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

Published by Kristen Ashley Rock Chick LLC on March 21, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Thrillers / General
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, eBook, Paperback
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This body would be the last for Zachariah Lazarus...
The Crystal Killer's latest casualty was discovered in a sleepy town in the Pacific Northwest, Misted Pines.
His years in the FBI, and tracking the Crystal Killer, have taken their toll on Rus. He lost his marriage to the job. And the burdens he carries for the victims were crushing him.
Misted Pines has recently survived a killer's rampage and a town scandal that made global news. The media was primed to devour a new story. So Rus already has his work cut out for him.
But it's more.
Something is just not right with this latest victim.
As Rus works with the local sheriff to unravel the mystery, the victim's employer, Lucinda Bonner, decides she's going to do everything she can to help.
To help Rus find the killer. To help Rus survive the hunt. To help Rus navigate the intricate, and sometimes sordid, history of the town of Misted Pines.
And to help Rus let go of his burdens.
Wow! What a ride! Kristen Ashley’s latest kept me glued to my Kindle and guessing whodunit right up the very end. ~ Larri – Simply Love Books
What a ride! This one kept me guessing right up to the twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I loved the new characters (even the bad guys) and seeing and learning more about the cast of characters from the The Girl in the Mist. I enjoyed the first book in Kristen Ashley’s suspense/mystery series, but The Girl in the Woods is even better than the first! I wasn’t sure what to expect–which characters from The Girl in the Mist would show up, or who would be investigating, Cade Bohannon or someone new. Turns out the someone new is Zachariah Lazarus “Rus”, an FBI agent who has been on the trail of the Crystal Killer for several years, and ready to turn in his badge. When a young woman is murdered in a very similar way to the victims of the Crystal Killer, Rus shows up in Misted Pines, but quickly figures out something isn’t quite right with this murder scene. I quickly came to like Rus, his thoughtful approach to his work, local law enforcement, and the townspeople. I liked the way he worked with the sheriff, Harry, his officers, and staff, as well as Cade Bohannon and his PI sons. In fact, I’m hoping we see more of Harry and the Bohannon boys in future books. His relationship with the employer of the murder victim was borderline insta love, actually it definitely crossed that border, but nonetheless, it didn’t feel forced or fake. These two very different people had incredible chemistry and just worked really well for me. I really enjoyed watching their relationship evolve and look forward to seeing more of them in future books. I’m a big fan of mystery, and this is a very good one–well developed main and secondary characters,well thought out plot with a few twists and turns, intentional dialogue that moves the story along at the perfect pace. It kept me glued to my kindle until the very end.