This 10th installment in the crime thriller series featuring Sheriff Jenna Alton and Deputy Dave Kane has them chasing down a murderous pyro psychopath.

Oh my goodness, the Black Rock Falls area of Montana has yet another serial killer on a rampage. To be honest, it is starting to strain credulity that this many crazies find that area and commit so many awful crimes. In this case, the crimes involve bombs and fire -- along with kidnapping and a host of other deviant behaviors. I think the tipping point for me was the connection between what was happening in Black Rock Falls to what happened in DC years ago to Kane and his wife, Annie. NO SPOILERS.

Despite having read this series from the start, I have never really liked Jenna and finally admit that I likely never will. I just find her too unbelievable in her role; her attitude and behavior irritates me. Although there was a lot of good forensic detail and long descriptions of everything involved in the murder and arson, I had guessed most everything about the outcome and the perpetrator quite early. I think the motivation explaining all these crimes was a bit of a stretch, but I can see by other reviews that no one else has any issues with it.

So why do I keep reading the series despite my issues? I like to finish what I start and I figure this can't go on much longer but who knows. Surely it's about time for a consummation of the Kane and Alton relationship? We will have to wait and see as book #11 should be out soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

My favourite series, I couldn’t wait to read book 10.
Following a house fire in nearby Louan, started by explosives, Sherriff Jenna Alton and deputy Dave Kane are enlisted as FBI consultants to help find the killer. We meet agents Jo Wells and Ty Carter again, and the four set about solving the case.
Kane’s past rears it’s head unexpectedly and he has to be careful to maintain his new persona while mourning the loss of his wife all over again.
This is a really fast paced, action packed story and we meet all then usual familiar faces in Black Rock Falls along the way.
Did I guess who the killer was? No! Although the answer was right in front of my face. I miss Black Rock Falls already.

An excellent addition to this series. The characters are all interesting and the interactions between them are good. Fast moving intriguing plot.

FBI agents Jo Wells and Ty Carter are called in by the Sheriff of Louann after an explosion and fire in a house which killed a husband and wife and their daughter. Shane Wolfe the ME from Black Rock Falls is also called in. It soon becomes apparent that explosives were used to start the fire and that the family’s elder daughter Sophie is missing. Wells and Carter call in Sheriff Jenna Alton and Deputy Dave Kane to assist with the case. Agent Carter and his Doberman Zorro discover explosive components and link the device to a case in DC which is of huge significance to Deputy Kane. With another young girl kidnapped and another family targeted with explosives and fire Jenna and her team struggle to identify the perpetrator from a group of several suspects; all of whom could be capable of the atrocities.

This is the tenth in the Alton & Kane series by D K Hood and is again a fantastic read. Absolutely love this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and D K Hood for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Promises in the Dark is the tenth in the police procedural series featuring Detectives David Kane and Jenna Alton. Set in Black Rock Falls, Montana, Sheriff Jenna Alton makes a very likeable detective although she is sometimes a little short on inspiration. However, Jenna has a good team to handle crime in the small town, which has certainly seen more than its fair share of murders! Her deputy, David Kane is a former Special Forces marksman with exceptional profiling skills.

Though the story was told primarily from the investigator's viewpoint, there were some fascinating chapters from the killer. This novel was an electrifying and solid police procedural and it was a well-balanced thriller that had me glued to the pages. I didn't want to put it down as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story. Despite Black Rock Falls being a small place, Jenna and her team were still left with a lot of work to do in the very high-octane case. This really was a spectacular crime-thriller that grabbed me hook, line and sinker. The team embarked on an exciting and exhilarating mission to find the perpetrator and all the time the tension snowballed as D.K. Hood launched at me some captivating misdirection. The writing flowed effortlessly and swiftly as Promises in the Dark delved into the topic of murder with themes of abduction, bombing and rape, culminating in an explosive, heart-pounding conclusion.

I will be seeking out the first five instalments of this masterful series. A brilliant, terrifying, pulse-pounding and very highly recommended crime-thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Favorite Quote:

There was something about Aunt Betty’s Café that soothed even the roughest day, like sitting in your grandma’s kitchen and waiting for the cookies to come out the oven.

