USA, Louisiana, Cypress Springs, 2003
Avery Chauvin vender tilbage til sin hjemby for at finde ud af hvorfor hendes far begik selvmord. Hendes mor var død af et slagtilfælde året før.

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I enjoyed it and will read more from the author ( )

Avery is a big-city journalist who returns to her hometown of Cypress Springs after father's suicide. Once there, she's amazed to see how nothing seems to have changed. Her old friends welcome her back with open arms, and the town's seemingly peaceful existence appeals to her. What is the price of this perfection? Rumor has it that years ago a council of citizens, called the Seven, used drastic measures to clean up the town, but now several people have disappeared or been killed in suspicious ways. Have the Seven returned?

After Avery discovers her father kept a shoebox box filled with newspaper stories of the murders, her investigative instincts kick in. Why did he keep them? Was he one of the original Seven? Soon she’s joined in her search by Gwen Lancaster, whose brother is missing. She becomes involved again with the twin brothers who used to be her best friends, one who she planned to spend the rest of her life with until their paths diverged, and one who is now the black sheep of the family.

There are quite a few twists and turns along the way. There's plenty of action and the suspense remains pretty high. While parts are somewhat predictable, there are plenty of surprises. Some of the characters were well done, even though I found Avery to be a bit of a pill. Her character made so many rash choices and refused to hear anything that criticized the town or her long time friends. However, it was still an enjoyable thriller and I would try another Erica Spindler book in the future. ( )

A decent thriller about an investigative reporter who returns to her home town after her father commits suicide. But things in the town seem odd -- like the town is stuck in a timewarp and seems to like to keep outsiders out. A good story, but for an investigative reporter, it takes a long time for the main character to finally start putting the pieces together. The ending is fast-paced and enjoyable, but plot could have been tightened and writing a bit stronger. ( )

Journalist Avery Chauvin returns to her hometown of Cypress Springs to buy her father following his suicide. While there she hears whispers and rumors of disappearances. Cleaning out her father's house she finds a box full of clippings about a murder that took place about fifteen years ago. Avery begins to wonder if her father's suicide was really just that.

This is my first read by this author. I started on Friday and finished Monday morning, which is fast for me. The story sped along and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I began to get a idea of how it was going to play out. As I assign stars purely on an enjoyment factor this was a good book for me. It might have gained 5 stars if it had included a better sense of place. I read it to meet a Louisiana challenge, but it could had taken place in Idaho for all feel of the locale that came through. ( )