Creepy, atmospheric, and well written all combine into a novel I couldn't put down even if I made hubby stay up late while I finished.

After leading the investigation in finding the killer of little girls on the Appalachian Trail, Ellie Reeves is trying to cope. Cope with her parents lying to her, finding her half-brother a murder, and losing the respect of the townspeople Ellie is looking for a way to escape. Heading to the trail for a getaway of hiking Ellie's retreat is cut short when she finds a murdered woman on the path. 

Could this be another serial killer? Can Ellie find the murder in time that no other victims are taken? 

I love this series and find myself finishing it in a day.

Detective Ellie Reeves has had a lot going on recently and is on leave.
While hiking in the Appalachians Ellie comes upon a dead woman’s body.
Ellie then receives text messages the first says Monday’s child is fair of face.
And there will be one each day to go with the rhyme unless Ellie stops him.
One of the women missing is Shondra she is Ellie’s friend will they find the killer before her friend is killed.
Can’t wait for the 3rd book to see what happens to Ellie
Thanks NetGalley

We are back with Detective Tracy Reeves as she is hiking through the Appalachian Mountains and discovers a body that is resting atop a bed of daffodils, with a note sewn in to her mouth saying 'Monday's child is full of grace'. 
The murderer in this chilling tale is called The Weekday Killer as each murder follows a children's poem. When Reeves is sent a picture of her work colleague, she knows she has to work fast in order to save her colleague from the same fate. 
The characters throughout this story are well constructed and have a lot to add to this brilliant thriller. 
The plot is so perfectly paced, it certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat and has you unable to put the book down. With twists and turns and an ever growing level of suspense, this is a fantastic read.

This book was sent to me as an ARC from NetGalley. However, all opinions are of my own.
Before I start, I think it’s worth mentioning that I should have read ‘The Silent Dolls’ first as this is the second book in the series. Although it is connected it was okay to read on its own. The plot from before was easy enough to pick up on. Ellie, the detective, was in the limelight. Reviewing direct contact from the killer. The killer was murdered girls every day for a week using a rhyme. By Wednesday, a detective had been taken and the search really ramped up. The leads were always suspecting one person or another - two being detectives, who had secrets. But they weren’t the killer. Many reasons kept coming up for who or why the killer was doing what he was doing, it wasn’t until Ellie was taken herself that she clicked who it was behaving the killings - a cold calculated man who was weak and used women to torture them just so he could feel powerful.

I loved The Silent Dolls so was delighted to reacquaint myself with Detective Ellie Reeves in this new thriller. Pretty much loathed by most of the residents of her small town after events in the first book and with family problems of her own Ellie is desperate to get away and heads off into the Appalachian mountains for a few days. However her getaway is cut short when she discovers the posed, obviously murdered body of a woman. And from the texts she starts receiving from the perpetrator it's clear that she may well be a target.

Wildflower Graves works great as a standalone but there are a lot of references and mentions of events in The Silent Dolls. These are explained in enough detail for the new reader but, as ever with a series, you will probably get a richer reading experience by starting at the beginning. And The Silent Dolls is fab anyway so well worth the read. 

I love Ellie - she's strong, resilient and doesn't give up. She's not afraid to put herself in the way of danger, to the point of being reckless sometimes in her determination to catch the perpetrator. But we see her vulnerable side too with her confused feelings about her parents, and Special Agent Derrick Fox after previous events, her guilt over Shondra and her sadness at how she is being treated by many in the town. 

Derrick Fox comes across as a brooding ball of pent up anger, but in a good way! His anger is the righteous kind, or it's his anxiety that comes out as aggression. He has a very strong sense of right and wrong and is as just as focused on finding the perpetrator as Ellie. But occasionally, just occasionally, we see a more tender side to Derrick. The characterisation in the book is brilliant - it allowed me to picture each character in my mind, fully formed. And let me tell you, I do not like Sheriff Bryce Waters. At all! I should also mention the Appalachian Mountains as they are such an integral part of this story, this series actually, and so richly described. Somewhere I'd love to visit, but only with a guide! 

