Ok. Didn't see that ending coming at all. The subplot of The Missing Nine def got the short end of the stick - I wanted to learn more about that and a little less about the teenage drama. It felt like 3 books were happening at once. Which means 3 good plots that needed attention. An author Id def try again.

RATING: 4 STARS
2019; Minotaur/St. Martin's Press

I am adding Alice Blanchard to my "must read authors" list and cannot wait to read the backlist of her novels. Blanchard's Natalie Lockhart series reminds me of a mix of Kristen Lepionka's Roxanne Weary series and the tone of Laura McHugh's The Wolf Wants In. Natalie is a strong female lead with a strong crew of realistic flawed secondary characters that help build the story. I didn't want this novel to end, and did listen to it a bit slower to savour the great writing. I am excited that this will be a series as the ending left you wanting more. I need to know what will happen next with Natalie and the town.

Natalie is a rookie Detective that is next in line to look through "The Nine" - missing transients - cold cases. Natalie's father, Joe was also a cop, and her childhood friend is her boss. Most on the worse are people she grew up with or knew through her father. The town of Burning Lake is a place known for hanging witches. Wiccan and Magic becomes rampant during the holidays, and with teens.

While driving home a fellow cop, they stumble upon his pregnant wife's brutal murder. Daisy, the victim, was also Natalie's sister's best friend from high school. The murder hits Natalie hard. Daisy was family, and it also brings up memories from her own sister's murder. Her niece, a teen, is exploring the Wiccan coven like her mother and aunts before her. As Natalie becomes to uncover Daisy's secrets, she realizes that the town has many of its own.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

Interesting book: lots of layers of stuff in a small town. Natalie comes back to work for the police in a town where her dad was a cop as well. Her sister had been murdered and Natalie had been assaulted and both left terrible traumatic effects on them all.

When a good friend is found dead, and her philandering husband goes after an obvious suspect, things begin to fall apart. As different threads are pulled, old secrets and new versions of them lead to some awful people- some obvious, some not so much.

By the time all the stuff is revealed, hearts and families are broken and some things can't ever be fixed. Some people get off more easily than others which is a little frustrating, but that is how things go.

I really didn't like Natalie that much, a little sanctimonious - but the story was a fun read.

TRACE OF EVIL by Alice Blanchard

My first book by this author and will not be my last.

From the book:
Oddly enough, dogs still barked. The mail somehow got delivered. Kids still played in their front yards. Farmers went out to plow their fields. The shops were open for business. But nobody would ever forget the day when tragedy struck and normalcy was shattered. Somehow the town felt ruined.

This book takes you deep into a town with lots of secrets. Many years ago a teen was brutally murdered. Over the years several people, called The Nine, have gone missing. Today a teacher is murdered and another homeless woman is missing. Are they all connected or is it just coincidence? Is someone in this small close knit town a serial killer or is there more than one killer.

Natalie was a child when her sister was murdered. She herself was attacked by a boy of about 18 or 19 who had a butterfly birthmark on his upper arm. No one ever found him and she managed to escape. Another young man was sent to prison for Natalie’s sisters murder. But did he do it? He always maintained his innocence. He was so in love with Willow and said he could never have hurt her. But evidence proved he did it. Was the evidence correct though? Natalie grew up to become a cop. She took on a lot to help the town and spent many nights unable to sleep because of the things she saw. Then one night her friends wife was found murdered. She worked so hard to find the killer. What she found would haunt her forever. What she learned would never leave her mind.

This book did contain several characters that I truly liked. I think they were very well developed and the way it is written they would become people you would root for to come out on top. From a homeless woman who everyone in the town loved and tried to help to the teacher who was killed this book is filled with mysteries for sure. There is a lot going on but it was easy for me to follow. It was not told in a way that would confuse you but to enlighten you about the past and present and putting the two together.

The thing I really liked was that all of my questions were answered. You will find out who did what to whom both past and present. A few surprises thrown in to throw you off too. There are several things going one from teens practicing witchcraft to big drug parties in the woods. You will feel like you are there. During the girls trying to put spells on people and the lies they tell you will see a side to them that is not pretty. I felt like two of the teens should have got into deep trouble for things they did, but it was not written that way and it was still good. It explores things that kids do and even down to a crush on a teacher that is typical of some young silly girls in high school.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept me wanting to read and find out who did what. I loved that it didn’t rush into an ending that would leave you hanging. I think this author did a great job of tying up loose ends and answering all the questions. The descriptions of the area felt so realistic. From the freezing cold water to the deep dense woods. The rain falling to the dark nights following someone. I felt like I was right there and in places it was a tad scary. Well done Alice Blanchard. Very well done.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Alice Blanchard, #St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

I give it 4.5 stars and a very high recommendation. You will want to read this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. A full review will be posted on Amazon and Goodreads

