Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for NATURAL CAUSES (Sam Tate Mystery Series Book #5) by Nikki Stern on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a PICT giveaway. Enjoy and good luck!
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Book Description
Nature abhors a vacuum. One killer is filling it with bodies.
Three years after quitting her job as a homicide cop, Sam moves to Denver as a named partner with a boutique private investigation firm. She’s finished with the violence and trauma that have marked both her personal and professional lives. But when a zealous eco-terrorist begins a killing spree with plans to escalate, she finds herself once again hunting a serial killer whose past too closely resembles Sam’s own.
Genre: Police Procedure, Suspense Thriller, Crime Mystery Published by: Ruthenia Press Publication Date: June 23, 2026 Number of Pages: 280 ISBN: 979-8996092208
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
NATURAL CAUSES (Sam Tate Mystery Book #5) by Nikki Stern is another exciting addition to the Sam Tate mystery/crime thriller series of books. Sam is now a private eye and partner in an exclusive firm in Denver, Colorado. This book is easily read as a standalone with Sam starting a new career in a new location with enough background on the few carryover characters from the previous book that you are not confused or feel like you are missing something. Like the other books in this series, it is plot based around a complete serial killer investigation.
P.I. Sam Tate is getting used to her new life with the help of a few close friends. After twenty years in law enforcement, she is looking forward to more low-key investigations. When a family requests an investigation into the disappearance of their husband/father, Sam only begins to investigate when his body is found. Almost immediately after, the son of a prominent businessman is killed. Both have cryptic one-word notes and pin pricks at the base of their necks. When a third is discovered, it becomes a multi-agency investigation and Sam is once again involved in a serial killer investigation.
The notes lead Sam and the others to the possibility of eco-terrorism revolving around conspiracy theories and the dark web. Will Sam and her friends be able to unravel the truth from lies and stop a serial killer with an agenda on the loose in Denver?
The plot in this book, as well as all the books in this series, are fast-paced and full of red herrings and twists that continually surprise. This story is intriguing and kept me reading right up to the suspenseful ending. Sam is trying to move on and yet she gets pulled right back into a serial killer investigation. This book does a good job of pulling in key points of Sam’s life from the previous books. If you haven’t read them this is a good starting point and you will not feel like you are missing anything while I can recommend all the previous books.
I highly recommend this serial killer thriller in the Sam Tate series and look forward to many more to come.
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Excerpt
“Gorgeous, absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.”
Todd Fischer stood near the edge of a snowy precipice and slapped his chest like a primate surveying his kingdom. He pulled in a lungful of air, his new Filson hiking vest tight against his broad chest. He was winded, more than he cared to admit, and cold. Even at the end of April, the temperatures on this trail lingered in the low thirties. A late-season snowfall added to the discomfort, not to mention the threatening gusts of frigid air.
“You know,” he continued, turning to his companion, “people would pay plenty to live here.”
“I don’t think you can just put up housing in a national park,” she replied.
“Anything can be bought and tamed, Elena. “Even the Rockies.”
“I believe you, Todd. Now, please come down off that ledge? Remember the warnings we received about the missing railings and the danger of microbursts? I do not want my husband to be blown away like a character in The Wizard of Oz.”
Fischer laughed. “I’m not about to be knocked over by a blast of air. I think you should worry more about the kids. Go see what’s happened to them.”
As soon as she’d moved out of sight, he bent over, suddenly dizzy. Crap, getting old was not for sissies. He needed more exercise, more hydration, more time, more of everything.
Elena turned back to the trail, shaking her head. The “kids” were young adults and, as far as she was concerned, pampered twenty-somethings. She was the “wicked” stepmother, just ten years older than the eldest, perpetually a graduate student. Whereas younger brother Paulie treated school as one long excuse to party.
Now she heard them, bickering, as usual.
“Could you stop complaining?” Rowan was saying.
“Not a chance,” Paulie griped. “We are tramping in the mountains, just past dawn, in the cold and the wind. In late April. I left a warm bed and a warm body so I could freeze my backside off with distant dad and wife number three.”
“Maybe the warm body should have helped you dress for a hike in the Rockies.”
“You’re just jealous.”
Rowan appeared first, dressed perfectly for a mountain trek. Paulie, on the other hand, looked like he’d come from a night of clubbing, right down to his overpriced sneakers and his curated day-old beard.
“There you are,” Elena said, forcing a smile. “We were on the ledge for a better view.”