The story is packed with tension as Ellie seems to face danger at every turn. There are few dead ends and definitely some surprises along the way. Herron doesn't shy away from portraying violence, or its effects which might be a little off putting for some. There are a few heart stopping moments and more  than once I found myself holding my breath. 

Wildflower Graves is a well written, tense and exciting thriller, with an engaging, determined protagonist and a satisfyingly twisty storyline. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by Herron.

Really enjoying this series. Ellie’s character has definitely grown with this book and I love the chemistry/awkwardness between her and Derrick. Her complicated family also really adds to the story. This is a great read full of suspense and I spent the whole book suspicious of many characters but constantly switching who I thought the bad guy was. The ending was full of drama and I definitely hadn’t predicted any of it. Shona's abduction really adds to the tension making it impossible to put down. I hope we have more of this series to look forward to. 

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

It took me a while to get into and read this book, I think it freaked me out a bit but I was ok with that, once I got into it it kept me guessing till the killer was revealed, I really enjoyed it and would love to read more by the author

This is book 2 in Rita Herron’s new series starring Detective Ellie Reeves. Ellie decides to go hiking and get lost on the Appalachian Trail to get a break from the judgement of the townspeople who think she has something to do with her brother and family’s involvement in the killings from book one. She comes across a body perched on a bed of wildflower petals and a note listing the first verse of a childhood rhyme. When she gets back to an area of reception to call in the body, she receives a message that her friend and fellow officer, Shondra, is missing. 

This is a great second story from this series. I couldn’t put the book down and finished it quickly! There were such great ideas planted in your head while reading that made you think you knew who was behind the killings and then it would change as more information and clues were explained. I’m really enjoying this new series from Rita Herron and can’t wait until the next book in the story comes out. 


** I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review **

This is the second book in the detective Ellie Reeves series, I loved the first book so much I was excited to see a sequel available on Netgalley!
This book is set after the events of the last book, although not essential to read the first book I would recommend it for some backstory and also because it was such a great read.
When women’s bodies are found in the mountains laid on graves of wildflowers, it becomes apparent that a serial killer is at large and is killing women one by one using the days of the week rhyme...Monday’s child is....
A colleague & friend of Detective Ellie Reeves is missing and Ellie faces a race against time to save her and herself!
I did enjoy this book, it had plenty of mystery and suspense and I look forward to reading the next instalment in the detective Reeves saga whenever that comes out!

A fantastic read, it had me gripped throughout the story through it many twists.
I'm looking forward to reading more by Rita

Detective Ellie Reeves is back! Wildflower Graves is the second installment in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. Once again, the Appalachian Mountains are the site for horrific murders. Women are found dead and posed in a sea of wildflower seemingly dressed for burial. The case hits close home for Ellie when the killer begins taunting her and goes a step further by abducting her colleague and friend.

I really like the character development in this story. I had quite a number of issues with Ellie in the first book. Her romantic entanglements and tendency to run the show solo put me off. However, I enjoyed following her as she worked this case. I like her partnership with Derrick and also liked how she worked and related with Cord. I also enjoyed how the author fleshed out the other support characters such as Bryce and Ellie’s family. I found myself drawn to more characters this time around as compared to the first book.

This was a dark, twisty case with an abundance of suspects. The evidence pointed to different people and had me changing my mind from one suspect to the other. Towards the end, I was frantic in my search for answers and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The reveal was unpredictable and the ending perfect for this roller-coaster of a crime thriller.

This was yet another captivating, fast-paced, twisty cop procedural. I loved everything about it and can’t wait for the third book already.

