I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

I did not read the first book in this series - an oversight I will remedy this weekend!

Natalie Lockhart is intelligent, tenacious, quick on her feet and lugging around a whole lot of baggage emotionally.

The plot has a lot of twist and turns, I often thought I had it figured out - wrong! The story keeps you guessing to the end.

The characters are as entertaining, endearing, in turns evil and despicable like a good installment of Rizzoli & Isles!

Highly recommend this book - you'll re-read it to see what clues you could have possibly missed!

Burning Lake, New York is known for their lively Halloween celebrations. However, this Halloween it isn't your typical celebration and clean up afterward. The Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard centers around Detecive Natalie Lockhart and her latest investigation. 

While assisting with clean up after Halloween night, Natalie is waved down by a public works employee. He had made a gruesoms discovery in one of the alleys off Sarah Hutchins Drive. A naked young woman had been dumped in the large dumpster with mounds of trash placed over her. 

As Natalie dives into discovering who this woman is, what brought her to Burning Lake, and who killed her, she is reminded of her infamous status after catching a serial killer. The path she is led down is filled with shady characters and the hidden secrets of the classical music world. After all, the woman found is a student at a local music conservatory where another violinist went missing within the last year. 

With all the twists and turns of her current case, we get a glimpse into Natalie's past. Her complicated, psuedo-romantic relationship with her Leuitenant, her missing friend who isn't really missing, and the death of her sister, Grace. Alice Blanchard has done an incredible job developing the characters in this book. 


Although,I found it to be very slow until the last third of the book, it was a great read. Lot of twists anf turns for any thriller reader to love. What I was shocked to find out it that this is the second book in a series! It completely read as a stand alone which is rare. I will definitely be checking out the first book, Trace of Evil very soon. Overall this book gets a solid 4 out of 5 from me.

#netgalley #thewickedhour

I found this book to be very confusing because I didn't read the first in the series. The book was made even more confusing by a lot of repetition. Do not read this as a standalone....you will not understand what was going on like me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Wicked Hour.

I enjoyed the first book in the series so I was excited when my request was approved.

The second book picks up not long after the end of the first book.

Detective Natalie Lockhart is now a celebrity after the events of the first book, but her notoriety is not something she relishes. She is grieving the loss of her family, having trouble sleeping and is being weaned off her medication for depression.

When the body of a young woman is found after the Halloween festivities at Burning Lake, a celebration the entire town looks forward to for its financial boost to their local economy, Natalie is confronted with childhood memories of a BFF who had been (mistakenly) assumed to have been abducted...or was she?

This is a straight forward police procedural as Natalie pounds the pavement and investigates leads and interviews suspects but most of the narrative read like filler.

There was too much exposition on the locals, unnecessary information that didn't add anything to the story.

It felt like each person Natalie interviewed had to give a brief biography of his or her life and why they had ended in the position they now found themselves in.

Also, when the identity of the murderer is revealed, it felt abrupt, out of left field and no plausible explanation behind the murders were ever given.

The Wicked Hour was decently written yet felt unnecessarily wordy; I felt no emotional connection to the characters or to Natalie's growth as a detective.

I will read the next book in the series because I'm always on the lookout for books that feature a strong female protagonist.

This story had me wondering who did it the entire time. Natalie is a detective with the Burning Lake police department. She is known for the crow killers and is just trying to live a normal life.
For the month of October Burning Lake is a busy town as there are festivals for the whole month. On November 1st clean up starts and a body is discovered in a dumpster. During the investigation Natalie realizes that the young woman is a violinist and this causes her to remember her friend Bella who disappeared.
Natalie does her job and looks for any evidence that will point her in the right direction. She is thrown some roadblocks along the way but she doesn’t give up.
We think the suspect is one person only to get thrown a curve ball at the end and realize that it’s not who we think.

It has been several months since Detective Natalie Lockhart has lost her sister, solved her childhood horror mystery, and caught and killed the Crow Killer in Burning Lake, New York. Natalie is still going through the seven stages of grief and has still not quite yet figured out how to cope with everything that has happened to her. The last thing that Natalie wants is to be given another high profile case when she is trying to still put her life back together again. However, on Halloween night, which is the busiest time of the year for Burning Lake, Natalie is called to a scene where she finds a young women who is dead inside a dumpster. At first Natalie does not want to take lead on the case but something resonates with her and she knows that she must try to help this poor young dead women. Little does Natalie know though is that this young dead woman is going to dredge up more of her past and possibly put her back into the limelight that she is trying so hard to avoid again.

To be honest, I wasn't sure that I wanted to pick this book up when I saw that it was available on Netgalley for request since I was quite disappointed by the first one. However, I am so glad that I did pick it up. The Wicked Hour is what I was expecting from the first and I absolutely loved this book.

Alice Blanchard pours so much emotion into Natalie Lockhart that you can feel her grief. You can also sense her desire to want to be with Luke, her childhood friend and her supervisor. I know that I definitely want them to get together.