“The one with the ‘danger’ sign?” Paulie asked. “Oh, right. Dad likes to go where he’s not supposed to. I guess you could call it his specialty.”
Elena reminded herself that she could handle two brats for one morning. Before long, she would get herself pregnant and make them both irrelevant.
“Take a look,” she suggested. “It’s quite lovely.”
But they were back to fighting, ripping into each other like territorial animals. Until an unexpected gust of wind interrupted their discourse, strong enough to send a few rocks scuttling down into the valley.
“What was that?” Paulie asked.
“Nature, dummy,” Rowan retorted.
“Wait, where is your father?” Elena demanded.
Paulie cupped his hands and yelled, “Attention, Todd Fischer. We’re officially concerned. Show yourself.”
Rowan climbed to the ledge and swallowed hard. “Maybe he found another way to head down,” she said.
“No,” Elena declared. “Something happened.”
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Author Bio
Nikki Stern is the author of eight books, including five in the award-winning Sam Tate Mystery Series. She was a co-author of several musical murder mystery plays in the popular Café Noir collection. She’s also written a number of short stories and essays, some of which can be found here. A former families’ advocate following the death of her husband on 9/11, Nikki now serves on the leadership council for Search for Common Ground, a global conflict transformation organization. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN (A Jonathan Grey, M.D. Mystery) by Michael Rigg on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, and excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a PICT giveaway. Enjoy and good luck!
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Book Description
On a frosty Sunday morning in February, Dr. Jonathan Gray, Coroner of Orleans Parish, faces a gruesome sight. A dead man splayed against the circular steel and cut-glass blocks of the city’s AIDS memorial in Washington Square Park has strange symbols carved into his forehead and chest. A coded note—a cipher—has been placed under one hand. The body mutilation and note are hallmarks of a serial killer dubbed by the news media as the “Mardi Gras Sweeper,” because he strikes during Carnival season and leaves coded manifestos taunting police and giving hints about his next victim.
Hoping to avoid a panic during the city’s most profitable season, Mayor Max Jamerson asks Gray to investigate the murder “on the sly,” without formal assistance from the New Orleans Police Department. Time is of the essence as Gray races to figure out the cipher and track down the Sweeper in order to prevent additional killings—and save Mardi Gras.
Genre: Medico-Legal (Coroner) Thriller Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: May 5, 2026 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 979-8898202354 Series:A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery, Book 2
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN (A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery) by Michael Rigg is the second exciting book in the Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery series. While this book is easily read as a standalone, I am glad I read book one, Voices of the Elysian Fields, first, just for more detailed character backstory. There is little time between each book with book one set during the Christmas/New Years holidays and this second book set during Mardi Gras.
There have been some repercussions for Lt. Detective Betsy Sprance since accusing the mayor in her last case, but Coroner Jonathan Gray is determined to get her help when a body is discovered with strange symbols carved into its flesh. It is very similar to bodies left during a killing spree two years previous, also during Mardi Gras. While Jonathan and Betsy believed they had witnessed the killer’s death, it appears he has returned.
As they race to catch a killer, they are hampered by the mayor not wanting to panic the Mardi Gras crowds. As the murders continue, they must solve the cypher of the killer’s manifesto with only the help of their small group of friends to stop the killings once and for all.
This is another New Orleans immersive fast-paced mystery/crime thriller featuring a great cast of characters. All the main characters are fully developed and realistic. Jonathan and his wife have a strong relationship that has been tested, and they came out even stronger. Betsy has worked hard as a Marine and then worked her way up in the NOPD Detective Squad. Ranger, Betsy’s husband’s storyline is still evolving and intriguing. Jonathan and Betsy are both engaging and exciting main protagonists. The plot of this serial killer crime/ mystery was well paced with as many dead ends as surprises and twists. The discovery of the killer completely shocked me, and I like when that happens. This series is addictive.
I highly recommend this thrilling addition to the Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery series!
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Excerpt
Chapter One
Alpha and Omega
Sunday, February 1, 2015 – 1:47 a.m.
Twenty-plus years with the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office taught Jonathan Gray to expect the unexpected. But Washington Square Park had always been a tranquil haven on the fringe of the French Quarter. So crime-scene tape draping the square’s wrought-iron fence presented the visual equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. Moonlight filtering through stately live oaks cast eerie—almost funereal—shadows, adding to the dissonance.
Fluttering in the nippy midwinter breeze, the neon-yellow ribbon communicated
a mute warning. On this side, normalcy. On the other, insanity. Stepping into the dysfunction never got easier. Regardless, turning back wasn’t an option. As if speaking the incantation aloud would immunize him against the unfolding drama, he repeated his trite pre-crime scene mantra: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” His breath lingered in the frosty air before evaporating.
