First book in a new series about FBI Beth Katz who is also a killer. It should not be possible, but it is and it is fabulous. I look forward to reading more.

The beginning of a gritty series with Special Agent Beth Kratz, the daughter of a serial killer who has made it her life’s work to eliminate other serial killers. After dispatching her latest one, she tosses a tarot card onto his body so his death will be blamed on the Tarot Killer. When told to take time off to recover, she is assigned to work with Special Agent Dax Styles, an unconventional agent, in Rattlesnake Creek, Montana. With her cybersecurity background, she is able to surf the dark web to find those who harm children. They are searching for a man who calls himself the Warlock. He entices two girls into the woods where he kills one and the other one is never seen again. While searching, she finds a group of young women who have been forced into prostitution to obtain the drugs they are hooked on. Without Dax aware of what she is doing, she will make sure the pimp is taken care of as well as a drug operation. When they get a lead on the Warlock, will they take him down or will a force of nature take care of him for them? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"My father was a serial killer...and he triggered my dark side "

What a start to the Special Agent Beth Katz psychological serial killer thriller series, book one, Dark Angel, by bestselling thriller author D K Hood.

FBI Agent Beth Katz tracks pedophiles, murderers, & human traffickers. Strangely, they often suffer creative deaths with a tarot card left on their dead body.

So as the FBI hunts the serial killer of serial killers, The Tarot Killer, Beth hunts the dregs avoiding her peers from seeing her darker side.

In Dark Angel she fails a psych test after a brutal case and is sent to Montana in the middle of nowhere to be observed by Special Agent Styles.

Props to narrator Lauryn Allman for giving Beth her wicked snarkiness. My favorite is her response to a pedophile saying she's too old and he, "prefers my girls 12 years old." Beth calmly states, "Well I prefer my pedophiles dead."

Is Beth a serial killer or just the killer of serial

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from Bookouture via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Super excited to see a new series by D.K.Hood. This one did not disappoint. I think we are going to see a lot of character development and arcs over the course of this series.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my copy of Dark Angel by DK Hood
This is the first book in the new series centring on FBI Agent Beth Katz who also happens to be a vigilante serial killer.
To me the two just do not go together. I am going to reserve judgement and read the next book before deciding if this is right for me.
I love the authors work but not sure this works for me.

“My father was a serial killer, and by the time they placed me into foster care—so was I. I watched my father murder my mom …. No one will ever know that during those terrifying few seconds, he triggered my dark side and gave me a reason to kill monsters like him.”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Dark Angel by D.K. Hood. This is Book 1 in the Special Agent Beth Katz series of crime thrillers.

From the opening we learn that Special Agent Beth Katz is not a typical F.B.I. agent. Alongside her work, she expresses her dark side as a vigilante dedicated to hunting down murderers who have evaded capture. She is known to the Bureau as the Tarot Killer for the signature of leaving a Death tarot card on her victims. However, they believe the Tarot Killer is a male.

After an especially difficult case Beth undergoes a psych evaluation and afterwards is reassigned to the remote field office of Rattlesnake Creek, Montana under the supervision of Senior Special Agent Dax Styles. It’s a two-person office plus Styles’ dog, Bear. Styles is a loner and in addition to Beth having a rest, D.C. wants Beth to keep an eye on him.

While this may been expected to be a quiet assignment, Beth has hardly arrived when they receive news of a body being found in a pine forest outside of Rainbow, a mining town within their jurisdiction. Two girls, Brooklyn Daniels and Skylar Peters, had been reported missing and after a few days of searching Brooklyn was found with her dress folded beside her and a crown of wildflowers on her head. Of Skylar there was no trace.

They are advised that this is the seventh case in which the unsub has taken two girls. One girl, always blonde, is killed and left with her clothes folded beside her body and the other vanishes. This reminds Beth of a cold case in Idaho where a number of blonde girls had been murdered and their clothing folded beside them. The unsub had been dubbed the Piped Piper given his ability to seemingly lure girls to remote sites. Could the Piped Piper have started up again in a new location?

Beth and Dax investigate the case in conjunction with the local sheriff. Beth is faced with the dilemma of whether to let justice play out or to take the law into her own hands. There are the occasional chapters from the unsub’s point of view, so we know how he is luring his victims.

I enjoy police procedurals including those featuring the F.B.I.. However, I always have some difficulty with vigilante justice as a theme, especially if the person involved is an officer of the law. Beth also seemed to have quite wide experience, citing both specialty in cybercrimes and undercover work. I didn’t note her age being mentioned. Still, I expect that more of her professional background will emerge as the series progresses.

Even with this uncertainty about Beth, I quickly became invested in the narrative. There were some interesting twists along the way.

