After reading and reviewing The Toybox, I knew I had to go back and read the first Detective Wyatt book – All His Pretty Girls. I have absolutely fallen in love with Charly’s characters and writing and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for upcoming books in this series!
Synopsis (via Goodreads):
“A woman is found naked, badly beaten and barely alive in the New Mexico mountains. The shocking discovery plunges Albuquerque Detective Alyssa Wyatt into a case that will test her to the limit.
It appears that Callie McCormick is the latest plaything of a shadowy psychopath that leaves a long shadow on the streets of New Mexico – an individual linked to a string of deaths but leaving no evidence.
But when Alyssa makes a breakthrough that just might reveal the killer, she unknowingly puts herself in the crosshairs of a brutal maniac – one with an old score to settle.
Because the killer knows Alyssa very well, even if she doesn’t know him. And he’s determined that she’ll know his name – even if he has to extract his deadly revenge on her and everything she loves.”
Review:
Right from the get go, Charly Cox had me hooked. Her opening scenes were fast, gripping, and painful to read (but in the best of ways). I already knew about Detective Wyatt from reading The Toybox but felt like I really got to know her better based on how Charly Cox develops her personality and coffee addiction in All His Pretty Girls.
This book is told from multiple perspectives. I knew who the killer was and what his moves and thoughts were while I was watching Detective Wyatt weave her way through this mystery. What I loved about the writing of these different perspectives is that it allowed me to build a deeper relationship with all the characters and an emotional connection to the story. There were times when I wanted to yell at the characters and scream “He is right there!” but of course, Alyssa would not have heard me and I probably would have just upset the stray cats outside.
The twist at the end is… sick. I promise not to spoil how it ends, but I must comment on it! I had an idea of what would happen but I was still shocked at the malice and meticulous planning of the ending.
Although I liked The Toybox better, this was still a great read and definitely spooky. I’ll recommend this one to anyone who enjoys thrillers and mysteries.
I am a huge fan of Charly’s writing, and her as a person. I cannot wait to read her third book in this series. Be sure to check out my interview with Charly Cox about her writing process, my review for The Toybox, and let me know what you think of All His Pretty Girls.
You can buy both of these on Amazon!
Happy reading!
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