Trail of Echoes by Rachel Howzell Hall is the third book in the “Detective Elouise Norton” mystery series. Publisher: Forge, May 2016

On a rainy spring day in Los Angeles, homicide detective Elouise “Lou” Norton is called away from a rare lunch date to Bonner Park, where the body of thirteen-year-old Chanita Lords has been discovered. When Lou and her partner, Colin Taggert, take on the sad task of informing Chanita’s mother, Lou is surprised to find herself in the apartment building she grew up in.

Chanita was interested in photography and, much like Lou, a girl destined to leave the housing projects behind. Her death fits a chilling pattern of exceptional girls–dancers, artists, honors scholars-gone recently missing in the same school district, the one Lou attended not so long ago.

Lou is valiantly trying to make a go of life after her divorce and doing everything she can to avoid her long estranged father. She races to catch a serial killer, but he remains frustratingly out of her reach, sending cryptic cyphers and taunting clues that arrive too late to prevent the next death. This one is personal, and it’s only a matter of time before he comes after Lou herself.

Going back home finds Lou in an unpleasant situation and then boom, this fast-paced and riveting drama takes hold and I’m immersed in all that is happening within the narrative. Heart-pounding, adrenaline rush, intrigued, and suspense kept me glued to the pages as I had to know what happened and how this will all end. I enjoy a book that consumes me and places me in the middle of all the action and this one, with its multiple subplots, culminated in a conclusion worthy of this story. I like how the mystery was presented with suspects and clues where all the characters played a pivotal role that lead to the identity and apprehension of the killer. Lou is wonderfully developed and crafted by the author with the determination and vulnerability to handle what life places in her path. This was a great read and I look forward to more stories from this author and series.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC from the author