You NEED to read this book! Excellent thriller that was hard to put down. Detective Tracy Reeves is hiking in the Appalachian Mountains and comes across a body atop a bed of daffodils. A note sewn into her mouth says “Monday’s child is full of grace.” The serial killer is named “The Weekday Killer” because each murder follows a old children’s poem. Reeves is sent a photo of her colleague and she needs to work quickly to help capture the killer and rescue her colleague before she, too falls victim. There is much suspense, and the characters are strong. There is a previous book; however this one is fine as a stand-alone book. Suspenseful to the very end, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and eagerly await the next book later this year.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fast paced exciting thriller. We learn more about the main characters in this series at the same time as they race to catch another killer. Great read.

Title: Wildflower Graves  

Author: Rita Herron

Description:

The darkness closed around her. She tried to clear her vision, but there was no light, no noise, nothing. Only the emptiness, the echoing sound of being alone. Fear pulsed through her. The man had come out of nowhere. Who was he? Blinking away tears of frustration, in the pitch black she felt the floor and walls surrounding her. Cold. Steel. Bars.

Detective Ellie Reeves heads into the wilds of the Appalachian Mountains when she wants to get lost––to forget the whispers chasing her and the past that keeps her up at night. She’s sick of having to prove herself to her small town.

But hiking in the endless miles of woods isn’t the escape she was hoping for. One night, as dusk falls, a gust of wind blows some petals on to Ellie’s path. Following the trail, she finds a golden-haired young woman dead on a bed of daffodils, with a note: Monday’s child is fair of face.

When Ellie emerges from the forest, there is a message on her phone. Someone has sent her a picture of her colleague, Officer Shondra Eastwood, with the words: Can you find her, Detective Reeves? Ellie is racked with guilt––while she was busy hiding from life a killer was on the loose, and he has taken her beloved friend.

The wilderness, and its shadows, are the perfect hunting ground for a criminal––but what does the sinister nursery rhyme mean? It soon becomes clear when another dead woman, Tuesday’s Child, is found.

Ellie is up against a serial killer who will claim a victim for every day of the week, and in the next twenty-four hours there will be another body. As this ruthless murderer closes in on her, can she save more innocent women––and Shondra––from his clutches? Or will he get to Ellie first?

An utterly gripping and completely breathless crime thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. You’ll have trouble falling asleep after this heart-pounding page-turner!

 
BLOG TOUR REVIEW 

Review for 'Wildflower Graves' by Rita Herron. 

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous 

Publication date 3rd December 2020

This is the first book that I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Detective Ellie Reeves' series. However, each book in the series can be read as a standalone. 

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover its intriguing synopsis. It also states that this books is for fans of Melinda Leigh in the blurb. I am a MASSIVE fan of Melinda Leigh so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture  that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 150 chapters. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case! 

This book is based in North America, USA 🇺🇸. 

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Detective Ellie Reeves, Special Agent Derrick Fox, victims and unsubs. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out on anything. 

OMG!!!!! What did I just read!!?!?!? Right, OK, hold on a minute let's start at the beginning!! First impressions after what attracted me to the book. 150 chapters!!! 441 pages!!! OK yep this is going to take me ages!! Ummmmm.... Nope!!! I need more!!! Absolutely flew by!!! The chapters range from one page to about four pages so please don't let the amount if chapters put you off, you will miss out on one of the best books I've read in a while. I could not out this book down. I would read one chapter, tell myself one more, just to find the next one ended in a cliff hanger and there was no chance I was leaving it there!! Several chapters and hours later its 1am and I have finished the book without even noticing the time!! 

The book is extremely smooth and well written so you just glide through the pages turning one after another and getting completely lost in them. The descriptions are vivid so I really did become lost in the woods with our characters. The storyline itself was realistic which made it even easier to imagine everything going on. The cover and the synopsis all work perfectly well with the plot. 

