All His Pretty Girls (Detective Alyssa Wyatt, #1)

by Charly Cox

[kimbacaffeinate]

This is the first novel in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series and Cox’s debut. Alyssa Wyatt is a coffee loving, tenacious detective driven by guilt that makes her the perfect detective to hunt down a brutal serial killer.

What starts as an abduction case quickly morphs into the hunt for a serial killer as Detective Wyatt, her partner and their team piece together unsolved murders from the past.

The author delivers this fast-paced, tightly woven tale from the perspectives of Alyssa Wyatt and that of the serial killer. There are a few perspectives from the victims which only amplifies the suspense. Kate Zane gave each character, victim and the killer their own voice. She easily delivered believable male and female voices.

I slipped into the story and was drawn to Alyssa and her partner, Cord Roberts. Alyssa is direct and Cord’s more diplomatic and cordial approach meshed well with her personality.

The victims and killer’s own story are dark and gritty. Delivered with just enough detail to set your mind skittering. How the author pulled Detective Wyatt into their narrative was twisted, brilliant and grounded with facts, threads and surprises.

The author balances the darkness of the cases with the human side of her detectives, their unit and families allowing us access. Steeped in reality with situations ripped from headlines and parents’ worst fears. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer