Their Silent Graves by Carla Covach

 

Dressed in garish Halloween costumes, two teenage girls run through a patch of dense woodland towards the outskirts of town. But before they can reach the safety of the streets beyond, they make a shocking discovery.

Following a piece of old rope, the girls find a large mound of freshly laid earth, undisturbed in the darkness of the trees. Clawing at the ground beneath them, they make contact with something solid. When they realise what they’ve discovered, the silence is broken by their piercing screams as they stare down at the shallow grave.

Without looking back, they run as fast as they can, failing to spot the person nearby watching their every move…

And when another grave is found just days later, it’s clear a serial killer is praying on the small town. But who is the killer watching now? And when will another grave be filled?

If you like Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, you’ll love this heart-racing thriller from bestselling author, Carla Kovach. With gripping suspense and a twist you won’t see coming, Their Silent Graves will have you hooked from page one. ~taken from Amazon

I went into this knowing that it was book seven in a series, but all my research lead me to believe this could be read as a stand-alone book. My research was right, and it is a book I really did enjoy! 

It starts with two horrific scenes from the past:

A coffin maker sees his friend lock his wife in the shed after one of his regular wife beatings. 

A teenage girl, new to town, is buried alive in a coffin after attending a party.

We then cut to two teenagers on their way to a Halloween party who decide to cut through a wooded field as a shortcut. They come across a bell stuck in a tree branch. Attached to it is a piece of rope and they decide to follow it. They come across a freshly dug grave and after digging hit the top of a coffin...

Detective Gina Harte is on the investigation of the victim who was buried alive in a coffin. She soon realizes she had an encounter with the victim just a day or two before. The idea that the victim was buried alive also brings up anxiety about her own past. 

We also meet Cherie. Cherie is a mess. She is back to her drinking ways, trying to navigate marriage and motherhood while secretly becoming an alcoholic again. The Halloween holiday is not helping her mental chaos, as it seems to be the trigger of her downward spiral. To top it all off, her childhood friend has gone missing, and her old high school crew are being vague yet weirdly worried about what could have happened to their missing friend.

This book alternates perspectives and it really kept me on my toes. Though I did have hard time keeping track of characters at the beginning, it didn't take me long to keep everyone straight. The author did a wonderful job setting scenes and building on the characters. 

This book is full of mysterious twists and suspenseful turns. I kept trying to figure out what exactly all the characters had that connected them to this grizzly murder and it wasn't until the end that I finally put it all together. 

I am so glad I read "Their Silent Graves" by Carla Kovach because I truly enjoyed every word and I plan on reading books 1-6! I cannot wait to dive into this series! 

"Their Silent Graves" is being released September 17, 2020 here in the U.S. and I suggest ordering it now! A 5-star read for me! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an eARC to read and give my honest review! 

Happy Reading!