The Crystal Killer’s latest casualty was discovered in a sleepy town in the Pacific Northwest, Misted Pines.

His years in the FBI, and tracking the Crystal Killer, have taken their toll on Rus. He lost his marriage to the job. And the burdens he carries for the victims was crushing him.

Misted Pines has recently survived a killer’s rampage and a town scandal that made global news. The media was primed to devour a new story. So Rus already has his work cut out for him.

But it’s more.

Something is just not right with this latest victim.

As Rus works with the local sheriff to unravel the mystery, the victim’s employer, Lucinda Bonner, decides she’s going to do everything she can to help.

To help Rus find the killer. To help Rus survive the hunt. To help Rus navigate the intricate, and sometimes sordid, history of the town of Misted Pines.

And to help Rus let go of his burdens.

Series:

Misted Pines

Book 2

Can be read as a standalone

Book Type:

Romantic Thriller

Review: The Girl In The Woods

An FBI agent tracks a murderer in small-town Misted Pines, becoming far more entangled than expected in the process.

For years Zachariah Lazarus (Rus) has been chasing the terrifying Crystal Killer—a serial murderer who leaves a crystal clenched in the hands of his female victims. Years on the chase, Rus is worn down, the weight of the grisly case taking its toll. When a new ritualistic homicide in line with the Crystal Killer’s MO occurs, he descends on the sleepy town of Misted Pines, which is newly recovering from another killer’s rampage (GIRL IN THE MIST).

As he inspects the details of the latest murder, something isn’t quite right, and Rus must partner with locals like Cade Bohannan and the victim’s employer, Lucinda (Cin) Bonner to untangle what’s at play.

Cin—owner of the upscale burlesque Bon Amie—is smart, efficient, and committed to helping Rus dole out justice. Sparks fly from the onset, but finding the culprit is paramount to them both, especially as danger lurks in the shadows.

Ashley masterfully delivers part procedural, part whodunit, part romance in this dark, engrossing thriller. Every tangle and twist ratchets tension as the chemistry between Rus and Cin burns feverishly. I loved that the narrative thrums with everything we love about Kristen Ashley, but she definitely turned up the dial on suspense, making this latest unputdownable and dare I say, even better than its predecessor.

THE GIRL IN THE WOODS continues to prove why Kristen Ashley is a master of her craft, who can write any genre with prowess.