Trace of Evil

A Natalie Lockhart Novel, Book 1

By: Alice Blanchard

Narrated by: Laura Nichol

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

From Alice Blanchard, the author of the New York Times Notable mystery novel Darkness Peering comes Trace of Evil, first in an evocative new series about a small New York town, its deeply held secrets, and the woman determined to uncover them, no matter what the cost.

There’s something wicked in Burning Lake....

Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake, New York, an isolated town known for its dark past. Tasked with uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years, Natalie wrestles with the town’s troubled history - and the scars left by her sister’s unsolved murder years ago.

Then Daisy Buckner, a beloved schoolteacher, is found dead on her kitchen floor, and a suspect immediately comes to mind. But it’s not that simple. The suspect is in a coma, collapsed only hours after the teacher’s death, and it turns out Daisy had secrets of her own. Natalie knows there is more to the case, but as the investigation deepens, even she cannot predict the far-reaching consequences - for the victim, for the missing of Burning Lake, and for herself.

Praise for Trace of Evil:

“An airtight police procedural with deeply macabre elements...Trace of Evil delivers all elements without a single misstep.” (BookPage)

"Witchcraft, a brutal murder, and secrets buried in a sleepy town's past.... With Trace of Evil, Blanchard expertly weaves mystery and spine-tingling suspense into a tense, nail-biter of a thriller!" (J. D. Barker, international best-selling author of The Fourth Monkey)

"An interesting and credible community as a backdrop to the action, strong characterization and a powerful and unexpected denouement. It provides the delights of a traditional mystery but is set firmly in the present. I look forward to reading more in the series." (Ann Cleeves, best-selling author)

©2019 Alice Blanchard (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Narrator was NOT good.

I almost turned off this book during the first chapter, since the narration was so annoying. The narrator has a lisp with every S or S sound, and also sounded as if she had a mild nasal cold. I enjoyed the plot enough that I persisted and kind of got used to it, but it still is an exceedingly negative aspect of the experience. This is the first time I have had a narrator interfere with my enjoyment. I realize it is a difficult job, but the S sounds were like fingernails on a blackboard for the entire book.

Good story

Liked the story , needed more voices , all were the same . Narrated voices were are all basically same so little bland I think
It could definitely be better…

was poorly written and predictable

returned it didn't want to waste my time...interesting premise but sadly clunky story telling

The narrator

Wow, the narrator is awful. I can’t even tell if it’s a good story because she’s so bad (so many mispronunciations and total monotone).

Good for a mindless read, not for enjoyment.

The writing was pretty poor. The author never let you connect the dots, she always did it for you. The voice actress did nothing to enhance the experience. She has a good voice, but her inability to read a sentence with the right inflection makes it really hard to listen to.

Don’t bother

While I very much enjoyed the story, it’s impossible to continue the series if you’re an audiobook listener, which I am due to vision problems. This is a recurring issue with this publisher; they release the first two of a series as audiobooks, but not the subsequent novels. It’s very frustrating and very confusing.