The storyline itself was extremely compelling and gripping. Get ready for one heck of a roller-coaster ride. Absolutely rammed full of suspense, secrets, shocks, plots, murder, tension and everything else that you love in a psychological thriller. This is not just one storyline, you are getting so many plots in this book that it will keep you guessing all the way. I have read sooo many crime novels now it is very hard for me to be surprised and shocked but that I was and very wrong on many occasions. Just as I thought I was a smart Alec and worked it all out thwack... Here comes another explosion. Honestly, just Wow!! I would have never guessed who was doing what and then it wasn't just one shocker there were several twists thrown in. You will take this book wherever you go because once your hooked that's it!! I don't think I've actually read a larger book so quickly in months!! 

I absolutely loved the range of different characters, their personalities and all the different relationships they had... The hate, the secrets, friendships and most definitely a spark of hidden love. Ellie Reeves you are a hero!!! Absolute wonderwoman!! I LOVE books that have such strong female leads and you cannot get much stronger than Ellie, that girl is a fighter!!! She goes through so many emotions and traumas yet isn't wrapped up in an institution but kicking butt!!! It wasn't just Ellie that whooped butt though but definitely Shondra, even better than one female lead is definitely two!!! Shondra also went through hell and looked the devil in the eye!! Derrick and Cord played their parts perfectly and I cannot wait to look back at the first book and more ahead to see the history and future of what certainly seems to be some sort of love triangle. Who is this mysterious Eula?? Am I right in what came from the seed that was planted towards the end?? I cannot wait to find out. 

I have raved about this book long enough but I will tell you a few things to end. You WILL miss out of what is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers if you do not pick up this book. This book NEEDS to be turned into a movie. I CANNOT wait to read more books by this extremely talented woman. To end Rita Herron I'd like to welcome you to my best authors club!!! 

Overall a mind blowing, page turning, explosive psychological thriller that will keep you up at night. 

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Hardboiled, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural and Crime Fiction amongst others. 

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Melinda Leigh, Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, Tess Gerritsen, everyone and YOU!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?! 

441 pages.

This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! 

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. 

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews 

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Author Bio:


USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn't think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn't have to get a real job.

With over ninety books to her credit, she's penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.


Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorritaherron/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ritaherron

Website: www.ritaherron.com

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08DJCY4D7Social

Apple: http://ow.ly/YQED50AOUvs

Kobo: http://ow.ly/SVgL50AOUuJ

Googleplay: http://ow.ly/WH5C50AOUy3

4.5 Stars

Wildflower Graves was a fantastic follow-up to The Silent Dolls with an intriguing plot that ties directly into Ellie's past.

Detective Ellie Reeves' life has been spinning out of control since the revelation that her parents covered for a serial killer. To escape the whispers and stares, Ellie heads into the Appalachian Mountains for a break. But while hiking the trail, Ellie discovers the body of a woman laid out with a note suggesting she won't be the last. After emerging from the forest, Ellie is sent a photo of her friend, Officer Shondra Eastwood, making it clear the killer has taken her. With a killer on the loose and new bodies showing up each day, Ellie is in a race against the clock to find her friend before it's too late.

The premise of this book was very intriguing, someone is killing women and matching them up to characters in a poem. I found the concept fascinating particularly as the killer matches up the victims' personality traits to the poem. The fact the killer was able to uncover that much information about their victims in order to be able to do that was downright creepy. There were a few people presented throughout the book as suspects and I have to say I did not guess who the killer ended up being. I was so sure it was someone else until the final reveal came. Overall I thought the plot was suspenseful and the pacing was well done. The ending of the book had its share of surprises and I was happy with the way everything played out.

Ellie continues to be very affected by the reveals at the end of The Silent Dolls which definitely influence her actions throughout this book. She is still dedicated to her job but she has a lot of doubts about her ability to do that job when so much of the community has turned on her. I was glad the author included the difficulties Ellie was facing as to me it would have been very unrealistic for her to go on as if nothing happened.

FBI agent Derrick Fox returns and his relationship with Ellie has drastically changed after the last book. The pair are no longer open with each other and their working relationship is strained to say the least. The possibility of a romance between these two does seem to still be there, but the author will certainly have some difficulties getting past all of their issues. Ranger Cord McClain, who I was very intrigued by in The Silent Dolls, returns and I was happy to see we learned more about him as he is a very compelling character.

