The Girls in the Fire - (Detective Harlow Durant) by Dea Poirier (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Harlow looked down at a photo of her victim and couldn't reconcile it with the body found by the lake. Here was a young and carefree woman, gazing at the camera with her striking emerald green eyes, her long black hair waving in the breeze. But within an instant her future had been extinguished. Harlow had to find out why.

When the remains of a young woman are discovered on the edge of Saranac Lake in upstate New York, local law enforcement immediately call Detective Harlow Durant. When she arrives at the scene, she instantly knows this case will get under her skin. Lying just beyond the picturesque lake popular with families are the remains of a victim who has seemingly been burned to death. With very little evidence remaining, Harlow begins scouring missing persons reports.

The victim is identified as twenty-six-year-old Ellie Gordon-a fun-loving young woman who worked in the bookstore and enjoyed going out with friends. When her mother comes to ID the body, she reports her daughter's gold crucifix missing and the hunt begins to locate it and any potential DNA evidence. But as Harlow starts to piece Ellie's last movements together, another body is found. The victim was killed in exactly the same way and worked with Ellie.

Witness statements identify a local man who was obsessed with both women and when Harlow sees video evidence of him pawning the gold necklace, she thinks she has her man. But when he too winds up dead, Harlow has to start over. The only other link to the women is Gavin Croswell, one of the most powerful men in the town. But with a whole host of alibis, pinning the murders on him is almost impossible.

With time running out to find the killer before another woman loses her life, the case soon becomes personal when Harlow's car is violently run off the road. Someone wants to warn her off the case and they will use anything they can to threaten her. Even if it means exposing her own dark secret.

Can Harlow confront her demons to save another innocent life from being lost? And just how much is she prepared to sacrifice?

An absolutely addictive serial killer thriller perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, and Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series.

See what readers are saying about the Harlow Durant series:

"WAIT WHAT?!?! Come back here! I need more! Holy smokes! I finished this book in a day. I legit got zero done because I was so invested. I'm so glad I saw this is going to be a series because these characters are amazing... I'm ready for the next book now!" joni_loves_reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I had to keep the Kindle next to me throughout the day to snag every few minutes I could! I was actually angry when pulled away from it!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Wow... There are so many twists in this book and you're never sure who is the serial killer... The thrills didn't stop. Loved it. I would give this book more stars if I could." NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