Carved in Darkness

February 15, 2013
A homicide inspector and a killer for hire make an unlikely team. Sabrina Vaughn's new partner in the San Francisco PD can tell that something is wrong with her, but he has no idea how bad it is. Fifteen years ago, Sabrina, who was born Melissa Walker in Jessup, Texas, was kidnapped, raped and tortured for 83 days by a psychopathic serial killer. Left for dead in a churchyard with "Mine" carved in her stomach, she somehow survived. Now, her younger brother and sister and her only friend are safe, or so she thinks, until the arrival of Michael O'Shea, a childhood acquaintance whose military record is sealed, turns her life upside down. Michael, whose sister was one of a string of victims who all resembled Melissa, wants to use Melissa as bait to catch the killer. Nor do her troubles end there. Steve Sanford, a fellow cop whose life Melissa saved, wants to die and is harassing Melissa in the hopes she will snap and kill him. Michael works as a hired killer--his handler helped him slip away from his dangerous boss--so he has only a small window of time to catch the killer. Indications that the killer has learned that Melissa is still alive, and has killed the grandmother who shared her secret, make her desperate to protect her siblings and her friend. When Sanford is murdered, Melissa, a prime suspect, has no choice but to return to Texas and bait the trap. Pulse-pounding terror, graphic violence and a loathsome killer. First of a series.

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Starred review from May 1, 2013

Sabrina, a tough, competent San Francisco homicide officer, carries a secret history so dark she never dares to let down her guard. Once held hostage, sexually assaulted, and left for dead, she has taken on a new identity and relocated far from her small-town Texas roots. But now she's been outed by her former neighbor, trained mercenary Michael O'Shea, whose own little sister was brutally killed by the same man who terrorized Sabrina. It seems the attacker finds a new victim annually on Sabrina's birthday, and this has been going on for more than a dozen years. Another year is up and Sabrina must finally confront her demon, though the road will be violent and harrowing. VERDICT Prepare to be overwhelmed by the tension and moodiness that permeates this edgy thriller. Beaumont's ability to keep the twists coming even when the answer seems obvious is quite potent. This debut would please Chelsea Cain readers. Consider also for fans of Robin Burcell and Michelle Gagnon.

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