My Review:

I am seriously slacking and horribly uninformed as this was book #10 in a series and my first time picking up one of D.K. Hood’s eleven books. It was a nonstop whirligig of high voltage action and the author’s writing slotted me right in the midst of it. I am exhausted and feel like I’ve been in a marathon while digging through ashes, performing autopsies, climbing mountains, jumping out of helicopters, dodging bullets, skidding on ice, crawling through spooky caves, and running after dogs while chasing an elusive psychopath arsonist who was also a murdering rapist. Unholy smokes, he was definitely a multitasking fiend, yet he still had time and energy to compose blog posts which were brilliant in their double meanings. Despite his unethical and disturbing proclivities, I had to stop to admire his wry phrasing as well as his devotion to his work ethic.

I know that for a fact I will use the same words that I always do. This book is awesome, epic, amazing, thrilling. The thing is…well…its all true. This time things get personal and just a little bit too personal for two of our fine deputies of Black Rock Falls. Times are nice and light at the start, we have a tranquil time until one night that the night sky is literally ablaze!

I am not going to say anything about the book because I purposely didn’t read the blurb. I know that if I see D.K. Hood on a book I am reading it regardless. So I went in blind, I didn’t know what experience we would have this time, I just knew like a thrill seeker I would love it. What I will say is that I really wasn’t disappointed. It is a book where no element is boring, through all these words and pages, the tension is relentless. Lives are in danger and the only way to survive is to read, read as if your life depended on it….because someone life does.

My teeth were set on edge, my nerves were shot, my tears were a bit leaky yet I will go back again and again to Black Rock Falls, to Kane, Alton, Wolfe Carter and Jo. I always moan, but never enough Rowley, he is so lovely I just smile when is on the page.

The only thing I will mention about the book is the Whispering Caves, the stories that Atothi and his Grandad told the team were creepy. The darkness in the caves when the lights go out has a life of its own. It is just as menacing as the villain in the book, if not more so. Yes, the villain is terrifying but with them, you always have the chance to survive, to escape. In the caves, you have little chance as we find out, to me that is more terrifying.

This was a darker story than most but it was a story with closure and not necessarily the closure we expected but it was one that we needed. Maybe the next book will be lighter? Haha, who are we kidding, this is Ms Hood, she will have yet another dark and twisty tale for us to unravel. This series just gets stronger and stronger. I have loved each and every book in this series, I feel like I have grown with Jenna and Dave. We watch them become completely whole, we know their secrets, their darkness but the light have broken through and they are complete.

I can’t wait for the next instalment and I hear it’s not too long to wait and with another character being added to the team, I know I for one is excited about that!

When I first read the description of the book I knew that this book as part of a series that I had not read earlier. Nevertheless I requested for it because I like to read stories involving female detectives.

As I got into the story I never felt as If I am reading something as part of a series, the story is very much readable standalone and the author makes a good effort to put in appropriate amounts of backstory so that a new reader does not feel lost.

The story is set in Black Rock falls and a fire in the home of Woods family who were relatively new in the town sets the beginning of the series of killings and fires in the town and a few neighbouring towns. Sheriff Jenna Alton ad Deputy Sheriff David Kane start investigating the case and then FBI special agent and behavioural Analyst Jo Wells and Ex Navy seal Ty Carter also join the investigation and Jenna leads the team through the investigations.

Its not only the fires, but young daughter of Woods is also kidnapped and is found dead. The story kept me glued to it as one event leads to another with no dull period in the story. Along with the narrative of the cases the author also brings in the past history of the agents and this is so very effectively weaved into the present narrative with never a fragmentation. The story is narrated from a neutral perspective. A few chapters have the mind chatter of the culprit and the identity of the culprit remains well concealed till the author chooses to reveal it.
The descriptions of places, the procedures etc was very insightful. Each and every character involved in the story was described as appropriate without long descriptions. The camraderie between the agents and the professionalism with no dull moment in their interactions made this a very enjoyable read.

