We need more Black female detective books...let me just start with that. I thoroughly enjoyed a Killing Rain and the way Faye brought the characters to life in this book. Honestly, even the town, Byrd's Landing, felt like it was alive and calling people to it. An excellent read.

In A Killing Rain, Raven and those involved in the chaos of the first book's ending are still dealing with the aftermath. Readers get more insight into how Raven is with people. For example, she is very reluctant to trust people – even her own partner – which ends up making her job harder. As we progress through the story and meet some of Raven's old acquaintances, we learn that this is nothing new. In her defense, if I was hearing my murderer father's voice in my head commentating on my predicaments and interactions with others, I'd probably have a hard time maintaining relationships too.

One relationship she can maintain is one with her foster brother Cameron. When he learns that he has a teenage son from his first relationship, Raven is reluctantly there for him. At the same time, murder victims are turning up in strange ways and in public places. And Raven is the best person to hunt down the killer once again. Yet the stakes are even higher when her new nephew Noe and his friend Clyde go missing. Raven races against the clock to find them before it's too late. All while her actions from the first book don't go unpunished.

Faye Snowden is a great writer. She's developed a complex character in Raven, with a past that I wouldn't wish on anyone. She endures a consistent internal struggle against the voice in her head and voices in her community. She is constantly out to prove that she's not her father's daughter – but heartbreakingly, she doesn't appear to be able to escape, no matter how hard she tries.

The reveals of the “whodunit” in both books were not entirely expected, but the motives were a bit hard for me to grasp. They just seemed really out there and a little disconnected from the overall storyline. Once I reflected, I could see it a bit more clearly. Hence, some readers might have to do some extra work to wrap their heads around the conclusions. But then again, that's probably how Snowden is able to lead the reader on without making the killer's identity too obvious. Either way, A Killing Rain left me ready for more Raven Burns.

Another day, another new author and blog tour! – what’s the story here?

First of all, we’re in one of my favourite settings – Louisiana, in the Deep South – and one of these small Southern towns: this one’s called Byrd’s Landing. Our main character, Raven Burns, has returned here, as it’s the one place that truly feels like home. She had worked as a cop before retiring, and is now wanting a quiet life, working in a coffee shop.

And she – and the town – have quite a creepy past, am I right?

Yep – the town’s known as a bit of a breeding ground for serial killers…amongst them Raven’s father, who was also a cop. And there’s a new serial killer around, focusing on young boys – so when Raven’s nephew Noe and his friend Clyde go missing, she finds her skills as an investigator being requested. And how can she say no, when it’s the nephew with whom she’s only recently been reunited?

This is one of those fabulous Southern towns populated with all sorts of quirky characters, which adds to the atmosphere. I do sort of wish I’d read the first in the series, to have more background on Raven and her past, as well as Byrd’s Landing, but as soon as I have time, I’ll remedy that!

You found it more of an atmospheric build-up of a crime novel, rather than an action packed one, didn’t you?

I did, but to be honest, that’s the way I like books to be – it gives you more of an opportunity to get to know the characters – and there are some great characters, make no mistake! We meet her ex-partner Billy-Ray; her brother – and Noe’s father – Cameron; a friend from school, Edmee; and locals like crime scene cleaner Willie Lee. They all add colour and flesh out the story. And as I said before, I love these rural Southern settings, with gumbo on the menu in local eateries, and bait shops – it reminds me of the genius that is James Lee Burke, amongst others!

This is a hugely promising series, with a delightfully snippy central character, who definitely doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and really just wants a peaceful life – if only it wasn’t for these damned serial killers! But she is dragged back into criminal investigation reluctantly, simply because she fears for her nephew’s – and his friend’s – safety. And all the while, time is tick, tick, ticking away – and we crime readers all know that’s definitely not a good sign…

A hugely promising second book in what looks like building into a great series!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read A Killing Rain. This was a good novel with a good plot. It was very fast paced and enjoyable to read. I. have not read any other books in. this series but it was good.