There are a ton of interesting characters in this book and thankfully Alice Blanchard did not make this story as gruesome as the first one. She definitely goes into detail around the scenes where the body and body parts are found but they are bearable.

I was a little confused by the first chapter in the book as it felt so disconnected from the rest. Honestly, I feel like the story would have been just fine without the first chapter. The story is fast paced and has many twist and turns. Alice Blanchard is great at the cloaking who the murder is.

I am a huge fan of Halloween and love the history of Burning Lake and their witchcraft history. Alice Blanchard does a wonderful job at integrating Burning Lakes history throughout the story, especially since it is Halloween night when the murder takes place.

Similar to the first book, Natalie Lockhart finds that this case that has landed in her lap makes her reminiscence of her childhood best friend Bella who disappeared after they graduated from high school. Natalie starts to wonder more about Bella and what happened to her as it is a mystery that is not quite solved. She also starts to wonder if yet again if she really knows those that are close to her.

Rating: 5 out of 5. Best Natalie Lockhart book yet. I found it very hard to put it down. I am seriously hoping for a third book and I hope that it explores Bella's mystery.

Thank you Netgally, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for the advanced readers copy.

I was really annoyed with this book -not with the plot, though I found it thin, but with the lack of background information. I'm going to try not to include spoilers... At the beginning of the story, we learn that someone has died and has rendered the main character very depressed. Nothing is said about this death -who was the person, what happened- just the name. So I went back to book #1 (which I really enjoyed!) to figure things out. A sentence or two explaining the plot of the first book when mentioning that death would have been great (especially because I knew that person would die when I met them in the first book. Talk about spoilers!). Whereas this very important death is not explained, the author explained another death -already mentioned in book #1- about 3 times in the book, twice using the same weird expression to describe the manner of a suicide. This didn't make sense to me and left me with a bitter after taste.

As for the plot: while the story and focus on violinists and their mental health was well developed, the plot felt a bit flat. The reason for the killing was thin, and the killer himself not quite interesting.

Finally, it felt like the story line around Bella was the main thread of the book... and nothing was revealed. IF the author plans on continuing with this story, please give some background details in that book so that people don't have to absolutely read the previous books -especially if the previous books include spoilers.

That being said, I will read the next book! I love the main character and her boss, Luke. I like the atmosphere of the city they inhabit. I'm cautiously expecting the next one!

This is book two in a series. I think it’s a good idea to read book one before tackling this one.
Anyway it was a good police thriller, kept me guessing.
I really enjoyed the story and look forward to more in this series
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read the Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard. This is the 2nd in a series, so be sure to read A Trace of Evil first. I don't want to give too much away. I enjoyed the 1st book in the series so was happy to be able to read this. Its Halloween night and all police officers have been assigned different areas in the town. People in costumes are everywhere. All drinking and partying til the wee hours of the morning. The next morning there is a call comes in. A body has been found in a dumpster, This is how are story begins.

Grabbed my attention from the beginning. The characters really drew me in and I enjoyed the adventure. Definitely a reread soon!

The Wicked Hour is the second book in a series starring detective Natalie Lockhart. Natalie lives in the fictional town of Burning Lake, which is famous for its month-long Halloween celebration. During the town clean-up following the celebration, a young woman is found dead in a dumpster. Natalie recognizes that the woman is a violinist from the calluses on her chin and fingertips and discovers stamps on her hand showing that she had visited a few local bars on Halloween. Natalie and her boss, Sam, follow clues to discover the young woman's identity and figure out her death.

The storyline was strong and the characters were interesting; however, this is not a book that should be read as a stand-alone. After I finished the book and looked at the other reviews, I discovered that The Wicked Hour picks up where the first book (Traces of Evil) leaves off. In the first book, Natalie apparently loses two sisters, and the story behind that in key to understanding her character and behavior in The Wicked Hour. I tried to look past that so that I could finish the book, and as I said, it was a good story. Unfortunately, to truly appreciate The Wicked Hour, you need to have read the earlier novel.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. My fault for not understanding that it was a sequel.

It's no secret that I loved Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard, so I was THRILLED 1) to learn it was a series; and 2) get my hands on an ARC. Let me just say that this book did not disappoint.

The Wicked Hour hit the ground running after Natalie encounters a dead girl in a dumpster during the cleanup efforts following Burning Lake's Halloween celebration. No one has any clue who the girl is or where she came from, but her murder reminds Natalie of her best friend's abrupt disappearance years ago. Could there be something connecting this Jane Doe to a case from 20 years ago?

Alice Blanchard has done it again! There is something so refreshing about her writing style and character development. She made references to Trace of Evil (as this is the second book in the series), but there was no overly repetitive references to the first book (which was very much appreciated!) I absolutely love the fall setting in Burning Lake, which adds another element of suspense -- and makes me ready for the fall season! Cannot wait for the next book in the series!

THE WICKED HOUR by Alice Blanchard is a police procedural and the second book in the Natalie Lockhart series. To get the most enjoyment from this novel, the first book in the series (TRACE OF EVIL) should be read before starting this one. This is a town that makes the most of its history with witchcraft and has a large tourist trade around it that culminates with the Halloween celebration.

Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in the Burning Lake, New York police department and is still dealing with the tragic events that occurred in book one. She is working clean-up on November first when the body of a violinist is found in a dumpster and she get the case.

Natalie is a strong female protagonist who is definitely someone you can root for. Her character felt real with clear goals and believable motivations. This novel is more character-driven and police procedural driven than books one and has less action. However, I thought her introspection while dealing with the case actually worked better for me than book one. I was quickly drawn into the story and stayed engaged throughout the book.
The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. The stakes were high throughout the novel and kept me fully invested in the story. The world-building enhanced the setting and gave me a clear sense of place. There were plenty of suspects and twists as well as a sub-plot that did not get resolved. Will that be part of book three? Themes include death, grief, family relationships, parental pressure on children to succeed, depression and much more.

Overall, the plot was complex, absorbing and well-paced. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Alice Blanchard for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

The Wicked Hour is an interesting read; however, I found it tough going at first. This is the second book in a series and I have not read the first book. That made it very difficult to follow the thought processes of the central character, Natalie Lockhart, as she navigated her investigation of the Halloween murder of a young woman.
While the backstory gradually revealed basic information as to what went before and I found the storyline of this particular crime interesting and attention-grabbing I did wish I had read the earlier book. I recommend readers start this series with #1.

That said, the author has an interesting tale about a small New York town that once had a witch trial and today hosts a Halloween celebration that draws lots of visitors and encompasses the entire village. Readers will enjoy the musical connections here as well as the historical. The characters are well drawn and there are enough surprises to maintain interest.

The Wicked Hour is a very well written suspense. Well crafted plot and characters. Edge of your seat page turner. I highly recommend. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Years ago, detective Natalie Lockhart' s childhood chum Bella disappeared, driven away, Natalie thought, by the demanding controlling father whose dreams for his talented daughter threatened to destroy her. Now, when another equally talented violinist, driven by a similarly inclined father ambitious for his daughters success goes missing, Natalie is struck by what- and who - they had in common. Still haunted by her own family tragedy, Natalie nonetheless follows the clues in this otherwise bland and predictable sequel to get maiden outing in the author's previous Burning Falls novel.

Natalie is a detective in the upper NY area and the latest case is trying to figure out how a young woman ended up dead in a dumpster after the town’s big Halloween celebration. With the few clues she has, Natalie struggles to find out who the woman is and how she ended up where she did. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, but I had an issue with the fact that it’s the second book in a series. Although I didn’t have to read the first book, there were a lot of references to it that made me have to re-read sections to try and better understand what was going on. I’ve seen other authors do this (better), where they reference a past case and give the reader just enough of a summary to keep moving through book 2. I wish this author would’ve taken than approach, since I think this book would’ve read much smoother and would’ve been even more enjoyable to read.

3 Stars (could’ve been 4)

Note: Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In THE WICKED HOUR, detective Natalie Lockhart is still reeling from the fallout of The Crow Killer case, which served as the plot for Blanchard's earlier novel TRACE OF EVIL. While readers don't have to read TRACE OF EVIL before THE WICKED HOUR, it will make the experience more enjoyable if they do. In THE WICKED HOUR, Lockhart buries her sadness and grief in the mindless work of cleaning up after Burning Lake's big season, Halloween. But when a young woman's body is discovered in a dumpster, Lockhart has to face another tough case while trying to stay out of the limelight. THE WICKED HOUR is a good read, and Lockhart is a compelling protagonist, I just wish that Blanchard had left a few mores clues along the way before getting to the final reveal.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book with Natalie and so was very happy to be given the chance to read this second book in the series. It takes place not too long after the first book, everyone is still talking about the crow killer murders. Natalie is having a hard time dealing with her shooting of the crow killer plus the death of her sister Grace. This time there is a murdered violinist found in a dumpster after the big Halloween celebrations. Add in another missing one and a whole slew of suspects and you have another great thriller. Luckily Natalie is up for the challenge, despite the issues she is going through and how the violinists remind her of her friend Bella who ran away many years ago.

Since this book takes place right around Halloween, I am now more than ready for fall and cooler weather and crunchy leaves. Too bad this book is not being released then.

This was a fun story to read (especially with the autumn vibes) and I think Natalie should be in lots more books!

Who murdered Morgan? Was it murder?

Morgan, an accomplished violinist is found dead in a dumpster after the annual Halloween bash. Who wants her dead? Was it murder or was it suicide? Maybe just a natural death with suspicious surroundings? Detective Natalie Lockhart is going to find out.

Along the way, new evidence is found, new suspects are questioned. Will the roadblocks from higher-ups prevent Natalie from solving this?

Throughout the book, the author places tiny snippets of another few mysteries along the way that make Natalie who she is. While she solves the mystery of Morgan, the author leaves room for future novels by leaving enough air of curiosity around these snippets.

Alice Blanchard's writing was seemless and intriguing. While still a complete novel, I'm left wanting so much more of Natalie Lockhart and hope there is more in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.