If you love to read stories involving pyromaniac serial killers and investigated by a team of efficient agents then this story will keep you engaged and interested till the end.

I thank the author, Bookouture, the publisher and Netgalley for approving my request to read the story and the opinions expressed are all mine.

Black Rock Falls rocks!! I know, I know it was poor alliteration. But the sheriff and her team really uplifted the book and made author D. K. Hood’s story come alive.

I knew that I should have said it the other way around. But there was something so real about Sheriff Jenna and Deputy Kane that it felt that they had a life of their own and were indeed leading the investigation in the real world rather than in the dark realms of the author’s brain.

Book 10 and Kane would get a shock to know some truths from his past when they were called to assist the FBI after a bomb blast and a missing teen. It was fun to see Jenna and Kane working with the new members, this time much closely. A little friction between them was realistically written.

The story had its twists, and reveal was a shocker. What I especially liked was the banter between Dave and Jenna, though their attraction which had arisen in earlier books was missing. Suspense and race against time was subtly built and like the other books, the killer did hit close to home when the entire team rose to fight as one.

Overall, a great police procedural, just as expected from this author.

4.75 stars

This is the tenth book in the Kane and Alton series.

Wow, what a page-turner this was! When a family is found blown up and one daughter missing, Kane, Alton, Wolfe and the team dive into action. We get to see the bad guy's viewpoint throughout the story making this even more creepy since we have no idea to his identity.

Kane is struggling with his wife's murder since many of the details fit to the events of her death. He doesn't exactly go off the deep end but this entire case tests him.

I always enjoy these police procedural, detective fiction novels. The stories never seem to get old. Can't wait for book 11!

If you love shows like Midsomer Murders of British mysteries, this is definitely your cup of tea!

This book opens with a bang and really doesn’t stop until the end. After the opening pages with the man driving away with a young girl in the back seat of his car, then she hears the explosion of here home you the reader know you are in for a ride. Really though it only gets better. For after that it is not Jenna and Dave, but Jo and Cater the new team and they call in Wolfe. Jenna and Dave well at least Dave is bored and soon they are called in to help Jo and Carter.
When later it is discovered that who was thought to be the D.C. bomber who killed Dave’s wife and changed his life forever. Was not the person, no that person they think or at least Carter thinks is the man who destroyed this family’s home and took the young girl. Dave goes into a metal funk turning white and Jenna helps to say he gets migraines at times. He doesn’t even know how Carter got some of the information he has for it was to be classified way above his pay grade.
Once the girl is found at the bottom of the falls this sets off another set of events and throughout this story, they are steps behind the person. You feel like you the reader should know who the person is and will be surprised when you find out. I also thought Carter would make the connection with Kane but never did. You finally get an end to Dave’s past he can bury finally his wife. Maybe, just maybe there might be something with him and Jenna for he did not like Carter sniffing around.
Another fantastic story that will keep you wanting to stay up late at night at least I did read this book once you start. Again, all of the characters are good and very much worth the read.

It's been a quiet several months in Black Rock Falls, but then a house explosion in nearby Lohan means an investigation for Alton and Kane especially when thrree bodies are discovered. They soon realise that they need the help of the local FBI team particularly when they discover that not all of the Woods family died in the deliberate explosion. But more is to come. What is the possible connection between the victims, is there actually one.
Another interesting serial killer story with its cast of varied characters. Another good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book 10 in the series and definitely the best one so far. I'm an emotional wreck now!

The plot was dark, fast paced and totally addictive. I read late into the night as I just didn't want to put it down.

Being back in Black Rock Falls is like meeting up with old friends and Jo and Ty definitely add a new dimension to the drama.

Absolutely loved it and won't hesitate to recommend this amazing series to every reader I know.

A brilliant 5 🌟 read.

