Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) - reviewed on 10/19/2023 + 645 more book reviews

I'd heard that Jessica R. Patch was the queen of crime suspense in the Christian fiction genre, so October seemed the perfect time to read one of her books. A Cry in the Dark is gritty, creepy, intense, and definitely lives up to the author's reputation.

Violet Rainwater is a psychologist on an FBI task force that handles some of the most deviant crimes. She feels called to this work as her life began in trauma - her teen mother was abducted, held captive, raped, and became pregnant. Violet fears that she contains her father's evil nature and an incident from her past haunts her.

The task force is deployed to a small Kentucky town to investigate the brutal murders of three women. Isolated in the Appalachian Mountains, the people of Night Holler have their own form of justice and don't welcome outsiders. As crimes continue to occur, can Violet and her team stop the serial killer?

This story is dark and intriguing, especially as Christian fiction, and content warnings abound. Yet Ms. Patch skillfully weaves in a powerful storyline about faith, bits of humor, and even romance. I really appreciate when Christian fiction characters deal with messy and awful aspects of life, just as people of faith face terrible events in their lives, and this is a great example. While this plot includes some horrible crimes, it is ultimately hopeful.

Thank you to Love Inspired Trade and NetGalley for the review copy. I will definitely read more novels by this author.

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