A teenager is killed by the lake, carefully posed nude with a black orchid. Detective Amanda Steele finds a possible link with an old case but can she catch the killer before he strikes again…?
Amanda’s personal life does follow on from the previous books and she is in the process of adopting a child who was in danger in the last book. There are also other family elements which relate to previous events. However, I think there is enough information to understand the personal background of our detective.
The plot itself is emotive as a young woman is killed. She was passionate about the environment and frequented the park to study nature but in which she eventually died. The description of the murder in the opening chapter is vivid and shocking, a real attention grab!
Amanda takes her time eliminating suspects before the connection with the old case is made. We follow the investigation as it unfolds and suspects are interviewed. The level of mystery is maintained throughout with a big twist at the end.
Black Orchid Girls is an entertaining detective thriller and I enjoyed meeting the main character Amanda again.
The first rays of sun filter through the tall trees, casting a faint light on the girl lying at the water’s edge. Her tears have frozen on her pale face, a black orchid rests against her cold white skin.
When hikers find the body of a beautiful young girl on the banks of the Potomac River, Detective Amanda Steele is shaken and confused. What is the significance of the delicate flower resting on the girl’s torso? A sign of affection, or a twisted killer’s calling card?
The girl is Chloe Somner, a local nineteen-year-old ecology student well-known to the park rangers and loved by all her classmates. Searching Chloe’s home, Amanda can’t work out who could have tempted her to the water in the early hours of the morning, but a long night hunting through cold cases gives her a possible lead: twenty years ago another local girl was murdered, a red rose left on her body. But why would this killer strike again now?
Focused on the past, the last thing Amanda expects is the news that Chloe’s roommate has been found dead, another black orchid left. Terrified that more innocent victims will follow, can Amanda uncover the significance of the flowers and stop this cold-hearted killer before he returns for the next orchid girl…?
A totally compulsive crime thriller! Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.
Author Bio
Carolyn Arnold was born in a small Canadian town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. As an international bestselling and award-winning author, she has several continuing fiction series, including her popular Detective Madison Knight series. She offers readers nearly three dozen published books in genres ranging from crime thrillers and hard-boiled mysteries to cozy mysteries and action adventures. She currently lives north of London, Ontario, with her husband and two beagles.