The second of an intended four-part series, A Killing Rain by Faye Snowden features homicide detective Raven Burns. She is on a beach in California when she decides finally to return home to Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana to start her new life of working in a restaurant. Then Raven’s nephew is kidnapped and her foster brother is the chief suspect. So, she accepts the Sherriff’s invitation to return to her old job, although she is conflicted about having taken a life, albeit a serial killer’s. As she investigates trying to find out who the real Sleeping Boy serial killer is, her visions of her dead serial killer father continue to plague her. A southern gothic tale of a flawed hero that is most enjoyable, with building tension and a dramatic finale making for a four star rating. With thanks to Flame Tree Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

I didn’t really know what to expect for this one, kind of a rural Americana detective story. I hadn’t read a previous Raven Burns story which I think would have been helpful just to further understand her motivations and links to the people in the town. This didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all and I did get engrossed in the story quicker than anticipated.

I liked the character of Raven, she sassy and underneath her bravado you get little glimpses of how she was hurt and affected by her piece of shit father. This links nicely into her protective nature towards her nephew Noe which forms an integral part of the story. I thought the location suited the story and the writing really paints a picture of this dusty, small town diner town. I really want to go to Billy Ray’s, those bits really made me hungry.

Enjoyable detective story, will definitely try and read the previous one.

It is a welcome return for both readers and protagonist,Raven Burns to the environs of Byrd Landing, first introduced in debut novel 'A Killing Fire'.

Following the explosive events of book 1, book 2 begins with Raven returning to , quite literally face her ghosts in an atmosphere as rich and redolent as one of Billy Ray's gumbos .

She has no job, her mental health is against the ropes after laying to rest a serial killer and to some extent, her father's legacy as a stone cold killer.

Revamping the house left for her by mentor, Oral,and working for ex-police colleague Billy Ray, seems like a good way to earn an honest living.

Also, a very satisfying one where the visible results of her clean and repairing the physical environment will hopefully reciprocate on her internal wellbeing.

A new relationship, reconnecting with her foster brother and establishing a sense of family is so important to Raven, and it is a joy to see her settle back in her home town.

But....at the back of your mind you are waiting for the second shoe to drop, something bad is lurking in the shadows and it is not the lingering of a guilty conscience.

Without giving away spoilers, Raven finds herself pulled into a family situation with a surprising appearance from a nephew she never knew she had. As quickly as he arrives and settles into a kind of life with her brother, Cameron, he vanishes.

And with a serial killer on the loose, the Sleeping Boy murders have a personal and devastating effect on Raven and her loved ones.

Quicker than you can order a po'boy,Raven is back doing what she does best-investigating the bejeesus out of this case and bringing her nephew back home.

But something has followed her from her sojourn in California and there is a lurking presence in the shadows which is causing shudders to ripple down your spine...

Brilliantly balancing the supernatural and the detective elements of her story,this is evidence of a writer hitting her stride and finding the voice of Raven.

Layers are added to what you know about her and yet there is so much more room for her and her extended family to grow. I predict more stories from this strong presence in the field of detective fiction.

Raven Burns has come home. Not that she feels at home in Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana. She grew up there, true. It was also where her serial killer father had prowled the streets for years. It was where he murdered her stepmother. Byrd’s Landing was where another serial killer had killed her friend, tortured and almost killed her partner, and framed her for his crimes. There were a lot of bad memories for one young woman in that small Louisiana town.

It was the place she had concluded that she must become a murderer herself, the place from which she set out to end the life of that killer, Lamont Lavelle. Now, it was the place she returned to when the deed was done.

Byrd’s Landing was changed when she returned. Her former partner on the police force had left and started a restaurant. Her brother was soon to become a father to a teenager–a child he never knew that he had. And she has changed, from homicide detective to stone-cold killer (even if the person killed was himself a murderer). One thing has not changed, though. Byrd’s Landing still seems to grow more than its share of murderers.

Teenage boys are being slaughtered in Byrd’s Landing. Their bodies are meticulously washed and then left in obvious places where they will be found–and presumably a message will be received. There is no obvious connection between the boys, no apparent connection between the locations other than each represents a place of authority within the community, and no clues left by the killer. The police are not getting anywhere, so the chief calls on his former detective to help investigate.

Burns would probably have an easier time investigating if her dead father’s voice would stop giving her advice. She feels compelled to join the case, though, to stop the deaths of these teenagers. A case that becomes much more personal when her brother becomes the chief suspect–and her nephew becomes the latest to disappear.

