Meeting DI Elise King again in this 2nd instalment after a year passed from the previous ‘local gone missing’ case. Another murder crime happened in the town of Ebbing where a sparky hairdresser’s body in her red strappy dress was found lifeless sitting against the trunk of a tree in the heart of Knapton Wood. A Valentine’s day night out gone wrong, they thought as the victim, Karen Simmons was known to be the one who started a singles group with a mere motive to find a mate. DI Elise was called to lead the case but soon it turned a bit wild with another intertwining case from years ago lurking out in between.

It was a slowburn premise but quite engrossingly told to me. Structured in multiple POVs from Elise to Kiki Nunn, a reporter who was eager for the news as well Annie, a mother to the dead boy who was found murdered in the wood years ago, the execution was tangled in between these perspectives with secrets peeling alternately— so gripping and suspicious. I loved that hue of its spooky dark insight on the online dating scheme, those scammers and creeps; an awareness that was executed from both men and women sides, fairly enlightening as well making me freaked out too esp with Kiki’s braveness in investigating the case and enduring the trauma from the incident with her date, Rob.

It was thrilled much regardless its easy to catch hints and predictable suspect. Annie’s part was a bit heart-rending but I liked how the progress unravelled the truth for her. I could make a guess on the howdunnit yet I was still enthralled to wait for the revelation chapter and that epilogue— bit cunning and so wickedly plotted; sixteen years of lie with that stack of hatred and a revenge to commit, idk why I was so satisfied reading the confession.

Needing more of Elise as her dynamic was only slightly progressed in here (pls don’t skip your appointments!), understandable as this was only book 2 from the series. Waiting for book 3 soon, hopefully!