*2018 Maggie Award for Excellence Finalist*, *2018 Silver Falchion Award Finalist*, *2018 Beverley Contest Finalist*, *2018 Passionate Plume Honorable Mention Recipient*
*Updated edition now available*
The snow is dropping in Berry Springs... and so are the bodies.
On a pitch-black wintry night, Detective Dean Walker finds a man in the middle of an icy road, with a bullet between his eyes—a murder that is eerily similar to his father’s, which was never solved. Coincidence? No, Dean doesn’t believe in coincidences. He also doesn’t believe in love at first sight, until he meets the victim’s wife.
Psychologist Heidi Novak is hardly settling into her new mansion in the small, country town of Berry Springs, when she receives a late-night visit by the handsome Dean Walker. Seconds after learning that her husband has been murdered, gunshots explode around her and it becomes apparent that she is the next target.
With a massive winter storm looming, Dean races to find the killer and keep Heidi safe, while facing a long a list of suspects, including Heidi’s arrogant sister-in-law and a local, crusty cowboy. As the evidence mounts, Dean becomes more convinced than ever that his father’s murder is connected to the death of Heidi’s husband.
And he can’t help but think . . . will Heidi be the second love he loses to the ice-cold killer?
Praise for Berry Springs Book #1: “The Woods is a sexy, small town murder mystery that’s guaranteed to resonate with fans of Nora Roberts and Karin Slaughter.” -BEST THRILLERS Praise for Berry Springs Book #2: “The Lake is a solidly entertaining mystery, especially for those who like their mysteries with a dash of romance, and readers will want to pick up other books in the series." -SPR
Detective Dean Walker is called to the middle of a road to find a guy with a bullet in his head. The coincidence is not lost on him, as his father was found dead in a very similar manner. It is his responsibility to let the widow know of her husband’s death. This widow is a psychologist who has only recently moved to this mansion in the middle of no where. The marriage is only recent, which further compounds issues. Oh and the fact that someone shoots out a window while the detective is there.
For whatever reason, she is the next target. Where they live, when it storms, it storms. There is a storm coming in that risks shutting everything down. Dean must solve the murder, find the person trying to harm Heidi, and try not to be the next target.
This story, while dark, is really good. By dark I mean most of it happens at night :). No actually this type of mystery I have read over the course of my entire life. There is something about a dark mystery that has a tinge of emotion. Not everyone likes mysteries with romance, and not everyone likes romance with mystery. When put together in the way this author has, I enjoy it greatly. The characters are real, you feel with them, you fear with them.
I honestly do not remember how this book came to be in my possession. I am planning on reading more by this author. This was a good story, and the voice by the author was really strong.
About Amanda McKinney
Award-winning author of romantic suspense and mystery, Amanda McKinney wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Set in small, Southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries peppered with steamy love scenes.
Amanda’s debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, was released in January 2017, followed by the first three books in the BERRY SPRINGS SERIES; THE WOODS, THE LAKE, and THE STORM. The first book in her new novella series, BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES, DEVIL'S GOLD was released in February 2018, followed by HATCHET HOLLOW, TOMB'S TALE and EVIL EYE.
THE FOG, the fourth book in the BERRY SPRINGS SERIES, is scheduled to be released December 04, 2018.
