What a quick, fun and easy read. Perfect for the season too.
This story reminded me of that old grim reaper TV show, Six Feet Under. All the things you normally think about reapers is not so, the reapers are more human like the show. They live like humans and look like them too, just in an undead way.
I liked the story itself but didn't love the end. Man, it was rushed like an ambulance. I hate abrupt endings.
I would read more though. I want to see how Leila does as a reaper, plus we finally got to the romance between her and Wynter. I definitely want to peek in on that part of the story some more.

I received this advance copy from Goddess Fish Promotions and Pink House Press for a honest review! 

It's a small Magical world Ms. Webb as we live in the same city! Did you vote for the Trash Pandas? I did but now I feel bad about it... 

Anyway! Onto my review of The Dead Girl of Shutter Lake. What a town to live in when it is described like a paradise or that perfect town you dream about until something horrible happens. A murder in the little town of Shutter lake. What a way to start a book Ms. Webb! Within moments I was sucked and almost was late from my lunch during the fiscal new year. 

We are introduced to the cast where we focuse on Deputy Chief of Police Laney Holt, and the chief of police, Griff McCabe. They struggle to solve the first heinous crime to be committed in their peaceful town like any good series goes such as one I was watching last year on Netflix! A haunting past for both Laney and Griff is there to possibly make it hard to solve the crime..... Or does it not get in the way?

As they continue to get further in the investigation we a glimpse into the life of the victim. She the surface seems to be a kind, generous benefactor to those closest to her yet why was she killed? This made me feel like I was watching an hour long Investigation Discovery segment which I could sink my teeth into! I began to wonder who the victim really was and if she really is who everyone thought she was. Perhaps a mistake for the criminal who murdered her yet signs are pointing in all directions. If they’re not careful all their secrets may come boiling up before this story is done as we experience life through Laney Holt's eyes in Shutter Lake.

Grabbing you head on and having you on the edge of your seat about to fall off as page by page more comes out yet not enough to solve it.. You start to go one way then BANG! You were guessing wrong. Even until the end I was guessing left and right while trying to see if I just read a foreshadow or something to put me off the murderers tracks.  your attention and have you balanced on the edge of your seat. I am anxious to see what secrets will begin to be revealed as we follow the tale of the murder of Sylvia Cole.

It’s a quick, but extremely brutal read. This may not be for everyone.

You really do feel for ‘Alice’ throughout the novel and what she goes through. There’s a feeling of utter helplessness watching her suffer under the hands of Ray and his cruelty is hard to read. What’s worse is, as the novel progresses and Ray develops other plans to include Alice you feel horrible reading the book (almost like having a bad taste in the mouth).

Alice’s behavior is also hard to read. She’s been conditioned because of Ray, and some of her actions are the cause of it. You almost cringe because you start doubting her and wonder if she really will listen to Ray or not. She’s had various chances to leave Ray but her fear for her family kept her staying. It’s understandable as Ray is a manipulator and managed to twist things around to get Alice to be compliant.

There’s pieces here and there of Ray and his background. However at that point you don’t care anymore since he’s an awful scumbag and deserves any horrible thing coming at him. It’s a pretty straight forward plot, everything is done through Alice’s perspective, and it’s definitely the type of book that will stick with you for a long while.

I’m not going to recommend this, it may be too much for some readers. Definitely pick up something with a much lighter theme after this one.

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Everyone has secrets and no one knows that better than Kellen Adams. To say that her life has been turned upside down more than once would be an understatement. But Kellen is a survivor. And for the first time in longer than she can remember, she has a shot at finding home when she takes the job of assistant manager at the Yearning Sands resort. Only on the very day that her bosses leave on vacation a dead body appears on resort property and it’s clear the victim had been murdered. Now everyone around her is a suspect – from the staff to the guests – and Kellen has to put the pieces of the puzzle together before her new home turns into something from a horror movie. And is it the stress of tracking a killer that’s bringing old nightmares to the forefront of her memory or are there more sinister elements at play? Kellen can’t be sure, especially when a potentially vital year of her life is missing from her memory…

Dead Girl Running is a fantastic thriller that kept me up way too late reading. Christina Dodd is in top form in her first Cape Charade novel. It’s an engrossing, evocative, pulse-pounding page-turner.

Kellen is a stellar heroine. She’s been through absolute hell, almost lost herself in the process, and survived horrors that would break most people. She’s not exactly superhuman, but she is an incredibly strong character. I admired the way she built her life back up from the ashes and fully came into her own over the course of the story. She’s got a spine of steel and the visible scars she carries are no match for the emotional ones, but she’s a kind, fascinating character. I loved uncovering the pieces of her past alongside Kellen and my only real problem with Dead Girl Running is that I have to wait for the second book because holy cow, the information Ms. Dodd reveals about Kellen only makes me want to know more.

Mystery and murder abound at what would otherwise be the idyllic Yearning Sands. I’d be doing a disservice to readers to reveal much of the plot because this is a thriller and the excitement comes from looking for clues and watching events unfold. Suffice it to say that there are a few mysteries and they’re well-crafted and interwoven without the book losing its focus. There are also multiple players in this game and Ms. Dodd does a great job of fleshing them out and bringing the world of Dead Girl Running to life. The story itself starts off with a bang and continues to move at a good pace, building intensity until you absolutely cannot put the book down.

Dead Girl Running is the first book in Ms. Dodd’s Cape Charade series and I absolutely cannot wait for more. While this book easily stands alone, fans of Ms. Dodd’s will enjoy the loose ties it has to her Bella Terra Deception and Virtue Falls series. Whether you’re an old fan of Ms. Dodd’s or are diving into her work for the first time, Dead Girl Running is a captivating suspense novel that will leaving you begging for more Cape Charade stories.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.