Description
Book SynopsisSolving the case will avenge her sister—unless the killer finds her first. It’s been fifteen years since Claire Calderwood’s sister, Rachel, was brutally murdered in their small hometown in Maine. Claire has finally carved out a life for herself as a homicide detective in Detroit, but the past comes calling when the local police back home ask for her help with a murder eerily similar to Rachel’s. Still haunted by Rachel’s cold case, Claire returns home, hoping to solve the crime and finally put her grief to rest. As she starts investigating, the last thing she needs is tenacious journalist Noah Washington asking questions she’s not ready to answer. But like her, Noah won’t give up until he finds the truth—and Claire reluctantly finds herself relying on him more and more when disturbing new details about Rachel’s death come to light. When the killer strikes once again, Claire knows he’s not done. Now he’s set his sights on Claire, who will have to find the courage she needs to survive a deadly confrontation years in the making.
Trade Review“Dea Poirier delivers a pitch-perfect procedural with a strong-willed and relatable lead in Claire Calderwood—a big-city cop who returns to her small hometown when a fresh homicide echoes the long-ago murder of her sister. Bolstered by a romance and atmospheric prose that turns setting into character, this debut hits all the right notes.” —Loreth Anne White, international bestselling author “In Dea Poirier’s exceptional debut, Claire Calderwood is a detective in Detroit who is relieved to have miles and years between herself and her hometown of Vinalhaven, Maine. This is an evocative debut with exquisite writing that indulges your senses and compels your investment in Calderwood’s emotional journey as she races against time to solve a case that has haunted her for more than a decade. Calderwood is a worthy addition to the genre. Her spirit, like Poirier’s voice, is tenacious and captivating, compelling the reader’s investment in her journey, and Calderwood is determined to hold her own against her male counterparts.” —Sandra Ruttan, author of Suspicious Circumstances “Next Girl to Die is a smart, fast-paced, and intensely well-written procedural thriller, and it takes place in one of the best settings I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long time: a lonely island off the coast of Maine. The island has more secrets than residents, with each character more ominously suspicious than the last. Poirier is a diabolical plotter, and this tight debut is fraught with tension and mystery.” —Wendy Heard, author of Hunting Annabelle
