The Wicked Hour: A Natalie Lockhart Novel (book two)
Minotaur , 2020
Agent: Jill Marr
The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene?a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is.
As Natalie retraces the young woman’s steps leading up to her death, she uncovers a deeper, darker horror?a string of murders and disappearances, seemingly unconnected, that may have ties to each other?and explain the abrupt disappearance of her best friend years ago.
As she digs deeper within the mind of the hunter, Natalie finds a darkness she could never have imagined. And as she draws closer to the truth, the killer is weaving a trap for her that may prove inescapable.
Reviews:
Praise for Trace of Evil:
“Readers will welcome a return to Burning Lake with Natalie at the helm.”?Associated Press
“Lockhart is a relatable new heroine on the police-procedural scene, and one who will appeal to readers of Tana French."?Booklist
"A fast-paced, intricate, and atmospheric mystery that introduces a plucky, engaging detective." - Kirkus Review
"Flush with red herrings, Wiccan symbols, and disaffected teens, this book will appeal to fans of criminal investigations led by empowered women." - Publishers Weekly
"What seems an open-and-shut case becomes much more, with Blanchard carefully peeling away layers of history and deception before pulling off a shocking twist. Lockhart is a relatable new heroine on the police-procedural scene, and one who will appeal to readers of Tana French." - Booklist
"A powerful and unexpected denouement. I look forward to reading more in the series." – New York Times bestselling author Ann Cleeves
"[A] tense, nail-biter of a thriller!" - J.D. Barker, International Bestselling Author of The Fourth Monkey
“Alice Blanchard seems to be able to write just about anything she wants [and] shows off a veteran storyteller at the peak of her powers.” – New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of Two If By Sea and The Deep End of the Ocean
“A tantalizing mystery with just the right amount of unsettling horror woven in.” Neal Griffin, LA Times best-selling author of the Newberg series
“Layered with old wounds, new secrets, and tension that starts on the first page and never lets up.” ?Kristen Lepionka, Shamus Award-winning author of the Roxane Wearymystery series
“Moody and atmospheric [...] the kind of tale that lingers long after you’ve raced through its twists and turns to the utterly gripping finale." – Owen Laukkanen, award-winning author of the Stevens & Windermere novels