After checking in with the uniformed officer monitoring access, Jonathan angled toward floodlights illuminating a temporary canopy above the city’s AIDS memorial. More tape—red as opposed to yellow—identified the innermost “Do Not Cross” perimeter. Crime scene technicians in white Tyvek protective suits busied themselves measuring and photographing what must be the reason he’d been summoned. A male corpse sitting upright on the ground—its arms and legs twisted at seemingly impossible angles—leaned against the memorial’s circular cut-glass and steel panels surrounded by a pool of thick, dark-crimson liquid.
A curved, nearly rectangular piece of wood with brass edges—most likely a knife handle—protruded from under the right side of the dead man’s rib cage. A portion of his intestines spilled out of the wound. A second knife—its handle and part of its blade visible—had been thrust downward into the soft tissue between the left collarbone and neck.
Cause of death seemed too obvious to require someone of Jonathan’s seniority. A first-year med student could have made the call. But markings carved into the dead man’s forehead and chest hinted at something more sinister. No wonder Mitch Broussard from NOPD had called him in the middle of the night. The man’s heavy flannel shirt lay open, exposing his chest and a series of
capital letters etched into his skin. The letters—G I D I A I D I V—made no sense, at least not in English. A folded piece of paper with similar letters and other symbols, not quite readable from that distance, lay under the man’s left hand. Lack of blood covering the letters in the chest signaled they had been added postmortem. Jonathan focused on two marks in the man’s forehead. An uppercase “A” and what looked like an upside-down horseshoe—the Greek letter Omega—apparently cut while the victim was still alive.
It couldn’t have been two years already. But there it was. Alpha and Omega. Jonathan bit his lip and cursed under his breath. Then, a silent prayer. Looked like the nightmare was about to begin—again.
One of the CSTs stood and raised her clear face shield. “Hey, Doc. Welcome to Funsville.”
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Author Bio
Agatha and Anthony-nominated author Michael Rigg, a lawyer for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.
When a husband, wife, and son are murdered in their Denver home and the family’s teenage twins vanish, the case draws the attention of FBI profilers Helen Belle and Benedict Hoffman. It triggers more than professional alarm. It mirrors a horrific case they investigated five years ago, when a boy slaughtered his family and went mute after speaking only a handful of haunting words. Among them: Midnight Man.
Then, nearly thirteen hundred miles away, one of the twins is found dead in a snowy Ohio field, and the parallels between the past and present cases grow more disturbing. Identical suicide notes. The same symbolic blood imagery. And a shared obsession with an online fantasy game. Its mastermind is an influencer who manipulates his most vulnerable and alienated players into killing the people they love most.
The Midnight Man is back.
Helen and Benedict must hunt the darkest corners of the internet to find him before someone else falls prey to an insidious evil that, for now, is in total control of the game.
A VOICE IN THE DARK (Benedict Hoffman and Helen Belle Book #1) by Barbara Nickless is a chilling crime thriller/FBI police procedural that is very relevant in all current discussions regarding AI, minors’ use of the internet, and the ever-present dangers on the world wide web. This is the start of a new series with two compelling protagonists and a serial killer crime plot that hooked me immediately.
Five years ago, Helen Belle and Benedict Hoffman had their belief in an outside influence and assistance from the Midnight Man in the slaughter by a boy of his entire family discredited in court. Helen goes on with her work at the FBI and Benedict walks out of his life and job. A detective from the old case is faced with a similar case as well as the kidnapping of the twin of the believed perpetrator and alerts FBI agent Helen Belle.
From almost identical suicide notes to a shared obsession with an on-line multi-player fantasy game, Helen believes the Midnight Man is back and reaches out to now Professor Benedict Hoffman for assistance. They put their personal past aside and work together to unravel hidden identities and motives as they realize they are racing the clock to rescue the missing twin and stop the Midnight Man before someone else is led to murder.
I was pulled into this story immediately and terrified by the possible reality of the crime plot. Ms. Nickless does a good job of not preaching that the internet is all bad and all gamers are going to become killers, but the gray of the situations and discusses the type of adolescents that can be influenced. The crimes are horrific but could also be ripped right out of the current news. Helen and Benedict are interesting protagonists with not only a somewhat unique outlook on humanist psychology on the study of crime, but with interesting backstories, also. This is a couple I will look forward to following in their future investigations.
