The Woman in the Wood by M.K. Hill

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for M.K. Hill's latest DI Sasha Dawson mystery, The Woman in the Wood. 

Three years ago, nineteen year old Rhiannon Jenkins went missing. Witnesses last saw her with four men: reality star Danny "Abs" Cruikshank, Andrew "Deano" Dean, Jeremy "Jez" Weston, and Tony Gardner, who had been vacationing in Wales. And although no evidence of wrongdoing has ever been found, simply being associated with the story meant something of a downfall for Abs in particular. 

Now, however, Deano is dead. And it doesn't look to be an accident either. Tony is convinced that he's being followed, which is enough for him to call a meeting with the other two. Could it be that someone knows what happened that night? But if so, why have they waited so long to exact their revenge?

Sasha Dawson is part of the team investigating Deano's death and it's clear from the start this is murder. The man was killed by a train, and completely drunk, true. But he also had acid in his eyes and burns consistent with a cattle prod. Which matches the train conductor's statement that he'd seen someone with a walking stick on the train platform. 

But for Sasha, this case is more than just Deano's murder. It's uncovering what happened three years ago as well. 

So let me start off by saying that although this is technically the second book in a series, you don't have to have read the first book in order to sink into this one. Which is perfect because I myself have not yet read the first book, The Bad Place. 

That said, I so enjoyed this book by Hill that I abs (sorry, had to do it) will be seeking out book 1 and book 3 when it's released as well!

The book alternates between various points of view (starting with Deano's but mostly focusing on Sasha and Abs) and timelines so that the reader gets the full perspective of the present day investigation while also getting pieces of what happened three years ago. Although it is known from the outset that the men are guilty of something, the revelation of the exact what, why, is teased out as the story progresses. 

I found myself truly unable to tear away from this one and I did not see the twist coming at all! This was a great mystery and I'm really looking forward to reading more from Hill. 

The Woman in the Wood is an excellent police procedural, perfect for readers who love intricate and careful plotting and great characters! It's out now from Head of Zeus.