The Summer Children by @DotHutchison

By Pamelascott

This FBI agent has come to expect almost anything-just not this...

When Agent Mercedes Ramirez finds an abused young boy on her porch, covered in blood and clutching a teddy bear, she has no idea that this is just the beginning. He tells her a chilling tale: an angel killed his parents and then brought him here so Mercedes could keep him safe.

His parents weren't just murdered. It was a slaughter-a rage kill like no one on the Crimes Against Children team had seen before. But they're going to see it again. An avenging angel is meting out savage justice, and she's far from through.

One by one, more children arrive at Mercedes's door with the same horror story. Each one a traumatized survivor of an abusive home. Each one chafing at Mercedes's own scars from the past. And each one taking its toll on her life and career.

Now, as the investigation draws her deeper into the dark, Mercedes is beginning to fear that if this case doesn't destroy her, her memories might.

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[Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was scared of the dark] ***

(Thomas & Mercer, 22 May 2018, ebook, 300 pages, Kindle Owner's Lending Library)

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I was completely blown away by The Summer Children. I've been a fan of the author and The Collector series since the amazing; The Butterfly Garden so I knew this book would be great. Glad to see I was right. The book opens with a corker, Mercedes comes home to find something terrible sitting on her porch. I knew I was going to love The Summer Children. I was hooked from the cracking opening right until the end. The book includes short sections from the killer's POV showing the terrible events that shaped them. These work really well and offer a good contrast to the rest of the chapters. The book is very dark at times but is so well written I found myself really caring for the characters. I was in tears when Mercedes gradually reveals her own terrible experiences. I loved The Summer Children. Great title as well. Very creepy.