Beneath Hemlock Skies

FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D., Book 4

De: D.D. Black

Narrado por: Amber Dekkers, Joe Hempel

How do you shine light on a killer who knows only darkness?

Deep in Washington State's Hoh Rainforest, a young women is found dead, a single sprig of hemlock in her pale, lifeless hand. The killing suggests a ritualistic obsession. The crime scene leaves investigators without a lead.

As Special Agent Claire Anderson and FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D. dig into the case, an early breakthrough hints at a motive too twisted to believe. But public pressure mounts as the media turns the Hemlock Killer into a nationwide sensation, fueled by damning leaks from inside Claire's own investigation.

Who is leaking the details? And why?

With the killer always one step ahead and FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D. fracturing under the strain, Claire must tread carefully. But each new discovery pulls her deeper into a darkness that feels endless.

Can her team stop the Hemlock Killer before another victim is claimed? Or will the darkness consume them all—including FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D. itself?

Series List:

Book 1: The Fifth Victim

Book 2: We Forget Nothing

Book 3: Widows of Medina

Book 4: Beneath Hemlock Skies

©2025 D.D. Black (P)2025 D.D. Black

relationship nuances with team members

I love how each team member is evolving and building trust with each other. It makes for interesting possibilities.

great plot and narration

Love the series. each story more interesting and different so hard to put a pause. The narration is great

A double edged SWORD

Characters continue to grow. DD Black has a way with showing us the humanity, damaged though it may be, of each individual. He finds a way to make us love them even with their faults. Another fantastic story showing the depths to which mankind can sink while simultaneously taking us on a self realization walk through his characters hearts and our own. Wel done!

Twists, Tension, and Hemlock: Another Killer Installment”

I stumbled across this series a few months ago on Kindle Unlimited, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Each installment delivers gripping suspense and high-stakes thrills as Claire and her S.W.O.R.D. FBI task force race against time to catch the killer. Book 4 is no exception—Beneath Hemlock Skies kept me on edge from start to finish.
D.D. Black has a knack for crafting murder mysteries that are both chilling and compulsively readable. The pacing is tight, the twists are sharp, and the tension never lets up. Claire continues to be a compelling lead, and the dynamics within her team add depth to the story.
Already downloaded Book 5—can’t wait to dive back in!

Saved worst for last

This is like a teen graphic novel - and yes, please do infer "comic book" from that. Plot holes, ridiculous actions by characters, and the consistently poor narration. (SO many mispronounced words, just like all prior books by this author). I was able to get all of his books to date as free, bonus books. I continued to listen to them because his storylines were interesting and his characters were likable or at least engaging. Because of the storylines and the characters, I plowed through the books in spite of many examples of lazy writing (does this author have an editor?) and many, many narration gaffes ranging from little "oops" to myriad groan-inducing mispronunciations. (Does this author utilize an editor for narration? If so, whatever that person is being paid is too much!) it really bothers me that I'm not going to be listening to any more of the author's work, because he is gifted in creating stories that hooked me. And I am going to miss the characters, particularly in the SWORD series. But the writing errors and narration errors has become insulting to the reader/listener. So disappointing. So much potential, but the author is clearly grinding these out at a pace that increasingly precludes attention to excellence.