You Can Run, the first book in Rebecca Zanetti’s Laurel Snow series, is live!
A smart and complex mystery/suspense story, this is an intense read from start to finish with just a hint of romance, I really enjoyed this one!
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Blurb
Fans of Lauran Griffin and Lisa Jackson won’t want to miss this brand new thriller series by New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti, as FBI Special Agent Laurel Snow, a rising star profiler, strives to stay one step ahead of the criminal mind—and discovers that her own demons may be the hardest to outrun…
“Be prepared to stay up all night…Rebecca Zanetti takes you on a thrill-ride, pitting characters you love against impossible odds.” —Christine Feehan, New York Times bestselling author
Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation, but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness…
A former soldier and a trained sniper, Huck’s thirst for blood is rivaled only by his fierce pursuit of Laurel. He’s been burned by love, wounded by the government, and betrayed before, and to say he has trust issues is the ultimate understatement. Plus, he might be closer to this killer than anybody knows…
Once in the heart of darkness with Huck, Laurel must negotiate her distracting desire for him, her complex rapport with Abigail—and her mission to find a serial killer among a growing list of suspects and a danger that’s far too close to home. So close in fact, Laurel fears she will never find her way back to the woman she once was…
Review
4 stars
Rebecca Zanetti delivers a smart and complex mystery/suspense story for the first book in her Laurel Snow series. An intense read from start to finish with just a hint of romance, I really enjoyed this one!
Laurel Snow is a genius who is lacking in social skills, and working as a profiler for the FBI. Her skills have her in hot demand, but when a number of dead bodies are uncovered near her home town, and her beloved uncle is brought in for questioning, she flies out to the Pacific Northwest to investigate the case.
Huck Rivers is an ex-military man with a dark past who is working as a Fishing and Wildlife Officer. He does a lot of search and rescue, and is a local expert in the area where the bodies were discovered, and his boss has just made him the lead investigator on the case. He’s not happy with the assignment, even less so when he is teamed up with an out-of-town FBI agent.
Together, Laurel and Huck begin their hunt for a serial killer, and it’s going to lead them down a long and twisted path. Their interviews with witnesses uncover all sorts of secrets and surprises, and their list of suspects grows every day. The two of them work brilliantly together – bouncing off each other intelligently and naturally. I was wholly invested and madly theorising the whole time I was reading, and loved the twists and turns in the story. And the closer they get to the truth, the more daring the killer becomes, and Laurel herself is targeted, finding herself in terrifyingly dangerous situations.
Of course, their working relationship is complicated by their growing feelings for each other. Huck has been hurt by love before, and he is angry, closed off and dealing with demons from his past. He has zero intention of acting on his mad attraction to Laurel, but the mounting danger, and increasing number of near misses has them growing closer and closer.
There was something undeniably delicate about this brilliant woman, and she drew him in a way that would be a disaster for them both. Yet he set a knuckle beneath her chin and lifted it anyway… “I’d come and get you even if it wasn’t my job.”
Though I wouldn’t really classify this book as a romance, there is definitely some action in that area, and the stage is set for a slow-burning love story that will (hopefully) unfold as the series continues.
This is a really cleverly written story. My mind was racing the whole time, trying to figure it all out, and I was constantly guessing and re-guessing, changing my mind as each new puzzle piece is revealed, and revelling in how well Zanetti put her story together. The characters are well developed, intriguing, and appropriately creepy – from the witnesses and suspects to the dodgy Sheriff and the friends and family that we meet along the journey, and each of them brings a lot to the story.
While reading this book I was reminded of Zanetti’s Anna Albertini series. This book is definitely not a comedy, and has darker, more serious themes, but there are definite similarities that I enjoyed – smart, independent woman making her way in her chosen field and assembling an unlikely team around herself to do it.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s well written, with a strong mystery/suspense storyline with just the right amount of creepiness, a good amount of danger and action, heartfelt emotion and family drama, and enough hints of a love story to keep the romance reader in me satisfied. It’s a strong start to a new series, and I’m keen to read more.
4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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