Raven Burns is hard to like and impossible to ignore. She is a walking mass of contradictions: a homicide detective who murdered a man, a troubled woman with the voice of a serial killer in her head, someone willing to do what needs to be done and willing to push others beyond their breaking points to get them to help. She alienates friends, family, other officers, long-time acquaintances. Yet she is also determined, relentless, and reckless in her pursuit of the murderer.

A Killing Rain is a taut story full of big city tension and small town gossip. The characters are as delightful as sweet tea and as spicy as a Cajun gumbo. Racial tensions, class distinctions, and decades of mistrust cloy like the humidity of a bayou summer’s day. Faye Snowden has not just written another mystery. She has written a reminder that a sleepy southern town may hide a number of harsh realities under its genteel veneer.

If you are looking for a gritty thriller read, then look no more, this was superb.
The characters were Wowzers, I can’t really say much without giving too much away.
I was hooked instantly, and yes I couldn’t get enough of this brilliant book.

Flame Tree Press has become one of my go-to publishers for horror, mystery and even science fiction genre books. A Killing Rain is a dark edged mystery/thriller story from an author knew to me. I was looking forward to start reading to see if this book kept up the Flame Tree Press standards I have come to expect.

Raven Burns finds herself returning to Byrd's Landing in Louisiana. A town infamous for serial killers! She is the daughter of a former police officer and serial killer. Having experienced the worst of this town she left, to free herself from it and her past. After a serial killer kidnapped the adopted son of her foster brother, while helping on the case. Her foster brother is the prime suspect. Raven believes he is innocent so ends up on a trail for a killer again. She ends up in a race against time as her past is on its way back to haunt her too. Will she redeem her family's dark past and make the town a better place, or is it too late to save?

The beginning of this story made me sit up and definitely take notice. I was already invested after the first chapter. It is a story that Faye Snowden slowly builds the atmosphere and tension until its that tight that its almost terrifying. I was hooked throughout.

I found Raven a fascinating character to try to understand, which I must say 'try' was the word. Every character in A Killing Rain is a puzzle as they all have ulterior motives and none of them are up front about them. This makes it hard to know them fully, but it creates such a suspenseful read while I tried. What I did find was that I found I related to them much more through their multitude of realistic flaws than any other quality.

A book that kept me on my toes as I became more intrigued as I turned the pages. The plot twists were perfectly placed to keep me guessing, as motives began to rise to the surface. An immersive, gritty thriller that pulls you in immediately with the depth and layers of this powerful tale. If you - like me, love delving into darkness without knowing what you will find, pick up this book.


Thanks to Anne Cater, Flame Tree Press and NetGalley

Faye Snowden has created a fascinating character in Raven Burns. As a child, her serial killer father made her an unwitting accomplice in his killing spree, and now, as she battles with her demons, and the persistent voice of her father in her head, she has to hunt down another serial killer.

A KILLING RAIN finds Raven returning home to Byrd’s Landing in Louisiana, the only place to which she has a sense of belonging, and where she worked her last case as a cop before resigning from the Byrd Landing Police Force.

All she wants to do is be a barista, and serve coffee to the train of characters in this small, sometimes claustrophobic, archetypical Louisiana small town. Snowden does an excellent job of describing the town, its cloying humidity, the smell of honeysuckle, and the taste of gumbo and catfish, and its people, who are well-fleshed out and real.

There’s her ex-partner Billy Ray, her brother Cameron, an old school friend, Edmee, and a variety of interesting characters doing interesting jobs, like Willie Lee Speck who runs a crime scene clean-up business.

In this world, Raven just wants to stay out of the limelight and settle down, and be a sister to Cameron, and an aunt to his teenage son, Noe, with whom he’s been recently reunited.

But it’s not to be.

A killer is stalking young boys, killing them and staging the crime scenes with care and delicacy. And when Noe and his friend Clyde go missing, Raven is pulled into the case.

Raven struggles to overcome her past, and the antagonism her reputation brings, as time ticks on and hope of finding Noe alive fades.

Raven is a great protagonist, snarky, full of common sense and heart, but also fragile due the constant presence of her father in her life and in her head.

A must read.

