Author: J. G. Hetherton
Series: A Laura Chambers Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 12, 2022)
Description: Laura Chambers finds herself caught in a deadly web of small town secrets as she hunts for the truth about her father, who mysteriously disappeared.
Hillsborough, North Carolina is a town with a dark history, one that was hidden until investigative journalist Laura Chambers pulled it into the light.
Nearly a year has passed since her deadly encounter with a serial killer’s twisted progeny, a brutal confrontation that left her physically and emotionally scarred. She’s ready to put the past behind her, but the past has other plans.
A woman runs onto the interstate, directly into the path of a truck, and the gruesome accident leaves behind a mangled corpse. Her very last phone call was to Laura, but the victim was barefoot, in a state of undress, and her face is disfigured beyond recognition. Identification seems impossible, and the only thing in her possession is an old photograph depicting Laura, her father—and standing next to them, her imaginary friend from childhood. What else is mistaken about her memories?
Laura’s father passed away when she was eight, and she thought she understood why he vanished from her life in the year before he died, but the photograph casts doubt on everything she thought she knew.
As the lines between fact and fiction blur, Laura digs into the history of the deceased, and her own family, determined to discover what lies beneath . . .
My Thoughts: Reporter Laura Chambers finds herself in her newest case when a woman is struck by a car and killed. It seems that the last person she tried to phone was Laura. Her police nemesis Lietenant Whitley is certain that Laura must know the woman. However, Laura doesn't recognize her.
As Laura investigates, she begins to learn that the woman's death may uncover some clues to the mysteries of Laura's childhood. She fears that the woman is her childhood best friend Emily Merritt, but she doesn't know why Emily would be trying to contact her after so many years.
From a man on death row to human trafficking to police corruption, this story builds a lot of suspense. Laura finds herself in great danger as she tries to unravel the mystery.
Laura is an intriguing character who had a very difficult childhood. Her father was her hero and teacher, but he died of brain cancer when she was nine, leaving Laura with a mother who disliked her and who was extremely self-centered. Laura doesn't seem to form connections with other people beyond finding out what they can do for her and using them.
The mystery was intriguing and learning more about Laura's past was interesting. While this episode was largely resolved, a mysterious letter from her father provides a sort of cliffhanger ending.
Favorite Quote:
Favorite Quote:
Laura had always been ambitious, but her years as a reporter had given rise to an ambivalence about that ambition. The purpose of journalism, she believed, was to fill in the cracks in society's foundation, that the fourth estate picked up where the other three left off. Her job was to counterbalance powerful people and institutions, to take the side of the downtrodden, to empathize with the less fortunate.I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
I've got this book too. Am now looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDelete