I love a good Halloween-time thriller, and The Wicked Hour did not disappoint.

Natalie Lockhart is still reeling from a tragic series of events (which are covered in book 1 of this series). Depressed, alone, and confused, she throws herself into her work, a tactic that distracts her until she discovers a dead body in a dumpster the day after Halloween. With an assortment of leads and potential suspects, Natalie investigates the death despite political barriers and her own painful memories.

I really enjoyed this book. First, I will say that if you haven't read Trace of Evil, you might find the references and internal reflection a little confusing at first. That's not to say it's unreadable without knowing book one, but I can see where others might gain a deeper understanding of Natalie's character by taking the time to circle back.

Focusing on this book alone, Natalie is an interesting, nuanced MC with a mixed bag of emotions. She's real and raw and I loved the quiet moments the best, where she struggles to figure out what she wants and who she is at this pivotal time in her life. The supporting cast is vivid and dynamic, and the scenery changes pretty much every chapter which helps the pacing and the propulsive plot. We meet quirky lab techs and holistic shop keepers, elite musicians, and folk fiddlers. And as an upstate New Yorker, I loved the references to the ADKs. Give me a familiar setting any day, and I will be all the more excited.

There were a few details that I found distracting. First, and I understand this is a matter of personal preference, I dislike when characters think something to themselves and another character voices that same exact thought almost verbatim a minute later. That happens here a few times. Also, the dialogue was a bit repetitive, with several characters using the same odd turns of speech or phrasing anomalies.

The plot is intriguing, though, and I appreciated the insight and exploration of the world of competitive orchestra. I look forward to fleshing out more of the connections that are hinted to here in the next installment. Natalie's complicated past and recovery are deliciously loaded with potential avenues.

Overall, The Wicked Hour is a propulsive, engrossing story with plenty of twists. I'd recommend to anyone looking to start a new detective series or lovers of stories with Halloween backdrops.

Big thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

The Wicked Hour is the type of book that you can't put down, and I truly enjoyed this murder mystery. Blanchard's skillful writing made me like I was right alongside Detective Natalie Lockhart's shoes, as she attempted figure out who murdered two young violinists, which also grappling with painful issues from her past. The novel takes in a Burning Lake, a small town in New York whose historical connections to witchcraft make it a popular tourist destination during Halloween. The setting was artfully described, and provided a perfect backdrop for the plot of the novel. However, I didn't realize before reading that this is the second book in a series. There are numerous references of events and characters that take place in a previous novel, Trace of Evil, which I would recommend reading first.

Alice Blanchard's Wicked Hour is a mind bender that you will not want to put down and please don't because the ending is really a mind blower. I enjoyed every minute of this thriller. Hopefully scenes that Natalie uncovers still do not exist in our world today, but if they do, please let them be revealed before more people are hurt.

Detective Natalie Lockhart is working the Burning Lake Halloween festivities along with the rest of the PD. When the body of a classically trainer violinist turns up in a dumpster the next morning, Natalie leads the investigation. As she begins to investigate she finds one of her suspects is someone she has known, respected, and trusted for years. Natalie is determined to get to the truth while also facing ghosts from her past.

While this book can be read as a stand alone, I feel like there were gaps in places that require you to have read the first book. This left me making educated guesses and assumptions and I was able to move on, but it does make it hard to focus on things when you’re trying figure out the references. All in all, I will read the first book to fill myself in and look forward to the next entry in this series.

I had not read the first book in this series so it took some time to figure out what I had missed. Part of the book felt repetitive but, overall, I enjoyed following the clues and information from one step to the next. I was invested in the characters and this was definitely a page-turner.

A young female violinist is found dead in a dumpster the day after a Halloween party and it is up to the police to find out what happened and why. Gradually we hear of other young female violinists who have mysteriously disappeared under suspicious circumstances. This all happens in an upstate NY town that reminded me of Saratoga. I liked how the lead detective, Natalie Lockhart, revisits many of her friends and schoolmates, having grown up in the town, You probably want to read the first volume in this series (Trace of Evil) if you want to understand some of the plot points, but it isn't essential.

Numerous suspects abound in a murder investigation involving a deceased violinist found in a dumpster the morning after the Town of Burning Lake’s Halloween extravaganza. As Detective Natalie Lockhart delves deeper into the young woman’s life, she chases down each new clue in hopes of piecing together the final hours of this victim’s life. All the while, Natalie struggles to move past the tragic events that recently turned her world upside down.