I highly recommend this first book in this compelling crime thriller series!
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About the Author
Barbara Nickless is the award-winning, WSJ and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of nine novels; her first and third series have been optioned for film. A teacher and activist, she teaches combat veterans and civilians in the U.S. and Ukraine. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, the World Affairs Council and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. A former fencer and falconer, Barbara lives in Colorado where she loves to hike, cave, snowshoe, and drink single malt Scotch.
Rose is in her late 70s, living out her golden years at the Autumn Springs Retirement Home.
When one of her friends dies alone in her apartment, Rose isn’t too concerned. Accidents happen, especially at this age!
Then another resident drops dead. And another. With bodies stacking up, Rose can’t help but wonder: are these accidents? Old age? Or something far more sinister?
Together with her best friend, Miller, Rose begins to investigate. The further she digs, the more convinced she becomes: There’s a killer on the loose at Autumn Springs, and if Rose isn’t careful, she may be their next victim.
THE AUTUMN SPRINGS RETIREMENT HOME MASSACRE by Philip Fracassi is a bloody horror story with a touch of paranormal and a serial killer crime thriller mash-up with a feisty elderly female protagonist set in a retirement community in upstate New York. It is a gripping read full of edge-of-your-seat suspense, but not for the squeamish.
Rose DuBois is content living her senior years at the Autumn Springs Retirement Home. She has friends, especially one elderly retired college professor, participates in activities, and can retreat to her own apartment for peaceful solitude. When one of Rose’s girlfriends is found dead in her apartment, it is not considered suspicious for a woman of their age.
But the dead bodies begin to pile up, and Rose and her friends begin to wonder if there is more to their deaths than is being released. Soon, Rose realizes the suspicious deaths are occurring to those in her group who believe there is more going on and the killer is no longer hiding the murders as accidents. With no help from the administration and a skeptical police response, Rose realizes the elderly residents are on their own and if she isn’t careful, she could be the next victim.
Rose is an excellent protagonist for this story because her reactions are believable. She is tenacious, but also scared, and she has a past which affects her actions throughout the story. The murder scenes are graphic, but having read many serial killer books, it did not put me off this story because I was so invested in each character and needed to know who else would fall and if the killer would be discovered and punished. Being older myself, this book does play on many emotions and fears that come with age, from depending on others in our daily lives, safety concerns, and having any family that cares. The plot is full of tension and suspense that continually increases towards a final showdown, and the ending was unexpected and yet foreshadowed throughout. It also took this book out of a crime/mystery classification and put it definitively in the horror/paranormal classification.
I highly recommend this unique horror book and its elderly protagonist.
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About the Author
Philip Fracassi is the Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award-nominated author of the novels Don’t Let Them Get You Down, A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. His upcoming books include the novels The Third Rule of Time Travel, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre, and Sarafina.
Other work includes the story collections No One Is Safe!, Beneath a Pale Sky (named “Best Collection of the Year” by Rue Morgue Magazine and a finalist for the Bram Stoker award), and Behold the Void (named “Best Collection of the Year” by This Is Horror). He is also the author of several novellas, including Sacculina, Shiloh, and Commodore.
Philip’s books have been translated into multiple languages and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Southwest Review, Weird Fiction Review, and Interzone.
He has published deluxe editions of his work with respected publishers such as Zagava, Cemetery Dance, Thunderstorm Books, Earthling Publications, and Lividian Press.
As a screenwriter, his feature films have been distributed by Disney and Lifetime, and he currently has several stories in development for film adaptation with major studios. His short story, “Altar”, was made into a feature film by studio A24.
The New York Times calls his work “terrifically scary.”
Philip lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Elizabeth Copps at Copps Literary Services, Circle M + P, and WME.
A deadly pattern: Jenny Flynn, Chelsea Hobbs, Sophie Miller. All three children were snatched from the streets of Lincoln, England years apart. All stolen in the bitter chill of winter. All on their way home from school. Then Sophie Miller is found. She’s not speaking, but she may hold a clue to the whereabouts of the missing girls, if someone can get her to open up.
Somewhat reluctantly, Detective Swann calls in his not-quite ex-wife, the perfect woman for the job: Finnish Crime Inspector Elea Baker. No one knows the cases of the Ice Angels better than Elea, and no one is more invested in solving them. Ten years ago, Elea’s daughter Liisa was taken in Helsinki.
Alternating between Elea and Liisa’s perspectives, The Ice Angels is a propulsive and twisty thriller featuring a compelling mother-detective desperately clinging to the hope she can bring her daughter home.
