This is the 9th book in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery series set in upstate NY. Clare and Russ have both been in the military. Clare is now the pastor of St. Alban's Church and Russ is the police chief of Miller's Kill police department. Russ receives a 911 call that a young woman has been found dead with the same MO as a crime Russ was accused of in the 70s. At that time, Jack Liddle was called to a murder scene that was very similar to one he worked as a trooper in the 50s. Russ found the body while riding his motorcycle after returning from Vietnam and was considered a suspect. Russ is now pressured to solve these three murders 40 years apart before a vote to eliminate his police department and return to state patrol. He has also enlisted the help of Reverend Clare Fergusson, who is already juggling the tasks of being a new mother to her and Russ's baby and running St. Alban's Church, to finally solve these crimes.
It's been 6 years since the last installment of this series as the author was dealing with the death of her husband and I was very happy to return to the lives of Clare and Russ. They are well-developed flawed characters and this plot kept the pages turning until the very surprised ending. You will get much more out of this book if the series is read in order although this one works as a standalone too. Cliffhanger ending makes me look forward to the next book. Highly recommend to mystery readers. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy for an honest review.
It's been 6 years since the last installment of this series as the author was dealing with the death of her husband and I was very happy to return to the lives of Clare and Russ. They are well-developed flawed characters and this plot kept the pages turning until the very surprised ending. You will get much more out of this book if the series is read in order although this one works as a standalone too. Cliffhanger ending makes me look forward to the next book. Highly recommend to mystery readers. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy for an honest review.