Published: November 8, 2023
Bookouture
Genre: Serial Killer Thrillers
Pages: 378
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
M.M. Chouinard is the author of the Detective Jo Fournier mystery thrillers, and the standalone mystery thriller The Vacation. Her first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millennium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them.
When Detective Jo Fournier’s cousin goes missing with her sweet five-year-old Alexia, Jo heads straight to where they were last seen. Her heart stops when she finds their unlocked car—one door has been left open and Alexia’s beloved teddy is lying in the snow. Jo’s blood runs cold as she realizes her family have been kidnapped…
Even as she swears to bring them home, Jo makes a discovery that chills her to the bone: other young, single mothers have vanished with their little daughters just before Christmas.
As Jo’s team re-open the cold cases, they make a terrible discovery. Buried deep under the snow in the forest near Oakhurst are the bones of a mother and daughter who disappeared. The snowy grave contains a little angel, the kind you would hang on a Christmas tree.
With no sign of her cousin and little Alexia, Jo is sure that they are in the hands of a twisted serial killer and running out of time. Discovering suspicious activity in the security footage from the day her cousins were taken gives Jo the clue she’s been desperately searching for. Can Jo bring her family home safe, or has the killer lured her into a terrifying trap?
“What does the famous Fournier instinct say?”
I officially have a new favorite Jo novel. From the beginning, this book captivated and held me hostage. With a terrifying and fast-paced plot, this story kept me on the edge of my seat.
The gang is here, and some serious twists will leave you speechless. If you are a long-time reader of this series, immediately preorder this book. I promise you it’s worth it!
Something I love about M.M. Is that she will usually have a social focal point within her books. And she uses this platform to inform, explain, and provide some (book-based) justice.
I love that she tackled mental illness, asexuality, complicated family dynamics, and the power of words with this story. Told through alternating perspectives, we rotate between these characters and, ultimately, realize there may not have been as many differences as we initially thought.
The note from Chouinard at the end (do not read until after you have finished the book, as there are noted spoilers) is beautifully written and contains a powerful message.
The end of this book made me cry. It healed some wounds from previous books, and I am beyond excited to see how this story will continue.
Also, brief fangirl moment, but it will never get old seeing the talented Michelle Chouinard thank me in her acknowledgments. I found these books through a group on Facebook and, connected with Michelle on social media, and have built a friendship. I adore this brilliant human and am so honored to have any part in her storytelling journey.