Blood Moon ~ The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #2

• Author: Alexandra Sokoloff
• Performed by RC Bray
• Published: February 2015 by Brilliance Audio
• Category: Crime/Thriller/Suspense, Psychological
• 

Twenty-five years have passed since a savage killer terrorized California, massacring three ordinary families before disappearing without a trace.
The haunted child who was the only surviving victim of his rampage is now wanted by the FBI for brutal crimes of her own, and Special Agent Matthew Roarke is on an interstate manhunt for her, despite his conflicted sympathies for her history and motives.
But when his search for her unearths evidence of new family slayings, the dangerous woman Roarke seeks – and wants – may be his only hope of preventing another bloodbath.

Blood Moon continues the story of Cara Lindstrom and FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke which began in Huntress Moon. Roarke, Epps and a team of agents are in the process of completing a bust on the sex trafficking ring that Cara had led them to. Cara, the only survivor from the short but bloody reign of terror twenty-five years earlier, carried out by the serial killer known as the Reaper, dispenses her own brand of justice to those men who prey on women and children. Roarke’s team is assembled and ready, Damien Epps, Antara Singh and new agent Ryan Jones. Cara managed to escape at the close of Huntress Moon and is still at large, the team’s main focus now is to find and apprehend her.

Cara  Lindstrom was a killer, the most unusual one Roarke had ever encountered. She hunted and killed, brutally and specifically. But psychologically she was more of a vigilante, her victims hand-picked for their crimes against women and especially children: child molesters, sex traffickers, and in one case, a homegrown terrorist who had been plotting to bomb a Portland street fair.

Roarke’s plan to lure Cara out of hiding doesn’t go according to plan when it appears the Reaper is back and killing once more. He likes to kill during the full moon. The team have less than two weeks until the next full moon.

This is a brilliant continuation of the story and it also allows a deeper insight into the developing complex and compelling characters. Roarke’s feelings towards Cara are very confused, part of him feels a connection to her because of the circumstances of the slaughter of her family and the fact the Lindstrom murder case set him on his career path. And although he can kind of understand, if not agree with, her actions he’s drawn to her, which causes tension between him and Epps and puts  a strain on their relationship. Roarke is very intuitive which gives rise to a vulnerability in his nature. For me, this trait adds realism to a character’s personality.

Cara, who was broken and traumatized at such a young age and then went through the added emotional shock of being sucked into the system.  Bounced between foster and group homes and juvenile prison until she reached twenty-one when she disappeared from public records. And now she faces her worst nightmare again.

The characters have authenticity and it’s easy to get involved and care about them – or loathe them, as the case may be. The murder scenes are heartbreaking, the great writing style creates a dark atmosphere of tense anticipation and suspense, with vivid scenic descriptions, throughout a well paced and interesting storyline. So glad there’s not too long a wait for book three. And I know when RC Bray is narrating, the performance will be first class and the perfect complement to the storyline.

Book links ~ Amazon UK Amazon US

Author links ~ Twitter, Facebook, Website