This FBI agent has come to expect almost anything―just not this…

When Agent Mercedes Ramirez finds an abused young boy on her porch, covered in blood and clutching a teddy bear, she has no idea that this is just the beginning. He tells her a chilling tale: an angel killed his parents and then brought him here so Mercedes could keep him safe.

His parents weren’t just murdered. It was a slaughter―a rage kill like no one on the Crimes Against Children team had seen before. But they’re going to see it again. An avenging angel is meting out savage justice, and she’s far from through.

One by one, more children arrive at Mercedes’s door with the same horror story. Each one a traumatized survivor of an abusive home. Each one chafing at Mercedes’s own scars from the past. And each one taking its toll on her life and career.

Now, as the investigation draws her deeper into the dark, Mercedes is beginning to fear that if this case doesn’t destroy her, her memories might.

First I just want to say that this book is my favourite of the series. Hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year. I usually choose the first book in a series as my favourite but not this time. Don’t think this has ever happened to me before either.

I’m also really liking that each book is from a different agent’s point of view. This one is in Mercedes’ POV and even when I finished the first chapter only, I had a feeling this was going to a doozy and man was I right.

My first thought was, who the heck are these kids that keep showing up at her door? Are they from one of the foster homes she stayed at? WHO ARE THEY??

Right away I wasn’t a fan of Mercedes’ girlfriend. She knows what Mercedes does for a living and yet, she was not supportive at all and made it seem like Mercedes asked for this crap to happen to her.

As we dive deeper into these random children showing up at Mercedes door, we learn that it’s not so random and that there’s a purpose. An angel is saving them but why? Who is this angel?

I don’t want to give too much away but man, this book was SO good. I do suggest starting with the first book though. Because each book is about a different agent and you learn more about their lives, their friendships with each other and so on. I also love that you see Inara, Bliss and Priya quite often. I just love this whole family dynamic.

My reader heart is so full right now.

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Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as the Butterflies were kept captive, FBI agents Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez are still entrenched in the aftermath, helping survivors in the process of adjusting to life on the outside. With winter coming to an end, the Butterflies have longer, warmer days of healing ahead. But for the agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers.

Priya Sravasti’s sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mother move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. But when she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?

At 37% – I’m going to write this as I read because I have thoughts I want to get down before I forget. This one is quite different than book 1. It’s slower but not in a bad way. Just in a way that makes you think and feel things. Book 1 was intense, while this one, at 37% is just…sad and heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because Priya lost her sister and her dad, not too far apart from each other. But her sister…man. Her sister was murdered and of course, our same trio of detectives, haven’t been able to catch the bad guy.

In this book, we get more from Eddison’s point of view. Which is a nice change from book 1, when that was in Vic’s POV.

I’m still early in and I know a lot can happen with 63% left go in the book but I just wanted to say that I feel bad for Priya. Her thoughts and her grief, are intense and rightfully so. Losing your sister…I have a younger sister and I can’t imagine what I would do if something happened to her.

At 67% – I find this book much slower than book one but not in a bad way. Priya is beyond messed up over her sister and the other deaths. Even though they’re complete strangers, she can’t help but feel broken over it. I do like how this book ties into book 1. Not a lot but it gives us current events with some of the girls from book 1 and I like seeing how they’re doing now.

At 83% – I really have no idea who the bad guy is. I have theories but I’m probably totally wrong seeing as I can never predict these things.

At 100% – Now that I’m done, I had a feeling about who the bad guy was. I liked how the story ended and I also liked how we got to see more into the lives and personalities of the 3 agents.

Man, this was so good. Now it’s time for book 3. I definitely need these books in paperback.

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