Overall, I found this an engaging read. I was left with questions about the case as well as about Beth. However, as its sequel, ‘Shadow Angel’, has also recently been published, I expect that some of these might be addressed. I plan to read it soon.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

FBI, serial-killer, unputdownable, suspense, thriller, psychopath, K-9, working-partners, triggers, trafficking, abduction, criminal-acts, crime-fiction, crime-thriller, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-history, local-law-enforcement, first-in-series, new-series, Montana, investigations, investigators, real-horror, serial-murder, serial-rapist*****

Special Agent Beth Katz is exceptional. She is also a serial killer intensely focused on the monsters who prey on children. The FBI is unaware of this aspect of her life but send her off to the wilds of Montana to work with Agent Dax Styles who is an unrepentant loner who always gets the job done. Except for this one particular serial killer who has been around a very long time and has moved into Montana.
Voice actor Lauryn Allman is an interesting choice as narrator whose best talent is ratcheting up the tension.
I requested and received a free temporary audiobook from Bookouture Audio from NetGalley. Thank you.

Dark Angel is the first book in a new series created by D.K. Hood. I'm a huge fan of Hood's and couldn't wait to read this new series. The series is based on FBI agent Beth Katz who specializes in finding serial killers. Beth has a knack of thinking like a serial killer as her father was one! They say that kind of thing can run in families and Beth has a secret that she keeps hidden from her FBI co-workers. She has the dark side to her, but she uses it for good. Beth takes down very bad people that murder, injure, or hurt others. No one else knows this and Beth must work hard to keep it that way!

Beth has been moved to the Montana FBI field office to work with a new partner Dax Styles. He's been a one man show in Montana for a couple of years and he kind of liked it that way. Dax has some secrets in his past that he's not ready to share yet either. Beth was moved here after being in the middle of a big case where she saved a little girl from a serial killer, but the killer was found dead. Even though no one saw Beth do it, her superiors thought she didn't empathize enough with the little girl and sent her to Montana. Meanwhile, Beth had shielded the little girl from the killer and put her in a safe spot. Beth said she arrived after the killer was already dead. A tarot card was left with the body of the killer and the cops and FBI knew that the Tarot Card killer had taken down the serial killer. The Tarot Card killer was a vigilante killing only the worst of the worst and it was Beth.

Agents Katz and Styles are called to the scene of a murdered young girl. Her clothes are piled neatly next to her body and she has been missing for a week. Brooklyn Daniels and her friend went into the woods together one week ago and neither has been seen until now. Brooklyn is dead and placed just so while there's no trace of her friend. They call the killer the Pied Piper. This starts happening in towns close by. Two girls go missing and one turns up dead with her clothes piled beside her. The other girl is never seen again. Katz and Styles want to catch the Pied Piper before more bodies are found. It's heartbreaking that these young girls are being killed.

As Katz and Styles begin investigating they have some leads on who they think could be doing this. Will they figure it out before the next pair of girls go missing? How is the killer communicating with the girls to get them to go into the woods? Do the girls know the killer? What happens to the second girl? Why doesn't she run when the Pied Piper is killing her friend? Katz and Styles have the local police helping as well as famous Medical Examiner in the next town over. With all of them working together, can they stop this horrific killer? Dark Angel is a thrilling read that will have you guessing and on edge until the very end. Will Katz be able to keep her dark side from the others as she works this case? Will Katz begin to trust Styles and vice versa? D.K. Hood has another hit series for readers to devour! I rate Dark Angel 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of Dark Angel in return for a fair review. #DarkAngel

A new series by D.K Hood is one I needed to read and straightaway. Dark Angel is the first book that introduces us to special agent Beth Katz. I couldn't wait to get to know this new character and see what she was all about!

Set in Rattlesnake Creek, where Beth Katz has been sent to work with Dax Styles. Having a partner is not something she enjoys as she likes to work alone. As they get caught up investigating a big case, she finds she starts to like Dax. Beth has deep, dark secrets, and I was wary for her myself as I was caught up in this book so much.

D.K Hood has always made me feel like the settings are so vivid in her books, and Dark Angel is no different. I felt like I could see what Beth and Dax saw so clearly. The storytelling was just as high quality as her previous series, and I was happy to see a few characters cross over into this book, too.

The plot was packed full of twists and turns with a conclusion I wasn't expecting. I found myself holding my breath at times as I read. The pages literally flew by, and I finished reading way too soon for my liking... but I did go straight to the second book! A brilliant start to a new series! One I highly recommend.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted ebook to write my review.

