The second book featuring Detectives Jenna Alton and David Kane hits the ground running with the discovery of teenage Felicity Parker's mutilated body in a Black Rock Falls, Montana, forest. At first blush, it's the result of a bear attack; at first glance, it's an especially gruesome murder. Given an influx of visitors to the town for the summer rodeos, Jenna suspects one of them did the dirty deed. But just a few days later, one of Felicity's friends, Kate Bright, is laid out in similar fashion - complete with flowers carefully placed next to the bodies - this time at the local swimming pool. That triggers a query of other communities and the realization that murders similar MOs have happened before - prompting Jenna and profiler Kane to conclude that a serial killer is on the loose (one who almost certainly will kill again and again).
Amid all this, Jenna is breaking in brand-new deputy Shane Wolfe, soon to have a Medical Examiner license that should be of benefit to the local department. The relationship between her two deputies - who seem to know each other from somewhere unknown to Jenna - makes for a bit of a strain, adding another mystery to the situation ( I won't go into further detail lest I reveal things best left to readers to discern for themselves). The chapters record the progress of the investigation interspersed with thoughts and intentions straight from the murderer. Suspect after suspect comes, goes, and comes back again, but so few clues are left at the murder scenes that honing in on the culprit is almost impossible.
The action (or more to the point, the dialogue) turned overly melodramatic more often than I'd like, but it's still an intriguing story that held my attention throughout. I will admit, though, that at times I felt a little "out of it" - a feeling I'm sure came because I didn't read the first book in the series (Don't Tell a Soul). This one stands alone fairly well, but several times the events or conversational tidbit gave me the niggling feeling that I'd somehow missed something.
All in all, though, this is a well-written, fast-paced book that's easy to read in a day or two. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Bring Me Flowers by D.K. Hood (Bookouture, February 2018); 318 pp.
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