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?
An utterly gripping and completely breathless crime thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot, and Melinda Leigh. You’ll have trouble falling asleep after this heart-pounding page-turner!
AMAZON REVIEWS
5.0 out of 5 stars Buckle UP!
“Buckle up, put on your big panties, turn on the lights, lock the doors and always be aware of your surroundings. Suspenseful, thriller, gut wrenching, emotional and family, yes family. I asked to read this arc based on the premise. I love thrillers. This did not disappoint. I did not pay any attention to the fact this was book 2. The author does a fantastic job of making sure you can read this as a stand alone. If you do get a chance I would suggest reading book 1 first, just based on what is referenced it will flesh out, creepy suspenseful thriller in its own right. The horror that Ellie feels, the pain and gut wrenching that Shonda feels are expressed so that you feel them. The trail is twisty, turning, red herrings here and there, I had no clue who the culprit was. There was a jaw dropping moment towards the end, and the ending itself left me scrambling to see when the next book was coming out. No, not a cliff hanger, just a hint of what could be coming down the road. Well done! Thank you Rita Herron, Bookouture and NetGalley. I am hooked. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions.” ~ Cherlym, Amazon Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars 😠😩Murder & revenge on the Appalachian Trail: gripping start to end👍👍
“What a fascinating, macabre and well-executed whodunit! Oodles of action and suspense, a female lead character who is practically fearless and plenty of questionable characters to keep up the tension and mystery of the motive and identity of the killer going right up to the stormy climax. I cannot think of a single element in this page-turner to call out for criticism.
I really love this series about Police Detective Ellie Reeves. This second book in the series was just as gripping as the first. Ellie’s broken personal life is inextricably woven with the crimes she’s investigating and she never backs down or bows out. The disappearance of her fellow female officer and best friend gave that extra tweak of desperation to Ellie’s driven search for a killer targeting seemingly random women on the southern end of the Appalachian Trail.
Totally looking forward to the next in the series!😊” ~ Avid Reader, Amazon Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars Addicted to series
“I’m quickly becoming addicted to this series just like I am of Linda Castillo’s series. The two are very comparable: tough female cops, fast paced action, and towns terrorized by killers. Wildflower Graves is sinister, chilling, perverse, and macabre. Herron throws out so many facets it’s like a treasure hunt. You think you’re getting close to the truth, but then another bend in the road appears. I was perplexed about the perp until the very end. Some of Cord’s secrets are cracked. I can’t wait to see if Ellie gets with either him or Derrick. I am impatiently waiting for Bryce to get his comeuppance. Hiram continues to lurk in the background. I can’t wait for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early read. ~ J.K, Amazon “Top 1000 Review”
5.0 out of 5 stars Who will be Wednesday’s child?
“Ellie Reeves is a law enforcement official in a rural area of the Appalachian mountains. All she’s ever wanted to be is a police woman, but she finds her current life stressful and confusing. Having just closed a major case, she is taking a few days off in hopes that the peace of the mountains will help her heal. As she travels a well known hiking trail, she discovers a young woman’s body posed in death as the first line of the children’s rhyme Monday’s child…..As part of the investigative team, Ellie will discover this killer not only enjoys killing, he enjoys taunting Ellie with the murders so much that he has taken a policewoman and is holding her as one of his victims to come.
When Rita Heron launched the Ellie Reeve’s series, she gave us a creditable character with a back story that will be explored through several books and set the stories in one of the most beautiful areas of the United States. But the wild, untouched areas are also excellent for killers to leave their victims with little chance of discovery and capture. The first two books have been excellent, it’s going to be hard waiting to see what Ellie does next.” ~ Kindle Customer, Amazon Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars Be ready to stay up all night reading!
“I have always loved Rita Herron’s books and this series is so far is just what I expected from her…thrills , suspense, mystery and a great female lead character! Ellie is a character that you can’t help but not want to read more about and follow her to her next case. I have no negative comments about this book I thought it was the perfect thriller/mystery. I hope there is more books to come with Ellie. I recommend reading this series you won’t be able to put it down!!! If your looking for a suspenseful quick read then you need to read this book! Loved!” ~ Dawn Mequio, Amazon Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Follow-Up!
“Wild Flower Graves” is a wonderful follow up to Rita Herron’s last novel “The Silent Dolls” where the reader was introduced to Detective Ellie Reeves. Trying to recover from the tragedies in the first book in the series, the main character Ellie decides to go off on her own camping for a couple of days to find some solace. She is in a vulnerable emotional place. During a hike, Ellie discovers the body of a young woman posed amongst flowers in such a way that the scene appeared ritualistic. From here, the reader is led on a mystery with many twists and turns which keep guessing until the very end of the novel which still leaves you with some questions that will definitely have you eager for the next installment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved getting to revisit with the characters from the last book as they continue to develop. If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will definitely won’t be disappointed in this new adventure.” ~ Pamela O’Brien, Amazon Reviewer
