NetGalley
Natalie Lockhart #2
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250205735
Fiction, e-Galley, mystery
320 pages
12/8-12/11/20
A Trace of Evil (Natalie Lockhart #1) 2019
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2902069113
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from St Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is book 2 of the Natalie Lockhart series. You can read this as a stand alone but you will be missing the detailed nuances of the characters and their relationships with each other. I had read book 1 and it took me a few chapters to recall the major events impacting Natalie’s behavior in this new story.
Burning Lake has a rich history dating back to the 1712 witch trials which brings rambunctious and rowdy crowds every Halloween. The town attracts those interested in the history of witchcraft and the occult. Unfortunately, street cleaning after the chaos is the least important issue for Burning Lake Detective Natalie Lockwood. A woman is found dead in a dumpster amidst her belongings which included a unique Wiccan charm unlike the odd tattoo discovered on her body.
They discover the deceased is Morgan Chambers who went to a conservatory in Chaste Hall. As an accomplished violinist she struggled to meet her parents high expectations unlike her violinist sister Poppy. This case reminds Natalie of her best friend Bella Striver who had been pronounced dead after her disappearance the night of high school graduation. Bella had attended Huntington Brock Conservatory and also an accomplished violinist. As Natalie tries to uncover who murdered Morgan she also becomes engaged in discovering what happened to her friend all those years ago.
Another twisted story involving the past and the present uncovering the truths and lies from the past. There are points where you can guess the direction of the story only to have a curve ball thrown in to confuse you.
The only aspect which disappointed me was the relationship between Natalie and Luke the police Lieutenant. Unless you read book one about the Crow Killer case you wouldn’t know there was a history between these two characters. They have known each other for years with a friendship that seemed to be a budding romance. This book doesn’t do much to add to the “drama” which is all I can say without adding a spoiler.
https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=125007245X&g=4400
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/399986110
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