This book was a wonderful suspense/thriller. I can usually figure out the antagonist early on but this one came as a complete surprise. Natalie is a detective who had a fright when she was young and has been searching for her attacker for years without any luck. As the new detective on the Burning Lake PD she is assigned the cold cases. She finds a similarity between some of the cases and feels there is a serial killer on the loose. Meanwhile in real time a well respected and beloved teacher is found dead. The BLPD force searches for clues to the killer. The story revolves around this search. The town is a miniature Salem with covens that Natalie and her sisters were in when they were young and now her niece seems to be following in the footsteps of her mother and aunt. This novel will appeal to those individuals who like detective stories, mystery, suspense and thriller stories. It covers many genres. Thanks to NetGalley and Minataur Publishing for an ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Burning Lake seems like a town where all manner of mayhem may take place, so I look forward to the next book in the series. I was kept guessing until the end; the identity of Daisy’s murderer was a complete surprise, yet made perfect sense.

Trace of Evil will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are good and evil. You'll have a hard time deciding witch. Lots of twist that will keep you changing your mind about the evil ones.

There was some fantastic writing woven into this sneaky little thriller. I could have done without some of the protagonist's infidelities to her life...just not my thing...but at moments, the description was incredible. Australian backdrops are new to me as well.

A beautifully atmospheric mystery, with a bit of an unbelievable twist (as is typical of most thrillers these days), and generally, a promising start to a series.

A new detective in Burning Lake, NY, Natalie Lockhart is struggling with a violent past (her sister was brutally murdered), and now, the killing of a popular local schoolteacher. Tasked with investigating nine disappearances from the past, Natalie finds hidden connections to the current mystery, and takes on more than she bargained for.

Though the story is compelling, there are a few caveats. The research into policing is lacking slightly. Natalie is a blabbermouth, and can't seem to stop herself from discussing the investigation with just about everyone. Further, there's a scene with a polygraph that is just flat-out inaccurate. "Rookie" cops are not given free rein to just do whatever they want, and it makes for a looser story when that happens - it adds a touch of unbelievability to the proceedings that I don't enjoy.

Overall, this story has a gorgeous setting, an interesting story and a solid main character that could grow well in future books. I'll definitely be following this series, as I think it can only get better as it goes on.

thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the advanced copy of this book, I enjoyed the book and gave it three stars, The book had well developed characters, the intro got my attention, but there was something about the writing style that made the story line not always believable or exactly how people interact/react.to each other, maybe a little simplistic at times.

The story is about Natalie who is a police officer in the town of Burning Lake, it is a tourist town with a history of witchcraft. Natalie became a police officer following in her father's footsteps
We are introduced to Natalie while she is in a graveyard, paying respects to her sister who was murdered years ago, her sister Grace and her niece Ellie meet her there. There is a reference to witchcraft at the onset of the story as well. Later that evening as Natalie is giving her co-worker a ride home, they find his wife and school teacher dead in the kitchen. Natalie takes on the case of looking for Daisy's murderer.. Throughout the story Natalie reflects on her past as we are given clues to characters personalities and traits all the while wondering who dunnit. We are introduced to new characters as the story unfolds and learn alot about the characters past and history that they all have together.. As the investigation continues, it becomes evident that the characters do not know each other as well as they thought they did
In all I enjoyed this book and would read more from this author.

Drawn in from first pages so well written characters multi layered full of twists and turnds and the ending wow.Highly recommend.#netgalley#st.Martins

I received a copy of Trace of Evil from NetGalley, and I could not be happier that I picked it up when I did. I've been in a bit of a reading slump since the beginning of 2020. I'm hoping that Trace of Evil has brought me out of that slump, because I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book. 

It has been a while, since I have read a mystery/thriller that did not frustrate me (excluding any Agatha Christie book I've read recently). I think the concept of the unreliable narrator that drove the popularity of books like Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and Woman in Cabin 10 has been overdone now. It is a fun concept, but it was nice to read a mystery/thriller with a strong and reliable female main character. 

Right from the beginning, you know that there will be a few different mysteries included in this story. Trace of Evil begins with Detective Natalie Lockhart visiting her murdered sister's grave. This visit actually leads to a potential clue in the cold cases of nine missing individuals that she has been investigating. However, her investigation quickly gets shelved by a new investigation, when a fellow detective's wife is found murdered. While investigating this murder, she uncovers lots of secrets in the town including her own niece's involvement in occult activity. 

What I loved about this book is that it contained so many mysteries, but that the plot still flowed smoothly and kept me riveted. Who killed Detective Buckner's wife, Daisy? What happened to the "Missing Nine"? Is the right person serving time for Natalie's sister's murder? Is Natalie's niece in danger? I never had a clue how the mysteries would be solved or who the bad guys were. There were so many interesting characters and many secrets being held by all. 

I literally ignored my husband to sit and finish this book, because I just had to know how it ended. The last portion of the book was so gripping and ultimately surprising and fulfilling. I thought this was a fantastic read! I highly recommend it!

