Review: Trace of Evil (Natalie Lockhart #1) by Alice Blanchard
Book Summary
There’s something wicked in Burning Lake…
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake, New York, an isolated town known for its dark past. Tasked with uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years, Natalie wrestles with the town’s troubled history – and the scars left by her sister’s unsolved murder years ago.
Then Daisy Buckner, a beloved schoolteacher, is found dead on her kitchen floor, and a suspect immediately comes to mind. But it’s not that simple. The suspect is in a coma, collapsed only hours after the teacher’s death, and it turns out Daisy had secrets of her own. Natalie knows there is more to the case, but as the investigation deepens, even she cannot predict the far-reaching consequences – for the victim, for the missing of Burning Lake, and for herself.
Book Details
Trace of Evil (Natalie Lockhart #1) by Alice Blanchard
Published December 3rd 2019 by Minotaur Books
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural
Hardcover, 370 pages
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4 Stars
Review
TRACE OF EVIL is the first book in the Natalie Lockhart series. It features a plucky new rooky detective and a murder mystery that takes place in a small, New England town where secrets abound.
This is a page-turning read filled with chilling atmosphere. Burning Lake is the perfect setting as Blanchard weaves a spine-tingling tale of witchcraft, murder, and dark history.
I love it when suspense thrillers feature remote, sleepy towns built upon a dark history. Back in the 1700s this picturesque town accused and convicted three innocent women of witchcraft.
Once hidden in shame, today, the town of Burning Lake embraces its magical roots and thrives on a tourist business of New Age boutiques and occult gift shops. It all feels very Salem like, mixing a touch of supernatural with suspense.
Detective Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake assigned a cold case of uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years.
A murder of a beloved school teacher pulls her into a case which will go reach into the very heart of Burning Lake.
Blanchard transports readers into a world of black magic, buried secrets, and plot twists that will keep you entertained and guessing.
Natalie Lockhart is a spunky, new detective whose troubled past makes her both intriguing and relatable. There is a whisper of romance and plenty of moody atmosphere in this series opener.
I’m looking forward to continuing this series that hints at the supernatural while keeping the mystery grounded. Recommended to fans of Mystery & Detective and Police Procedurals looking for a new heroine to follow.
