e-ALC, 10:50:08
Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: August 16-18, 2025
Stand-Alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher and their app. I also received a hardcover copy from the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Murder, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury Detail, Blood, Stalking, Torture, Medical Content, Fire/Fire Injury
For Readers Interested In: Adult, Audio, Sparkly Cover, Realistic Fiction, ThrillerA retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.
Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.
Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.
When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.
But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…
*MY THOUGHTS*
I love books where I don’t read the synopsis or not the whole thing and everything that happens is a surprise. It always makes me enjoy it a little more. And this one was no different. In fact, I think it might be a bit better because of the main character. Can you imagine the main character being the one doing these things? LOL That’s what pulled me into this book, and it got better as it went on.
Ok so the main character is a retired serial killer. Yes you read that right. And she’s a bad ass, she’s never been caught. No one could prove anything. And I hate that I don’t hate her? lol She was so sweet. And I have to admit, all those people were really just getting on her nerves and bringing up old shit. And I can’t lie, had I been in her position, I don’t think I would have done what she did, but I don’t think I would have not done it either if you know what I mean lol But I know one thing, with her being as old as she was, not knowing technology, and being in pain at every turn, she was a bad ass. I seriously kept saying that over and over. I couldn’t believe that she was doing all of this.
Believing that she was doing all this was crazy, but the events that happened in this book was even crazier. It was unhinged even. I saw absolutely none of it coming. And what freaked me out about the whole thing, was the way every time something happened I applauded if she got out of it. And I was hella scared for her at the ending. I know that it shouldn’t be that way, but it’s what I felt the whole time lol
The real cool thing about this was the writing style. I loved it so much. I was literally on pins and needles. Everything that happened was like a domino effect. Plum came and then everything else came down behind it. And to find out that there was one thing that was the cause had me yelling at the book. This was darker than what I usually read, but I still really enjoyed it.
This was crazy lol And it really made me want to go back and read Downing’s backlist. Because if she writes this weirdo stuff like this, I know I’m going to enjoy the rest of them. Unfortunately, this is the only one that features a 78 year old woman, but I’ll read them anyway.
Overall, I give this
