A Killer Strikes (A Shade Darker Book 1) by @GeorgiaRoseBook #Psychological #Thriller #TuesdayBookBlog

Author: Georgia Rose

Published: January 2023 by Three Shires Publishing

Category: Psychological, Thriller, Contemporary Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The perfect family… The perfect murders…
A family massacred. A village in mourning. Can anyone sleep safely while a killer is on the loose?

Laura Percival, owner of The Stables, notices something wrong at her friend’s house when out on her morning ride. Further investigation reveals scenes she’ll never forget.

While the police are quick to accuse, Laura is less so, defending those around her as she struggles to make sense of the deaths. And all the time she wonders if she really knew her friends at all.

A chance encounter opens up a line of investigation that uncovers a secret life. One that Laura is much closer to than she ever realised.

‘Death is no stranger. I have known it. Tasted it. Seen its violent colours. Its abrupt finality. Yet still, I didn’t see it coming.’

These are the opening lines that drew me straight into this story. Laura Percival owned a successful livery stable and ran it with the help of her good friends, Harry and Pip. Her life was back on an even keel even if she did need medication to help her sleep. She still blamed herself for the death of her beloved husband, Matt, in a car accident, but had found love again with Sebastian.

As Laura rode past the house of her good friends and neighbours, the Jacksons, she couldn’t understand why the washing was still hanging, sodden, on the line after three days. She knew they hadn’t gone away, the cars were on the drive and she was certain they would have let her know because she looked after their cats when they were away. When she voiced her thoughts to Sebastian, he didn’t share her concerns.

‘On New Year’s Day?’ Incredulity is etched into every word.’ They’ll have been to a party and are sleeping it off.’ I pause. I hadn’t considered that. As I think about it, I realise not everyone lives like me with a need for early nights caused by pre-dawn starts. Some people even go out past midnight.

Were they just recovering from the celebrations? Laura couldn’t imagine that being the case, even more so when her text went unanswered. She was determined to make sure all was well, using her key when there was no answer to the ringing of the bell. She was totally unprepared for the horror she discovered.

A Killer Strikes is a tense, character driven story, told from Laura’s perspective in the present tense, which puts the reader right there with her. She’s struggling to process what’s happened. The fact her friends are under suspicion gives her the impetus to do a little digging herself, putting her at odds with the police. The situation isn’t helped by the malicious gossip from the proprietress of the local shop, which adds to the tension in the community and the resulting circulating rumours.

The characters, most likeable, others not so much, are realistic and believable in the small village setting. It was very good to see Laura’s development as the story unfolds. She has a lot to deal with.

A well written and thought through story in a very atmospheric setting with a shocking twist at the end. A great start to a new series.

Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her passion for people watching and her overactive imagination. She has also recently started running workshops and providing one-to-one support for those wishing to learn how to independently publish and you can find her, under her real name, at http://www.threeshirespublishing.com. Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day managing to entwine that work along with her writing.

Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire in the UK where she lives with her much neglected husband and dog.