Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Garden Girls
Series: Strange Crimes Unit: South Division
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller

On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.

Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.

As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop| BookBub

My Thoughts

I don’t recall the last time that a psychological thriller made me cry, but this one did. The characters are so real and relatable that they became like friends and I hated the thought that evil was all around them, waiting to destroy them. The SCU team travels to the Outer Banks, a setting I am familiar with, so I enjoyed the setting. They are there to find a serial kidnapper who is taking women and tattooing them with flowers, then discarding them at a local lighthouse. I loved having the team all together working on solving the crime. My favorite SCU members are always Owen, because of his sense of humor and joking attitude, and Violet because she is so intuitive that it’s just weird. These are the characters that I would like to invite to dinner and have them entertain me with their wit and intelligence. The pace of the book is at a breakneck speed, racing from one twist and red herring to another and ultimately arriving at the surprising conclusion. Fans of psych thrillers who enjoy the films and books of the late Alfred Hitchcock will be enthralled with the SCU, their crime solving abilities and the way the author portrays each of the members as real people with a life outside of solving crimes. Crying at some parts and gasping at others, I made it to the end and then I just wanted another SCU book to read already. Faith plays a foundational part in the story, but it does not overwhelm or take over the story. It is an important part of some of the character’s lives and that added to the depth of the story. The addiction is real…the quest for justice is real. And these books are amazing! This book is part of a series but it can be read and thoroughly enjoyed as a standalone.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a signed paperback copy of Her Darkest Secret and A Cry in the Dark and a $25 Amazon card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 15, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 22, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print. Ebooks available if winner is Canadian. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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