Detectives Kane and Alton · #19
Their Wicked Games
As she scans the dark pine forest, the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping breaks the silent stillness. She isn’t alone. She begins to run but she hardly has time to scream before her world goes black…
On a secluded path near Black Rock Falls, three bodies lie bloodied and still—the arrows that killed them removed, and polished penny coins carefully placed on their frozen eyes. When Sheriff Jenna Alton and Deputy David Kane are called in, they are shocked to recognise the hallmarks of an infamous serial killer. But he’s been in prison for ten years.
Jenna is convinced that the attacker knew the trio and lured them into the forest. But who would want to harm three innocent teenagers? And how does a convicted murderer fit in? Jenna knows she must question James Earl Stafford—one of America’s most dangerous killers—if she’s to save more innocent young lives.
With Stafford refusing to give answers, Jenna is convinced that a copycat killer is stalking her small town. And her worst fears are realised when a local fisherman discovers another teenager’s lifeless body floating in the shallows of a local watering hole with the same penny coins covering her eyes.
As parents panic for their children’s lives, Jenna works around the clock to track down the murderer, but little does she know that one of her own team is now being watched. Can Jenna play the killer’s wicked game and prevent another life from being taken?
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Start a discussionThe series
In Black Rock Falls, a small Montana town where the wind howls through the trees and the mountains loom like silent sentinels, nothing is ever as it seems. Here, Sheriff Jenna Alton and Deputy David Kane work tirelessly to uncover the secrets buried beneath the surface, facing off against killers who would do anything to stay hidden.
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The Detectives Kane and Alton series isn't just another collection of crime thrillers—it’s a gripping dive into the darkness that lurks beneath quiet, picturesque communities. The heart of this series lies not just in the murders that need solving but in the layered, haunted characters who carry the weight of their own troubled pasts. With every twist, readers are drawn deeper into the quiet terror of a town that holds more than its fair share of secrets.
Hood masterfully creates a tense, atmospheric world, where the line between justice and vengeance often blurs, and the price of truth is higher than anyone could imagine. Her portrayal of the Montana landscape is vivid and almost haunting, wrapping itself around the characters and events in a way that enhances the emotional intensity of the investigations.
Through Jenna and Kane's evolving partnership, Hood explores the cost of living in a world where not even the smallest detail can be trusted. Their relentless pursuit of truth is tempered by the heavy personal burdens they each carry, making them both relatable and compelling in their flaws. Each case they tackle uncovers something deeper—something more disturbing—and the stakes continue to rise as the series progresses.
The Detectives Kane and Alton novels are not just about solving murders—they’re about the human side of justice, the toll it takes, and the darkness that can lurk within even the most ordinary of lives. With a perfect mix of tension, mystery, and emotional depth, this series will leave readers constantly on edge, craving the next chapter.
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