Another fantastic book in the Kane and Alton series.
This series just keeps getting better and better.
Jo and Carter are called out to a suspected bombing and realise the family were burnt alive in the house but the teenage daughter is missing.
It happens just outside Kane and Jenna’s patch but Jo takes them on as FBI consultants as they are familiar with the area and the people.
Soon the girls body is found at the bottom of a waterfall and the zip ties on her ankles shows it’s the same man who killed her family.
This is a fast paced crime thriller as the killer seems to have a list of people to target and is working his way through them. Poor Wolfe doesn’t know which way to turn.
When Carter links the bombs to the DC bomber, Kane is speechless. He’s wanted to face Annie’s killer for some time so he’s determined to catch this one.
In a heart racing conclusion, lives at at risk in the mountains and Jenna and Jo know they need to catch this man as he’s taken one of their own.
I loved this book and can highly recommend this series for those who haven’t yet discovered it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a real rollercoaster of a book!!

As usual, Jenna and Dave make a formidable team but this time they are joined by FBI agents Jo and Carter, and between the four of them (plus two dogs), they have all the skills they need to bring down the latest murderer on their patch.

There was a lot of tension in this book and when the criminal is finally revealed, I was really surprised, which, I guess, is the point of reading books like this :)

The author does a great job for the majority of the book, although there were a couple of occasions where I just wanted to yell at one of the cops "eeek, please investigate this case a little more closely" or something like that, clues that were left that just weren't looked at more closely. Yes, I got a bit involved ;)

Still and all, this was a well-written book and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Detective Kane and Alton #10

A house explodes killing the parents and one of their daughters. But their twelve year old daughter is missing. This case has Jenna and Dave back working with the FBI. But this case is a little close to the bone for Dave.

Another action packed and thrilling read. I think this is the best book, in the series so far. The house explosion takes place in the neighbouring town of Louan and the local sheriff calls in the FBI. Jo Wells and Ty Carter are back and they call in the assistance of ME Shane Wolfe. It's not long before Jenna and Dave are involved as another house fire and a child is missing. Rhis is a fast paced and gripping read. This is one of the best police procedural series that I've read. Fantastic read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #DKHood for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tense, taut and terror-fraught: Sheriff Alton & Co. face a sadistic 🔥pyromaniac😥

This story has non-stop action and, as usual with this series, a sicko criminal on the loose. From the first horrible events at the book's start when a five year-old innocent is led to her death in the family kitchen, I was emotionally caught up in the search for a cruel, cold killer ready to blot out a whole family and revel in their terror and pain before their fiery demise. Several of the main characters have a very personal stake in finding the pyromaniac assassin and rapist whose crimes extend from Washington, D.C. to rural Montana.

Yes, the investigation was a page-turner even though I had guessed the murderer's identity way before he reveals himself to Sheriff Jenna Alton. But I was still held to the plot by his trail of destruction and the suspense of learning when the FBI team would catch him out.

The lead women in the story are strong, confident, intelligent and not prone to stand for the rampant sexism they encounter. And I love that Medical Examiner Wolfe, a single father raising four daughters, has taught his girls to be cautious, savvy and strong in an emergency. Kane's tragic backstory is a key element. He's shown in a much more emotional and sympathetic light than in the other books in the series I've read.

Good writing, great plot and oodles of urgent tension made this a gem of a read.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Promises in the Dark by D.K. Hood is the 10th in the Detectives Kane and Alton series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:   (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

Former DEA, Jenna Alton is now the Sheriff in Black Rock Falls, Montana.  Her past is a secret.  Deputy David Kane's background is also a secret.  He was a Special Forces sharpshooter, and a bodyguard to the President.  Then there is Forensic Scientist Shane Wolfe, who is not only a Medical Examiner with amazing computer skills, he used to be Kane’s handler. So, with a few other deputies, Jenna has a good team to handle crime in the small Black Rock Falls town, which seems to have more murders than a small town should.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

A young girl is kidnapped, and as she watches, her kidnapper blows up her house, with her parents and sister still inside.

Although it is outside of Jenna's jurisdiction, FBI Agents Jo and Carter are investigating the bombing, and ask for Jenna's assistance. Although the girl is found dead,  Jenna and Dave remain with the case.  This bomber has a direct link to Dave, and Jenna fears for her Deputy.