It was Beth Katz’s serial killer father who made her like she is: a successful FBI agent and an unstoppable vigilante dedicated to hunting down murderers who have evaded capture. When the body of missing schoolgirl Brooklyn Daniels is discovered in a secluded patch of woodland on the outskirts of town, Beth and her partner Dax Styles race to the scene. Brooklyn and her best friend left home to pick wildflowers a week ago and vanished without trace. Taking in Brooklyn’s body carefully laid on a blanket and the dress neatly folded next to her, Beth suddenly freezes. She’s seen this before: in the files of a cold case.
The start of a new series & a good starter it was. Beth isn’t your run of the mill FBI agent, she’s got secrets. Reassigned to Montana she has a new partner & soon has a murder to solve. The author lays quite a bit of groundwork which I’m sure will be needed in future books. The pace is very good , the characters well portrayed & I was hooked & look forward to meeting Beth again
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

We are introduced to Beth Katz – a successful FBI agent with a secret. Her past has made her serial killer, but not just any killer, she “delivers justice” – tracks serial killers down that the system can’t touch and has revenge. A very different way of living, it is taking me a bit to get into it, it blurs the liens between what is right and wrong.
Beth Katz gets posted to Rattlesnake Creek – where Dax Styles has been for a while, he has his own secrets. They are called to scene of a missing schoolgirl, when a body is found, clothes are found neatly folded beside her, it triggers something, Beth has seen this before. Beth likes working alone, now she has Dax watching her, how will this work.
A very interesting start to a new series, I was happy to see some familiar faces, looking forward how this is all going to work out.

Great start to a new series. Vigilante FBI Agent Beth Katz gets transferred to Rattlesnake Creek, a small town in the Rocky Mountains, to work under the watchful eye of senior Agent Dax Styles. He is former military, a loner and very smart, and Beth is going to have to be very careful not reveal her true self. This creates an interesting dynamic between them. I really liked the characters and the story was tense and well written. I am looking forward to more in this series.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I needed a bit of a break from the Kane & Alton series after falling out of love with some of the characters so I was excited to get stuck into this one. If you’ve read the Kane & Alton series then you will have met Beth before as the mysterious Tarot Card killer.

I really enjoyed the different angle to this book. Having Beth be both a crime fighter and a serial killer made it more interesting. Vigilante’s aren’t usually my cup of tea but I found myself rooting for her and liking her character more with each chapter. I also wasn’t sure how I felt about Dax at the start but he grew on me and they worked well as a duo.

Child murder is always a difficult subject to read but it was written well and although there wasn’t a major twist I enjoyed the hunt for the killer. There was also the added suspense of what Beth would do next. Kane & Alton are by the book detectives whereas Beth & Dax like to bend the rules and colour outside the lines. It is a bit stressful wondering how and if they will get away with some of their actions but it does add some excitement

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

4.5⭐
I'm a massive fan of author D.K. Hood and her Kane and Alton series. So, I was extremely excited to read this new and intriguing series, and I can honestly say it didn't disappoint.

As FBI Agent Beth Katz is unlike any character I've come across before and I was hooked from the moment she rescued an abducted young girl by killing the perpetrator before calling it in and making out she was just arriving on scene.

Yes, Beth Katz is a serial killer and if you've read the Kane and Alton series you'll know she's actually one we've met before!

But Beth has made a mistake as her latest kill has not only caught the eye of M.E. Shane Wolfe but her superiors. Who think she is struggling after dealing with too many homicides in such a short amount of time.

And so Beth is transferred to the Rattlesnake Creek field office in Montana to partner with maverick agent Dax Styles.

And her first thought is: will she be able to keep her killer tendencies under wraps?

 Yet, that soon becomes the least of her problems when two girls disappear and the pair land in the world of human trafficking, prostitution and murder. And a killer that reminds Beth of an old case.

And with great twists, intriguing characters and a few shocks along the way. This was a fantastic introduction to Beth Katz and D.K Hood's new series and I can't wait to jump in to Shadow Angel next.

I would definitely recommend this story to all.

D.K. Hood the creator of the Alton and Kane books. This new series features Beth Katz and has me so excited as it's a new series that will be very fresh. A new character to get my mind wrapped around as well .

The prologue drags you into the mind of a serial killer partially. I love the fact that it talks about the nurture value as well and that you can be affected by external forces which will form your personality in later life.

The descriptions of what the captive went through so eaely onhad me living through that hell with her. It had the hair on my arm stand on end.

The fear wasn't replaced when someone came up with her even if he was there to protect her. It was very terrifying as who knows what would happen in that case or even what you would do if you were put into that place.

One thing that makes me like this more is that it isn't the same as the Alton and Kane series and that the people who are the main characters are not a sheriff and deputy but FBI agents. I think that the fact that they are different jobs will make it harder to try and compare the two.

Was excited to see the tie in with the BlackRock falls people as Shane Wolfe was seen and he is one of my all time favourite characters.

