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The second in the PI Annie Gore series (the first to be read by this reader), this moody and atmospheric story is set deep in the Appalachians. Summoned by a daughter to investigate the death of her father, a preacher, whose affinity for rattlesnakes and copperheads has earned him a devout following, Annie must travel to the rural town of Mount Zion, Kentucky, where lore and faith intersect, and belief-systems veer towards the supernatural. Pastor Ezra King, who apparently died of a snake bite, had many secrets, and it will be up to Annie, a thirtyish former Air Force special investigator, to unpack his story and the twisty trail bled into his passing.

Annie, (who possesses the worst fast-food diet this reader has encountered between the pages) will have her work cut out for her, in the form of more than one body, at least a couple of near death experiences, and a townsfolk population who will both befriend and endanger her.

Annie, with her ripped jeans, leather jacket and murky green eyes, is a strong and interesting first person POV narrator. Her story here is an engrossing read (with perhaps just a trifle too complex a final solution). This reader’s favorite elements of this book center on the backstory of Annie herself, and the slowly revealing emotional complications of her relationship with her father. A theme which picks up again in several places throughout her investigation and the relationships between several of the protagonists.

Recommended for readers of character-based, complex mysteries, and in particular those that are slowburning and dense, seething with undercurrents and conflict.

A great big thank you to Goodreads, the author, and the publisher for this ARC giveaway. All thoughts presented are my own.