When another girl is taken, the trail leads to an underground network of caves just outside of town. 


My Opinions:  

I was pleased to again see Jo and Carter from the FBI, although I cannot warm up to Carter.  This book has not increased my love for him.  However, I love Jo.

It was interesting having a little more insight into Dave's background.  I like the way the author shows the sensitive sides of most characters in addition to their strengths.

As always, there was a lot of action, and although I deduced the identity of the perpetrator early on, there were enough other suspects to keep me interested in their stories.  The plot was great, and I have to say that this was probably the best in this series so far.

I recommend reading the books in order, as backgrounds are important.

It's been a quiet six months in Black Rock Falls, Sheriff Jenna Alton is trying to sort out plans for building work and her deputies Dave Kane and Jake Rowley are doing routine traffic stops! They all have a feeling it can't last but know to be careful what they wish for and when a family in the neighbouring town of Louan are murdered in an explosion they know their quiet period is over.

FBI agents Jo Wells and Ty Carter are called in by the Louan sheriff and don't hesitate to add Jenna and Dave to their team along with local ME Shane Wolfe. None of them is prepared for the lengths their perp is prepared to go to achieve their aims however, nor for the personal connections some of them will have to the perp. As the crimes escalate they all know time is of the essence if they are to prevent another family being destroyed.

This is number ten in the Kane and Alton series of books and although I didn't realise it before it’s the one I've been waiting for author D K Hood to write! So much is revealed here and in such a way that the edge of my seat was seriously overused!

Without any spoilers if you're familiar with the lives of the main protagonists in this series you need to read this. Personally I would recommend starting at book one because although each can be read independent of the others they become so much more if read in the order the author intended. This could neatly and most satisfyingly be the book to complete the series but I really hope it won't.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this and recommend it unreservedly.

Promises in the Dark is the tenth instalment in the Sheriff Jenna Alton and Deputy Sheriff David Kane series, set in Black Rock Falls, Montana, and once again Hood has surpassed all expectations. It's uncharacteristically quiet in Black Rock Falls for the authorities but soon the peace is shattered. In nearby Aspen Grove, Louan, 15-year-old Sophie Wood is in shock when a gunman enters her family home and holds a gun to her father’s head. Dressed head to toe in black and wearing a balaclava, he knocks both her parents unconscious before tying them up along with her trembling five-year-old sister, Jody, and kicks over a can of gas accelerant so it seeps across the room. Sophie is then kidnapped and as they drive away the house bursts into flames before exploding. FBI Special Agent and behavioural analyst Jo Wells receives a call from Louan's Sheriff Tom Crenshaw to inform her that the explosion had been deemed a homicide by ME and tech expert Shane Wolfe. Ex Navy-seal Ty Carter, Wells and bomb-sniffing Doberman Zorro leave for the scene in a chopper. When the wiring in the phone detonator found in the house has the same distinctive signature of three bombs that exploded in DC years earlier, killing Kane's wife Annie, all hell breaks loose.

The search for missing teen Sophie comes to an end when her naked body is found decomposing in one of the local lakes around Stanton Forest and it doesn't take long for another bombing and abduction to occur. As body after body drops, can the team work together to apprehend this vicious serial killer, bomber and rapist? This is yet another riveting, compulsive and hard-hitting procedural from the pen of Hood. It is action-packed from the get-go; you're barely given a moment to breathe and there is never a dull moment. It's exciting, engrossing, and I loved that the dogs were highlighted as being of absolute importance to the case. Though told primarily from the investigators perspective there are fascinating and demented chapters from the killer. We learn more about the main characters and their struggles and are even provided with some backstory on the peripheral cast members, which added to the plot rather than detracting from it. It's a high-octane race against time to catch a crazed serial killer and the twists and turns were plentiful. It's palpably tense and the perpetrator is not revealed until the very end. The closing scenes top it all off with a heart-thumping conclusion. Highly recommended.