“The Wicked Hour” is the second installment to author Alice Blanchard’s Natalie Lockhart series, and if I’m being totally honest, I believe I was at a disadvantage by not having read the first Natalie Lockhart book in this series. Because while “The Wicked Hour” can certainly be read as a stand-alone, much of the protagonists’ back story still remains a mystery to me. Still, I found the premise interesting, and the story pulled me in right from the very start. And while I remained engaged throughout, I have several questions that still remain unanswered. All in all, a decent mystery, but one with holes that never got filled.

A satisfying murder mystery with an unexpected ending. Det. Natalie Lockhart uncovers the murder of a young mystery woman. A seemingly isolated incident overtime proves to be connected to other disappearances.
As Natalie uncovers clues to find the killer she finds that past secrets resurface and old wounds are reopened. A fun read and an intriguing page turner.

Thank You NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book from an amazing author.

The Wicked Hour will grab you from page one. The characters are intriguing and complex. You'll be kept guessing until the end. Natalie has a murder to solve plus dealing with her sister's death and a friend that ran away right after high school.

After finishing the first book in the Natalie Lockhart series (Trace of Evil) I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second installment! Well the time has come and The Wicked Hour is everything I’d hoped it would be! The storyline was superbly paced, I found myself completely entranced! Being that the novel takes place around Halloween, this mystery/thriller most definitely has a bone-chilling and creepy vibe. I love the fact that Detective Natalie Lockhart is a smart, bad@ss women—I could read a hundred books with her as the main character! The Wicked Hour is a 4.5 star novel that you will find unputdownable! I cannot wait for the next book in this must read series!

I found this book to be incredibly confusing not having read the first in the series. And it was made more confusing by a lot of repetition. The book crawled in spots and then seemed to skip over important detail in others. There seems to be a good mystery at the heart of this story but had I known more about what was going on I would have appreciated it more. Do not read this as a standalone....you will be totally lost. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This second book in the Natalie Lockhart series begins where the first ending; Natalie is still reeling from the revelations about how one sister died and the suicide of another. She is experiencing symptoms of PTSD and depression, and she is seeing a doctor and taking a prescription for both. It's Halloween season in town, and the celebrations run for over a week. On the last night of the partying, Natalie discovers the body of murdered woman, a local violinist, in a dumpster. As the investigation unfolds, there is another missing woman, also a violinist, and it seems that both cases are related. Natalie, along with her boss (Sam), chase clues that seem to add unexpected suspects and complications. In the midst of the stress, Natalie is wrestling with her feelings for Sam, which are complicated by their working relationship. The case has a surprise ending, as does the book, with us wondering what will happen next for Natalie and a new love.

Without having read the first book in this series, I found it confusing. Many references to earlier book. It was slow at first, but does pick up.

I enjoyed this book enough for 3 stars but it was a bit slow to begin with. I had to force myself through the first chapters and I was slightly irritated with the repetition. The author would state a fact about a character and a few paragraphs later state it again. At one point it was verbatim. I got the information the first time, it was unnecessary and felt choppy and youthful in a negative way. The plot itself was good it kept me interested enough in the middle but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. I know that she was going for a twist but it was thrown at you quickly and her “prickly” spidey senses were what she magically used to pull it all together. I was disappointed but it was an easy read and I didn’t hate it. Just didn’t love it.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley. I am leaving my honest review.

This is well wriiten mystery but one that really can't be read as a stand alone book.

It took me quite a while to get involved in the book. I was confused by the many references to the first in the series. It was difficult to follow. I didn't begin to enjoy it until I was almost halfway through the book.

For the same reason, it was hard to ful understand and sympathize with Natalie's depression as well as her relationship with other characters such as Luke and Ellie.

The ending was surprising as it came out of nowhere and didn't quite sync with the prologue.

I enjoyed this book enough that I will give the first book a try.

I was excited when I received this ARC of The Wicked Hour By Alice Blanchard

Summary Of The Book...…..
The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene—a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is.

As Natalie retraces the young woman’s steps leading up to her death, she uncovers even more horror—a string of murders and disappearances, seemingly unconnected, that may have ties to each other—and explain the abrupt disappearance of her best friend years ago.

As Natalie digs deeper to find the killer, old hurts are renewed and dark secrets uncovered. But deep within the mind of the hunter is a darkness Natalie could never have imagined, and as she draws closer to the truth, the killer is weaving a trap for her that may prove unescapable.



