Wildflower Graves (Detective Ellie Reeves #2) by Rita Herron

Wildflower Graves

(Detective Ellie Reeves #2)

by Rita Herron

Kindle Edition, 439 pages

Published December 3rd 2020 by Bookouture

Goodreads synopsis: 

He looked at the photos of all the women who had to be punished. He’d already chosen the first five. He’d been talking to them for weeks. Watching them. Following them. He knew all their secrets––the secrets he would kill them for.

Detective Ellie Reeves heads into the wilds of the Appalachian Mountains when she wants to get lost––to forget the whispers chasing her and the past that keeps her up at night. She’s sick of having to prove herself to her small town.

But hiking in the endless miles of woods isn’t the escape she was hoping for. One night, as dusk falls, a gust of wind blows some petals on to Ellie’s path. Following the trail, she finds a golden-haired young woman dead on a bed of daffodils, with a note: Monday’s child is fair of face.

When Ellie emerges from the forest, there is a message on her phone. Someone has sent her a picture of her colleague, Officer Shondra Eastwood, with the words: Can you find her, Detective Reeves? Ellie is racked with guilt––while she was busy hiding from life a killer was on the loose, and he has taken her beloved friend.

The wilderness, and its shadows, are the perfect hunting ground for a criminal––but what does the sinister nursery rhyme mean? It soon becomes clear when another dead woman, Tuesday’s Child, is found.

Ellie is up against a serial killer who will claim a victim for every day of the week, and in the next twenty-four hours there will be another body. As this ruthless murderer closes in on her, can she save more innocent women––and Shondra––from his clutches? Or will he get to Ellie first? 

***

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series by Rita Herron.

I remember Rita Herron from a long time ago when she wrote for Harlequin. Definitely one of my favorite authors from that time. I was so glad to see her go out on her own and put out bigger books. 

This was a fascinating read. The whole connection between the killer and Ellie not to mention the name they have given the killer: the Weekday killer. I had a few questions that were probably answered in book one but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the read. I look forward to more books in this series. I am now hooked.

Ellie gets pulled into the story when one of colleagues is captured by the killer and Ellie feels guilty since the madman is doing this to eventually get to her. The plot keeps you interested and the characters are so well crafted it feels like you are watching this on television and not just reading it.

New favorite series, for sure! Putting Herron on my must read list.

If you love a good  mystery, police procedural, definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.