Linda Strong
Retired NYPD Detective Dave Gurney is intrigued when asked by a friend to consult on a case in an upstate small town. One of the wealthiest and best-known residents has been found dead in his mansion. Normally, Gurney might not be all that interested, but local police, when they investigated, found DNA pointing directly at the killer. Billy Tate is known to have detested the dead man, and ironically enough, he fell from a church roof and was pronounced dead the day before the murder. Rushing to the cemetery, the coffin has been broken into ... from the inside ... and the body is gone. Needless to say, the community is scared with talks of zombies, apocalyptic threats. Their small town soon expands with news reporters and doomsday predictors. And then there are more bodies ..... The complex plot is artfully written with twists and turns that rival a roller coaster ride. The suspense is evident from the start and maintains a high level until the final, unexpected, conclusion. The characters are solidly written with varied suspects and small town citizens. Although 7th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone with few references to previous books. I do, however, recommend reading all as this is a terrific series. Many thanks to the author / Counterpoint Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction / police procedural. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.