Thank You NetGalley & Publisher

This is a must read book!
It most defiantly did not disappoint!
The storyline is amazing and the plot is very well written!

Natalie Lockhart, a detective, is working the Halloween shift at Burning Lake. Every year. a popular celebration is held in the tourist area among all the occult shops culminating in burning of the mannequins (witches). On cleanup duty the following day, a body is found in a dumpster. The young woman, Morgan was a violinist who participated in a violin competition on Halloween. Natalie tries to trace Morgan's steps to discover how and who.

Readers will quickly turn the pages trying to get an inkling of what happened and why Morgan died. When you think about the Halloween crowds, all in costume and in a wiccan area, it is all a bit creepy. Worse is yet to come! Although the book can stand alone, reading Ms Blanchard's first book in the series, Trace of Evil, is recommended; it would help readers have a better knowledge of many of the characters, There are a few things left hanging possibly for future books, The Wicked Hour was an enjoyable read with an exciting finish and a surprise ending.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing the ARC. I will look forward to Ms Blanchard's third book in this series.

Book two in the series another book I couldn’t put down.Inpicked it up to read a few pages and read late into the night.Full of twists and turns so well written.#netgalley#st.martinspress

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book! I was excited to read “The Wicked Hour” because I enjoyed reading the first book in the series “Trace of Evil“. The story turned out to be entertaining, but not as good as the first.

Similar to “Trace of Evil”, they author introduces many characters who interacted with Morgan (the victim), and considered suspects. Each chapter introduces Natalie to a new suspect or motive, making the story fast and gripping. I liked some of the twists and turns, where everyone has secrets, and nobody is how they appear to be. Moreover, I loved the underlying theme of how people succumb to pressure of over-achieving. I know people in real life who broke down from the stress, where they couldn’t live to their family expectations. It was refreshing to see that aspect included in the mystery. Also, Natalie is wonderful as the main character. I liked her even more in this book because of how she struggles to cope with her guilt and shock from whatever transpired.

However, while this was a very good read, but I felt it was not as compelling as book one. In the first book, even though there were multiple mystery plots, the author resolved them all in the end. But in this story, one sub-plot stays unresolved, which I didn’t expect. I expected all the story-lines to get closure in this story as well. Also, I missed the witch craft element that was hardly present in the story. While the first book had some spooky rituals taking place that made it atmospheric, this story felt more like a procedural.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this novel! I feel people reading this as a standalone would enjoy reading it even more.

Review of eBook

The annual October celebration in Burning Lake, New York culminates in a town packed with tourists celebrating Halloween. The Monster Mash music competition is over, the Witches’ Ball is coming to a close, and soon all that will be left is the massive clean-up.

Burning Lake Police Department detective Natalie Lockhart is one of the many volunteers working on the clean-up that will likely take most of the week to complete. But the gruesome discovery of a young woman’s body lying in a dumpster interrupts her volunteer efforts. No one knows the identity of the young woman with the enigmatic tattoo on her arm and the callus beneath her chin.

As Natalie investigates, she uncovers other disappearances that, while seemingly unrelated, may actually link to her case in some way. And she begins to wonder if this murder case has any connection to the disappearance, some twelve years earlier, of her best friend, Bella Striver. Can Natalie find the answers before someone else falls victim to the killer?

Burning Lake, a sleepy little rural town, retains its atmospheric pensiveness in this, the second Natalie Lockwood narrative [following “Trace of Evil”]. As with the previous story, the setting firmly anchors the narrative while an underlying creepiness pulls the reader into a captivating story filled with mystery and populated with well-defined, realistic characters.

References to events that took place in “Trace of Evil” give clarification and provide backstory for readers new to the series. However, allusions to some events remain hazy and only half-explained, leaving those new readers to wonder exactly what took place. And, while readers are certain to grieve with Natalie over the loss of her sister, Grace, the detective’s incessant mournfulness throughout most of the narrative tends to overwhelm readers and keeps them from being fully involved in the telling of the tale.

The unfolding story surprises readers with unexpected revelations, but with some significant events left up in the air, they are likely to feel frustrated. Despite being a strong presence in this narrative, Bella’s story remains static and problematic, giving readers no closure. And a completely out-of-the-blue ending is certain to leave readers feeling both stunned and flummoxed.

Nevertheless, the story itself is complex and intriguing.
Unfortunately, an unnecessary, offensive expletive mars the telling of the tale and lowers the rating for this book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#TheWickedHour #NetGalley