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Elise’s Thoughts
The Ice Angelsby Caroline Mitchell has a gripping story that will have readers on the edge of their seats from the many twists.
The story has Finnish police detective Elea Baker probing the disappearances of two Helsinki 12-year-olds when her own daughter, Liisa, was kidnapped on the way home from school. These children were known as the Ice Angels. All three families received a single white feather in the mail when their child vanished. Now, 10 years later, Elea’s ex-husband, Swann, asks her to consult with police in Lincoln England on their investigation of three more girls’ disappearance. The similarity is that each family received a white feather. No one knows the cases of the Ice Angels better than Elea, and no one is more invested in solving them.
One of the victims,12-year-old Sophie Miller, escaped, and is found clutching a doll that resembles one of Liisa’s favorites. This seems like a breakthrough for Elea, and she immersed herself in finding Liisa.
Told from the alternating narratives of Elea in the present and Liisa in the past, readers get a perspective of how the victim feels and the different emotions of those families left behind.
The best word to describe this novel is WOW as the author emotionally pulls people into the character’s story! Hold on to your hat because this story will take readers on a wild roller coaster ride.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Caroline Mitchell: I wanted to have my detective, Elea Baker, challenged. I liked the setting where I live now, Lincoln England. Plus, my brother told me how amazing it is where he lives, in Finland, with the rivers, sea, and forest. I merged both areas. Ideas come quickly and freely to me. The theme can be “looks are deceiving,” and that monsters are not always apparent. I think it is more terrifying when the bad people appear like ordinary people. I had my detective come to the UK from Finland to help consult on cases of children’s disappearance.
EC: Since you had two settings is there a difference between the English and Finnish cultures?
CM: Here everyone talks to everyone else. In Finland, my brother says, they do not do small talk at all. They are very loyal. If someone makes friends with you, they are friends for life. Elea can appear quite standoffish but once people get to know her and she lets them in they see she has a heart of gold. Plus, the weather is different in that Finland has extreme cold winters.
EC: Did your professional experience help you write this story since you were a former police detective?
CM: Yes. Even the simple things like working with other colleagues including the banter and the emotional baggage. They call it here, the ‘thin blue line,” where a detective is personally involved but needs to remain professional and not get too emotional about the case. But of course, Elea does, which adds to the intensity of the story. All the cases I worked and the memories I had is like a tapestry.
EC: What about the Ice Angels?
CM: There were three original ones. Each walked home alone before they were snatched. Their parents were sent white feathers. One of the children was Liisa, the daughter of Detective Baker, who disappeared ten years before. The story has tried to find her own Ice Angel, her daughter, who also has a narrative. She was a mother first and a police officer second. She became broken, confident, passionate, loyal, has grief, sarcastic, and unpredictable.
EC: How would you describe Elea Baker?
CM: Having her child disappear put a strain on all her relationships including her marriage that eventually ended. This often happens in the case of missing children where the husband and wife cannot cope with the grief anymore and break up.
EC: What about Liisa, did she have Stockholm Syndrome?
CM: I wanted readers to think about it. Even I was not sure and could be open to interpretation. She had a very strong survival instinct and knew she had to placate them. During her entrapment she kept to herself, quiet, manipulated, lied too, and had a love/hate relationship with her captives. She never forgot her mom and the strong bond was evident. She could hear her mom’s voice in her head all the time.
EC: What about Swann, the lead detective on the new disappearance and Elea’s former husband?
CM: Elea tells him not to give up on Chelsea, one of the Lincoln girls who disappeared, like he gave up on Liisa. She is very hurt by how he acted. There is a scene in the book where he tells her, ‘You told me to leave,’ and she responds, ‘I did not think you would actually do it.’ He is currently jealous of her interactions with other men. He provided quiet strength for Elea at times. There was a weird dynamic because in Finland she was his boss, and now in England, he is her boss.
EC: What was the role of Swann’s current partner, Alice, who had a child with him?
CM: She is part of a love triangle. She is insecure and is uncomfortable with Elea around. She was a B – – – -. She was cruel and not a good person. She personally got pregnant to keep him. Alice has no redeeming qualities.
EC: How would you describe Liisa’s kidnappers?
CM: Psychopaths, evil, and took what they wanted without care or consequence for someone else.
EC: Next book?
CM: There is a sequel. Book two is titled The Night Watcher, coming out about this time next year. It is about a stalker and Elea consults on it, still in England. Readers will find out a lot more about the relationships with Elea, Liisa, and Swann.
