KJBuzz: The Devil’s Song – L. Stahl
There’s a killer on the loose in Mission County, Pennsylvania . . . whose next victim might be the prosecuting attorney.
Publisher’s Weekly
Lawyer Stahl’s exciting first novel pits Mission County, Pa., prosecutor Kate Magda against a serial killer who targets redheads, shaving their bodies and stuffing a cloth with the initials RTW written in black marker into each of their throats. Kate, who has reddish-blonde hair, begins to worry that the murders are being committed with her in mind and that she might be next.
Library Journal
Prosecutor Kate Magda is the daughter of an important local judge in Mission County, PA. When she is assigned the lead on a notorious serial killer case, she sees it as a chance to make a name for herself, even though she will need to work with homicide detective Sam Hart, an occasional romantic partner, who has also kept a watchful eye on Kate for her father. When Kate and her cousin Tess were children, they survived a brutal attack by her uncle Ron Wells. The three serial murders eerily resemble the crimes committed by Wells. Tensions in the county escalate when Tess confesses to the Reds murders and politics come into play. Family secrets, childhood memories, and old crimes influence the present in this suspenseful debut. Kate is a gutsy character, and her romance with Sam is enjoyable. An open-ended finale leaves room for future conflicts within the Magda family. verdict A solid bet for fans of dark crime dramas.—ACT