The Hunting Grounds

A dark, nail-biting, unputdownable crime thriller with twists to make you gasp

De: Charly Cox

Narrado por: Kate Zane

The knife slashed one way across her mouth, then the other, silencing her words. The last thought she had as the knife plunged down was that at least it would all be over soon...

When Jennie Killingbeck goes missing while driving back to Albuquerque, Detective Alyssa Wyatt and the squad quickly swing into action to bring her home, alive. The case takes a darker turn when FBI Agent Ryker Newlin walks into their precinct.

For the past six years, the FBI have been searching for a killer dubbed ‘The Sunset Slayer’ for their M.O. of brutally murdering young red-haired women, mutilating them with an ‘X’ across their lips.

The Sunset Slayer has taken lives in multiple states and, upon seeing Jennie’s striking red hair on the news reports, Ryker is here to warn the Albuquerque PD that they might have a serial killer operating in their midst. Finding a murderer in the desert of New Mexico won’t be easy, but both Alyssa and Ryker are determined to bring an end to The Sunset Slayer’s bloodshed … before another victim appears.

Charly Cox was born in the South, raised in the Midwest, and now resides in the Southwest United States. She enjoys jigsaw and crossword puzzles, hanging out with her husband and her spoiled Siberian husky, visiting her son in Arizona, and traveling.

Kate Zane has narrated over 60 audiobooks and is the series narrator for the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series. She ranges from crime to romance fiction.

© 2025 Charly Cox (P) 2025 DK Audio

Strong Characters, Repetitive Plots

Entertaining Series That Could Use Variety

I waited until the last book to write a review, and I bought and read all five books—so that alone says the series was pretty good. I really liked the characters, especially Wyatt and her sidekick, and the rest of the cast is well developed and engaging.

What I didn’t like is that all five books follow very similar storylines, mostly revolving around kidnapped girls. While the details change, the theme feels repetitive—just the same idea from different angles.

I would have liked to see something different. It’s also hard to believe there could be five serial killers operating in the same area within just a couple of years.

That said, the writing is entertaining and solid. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have stuck with all five books. I just hope future installments change up the theme a bit