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review of KILLER TRACKS by Mary Keliikoa on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, and excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Promoamp giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
A Misty Pines Mystery
A peaceful retreat. A maze of smoke and murder. Is their remote getaway about to become a death trap?
Sheriff Jax Turner is worried about going off-grid and leaving his young team of deputies behind. But while his getaway with his ex is meant to help them reconnect, Jax is distracted by signs of a break-in at their rented lookout.
After a string of unsettling events and an approaching wildfire turn their isolated retreat into a danger zone, he’s stunned to find a dead body with marks tying it to a killer he put away a decade ago.
Terrified that his attempt at reconciliation has led them both into a fatal setup, Jax rushes back to his estranged wife before she joins the list of victims. But his dedication to serving and protecting could become an Achilles heel as other players join them among the darkening trees.
Can he fight his way out of the woods before the flames of revenge consume everything?
Genre: Police Procedural; Detective and Mystery; Crime Fiction; Suspense Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: September 30, 2025 Number of Pages: 319 ISBN: 979-8-89820-033-6 (pb)
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
KILLER TRACKS (Misty Pines Mystery Book #3) by Mary Keliikoa is an intense genre mash-up of mystery/crime thriller/police procedural that kept me turning the pages. This is the third book in this series and like most books of this type, the mystery/crime plot is complete and resolved in each book, but the characters’ relationships continue to evolve, and I feel the series is best read in order.
Sheriff Jax Turner has agreed to spend a week away with his FBI agent ex-wife, Abby, to work on their relationship. When they arrive at the remote cabin, they notice things that has Jax’s cop radar on alert. They discover a lone female camper who is hiding something and deal with the sabotage of their vehicle. Jax discovers a dead park ranger and now is desperate to get Abby safely off the mountain as they are chased by not only a killer, but a wildfire.
Meanwhile in Misty Pines, Deputy Rachel Killian is in charge and dealing with an apartment explosion and a dead tenant found in another apartment. As she inspects the body with the new medical examiner, the body has an “X” carved into his chest and the medical examiner realizes this signature is reminiscent of an old serial killer case. Rachel is also dealing with her cold case detective father showing up in Misty Pines unannounced. The more they investigate, they begin to fear for Jax and Abby.
This is a very good story that weaves two crime plots together that come from two different directions and ends with an explosive resolution. There were plenty of twists and surprises and towards the end the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. While Jax and Abby are both interesting, flawed characters, sometimes I find Abby not sympathetic, but a bit annoying, but not enough to stop reading the series. I find Misty Pines an interesting town and as I get to know more of the secondary characters, it gets even more interesting.
I really enjoyed this gripping crime thriller/mystery, and I am looking forward to more books in the Misty Pines series.
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Excerpt
PROLOGUE
Click. Slide. Clang.
If he never heard that sound again, it’d be far too soon. That, and the sleepless nights under a thread-bare wool blanket that chafed his exposed skin, the looming threat of death… in the yard, the shower, the halls to and from the cafeteria or his cell.
Death and desperation seeped from the pores of this godforsaken place. So thick he could almost taste it. No amount of soap, no amount of ritual, would rid him of the stench that clung to him—though he’d be willing to try.
It was over now. Dying among these second-class men would not be his fate. A man of his intellect, a man far superior to the minions around him, deserved better than what he’d endured these past years.
He’d eagerly reeducate those who believed otherwise. They’d all see it by the time he was through with them, just like those that came before.
Click. Slide. Clang.
A voice echoed off the concrete walls.
“Inmate 22-A-4242. Gather your crap. Time to go.”
He stood, hands to his sides.
“Ready to face the world?”
He remained silent. None would get the satisfaction of his acknowledgement.
The voice continued. “They gave you a goddamn Hail Mary. Bleeding heart liberals anyway. Don’t screw it up.”
He bowed his head to obscure his smirk.
“Right. I know your type. You’re innocent.” The guard continued rambling. “That’s what all you convicts say. ‘I didn’t do it.’ ‘I was framed.’ ‘It’s unconstitutional.’” The guard’s voice dropped to a growl, prickling his skin. “Tell that to the victims and their families. I’d reckon less than one percent of you bastards got a legit claim.”
The guard had forgotten betrayed, of which he surely had been. But he shrugged, not to agree, but to stave off the urge to wrap his hands around the guard’s throat. So close to freedom…
Whether he was innocent or not had no bearing; it had not been among the criteria for the help he’d received. Being wrongfully convicted qualified. According to the junior team that had embraced his cause when he’d written the letter, they agreed that’s what had happened in his case. Even if it took them ten years, he loved a system that allowed more loopholes than the cable-knit sweater Mother had dressed him in for school.
