Review: Presumed Dead

Presumed Dead by Mason Cross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fifteen years ago a serial killer terrorized the small town of Bethany , Ga. Since the bodies of eight of the supposed nine victims were found on and around Devil Mountain, naturally the name Devil Mountain Killer was attached to the crimes. One victim, presumed dead though body missing, was Adeline Connor. Her only relative, David Connor, a young Bethany man believes he saw his sister on a street in Atlanta. Now, after years of searching the woods around his home to find her body, he is convinced she is still alive and seeks help in finding her. Enter Carter Blake, whose life is dedicated to finding missing persons, including those who do not wish to be found.

Carter is not a welcome guest in Bethany where the small town would let sleeping dogs lie. The killer has moved on, died or gone to jail. No need to stir up old memories. Besides, David Connor had been considered a possible perp and, as an odd ball stoner, was looked upon as an outsider though a local. Still, the first investigator he'd hired to find his sister had been murdered in Atlanta looking for Adeline and though it appeared he'd been a stranger in a bad part of town who was victim of a carjacking gone bad, David did not believe that. As soon as Carter starts snooping, however, bodies start turning up and the method of death is two shots to the head with a .38--same MO as the DMK. Has the killer returned? If so, why? and is Adeline still alive?

As Carter and one of the Sheriff's deputies, Isabella Green, the daughter of one of the victims who died 15 years ago, delve further into the mystery, more people are killed. Some are locals, others are not--so are the killings related to the search for Adeline or not?

The trails and backroads of the area are not the only twisty traits of this compelling mystery. One thing though--I'm beginning to see a pattern to these Carter Blake plots that may give an early clue to the bad guys in the books. Not going to reveal my theory though, don't want to ruin the tales for other readers. Plus, I need to test the theory out on the next book. Hmmmmm

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