John Netti

Crime thriller

Detective Maddy Reynolds thinks she is retiring when she moves to her new home at Berry Lake in the Adirondacks. She quickly learns, however, that she can't escape her urge to figure out what is going on at the huge mansion and resort across the lake. Secluded and exclusive on the mountain top, The Glades provokes fear and suspicion in the local town. Something creepy is going on within those secured walls and the airstrip is busy all the time. Maddy is without credentials or backup, but she knows she must investigate when she discovers that young women who work there are found dead under some curious circumstances.

The theme of this involves sex trafficking and political corruption. This is the second in a series featuring Maddy Reynolds; I did not read the first one but there is enough backstory in the narrative to give the reader a good idea of what happened. The bad guys are nasty and sleazy and written in the typical way. The character of Maddy is also similar to all single women detectives in this genre. It is, however, the plight of a young teen boy whose actions give the story its most heart tugging moments. The premise was intriguing but the details and events described did not quite make this one as good as it could have been. An instant romance, a weird cosmic connection to a wolf, super fight skills, strong morality, convenient rescue -- a boilerplate but entertaining enough for the short time it took to read in one sitting. I am not sure if I would look for another installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for this e-book ARC to read and review.… (mehr)