The story is very good as I love the vigilante style that they are showing. The sound of dax styles as well has me intrigued he is a loner and from what I picture he isn't one to keep things pleasant and will do what he can to see if an agent is in need of being removed from service.


Beth has a certain something about her which makes her an attractive character for a reader. She has faults as well as virtues. She also doesn't just accept change as easily as what others do and shows that she has to adapt to her situation with time.

The revenge aspects and who should die or a god complex is really rampant in this book and I find that it's great. She has taken the avenging angel and out something fresh on it.

Beth is a greatly designed character showing sociopathic behaviour. I am enjoying the journey with her and with Styles who also doesn't follow the rules. When I first met him I thought it would be black and white with him but he isn't like that at all. He doesn't care about the rules as much as I thought and he will do what must be done to succeed in his own way.

The story itself is definitely harrowing and sickening at the same time. It's greatly written however the story is sickening with the child prostitution ring. I think that it has been handled well and with the respect that this type of story requires.

How does this book make me feel? Well that's hard to describe as the book was so well written and I am beginning to really fall for Beth who is a loner at heart. I also love that she is a powerful lady who can handle anything that is thrown at her.

The book like this can be hit or miss as it deals with topics that are very sensitive and it is handled well. I won't say that I love the story as it was hard at points especially as it dealt with children. I do think the book is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. It pushes the boundaries of what I expected and the tie ins from the other series makes it that much sweeter.

This book has so many great facets to it that I am really looking forward to the second book to see just what Styles and Katz get up to. Amazing quality book.

Wow, just as fabulous as this author's Kane and Alton series - (which I have recently discovered and am slowly reading from the beginning.) Excellent writing and I love the detailed plotting that makes up this police/FBI serial killer plot set in an isolated Montana town. Beth is such a complex character, (a vigilante serial killer, slash, FBI agent) and her partner Dax, is her perfect foil. They bounce off each other and there's action, grizzly murders and twists.

One or two characters from the other series make appearances, but there are no spoilers. This book series stands alone and I can't wait the read book two. Both books one and two are being released on September 12th.

My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for my opinion. I don't give five stars lightly and I devoured this book in a couple of sittings. So, if you love crime novels and engaging characters, read this!

This book gives 'Dexter' vibes, so you'll enjoy this book if you liked the show! I will say that the first few chapters were hard to get through due to the nature of the content, however, given everything going on in the world, I think it's an extremely important topic.

Overall, the author did a good job of having lightness throughout the book so that it didn't get too dark & intense, which I liked. There were a lot of action scenes, so things moved forward very quickly. I did find that a lot of sub-plots were added that didn't make a lot of sense to the main story, but still worked with the book...it was just fluff though. I'm interested enough to want to read the second book in the series and see where it goes!

Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - August 29, 2023
Publication Date - September 12, 2023

*I received an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @d.k.hood, @bookouture and @netgalley!

Dark Angel is the first book in D.K. Hood's new crime thriller series. From the start, the reader is thrown into action and suspense! This was great because I was hooked right away and the pace never slowed down for very long. I was also never able to guess who the killer was... which is always a plus when reading a thriller! When a book is too predictable, it can become boring. Happily, that was not the case with Dark Angel!

I also loved the end when D.K. Hood included statistics, showing how few children have access to books in their homes and imploring for readers help provide more access, even by just spreading their love of reading with a child they know. This “small” addition makes a huge difference and I was so happy to see it!

It's September, which is officially the start of spooky season in my books and I recommend this series for your spooky season reading!

*Please check trigger warnings*

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

man oh man how i wanted to hate beth katz... she is a psychopath and an fbi agent and she carries both very well...

shes a hard character to like but somewhere in this book and i cant even say when it happened i started to like her and her abrasive ways, but she is going to have to work on her ways with her new partner though or else he is going to suspect and find out her other persona....

this is a hard hitting book about a paedophile disguising himself as a wizard to get to the children he wants... he rapes and murders one of them and takes the other one away...no other body is found

with guest appearances from wolfe from the other series this is a brilliant book in a new series from this author.. i cant wait to start on the 2nd book

Hood has really pushed the envelope with the debut of her new series.
The author is asking a lot of me and I’m conflicted about FBI agent Beth Katz.
Katz is a chameleon, able to change and hide and be covert when any situation calls for it.
I loved her take charge, get things done, talents, and even her sense of vigilante justice.
What bothers me is her demonic serial killer predatory side. While I agree with the need to clear society, where is the line drawn?
It’s an exciting new series and I love the inclusion of Wolfe! I don’t know what Hood has in mind for Styles and Katz, so can’t wait to read more.
Oh, and I can’t forget the adorable dog Bear who is terrified of chickens!!