Monday, May 15, 2017

No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan

Is the Ophelia killer back in town?  Young boys are dying again...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published June 13th.

The story starts with a young mother who has taken her daughter down to the park by the beach.  She takes her on walks regularly but this time is not ordinary.  It's a bit late and she sees three teenage boys watching her.  She decides to take a different route home and then another young man coming the other way sees her.  He screams at her and says he won't let her hurt him.  She has no idea what he's talking about but he has a knife and he's rushing at her and her child.  All she has for a weapon is a comb, with a long handle.  She moves to protect her baby, he trips and he punctures his neck with the comb handle.  When he pulls it out, blood spurts.  Before the ambulance can get there, he's dead.  Unfortunately, he's just the first one.  More are coming...

It seems the young man was poisoned by foxglove, that's why he went nuts.  But why attack her?  The police notice it is the same poison as the Ophelia killer from the past used and now they are taking a long look at her.  She's not the killer.  But if she doesn't find who is, her whole life is going to fall apart.

This story is full of tension and suspense.  The deaths are horrible.  Her family has secrets.  The more she finds, the worse it is.  She also finds herself being interested in the brother of the boy she killed.  He's willing to help her and he's on her side.  But then his aunt says it was just a ploy to get her to trust him.  Who can she believe?

When she finds out who the killer is and how many they have killed, it's even worse.  More die before the story ends.  Even her baby ends up almost dead.  

This is a story you read fast while you wait to see what will happen next.  I almost forgot to breathe as we got near the end.  The family ends in pieces but it's time to heal now.  And she has someone on her side to help her.  She has hope and love for the future.

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