This is the first book in the Natalie Lockhart series and it is a great start. Natalie is a rookie on the Burning Lake police force and is the investigating officer on the murder of her sister's best friend and a police detective's wife, Daisy. She is also investigating several cold cases where nine people have gone missing. She also has a lot of baggage as her oldest sister, Willow, was murdered when she was a teenager and someone is desecrating the spot where she was murdered and memorials have been set up. Burning Lake is a hotbed of wicken and several covens, including one that her niece belongs to are active in the area. Will Natalie figure out who killed Daisy or the missing nine?

There are a lot of characters in this story, so you need to pay close attention at the beginning until you get a handle on them all. I liked the character of Natalie. She cares about the law and getting justice for those who need it. She is friends with Bunny, a homeless woman with mental health issues who had been friends with her middle sister. She has a pretty good relationship with her niece and her friends and they are usually pretty open with her, until she gets a bit to close to their actions that put her niece in danger. There are drug addicts, teachers, police officers and many other secondary characters that did cause a bit of confusion at times, but not enough to derail the story for me. This story kept me interested from the first page. The writing was crisp and kept me interested. Natalie was courageous and she persevered even in the face of danger. There was a shocking revelation near the end that had my jaw dropping, but you will have to read this one to find out what that was. I will definitely watch for more in this series so I can see how Natalie grows and deals with the situations in this book.

I am never first in line for cop or detective books, but when I read the synopsis I thought this might be an exception. Natalie Lockhart is the protagonist and badass woman detective I actually (surprisingly) enjoyed her perspective and personality. This is also my second upstate New York book this month as I just finished The Sun Down Motel and I enjoyed going back to the setting, though they obviously are also different. So, Natalie's dad was a cop on the Burning Lake Police Force and Natalie always plans to do the same- except she actually becomes the only female detective on the force. She begins things with a rough start as she finds the murdered body of an old acquaintance. This book really has a lot of twists and turns- not limited to witches and dark forces- so yea it was actually right up my alley. I definitely recommend.

Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard has Natalie Lockhart along with her sister, Grace and niece, Ellie remembering her sister, Willow who was murdered twenty years ago. Though Willow’s killer is serving time, Natalie has her doubts that the right man is in prison. Natalie followed in her father’s footsteps becoming an officer with Burning Lake Police Department. She uses the wisdom she learned from him to help her solve cases. Natalie is now the newest detective on the force handling the cold case of the Missing Nine. For twenty five years transients have gone missing in the area and not one detective in all that time has been able to solve the crimes. Natalie takes Brand Buckner home one evening after he has had too much to drink, to find his pregnant wife, Daisy dead in the kitchen. As Natalie works the case, she uncovers startling information. Natalie finds clues regarding the Missing Nine along the way and her doubts about Willow’s killer may be justified. The results of Natalie’s investigation will change her life and others forever. Trace of Evil is the first book in a new series starring Natalie Lockhart. Trace of Evil has multiple storylines making it a complex novel. I was unable to get into Trace of Evil despite my best attempts. The descriptions were detailed which led to dry reading plus the dialogue was off putting. I soon found myself skimming through the book (this is not a good sign). I easily kept up with what was happening, and I kept reading to see if I had picked out the correct guilty party. I do want to let you know that there is foul language and detailed violence. I also thought Trace of Evil was a little long with 370 pages. Trace of Evil has all the aspects for a good mystery, but it did not quite come together. With the right writing, Trace of Evil could be the beginning of a good mystery series. The beauty of books is that we each view them differently. I suggest you obtain a sample of Trace of Evil to see if it appeals to you and if you can uncover the killer’s identity.

Interesting crime thriller, starring a female detective, Natalie Lockhart, in a small, New York state town. Good mystery, lots of twists and turns, well-developed characters and a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more novels featuring Det. Lockhart.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review of this book.***

The premise of this book was great and there was a lot that was interesting about it. However, I also found that for some reason, the book dragged a bit for me. There were a lot of story lines and they were interesting and the author wove it all together really well.

I even liked the characters. Natalie is interesting and tenacious. I loved her niece.

I think there was just a lot of "info dumping". There were lots of long passages of telling background, instead of weaving it in. Also, there was a lot of repetition.

Still, this is a promising start to a detective series.


Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the review copy.

Trace of Evil was a great read. The main character Natalie was written well because she was the detective investigating a murder but also has to question her family. This thriller had everything from witches, black magic, past and present and just plain crazy! I really enjoyed it and hope to read more by this author.

Trace of Evil is the first installment in the Natalie Lockhart series. The author is quite skilled at grabbing an author's attention and not letting go. This book is well written with a story that is well thought out and perfectly paced.

Elements of the story involve witchcraft (YES PLEASE), murder, and secrets that have plagued Natalie's hometown for years.

It is hard to know what is true and what is not as you read through the story and I LOVE that. Let me tell you , you will not see that twist coming a mile away even with binoculars!

The characters are complex, complicated and well fleshed out. Trace of Evil is outstanding .

I truly look forward to the next installment to see what Natalie Lockhart is facing next.