Perdition by R. Jean Reid
Nell McGraw struggles with being a newly widowed mother and running the paper founded by her husband’s grandfather. But a paper can’t ignore the stories others turn away from, like the badly decomposing body of a child found in the gulf. At first it seems tragic, a child lost because of carelessness. But then another child goes missing.
Disgusted by the turf war between the sherriff and the police chief, Nell barely manages to keep her journalistic distance . . . until the killer contacts her, telling Nell her children could be next. Now she must match wits with a psychopath who taunts her, daring Nell and the police to catch him before he can kill again.
When I first read the prologue I almost vomited because it was like a car accident you couldn't look away from no matter how horrifying it made you feel. I actually had to reread the same paragraph a few times to make sure it was saying what I thought it said. When I got done I wasn't sure if I could continue with the rest of the book because the hatred I felt for this character was intense. I did though because I thought if an author can evoke this strong of an emotion at the very beginning then they deserved my attention for the rest. Even if it started off difficult to read I was glad I stayed in there because Reid definitely does a great job at writing mysteries. The plot lines and characters are fleshed out well and the writer's overall style makes this a very easy read as it just flows to the point you don't realize how much binge reading you have done in a single sitting.
This being the second in a series I hope there are more to come as I'm vastly curious what they'll come up with next.
*synopsis and pic from amazon.com