“Sell it to someone else, you psycho,” the guard snapped. “Bet you money. We’ll see you again real soon.”
A jagged smile crossed his face. The guard had part of it correct—but he’d never be back here. Next time, he’d be less gullible.
And he intended to snuff out anything that could hurt him, like the light of every other woman who hadn’t seen his worth.
Chapter One
Some days, it didn’t pay to get out of bed.
Sheriff Jax Turner had experienced more than his fair share of those mornings in the past six years. First, when his daughter Lulu died from leukemia. Then, when his marriage dissolved—more like shattered into a million pieces. Followed by a couple of cases that had tested his limits of trust. They’d destroyed some, too.
Today was different.
Abby Kanekoa, his ex-wife with whom he’d shared the gutting grief of those past years, had offered hope for reconciliation—the chance to glue a few of those pieces back together. It would never be the same without their little girl… but perhaps they could create something new.
Leaving for the mountains just after Labor Day was less than ideal. Though with the tourist season coming to an end in Misty Pines, and Abby due a vacation at the Bureau, it was the best time. Deputy Rachel Killian, his new hire and right hand, was turning out to be as capable as he’d hoped. Applicants for filling the gaps at their station had been sparse. Few, it seemed, wanted to work these days—or work at the often cool and foggy Oregon coast. He’d at least been able to get most of his young crew on full-time payroll, so Rachel had help.
Bottom line, getting away was Abby’s idea. He would not tell her no.
Now to get through the pep talk with the team. The two major events of the past year had allowed them to punch a few notches into their experience belt, but wisdom and reliance on gut instinct were born with time. Leaving them to run Misty Pines without his guidance had his muscles taut.
He entered the sheriff’s office with his duffle flung over his shoulder.
“Oh hon, don’t tell me that’s all you’re taking for the week?” Trudy said. Jax’s long-time secretary, and overall, Team Mother to him and his ragtag group of deputies, lifted the headset off her ears.
He suppressed a smile. “Glad to see your accident hasn’t made you any less opinionated.”
Eight months had passed since the event that had nearly stolen her from him and the team. A warm and fuzzy Trudy would be hard to get used to—he was grateful he didn’t have to learn.
Trudy rested the headset around her neck. “Looks like Abby hasn’t given you any clue about where you’re going.”
“Other than the mountains, not much. I’ve tossed a few essentials in my truck.”
“Like?”
“A good book and a board game.” He smiled. “A couple of bottles of wine.”
She arched her brow.
“What? I’m assuming she’s arranged for us to be at some luxury resort.”
“You think so?”
“Abby likes her massages, saunas, breakfast in bed.” Not to mention time basking on the deck with a steaming cup of coffee. For being a tough no-nonsense woman, and a hell of an FBI agent, she liked the finer things—and she’d earned every damn one of them.
“And what do you like?” Trudy asked.
He chuckled. Not much of what he’d just mentioned. “Roughing it.”
“Hmmm…and she arranged this for the two of you to reconnect?”
His smile faded; he dropped the bag at his feet. “Are we camping?”
Trudy laughed and shook her head. “When it comes to women, you do take a minute to catch up. Might I suggest a few more items?”
“Like a tent?” He’d have to dig it out of his garage, which wouldn’t take long.
“No. But a communication device might come in handy.”
“Abby said something about our phones being off for the week.” He shifted on his feet. “Are you saying we’re headed somewhere with no service?”
She returned to her desk in response.
Of course they were. Several interruptions to his and Abby’s conversations had come from the station over the past months. Too often, when they’d just settled into talk or were on the edge of a sensitive topic. Tourist season was like that every year with the random fender bender, a too-loud party on the beach, a drunken brawl at the pub. Some infraction demanding his attention.
Added to that, Brody had slid his motorcycle on wet pavement and nearly dislocated his shoulder in the spring. Garrett had a few interviews in Portland, one in Seattle. Matt was called in to stock shelves by his boss at the IGA grocery store when they were short staffed, which had become more consistent.
Time with Abby had been the price, although the last time they’d carved out a night together still brought a smile to his face. Maybe this trip signaled her intention of wanting more quality togetherness. That thought alone made having limited phone access worth it regardless of where they went, even as the uneasiness of being out of contact with his crew niggled at him.