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this riveting read.

A noir set in Louisiana, a hard nosed and interesting detective, a gripping and twisty plot.
This is the first book I read in this series and liked it. It's gripping and entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4 Stars!

I have come to look to Flame Tree Press for the best in new horror fiction, but the publisher is more than just a one-trick pony. In addition to the great horror novels, Flame Tree puts out some very good mystery and science fiction works as well. A Killing Rain by Faye Snowden falls firmly in the realm of mystery and thriller with a definite dark edge. I eagerly sank into the novel for a thrilling and terrifying read.



Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana, is known for one thing: serial killers. The town seems to rest on poisoned land that spawns those who prey upon their fellow man. Raven Burns knows this all too well. As not only the daughter of a serial killer but also a former cop, she has seen the darkest corners of the small town. That is why she fled from the town and her past. The darkness, however, is not so easy to escape and Raven finds herself drawn back to the town and in pursuit of yet another murderer.



Raven was trying to settle into a normal life. She was determined to rebuild her family home and got a job as a waitress at the restaurant of her former partner. She even reluctantly started a relationship with a stranger to the town. Then the sheriff came around seeking her help in stopping a serial killer that had started stalking the town. Raven did her best to stay out of it and was mostly successful until the killer kidnapped the adopted son of her foster brother and he found himself as the prime suspect for the boy’s disappearance. Only Raven believes in her foster brother’s innocence, and she finds herself on the trail of a killer once more. But her past is pursuing her as well, and it quickly becomes a race against time to bring justice to the small town once again. Can Raven redeem her family and help push it further from its dark history or is the past too strong to ever fully escape?



A Killing Rain start off with a bang as Raven looks to exorcise one of the ghosts of her past and then settles into a slow burn as Snowden slowly builds the plot and ramps up the tension. This is not an action-packed tail but one that is built over the course of the story through an oppressive atmosphere and psychological tension building toward terror. The reader can slide into the story easily but Snowden does a good job of keeping things a little off kilter so the reader never seems to find a balance. The gothic style of building the story keeps the chapters flowing by like a sluggish river that hides a monster (or corpse) just below the surface. The characters all have ulterior motives that they work to hide so that it is difficult to get a true read on their true thoughts. Much of the action takes place off the page which keeps the tension high. Snowden proves that she is a master of this type of noir story as it never bogs down even though the pace is more of a slow simmer than a fast burn. Intrigue and deception fill the story and keep the reader guessing while the true motives of the characters slowly come to light.



A Killing Rain is the second part of a planned four-book series but it can be read as a stand-alone story as well. Reading the first book adds depth but Snowden gives enough detail and background to make the characters come to life even without reading the first book. The novel also avoids the trap of a slower second book in a series and is a compelling read on its own merits. Snowden does not spare plot twists to keep the reader guessing and there were enough wrinkles to keep the intrigue high even though I was able to guess many of the events that were to come (at least in part). There are no heroes in the novel but that does not hold it back at all. It is easy to relate to the realistic characters and find yourself relating with them through their flaws rather than their transcendent qualities. Much like life, A Killing Rain is a messy story that is even more glorious for its grit and grime. A Killing Rain is an immersive read that feels real from the first page and draws its power from the imperfections it puts forth. This novel is highly recommended for readers who are not afraid to investigate the darkness only to find a glimpse of their own face peering back at them.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. A Killing Rain is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2022.

A Killing Rain, by Faye Snowden. Raven was fantastic in this book! I was happy to see that the leading character/ heroine is a African American woman and she’s a retired cop to boot. I loved that her character was written as a hard nose cop that is very intelligent, she knows her job and has a caring heart. This thriller was captivating with the story of chasing a serial killer.
The characters were all very interesting. Each had their own strange quirks. I will say that Billy Ray is probably the most sanest one out them all. The story has a flow to added with the background story in relation to Raven and her father. Now their story really intrigued me.
All the secrets and unanswered questions to why Raven is still being haunted by the killings. I would have like to see more of the story with the serial killer playing a part in the book. Such as him or her stalking their prey. Narrating their dialogue to themselves. The actual killing of their prey.
The story was good. I found it entertaining as well as a page turner. Until next time my my fellow readers… read on!