Counter Attack by Patricia Bradley Book Review

 

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late.

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in “A Pearl River” series. I don’t recall ever reading any books from author Patricia Bradley prior to this book. The author had glowing reviews from her previous books so I was looking forward to reading it.

Counter Attack starts out intriguing with a glimpse into the dark web, and a serial killer wanting revenge. The Queen’s Gambit Killer must be stopped before he strikes again. Alex is on the job to figure out what his next play will be in his chess game. The killer leaves a white chess piece in their hand along with a note with the next book on them.

 Alex Stone is an undercover detective that is undercover at a bar where several of the victims have ties to visiting the bar. She knows she has a feeling she is being watched. Nathan Landry, her high school crush happens to be there. When Alex leaves the bar, a man tries to drag her away, both Alex and this man have been shot. They assume that the serial killer is dead now. That relief is short-lived as he starts leaving messages.

Alex teams up with Nathan who knows chess to help decipher the clues.

The characters are well-developed and very likable. The pace of the book is pretty fast-paced throughout the story. There is a faith-spiritual context with the characters. Alex and Nathan make a good team and complement each other. I figured out who the Queen’s Gambit Killer is fairly easy. There is one surprise at the end that I didn’t expect.  

I look forward to the other books in this series.

I received this complimentary product through Revell in exchange for my honest thoughts.