He flung the bag back over his shoulder and headed to his office.
The click of claws on the linoleum sounded behind him.
“Boss.” Rachel and Koa, her black lab, came out of the kitchen. “You all set?”
“Almost. Picking Abby up soon for what appears might be a wilderness retreat.”
Rachel laughed. “Don’t look so concerned.”
“I’m not.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you have a crease between your eyebrows.”
He rubbed the spot. “Guess I’m not fond of surprises.”
“Never have been myself, but I have a feeling you’ll have fun.”
“According to Trudy, I will. Hope Abby does.” It was sweet she’d chosen a place that appealed to him—more imperative if she enjoyed herself. She’d never been one to sleep on the ground.
“Believe me, she did good.”
“Take it you know where we’re headed?”
“Not precisely.”
“How about a hint of what you do know, so I’m better prepared?” Having spent far too much time in the dark, he preferred to be ahead of things these days.
She did a zipping motion in front of her mouth. “I get that it’ll be difficult for you, but try not to worry. The men and I have everything covered.”
He nodded. Letting go of the wheel would never be easy, and in law enforcement things could change quickly. But Rachel was solid, and he trusted her… despite his former partner Jameson not agreeing with him hiring his only daughter. Jax had made the right call; he stood by it. There should be no hesitation about him and Abby taking a week for themselves.
“You’ll get a hold of me if there’s a problem?” he said.
“You won’t have any way…”
“I’m taking the satellite phone.”
Rachel folded her arms over her chest. “Suppose that’s smart after the last trek in the wilderness…”
“Exactly my thought.”
Rachel pursed her lips, likely recalling that day when radio silence had left her and the team wrought with worry as they waited for word on whether Jax and Abby were alive. But Abby should understand his decision, if it came up. Probably better it didn’t.
“Let’s do a briefing before I head out,” he said.
Rachel winked. “The men are waiting for you in the strategy room.”
He chuckled. That’s why there’d been no sign of them when he’d arrived.
In his office, he set his duffle bag on a chair, and retrieved the satellite phone, burying it near the bottom in a T-shirt. Once he checked his email for the tenth time and cleared his desk, he started toward the meeting room, until he heard voices in the reception area.
Trudy was holding open the station’s door. The men were grabbing their gear about to file out, Rachel and Koa behind them.
“What’d I miss?” Jax said.
Koa turned at the sound of his voice, trotting to his side. Jax squatted next to her, draping his arm gently over her back.
“Nothing to worry about, boss,” Rachel said.
“Just a routine traffic revision, chief,” Brody said. “We’ve got it.” He’d gelled down his wispy brown hair today, making him look young. Too young.
“I’ve got forty minutes before…”
“Oh no you don’t, Jax Turner,” Trudy said. “It’s a half-hour drive to Abby, and you will not be late.”
Rachel lifted a brow at her black lab, who promptly returned to her side.
Fine. Jax stood. He’d wanted a team he could rely on, and he had one. So why did he feel left out? “Who’s in need of traffic revision anyway?”
“Fire department,” Trudy said.
“There’s an apartment complex on fire at the edge of town,” Rachel said.
Battalion Chief Mike O’Brien rarely requested assistance. With the remaining tourists eking out the last of their holiday weekend there could be a traffic log, he supposed.
“I’ll go with you,” Jax said.
Rachel held up her hands in a stop gesture. “Please. Get out of here and have a good time.”
Before he could protest, Rachel was out the door and Trudy shut it behind them. Through the glass, Jax watched his team slide into two of the patrol cars.
“You heard your deputy, hon. Get your stuff and head to Abby’s. And don’t come back until you and that saint of a woman have worked everything out.”
Trudy was right. He needed to check his ego. Misty Pines could handle a week without him.
A call came through Trudy’s headset which she tapped to answer. She settled behind her desk as he grabbed his bag, her voice fading as he walked outside.
“Yes, Mrs. Harper. Just a small fire. Nothing to worry about.”
***
Author Bio
Eighteen years in the legal field, and an over-active imagination, led Mary Keliikoa to plot murder—novels that is. She is the author of the domestic thriller DON’T ASK, DON’T FOLLOW, the newly released KILLER TRACKS, the third book in the Misty Pines mystery series which is an IPPY Silver and Bronze Award winner, Silver Falchion finalist, and a Foreword Indies award finalist, and the Shamus and CLUE Finalist, and Lefty, Agatha and Anthony nominated “PI Kelly Pruett” mystery series. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and the anthology Peace, Love and Crime.
