I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Hidden in the Dark by H. K. Christie Series: Val Costa #3
Published by Bookouture on December 12, 2024
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FBI Agent Val Costa is drawn out of retirement once again when the Cramer family are found dead in their home in Red Rose County. She falls to her knees in despair at the sight of little Michael Jr., curled up on the couch. What monster would take the life of an innocent child? Val vows to find justice for the mother, Stephanie Cramer, who survived the attack but is fighting for her life in hospital.
Interviewing neighbors uncovers no leads, but Val knows there’s a message in the way Mike Cramer’s body was left, tied to chair, stab wounds all over his body. It seems mother and son were collateral, and Mike was the real target. But why? Working in an auto shop between taking his boy to karate class, Michael was a perfect family man. There are no signs of a robbery, and all Val has to work with are small-town whispers about the age gap between him and his wife.
A break in the case comes when a secret phone is found hidden in Mike’s car and GPS reveals he’d been making late-night trips out of town for weeks before his family was attacked. Her team are quick to suspect an affair, but Val’s instincts tell her it’s something far more sinister.
As more cracks in the perfect Cramer family picture begin to show—arguments, money troubles—Val must work around the clock to stop this twisted individual in their tracks. But does she know someone is watching her every move? And when a dark secret in Mike’s past surfaces, can Val stay ahead of her stalker long enough to catch the killer before another precious life is taken?
Addictive and fast paced intrigue! The third book in Christie’s Val Costa series does not disappoint as Val is knee deep in an investigation yet again during her supposed retirement from the FBI. We get to reconnect with her family and coworkers who have been her support system from the beginning of the series and go along for the ride as she works night and day to solve the murder of a family who from the outside looking in don’t seem a likely target. Val’s previous serial killer captor is still surrounding her and the anticipation after the set up for a bit of what is to come in the next book is high. Great suspense, believable characters and satisfying conclusions. I can’t wait for more!
I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a police procedural story with a strong female lead who always gets justice for her cases.
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