When death draws near by Carrie Stuart Parks

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When Death Draws Near(Thomas Nelson, August 2016)

Death has always been part of Gwen Marcey’s job. But when faced with her own mortality, everything takes on a different hue.

Forensic artist Gwen Marcey is between jobs and homes when she accepts temporary work in Pikeville, Kentucky. The Eastern Kentucky town, located deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, has been plagued by a serial rapist and a series of unexplained deaths. Before Gwen can develop a composite drawing, the latest witness vanishes, just like all the previous victims.

Turning her attention to sketching the face of an unidentified body, she discovers a link between his death and a Pentecostal serpent-handling church. Serpent-handling is illegal in Kentucky, and the churches have gone underground to avoid the authorities and continue to worship as they believe. Gwen is offered a handsome reward to infiltrate the renegade members, a reward she desperately needs as it seems her breast cancer has returned.

Joined by her digitally-obsessed, Generation Z daughter, Gwen goes undercover to a nineteenth century revival, planning to draw the faces of the snake handlers so they can be identified and arrested. Instead she uncovers a murderous plot and a festering evil.

My opinion: I am not going to lie, these are probably one of the darkest, creepiest mysteries I have read, usually I shy away from these sort of books as they can really get to me and make me even more paranoid, but these books are just too good and interesting to not read! I love the authors style of writing and how down to earth and gritty they are, the main character is totally believable and is someone you could imagine meeting. You can tell these books are well researched and the plot was solid. Filled with page turning suspense and the ability to keep one guessing until the very end, this book is a must read!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.