In The Red Hoodie, the second installment in the Amber McNeil Mystery series, my psychic sleuth investigates another cold case tinged with a fairy-tale element.
Amber is shocked to discover that circumstances surrounding the disappearance of eight-year-old Marie Troy decades ago hints of Little Red Riding Hood. Marie dropped off a jar of soup at her grandmother’s one morning, then walked to school but never got there. The red hoodie she wore that day was her favorite, but it—along with Marie—vanished.
Sergeant Ryan Baxter, Amber’s partner in the new Montreal Police Services cold case unit, determines that evidence in the case is scant. They need to start the investigation from scratch. Under pressure to solve a quota of unsolved cold cases with limited time and resources, they must trust each other to find Marie’s abductor. Worse yet, their jobs—and the unit—could be eliminated if they don’t produce results soon.
Gifted with the ability to sense details about people and things that are hidden to others, Amber shares her insights from recent findings in Marie’s case with Ryan. He listens with respect and an open mind, but as a seasoned homicide detective and criminal profiler, he prefers to rely on solid evidence.
Their jobs come with other challenges too. Amber’s psychic gift—and the mutual attraction between her and Ryan—are secrets they must keep.
Ambers struggles with disturbing images she perceives from new physical evidence in Marie’s case. Even the amethyst crystal she hides in her pocket isn’t enough to calm her emotional reactions—reactions that other colleagues in the small office are noticing. Although Amber makes up excuses when they question her, she can’t maintain the pretense much longer. Can she trust them with her secret?
Desperate to find more evidence, Amber digs into the darkness of her past to bring the elusive killer to justice—even if it means confronting her worst nightmare.
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