Overall Wildflower Graves was an amazing read and I am looking forward to the release of the next book in the series, The Burning Girls, later this year.

Wildflower Graves by Rita Herron is the second book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series and what a brilliant book this was. I was hooked within the first few pages just like the book in this series called The Silent Dolls. In this book 
Detective Ellie Reeves is in therapy to deal with the lies and deceit of her parents from the book before. Whilst Ellie is dealing with her personal life, there is a murderer. This killer has been called "The Weekday Killer" They've got this name because they have chosen their women victims based on a children's rhyme.

"The Weekday Killer"

Monday's child is fair of face

Tuesday's child is full of grace

Wednesday's child is full of woe

Thursday's child has far to go

Friday's child is loving and giving

Saturday's child works hard for a living

And the child that is born on the Sabbath day - Sunday is bonny and blithe, and good and gay"

Whilst, on a hike to the mountains Ellie stumbles  across a young woman  who is posed on a bed of daffodils. This soon comes known to Ellie, that her colleague Shondra is missing. 
 
Time is running out! will they catch them before she is named a child from this children's rhyme. 

This is a book that will keep you on your toes and will keep you reading until the end. WoW what a brilliant book this is

I would recommend you read the first book in this series so you can understand the whole story However, you can get by reading Wildflower Graves as a standalone. 

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the free ARC they provided me with; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.

Monday's child is fair of face. But the woman that has been murdered no longer looks so fair. Tuesday's child is discovered next. Will Detective Ellie Reeves be able to stop the killer before the rhyme is complete and seven women are dead...?
OMG what a book! Wildflower Graves is a wonderfully gruesome thriller. It is the second in the Ellie Reeves sereis from Rita Herron but I have not read the first. I suggest that you read the first, not just because I assume the writing style and plot are as good as this one, but due to the multiple references to plots twists and the conclusion of the last book.
Ellie Reeves is struggling both personally and professionally due to the outcome of the previous case. Relationships have been left in tatters and she is being hounded by the media. Now a serial killer is contacting her, taunting her with the dead women she could not save. I liked Ellie's character and could understand her troubled emotions in relation to her family and colleagues.
The majority of the book shows us the police perspective but there are some chapters that give us insight into the victims and killer. We then share Ellie's desperation to find her friend Shondra who is being tormented by the killer but is still alive.
My own personal preference is for short chapters and this book has those. My eyes gobbled up the plot as it races along. The use of the weekdays for the killings meant that events occur quickly and you can feel the tension as the police attempt to find clues.
Overall, I loved Wildflower Graves and will now track down the first book in the series even though I know the outcome!

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely a good mystery thriller. I was trying to work out who the police were looking for, and why they were doing the cruel things they were doing. Some characters ended up with big decisions to make moving forward.

I found the characters to be interesting and the story was a really good mystery that had you trying to work out who dunnit.

Would recommend.

Wow! what a story ,I hadn't read the first Book `The Silent Dolls' which feature the strong willed & determined to succeed in a Man's world Detective Ellie Reeves ! the wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains & it's rugged tough walking Trails, also along with all the Plant & Folk tales connected to it are the perfect setting in which to put another very sick , twisted serial Killer , who also wants personal revenge against Ellie.  It was very hard to pause while reading this Book for Bathroom breaks , & even meals it had me totally gripped , but like so many films & TV series it's ended on a cliff hanger which means I now need to know what happens to Ellie going forward ........................................................... so we have to watch out for the next instalment ! # NetGalley , #GoodReads ,#Instagram, #FB, # Amazon.co.uk , <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/11bc11d0026952991f96874534f30a6fb6dbed74" width="80" height="80" alt="25 Book Reviews" title="25 Book Reviews"/>, <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>,  <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.