evil lurking in this town and I’ll stop at nothing to hunt down the truth and deliver justice. With Kateena traumatised all over again, when Delaney links Lila’s murder back to the place where her own father was killed she realizes she must face her own dark past to catch the man responsible. But little does she know that the killer has already made their next deadly move. Back at home, Kateena should be in bed sleeping soundly, but her room is empty. Kateena is missing…

Can Delaney uncover the truth behind the killings and save Kateena before it’s too late?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202526858-her-silent-bones?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=3u5UkiffHc&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out 0f 5 Stars

HER SILENT BONES (Delaney Pace Book #1) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is an exciting and fast-paced new crime thriller/police procedural series featuring a tough and determined female detective in small town Kearney, Wyoming. This is a new to me author and a very promising start to a new series that I am looking forward to following in the future.

Delaney Pace returns to her hometown after ten years of ice-trucking to take care of her eleven-year-old niece, Kateena, who has been orphaned with the death of her parents. She goes to the county sheriff and gets her job back as an investigator. Right away she is thrown into a murder investigation with a new detective from California who is talented with computers, but out of his depth in the wilds of Wyoming and possibly hiding an agenda of his own.

With one woman dead and another missing, the killer then raises the stakes when he takes Delaney’s niece. Can Delaney discover the identity of the killer and rescue her niece before it is too late?

This is a crime thriller with multiple surprising plot twists that kept me turning the pages, especially in the last few chapters. The plot throughout moves at a fast rate with ever escalating stakes. The crime/killer plot in this book is solved, but there is an over-arching plot involving another antagonist and questions from Delaney’s past that are uncovered and still need answered in future books. So, there is a cliffhanger for that plotline. Delaney is street tough, tenacious, and intelligent and takes a beating in this story, but just keeps going. While others see her as intimidating, she loves her niece and bulldog and is willing to help others down on their luck. She is a complex character that surprised me on several occasions, and I am looking forward to seeing how her character evolves in future books.

I recommend this captivating start to a new crime thriller/police procedural series with a strong female protagonist, and I will be checking out other books by this author, also.

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